Report
Spectral Tree (3)
As the demon's body turned to dust and vanished into hell, the remnants of its power were devoured by the blood-soaked mass that had risen from the ground.
It was as though the land refused to allow even a trace of hell's residue to remain, as all the infernal energy was swallowed by a massive mouth formed of blood.
The moment the overwhelming demon disappeared, the bright light that had illuminated the surroundings also vanished.
“Everyone, retreat! The Spectral Tree is collapsing!”
As soon as the demon contract ended, the Spectral Tree, which had barely been holding together, began to crumble little by little.
When the massive tree started to fall, everyone hurriedly retreated in a panic.
“Commander!”
“We must save the Commander!”
The officers of the Mobile Field Army urgently called out as they looked at Iron in the distance.
However, the Eastern Commander shook his head.
“It’s too dangerous for you to go.”
As he said this, the Eastern Commander gazed at Iron, who was now slowly being enveloped by massive wings of light. He realized that if they approached, they would only be a hindrance.
Though he was a master of magic, the power Iron was radiating was far beyond what he could handle.
“What you all need to do now is retreat safely and wait for Commander Iron to return.”
At the Eastern Commander's words, everyone turned to look at a woman standing behind them.
Ariel, the strongest warrior in the Mobile Field Army aside from Iron, stared silently at the Eastern Commander.
Seeing her reaction, he gave a small nod.
“…We’ll retreat.”
“But…!”
As Ariel silently shook her head, the officers who were about to protest closed their mouths and obediently stepped back.
With her decision, the entire Mobile Field Army began to withdraw, and as if waiting for that moment, the Spectral Tree started to collapse.
Countless leaves, formed from evil spirits, scattered to the ground, while the branches, filled with corrupted energy, snapped and fell.
“-Aaaaargh!”
As if in agony, the Spectral Tree let out a scream, and blood continuously gushed from its enormous eyes and mouth.
It began to expel all the power it had gained by absorbing countless life forms, radiating a malevolent aura around it.
Amid this chaotic outpouring of power, a faint beam of light began to emerge from the Spectral Tree.
That light slowly started to purify the evil energy that had been contaminating the area.
“That light…”
“It must be the Commander.”
Ariel spoke, and Kardro, who had just appeared, responded with a heavy expression.
In the midst of the Spectral Tree, which had seemed like it would leave the area forever tainted, there was a faint light slowly cleansing the corruption.
Watching this, Ariel bit her lip.
Once again, she hadn’t been able to offer much help.
Considering that even the Masters couldn’t handle a single demon, it was understandable, but Ariel still felt her pride wounded.
The same could be said for the other members of the Mobile Field Army, including Kardro and the others.
‘We must grow stronger.’
With that determination, they all clenched their teeth as they watched the collapsing Spectral Tree.
As they gazed at the crumbling tree, they all made a silent vow: to grow at least one level stronger before Iron returned.
At that moment, the massive tree at the heart of the tainted forest finally fell.
[Congratulations! The first chapter of the Apocalypse has ended in victory for humanity. The southern region is now recognized as the domain of the main god, and all external forces, including demons, are barred from entry.]
- Rewards will be distributed according to contributions in stopping the Spectral Tree.
- Humans who played a major role in purifying the forest will have increased opportunities to form contracts with spirits and magical beasts.
- A new World Tree may emerge in the forest.
- Due to humanity’s victory in the first chapter of the Apocalypse, penalties will be imposed on demons, ancient gods, and ancient races.
- Since intervention by a corrupted god has been confirmed, penalties will also be applied to beings from other dimensions.
As the notification confirming their victory rang out, cheers erupted from the troops.
Though not everyone was celebrating.
Some people, those who owed a personal debt to the Mobile Field Army and Iron, remained solemn.
The Eastern Commander, the Southern Commander, and even the newly awakened Therrion stared blankly at the site where the Spectral Tree had fallen, wearing troubled expressions.
Through the thick black fog and the remains of the collapsed tree, a faint light could still be seen.
As they watched it, they all thought of Iron, who would eventually awaken.
“We must work hard.”
At Therrion's words, the commanders quietly turned to look at the Mobile Field Army.
The commanders, acknowledging the extraordinary loyalty of these troops, nodded lightly and began preparing to return to their posts.
Therrion also made preparations to return to the Sword Saint House.
His injuries from the battle were severe enough that he would need to rest for a considerable time.
But instead of merely resting, he was already preparing to advance to the next level, using the insights he had gained from this battle.
‘But I can’t afford to just rest.’
He knew there was a strong chance that he would soon have to head to the northeastern front.
“The Frost Giants…”
He chuckled to himself as he imagined what the ancient, powerful beings might look like.
Even after being crushed by the demon, he couldn’t help but think about the next powerful foe, and this drive was what had allowed him to reach his current level.
“...I’d better get going.”
Therrion took one last glance in the direction of the fallen Spectral Tree.
After his collapse, he heard that Iron had resolved the situation that even the combined efforts of the Masters could not handle.
Whether it had been a temporary surge of power or whatever. But one thing was clear:
When Iron awakened, he would be far stronger than before.
“I can’t let him surpass me so easily.”
With that, Therrion muttered to himself, and with the help of the Sword Saint House's knights, he quickly prepared to return to his family’s estate.
As the Sword Saint House prepared to withdraw, so did the Empire’s main forces, readying themselves to leave the forest and return to their original stations.
The same was true for the mercenaries and adventurers.
Having received ample rewards after the fall of the Spectral Tree, there was no longer any reason to remain in the forest.
It was time to move on to the next event in a different region.
Of course, some decided to stay.
