Chapter 480. Finis Belli (4) (1/2)
An unnatural scenery unfolded.
Perhaps, it was better to say that it didn’t fit. A river of blood was flowing in the battlefield underneath a brightly shining sun. There, finger-sized orbs were floating, shining with amber light.
Countless fireflies blended with the battlefield overflowing with blood, creating a starkly contrasting scenery.
Soon, a change began to take place.
Baek Haeju lowered her gaze and looked down at her body. Before she noticed, the shining orbs had landed on her left arm. They seeped into her skin, spread out all across her body from one corner to another.
Baek Haeju dazedly raised her arm, her pupils filling up with vitality. Her dangling left arm moved without a problem, and she felt no pain while doing so. Her bones seemed to have healed and even gotten sturdier.
Not only that, but even minor injuries on her body healed. Her mana was also quickly returning to its original level. Baek Haeju trembled from the energy resurging through her mana circuit before glancing to the side.
Not far away, she could see Oh Rahee raising her head. The group of fireflies that left her was gathering around Oh Rahee’s arms before scattering again.
“…Huh?”
Oh Rahee’s eyes widened. Her severed arms grew back. Vlad Halep’s bleeding stopped, and Yi Seol-Ah’s crushed ankles were mended. It was the same for Hugo. His bones healed, and new skin grew above them. His charred body returned to normal, regaining its color.
The healing effect was genuinely incredible.
“As expected.”
Philip Muller, who was resting at the allied force’s main camp, smiled. The energy in his mana was rampaging from manifesting Avaritia in his body, but it was now calming down.
Eun Yuri looked surprised as well. Her mana circuit, which had become twisted from overusing her mana, was quickly recovering.
Both Philip Muller and Eun Yuri were out of commission, but now there was a chance they could return to battle, completely healed.
“It feels like I was reborn.”
Eun Yuri looked back and forth between her hands with a look of surprise.
“It was like this during the Spirit Realm Expedition too, but….”
Philip Muller, on the other hand, seemed to have experienced the phenomenon before.
“This is my first time seeing the World Tree display such a show of force. It must be using the holy power that the Star of Lust invoked.”
“Still, this is on such a grand scale….”
“It’s the least the World Tree can do. Remember, the World Tree is the reason that Tigol Fortress could stand strong against the combined attacks of five Army Commanders.”
Philip Muller spoke strongly and got up. He prepared to join the battle.
Eun Yuri got up with him and then flinched. From the corner of her eyes, she spotted Seo Yuhui lying half-dead on the ground.
Her body was shining faintly. More fireflies had gathered around her than anyone else, and even more were still gathering around.
Despite this, Seo Yuhui was still unconscious.
“Unni….”
“It can’t be helped. She really pushed herself to hold that ceremony.”
It was just as Philip Muller said. She was also suffering from overexerting her mana and holy power, neither of which could be taken lightly.
“She should open her eyes soon.”
However, Philip Muller’s voice carried strong confidence.
“In this world, the World Tree is no different than a god. Though it might take a while, she will wake up without a doubt before the war ends.”
“Well… I guess she’s technically getting back the holy power she put out.”
Eun Yuri nodded with a relieved look.
“Why don’t we get going too? I’ll leave the teleportation to you. I’ll probably need to save all the mana I can if I want to use Manifestation again.”
“Yes, let’s go.”
Eun Yuri cast a Teleport spell, and the two of them disappeared in the next second.
Not long after they left…
“…Ji… hu….”
Seo Yuhui’s eyelids trembled faintly.
*
Twisted Kindness did not move after coming to a stop. She was not restrained to the point she could not move, but she just did not know what to do.
Her plan had crumbled apart the moment the World Tree revived. One could say that her calculations were entirely off. She thought that the World Tree would need at least ten minutes to migrate to the Middle World and exercise its power.
That was more than enough time for her to carry out her plan. Every minute and every second was a moment that could change the tide of war to someone of Twisted Kindness’ caliber.
However…
‘The Star of Lust….’
Twisted Kindness groaned quietly after sensing the holy power overflowing around the allied force’s main camp. Never in her wildest imaginations did she think such a large amount of holy power would be used for purification and exercise of energy rather than for the World Tree’s growth.
When Twisted Kindness looked around the battlefield after collecting herself, a thick expression of concern covered her face. The enemies that had fallen from severe injuries were getting up one by one. The phoenix and some Spirits were emanating even more energy than before.
Twisted Kindness’ resources were diminishing by the second, yet the allied force’s resources were recovering beyond its original state.
This was truly the worst-case scenario she could think of.
If she was pressed for time before, now she was totally crushed.
To make matters worse…
“Euk!”
Twisted Kindness suddenly groaned.
Koong!
Her body suddenly dropped from the sky. She managed to land on her two feet, but she could not help but sway for a brief moment.
“Keeuuuu….”
Her already restrained body had just suffered another interference. Twisted Kindness gritted her teeth, feeling Avaritia’s divinity crushing down on her.
Usually, she would have been able to shake it off with her own energy. However, the Apostle of Avarice used a hateful method of mixing Avaritia’s divinity into the World Tree’s energy.
The eyes of the allied force glinted. They had noticed Twisted Kindness’ energy diminishing. The all-powerful Twisted Kindness seemed to be at a loss for what to do.
“!”
In the next moment, Twisted Kindness hurriedly swung her longsword.
Clang!
A noisy metallic sound rang out. Chohong’s mace was pushed back after having come right in front of Twisted Kindness’ face. Unlike before, Twisted Kindness’ hand felt a tiny bit numb.
She tried to attack Chohong right away, but then she pulled her longsword back with a frown. It was because Phi Sora and Hugo appeared next to her with their longsword and halberd.
‘My body feels… heavy!’
She couldn’t do anything about the World Tree. To alleviate the situation even slightly, she had to get rid of the pesky interference first.
Clicking her tongue, Twisted Kindness moved quickly. Moving through the enemy like flowing water, she tried to attack Philip Muller. However…
Clang!
She was obstructed in the middle yet again. Having read Twisted Kindness’ movements, Baek Haeju and Oh Rahee blocked her advancement.
Twisted Kindness’ eyes shook faintly. Her physical level had fallen significantly from the two restraints placed on her. It was only now that she began to feel a sense of danger.
She was still powerful, but no longer overwhelmingly so. Her movements, which had been too quick for many of the allied force’s members to see, were now visible.
Right, everyone could now see Twisted Kindness’ movements.
It was then.
Bzzz, bzzz, bzzz, bzzz, bzzz!
A series of vibrations rang out, and a frightening barrage of magic shot forth from the rear.
Twisted Kindness jumped in a startle. She did not think much of the magic at first, but each of them was an origin magic that even had anti-evil energy mixed in.