Chapter 119

119.

“Miss Erica. From what I’ve heard, the tree before us has no direct connection to the illness of the Grand Duke. Is the main reason for attempting to stop the blizzard to request aid from outside?”

“Yes. To remove the tree linked to my sister, we first need to drive back my brother’s forces and open a path.”

Erica carefully wiped away her frozen tears and continued.

“With our current northern forces, advancing is impossible. The beasts’ state has become abnormal. I imagine… .”

“The influence of the dragon.”

“…I see you’re aware. Moreover, the decayed trees have twisted even the northern winter, making it impossible to cross beyond the fortress.”

“Are these the original trees?”

“No. They suddenly appeared. Could they be the work of the Dark Cultists?”

At this point, she ended the conversation and turned her head toward the decayed trees.

The connection between Devalleta’s secrets and the Dark Cultists was an intriguing story, but the priority was to deal with the trees before them.

The power of the Dark Cultists had already been completely repelled by the power of the Binding Cross and Sora.

It seemed the mere withdrawal of their power had brought about a slight change; the intensity of the blade-like winds had noticeably weakened to a degree perceptible even to the skin and the naked eye.

If the trees are healed and the contamination cleared, there’s a strong possibility of the winter returning to the same calm state as Solorun’s. The concern is Erica’s endurance and the speed of healing.

With her hands clasped and her eyes closed, Erica was approached with words.

“While you’re working, I’ve instructed the guide to conduct a reconnaissance. There are reportedly six more decayed trees around this area.”

“Excuse me? Six more, you say?”

“Yes. Even dealing with the one before us will take time, and I cannot predict when the purification will be completed.”

“…However, we’ve reached here with the sacrifices of many. Choosing to give up would only tarnish their will, and I have no intention of quitting. Even if I die… .”

Erica’s expression darkened.

Although she left the rest unsaid, she surely understands. It would merely be a pointless death with no resolution.

‘They definitely weren’t the original trees.’

Then, their destruction could suffice, right?

At the sudden thought, words were spoken.

“Is it absolutely necessary to purify this tree?”

“What do you mean?”

“Isn’t destroying it faster?”

“Um… I thought about it once, but…”

“How does one propose to destroy something like that?” Erica’s words caused Arthur and the knights to nod.

Its sheer height and proportional thickness make it seem like an enormous wall when approached closely. The size of the decayed trees is so absurd that a longsword feels like a grain of sand in comparison.

A force capable of crumbling mountains and surpassing even superhumans would be necessary. But the north only has mana users.

While a Swordmaster like the master or Helsia could do it, how long would it take for a mana user to destroy the tree?

That alone highlights the clear difference between the power to cut down humans and the power to shatter mountains. But…

Still, as she said, we can’t give up even if there’s no hope.

“I’ll destroy it.”

A superhuman cannot remain one indefinitely, after all.

Destroying mountains and splitting seas—the elimination of calamities defines the great deeds of Transcenders. This tree should be something that can easily be slashed and overcome.

*

With a regular tree, it might be possible to destroy it with just punches instead of an axe. The problem is that the rotten tree before us is not a regular tree.

A technique created while dealing with the cockroach monstrosity.

Compression and release of mana’s limit.

The simplest and most instantly applicable method. After compressing mana, just thrust the sword into the tree and引爆 it; that’s all there is to it.

The challenge is the large amount of mana consumption. Additionally, calculating the explosion’s power suggests it would take quite a few attempts.

I created it but it’s barbaric and inefficient.

As we continue our northward advance, the trees beyond the frontline will eventually need to be destroyed as well. Furthermore, considering battles with monster dragons, we can’t keep relying on this method.

‘Mana’s potential. We will use it.’

Helsia, who erased the sandstorm.

The Master who wiped away the forces of my brother.

And Nia, who uses magic like ice spikes, flames, or spatial teleports.

Each of them has an unreal record. Can slashing with a thin steel sword make natural disasters vanish, or entire armies of monstrous lifeforms be extinguished? Creating fire or ice from nothing but empty air is out of the question.

What common factor in these absurd phenomena is there? Mana.

Thud.

Crumbling to the ground first.

A posture the Master taught me alongside breathing methods for calming the mind—meditation. A rather effective stance for focusing the spirit in reality.

With the eyes closed to better detect mana, I calmly and evenly regulated my breathing.

‘Create a mana core.’

The core Nia used for maintaining barriers and the focal point Helsia deployed during the city’s defense. The effects differ, but the goal is the same—control of mana.

So, to rein in the chaotic mana, I will create a core within myself. The framework required for it is already in place.

Focusing the senses, a faint blue light flickered in the formerly pitch-black field of vision.

The massive flame burning alone in the dark world—this blue flame will serve as the material to forge the core. I pressed it down as if compressing mana into a sword.

Squish.

The flame began to deform like clay pressed under a palm. Along with it, a heavy pressure akin to placing a rock on the chest was felt.

‘Ugh…’

Struggling to steady my disheveled breathing, I continued concentrating on the core’s creation.

As if resisting changes, the flame squirmed and wriggled but eventually gave up its resistance as the relentless compression persisted, gradually reducing in size.

‘Good.’

So far, progress has been smooth.

Eventually, the mountainous flame within me shrank down to the size of a person.

‘Compression has halted. Why?’

I’ve poured all the mana I possess into it.

However, no phenomenon has occurred. Once the limit of compression is reached, some kind of change should happen, but…

‘My mana is insufficient.’

