I Got a Fake Job at the Academy
Chapter 460: Beast Under the Roots (1)

"The western gate has fallen! The enemy is rushing in!"

"The eastern gate can't hold much longer! There are too many enemies!"

The root watchers of Serendel's inner fortress, those who read and analyze information through the surrounding vegetation in real-time continued to shout emergencies.

Even with the walls, it was difficult to hold back the enemies in the outer fortress now that most of the troops had been moved to the inner fortress.

They had prepared sufficiently for this moment, and moreover, it was a situation where both the neutral and moderate factions were attacking from both sides.

At the root network's center, in the command and control room, the inner fortress commander crossed his arms and gave orders.

"Pull back the troops. Abandon the outer fortress and hold up in the inner fortress. Lower the barriers to buy time, and have the druids build barriers with trees and roots to block the paths."

"But they have more druids than us."

"Have those druids buy even that little bit of time. This fight depends on how long we can hold out."

The outer fortress garrison immediately retreated after receiving the signal through the roots, with orderly movements.

They continuously receive real-time battle reports, and command systems are immediately deployed.

This is where elves excelled over any other race when it came to forests.

"Pull the defenses from the south gate too. We don't need them anyway."

"Yes, understood."

Ventmin Lifrey was also watching the situation in the command and control room and the rapidly progressing battlefield conditions through the World Tree.

"Foolish ones."

Ventmin muttered in an irritated voice as she watched those trying to somehow bring her down.

Did they think she was doing this for personal gain?

They were truly ridiculous.

Her actions were meant to make elves the most superior race in this world once again.

Elves were basically a long-lived race with outstanding appearances.

They were nature-friendly, could easily contract with spirits, and could see and handle life energy.

In the past, elves were idols to all races.

They would undoubtedly be first in line if asked which race was closest to the gods.

However, many things changed as time passed.

The elves did not develop.

It's not that they completely settled in their position.

The elves did create new things as time passed in their own way but that was ultimately limited to this forest of life.

The world outside the forest changed much faster than them.

Ironically, elves did not know the importance of life because of their too-long lifespan.

Because they were born with so much, they did not know the yearning of those who did not have.

That yearning was the driving force toward the future and the source of racial development but they had forgotten it.

'Elves have forgotten how to become stronger.'

Would elves truly become great by training in spirit arts for hundreds or thousands of days?

Humans who used to ride horses now drive tanks, and those who used to shoot arrows now fire cannons and guns.

If this is how it is now, then what about next?

How much will change in 100 years?

Ventmin wanted to prevent that.

To do so, she planned to fully awaken the World Tree and turn this entire continent into a forest.

In a way, Ella Plante and Ventmin Lifrey were similar in their intention to use the World Tree.

Both had realized the limitations of their species early on and sought ways to prepare for the future.

However, their pursued methods were complete opposites.

Ella Plante thought that the number of World Trees should be increased and elves should live in harmony with other races.

She argued that they should learn from each other, correct what's wrong, and move forward together.

On the other hand, Ventmin Lifrey thought that the great elves should stand at the top of all species.

Why should they lower themselves to match those inferior races when they were born with everything they needed?

That was the very act of trampling on elven pride, Ventmin thought.

If elves cannot develop like other races, then they should force other races back hundreds or thousands of years into the past.

From the age of industry, steel, magic, and engineering back to the age of hunting and gathering.

The choice made for the future of the species ironically resulted in an act of forcing everything else back to the past.

While it might seem impossibly far-fetched, it wasn't entirely impossible.

'If only I had the power of this World Tree.'

The power of the World Tree she controlled wasn't even 1%.

Yet she was able to hold the highest authority in this forest.

She didn't wish for 100%.

Even with just half, the elven kingdom would achieve unprecedented prosperity.

The final key to handling that was Plante's blood relative, Sedina Roschen.

'It must be there. The authority to access the World Tree's deep levels that Ella Plante took and disappeared with.'

At first, she thought about torturing her to find out where that authority was hidden but looking at how things were going now, there wasn't time for that.

