Chapter 40
The death of the Golden Tree
There was a blast at the southern side of the valley, and another blast half a minute later.
Brendel strained his ears and he confirmed that the Rock Wurm had pa.s.sed through the valley which was heading inside to the Forbidden Garden. This creature that was clad in a rock armor had uncountable needle-like teeth shaped like a whirlpool for its mouth, easily pa.s.sing through the earth and tearing up the hardest rocks.
He had seen a mature Rock Wurm in the game before. It was thirty meters long and there had to be at least three people to surround and fight it. The defense of the creature was astonis.h.i.+ngly high, even a 40 OZ Vran Sword was not be able to pierce through the rock armor and do damage.
[d.a.m.n it. Two sounds. If the BOSS causes the Rock Wurm to take a long detour, its attention would be on us again.]
The roots of the Golden Demonic Tree in the forbidden valley extended nearly a kilometer, and factoring in the Rock Wurm’s fastest speed, Brendel estimated that it would at least require two minutes and thirty seconds to burst out of the ground.
[We’re nearly at the center of the Forbidden Garden. Once we finish bypa.s.sing this uneven ground, we would be able to reach the main body of the Golden Demonic Tree. If this BOSS does not interfere with us, that is.]
There was two minutes left.
But he knew that the Golden Demonic Tree would definitely try and stop them. Before he finished his thoughts, there were crackling noises coming from the solid ground. They were in such close vicinity of the Golden Demonic Tree that its actions came without warning, and Romaine was unable to warn him in time.
The three of them felt the ground sink before them, and the prepared Brendel stabbed the ground with the Elven sword to support himself, while his other hand prevented the merchant girl from falling down. When he looked to the sides, Freya was half kneeling on the ground as she tried to steady herself.
Before the three of them had the chance to relax, the ground sank once again with a crack visibly forming before them.
"What is it trying to do?" Freya nearly fell backwards and asked uneasily.
"It’s trying to kill us, concentrate and follow me." He pulled Romaine up from the ground, tore out the sword and sheathed it, then lifted the merchant girl with his arm and jumped over the crack caused by the roots.
Romaine’s face was like a red apple when she found herself hoisted by his arm, and her eyes were opened comically and she did not dare to let her breath out.
Freya also wanted to jump up, but the Golden Demonic Tree was ready with an attack. The roots emerged from the ground and struck her across the chest. If it was not for Brendel’s swift reactions to pull her back, she would have fallen into the crevice along with the rocks and mud.
"Thanks." Freya shrugged his hand off and thanked him.
"Now is not the time for words." Brendel pulled his sword out and cut an incoming vine whip into two. "Move ahead. We’re nearly at the tree."
There were snake-like tree vines appearing in front of them when they finally reached in front of the BOSS. The crevice behind them was gradually becoming bigger, but Brendel was used to this scene.
[You might have given me a surprise during the first stage but it looks like you have ran out of tricks.]
The ability in the game was an extensive AOE attack to rip open the ground, but that did not mean it could not be countered.
"Look carefully!"
He shouted to Freya while holding on tightly to Romaine. He watched the vines carefully, letting the ‘whip’ pa.s.s by, then grabbed tightly onto it—
The Golden Demonic Tree apparently did not expect that. It tried to curl up the vine and shook it back and forth, trying to throw Brendel away.
But the youth held tightly onto it with one arm. Both Romaine and him bobbed up and down as the vine tried to shake him off, but it was a futile attempt. The BOSS finally got impatient and raised the vine up high, gathering momentum, managing to throw him backwards. Yet he utilized the momentum from the swing and landed thirty meters away from the crevice safely.
His high
This was the advantages of having high stats, and he knew that everything he did had meaning to it when he landed safely.
He immediately shouted to Freya: "Follow me!"
He pulled the merchant girl along without stopping, heading towards the Golden Demonic Tree.
"Brendel, wait— I can’t catch up."
But he could not afford to listen to what the merchant girl said, as the ground suddenly erupted in front of him with a cras.h.i.+ng sound when he turned at a corner. Numerous vines sprang forth to form a web, covering the Golden Demonic Tree.
[s.h.i.+t! There’s less than one minute left.]
Brendel paused for a moment, while Romaine gasped for breath behind him. She looked up at the tree in front of her; no matter how she looked at it, its appearance looked like a Golden Apple Tree made by the G.o.ds.
He studied the web carefully. It appeared to be identical to the game. The countless vines wiggled for a moment before they attacked him at the same time.
With a roar, Brendel unleashed his attacks without reservations, the Elven sword flas.h.i.+ng with a phantasmal silver fire in a blinding speed. Each of his slashes accurately severed the numerous vines that a.s.saulted him in succession into halves, which in turn burst up into flames and turned to ashes. Then he released Romaine and took a step backwards, raising his sword with both of his hands:
"Power Break!"
