Chapter 153
niHDsAThe branch of the World Tree.CmfwBrF
CAx2qu1The special root of Itarium left by the First Emperor.ZUgYv8
ljGV5jMithril.FTfg
V1HwGAdamantite.fuw
pVKAnd the forest spirit.wrAdP8m
5KLt3These five elements came together as one, producing an almost miraculous result.7Xb1i
a8YznS3They strengthened the bond between golem and spirit.w7Rg
0J3w1They reinforced the golem’s body even more.1iVidE
BhVThey expanded the golem’s heart.HlMuY
vK6wBcAnd they even granted him a new power.1CZGPL
RvfA6That was the result.SDbbwD9
e8oThe roots and branches spread, absorbing mana, restoring the damaged body.ofQ
heYzAZO— Kyu!f62
AfgRoots and branches moved as if they were his own limbs.f8y5kD2
BkmNA3jUnder Wooden’s will, the tendrils wrapped around Rahnas and the other monsters.h3Qgeq
uTl7N7LClang!oSeC
dfh5dRahnas swung his sword. The magical blades cut the branches.3Qi6F
NqnBut more grew and regenerated than he could cut.crMBn
vtuJ“Go, Wooden. You can use everything you’ve got.”ylxwB
6kcGMb— Kyuu!KlqQkL5
11WvyTIn an instant, the branches immobilized the monsters and covered Rahnas.EBx7O6b
8nFyfHaving undergone a growth close to evolution, Wooden let out a jubilant roar at being able to use his full strength for the first time.90d7
OrmD7ZgWooden gripped his sword and lunged forward.KQBmO
DDEYlJNo, just as he was about to.Vfe
1MivUCraaaash—TvWcWL
a23DA2The sound of something breaking was heard.ptC
kU2gjV“W-What? The barrier…? Was Rahnas defeated? And that quickly?”WlnP
1cPThe corrupt one’s face turned pale. Half of the few remaining pages in his book were consumed.24gOhEv
KnT32“Impossible…!”r3tLx
19fA desperate scream.N0dw
lt89PImmediately, an extreme chill fell, enough to freeze the entire cavern.Dza0yl
weGqOThunk—JTZWM
dm7gtSomething fell in front of the corrupt one. It was ice. A head. The frozen head of Rahnas, turned to a statue.v9nlAv2
Rcq“A ridiculous barrier. It took some effort, but nothing impossible to break.”ZTu9FP
ai9ncIYTap. The mage who had killed Rahnas descended.iScF5
Ybd2“Professor!”FilOKk
7AIRmS“Fernan Pellenberg, it seems we have much to talk about.”Hm6Y0b6
pMdXEoHer gaze wasn’t on the corrupt one nor on Fernan, but on Wooden, now standing still in the middle.FP7
qA5fSRU“Damn it, how? What the hell are you?!”Gq33Gx
ByBue7“Rather, I’d like to ask you. How did you manage to fool my senses and kidnap Fernan?”2wWnffw
MTnMHEven while fighting Rahnas, Rosalia’s senses covered the entire underground cavern.N5V0
sy2ObMoreover, there were high-level knights and priests from the Dragon God Cult.PjYBWX
dm5tThat he had managed to fool all of them and pull off a perfect abduction was incomprehensible to her.8VRQ
KGNtdvk“And you think I’d tell you?”Msar6
2NH1QThe corrupt one placed his palm on the few remaining pages of the book.q0c
Ft3D“That book is a grimoire, professor! We have to take it from him!”YnRHqM5
mgpdW6q“Grimoire?”0Av
AngR“Don’t make me laugh! Damn insects, how dare you lay your hands on this!”hfm
Qsw7A blade of wind flew toward Rosalia, but was stopped by a transparent ice wall.HlHID
hGIYaD9Crack—M6N8U
BArbThe corrupt one’s hand froze. The book flew from his fingers, but before it hit the ground, Rosalia caught it.8wOZBcO
NJJ“Let go! Damn human, how dare you touch it!”ZDF
XwGC“Put a hundred people in front of you and all a hundred would say the same—you look filthier than I do.”DC9rKAz
DFvIkeThe cold that had frozen his hands rose and sealed his mouth.V68Krc
aYidMdRosalia opened the book.j8zZJI
7A0mS“……”Ecutzsx
NIhThere was nothing written inside. No matter how many pages she turned, they were all blank.QTjJA
VKg“Fernan, is this really a grimoire? There’s nothing in it.”8NONw
7Li“What? That can’t be…”wK4JI
xXcKHbVIt was the same book the corrupt one had used as a magical catalyst. The same one that had glowed and released magical energy.32Ud0v
6BPEP“You saw it yourself, professor, the moment you touched it, the book glowed.”itQayAy
UAD“True. And that’s why it’s even stranger.”Ra4rqq9
mxoWhy was it different now?PpEh
ufa0soRosalia melted the ice covering the corrupt one’s mouth.x6x7l
lA6B“I said let go, damn—!”ASGlmh
9vyoPsf“First.”VjXh
ZQNQIEShe cut him off.w8Qt6W
