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Chapter 384: The Possibility of Defeating the Witch of Envy
🕑 Added 2024-11-16 11:00:05 +0000 UTC"I never expected her to suddenly summon the artificial spirit I created back then."
"Plus, I only just got revived recently. I haven't fully adjusted to this vessel yet."
Seeing the situation rapidly deteriorating, Echidna looked embarrassed. After all, she bore most of the blame for allowing the Witch of Envy to revive.
"What do we do now? Does the Witch of Greed have any fatal weaknesses?
"I can't hold out much longer in my current state. If we don't stop her soon, the only option left for us is to lie down and wait for death."
Because of the cost of using the "Heart of the Gods," Wood's life force was rapidly depleting. It was only a matter of time before he died. The question was, could he do anything worthwhile before that?
Wood really wanted to complain. Sure, the "Heart of the Gods" was powerful, and it had always been his trump card across multiple worlds. But while the power was incredible, the side effects were a real pain. Every time, it was a fight fueled by sacrificing his life.
If he had been a long-lived race like an elf or a dragon, it wouldn't have been a problem. With the right setup, he could have used the power freely.
But every life he simulated was that of an ordinary human.
Normal humans live only 70 to 80 years, which wasn't nearly enough to support an ability like "Heart of the Gods" that burned through life force.
"If the Witch of Envy had any weaknesses, we wouldn't have all been swallowed up four hundred years ago, nor would half the world have been consumed.
"She is nearly an immortal being now, incapable of being killed by any means. The only option is to seal her again, like the Three Heroes did back then.
"And we have to do it quickly, as her power will continue growing with each passing moment."
The Witch of Envy, who had swallowed half the world and six of the Great Witches, was practically an immortal entity. Even if Reinhardt, the cheat-level Sword Saint, appeared now, he could only fight her to a standstill.
Considering one of them couldn't die and the other had the cheat-like "Blessing of the Phoenix," they could literally fight forever without a clear outcome.
"You Great Witches really are ridiculous. I thought that maybe this time I could conquer this world while staying alive, but in the end, it looks like I'll still end this simulation with death.
"If we can weaken her abilities enough, we can seal her, right?
"If you have the chance, take Emilia and Subaru and get out of here. After all, I share half the blame for this disaster."
Feeling the almost tangible mana in the air, the runes representing the "Heart of the Gods" on Wood's chest flared into brilliant silver light.
Without holding anything back, his vast life energy was directly converted into an immense power that coursed through every muscle and vein in his body.
While this power granted Wood incredible strength, it also visibly affected his appearance.
His previously radiant golden hair turned to silver as his life force drained away at an alarming rate.
The surging power caused his muscles to swell, and as they strained under the immense pressure, fresh blood oozed from his skin. Even his bones groaned under the strain.
The strength granted by "Heart of the Gods" was based on a percentage of his base power. In other words, the stronger his base level, the greater the enhancement.
The percentage increase depended on the amount of life he burned, and now Wood was burning his life without any reservations!
"Are you insane?! If you keep this up, even if you do seal the Witch of Envy, you'll die!"
Echidna didn't know what the runes on Wood's chest represented, but as the wisest of the witches, she could tell that he was trading his life force for power.
The greater the power, the higher the cost—the stronger someone was, the more clearly they understood this truth.
Echidna, with all her knowledge, never believed that someone could gain unmatched power for free. Given the mana fluctuations from Wood, the price must have been enormous.
"Dying is inevitable. Do you have any other better plan right now?
"Remember what I said. If you get the chance, take Emilia and Subaru and leave. Otherwise, if we truly start fighting, I fear you might get caught in the crossfire."
As Wood's words ended, his figure vanished from Echidna's sight.
He was moving at a normal high speed, but at this moment, his speed was so great that Echidna felt an illusion—that Wood was moving even faster than instant teleportation.
Indeed, the shadow teleportation technique, despite being fast, had a casting delay. Now, however, Wood's speed was enough to tear through the atmosphere without any such delay!
"Hundred Ghosts Swordsmanship: Extreme Ice Dual Blades—Snow Maiden!"
Blood gushed from Wood's body, not because of injuries, but because the power surging within him was too great.
If he didn't release it soon, his body would explode from being unable to contain the rapidly growing power!
The sky, previously covered by the dense, dark purple mana of the Witch of Envy, now suddenly filled with thick clouds. As the temperature plummeted, snowflakes began to fall.
First, it was just a light flurry, but soon it became a heavy snowfall, then escalated into a blizzard!
Two massive blades of ice formed an "X" shape in the sky, growing larger as they flew, until they tore a huge gap in the Witch of Envy's vast mana shield.
At the center of it all, the Witch of Envy stood shrouded in a dark aura, her gown as black as the night itself. Her face remained hidden under a shadow, concealing her appearance.
