Chapter 227
“What……!”
Anyway, it was true that we intended to lure them to the very bottom floor, but we hadn’t expected them to jump down like that.
‘Their formation should collapse too, so why?’
The Nex that jumped down couldn’t get up immediately after landing directly on the floor. There were even many individuals that followed and jumped down.
As Nex poured down onto the individuals already spread on the floor, the balance collapsed.
In an instant, the swarm of bugs piled up like a tide filling the bottom. Most seemed to have been crushed to death, but some were still fine.
From a certain point, the Nex that had landed safely began rushing fiercely toward one place.
It was toward where the warrior elves including Vita, and Isaac and Reno were.
I had expected a few to charge, but if they swarm like that in a group, it wouldn’t be good……!
“No! Everyone get away!”
I shouted urgently, but I couldn’t make sense of it. If even I was like this, how much more confused would those below who were facing that situation directly be?
‘How……. How, what should I do…….’
Take out my bow? No, what can I do with that? Is there nothing else?
Just as I was about to open my inventory, I saw the shop. I hurriedly pressed it and the shop opened like before, showing the cube-shaped box and the gacha button.
[1 time 1,000P
※When used, a random item will appear.]
[―Current Points: 1,300P]
I pressed the button without hesitation.
‘Please. Please, something helpful, please.’
Ding!
[<System> Used 1,000 Reputation Points.
―Remaining Points: 300P]
When I pressed it hurriedly, the box spun around with a message notification.
‘A motion at a time like this…… Is there no skip? I’m in a hurry.’
It’s partly my fault for not drawing in advance in case there was an expiration date, but it’s frustrating. While I was impatiently but desperately watching only the gacha window.
Fortunately, the motion was short, and with fireworks and fanfare, something popped out of the box.
Ding!
[<System> Obtained ‘Amulet of Time’.]
[<Item> Amulet of Time
Can stop time for 3 minutes. The user and objects touched by the user are not restricted.
(※Disappears after one use.)]
[<System> Will you use it?]
[Cancel] / [Confirm]
Only 3 minutes? What can I do with that? No, let’s use it first.
Ding!
[<System> Using item ‘Amulet of Time’. According to the item’s effect, time will stop for 3 minutes.
―Remaining Time: 00:03:00]
“Sister, what are you doing……!”
Meliana was speaking to me but stopped mid-sentence. Everyone really was frozen as if the surroundings had stopped.
The only things moving were me and the time count that was decreasing with ticking sounds.
[―Remaining Time: 00:02:52]
What should I do? What should I do during the remaining time to save the other people and elves?
It’s impossible for me to go down and move them.
[―Remaining Time: 00:02:40]
Nothing was being resolved but the time was decreasing rapidly with tick-tock sounds, driving me crazy. It was when I was anxiously looking around.
I spotted containers filled with the essence of the World Tree below. They were containers with essence still intact because the Nex hadn’t devoured them.
Then I see the Nex all crowded together on the floor.
I don’t know if it will work or not, but……!
‘I have no choice but to try.’
I quickly went down below the tree trunk. Since there was quite a distance, just running took up a lot of time.
[―Remaining Time: 00:01:53]
“Huff, gasp!”
I hurriedly grabbed a container filled with the essence of the World Tree. And immediately threw it toward the Nex. Green liquid splashed over the Nex.
‘This isn’t enough. Next! The next container!’
I ran down again, picked up a container, and threw it at the Nex the same way.
[―Remaining Time: 00:01:11]
After picking up and throwing two containers like that, the remaining time was just over a minute.
‘What else should I do? What more can I do?’
After stamping my feet in frustration, I suddenly noticed the bracelet wrapped around my wrist. The magical tool that Evgenia gave me, said to be a royal treasure.
A bracelet that would automatically activate magic regardless of what it was if it determined that life was in critical danger.
Honestly, I wonder if I need to use this too, but…….
‘Anyway, if I can’t stop them, everything’s over.’
