The Druid Who Swallowed Mother Nature - Chapter 86



Only Noblemtl

Episode 86. The Gate of Relics

“I declare my territory.”

“The World Tree’s garden spreads out into a temporary area around the area.”

From the roots of the world tree within my body, a splendid rainbow of colors spread out like waves.

The dry desert sands were transformed into fertile soil, and lush greenery grew vividly on top of them.

The World Tree’s Garden, a space in my memories, is recreated here.

The small, subtle changes are probably due to Bell’s management.

“… … This is!”

Cliff made a face of despair at the changing scenery around him, as if a painting was being added to it.

A deadly method that mobilizes every relic he possesses.

It was falling apart rapidly because of my moves.

Kkwaduk!

The stake that had spread the barrier was being eaten away by vines, and the parchment that had been basking in light was flickering and burning alone.

The lightning failed to strike, but discharged into the air, and Cliff’s conflicting eyes shook unfocused.

The divinity of the world tree that even rejects the other party’s territory.

It was even influencing the lower class of objects called relics.

Cliff exclaimed as if he had realized the source of this extraordinary harmony.

“This is ridiculous… …! This is the realm!”

“The ultimate means should have been saved until the end.”

Unless you have overwhelming strength, it’s ultimately a water fight.

And there was no way that a madman who was willing to sacrifice even his own expedition team could gain the upper hand in a cool-headed fight.

The guy probably thought he could turn the tables by using any means necessary.

Even that wasn’t enough.

The rule is that you should only make a bet when it is certain.

The intuition he boasts about is not a prophecy.

Unless you realize the difference, winning or losing is all but certain.

Urgh!

The sun is shining.

A drop of sweat ran down his jawline and fell to the ground.

At the end of a fierce battle that reached its climax, Cliff’s entire body was drenched in sweat.

On the other hand, the scorching sun no longer had any effect on me.

The desert vegetation is dry, but has a tenacious vitality that allows it to withstand the harsh climate.

The shape of the World Tree recreated within the realm was enormous and contained wonders that had adapted to extreme environments.

Clang!

All the plants in the area converged to one point.

The branches of the World Tree held it tightly in their grasp.

The power of relics is strong.

The precious artifacts that only the high-ranking officials of Galaga City could possess had the incredible ability to turn the tide of war simply by existing.

But Cliff’s falls far short of that level.

It’s tricky and annoying, but that’s about it.

I could roughly guess the limits of the relics the guy had in his possession.

‘It’s not to the level of squeezing a person like a rag.’

It is even capable of twisting the leg of an ox as big as a house and bringing it down.

‘That’s the limit.’

If you can handle more than that, you won’t be flustered when the monster you summoned charges at you.

Kwaaak!

Finally, all the plants in the area were gathered into one point.

It is so large that it obscures the barrier created by Cliff with its shadow.

The guy’s face turned pale.

You probably guessed the outcome.

Can’t stop it.

The branches of the World Tree held it and bent elastically like a bowstring.

Kyuuuung!

Shot out.

A weight like a falling meteor began to fall on Cliff.

The atmosphere, pushed by the huge mass, swirled around like a storm.

In a deafening noise and a bitter wind that makes it difficult to even open your eyes.

“Kuaaaaaaah!”

Cliff let out a scream.

The pupils of the boy’s eyes, which had been wandering around without being able to focus, shrank to a size smaller than a fingernail.

Crackle! Crackle!

The atmosphere became fixed and twisted, emitting distorted waves resembling lightning.

It was a phenomenon that occurred when extremely compressed magical power was artificially twisted.

Tears of blood were flowing from Cliff’s eyes.

My skin dried up like a tree that had had all its moisture sucked out, and all the vitality on my face rapidly oxidized.

There was a reward for sacrificing even one’s own life.

The clump of plants shooting out from the branches of the World Tree lost its momentum and was shrinking as if being compressed by a great force.

Cliff raised the corners of his lips with a smirk.

“I! I will not die in a place like this, I will definitely… …!!”