These were the people who had yet to form contracts with magical beasts or spirits.
Hoping for the increased chances of a contract as the system had mentioned, they chose to remain in the forest.
as the system said, the tainted forest slowly began to purify itself, with clusters of light emerging from the remnants of the Spectral Tree.
Amazingly, even in areas thick with corrupted energy, flowers began to bloom, and trees started to grow where the light touched.
Seeing this, many scholars and merchants decided to make their way to the forest, realizing the potential profits to be made in the region.
As more people chose to stay or leave according to their goals, the Mobile Field Army underwent harsher training than ever before.
“Get up! Are you going to show the Commander this pathetic state when he wakes up? You should at least show some improvement!”
“Yes, sir!”
An officer spoke coldly to an exhausted soldier who had collapsed, but not a single soldier dared to protest.
Their shared goal was to show some kind of progress when Iron woke up.
That was the unified mission of the entire Mobile Field Army, which was why they were undergoing such grueling training in the corrupted forest.
However, that didn’t mean they were neglecting their other duties.
Though many stayed in the forest, some continued to travel between the southeastern headquarters and the forest, carrying out their responsibilities.
One reason why the soldiers couldn’t refuse the harsh training was because of their leaders.
The higher-ranking officers trained even more rigorously, leaving no room for complaints from the troops.
In particular, the three corps commanders and the elite unit leaders, who were considered the strongest in the Mobile Field Army, set the highest standards.
“Is she a monster?”
At Kardro’s question, Seriden and the twin Leonhart brothers looked over at Ariel.
Unlike Kaon Tempest, who trained alone to master the intense cold power he had received, Ariel trained alongside the other elite unit leaders and corps commanders.
Her method was sparring with all of them at once.
However, despite Ariel being close to mastering her skills, Seriden and the Leonhart twins believed that fighting all of them together was impossible until she overcame her limitations.
“Huff… huff…”
Ariel’s breath was ragged, and her expression showed exhaustion.
The first time she fought Kardro, Seriden, and the Leonhart twins together, she couldn’t last even twenty minutes before being defeated.
But as her training continued, the time she could hold out increased dramatically.
Now, the twins had collapsed from exhaustion, and even Kardroand Seriden had been pushed to their limits.
“We have to get stronger.”
Ariel muttered with a crazed look in her eyes as she stared down at her sword.
Kardro and Seriden shuddered at the sight, feeling chills run down their spines.
Despite the massive reward she had received and the intense training that pushed her to her limits, the solid wall that was mastery had not crumbled.
Even a genius like her found it difficult to break through the fortress of mastery in her early twenties.
“Let’s go again.”
“Hah… We need a break.”
“Yeah. Pushing too hard won’t do us any good.”
Kardro and Seriden tried to dissuade Ariel, requesting a break.
She had been sparring for hours already, and it was time for her to take a proper rest.
However, despite their protests, Ariel kept insisting on continuing her training.
Seeing this, Rodem, who had been hesitating, brought Karl to intervene.
“You won’t become a master just by doing this.”
“…I know.”
“And the commander hasn’t passed away.”
Karl said as he gazed at a distant light.
The light, full of divine power, was proof that Iron hadn’t died.
He might return even stronger than when he had fought the Spectral Beast, so all the mobile field army awaited him with anticipation rather than sorrow.
“Slowly… don’t overdo it. The commander said he would wait for us to grow stronger. But look at the state you’re in now.”
Ariel bit her lip at Karl’s words.
“You’re not the only one in despair.”
Karl closed his eyes as he spoke.
“How do you think I feel, watching the commander push himself to the limit every time? At least you all fight alongside him. What about me?”
Ariel stared blankly at Karl.
“I always wanted to fight alongside him, too. But I held back. The commander appointed me for a reason.”
Karl had been entrusted with logistics due to his expertise, serving as the chief logistics officer for the mobile field army.
He had always done his best from behind the scenes, and the commanders respected him for that.
“Calm your mind. Let’s welcome the commander with joy when he returns.”
Ariel let out a deep breath, calming the impatience in her heart at Karl’s words.
She had been eager to become a master as quickly as possible, hoping to be of more help to Iron, and that impatience had consumed her.
But thanks to Karl’s advice, she slowly began to find peace within herself.
“One step at a time.”
Ariel murmured with a faint smile at Karl’s words.
“Even if it’s just a little, moving forward.”
This was the training method the mobile field army had decided on after observing their commander.
No rushing, no relying on external power—progressing correctly, step by step.
As Ariel contemplated this, the crazed look in her eyes finally faded, replaced with clarity.
Once Ariel regained her composure from her obsession with getting stronger, others began to find the right path as well.
Kaon Tempest, too, focused on recovery instead of pushing himself in solitary training, and soon, the entire mobile field army started adjusting their tempo.
As the commanders, including Ariel, slowed their intense training to focus on steady and proper growth, the atmosphere of the entire mobile field army brightened.
With more time to relax, individuals used their new powers gained from the recent rewards to train or rest in their own ways, moving towards growth.
This led to the army becoming stronger than when they had been training recklessly.
“Now, all that’s left is the commander’s return.”
Karl muttered quietly, smiling with satisfaction as he watched the mobile field army grow on the right path.
“When will he return?”
Karl murmured as he gazed toward the remains of the Spectral Beast.
The glowing light had grown even brighter.
But Iron still showed no sign of emerging from it.
Even though everyone was eagerly hoping for his return, Iron had yet to make a move, leaving them staring blankly at the glowing sphere.
“Huh?”
Suddenly, Karl’s eyes widened as the sphere of light began to tremble.