I ran as fast as I could toward where Isaac and Reno were while taking off the bracelet. My hands were shaking with tension, making it difficult to remove, but I somehow succeeded in taking off the bracelet.
[―Remaining Time: 00:00:10]
Tick-tock. The sound got louder than before.
I’d like to go further and deliver it, but unfortunately, this was my limit.
I threw the bracelet with all my strength toward where Isaac and Reno were.
[―Remaining Time: 00:00:04]
The bracelet that drew a parabola fell rapidly.
[―Remaining Time: 00:00:01]
But the bracelet fell a little short of where I had aimed. It was a few steps away from Isaac.
No! It should have been closer!
[―Remaining Time: 00:00:00]
[<System> The effect of item ‘Amulet of Time’ disappears.]
“Isaac! The bracelet, catch it!”
I shouted simultaneously with the message notification. As if asking when everything had stopped, the swarm of Nex quickly rushed toward Isaac and Reno.
Their figures were instantly buried and disappeared.
“Ah…….”
Without realizing it, all the strength left my body. I avoided collapsing, but staggering, I looked down below powerlessly.
‘Are they all dead?’
Isaac and Reno, and the other elves too? Because of me?
“That can’t be…….”
That can’t happen…….
Suddenly, a blue light flashed greatly, and
“What…….”
Ding!
A clear notification sound rang and a new message window appeared in the air.
[<System> Defeated mutant Nex.
―Extermination of mutant Nex: (61/???)]
The number was even rising rapidly.
‘Could it be?’
I looked down below again.
The bottom was still swarming with Nex. But I could see a different aspect from before.
Specifically, that various clusters of light were bursting up from the corner, cutting the Nex to pieces. And that was the side where Reno, Isaac, and the elf warriors were.
‘It means there are survivors.’
It would be fortunate if fortunate, but there was no guarantee that Isaac and Reno were safe. That fact bothered me, but…….
‘Anyway, I can’t just sit idle.’
I took out my bow and arrows from inventory and aimed at the Nex. While aiming, I realized that the Nex weren’t simply swarming together. They were biting and killing each other.
‘Is it because of the the essence of the World Tree I threw?’
Recognizing comrades as food and rushing at them, and resisting because they themselves aren’t food.
That was what I aimed for and hoped for. Actually, rather than confidence that it would work, I just threw it with the feeling of please let this work.
But it’s really fortunate that this worked. It became a different aspect from the ant mill phenomenon I initially led, but…….
‘Anyway, self-destruction is the same.’
I released the bowstring. Even after shooting, I worried about what to do if it didn’t die since it was just an ordinary arrow, but making my worry meaningless, the arrow pierced through the Nex’s shell and killed it.
[<System> Defeated mutant Nex.
―Extermination of mutant Nex: (91/???)]
While I was shooting arrows, the number steadily went up. Like the first message that appeared, it seemed to reflect the Nex being killed from below too.
That wasn’t all. Large fireballs also fell from above. At the same time, Meliana’s shrill cry was heard.
“Die! I said die!”
Looking up, as if proving that Meliana had used magic, fireball-like objects that looked like burning meteors in the air formed around her and fiercely drove down below.
Ding!
[<System> Defeated mutant Nex.
―Extermination of mutant Nex: (299/???)]
Bang! Bang!
Flames burst up, and other clusters of light endlessly burst up too.
And finally.
Ding!
[<Quest> Eliminate the mutant Nex that is gnawing at the World Tree, Arbor. Complete (1/1)]
[<System> Defeated all mutant Nex.
―Extermination of mutant Nex: (401/401)]
[<System> The number of elves paying attention to you is increasing.]
A message window appeared in the air.
But rather than the notification that the quest was complete, I was more curious about the life and death of the others.
If it were up to me, I’d want to jump down below, but I couldn’t because there were many Nex corpses below.
When I was just endlessly looking down with an anxious heart, familiar faces appeared through the charred corpses of the Nex.
“Ah…….”
It was Vita and the elf warriors. And among those faces, I tried hard to find Isaac and Reno.
After making eye contact with numerous people, I found those I had been looking for so much.
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