Chapter 386 – 386. Ancient Witchbeast (1)
“In a way, it is an undeniable fact that witch beasts are also living beings. Witchbeasts that inhabit the surrounding environment are creatures of instinct that change their bodies to adapt to the environment.”
Adaptation is a basic concept in biology in which ‘organisms’ change their bodies to be more advantageous to the environment in which they live.
Instinctively, for survival, it changes its body so that it can live in the environment.
Representatively, such things as the molars of predators developed to chew prey, and legs developed to quickly escape from the predator.
“But doesn’t that mean it’s evolving into a stronger entity?”
“Because the way to change your body for survival is not just strengthening or evolving your body.”
“That…”
“In the case of the Witchbeast, it is the opposite.”
The opposite of evolution means degeneration.
“… You chose to degenerate to survive?”
Illyana tilted her head as if she didn’t understand.
“The source that sustains the life of the demons is an enormous amount of polluted mana.”
Just as humans eat and consume calories in order to carry out life activities, witches also swallow polluted mana and use it as their own energy source.
The ancient Demonic Beasts, which became the origins of the Demonic Beasts currently appearing on the continent, had a size and strength that were incomparable to those of the present.
It is only natural that a huge amount of energy is consumed to maintain its size and strength.
“In the imbalance between the amount replenished and consumed, the monsters began to degenerate into their current form in order to survive.”
Reducing the size to reduce the consumption of power was like a beast’s survival instinct for the overall weakened monsters to survive.
In the world of the weak and weak, there were also beings who stood at the apex of demon beasts, maintaining their strength by consuming degenerated demon beasts.
“Of course, the ancient monsters that appeared on the continent didn’t go extinct on their own as their population decreased. The ancient Witchbeasts, who continued their survival through predation on their own kind, began to sense a certain being in nature with powerful magical powers before they knew it.”
“… Something in nature.”
Illyana immediately thought of a certain tree in her mind at Eunhyun’s expression.
She is the sacred tree of the elves that she herself resurrected.
“Could it be the world tree?”
“That’s right. In the past, the ancient Witch Beasts attacked the forest of elves in order to make all of them their own while contaminating the enormous magical energy of the World Tree.”
“No way, were you there at the time?”
At Illyana’s question, who glanced at her with her eyes narrowed, Eunhyun smiled and nodded her head.
And then, the one who answered her question was Derkin, a generation who had experienced the invasion of ancient demons at the time.
“… That was the worst.”
Derkin frowned and recalled a nightmare from 300 years ago.
“At the time, Eunhyun-nim was Sylvia-nim’s son…”
The moment she realized that she had made a mistake in her words, she let out a small sigh.
Since she was leading the way with the young Elven Ranger Elf, it was not possible to directly look at Eun-hyeon while looking behind her, but it was not difficult to sense the atmosphere behind her.
Eunhyeon smiled bitterly at the fact that Derkin made her worry unnecessarily.
“At that time, it was not long after she stayed in the village of the moon with the introduction of Sylvia, whom she had been traveling with for a while.”
“… Hmm.”
She already knew from Eun-hyeon’s explanation, but the story about the female elf that she lived with in the same house for a while, even though they weren’t in a special relationship like a lover, blew a strange wind into Illyana’s mind.
However, Illyana decided to put the story aside for a while and investigate her later.
The important thing now is the story of the ancient magic beast.
“Go on.”
At Illyana’s way of saying that she would let it go for now, Eunhyeon continued her explanation with a wry smile on her face.
“Even then, the World Tree informed the elves that a threat was approaching, and the elves and I fought to protect the World Tree from the ancient demons.”
“Do trees talk?”
“No. They didn’t directly communicate their intentions to the elves. Because the World Tree conveyed its will through the spirits.”
The spirits that exist in the elven village or forest are all spirits who were born with magical energy from the World Tree, and the World Tree is the mother of the spirits.
He communicated his intentions to the spirits and indirectly conveyed his intentions to the elves to protect themselves from the threat of the ancient demons.
From the point of view of elves, it is a general rule to respect and follow the will of the World Tree, which gives many blessings to the spirits as well as the base of life.
The role of the Elf Queen is to respect this discipline and lead the elves to uphold the will of the World Tree.
“I hate to say this, but we elves are a very closed race.”
Humans as well as other races are extremely reluctant to enter the forest of the elves, where they live.
“The reason why we recognized and accepted Eunhyeon-nim was that 300 years ago, she was of great help in the fight between the ancient Witchbeast and us elves.”
“… But.”
When I first encountered the elven guard elves in this forest, among the elves who were seriously wary, Derkin recognized Eun-hyeon and welcomed her.
“Yes.”
After confirming her question by asking again, Illyana turned her gaze to Eun-hyeon, who was carrying her on her back.
Glancing at her eyes, Illyana puts on a slightly disapproving expression.
“I still don’t know a lot about you.”
“You didn’t ask.”
“If you answer like that, I hate you even more.”
Despite Hae-o’s punishment by pinching and pulling her cheeks, Eun-hyeon smiled and did not stop her wife from playing with her hands.
“Anyway, I understand why the elf queen sent you a direct message and asked for help.”
In order to once again receive the help of Eun-hyeon, who played an active role in the fight against the ancient demon 300 years ago, he has made a request despite regret and shame.
An ironic situation in which the queen, who represents a long-lived, wise and noble race, asks for help from a human individual while living hundreds of years and accumulating her long experience, knowledge, and magical powers.
Regina decided without hesitation to ask for her help.
It is the elven queen’s determination to minimize the damage to her people and her home, for which she herself is responsible.
“So? If you go out again this time, will you be able to easily clean up that ancient witchbeast?”