Mana exceeding this limit needs to be introduced.

But the mana I hold has been used up entirely in compressing the flame. Then…

‘Absorb external mana.’

Expand the senses that were inward-focused to the outer world.

The snow-covered ground beneath the two feet planted, the layers of piled snow.

The chaotic swirls of snowflakes and the cold winds.

The stirring of the White Beast and the yawns of the wolf pack.

The anxious pacing of Erica and Arthur offering her a drink.

Myna, who woke up from sleep and Charles stirring his spoon, to Nia writing something down—they were all present.

Mana exists everywhere and moves at our will.

Since mana dwells in all things…

Absorb it and accumulate.

‘With the sensation of condensing mana into a sword.’

The center where mana gathers is myself.

Absorb mana through breathing.

“Suuh… hoo…”

Could it be due to the nature of the intense cold? The external mana was cold.

A chill crept through my airways into my lungs and spread throughout my body. As I continued to absorb external mana through repeated breaths, a feeling of freezing came over me from within.

This is not good.

‘The core is freezing.’

Frost started to settle on the core shrinking under the influx of mana.

The swirling movements of the mana inside gradually slowed down, as if freezing solid.

The extremely harsh environment beyond the snowstorm seemed to pose a problem. If this continues, the frozen core will shatter and the cold will overtake my entire body.

‘Damn.’

My body began to tremble. The compounding cold gradually surpassed even the superhuman’s endurance, spreading its influence.

A maddening tingling sensation emerged in my limbs.

The feeling of tapping against my face has stopped. Countermeasures are needed.

‘This will take time, but I’ll absorb the mana in manageable portions. As much as I can control…’

Just then, a fierce heat rose within my body.

Expanding with a calm momentum, the heat collided with the freezing cold that was ravishing my body as if angered by the invader’s insolence.

Grruung.

A numbing shock struck my whole body as the two forces clashed.

“Ah…!”

The acrid smell rising within. My innards have been completely disordered by the collision.

A warm sensation flows from between my gritted teeth. The amount is beyond imagining. Although I cannot see it with my eyes closed, my upper body must be drenched in the blood flowing out.

Both the heat and the cold swept throughout my body as if claiming themselves as the rightful masters.

‘These mad bastards!’

Agitation rose from the unexpected situation, but I quickly gathered my focus.

It was a crisis, but at the same time, an opportunity.

First, redirect the unruly flows of the two energies into the core. After enclosing them within the core, I can absorb them together as they weaken due to canceling each other out.

‘Just stay still.’

Forcing the two energies into the core, it began to shrink again, from the size of a person to about the size of a face.

And finally…

Crackle. Fzzz…

Lightning sparked off the core.

A sign of reaching the compression limit. The wildly rampaging cold and heat were subdued by the overwhelming aura and quietly circulated within.

‘At this point, the usual procedure would be to halt the compression and release the mana.’

However, the task at hand is to construct the mana core. All I’ve done so far is secure a high-density energy source. I carefully caressed the mana sphere in a way akin to shaping clay.

The sphere emitting lightning gradually changed under my will.

It flattened, stretched out, then reformed into a round shape.

The manipulated sphere, reduced to the size of a fist, ceased emitting lightning and began radiating a dazzling light.

The mana core.

A clear blue sphere so transparent the inside could be seen.

Inside the core, pure mana swirled in a gentle spiral.

‘…Success.’

At least the first hurdle has been passed.

After quietly sighing within, I moved on to the next step.

Extracting mana from the core uses the same current methods.

So, it’s necessary to synchronize the core with the body to enhance performance.

‘Using the core as a power source, circulate mana throughout the body.’

Even the brief moment when a superhuman draws up mana will be shortened. It should be possible to unleash high-density mana instantly with just a little operation.

However, the fuel is consumable, and the same applies to the mana stored in the core. Therefore, the solution is to continuously absorb external mana and supply it to the core.

‘The mana absorbed contains impurities.’

Such as the penetrating cold. These impurities will be filtered out when they pass through the core and can then be released externally.

Inhale to absorb mana and exhale to expel the filtered-out impurities.

‘Next.’

Gradually adjusting my breathing, I drew mana from the core.

Huuung~

I traced a path of light starting from the solar plexus.

Spreading down the abdomen and through the left leg to the right.

Then back up through the right arm to the head.

Next, it reached the left arm and finally completed the cycle at the mana core near the solar plexus.

The path of mana connected throughout the body with the core as the center.

‘Following the path…’

I release the mana stored in the core.

WAAAA-

The torrent of blue light surged through the completed path like a fierce river.

The mana poured out of the core traversed the body in the same way as the path carved earlier.

Finally, after a brief journey, it returned to the core.

Engulfed by an overwhelming sense of omnipotence, I slowly opened my eyes.

The scattered mana in the world slowly revolved around me as the center point.

Turning my gaze to my left hand, I noticed.

Zaaap.

A blue light gathered in my left hand.

Completely different from the soft white light emitted before. In an instant, a fierce mantle of mana enveloped my hand.

Pressing down firmly with my hand, it effortlessly bored into the ground. There was no resistance or minor recoil felt when pressing down on a sturdy object.

“…Hoo.”

After dispersing the mantle from my hand, I stood up.

In the blizzard, the decayed tree stood silently before me.

The only thing visible before me is the trunk that resembles a great wall. When I first saw it, I was awed by its grandeur due to its sheer size.

However…

Now it appears infinitely small.

Swish-

I raised my sword, enveloped in the blue mantle, high.

*