The spirit was virtual, but there was no reason for me to just sit back and watch.

Kwajik!

Blood spurted out of one of the guy’s eyes.

The guy turned his head towards me.

What was reflected in those eyes was the muzzle of a gun from which smoke was rising.

The facial muscles that had been grimacing as if they had been squeezing out every bit of strength they had had for breastfeeding soon collapsed in despair.

Kookookookook!

Hold it with your mind and twist it to distort it.

The synergy is strong, but if one side falls, the other will fall too, like a sand castle.

Cliff didn’t have the strength to hold out.

“Kkaaa… … !”

The end of the ambitious man who even challenged the rooftop was no different from others.

Kwaaaaang!

Even that was soon buried in the loud noise.

***

Thud thud thud!

A torrent of sand rising beyond the clouds announced the end of the fight.

The sand pouring down like rain was stinging my skin.

I walked through it.

Cliff’s body was nowhere to be seen.

Only the remains remained, indicating that this was where the guy’s body should have been.

“Is there nothing useful left?”

Both eyes were gouged out, the shoulder blades were broken, and the parchment was set ablaze.

At least one sword remained.

“I don’t think I’ll have anything to write about.”

As long as I have the World Tree, a gun is enough as a weapon.

If I needed cutting power, I could just synchronize it, so the sword was a shining apricot to me.

Swish!

“This is… … .”

At that time, the World Tree retrieved its trunk while holding something in its hand.

It was a stake that created a lightning barrier.

Click!

The stake seemed to be in the form of an assembly, and when the pieces were put together, it returned to the shape of a stick.

There didn’t seem to be any part of the World Tree that was destroyed, as it was wrapped in vines.

Since the relic is not an object that determines its owner, it can be used again.

“hmm.”

As I held the relic in each hand and pondered it, a way to use it somehow came to mind.

It’s just that I’m not the one who’s going to use it.

“It wasn’t just the wizard who was amazing.”

While I was gathering my thoughts, Batu came up to me and said.

“You’re no pushover either. It’ll be hard to get through this way.”

A huge crater, the remains of a building scattered in disarray, and even traces of fierce fighting.

It was a site that would have been impossible to restore by human hands.

Of course, it was an exaggerated compliment, as the desert sand would soon cover it up.

“Have you cleaned up all the leftovers?”

“Not a single rat was left behind. They were all already half dead, so it wasn’t difficult.”

“Okay, then the Thorson Expedition units that are divided into various locations, please organize yourselves.”

“You’re saying the obvious. Since we’ve taken down the leader who led the pack, we’ll have to hunt down the rest on our own.”

Batu showed his yellow teeth and beat his chest.

I think you can do it without much difficulty.

Communications are limited and the main force is annihilated, so if we attack before we can assess the situation, we can quickly annihilate them.

“You said you were after the ruins. I’ll be careful around here for the time being to avoid any more trouble.”

“okay.”

There was no thank you.

You helped me out of the brink of extinction, so I should provide you with that level of service.

“Take it.”

Batu took a wooden card out of his pocket and handed it to me.

It was an item engraved with the wolf symbol of the Ulfirin tribe.

“The clan’s legacy?”

“As expected, you know. If you ever need to go to Pulseer, go find Bajor and hand it over. He’ll be happy to help.”

“I know that the tribe that settled on the land of the similarity has lost its ties with the Pearlseers.”

“He was a smart guy who couldn’t be a warrior. I sent him to the city because I thought it would be better than here. He left ten years ago, so he should have found his place by now.”

“Remember that.”

I wondered if I would ever leave Galaga City, but the future was uncertain.

It might not be long before Megacorp and the city government start getting involved.

“Oh, by the way, let me ask you one last question.”

“What is it?”

“Have you ever heard of transcendence?”

“First, what?”

“Okay.”

What can you expect from a savage?

Anyway, you will find out once you enter the ruins yourself.

***

After returning and joining the group, I headed straight for the ruins.

It didn’t take that long, as it was a distance that was supposed to take half a day.