'The outer walls have already fallen. The east gate somehow held, but the west gate couldn't. Ambella Burke, you've become much stronger than before.'

Ambella Burke was once called the strongest warrior of the elven race.

Not only was her individual combat prowess outstanding, but her battlefield command also contributed to leading her allies to victory.

However, 500 years ago, the Burke family was pushed to the frontier, and their power was thought to have weakened.

They thought they couldn't even recover from the damage after being most directly hit by the flames of the racial war 100 years ago but that wasn't the case.

They had actually grown stronger through those harsh years, like steel hammered in intense heat.

Steel for an elf.

While it seemed like such an ill-fitting word, looking at Ambella, it couldn't be helped.

'To try to draw attention so blatantly.'

Ventmin sneered at Ambella's obvious attention-seeking actions.

Ventmin wasn't one to miss that.

'Well, the attempt itself wasn't bad.'

Ventmin inwardly mocked while watching the man hiding among the soldiers pouring in through the now wide-open outer fortress gate.

If she hadn't been watching the battle situation like the palm of her hand through the World Tree, John Doe's existence would have been a significant danger but if she knew about it, it's a different story.

John Doe's danger is maximized when unknown, but conversely, if noticed, he cannot have any effect.

She just had to keep being wary of John Doe without forgetting.

'Plante's last child is also coming well toward the cradle.'

The inner fortress close to the World Tree was also in Ventmin's palm.

She was reading all the complex structures of the inner fortress and every movement of the family soldiers building fortifications there.

Though the outer fortress had fallen, this place was different.

This was truly the final and strongest fortress.

'Once the final key arrives, then...'

As Ventmin was feeling satisfied while drawing up future blueprints, she widened her eyes at the roar of a huge beast echoing from deep underground.

'What was that just now?'

* * *

Hans was inwardly getting anxious.

He learned through the root-eating mice that war had finally broken out outside.

They seemed to be in a hurry too, taking Sedina deep into the inner fortress, but the path was so complex that they were about to lose her at this rate.

As Hans was wondering what to do, Alex drew his sword.

"Wh-what are you trying to do?"

"You know the youngest lady's location, right?"

The youngest lady Alex was referring to was Sedina.

"I'm still tracking her, but what are you planning to do?"

"They're planning to do something with the youngest, right? Something about awakening the World Tree? Then we obviously have to stop it."

"But..."

"Forgot? Our role is to rescue the youngest. With no leader right now, we here have to make the judgment."

After contemplating for a moment, Hans sighed deeply while roughly running his hands through his hair.

"Phew. Even so, how do you plan to climb up past these roots?"

Instead of answering, Alex stared at Bellaruna.

They had climbed up to the base of the roots, but they were still buried under the inner fortress.

"Bellaruna. We've climbed quite high up at this point, right?"

"Y-yes."

"Can we break through above here?"

Hans' eyes widened as he realized what Alex was saying.

Bellaruna closed her mouth for a moment to calculate before reaching a conclusion.

"It might be a bit difficult. Though we've reached right under the inner fortress, the structure here is maze-like and the ground is solid. Al-also, the World Tree's fine roots are supporting it firmly..."

"So it's impossible with my strength alone?"

"Th-that's right."

"But what about Spirit King's concentrated bombardment?"

After some consideration, Bellaruna nodded.

According to her calculations, that might be doable.

"Just tell me the position and timing."

"Hey, what about my opinion?"

Hans made a small protest, but Alex dismissed it with one word.

"This is our only chance."

"..."

"You came all this way to save the youngest too, right? Then as seniors, let's show a cool senior-like appearance."

Hans sighed deeply.

"One way or another, I only end up taking the losing role."

"Seniors are supposed to yield to their juniors, that's how it works."

"Sigh. Let's do it."

Hans pulled out the Spirit King's fang that he had brought.

There was some tension, but no resistance.

At least when transforming into the Spirit King, unlike the Beast of Gevaudan, his reason was maintained and he wasn't swept away by wildness.

Moreover, thanks to being tormented by Grandel, Hans had learned how to control the Spirit King’s power.

"Here I go."

-Phuck.

