Chapter 119 - Circulatory System (21)

Lilith and Matthias ran until they were nearly out of breath.

Their forearms and faces were scratched by tree branches countless times, and their shins and knees were badly bruised from tripping on tree roots, but there was no time to care.

Lilith looked back.

Through the dense trees, black forms approached with long strides, stretching their legs.

"Damn it, Lilith! Run faster!"

"I am running!"

They had nearly reached their physical limits.

When Lilith's pace slowed, Matthias urged her on more.

The black spirits had changed from hours before. It was strange. What initially had human forms now had deer-like heads with antlers growing from them.

When they briefly caught their breath, vines, and weeds began slowly wrapping around their ankles.

Lilith immediately stamped her feet to clear them away.

And they were now wielding mana like real forest spirits. It was shocking.

"This... is impossible."

Lilith ran again but quickly reached her limit. Now, she was so out of breath her vision was blurring.

As they went on, vines caught her ankle again. She lost her balance and fell.

"Kyaa!"

Lilith tried to free her foot, but it was useless. The vines squeezed her ankle with strength of a different dimension than before.

"Lilith!" Matthias cried out in shock and hurriedly approached Lilith.

"This... has bound my ankle."

"Wait!"

Matthias drew his sword and cut the vines. But they grew back faster than he could cut them. Now even tree roots joined in, beginning to bind her lower body.

"No, no, damn it, damn it all!"

Sensing they were too late, Matthias gripped his sword with both hands and stood with his back to Lilith.

The black spirits visible through the trees began rapidly closing the distance.

One, two, three, five... ten... thirteen.

Matthias's expression gradually twisted as he counted their numbers. He couldn't handle even one, and they had overwhelming numbers. This was a fight impossible to win no matter what.

Vines extended like snakes, gradually trying to bind his body too.

Matthias slashed at them nervously while repeating to himself.

"Must block them. Can block them. Damn it. I...!"

The black spirits were slowly tightening their semicircular encirclement.

His limbs trembled and reason was paralyzed. Primal fear couldn't be controlled by internal repetition.

The calculation was long finished. Staying meant dying together.

"This is i-impossible. It's over."

Matthias sheathed his sword and turned to flee, leaving Lilith behind.

Wrestling alone with the vines, only after a while did Lilith realize Matthias had abandoned her and run away.

Tears welled up as she thought it was all over now.

Lilith squeezed out her remaining strength to throw fireballs. But they passed through the spirits' bodies.

Finally, the black spirits surrounded and encircled Lilith. Black hands reached down and began wrapping around her throat.

Her airway began constricting.

"Cough no, no..."

She flailed her arms but it was no use.

At that moment, the black spirits all froze their movements. They all turned their heads toward the west direction. As if sensing someone else's movement.

There was only darkness untouched by sunlight and dense dark brown trees—Lilith's eyes could see nothing.

But the black spirits lost interest in Lilith and turned their formation in that direction.

When the grip on her throat released, she coughed roughly.

Soon after, rustling footsteps were heard in the quiet forest.

Rustle.

Rustle. 

Spreading with a regular rhythm like someone taking a walk, then suddenly stopping.

Then from a point hidden by tree trunks, pure white light extended out. The light gradually brightened until it became so intense she had to narrow her eyelids.

It wasn't shining in place, but approaching toward Lilith. And in the blink of an eye, the light's wave destroyed everything in its path as it passed.

"Kyaa!"

Lilith curled up and squeezed her eyes shut for several seconds before opening them.

Black spirits, trees, rocks, earth—everything in the straight path had been completely cleared away.

Half the black spirits were swept away by that light and the remainder backed away helplessly.

Lilith blankly watched the scene, not knowing what had happened.

Following that, with cracking sounds, the shattered old trees began falling chaotically in all directions.

With repeated booming sounds shaking the ground, leaves and branches fell over Lilith.

Lilith fixed her gaze on where the light had come from but couldn't see anything due to the fallen trees.

The black spirits began resisting strongly.

They utilized the fallen trees. Branches extended and vines grew from the scattered trees, blocking the approach path like a barrier.

Light burst forth again through the faint gaps between the cover.

Bang!

An explosive sound followed immediately and swept away all obstacles. Lilith's hair fluttered in the fierce wind.

Despite the black spirits' resistance, the light waves mercilessly shattered the barriers to pieces, creating a straight path.

Lilith's pupils dilated and her heart began pounding heavily. She remembered one person who could handle this level of power.

One person walked out on the straight cleared path. A longsword of light in one hand, gripping a black spirit's hair in the other.

It was the masked man.

She never imagined they would reunite like this.