Mp0l“Make that filthy monster stop. Or I’ll break the book.”u0GClf0
h6qYJ“S-Stop, Rahnas. I told you to stop!”wd9
LtZThe axe that was about to split Rosalia’s head halted.YlPTH5Q
8jz“Interesting.”ove
nIOAnd she didn’t miss that, the moment he gave the command, the book glowed again.jtN3Zq
UcLand6“A grimoire that shows nothing, that feels like nothing, but undoubtedly holds immense power.”H8oyu9
NL0f“Give it back now. If you break it, you’ll regret it.”qEA8N0C
uEp“In what way?”ugOrz
9STgo7Y“If you damage it, you’ll die. But if you give it to me now…”htSL
6O1i“You’ll spare my life? What an honor, I don’t know if I can contain my excitement.”Pwc
u2PoCrash—zoWgpk
CfSRosalia broke the book.pk1Uv
DviOc8Q“Nooo…!”kkEVi
Hh8DuyThe torn book released a surge of magical energy.8fpUvp
ITfpn71But since there were barely any pages left, the eruption was intense but not massive.RRBJ
iWxThe magic couldn’t surpass the ice and was trapped and frozen.psY3Wj
7GUSIVn“Do you know what you’ve done?!”TWL
gnI3RoVThe corrupt one broke the ice immobilizing him and threw a punch. But—cCAxY
gFpAV3N“I broke a book.”SFw
owhBEverything except his face froze again. His fist stopped mere centimeters from Rosalia’s nose.KjMc
AqvBGW“And I just froze an insolent corrupt one.”QKzoww
4sOz“Shut up!”qIbDxb
nQDIHe opened his mouth, exhaling concentrated magical energy.qbMBQ9
lIH────!wX8hgN
MgwBut it was cut by Rosalia’s staff and vanished.4G9x
OtYDUgeThe monsters, following their master’s will, tried to attack Rosalia from behind. But Wooden was faster.8e6eGv
TDGHYpHis branches stopped them, and his sword decapitated several. Wooden clashed with Rahnas and rolled with him across the ground.APy
ph0WysNo one could touch Rosalia.PxRR2
SzdGuEu“Damn it! Even if I die, I’ll drag you down with me!”O4z
kdJqThe corrupt one’s body began to swell.tIJD
rsPImmediately, walls of rock surrounded him, reinforced with ice on top.IN1C
YEd9QRRHowever—aZvK
GAqo9b────!NwonDc
dQwguCThe explosion was on another level. Everything was blown to pieces, leaving behind a massive crater.78j6
NCyyAll the monsters were wiped out. Only Fernan, who had stayed back from the start; Rosalia, who had layered barriers; and Wooden, whose nature made him incredibly resilient, remained standing.MjkOv
0kpXg“Are you alright, professor?”PQydx
B4Sh“The book burned. The moment the corrupt one exploded, it vanished with him.”r2HCzjm
qWFsWhat kind of book had it been?yGrI
7sODVso“I didn’t feel any magical effect from it, yet it contained enormous energy.”TgMS
8ht6DPr“It must have been an artifact created by the corrupt. And your body, professor?”dDpVjB
4ik“Thanks to your quick reaction, it was easier.”C0GSGqQ
gwNs1FNThe rock wall had been raised by Fernan, aware that corrupt ones resorted to suicide.dNC4wD
oXL“And you?”bKR
mcjQcBm“I’m fine, thanks to you.”bCE
uvEWooden had borne the brunt of the battle. There were dangerous moments, but no serious injuries.QUiixST
pEFPu“And what happened above?”rJDf
ysjt“I don’t know. The moment I killed Rahnas, I came straight to find you.”p4VMZJ
fGby2OShe brought a cigarette to her mouth. Fernan lit it for her.HuvG
hKNFR“How did you arrive so quickly?”DYHw6V
29IPg“Did you think I’d lose?”AVxpzIt
2e8ux“Of course not. Though I didn’t expect you to defeat him so fast either.”0XOhnY
zBNT2JpNot even someone like Rosalia, known as the next Archmage, could underestimate Rahnas. He wasn’t a simple enemy.ok9b
Px17osHe didn’t doubt her victory, but hadn’t expected her to be able to help so soon.oge4
3HoaI“It was thanks to you.”f8tDX
IEdGO“Me?”NCzEn4B
xoR“More precisely, thanks to your gift. That box.”5bG
E3JiIUThere was only one box that Fernan had given Professor Rosalia—the one that had held the Saintbird’s egg for a thousand years.zxFVY4
aQpHD“Don’t tell me…”9mZ
QEvct6“The magic circles engraved on it surpassed anything I had imagined. I spent entire nights researching them and came to a small discovery.”R791QJ
8Z9dfMThe fact that they were of the ice type made the finding all the more meaningful.xT8HCI
RgfNit5“Congratulations.”C9Go
Enq“I owe being able to save you to it, so even though maybe you didn’t need it…”zFTSlV
