Black Dragon X [LitRPG • Dark Fantasy]-Chapter 57 - 56 : Awakening of the Ancient Roots

In the courtyard of the Mage School, the enormous magical sigil was still glowing in the sky.

Circles of ancient light rotated slowly above the stone towers.Magical symbols intertwined with one another like a complex web...as if it were an ancient language forgotten for centuries.

The air grew heavier. And the energy emanating from the sigil... was deep.Very deep.

In the middle of the courtyard, stood Draven. His eyes lifted toward the sky.The magical light reflected in his pupils for a moment. Then he slowly lowered his gaze. The faint smile was still on his lips. And he said in a calm voice:

—"...Roots of Memory."

The words froze in the air. A heavy silence spread across the courtyard. The Drakhaen soldiers raised their heads toward the massive sigil. Some clenched their weapons tightly.Others looked at the ground cautiously.

A moment passed. Then another. Then nothing happened. No explosion.No spell.No attack. Only silence.

The wind swept across the courtyard.It stirred the soldiers’ black cloaks. But the sigil in the sky... remained as it was. Glowing.Still.

One soldier’s eyes narrowed slightly. He whispered in a low voice:

—"...Is that all?"

But Draven did not move. He only tilted his head slightly. As if listening. Then he said calmly:

—"...No."

And in the next moment, the ground cracked. A sharp sound split the courtyard.

Kraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaak!

Black fissures opened across the stones. They spread through the courtyard as if the earth itself were beginning to tear apart.

Some soldiers stepped back. Dust surged into the air. Another fissure opened near the western gate.Then a third.Then a fourth.

The cracks spread quickly beneath everyone’s feet. As if something enormous... was moving in the depths. The ground trembled once again. This time with greater force.

The stones lifted slightly... then fell. Dust began rising from the fissures. And the darkness within them... was deep.Very deep.

Draven stood in place. He did not step back.He did not seem surprised. Instead, the corner of his mouth lifted slightly. And he said in a low voice:

—"...So.

He looked at the fissures spreading beneath the courtyard.

—"...It has awakened."

Then, the fissures suddenly widened. They spread across the stone tiles as if the earth itself were being torn from within. Dust shot upward. Stone fragments trembled above the ground before falling into the dark cracks.

Then, the courtyard shook violently.

Kraaaaaaaaaaaaaak!

New fissures opened in every direction. Some stretched directly beneath the soldiers’ feet.Others stepped back in panic.

Dust rose into the air, covering part of the courtyard. And from the depths of the fissures—something appeared.

At first, it looked like shadows moving beneath the ground. Then the roots emerged. Enormous roots. But they were not ordinary roots.

They were like living stone. Their surface was rough and cracked, like ancient rocks pulled from the depths of mountains. And each root was as thick as the trunk of a a giant tree.

The roots surged from the ground with heavy slowness. The tiles around them shattered. Stones were pushed aside from beneath them like rocky waves.

Then they began to rise and coil like colossal serpents awakening from a long slumber. But the most terrifying thing was the engravings.

On the surface of those roots were carved ancient symbols. Symbols that glimmered with faint light amidst the swirling dust. An ancient sword symbol, sharp-edged, as if cut into stone with a real blade.

A dark crescent, curved like an eye watching from the shadows. A mysterious circle, its lines intertwined like an endless spell. A stone eye, open... as if gazing at everyone in the courtyard.

The roots emerged from the fissures one after another. Each carried a different engraving. Each one taller... and more massive than the last.

And with every root that rose the ground cracked even more. The dust thickened. And the ancient courtyard crumbled bit by bit.

Villiam stood in place. His eyes widened as he stared at the colossal roots. Then he whispered in a low voice, almost choking with astonishment:

—"...What the hell is this...?"

On the other side, Lilithia stared at the roots in silence. Her narrowed eyes followed the glowing engravings on their surface. Then she said slowly:

—"...This is not an ordinary spell."

Before she could continue, a strong voice echoed through the courtyard.

