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Chapter 87

How dare he try to pull off a dirty trick...! Willy thought.

He quickly shifted his attack strategy once his initial shock at Se-Hoon’s breakthrough and rapid approach wore off.

Crunch!

Again, tree roots surged from beneath the lake’s surface. However, those tree roots, their trajectory simple, were not the true threat. The true threat lay in the lotus stems entangled around them, which lashed out like whips in all directions, twisting and turning.

Crack!

Though individually weaker than the tree roots, it was less likely that Se-Hoon could use the lotus stems as footholds or create any openings due to collisions, making them a more fitting choice for sustained attacks.

He may have broken through the nets pretty well, but there must be a limit to his endurance.

Even if Se-Hoon could cut through the lotus stems, they were able to regenerate quickly, hindering his movement or even potentially completely trapping him in. Se-Hoon was essentially facing dozens, if not hundreds, all alone. He would easily be subdued if his stamina waned and his abilities reverted.

Thus, ready for that moment, Willy became confident in his victory.

Whoosh!

But instantly breaking his confidence, Se-Hoon effortlessly maneuvered through the lotus stems in the blink of an eye. Dodging or parrying only when necessary, he managed to evade the onslaught with minimal movements, each calculated to avoid the lotus stems by a mere hair’s breadth.

Slice-

The cut or curved lotus stems bent and intertwined in the directions Se-Hoon wanted them to, creating a path for him to continue advancing forward.

Witnessing such an unbelievable scene, Willy became astounded.

Did he... predict all of my attacks?

The movements were so precise that he almost felt as if he was personally adjusting his attacks to match Se-Hoon. After all, aside from avoiding his attacks with ease, Se-Hoon also managed to anticipate the outcomes of the resulting offensive.

Willy couldn’t even begin to think about how many moves ahead Se-Hoon was predicting.

Slice!

Meanwhile, Se-Hoon, having breached through the lotus stems, was sprinting across a tree root he cut off to use as a platform.

Reaching the end of it, Se-Hoon leaped forward with such force that it seemed like the soles of his feet would burst, expelling mana as he did so.

Boom!

He propelled himself toward the Divine Tree like an arrow.

Shank!

Upon reaching the Divine Tree’s bark, which was known to be tougher than steel, the Five-Flame Sword easily pierced through.

Seeing that, Willy became momentarily surprised by its sharpness, but he soon smirked, dismissing it.

What a fool. What does he hope to achieve with that...?

Knowing that even the sharpest swords would struggle against a vast difference in size, he deemed Se-Hoon’s blade too short to cut through the massive Divine Tree spanning tens of meters.

Grind-

However, despite the obvious face, Se-Hoon didn’t retreat. He gritted his teeth, holding the Five-Flame Sword in reverse, and forged a new sword within the body of the tree.

Celestial Infinity Blade: White Light Surge

A brilliant white flash burst from the Five-Flame Sword within the tree. Feeling the previously stiff blade become free, he started running around the circumference of the tree with all his might.

Krrr-

Ascending the Divine Tree like running up a wall, he left marks on its surface with his newly forged sword.

Confounded by Se-Hoon’s incomprehensible actions, Willy prepared a new attack.

Dududududu-

Hundreds of lotus stem spears pierced through the tree bark, lunging at Se-Hoon. Quickly assessing that it was difficult to dodge at such close range, Se-Hoon trusted the durability of his cloak and continued his ascent, tracing the weak points that could sever the tree’s mana circuits in a single strike.

Fwoosh!

Finally finishing, he then detonated the flames of the Five-Flame Sword to signal Jake below.

Seeing the signal, Jake, who had approached stealthily while Se-Hoon distracted the tree, charged forward and poured all his mana into the Luminescent Sword.

The sword, now a massive greatsword at least three meters long, aimed for the marks Se-Hoon had just created.

They needed just one, clean strike—even if it couldn’t finish the tree off, it would at least disrupt its mana flow momentarily, potentially alleviating the heavy mist encompassing the entire Black Lotus Seas. That would allow Professor Kasar and the other faculty members to come to their rescue immediately.

I have to make this work.

If there was ever a moment that demanded success, it was now. Feeling his own wildly beating heart, Jake gripped the handle of the Luminescent Sword even tighter.

Crack-

However, a sound that should never have been heard echoed in his ears at that moment.

Crack!

Shattering before his eyes, blue fragments scattered in all directions. His sword, which was imbued with all of his mana, shattered before he even swung it. In Jake’s eyes, time immediately began to slow down as his disbelief grew.

Why...?

He had been drowning in desperation, knowing that failure wasn’t an option. Yet...

Why am I unconsciously stopping myself from mustering the strength needed? What am I afraid of?

Swept away by the torrent of thoughts, he was pulled out by a sudden searing pain through his shoulder, snapping his body into reflexive action.

Boom!

A lotus stem spear had whisked past him and pierced through the ground. Surprised that he had managed to dodge, he looked up to find the source of the attack.

This is...

Thanks to Se-Hoon throwing himself in harm’s way to alter the path of the attack, Jake had managed to evade. But because of that, Se-Hoon had been wounded even further. Despite the bleeding from his wounds in various places, however, he continued to fend off the lotus stem spears shooting towards Jake, silently protecting him.

Witnessing that, he was reminded of the role Se-Hoon had entrusted to him.

“Swing with all of your might.”

Whether his blade shattered or his mana was depleted, his task was clear. Renewing his resolve, Jake charged forward once more.

