Chapter 136 - The Worst Enemy

Nova hurried to get rid of the root around his ankle, pulling it out of the ground. But it only followed after, revealing more of the root every time he pulled. It was harder than steel, somehow enhanced by the essence of the forest.

‘This is trouble! I can’t use fire, because that would turn the entire forest against me. I might still be able to reason with this guy, as long as I don’t hurt the trees. But I need to get higher, staying near the ground will kill me if all the roots are this strong!’

More roots burst from the earth around him, writhing like serpents as they reached for his legs. Nova dismissed the Spatial Cloak with a flicker of will. The concealment spell dissolved just as he briefly dropped his Unification skill, shrinking his body to child size in a flash of light.

His foot slipped free from the loosened root's grip. But the sudden shift in power overwhelmed his senses—every nerve ending screamed as his essence burned through him. He reactivated the Unification skill immediately, growing back to his adult form. A searing sensation raced through his muscles before his regeneration soothed the strain.

The sylph wings erupted from his back in a burst of translucent energy. They lifted him into the air, away from the deadly roots carpeting the forest floor. But now he hovered much closer to the Forest Guardian, who watched him with eyes glowing in a sharp green color.

“I didn’t cut or hurt any plants, as you can see!” Nova yelled, hoping he could reach a peaceful resolution. “I am not here to—”

The wooden giant swung at Nova’s side, apparently not interested in listening to reason. And despite its size, it was extremely fast. Nova’s Sylph wings were only from a tier nine creature, and they struggled to get him out of the way in time.

‘Why am I meeting a monster with over two million Soul Power here? I thought the average was supposed to be less than one!’

The Guardian swung again, and this time, the surrounding trees joined in, swaying far more than a tree should be able to without breaking. They all aimed for Nova, or the spots where he would dodge, making it impossible to rely on the wings alone.

‘Damn this forest! Don’t think I’m above using fire if you push me too far!’

Massive amounts of essence gathered between Nova's palms before flowing into his staff. The weapon responded instantly, projecting a dome of solid energy around him. The barrier shimmered with protective power as the staff began glowing a deep, ominous red.

The trees seized on Nova's moment of distraction. Enormous branches slammed into the barrier from all sides, driving him toward the forest floor with crushing force. The protective dome held, but the impacts sent him tumbling downward. He struck the ground with a heavy thud that shook the earth.

The barrier flickered but remained intact, only slightly dimmed by the assault. Through the translucent walls, Nova watched hundreds of roots emerge from the soil. They wrapped around his protective sphere like grasping fingers, probing for weaknesses. The tendrils constricted with incredible force, trying to squeeze the barrier until it shattered.

‘You asked for it.’

Nova raised the staff above his head. A bright beam erupted straight upward from the weapon's tip, blazing with concentrated fire essence. The beam split into two separate streams, then they both angled downward toward the ground while spinning around the staff's center, creating a spiral of destruction that swept in every direction.

The beams carved through massive tree trunks like heated knives through butter. Where the fire passed, ancient wood burst into flames. The paths of destruction exploded with roaring infernos moments later, creating a scene of absolute devastation.

[You have created the skill: Spiral of Greater Immolation (Grandmaster - 13%) {Grade 13}]

[Two beams of concentrated fire essence create a fiery destruction in every direction around the caster. This spell requires some time to charge up, but makes up for it in pure destructive power and a great area of effect.]

The roots around Nova fell lifelessly to the ground as the barrier gave in, leaving him standing in a half-circle of dead, smoking tendrils.

“GWWWAAAAAAAAA!!!”

The Forest Guardian's bellow of rage and agony echoed through the burning forest. Flames engulfed the creature's wooden body, dancing across bark and moss. 

The beams of fire had created deep groves in its barky skin, but it was much tougher than the trees surrounding them.

It took a moment to look down at the forest critters that had fallen from his body, now lying lifelessly on the ground, still burning.

Then the massive creature went perfectly still. A pulse of energy emerged from deep within its chest, spreading outward like a shockwave. The invisible force extinguished every flame in an instant. Then the earth began to shake.

‘Shit, fuck, shit! This is why I didn’t want to fight back!’

The dead trees around them started to wither visibly. What little life remained drained away as leaves crumbled to dust. The particles caught on an increasingly fierce wind that howled through the devastated clearing.

‘Every guardian in the forest will be here soon! I have to get away from here!’

Simply flying with the sylph wings was no longer good enough. He would be caught, either by the guardian in front of him, or by one of the trees that still towered far above him. Even if the nearby trees had been destroyed, it only created a small hole through the treetops far above him.