—"Hold your positions!"

It was Commander Oboro’s voice. He stood at the front of the soldiers, his sword raised. His eyes moved quickly between the fissures spreading across the ground. Then he shouted again:

—"Hold your positions!"

He pointed his sword toward the roots rising from the earth.

—"Do not move! Anyone who leaves their position now... will fall into those fissures!"

The soldiers tightened their grips on their weapons. Some stepped back half a pace. But no one dared to flee.

Amidst the rising dust stood Draven. He did not move.He did not step back. Instead, he silently watched the roots. His eyes followed the engraved symbols.

One...Then the second...Then the third. Then the corner of his mouth slowly lifted. A smile. And he let out a soft chuckle. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

—"Hah..."

He lowered his head slightly. Then he said in a voice full of amusement:

—"...What a surprise."

He raised his gaze toward the colossal roots coiling over the courtyard. The dust swirled around them like a small storm. Then he murmured quietly—

—"...So this is how it works."

And at that moment, one of the roots moved. Slowly. As if it had begun searching for something. The ground trembled beneath their feet.

The roots surged like massive stone serpents, coiling over the broken tiles. One of the roots carrying the sword symbol shot forward with sudden speed across the courtyard.

It rushed between the soldiers like a black spear cutting through the dust. It stopped in front of a group of fighters.

Villiam was at the forefront. His eyes narrowed as he watched the colossal root coil before him.

On the opposite side, another root carrying the crescent symbol surged forward. It moved with a strange silence. As if a shadow were crawling across the ground.

It passed near Daemon and Kisho. As for a third root carrying the ancient circle symbol. it surged toward... toward Kaelina and Kurozen.

The soldiers around them began to feel tension creeping in. Some tightened their grip on their weapons.Others looked around in confusion. One soldier shouted:

—"It’s moving!"

At that moment, Oboro raised his voice again.

—"Hold your positions!"

His eyes watched the roots as they crawled across the ground. Then he added sharply:

—"Do not let them break our lines!"

But before he could finish his words, one of the roots suddenly lowered. It touched the ground. Slowly.

The symbol carved upon it glowed. A faint red light seeped through the stone engraving. Then, the air cracked. As if glass itself had shattered within space. A sharp sound passed through the courtyard.

Craaaaaaaaack!

The soldiers stepped back.

—"What is happening?!"one of them shouted.

But the other roots began to do the same. The crescent glowed with a faint purple light. The circle emitted a mysterious green radiance. the air around them began to fracture.

Lines of light appeared in the space. They stretched. And opened. As if the world itself were beginning to tear apart.

Villiam stood amid that light. His eyes widened slightly. Then he suddenly looked to the opposite side.

"Lilithia!"

On the other side, Lilithia felt the ground trembling beneath her feet. The light fissures began to surround her. She quickly raised her head toward him.

"Villiam!"

But the ground between them, exploded with light. Stones rose into the air. And the light fissures opened between them like an invisible wall. Dust surged between the two.

Villiam tried to take a step forward. But the ground beneath his feet cracked violently. He stopped abruptly.

On the other side, Lilithia stepped back half a pace. Her eyes watched the fissures spreading around her. Across the courtyard the chaos continued to grow.

One soldier fell as a fissure opened beneath his feet. Another shouted while trying to move away from the fractured light in the air.

Shira raised his head toward the roots. His eyes narrowed slightly. And he said quietly, with tension:

—"...The place is changing."

As for Ragen, he tightened his grip on his weapon. And looked at the fractured ground.

—"This is not ordinary magic."

At that moment, a faint laugh echoed through the dust. It was Draven’s laugh. He stood in the midst of the chaos. His eyes gleaming with interest. As he watched the fissures tearing through the air. He said in a low voice :

—"...Intriguing."

He looked at the roots that were beginning to glow even more. Then he whispered to himself:

—"...So this is the choice."

And in the next moment, the light fissures around the courtyard exploded. And the scene froze there.