I Got a Fake Job at the Academy
Chapter 470: Crown of Thorns (2)

Chapter 470: Crown of Thorns (2)

Like a drop of black ink falling onto a white sheet of paper, in a world dyed completely white, darkness spread.

The darkness rotated like a whirlpool and the beam shot by the World Tree made contact with the darkness almost simultaneously.

The 6th tier darkness attribute magic [Abyss of Blind Ignorance] is weak on its own.

The entire effect of this magic was to absorb the opponent's magic and cancel it out together.

Just as it takes two hands to make a clap [Abyss of Blind Ignorance] cast in an environment with nothing was completely useless but the moment the opponent launches an attack and the stronger that power is, the effect of Abyss of Blind Ignorance rises correspondingly.

The World Tree's strike that had blown away the army was sucked in like water flowing down a drain.

For Ventmin, who had absolute faith in the World Tree's power, it was a sight that completely shattered centuries of faith and common sense.

The surroundings that had become brilliantly bright gradually began to return to their original contrast.

Rudger's magic seemed to properly block the World Tree's attack but Rudger himself didn't think so.

'The power is too strong.'

Though he was somehow absorbing the light and converting it to energy, then converting it back to maintain Abyss of Blind Ignorance’s output, the force being applied was much stronger than the force he could redirect.

'To barely withstand it with even the strongest 6th tier magic counter. Is this truly the power of the World Tree?'

It was like a dam opened to maximum capacity but still rising due to excessive rainfall.

At this rate, the entire dam seemed likely to collapse but Rudger had already prepared for this possibility.

As Abyss of Blind Ignorance wavered precariously, Rudger measured his timing in a split second that felt like dividing one second into hundreds.

One slight mistake and he would disappear without leaving even a speck of dust.

He couldn't allow even a 0.1 second error.

"Aether Nocturnus!"

Rudger withdrew Abyss of Blind Ignorance just before it completely collapsed.

When the force that had been blocking suddenly disappeared, the residual destructive energy shot toward Rudger again.

At that moment, Steel Raven stepped forward.

Steel Raven expanded the shadows wrapped around his body to the maximum and covered Rudger and Hans with his wings protectively.

As the rippling shadows transformed into a dome shape, the destructive beam struck it from above.

The beam of light that seemed like it would pierce through everything had its direction severely bent and shot high into the sky.

The white beam soared toward the sky, punching a huge hole in part of the birdcage covering the sky.

The power of spatial distortion that could twist direction regardless of the total amount of force in some ways was like an upgraded version of the Storm Aura that Luther used.

The reason he didn't use this from the beginning and saved it until now was purely to buy time.

'If I had used this from the start, Ventmin wouldn't have tried to target us.'

So he waited for a big attack to come because in that moment, the World Tree would become defenseless.

Ventmin realized too late that she had fallen for Rudger's psychological warfare.

"Block them!"

Ventmin shouted viciously.

Wood zombies rose from the ground and blocked the three people running at the front.

Vierano, who was trying to blow away the wood zombies with wind spirits, furrowed his brows.

"These guys! They're different from before! They've gotten stronger!"

Unlike the wood zombies that scattered like firewood just from throwing a punch before, surprisingly, this time the ones that appeared not only blocked Vierano's fist by raising both hands, but even though they were pushed back, their bodies didn't break apart.

Although he had controlled his strength, the difference was clearly apparent.

Vierano's warning became reality.

-Crack.

The wood zombies that burst through the ground emanated yellow eye-light.

While before they were just roughly human-shaped, the ones that rose this time had more distinct features like mannequins, and even wore simplified armor.

They even held swords and spears made from the World Tree in their hands.

"That uniform is...the Royal Palace Guard?"

Ambella muttered while looking at the armored wood zombies.

The wood zombies moved.

Unlike before when they just charged mindlessly after losing their intelligence, now they formed ranks and began coordinated attacks.

When Vierano threw a punch imbued with wind, a shield bearer stepped forward and blocked the attack.

As if one wasn't enough, over 10 wood zombies clustered together to support that force.

As Vierano frowned at the repelling force, long spears stabbed through the gaps between the shield bearers in rapid succession.

Ambella swung her sword like lightning to cut down all the spears, and swept away the shield bearers beyond them in one go but Ambella's expression wasn't very good.

"Damn it. They've gotten much tougher than before."

Luther, who shattered an approaching wood zombie with Storm Aura, also nodded.

"It looks like stronger ones keep appearing as time passes."

Sprouts sprouted on the debris of the destroyed wood zombies.

The sprouts gradually grew and bloomed, eventually turning into human-sized trees and as the tree forms twisted, they transformed back into wood zombies, beings that endlessly rise no matter how many times they're killed.