Instead of relying on wings alone, Nova began casting a formation beneath his feet. This was a spell he had created for amusement long ago, though it had later become his favorite method for disposing of unwanted materials.

[You have created the skill: Rocket Man (Grandmaster - 53%) {Grade 13}]

[This formation creates a reverse gravitational field straight above it, so strong that it can reach several thousand kilometers per hour in a near instant. This formation should not be used on living beings, despite its name indicating otherwise. And especially not in an underground dungeon.]

‘...You know, that’s a good poi—’

The sky above him looked so real that he hadn’t considered the chance of it merely being an illusion. He would have, if he had more time to think. But the Guardian's roar still echoed behind him, and other creatures were already crashing through the underbrush toward their location. The situation demanded quick action—the kind that led to mistakes.

The world exploded into motion. He barely registered the green canopy disappearing around him before everything transformed into endless blue sky. The acceleration was beyond anything he had ever experienced. His body shot upward like a stone from a catapult, climbing so fast that the air itself became his enemy.

Wind tore at him with savage force. His clothes disintegrated under the assault, fabric shredding and streaming away in tatters. What started as uncomfortable warmth quickly became searing agony as the outer layer of his flesh began to cook from sheer friction.

‘I’m dead if I don’t stop my momentum!’

Panic flooded his thoughts as he continued rocketing upward at impossible speed. The forest had already shrunk to a green blur far below. If there truly was a ceiling somewhere above—stone or magical barrier—he would strike it with enough force to pulverize every bone in his body.

In desperate terror, Nova pointed his staff straight up and channeled the first spell that came to mind. Something simple, something powerful, something that might create enough opposing force to slow his ascent.

[You have created the skill: Jet (Grandmaster - 83%) {Grade 12}]

This spell shoots an incredibly powerful jet of fire in a straight line, completely unfocused and indiscriminate. It has no recoil reduction, making it both powerful and dangerous in equal measure.]

A column of fire erupted from his staff, shooting upward with devastating force. The flame was raw and uncontrolled, lacking any of the precision of his usual spells. For a brief moment, Nova felt his upward momentum slow as the magical thrust fought against his acceleration.

Then the wind caught the fire.

The rushing air that surrounded his rapid ascent seized the flames and hurled them back down. The torrent of fire struck Nova full in the face and chest, washing over him like a waterfall, burning the outer layer of his skin completely.

‘AAaahg, FUCK! Please stop me in time!’

Nova clamped his mouth shut and held what little breath remained in his lungs. The fire would cook his throat and lungs if he inhaled even once. His eyelids had already burned away completely, along with most of his eyebrows and the front portion of his hair. Without his enhanced regeneration working frantically to replace damaged tissue, he would have been reduced to charred bone within seconds.

The pain was indescribable. Every nerve ending screamed in protest as his flesh charred and his regeneration immediately began rebuilding the damaged areas. The cycle repeated endlessly—burn, heal, burn again. Each restoration brought fresh nerves to experience the agony anew.

But finally, mercifully, he felt his speed decreasing. The flames no longer licked at his body with quite the same intensity. His momentum was slowing, though he had climbed far higher than seemed possible. No ceiling had appeared to crush him, no barrier had blocked his path.

The acceleration stopped completely. For one blessed moment, Nova hung suspended in the open sky, neither rising nor falling.

The silence was deafening after the roar of wind and fire. His skin still looked like charcoal, cracked and smoking in the cool air. The regeneration worked overtime to rebuild what the flames had destroyed, but the process brought its own torture. Every new nerve that formed immediately registered the damage around it.

‘...My god, that’s probably a nine on the pain scale. I promise to never use fire on trolls again.’

The wind came at him from behind now, signaling that he was falling toward the ground. His eyes were still not regenerated, but he knew he had plenty of time before reaching the ground. Stopping had taken longer than he thought.

‘Rocket Man is not meant to be used on humans, that’s very true, system. But at least the forest can’t touch me here.’

On the other hand, there was no reason to believe that he was safe. The forest was only one part of this floor's ecosystem. Another part was apparently this vast sky, which stretched far beyond anything he had anticipated.

‘Don’t tell me there are bird-monsters here.’

Wind currents tugged at his healing body as he fell through the open air. Somewhere in the distance, he heard sounds that made his blood run cold—the harsh cries of hunting birds, but amplified beyond anything natural. The calls echoed through the sky with predatory hunger.

‘...The worst enemy here might be myself.’

Ch.135 --I-- Index --I-- Ch.137