We arrived at the ruins just as the sun was rising in the sky after the battle that had taken place at dawn.

“Is this… … a ruin?”

“The World Tree is wondering why it doesn’t show anything.”

The place we arrived at was an empty field.

The relics that are called ruins in this world are different from the traces left by civilizations of previous times that are generally thought of.

There were no ruins of collapsed buildings, weathered furniture, or tombs to be seen.

Sage turned his head around, but nothing appeared.

“The ruins are not noticeable. They are not easily found, so everyone is desperately searching for them.”

It was exactly as he said.

The rarity of relics and artifacts was largely due to the fact that they were difficult to find.

Although experienced explorers identify them with their own know-how, most other relics discovered are discovered by accident.

The reason the Thorson Expedition ignored the Magic Tower and prioritized clearing the surrounding area was to focus on the search.

“Is it like a barrier that blocks the approach and recognition of others?”

“I guess the principle itself can be seen as similar.”

A barrier is a type of magic or sorcery.

It was a technology that could be interpreted and implemented by human hands.

The ruins were different.

I opened my mouth because Colin seemed to be wondering how to explain it easily.

“They say the ruins are a windowless, sealed room.”

“A secret room?”

“You can’t see inside a closed room until you open the door. It’s the same.”

There is a door in the ruins.

Only by opening that door could one recognize the existence of the relics.

Since you cannot recognize its existence with your eyes or by sound unless you go through the door, it could be expressed as another dimension.

‘It’s like a dungeon.’

Should I call it an instant dungeon?

So no matter what happened inside, there was no way to know from the outside.

It was natural for the expedition teams to wage war instead of cooperating.

“Then is the door… this one?”

Sage crouched down and reached out through the sand.

The inside of the sand is revealed as small sand dunes, seemingly made by children, are scattered.

There was a blade of dry grass that looked as if it had not had a sip of water.

“Good find.”

“This little thing is a door, it must be hard to find.”

“This relic is rather unique. It’s a gate of this type that I, as the head of the Magic Tower School, have never seen before.”

There are different types of ruins.

And the door is the clue that distinguishes them.

Its unique form, which is difficult to find a precedent for, was based on the evidence that it was a relic containing professional achievements.

It also hinted at what kind of job it was related to.

‘A blade of grass.’

This is the remains of the Druids.

In this world where spirits have disappeared and nature has declined, a blade of grass would naturally signify a druid.

‘What is transcendence?’

It’s a concept I’ve never heard of, and it’s a word that seems out of place when it comes to being associated with Druids.

Could Cliff have been mistaken?

But it was so stupid to invest everything I had built up in a delusion.

Even if it was a mistake, there must have been at least some basis for it.

“Do you know anything about the word transcendence?”

“I don’t know. Why is that?”

“no.”

He doesn’t even know the head of the school at Matap.

I shook my head, and Colin cleared the air with a cough, perhaps thinking it was a passing question.

“Then let us open the door now.”

“and.”

“The world tree is jumping with anticipation.”

Colin took a water bottle out of his backpack as the two curious children watched.

Then he tilted his snout toward the dry grass.

Crunch!

As if some kind of space expansion magic was being applied, water poured out of the pockets beyond their visible capacity.

After pouring out one can, Colin took out the next water bag and repeated the same action.

“Disciple, from now on, you do it. In the meantime, I will set up the camp.”

“… … What are you doing now?”

“If you pour an appropriate amount of water and wait for the grass to come back to life, the door will open.”

“Is that all there is to opening a door?”

“Just a little bit, isn’t that something that would be difficult to do normally?”

Pour water in the desert and wait.

Although it seemed small, it was a very demanding condition.

“So it takes longer to wait for the door to open than to move. It will take two days.”

Colin, who had finished explaining, was about to start building a campsite around the area, so I stopped him.

“I will open the door.”

“Water is water, but it also needs time, right?”

“You can shorten it.”

I had the means to do so.

As if it were prepared.

As expected, this place was prepared for me.