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The Lady of fire, who had absorbed the entire forest inferno.
Just as she completed her preparations to attack and was about to strike, she vanished like a dying match when she saw Oliver.
"……."
"……."
"……."
"……."
Silence fell upon everyone.
Oliver, the druids who had summoned the fire lady, all were left speechless.
Her actions were utterly incomprehensible, and their perplexity was only natural.
But there was something else that puzzled them.
Why did the fire spirit, upon seeing Oliver, display not only surprise but also fear and awe?
‘Um… Yes, the salamander reacted the same way.'
Oliver suddenly remembered a forgotten incident from his past.
It was during his initial encounter with Kevin on an out-of-town mission. He had come close to death multiple times, especially during the final attack utilizing the salamander. That attack had posed a particular threat.
Though the range was limited, the firepower was significantly stronger.
‘Moreover, I was defenseless at the time, yet I survived because I exploited the moment when the spirit felt fear, just as now… Why did I only think of this now?'
Upon reflection, Oliver found it rather strange that he hadn't considered this before.
However, he didn't dwell on it for long.
‘It's not that important. I'll ask the Elder about it later.'
Having concluded this matter in his mind, Oliver turned his attention to the druids on the opposite side.
There were six of them. Like Oliver, they were perplexed by the current situation.
No, "perplexed" was an understatement. They appeared shocked.
It seemed they couldn't believe what had transpired, and they felt an overwhelming sense of injustice they couldn't accept.
This reaction was only natural.
The druids had dedicated their entire lives to training and communing with nature. They had forsaken their cherished childhood and all worldly ties, a sacrifice that could never be repeated.
Their efforts had granted them the ability to harness the immense power of nature within themselves, manipulate the natural world, and communicate with spirits and the world tree.
And yet, the spirit they had summoned unilaterally cut off communication and vanished upon encountering a warlock.
This issue went far beyond a mere magical mishap or trap malfunction.
It felt like a betrayal.
A betrayal of their painstaking efforts, perhaps even their very lives.
Consequently, the druids regarded Oliver with hostility and animosity that surpassed that of a mere adversary.
"You…! What have you done!!"
The druids, who had failed to summon the spirit, infused their bodies with the power of nature, wielding massive wooden hammers and spears. They charged toward Oliver with unwavering determination.
Their momentum was formidable.
In response, Oliver said to them, "Hunger… I'm counting on you."
As requested by Oliver, a colossal and grotesque man made of flames emerged from the forest, reducing trees to ashes as it moved.
Hunger, having grown significantly larger after devouring numerous individuals, defied its massive size with swift agility. It snatched one of the druids, flung him into the air, and swallowed him whole with its gaping maw.
"Ah…!! Aaah…! …!!!”
The druid, trapped within Hunger's grasp and charred to a crisp, was robbed of the freedom to scream as he was consumed by the fiery entity. He became nothing more than live firewood in Hunger's insatiable belly.
"Uaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!"
Witnessing their comrade's horrifying demise before their eyes, the druids let out screams of outrage.
Their hearts were pushed to the brink by the successive shocking events.
Pooling their powers together, the druids summoned a colossal pillar of trees from the ground, aiming to strike Hunger.
Kwoong-!!!
It was the same technique they had used against Hunger when it initially charged at them.
However, this time, there was a notable difference— Hunger didn't collapse as it had before.
To their surprise, the grotesque chest of Hunger remarkably withstood the impact of the druids' tree pillar.
Its power had grown stronger. Oliver quickly grasped the reason behind it.
‘Eating people makes Hunger stronger.'
Although it wasn't a certainty, Oliver arrived at a tentative conclusion.
The immediate disparity lay in whether Hunger had consumed people, including the druids, or not.
As Hunger resisted the combined assault of the druids, it seized the tree pillar with both hands and exerted force.
Keeeeek…!!
The tree pillar infused with the power of nature gradually weakened under the flames of Hunger and eventually crumbled.
Hunger, continuing its rampage, swung its elongated, grotesque arms, ready to strike the druids.
