Read Novel Full Chapter 668: The Forest Is on Her Side [2]
Chapter 668: The Forest Is on Her Side [2]
Sophie’s green hair was lifted by the natural mana rising throughout the forest, and her golden green eyes shone brightly enough to be seen even from the altar.
Behind her were six elven warriors Aelira had sent to protect her.
They had not allowed Sophie to enter the corrupted region unguarded. Their weapons were already drawn, and they followed as closely as the constantly shifting forest permitted, but when Sophie reached the final stretch leading toward the old altar, the surrounding trees opened only for her.
The moment the six elves attempted to follow, dense roots rose behind Sophie and intertwined across the road. At the same time, the gray black corruption saturating the inner altar zone surged through the ground, forcing the warriors to retreat several steps before they were contaminated.
They quickly began cutting at the diseased vines blocking their advance, but the passage continued closing faster than they could clear it.
The operative stared at his detection crystal.
Only then did he understand why it had failed to reveal the elves.
Sophie’s life fluctuation had not merely concealed theirs. It had overwhelmed everything around her. The Sacred Forest itself had decided that only she could enter the final stretch.
Sophie was no longer running. The road had carried her here faster than any ordinary movement skill, roots rising and falling beneath her feet while the ancient trees shortened the distance ahead. But when the pain of the corrupted main root suddenly struck her through the earth, she slowed.
Her complexion was pale. Every step drew more of that pain into her mind, yet she continued forward.
Whenever she approached an area eroded by the gray black corruption, vines and moss outside the altar’s inner boundary struggled back to life. Behind her, more and more dormant roots awakened beneath the earth, their movements spreading through the forest like the first signs of a storm.
Matthew’s face lost every trace of color as he realized this.
He remained secured upon the moving root platform from earlier, thick roots supporting his partly caved in chest while separate bindings immobilized both broken legs. The platform glided beside Edgar without requiring him to carry or drag the prisoner.
“Impossible…”
Edgar glanced at him and said, “You’ve said that quite a few times tonight.”
Matthew ignored him completely. His eyes were fixed on the natural mana gathering around Sophie of its own accord.
“This isn’t ordinary resonance with a World Tree fragment…” His voice grew lower.
“This is already approaching Authority.”
Edgar’s eyes shifted slightly.
“Authority?”
Matthew seemed to realize that he had said something he should not have and immediately closed his mouth.
Gabriel had already heard him but did not ask, as now was not the time.
The silver masked captain abruptly raised his hand, sending a gray white crystal flying from his palm before it shattered in midair.
Buzz!
A translucent barrier rapidly expanded around the old altar.
The natural mana within its boundary was severed instantly.
The vines growing across the broken stones froze. The flowers stopped opening, and the roots that had already penetrated the altar stiffened as though they had suddenly been cut off from the forest surrounding them.
Sophie felt the connection vanish from the sealed area, and her steps faltered.
“An isolation barrier.” Edgar’s expression became solemn. “It specifically severs the flow of natural mana around the altar.”
“You recognize it?” Gabriel asked.
“I’ve seen similar formations before. The Holy Church uses them to surround and kill high ranking elven priests.”
Gabriel looked through the translucent screen.
Inside stood the silver masked captain, the lone remaining original operative, and all seven ritualists. One ritualist was still pinned against the stone pillar. Two immediately moved to opposite sides of the formation and began maintaining the barrier, while three advanced to stop Gabriel. The final ritualist joined the original operative beside the seven dark red spikes.
Not one of the nine enemies was unaccounted for.
“Can you break it?” He asked turning to Edgar.
“Yes.”
“How long?”
“Under normal circumstances, at least three minutes.”
Gabriel nodded and walked directly toward it.
Edgar frowned. “What are you doing?”
“Breaking it.”
“I just said three minutes.”
“That would take too long.”
Gabriel reached the barrier and raised Crimson Judgement. Mana rushed through the greatsword, illuminating the crimson engravings along its broad blade.
“There’s no need to break it properly.”
BOOM!
Crimson Judgement smashed into the surface of the barrier.
The entire translucent screen shook violently.
A visible depression spread outward from the point of impact, and the faces of the two ritualists maintaining the formation immediately turned pale.
Edgar fell silent. He had almost forgotten that whenever Gabriel encountered a magical problem, he was rarely interested in solving it with magic.
“Maintain the barrier!” the silver masked captain ordered, pankck in his eyes.
The two ritualists increased their mana output.
Cracks spreading across the screen rapidly began repairing themselves.
Before they could breathe a sigh of relief, the second strike fell, followed by yet another series of strikes.
Boom!
Gabriel shifted his stance, tightened every muscle in his arms and shoulders, and brought Crimson Judgement down again.
BOOM!
The third impact made the entire altar shake.
There was no elaborate technique behind any of the attacks and no temporary burst skill reinforcing Gabriel’s body. Only raw physical strength, the weight of Crimson Judgement, and mana surging through its glowing engravings.
One of the ritualists maintaining the barrier finally shouted, “Stop him!”
The three advancing ritualists passed through a narrow opening that appeared on the barrier’s surface and rushed Gabriel simultaneously.
The first had not even closed half the distance when a silver green thread sliced horizontally through the air.
Sssht!
He jerked backward. The thread brushed across his mask and cut half of it away before circling his arm.
Edgar pulled once, causing the ritualist to lose his balance and be dragged sideways, where several more threads wrapped around his torso.
“Don’t be impatient.”
Edgar stood beside the moving root platform, his right hand controlling the silver green threads while the platform kept Matthew restrained behind him.
“You have more than one opponent.”
The second ritualist circled left, attempting to pass Edgar.
Another thread swept low and caught his ankle.
He leapt over it, but that brief delay was enough for Gabriel to turn.
The flat of Crimson Judgement struck him in the chest.
Bang!
The ritualist flew backward and crashed into the ground, the impact knocking him unconscious without cutting him apart.
The third ritualist slipped around Gabriel’s right side.
Gray mana gathered around his short blade as he prepared to stab Gabriel beneath the ribs.