What was even more horrifying was that these things kept rising in stronger forms as time passed.

"Aaaagh!"

Just then, one of the elite soldiers who had followed Ambella was caught by a wood zombie.

Before anyone could save him, the wood zombies rushed in and quickly bit into the soldier.

The bitten elf soldier screamed and then began to dry up like a mummy.

Shortly after, the corpse crumbled into powder, and a tree began to grow from the powder.

"This, this can't be."

The comrade who had been fighting together until just moments ago rose up as a wood zombie in an instant.

The appearance of the wood zombies rising one after another was somehow familiar.

There were regular soldiers who died trying to enter the inner castle and were caught by the roots, and soldiers belonging to the Three Noble Houses.

"To think the World Tree had this level of authority."

It was a chance that Rudger had finally opened up but at this rate, it seemed they would waste that opportunity without accomplishing anything.

As Vierano was about to make some resolution, pale green arrows flew targeting them.

Though Luther easily deflected them with storm magic, his eyes couldn't help but show annoyance.

"It's not just creating soldiers."

In the distance, there were archers, and even forest druids using spells.

They could still somehow push forward but their speed began to noticeably slow, and at some point those who had been advancing were forced to stop in place.

-Clang!

Luther showed a strange look in his eyes as he saw the wood zombie that blocked his sword.

Though his sword swing looked simple, it contained the principles of rotation.

If one simply tried to block it, their entire arm would twist along with the sword but the wood zombie before him endured it.

Ambella was also surprised.

"You!"

Ambella ground her teeth as she looked at the elf swordsman with a greatsword blocking her path.

The female elf who looked like she was carved from wood swung a sword as tall as herself at Ambella with an expressionless face.

Ambella, who had let her guard down, barely blocked it but was knocked backwards.

If Vierano hadn't caught her with an air cushion made from wind spirits, Ambella would have fallen among the wood zombies surrounding them.

"Lady Ambella! Are you alright?"

"To be honest, not at all."

"Just who is that elf...?"

"She's the previous Burke family head."

"What?!"

Vierano was shocked.

"That, that means..."

"Yes. She's my mother, who died of old age and was buried in the World Tree long ago."

Elves were born and raised in the elven forest and lived out their lives in the forest.

Though they all died, their genes remained stored in the World Tree through the forest network and now they were revived in the form of wood zombies like this.

"I never got to properly show filial piety in my lifetime, yet we meet again like this."

"Will you be alright?"

"Alright? Before asking about my condition, shouldn't you be worried about yourself?"

"..."

Vierano didn't ask why because familiar beings appeared before his eyes.

"Father. And Uncle too."

Vierano's expression sank heavily as he saw the wood zombies taking the form of the former elder and head of the Dentis family who had passed away.

It wasn't just the Dentis and Burke families.

The data of past family heads was being implemented as wood zombies through the World Tree.

The wood zombies appearing now were a recreation of the elven heroes who existed in stories.

Luther shook his head as if nauseated.

"Absorbing the legion and creating its own legion. What nonsense is this."

Luthers thought he had gotten involved in something unnecessary but if they couldn't stop this here, the Empire would fall to the World Tree's power.

Would it really just be the Exilion Empire?

This was a power that would put the entire continent in danger.

Whether human, beastkin, dwarf, or anyone else.

"In this situation, we can't think about what comes after. We'll have to force our way through even if it means bleeding."

"That doesn't seem as easy as you make it sound."

"What's impossible about it? If I say I'll do it, I definitely will. We're standing in that kind of position right now."

Ambella also nodded as if agreeing with Luther's words.

It was the same for the other elves too.

They had already resolved themselves to throw away their lives the moment they came to this center where the World Tree was rampaging.

Everyone knew that hoping to preserve their lives here was excessive greed.

Someone would die.

It could be a comrade who had fought together, or it could be oneself.

But the hearts of all who stood here were one.

They fought to protect everything so that their precious families, friends, and comrades would not die.

They fulfilled their duty to protect them.

None of those present abandoned their duty.

Even in this desperate situation their will remained resolutely intact.

Ambella smiled fiercely.

"Now! Let's go!"

Her gaze was fixed on Sedina sitting on the throne at the center of the World Tree, Ella's daughter and the child whose name she had given.

‘You look so much like her.’

Ambella had such an idle thought as she gripped her sword tighter and stepped forward.

Wood zombies blocked the path, and arrows rained down heavily above them.

These weren't just normal arrows but arrows made from World Tree material.

With the power of hero-class elves added, it was an attack that couldn't be endured long just by defending.

Knowing this, Ambella rather chose to advance.

"Rear support? We won't lose in that either!"

Simultaneously, countless pillars of light flew from behind Ambella, erasing the arrows shot by the wood zombies.