“Kyakyakyakyahahahaha-!!”
Hunger thrashed about wildly, its massive size and malevolent heat posing a menacing threat.
Just as Oliver contemplated aiding Hunger against the druids, something swiftly approached from the forest, emitting an unusual aura.
It felt alien, yet strangely familiar. It was a member of the Anti-Development Committee.
Ssssh…! Thump! Thump… Bang!!
A man, his entire body wrapped in bandages and wearing a robe that concealed him from head to toe, sprinted at an incredible speed. He leaped between the trees, closing in on Hunger.
He was a living fireball, the size of a house.
"Huh…?"
Hunger was momentarily taken aback, but it swiftly regained its composure and opened its jaws wide, ready to devour the incoming bandaged man.
Attempting to swallow him whole.
Boom-!!
To everyone's surprise, the bandaged man, who had appeared out of nowhere, wielded a quarterstaff as if it were an extension of his own body. He unleashed a shockwave that pierced through Hunger's gaping maw.
It was a truly astonishing sight.
A single man had defeated Hunger, an adversary capable of challenging multiple druids.
Hunger, its mouth completely impaled from front to back, seeped out blood resembling molten lava in agony.
But the battle was far from over.
The bandaged man, unscathed by Hunger's flames, skillfully swung his quarterstaff. He swiftly closed in again, shattering Hunger's ankles, and executed a divine technique that cleaved Hunger's waist.
It was a skill that even most superhumans in Landa would struggle to replicate.
The series of shockwaves shattered Hunger, and the man wielding the quarterstaff turned towards the dumbfounded druids. In a natural tone unlike the other members of the Anti-Development Committee, he said, "Your leader is calling."
Regaining their senses, the druids hurriedly made their way to the center of the forest where Shamus was located.
But they weren't the only ones retreating.
When Oliver focused his gaze on the surroundings, he noticed that the remaining druids, for some unknown reason, were withdrawing towards the inner part of the forest where Shamus was. Their places were swiftly filled by members of the Anti-Development Committee.
Despite the departure of the druids, the Anti-Development Committee utilized their superior physical abilities to fend off the pursuing coalition opposing Shamus.
-Thump!!
Upon hearing the sound and turning his head, the bandaged man wielding the quarterstaff sprang back into action.
His targets were not Oliver, but the gigantic zombies rushing towards him. The three zombies, who had heightened their physical prowess and donned keratin armor, burst like water balloons when struck by the shockwave slicing through the air.
It was a display of simple yet overwhelming power.
With his incredible speed, the bandaged man closed in on Oliver in the blink of an eye, before Oliver could react.
Lifting his quarterstaff high, the bandaged man aimed for Oliver's head.
⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩
"Phew… Finally, a moment to catch our breath."
Shamus muttered, using both hands to brush back his green hair.
Ever since the sudden surge of black lightning, the situation had turned against them.
The magic they had prepared since the establishment of the ABC had been partially destroyed, and both flaming creatures and hordes of monstrous zombies effortlessly breached their defenses.
As a result, the thousand troops surrounding the forest grew agitated and pushed forward relentlessly.
No matter how hard they tried to defend the forest with magic, even with the assistance of the druids, their defensive capabilities had limits.
However, the Anti-Development Committee, which they had called upon to assist them, had voluntarily taken up the role of protecting the forest.
Although they couldn't understand the reason, it seemed like a stroke of luck.
‘But I can't fully trust it. Unknown fortunes and misfortunes are often two sides of the same coin.'
Not in a position to refuse, Shamus followed the elder's suggestion and summoned the troops, gathering all the druids at the center.
‘Fortunately, the Anti-Development Committee is holding up well without our direct involvement.'
Shamus thought as he observed the forest through the magic he had set up around it.
The members of the Anti-Development Committee, their bodies wrapped in bandages, were utilizing their superhuman strength, regeneration, and peculiar tentacle-like attributes to fend off over a thousand city troops.
He understood why they hadn't been defeated in the most crime-infested city of Landa.