xO8TSuddenly, her gaze stopped on Wooden, who was watching them motionless.p8EM
Jby“Maybe you weren’t in danger after all. What the hell is that?”ubSj1aS
MjlV— Kyuu!Mgi5l
yP2SHi5The answer didn’t come from Fernan, but from Wooden’s own mouth.OJCC6yh
AJ9RMW***57vfmeD
Nce6ouThe heart. He didn’t like it.Kho
nmgtu2Wooden was upset.KTeK0
hBM0dFor the first time, Fernan had lifted the restrictions. Freedom to go all out.cD2Yn17
USXiFinally, a chance to use the swordsmanship he had learned. And yes, he had used it, in part.e1tBom
TCJSL0vBut just when he was about to reach the climax, an obstacle appeared.kv5r5xx
4pVSomeone who froze his opponent and brought the situation to an end.EDF9
8zj“…What the hell is that?”ltPBir
PFfHe didn’t like it.xlcWzTX
Fp3pwThat’s why, when he was pointed out, he responded immediately. He had to show off his greatness to feel better.n6QilD
lQpTabg— Kyuu Kyuu!XspTL59
hmWXGolem! Greatness!KmXsV
qo3But the other person didn’t understand his words. It was Fernan who explained.j95
7Kw“…So it’s a golem that moves on its own. How the hell was it made to fight on equal footing with a Rahnas?”r5R5
YDg3Z3M— Kyuuu! Kyu!1OUtLp
J2d7lAdamantite! Mithril! Supreme metals!xpe
PlyMYfxWooden spoke of the minerals his master always mentioned.pc0h
kyo— Kyuu!YIp6M6y
wlpNot equal! But superior!bONXEi0
cjrGrdFAnd he declared his combat power. It wasn’t a lie—he had held the advantage almost the entire time.Gx7DA6k
Qtun0EU“…Was that just a show of will? Can a golem do that? Wasn’t it an autogolem?”fzim1Iq
YGx— Kyuu, Kyuu!6H1aQI2
B8oEkqBarely! Comparison! Insult!MjSI262
jPhWooden had also heard of autogolems—simple puppets that only moved according to orders. Comparing him to them was an offense.BlYauZI
mNArlY“You know about autogolems?”NUtaV
Kqrc“I know about Professor Harcon’s research. Since you met with him and talked about investment, I thought it was that, naturally…”sDsdOz
A2l— Kyu, Kyu!8U6SO
aFbWooden! Ego Golem! Incomparable!eOvfihz
GAMWooden pounded his chest with pride. Seeing the surprised face of his interlocutor eased his anger a little.EUKEhp8
r4r“…A spirit. And no less than a forest spirit. A spirit that enters a golem of its own will? I don’t know if I’m seeing this right.”XHGOZv
F59Ppk— Kyuu kyu! Kuing!ABYY
lUxoqkCGood body! Temporary sacrifice!HDbUPT
eRDzHvToday it was clearer than ever—Fernan hadn’t lied.1pnF7fM
b8rRfDWooden was content knowing that, in two hundred years, that body would be his.8WIG5
VjeszaHe shrank and returned to his normal form.c4lxKXM
bUz1“…He shrank?”CBICF
JUpRosalia’s eyes opened wide again. Seeing her even drop what she had in her mouth struck Wooden as ridiculously funny.DLGw
ecuxaW— Kyuu? Kyuu!J47lA
w6V6qSurprised? Just by this?jTN2kb
DGOhhRidiculous. What he’d shown was only a fraction of what this body could do.vFedH3
WgnHe imagined with delight how her eyes would pop out if he showed her everything.QgZb
gsNAhem. With superiority puffing his chest, his anger had vanished.jMdCw
m1h6nB“Isn’t that the pendant you started wearing one day?”KpAwmw
feKK1“That’s right.”mjk
J7ZpzJj“And I didn’t even notice—having something like that in front of me. I still have a long way to go.”8ex
bZLRosalia laughed bitterly.DtvsuTj
K8K“Mithril and adamantite… Only a Pellenberg could splurge like that. With that money, you should’ve invested more in my research.”GZoeM
k4Wt3MG“I’ve already invested quite a bit, don’t you think?”ldnl6
X5yI2“Magical research is never enough. That’s why even the Dragon God Cult…”XvcIj
lz4GThe conversation continued, and Wooden, exhausted, hung back onto the necklace.eDe1r
5OqAayg— Kyuu…BnN
1lDSleepy.Qis
qflCAfter rebuilding his destroyed body, his core barely had any mana left. Sleep overcame him.Eu11
5le“…Aren’t you going to present it? A golem like that would turn the entire magical world upside down.”io68N
T2sD7z— Kyuu…1V1By84
B4SBMLStill, he was satisfied that at least she recognized the value of his body—as any good mage should.X4K
Iu5sOXWith that sense of appreciation, Wooden closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.8zdzcRm
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