I Got a Fake Job at the Academy
Chapter 464: The Crying World Tree (1)

Chapter 464: The Crying World Tree (1)

Rudger took out all the artifacts he had brought.

Aether Nocturnus made some complaints about his inner space becoming empty, but Rudger lightly ignored it.

Ventmin become a monster after fusing with the World Tree so he had to make maximum use of any artifacts he could use.

"Ha. Right. I don't know where you got such artifacts from, but do you think you can do anything to me with mere artifacts?"

"We'll see about that."

Rudger moved 2 artifacts as an example.

The 2 artifacts that resonated with magical power took the form of spears.

The elaborately shaped spears were fired toward Ventmin with a slight time difference according to Rudger's command.

Ventmin sneered at the incoming spears and created a barrier with tree roots.

Massive roots over 5m in thickness broke through the floor of the cradle and intertwined with each other.

The barrier thus created felt like the pressure of a great mountain.

These were roots made of the World Tree, not ordinary trees.

No matter if they were artifacts, there was no way they could pierce through this.

Ventmin made her own rational calculation that it would be impossible.

Rudger also thought that Ventmin's judgment wasn't wrong.

'That is, if these were ordinary artifacts.'

-Splash!

One of the spears that was fired first stuck into the tangled roots.

Due to the huge difference in size, it looked like a toothpick stuck in a giant's body.

It seemed questionable what could be done with just that one spear.

However, the subsequent result was not like that at all.

-Woong!

The spear stuck in the wall of roots began to vibrate intensely and gradually started glowing.

The magical power inherent in the spear went berserk as it exceeded the critical point, and the released magical power ran wild.

Artifact Serial Number 412, commonly known as [Stinger] was a throwing spear artifact for hunting Cryptids, characterized by automatic retrieval after throwing.

It also had features like ignoring air resistance using wind magic and auto-targeting enemies.

However, the Stinger modified by Seridan abandoned everything for one other function, explosion.

───!!!

Along with a sound that tore through the atmosphere, a dazzling light illuminated the entire cradle.

It wasn't just an explosion, but an explosion of forcibly overloaded magic stones, a magic explosion.

Even the roots of the World Tree, no matter how solid, couldn't be completely free from a magic explosion.

The roots were torn apart by the explosion, and fragments scattered in all directions.

A huge hole was punctured in the center of the massive barrier and the second spear thrown through that gap flew toward Ventmin.

"What is this...!?"

Although Ventmin was shocked at the sight before her eyes, she didn't neglect to respond.

Tree stems that rose with creaking sounds covered Ventmin's body in a dome shape.

The small, dense stems covered first, and then gradually thicker roots reinforced it like an overlay.

It was like watching a turtle hiding inside its shell.

The Stinger artifact that reached its critical point stuck into that and a massive explosion followed like flowing water.

A huge shockwave swept through the surroundings.

Hans, who had become a spirit beast, stood in front of Sedina and blocked the aftershock with his body.

[Good heavens. The power is unbelievable even seeing it.]

Hans trembled at the destructive power created by the artifact's explosion.

Generally, artifacts had various effects attached and could be repaired even after being used multiple times.

However, the artifacts modified by Seridan focused all of that on the single act of destruction.

All the power and stability of the artifact, and even the possibility of future use, closing off all of that and focusing solely on explosion, it could no longer even be called an artifact.

Yes.

That was the world's most expensive bullet.

And Rudger was the strongest gun that could fire those expensive bullets as much as needed.

The defensive barrier that was like a turtle shell was torn apart by the explosion.

Ventmin, who had hidden her body inside, wasn't completely unharmed either.

Half of her face was scorched by the explosion's heat, and one side of her upper body was completely blown away.

"Kugh."

Her injured flesh regenerated quickly like a growing tree.

However, Ventmin's mind wasn't intact.

Using artifacts like that? Using them once and discarding them instead of multiple times?

While Ventmin wasn't completely knowledgeable about human world affairs, she wasn't entirely ignorant either.

She vaguely knew about the utility and value of artifacts made by humans.

The value of the artifact that just struck her was enough to buy at least one house.

Yet Rudger used it like a disposable item that's used once and thrown away.

"Didn't I tell you? I possess weapons capable of facing an army."

Ventmin gritted her teeth at Rudger's words as he looked down at her while floating in the air.

‘So it wasn't just empty boasting?’

Ventmin finally realized why Rudger was so confident.

"Right. So that's how it is?"

But that didn't mean her fighting spirit was broken.

She was a bit shocked, but that was all.

If you asked whether Rudger had no weaknesses, that wasn't the case.

He must be consuming considerable mental power just to float in the air while keeping numerous artifacts suspended.

That meant he had virtually no mobility.

Of course, even with just that, Rudger could exert power like an angel spreading countless deaths from the sky but this side had the World Tree, which could be called the mother of all life.

"Die!"

Roots that shot up from the floor soared toward the gaping void in the cradle.

All the roots targeted Rudger.

The artifacts were threatening, but without Rudger, they would be just impressive-looking weapons.

As expected, Rudger didn't try to create distance or evade when he saw the roots approaching him.

‘Got him.’

Ventmin thought inwardly.

‘I'll catch him like this and slowly squeeze him to death in agony.’

But that thought disappeared when she saw the magic Rudger activated.

Steel cube pieces began floating around Rudger.

"...Leslie?"

Ventmin recalled a report she had heard long ago at that sight.

The magic First Order Leslie used was exactly these steel cubes.

But Leslie was dead.

So how could Rudger...?

-Click! Click!

The steel cubes eventually gathered in one place and took on a form.

A sharp beak made of steel and a streamlined sharp design with strong wings spread wide on both sides like blades.