The astronomical price they had paid to enlist their services had proven to be worth it.
‘After all, it pales in comparison to the wealth we have amassed and will continue to accumulate.'
Shamus pushed aside his conflicted thoughts and focused on the pressing matter at hand—the spatial transportation ritual being prepared by the Anti-Development Committee. They were using the fresh corpses they had just slain to construct an altar and perform the ritual.
It resembled the pseudo-religious rituals frequently conducted in Landa, but the difference was that this one actually worked.
As evidence, the stacked altar of corpses pulsated like a newborn life form compressed into a single mass of flesh.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
It emitted a power distinct from magic, black magic, and even the power of nature or divine law.
Yet, if one were to make a comparison, it bore some resemblance to both black magic and Holy law.
"Amusing…"
Shamus chuckled. The fact that it resembled both black magic and Holy law was ironic. Even Shamus, devoid of any religious beliefs, found it sacrilegious.
But in the end, did it truly matter whether it was sacrilegious or not?
Once the ritual was complete, Shamus would be able to transport to a safe location.
‘The real problem is whether we can hold out until then. And whether we can perform the transportation in time.'
Shamus glanced at the four druids surrounding the World Tree and contemplated.
Setting aside their druidic pride, they were attempting to move Eve, who had been forcefully bound to the World Tree, to the World Tree cut into a log by using the wizard's vulgar mechanism.
Surprisingly, despite the druids' efforts, Eve refused to budge as they desired.
"The audacity of that World Tree…"
Shamus thought, observing Eve amidst their busy preparations.
"How are things going?"
"I'm sorry, boss… We'll need a little more time," the female druid with tree branch tattoos on her face replied.
When it came to handling the World Tree, she was on par with Shamus himself.
"Haven't I heard the same thing a while ago?"
"I sincerely apologize… For some reason, the resistance has intensified. First, we need to forcibly put Eve to sleep."
Shamus monitored the forest's situation through his magic.
The Anti-Development Committee was holding their ground well, but the enemy's numbers were still a formidable force. They were steadily closing in. Time was running out.
"Do whatever it takes. Move Eve to that World Tree no matter what. If necessary, don't hesitate to inflict some harm. It's better to have it injured than to lose it."
Shamus pointed to the log-shaped World Tree and issued his command. The female druid nodded in understanding.
She understood the value of Eve as much as her own exceptional skills.
Meanwhile, the Anti-Development Committee's spatial relocation ceremony reached its climax, and the druids began returning one by one.
Among them was Dugan.
Dugan had been dispatched to confront Dave and put a stop to him.
Although he had taken more than ten druids with him, only four had returned.
"Did Dave always possess this much power?" Shamus questioned. It was common knowledge that dealing with two opponents was more challenging than dealing with one.
The battles of superhumans, who surpassed ordinary individuals, were no exception.
In fact, it could be argued that they were even more intense, especially considering the potential consequences of a single wrong move.
However, it was strange that he had pushed several druids to the brink of annihilation.
"I-it doesn't make sense, boss," Dugan, clearly in a distressed state, spoke up.
"What doesn't make sense?"
"Dave, the warlock. There's something wrong with him. The spirit fled as soon as it laid eyes on him."
"The spirit fled? What nonsense is this?" Shamus furrowed his brow and replied.
Spirits were entities that embodied the magnificence of nature. It made no sense for them to flee at the sight of a mere human.
It was a form of betrayal.
A betrayal against the druids who had dedicated their lives to the protection of nature.
While Dugan explained what had transpired, something else rapidly approached.
It appeared to be an enemy, but fortunately, it was not.
It was the elder of the Anti-Development Committee, the one who had taken responsibility for assisting Shamus this time.
He arrived swiftly, moving at a speed that even amazed a seasoned druid.
He had undoubtedly gone to support Dugan and confront Dave.
Shamus posed a question to him.
"Did you manage to defeat him?"
"No… The contract ends here," the elder of the Anti-Development Committee unilaterally announced.
(To be Continued)
OR
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