“Well. I think we should listen to Regina.”
She had heard information predicting the appearance of the ancient Witchbeast in advance, but she could not properly hear the detailed story, such as how dangerous the World Tree felt.
These stories were meant to be heard directly from Regina.
“You don’t always give such a definite answer. Always creating situations and making plans so that everything goes according to his plan.”
“Are human things always easy?”
“… That’s right.”
Illyana meekly agreed.
All the countless adversities she experienced in every moment she was with Eun-hyeon were filled with dangerous things that were difficult to overcome even once.
Among them, Illyana’s experience that she hated the most was the last fight she had with the Emperor of the Empire.
She hated the fact that the Emperor of the Empire was strong, but the reason Illyana hated that last fight the most was that during that fight, she saw Eunhyeon’s corpse with her own eyes.
His experience was a series of hardships, to the extent that he himself faced death at the end.
“This time… Strange thoughts or plans. I’ll believe you didn’t put it up.”
Illyana’s arms on her back hugged Eunhyeon’s neck tightly.
Eunhyun smiled and nodded his head confidently.
“Because I promised.”
After a brief explanation of the ancient magic beast, Eunhyeon and Illyana entered the village of the moon once again, guided by Derkin and the elven ranger elf.
“I was waiting. Teacher. And the benefactor.”
Immediately heading towards the corridor in the forest, Regina, who was sitting on a high platform in the center, greeted Eunhyeon and Illyana.
“The fact that we couldn’t welcome you because of our current chaotic circumstances. I am truly sorry.”
“Are you okay. Circumstances are circumstance.”
Eunhyun waved her hand and took an attitude of not caring at all, then proceeded with the story.
“I want to hear the story right away.”
“… All right.”
◆ ◆ ◆
Thud!
A wide plain just before entering the forest.
“… Oh my god.”
An elf opened his mouth at the sight of the gigantic creature that created a huge shadow that covered the plain.
The shadows created by sunlight were a great shock, but there was something else that terrified the elves.
Each time they took a step forward and got closer to the forest, the distance narrowed.
“… What is that?”
Like young elves who have never experienced a death struggle with an ancient beast, Illyana showed her astonishment with a similar expression.
A gigantic one-eyed giant who could easily destroy the huge walls of the Armitas Territory.
Thud! Thud!
The giant, who was coming closer and closer while exhaling a rough snort, was walking straight toward the forest.
And the shape of the monsters following the one-eyed giant on either side is also very bizarre.
The lower body has the shape of a snake, but the upper body has the appearance of a human woman, and the most bizarre thing is the distorted ugly appearance and the thousands of snakes that exist instead of hair.
And on the other side, it has nine vicious serpent heads, and whenever it comes forward with its tail wagging, the sight of it emitting vicious miasma that melts and contaminates the surrounding land is beyond fear and despair itself.
Disasters that seem to have appeared to destroy the world are coming closer and closer, walking in a straight line towards the forest with their hideous giants.
“Those and… How are you going to fight…”
The number of monsters is only three.
However, with just those three, the fighting spirit of the elves was completely broken.
The number of troops prepared by gathering all the elves capable of fighting, including the elven guards, was about a thousand.
It was a number that doubled the number of troops that fought against the Dark Elves last time.
“It’s too much…”
The young elves lost the will to fight before they could even fight.
As long as they can sacrifice their lives to protect the World Tree and the forest, they are willing to do so.
However, he recognized with his eyes, nose, ears, and skin that the disaster in front of him was not a disaster that could be solved by burning his life to fight.
The number of disasters is, of course, not one, but three.
Fighting them is not a noble sacrifice, it’s just dog death that can’t accomplish anything.
The elves, instinctively aware of the fact that they could not fulfill their mission even if they burned their lives, trembled in fear with their hands holding their weapons.
Meanwhile, there were only two of them, slowly walking forward towards disasters.
“Gorgons, Cyclops, Hydra. I’m glad though It must be within the intended range.”
“… To be honest, if you told me to fight the emperor of the empire again, I would gladly choose that side.”
The reactions of the two couples, who made a calm expression and a tired expression, were sharply divided.
Of course, Illyana was the one with a stunned expression.
The disaster in front of his eyes was devastating enough to make the worst, most difficult experience he had ever experienced seem funny.
“If you want to quit right now, you can quit.”
“Joy. Are you kidding me?”
Lifting the staff she was holding tight, Illyana snorted at her.
“The way you are going is now the way I am going. I will follow you even when you die, so keep that in mind.”
“That, yes…”
Reminding her once again that her wife’s love is too heavy, as she sometimes feels, Eun-hyeon smiled wryly and nodded her head.
Among the elves whose whole bodies were stiffened in fear of the disaster in front of them, elves who followed Eunhyeon one by one with Derkin began to appear.
They are all elves who experienced an ancient demon subjugation with Eunhyeon nearly 300 years ago.
“I will trust you.”
“Thank you.”
Listening to Derkin, who showed firm trust in him on behalf of all the elves, Eunhyeon nodded his head.
Eunhyeon reached out into the air and summoned her power, the key.
The power created by Eunhyun that can twist the providence of the underworld and reproduce the history of the past.
‘Berdandi.’
[Okay.]
Responding to Eun-hyeon’s call, Belldandy hugged Eun-hyeon tightly in the air.
Feeling the divine power filling his heart, Eunhyeon activated her own power.
‘Finally, the day I can see you again has come.’
The reason why Eunhyeon made this key with her power.
It is because of his strong desire to see his old friend once again, who had completed his mission by dedicating himself to extinction.
[God’s key to reproduce history]
[Summoning, Divine Spear Brunak]