One step forward.
Brendel felt an overwhelming strength spreading from his shoulders to his arms and hands, and he sundered the web in front of him in a beautiful silver arc. The blade seemed to compress the air from two sides, forcing a screaming explosion of wind to sing from the sword. The web of overflowing vines broke apart like a sea of rotten firewood, and there was a large depression from the center of the web.
Freya staggered across the uneven ground and rushed towards the tree from behind, where she managed to see this scene in front of her. She always thought she had seen his limits every single time when he was in action, but this was the first time she saw him using this explosive power.
The Golden Demonic Tree was unable to block them any longer, and could only watch them break into the heart of the garden.
"The two of you attack the trunk and roots and I’ll attack the main body—"
He took out the Card of Fate, and spoke in his heart: "Activate the Holy Sword!"
……………………………………………………………………….
Even in the summer time, the Silver Claw Fortress was still covered by a layer of frost. It was built on the Corcov mountains in order to oversee the savages in the forest. But after the Balta province was built, it was used as one of the royal family’s villa.
There was an ancient pine tree in the fortress’s diamond shaped garden. It had miraculously survived from a fire within the Silver Claw Fortress, and the owner thought it was a good omen. Thus the tree was kept after the fortress was rebuilt.
And under this pine tree, a solemn atmosphere extended from it.
A adolescent girl was standing there in a thick uniform of the knights. She had beautiful silver hair, and her half pointed ears proved that she had another bloodline beyond a human, but she did not have the elegance and aloof beauty of an elf.
The fifteen-year-old girl wore a somber face, holding on tightly to a black and heavy longsword with both her hands. Her stance took on the form of an Aouine’s knight’s defensive posture.
She pursed her lips tightly, ordering the younger boy in front of him: "Haruze, attack me!"
A tone that denied any refusals.
"Older sis……."
"Attack!"
The young boy could only force himself to strike with the sword. But the girl cleanly parried his blade and pushed his chest with one hand, making him fall straight onto the ground.
The surrounding servants audibly breathed inwardly.
"Again!" The girl’s expression did not change as she spoke.
"Sister, I….."
"Stand up, again."
The boy could only stand up. He took one step backwards, before gritting his teeth and charging over again. But the girl with the knight’s uniform pa.s.sed the sword from her right hand to her left and simply swung upwards, easily knocking her opponent’s sword away.
"Why did you get distracted?"
"Sorry."
"Again."
……………………………………………………
Ten minutes later.
The young girl went to the dressing room. She allowed two maidservants to remove her heavy uniform. Her perspiration and hot air were visibly seen in the cold air. She did not turn her head and simply asked: "Where is my father?"
"The Madara’s envoy has arrived, your royal highness."
"His majesty is meeting Marquis Kluge in the secret meeting room." Another maidservant replied with her head lowered.
The girl looked at herself in the mirror. Her face was cold and void of expression. She changed into a dress, inserted her hand into her long silver hair and sent it backwards. She raised her head and said:
"Bring me to Gammel." She had thought there would be a chance to turn the battle around, but the wily Marquis Kluge was someone who could not be trusted. She had to find a trustworthy confidant to speak about this, and not in front of these servants.
"Yes, your royal highness."
This was the beginning of June in the ‘year of bustling summer leaves and flowers’.
………………………………………………………………….
Brendel looked at the Golden Demonic Tree’s branches which were gradually losing its color. They weakly drooped down and he knew this terrifying monster had reached the end of its life. He felt mentally tired. He had paid two EP to maintain the holysword, and that effect seemed to have affected his mind as well.
He was a warrior and not a wizard. Even then, a specialized wizard at his level would only have ten plus EP.
Freya and Romaine sat down at one side with their stamina completely drained. Freya had injured her arm a little but she was otherwise fine. In comparison, they were delighted to have defeated an impossible foe.
Both of them looked curiously as they saw Brendel walking forward to the Golden Demonic Tree.
[Power Break!]
He swung the Elven Sword across the trunk of the tree. The dying Golden Demonic Tree was nothing more than an oak tree now, and it was unable to resist Brendel’s 7.7 OZ worth of strength. The meteoric strike tore the upper body of the tree away and it splintered everywhere as it crashed onto the ground.
The girls called out in surprise, not understanding what he was doing.
Brendel knew that the Golden Demonic Tree hung its dead preys on the tree’s crown and slowly absorbed the mana from them. Despite the pa.s.sing years, there might be some loot on it.
Brendel walked over and he saw a card on the floor with his first glance