He beheaded the spirit and tossed it aside. Then, strode toward the next spirit.

Soon after, Victor and a bull-sized wolf leaped out and approached Lilith.

"Victor!"

Seeing Victor alive, Lilith finally burst into tears. He grinned while checking her injuries.

"Damn, it's disgustingly good to see you alive."

Victor cut the vines binding her with his half-broken sword while the wolf helped by biting and tearing with its mouth.

Crack, rumble—

Just then, a half-destroyed old tree began timbering over their heads.

Lilith pushed Victor away and shouted, "No, dodge!"

As soon as she shouted, light burst from where the masked man was and a wave flew over, clearing away the old tree above their heads.

"Kyaa!"

Wood fragments showered over their heads like flower petals.

Victor chuckled incredulously while continuing the liberation work. It was a sight that would leave anyone speechless.

Victor supported Lilith and led her to a safe place.

Even while moving, she looked back at the masked man several times.

He brutally slaughtered the black spirits alone. It was a savage sight worthy of being called tearing them to death.

"Got word from the professor. Elias is safe."

When Victor spoke to reassure Lilith, she finally turned her gaze away.

"Matthias..."

"Professor Candinella will find him soon."

"..."

The situation completely reversed with the masked man's appearance.

The battle ended not long after. The black spirits that had cornered everyone died miserably at his hands.

And the surrounding area had become completely devastated as if hit by a meteor.

Finally, the sword vanished from the masked man's hand, and he slowly walked to where Lilith and Victor were.

And beside him was somehow an unfamiliar face.

It was Luna Reilis, the genius spirit summoner. Seeing them standing close enough for their arms to almost touch like close friends, Lilith was momentarily speechless.

Lilith and the man's gazes met.

The masked man indifferently looked Lilith over once then remained silent. He didn't even offer a common greeting like "Long time no see."

Silence continued for a while as they maintained eye contact.

Unable to bear it anymore, Lilith spoke first, "I'm really grateful that you saved... but... is it that hard to give even one greeting...?"

But no answer came.

For Lilith, greetings from men were the easiest thing to obtain in the world. They had become as familiar as the pebbles under her feet from being so common, yet she was coldly ignored by the one person she wanted to hear it from.

Her gaze fell weakly.

Victor looked back and forth between the masked man and Lilith but held his tongue.

***

Professor Candinella furrowed her brow looking at the black pit the spirits had crawled from. Her head throbbed seeing what should only appear in the North. Fortunately, perhaps due to being under the circulatory system's influence, it hadn't expanded much.

Candinella bit her lip. The accident happened during the molting period when the phantasmal beast's power was weakest. As if someone had targeted it.

She turned back and gestured for the students to step back. If she hadn't stepped in, they might all have been sacrificed to the pit. It could have led to a major catastrophe.

The roughly twenty students watching with anxious eyes stepped backward.

Then, she began chanting.

Following this, black smoke rose from the ground and a black magic circle spread as if scorched by fire.

Rumble—

Soon after, nearby stones and rocks rolled in and began building layers around the broken obelisk. After the obelisk's restoration finished, the black pit slowly began recovering.

After completing the temporary seal, she caught her breath. It would hold sufficiently until the phantasmal beast's power returned.

Candinella dusted off her hands and walked away from the seal.

Matthias hurriedly approached her and spoke, "Professor! We still, still haven't saved Lilith. Even now...!"

She shook her head.

"I just received word from Victor. She's fine. Don't worry."

"...!"

Just then, Cecil among the group of twenty shouted, "Candy!"

At the sudden cry, everyone's attention turned to one spot.

Soon after, the masked man, Damian, walked out of the forest. Luna, Victor, and Lilith followed behind him.

Candinella slightly raised the corner of her mouth as if impressed and said to Matthias, "There they are."

Matthias looked back but his face immediately went pale.

"Aren't you going to greet them?"

Candinella pushed Matthias's back, but he couldn't bring himself to approach. He only clenched his teeth, glaring hostilely at Damian.

"...?"

She wondered if there was some story there, then narrowed her eyes, noticing more than one unusual gaze directed at Damian.

The composition was clear at a glance from her position several steps away.

"Why didn't you reply? I was worried!"

Cecil ran to Damian and exchanged glances with Lilith. Then, suddenly hugged Damian tightly.

"S-Sis!"

Luna beside him, Saint Azelis fidgeting behind Cecil, Lilith pressing her lips together with a twisted expression, and Sion glaring from far away.

Every single one was focusing all their attention on Damian.

Seeing this, Candinella muttered in her heart.

...Silveryn really found quite an unusual disciple.