Dudududu-

Ignoring every spear that barely missed him, he infused all his remaining mana into the Luminescent Sword, reconstructing its blade.

However, the newly formed blade was significantly smaller—far too insufficient to cut through the Divine Tree or to encapsulate his full strength.

If only there were some other material...

Drip-

At that moment, a sound caught his attention and his gaze shifted downward—to the lake water diluting his blood, seemingly merging into one.

“Hmph...!”

His eyes widening from a revelation, Jake promptly thrust the tip of his Luminescent Sword, now dotted with crystalline drops, beneath the water’s surface and ran with all the might he could muster.

Crack!

Slicing through the water, he created an imperfect blade. Then, looking at the sparkling blue light below, Jake funneled every ounce of his strength into his hands.

Ba-dump! Ba-dump! Ba-dump!

Despite being fully aware of the risk of his heart bursting, Jake no longer cared about anything except for the blade he was constructing. For the first time, Jake concentrated the essence of his existence into his hands.

Then, with a snap, a blue star began sparkling beneath the water.

He forcefully drew the newly formed Luminescent Sword from within the lake, putting all his energy into the effort.

Azure Radiance Star

The Azure Radiance Star illuminated everything within tens of meters, cutting through all that stood in its path with a blinding flash. The satisfaction Jake felt from his fingertips at that moment made him turn his gaze not to the enemy but to his own sword. With all of the water it drew from the lake, its gigantic blade radiated a massive amount of energy released by the burst, its edge gleaming with a distinct blue sharpness.

“...I did it,” Jake muttered with a weary smile.

The Divine Tree split along its marked path, slowly toppling to the ground.

Swoosh!

The toppled tree crashed into the lake, forming massive surging waves that swept away the surroundings. When the aftermath finally settled, two shadows emerged from the water’s surface.

“Fhaa! Huff... huff...”

“Cough! Cough!”

Having been swept away by the waves, both Se-Hoon and Jake were struggling for breath and coughing up water, utterly drained.

“How are you hanging in there?”

“Just barely...”

Experiencing the tightness in his chest, Jake felt as though his heart had been overstrained, and his body was so drained of strength that moving became difficult. On top of those, his mind felt numb and was hardly able to string thoughts together, overwhelmed by the sensation of expending every bit of his energy.

Is this what giving your all feels like...?

The sense of complete depletion was terrifying, to the point of thinking he might die from it, yet it was also profoundly full of relief, feeling like he had indeed given everything he had.

Floated aimlessly on the lake, he gazed dazedly at the sky, still veiled in remnants of the mist.

“Hey, snap out of it. It’s not over yet.”

Floating beside Jake, Se-Hoon broke him out of his reverie by lightly slapping Jake’s cheek.

“It’s not...?” Jake mumbled, confused.

“What we cut down was just like its limbs. The core is still intact,” Se-Hoon explained.

“What do you mean...?”

Jake was completely perplexed, having believed that they had defeated it.

As if trying to relieve his confusion, a massive lotus bud then rose from the wreckage of the Divine Tree, unfurling its leaves half-dyed in black to reveal a giant eye glaring at them.

“Damage rate: ninety-five percent.... Control over the Black Lotus Seas: impossible.... Spatial abilities: unavailable.... Nutrients needed...”

Upon hearing the voice that seemed to resonate directly in his mind, Jake became startled, realizing it came from the lotus itself.

That thing can speak?

Even monsters of the same rank could differ greatly in hazardousness depending on their abilities and intelligence. Thus, determining that the monster before him was no ordinary foe, Jake attempted to force his blood to circulate faster, preparing to spring into action again.

“What are you doing?”

However, before he could act, Se-Hoon lightly tapped his body, forcibly calming his blood flow.

“That thing is glaring at us like that, so shouldn’t we be preparing to attack or defend somehow?!” Jake shouted.

“You don’t even have the strength for that. Don’t overexert yourself; just stay still. The mist has been cleared already,” Se-Hoon mentioned nonchalantly.

“The mist... has cleared?”

Jake looked up at the sky in confusion, noticing the mist that had blanketed the sky was now slightly murkier than before.

Suddenly, a giant sword shot through the murky sky, piercing the body of the lotus.

“REEEEEEEEE!!!”

The screams and writhing of the lotus echoed in Jake’s ears. He looked up to see the sword that had fallen from the sky.

The blade was dull gray, and its handle had cracks on it like charcoal.

“Ashen Smoke..."

It was the legendary sword given to Kasar by the Perfect One, Sacred Craftsman Li Kenxiei, in recognition of his talent and character.

Unlike Jake’s surprise at its sudden appearance, Se-Hoon merely smirked and looked up.

“You think an S-rank hero would just sit by?”

Rumble-

The sky, now filled with smoke, stirred violently.

Soon, smoky swords of similar shape to Ashen Smoke began to fall across the entire Danger Zone; it was the initiation of Smoke Heaven Rain, Kasar’s unique skill. By using Ashen Smoke to spread smoke to form projectiles for widespread bombardment, the skill became renowned not only for its scale but also for its precision.

“No... I must... go on...”

Crash!

Unable to resist, dozens of greatswords fell upon the core of the struggling Divine Tree, completely subduing it. Entranced by the barrage, Jake murmured softly, “Did we get it...?”

He spoke the spell known to revive even the dead.

But, contrary to its fame, there were no more voices to be heard.

“We got it.”

The Divine Tree had been utterly defeated.