Hans stabbed the Spirit King’s fang into his palm.

Bellaruna and Alex naturally created distance as Hans' body swelled up with white fur sprouting all over.

The human form instantly changed into a deer and expanded greatly.

The Spirit King, boasting sacred golden horns, descended into the underground roots.

Hans looked up with blue magical light in his eyes, toward the ground above where the World Tree's fine roots blocked the way.

Hans' mouth opened and bluish magical power began gathering in front of it.

[Cover your ears. It's going to be loud.]

A dazzling light flashed in the dark underground cavity as a blue pillar crossing the roots shot up toward the ground.

* * *

The pillar of light Hans shot created a large passage in Serendel's inner fortress by piercing through the layer blocked by the World Tree's roots.

The end of that passage was aimed at Sedina and the elves leading her toward the cradle.

Everyone was surprised when suddenly huge energy surged from underground and blue light flashed before their eyes, except for the gray-haired elf at the front.

"Enemy."

The gray-haired elf muttered in a dry voice.

Soon, a person jumped out through the hole in the floor.

"A-a human?"

Alex, heavily armed with artifacts and equipment, blocked the path while gripping swords in both hands.

The elves showed bewilderment at Alex's appearance.

‘Why was a human here?’

This wasn't just the forest outskirts but the deepest part of the forest and the capital of the elven kingdom, Serendel's inner fortress.

Moreover, a war is happening right now.

The inner fortress security was more thorough than ever, yet a human suddenly popped out.

"Se-senior?"

Sedina's eyes widened upon seeing Alex.

She hadn't expected Alex would come to rescue her.

'Wait. If Senior Alex came, then others...'

Rudger's image flashed through Sedina's mind.

She tightly clenched her fist.

Teacher had come all the way to the elven forest to rescue her.

Feelings of guilt and emotion flooded in at the same time.

"Don't act rashly."

At that moment, a low voice instantly dominated the surrounding atmosphere.

"Lord Bereborn."

"It's just one human anyway. Just deal with it."

"Oh. From how you speak, it seems you're quite a high-ranking elf?"

Alex smirked while looking at the gray-haired elf called Bereborn.

"You. You know me?"

"..."

" We met in Leathervelk, didn't we? The one who kidnapped our youngest in the city that day and ran away from me without looking back."

Alex remembers when Sedina was kidnapped and they were hindered by the Lumensis Order.

He remembered who did the kidnapping and the hindering.

One of them was the gray-haired elf right in front of him, the one who kidnapped Sedina that day in Leathervelk.

"I thought you seemed quite skilled. Such a capable one, coming out to the human world to kidnap people. Where did you throw away that noble elven pride?"

"You insolent human! How dare you speak to Lord Bereborn with that mouth!"

The ones who charged in anger at those words were the other elves.

They couldn't accept the fact that their idolized Bereborn was being insulted by a human.

Alex watched the elves charging at him, then clicked his tongue after making eye contact with Bereborn.

The moment he swings his sword at them here, this side would be the one to suffer.

"Unfortunately, I'm not your opponent. Get lost, small fry."

"Are you trying to run away!"

"Run away? Rather, you're the ones who should run."

Alex sneered while stepping back slightly to create distance.

The inner fortress guards became emboldened by this sight and tried to catch up to Alex, but that was a mistake because enormous energy exploded from right beneath their feet.

Blue light that shot up from the floor swept past the elves.

Soon after, a huge white beast with golden horns burst through the broken marble floor.

"A Spirit Beast? It's a Spirit Beast!"

"Why is a Spirit Beast suddenly in the inner fortress!"

Above the bewildered elves, Hans in the Spirit King form's magic cannon fell.

That's when Bereborn moved.

He darted forward and swung his sword at Hans' neck, taking advantage of the opening Hans had shown.

However, before that sword could reach Hans' neck, it was deflected by Alex's sword.

"I'm your opponent."

"..."

Bereborn glared at Alex with cold eyes.

Alex gave a mocking smile back at Bereborn.

"You're not planning to run away again this time, are you? Kidnapper."

"...I'll kill you."