Then they continued forward and swept away the wood zombies' rear in one go.

Fragments of wood zombies scattered in all directions along with the explosion of white light.

Beyond that was Rudger with light radiating from his back and billowing in all directions.

6th tier light attribute grand magic [Infinite Extreme Light Heaven]

Endless pillars of light poured down like rain.

Though Rudger had consumed massive artifacts and mental power just deflecting the World Tree's beam once, he couldn't stop here.

Ambella could keenly feel that will.

"Family Head! Go!"

One of the retainers who came together threw himself at the wood zombies and grabbed them.

Though he knew he was no match for wood zombies of past heroes, he sacrificed his life so the family head could advance even one step further.

"It's been fun all this time!"

Another retainer opened all his power and charged into the midst of wood zombies.

Wood zombies rushed in from all directions and bit into his entire body but even in that situation, he smiled as he cut off the wood zombies' necks.

"...Foolish ones."

Ambella did not watch their forms.

She didn't shed tears, nor did she grieve but she inherited those hearts, spurring on her advancing footsteps.

The wood zombies' encirclement was broken, as Ambella, Luther, and Vierano broke through.

None of the remaining retainers besides those three made it through, neither the Burke family retainers, nor the Dentis family retainers.

The World Tree's branches shook.

Beams of light shoot through gaps in the shimmering leaves that fall vertically like spears of judgment.

Golden spears pierced through the Infinite Extreme Light Heaven that Rudger had shot.

Luther stepped forward and released his aura.

Wind attribute aura, Tempest.

The materialized wind aura created a massive vortex that collided with the golden spears and scattered light in all directions.

"Go!"

Vierano and Ambella ran quickly up the World Tree's pillar as if climbing it.

The World Tree's surface became bumpy, as new wood zombies appeared and fell like debris toward the two.

Perhaps because they were hastily created, they weren't hero-class elves.

However, their numbers were so vast it felt like the world was collapsing.

Vierano synchronized with the wind spirits and soared high.

Other spirits joined following his will.

Dozens of wood zombies burst or were knocked away with each of Vierano's punches and kicks.

However, the number being replenished was far greater than the number being destroyed.

At this rate, they would fall from being buried under the massive quantity.

Vierano made a decision.

He canceled his synchronization with the wind spirits and transferred it directly to Ambella.

"You...?"

"Go!"

After shouting that, Vierano's form was hidden from view, covered by wood zombies.

Ambella, who received the spirits' power, ran up the World Tree vertically with a hardened face.

Finally reaching the throne with everyone's help, Ambella stared at the deep groove in the center of the World Tree.

Sedina sat as if sleeping inside the thorn prison guarding the throne.

That child is Ella Plante's daughter and the child whose name she had given.

Ambella raised her sword and swung it.

-Clang!

The solid thorns were not cut by Ambella's sword but Ambella didn't give up.

She naturally retrieved her sword and swung it again while exploding with power.

If once isn't enough then twice.

If twice isn't enough then three times.

And if that's still not enough then a hundred or thousand times.

As she swung her sword and it pounded against the thorns.

Ambella felt her grip being torn apart as the recoil that even her palms, hardened from years of wielding, couldn't withstand but Ambella rather smiled as if pleased because cracks were slowly forming in the thorn prison.

"Block her!"

Ventmin Lifrey commanded the World Tree to stop Ambella.

Just as Ambella was about to swing her sword, the thorns extended toward her and stabbed her.

The situation was too sudden to dodge as Ambella's arm that was pierced by the thorns was severed below the shoulder.

Blood spurted with the pain.

"Hnngh!"

But the light in Ambella's eyes wasn't dead at all.

She took a stance with her sword in her one remaining hand.

"You stubborn thing! You'll try to swing the sword in that state?!"

Just as Ventmin was about to stab and kill Ambella with thorns again, her body suddenly shook.

Ventmin's gaze slowly turned toward one side of the cradle.

There was Bellaruna glaring this way while placing both hands on the cradle.

"You shouldn't forget about me."

As Ventmin shouted, Ambella's sword swung down.

-Crash!

The thorn prison that had withstood several attacks until now broke.

Ambella confirmed that what was blocking her path had disappeared and smiled wryly.

"...Going this far and I'm not even the protagonist."

Someone caught her body as it gradually tilted to the side, it was Rudger who had risen from beneath Ambella's shadow.

"Good work."

"Never mind that...that child first..."

"I know."

Rudger slowly laid Ambella down and approached Sedina.

The sight of her sitting on her throne was like watching Sleeping Beauty.

"Wake up, Sedina."

With that, Rudger reached down and grabbed the crown of thorns that encircled Sedina's head with both hands.

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