Seeing Wood charging towards her, the Witch of Envy curled her lips slightly, raising a deathly pale hand. An army of shadows surged towards him, as though she intended to absorb and devour him just like she had with Echidna earlier.
According to Echidna, the Witch of Envy's devouring ability was unstoppable, capable of consuming anything—even magic.
Faced with her attack, Wood didn't try to block it. Instead, he used his incredible speed to dodge.
The dark shadows moved quickly. Against other Great Witches, who were more like spellcasters, they would have been more than sufficient. But catching Wood in his current state was another matter entirely.
The shadows surrounded Wood from all directions, and as they tried to latch onto him, hoping to drag him into the Witch's body, they merely passed through an afterimage of Wood.
"Hundred Ghosts Swordsmanship: Dual Blades—Bull Demon!"
The figure that the shadows pierced was only Wood's afterimage. He reappeared behind the Witch of Envy, the runes on his chest trailing a glowing path through the air.
The two ice blades in his hands had now turned black under the power of Armament Haki, shining with a metallic luster.
A spectral bull covered in blood energy appeared behind Wood. The two black blades in his hands were like the horns of the bloody bull, driving upwards toward the Witch of Envy's abdomen.
"Rather than being devoured by you, I'd rather do things my own way. Like right now—taking the initiative."
Wood's words were paired with his assault on the Witch of Envy, and he immediately moved to press the attack.
The Witch of Envy couldn't understand Wood's foreign language insults, but judging by his playful expression, it was clear he wasn't saying anything good. Instead of allowing his blades to pierce her, she responded in kind.
The Armament Haki-covered blades struck her back, but instead of penetrating, they were halted by an invisible force. Sparks flew as though the blades had hit a solid wall, but they could not advance an inch further.
Enraged by the attack, the Witch turned and swung her arm, releasing a jet-black crescent of pure mana aimed straight for Wood's face.
Wood pulled back just in time. The black crescent passed by, slicing the earth in two for several kilometers without making a sound. Everything it touched was consumed by the Witch's envious power—just as she had consumed half the world four centuries ago.
Though Wood had created some distance between himself and the Witch of Envy, his two ice blades still remained stuck against her invisible barrier.
The blades, formed from his mana, shattered into countless fragments as Wood clenched his fists. The icy remnants spread out in all directions, but as they neared the Witch of Envy, it was as though they were blocked by an unseen wall, flowing around her instead.
"Tch, just like that Archbishop of Sloth. Another one with an invisible ability!
"But no defense is without limits. Now that our mana levels are about equal, I refuse to believe I can't shatter your turtle shell!"
The ensuing battle could only be described as a high-intensity spectacle. Wood utilized his speed advantage, moving rapidly within the Witch of Envy's domain.
Slashes, close-combat strikes, spells—he used everything he had, attacking her relentlessly. Elements exploded across the battlefield, shattering the space itself, leaving cracks like broken glass.
Wood pushed "Heart of the Gods" to its absolute limit. He had never planned to survive this fight, so his reckless attacks began to trouble even the Witch of Envy.
Finally, after a barrage of relentless attacks, Wood managed to break through her "invisible barrier" with a slash.
The ice blade was now inches from her face. Whether out of a twisted sense of humor or curiosity, the Witch of Envy's face shifted, revealing Emilia's features beneath her shroud.
"This is exactly what I was waiting for! I've never actually fulfilled my duties as her knight, but now you've given me the perfect opportunity!"
Predictably, seeing Emilia's face made Wood pause, stopping his ice blade just short of her.
But before the Witch of Envy could look pleased, she realized that the ice blade had started to transform into a chain of frost, binding her body.
Breaking free of such a simple spell wouldn't have been difficult for the Witch of Envy.
But Wood didn't expect the chains to hold her for long—just a moment was all he needed.
Seeing the dark shadows beginning to erode the frosty chains, Wood did something that left even the Witch of Envy stunned.
He didn't swing his blade, nor did he launch a spell. Instead, he stepped forward and embraced her!
The soft sensation of her chest against him made it clear to Wood that Emilia and the Witch of Envy did look quite similar, but there were differences. Emilia had a well-proportioned figure for someone her age, but compared to the Witch of Envy, she was clearly lacking a bit.
However, Wood wasn't hugging the Witch of Envy to take advantage of her. He had a very different purpose—using Echidna's method to rescue Emilia.
The oath he took at the Dragon Stone during the royal selection wasn't just for show. The connection between the Dragon Priestess and her knight might not be as deep as a spirit contract, but it still held power.
As Wood embraced the Witch of Envy, he used their connection to awaken the sleeping Emilia while simultaneously channeling his immense mana into the Witch's body.
The foreign mana inside the Witch's body disrupted her magic—this was exactly what Echidna had instructed him to do.
With the Witch's magic being affected, she couldn't prevent Emilia from waking up.
Once Emilia was conscious, with her help, Wood would be able to drive the Witch of Envy out of Emilia's body for good!