It resembled the metal bird that Leslie had used in the Kasar Basin.

The metal bird, which mixed the forms of Earth's fighter jets and birds half and half, carried Rudger on its back but what he would show wasn't over yet.

Rudger placed his palm on the metal bird's back.

The shadows surrounding Rudger's body writhed and seeped into the metal bird, beginning to surge.

The artifacts also nestled in the metal bird's shadow and were absorbed inside.

The steel bird that absorbed the shadows transformed into a giant raven.

-Kieeeeek!

The beak covered in pitch-black shadows opened and let out a bizarre cry, it was a new magic that fused metal magic and magic numbers.

Fusion magic [Steel Raven]

Aether Nocturnus, seemingly pleased with its new body, screamed loudly before glaring intensely at Ventmin.

"How..."

‘Why does John Doe have Leslie's magic?’

That question melted away like ice under the scorching sun at the sight that followed.

The steel raven carrying Rudger demonstrated unbelievable maneuverability as it completely avoided the roots.

The roots that failed to catch their target swirled aimlessly in the air.

Each time the Steel Raven passed over them, artifacts were dropped causing explosions.

Ventmin gasped at seeing the roots being shattered to pieces.

Firepower that could damage even the World Tree's roots, combined with mobility that could freely move through the air?

Even when she sent out roots trying to catch it somehow, the Steel Raven entered evasive maneuvers easily as if mocking Ventmin.

Rather, the roots trying to catch it were pulverized by the artifacts.

Ventmin, who hadn't expected John Doe to be hiding such power, bit her lip.

Her lips that had been soft were now hard like the bark of an old tree.

Ventmin realized that the sensations from her body were becoming dull.

It was a side effect of fusing with the World Tree.

Because of that side effect, Ventmin still hadn't crossed the final 'line' but the moment she saw the magic Rudger was using, Ventmin had no choice but to make up her mind as well.

"Right. For the greater cause, I should also be prepared to sacrifice everything."

Ventmin's expression as she said this seemed somewhat transcendent, or conversely, relieved.

Watching this scene from high in the air, Rudger felt something was strange.

'I don't know what she's trying to do, but.'

He just needed to take advantage of this opportunity where he had the upper hand and eliminate her at once.

If she tried to regenerate through the roots making up the cradle, he planned to blow away all the roots in that area.

The Steel Raven changed direction and dropped vertically toward Ventmin from high in the air.

Rudger released 10 embedded artifacts.

Artifacts of different forms sparkled and trembled in their own colors.

The Steel Raven changed its orbit and passed barely grazing above Ventmin's head, and the prepared artifacts fell toward Ventmin's head.

Just as he was about to completely erase the entire area including Ventmin, Ventmin's body changed.

Her body, which had maintained at least the form of an elf until now, expanded greatly.

Her lower body completely took root, and her build grew enormous like a statue.

Ventmin's body, which grew like a rapidly growing tree, touched the 10 dropped artifacts but the artifacts didn't explode.

The artifacts that seemed about to explode at any moment instead became quiet and even lost their light.

'What's this?'

Rudger frowned watching this.

"Don't tell me, she absorbed the mana?"

It wasn't impossible with the power of the World Tree that could even take away life force but if she could use that, she wouldn't have been one-sidedly beaten until just now.

The fact that she's now able to absorb the artifacts' mana and suppress their explosion meant that Ventmin had clearly done something.

And that must be related to Ventmin's current form that had lost even its original shape.

'Did she draw more power from the World Tree?'

Ventmin, who had maintained her sense of self despite fusing with the World Tree, was now gone.

If anything, the ratio had now shifted more toward the World Tree.

"John Doe!!!"

Ventmin's irritated roar reverberated through the air.

Ventmin's face, slightly protruding from the twisted tree form, was glaring at Rudger.

-Ziiing.

Golden energy began condensing around Ventmin.

When the number exceeded 100, they finally became arrows of light and were shot toward the Steel Raven.

Seeing the golden arrows shooting up like fireworks, Rudger immediately entered evasive maneuvers.

The Steel Raven's body twisted sideways, and the golden arrows grazed through that empty space.

Rudger dropped overloading artifacts toward Ventmin's head while evading but Ventmin extending stems to catch the artifacts was faster than the falling artifacts exploding.

The artifacts caught by the stems had all their massive magical power drained, lost their light, and crumbled with a dry sound.

Ventmin, having completely absorbed the magical power, shot out even more golden arrows.

'To think she would absorb our power and shoot it back like this.'

While Rudger was dumbfounded at this sight, he was also devising methods in his mind.

Ventmin twisted her lips crookedly while looking up at the steel raven circling far away after creating distance.

She could feel his movements trying to kill her somehow but the same thought applied to her as well because Ventmin also wanted to kill Rudger.

'But what could it be?'

Ventmin felt a strange sensation.

It was hunger.

Why? This feeling of wanting to immediately satisfy this hunger resonated deep in her soul.

'Food.'

While normally she would have followed a vegetarian diet made of elven cuisine, strangely she didn't have such thoughts now.

'There's a lot around here.'

Now that her senses had merged with the World Tree, Ventmin was feeling various life forces spread throughout the inner castle and beyond.

Her emotion upon seeing that was singular.

‘It looks delicious.’

The moment that thought properly sprouted in her mind, changes occurred in the World Tree.

The massive leaves of the World Tree shook violently.

-Swoosh.

The sound of tens of thousands of leaves interlocking was enough to tear apart all the heat of the battlefield.

The soldiers who couldn't approach the inner castle, those who had holed up in the inner castle, and the common elves who had evacuated outside the royal castle to escape the war all saw the sight of the World Tree crying out.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.