Free Web NovelChapter 237: What Brings You Before Me?
[Ruvian’s POV]
The colossal beast crashed onto its knees before finally collapsing to the ground. Its enormous body dragged itself across the earth as thick fingers dug deep into the soil, leaving long trenches behind while it struggled to rise once again.
Small patches of fire continued to burn across its massive frame — crawling along its chest, and spread over parts of its back where Yerin’s sword had cut through the bark-like flesh.
The burning wood cracked loudly every few moments, sending fading embers drifting into the darkness.
Even so, the fire was nowhere near enough to consume a creature of this size.
Its wounds slowly began to close.
The deep gashes left by Shima’s falchion gradually sealed themselves as fresh layers of dark wood grew over the damaged flesh.
From a distance, Ruvian frowned.
’I didn’t expect it to have a regeneration ability...’
Ruvian quickly checked his [Mana Essence].
Mana Essence: [1,021 / 5,250]
There was not much left.
He had been casting [Night Vision] continuously, and [Magic Missile] over and over throughout the battle just to keep everyone coordinated in the darkness.
’This has to end soon.’
His eyes returned to the crawling giant.
If the battle dragged on any longer, everyone would be exhausted before the second day of the island test even began. That alone would put them at a huge disadvantage.
More importantly, the fluctuation of mana could attract other Voidspawns wandering through the darkness.
That was the last thing he wanted.
Just as Ruvian was thinking of another way to finish the battle, his expression suddenly changed.
"...Hm?"
He sensed a strange change in the surrounding mana; the air itself seemed to shift as countless streams of mana quietly gathered in one place.
His head immediately turned.
"Horren?"
Standing a few meters away, Horren remained perfectly still with his eyes gently closed. The darkness around him had become strangely calm.
His breathing was slow.
One hand held the bow firmly while the other rested upon the drawn string. The mana-forged arrow remained pointed toward the distant beast, yet it never wavered even once.
The gentle currents of wind quietly circled around him, wrapping around his body before gathering toward the tip of the arrow.
Without saying a single word, he released the bowstring.
[Galeburst Arrow]
Whoosh!
The mana arrow shot forward like a comet.
As it flew, countless streams of wind wrapped around it, twisting together into a rapidly spinning vortex.
Before the colossal beast could even react...
Boom!
The arrow slammed into its left shoulder.
Chunks of wooden flesh burst apart, while splinters and broken bark rained through the darkness; the blast carved a massive crater into the giant’s body, exposing the burning interior beneath the thick layers of bark.
Still, Horren did not stop.
His fingers moved again.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Another spinning arrow flew across the plain terrain before crashing into the beast’s chest.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Another explosion erupted; the enormous body violently shook as another large section of wood was blown apart!
Again.
Again.
And again!!
From afar, Ruvian’s eyes widened.
’This power...!’
However, there was no time to admire it.
’Right! We can’t let it regenerate!’
His hand immediately rose as he cast [Magic Missile].
Pushing his casting speed to the limit, Ruvian sent a relentless barrage of [Magic Missile] through the darkness that struck every exposed wound Horren had created.
At the same time, Shima rushed in once more, her falchion carving through the broken bark while Yerin slashed across another burning section with her blazing sword.
And down below at the giant’s feet, Arlok smashed apart the weakened pieces of its legs before they could grow back.
None of them gave the giant even a single moment to recover or regenerate.
With the help of Horren’s explosive arrows, the surface of the beast had become much smaller for the flames to consume.
The fire quickly spread.
Without the thick outer bark protecting it anymore, the flames crawled across the exposed wood with terrifying speed.
Even then, Horren calmly drew another arrow.
[Whirlwind Shot]
The bowstring snapped.
The wind-forged arrow pierced straight into the towering flames. And the instant it entered the beast’s body....
Fwoooosh!
A powerful gust of wind burst from within. The compressed wind rushed through the burning wood, feeding the weakened flames with fresh air.
The dim fire that had been barely burning suddenly grew stronger. The crimson flames climbed higher across the giant’s body, spreading from one shattered wound to another.
Although the light could not travel far because of the absolute darkness surrounding the island, the fire itself continued to burn more fiercely than before.
The colossal beast soon became a towering figure wrapped entirely in blazing flames. Its wooden body crackled without end as the inferno consumed it piece by piece, leaving nothing untouched.
[You have slain a Grimwood Colossus!]
[You have received +3 Mana Resonances!]
[You have received +2,000 Plot Points!]
*****
[Ophelia’s POV]
The Chancellor’s chamber stood at the highest point of the colossal vessel, far above the constant bustle below.
The chamber was large, though nothing inside was meant to impress with luxury. One side of the room was lined with tall bookshelves packed with books and old scrolls collected through the years.
A sturdy wooden desk rested near the middle, its surface kept neat with stacks of reports, while several enchanted quills quietly moved across the pages, finishing their work without anyone touching them.
The back of the chamber was dominated by a massive window that stretched from one side to the other.
And standing quietly before the window was a lone figure. Her cool violet eyes remained fixed on the darkness beyond the window.
To anyone else, there was nothing there.
The darkness covered everything below, making it impossible to see the island from this distance. Even the sea had completely disappeared into the blackness.
But not for her.
Her gaze pierced through the endless darkness as if it did not exist. The forests, the mountains, the rivers, and every single movement happening across the island were reflected clearly within her calm violet eyes.
She saw everything.
Her long white hair flowed quietly behind her back, reaching almost to her waist. Many would think such hair came from old age.
But it did not. After all, it was the mark of someone who had stepped beyond the limits of ordinary humans.
After reaching a realm that very few in history had ever attained, even her body had changed to match it. Her snow-white hair was simply one of the many traces left behind by that transcendence.
A few moments passed before a gentle knock broke the silence inside the chamber.
Knock. Knock.
"Come in," Ophelia said.
The heavy door slowly swung open, allowing a man dressed in the academy’s formal instructor robes to step inside. His black-trimmed cloak swayed lightly as he entered before stopping a respectful distance from the Chancellor.
It was Arveth Dros, the Chief Instructor overseeing this year’s first-year Vazrun Island Test.
Only then did Ophelia turn away from the window to face him. Her expression remained calm, while those cold violet eyes settled upon him without the slightest change.
"You are not one to disturb me without cause, Instructor Arveth."
She said in a calm tone.
"So....
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[Chapter 237: What Brings You Before Me?]
Plot Points= 23,620
