The Problematic Child of the Magic Tower-Chapter 311

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Chapter 311: Forest of Spirits (8)

Doubt surfaced in the eyes of the high elves—

even in Evelyn’s gaze.

Their eyes quickly scanned Fran from head to toe.

‘This scrawny thing is our last hope?’

‘We’re screwed.’

‘Mother Tree, please forgive our inadequacy!’

Fran’s thoroughly untrustworthy appearance darkened the elves’ expressions.

Still, Evelyn refused to let go of hope and asked,

“How can this person become our hope?”

“Fran possesses one special ability. Fran!”

Clap, clap.

Oscar gracefully clapped his hands twice.

Fran, who had no idea what was going on, merely blinked.

“You should show it. That thing.”

“Ah, that…”

Seeming to understand what he meant, Fran gathered his mana with a reluctant expression.

In the next instant, his entire body turned into wind—and the elves’ eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

“W-What is this?”

“In just twenty years, such mysterious magic has been added to the human world!”

“…It’s not a trick. He has truly become wind itself.”

“Are lesser spirits implanted in his body assisting with mana computation?”

The elves examined Fran as though they were scientists evaluating a new invention.

Seeing their reactions, Oscar spoke up.

“As you can see, Fran can turn himself into wind. And…”

Oscar summoned a gust of wind and infused it with divinity.

“I can create wind imbued with holy power.”

“Ah!”

Evelyn let out a small gasp.

She had already guessed what the human was planning.

“So you’re saying that this human—who can become wind—will carry the holy power all the way to the roots of the Mother Tree?”

“That’s correct.”

“……”

Lost in thought, Evelyn slowly nodded.

“It’s certainly… not a completely baseless or absurd plan.”

“Your Majesty, at this point, it seems this is our only option!”

The high elves, now seeing possibility in the plan, began to agree one by one.

But Evelyn raised her hand to calm their excitement and asked,

“Do you know how far it is to the deepest roots of the Mother Tree?”

“I don’t.”

“It’s about twenty-one miles.”

“…!”

Fran and Oscar both looked stunned—

though for very different reasons.

“My god. That’s about thirty-four kilometers? How can the distance from the surface to the roots be—”

“My god. You’re a rare mile-user?”

“…?”

Fran glanced sideways at Oscar, who was looking strangely delighted. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Was using miles really something to be happy about?

Letting out a light sigh, Fran replied,

“It’s fine. I can cover that distance in about an hour.”

“Human, this isn’t something you can calculate with numbers alone.”

Evelyn made sure he understood the reality.

“This could cost you your life. It has nothing to do with you—are you truly prepared to risk your life for us elves?”

“Uh…”

Caught off guard by the heavy question, Fran trailed off.

To be honest, he wasn’t prepared at all.

If anything, he had been a coward since birth—

always running away, comforting himself with excuses, promising a ‘next time’ that never came.

‘But.’

He glanced at Oscar.

That guy had a strange talent.

Just by staying near him, you somehow began to feel things, little by little.

Veronica had become more mature.

Killian had grown more reasonable.

‘There’s no way I didn’t change too.’

In the past, facing things head-on—experiencing failure—had terrified him.

That was why he always ran away.

And he knew what remained at the end of that road:

not relief at surviving, but deep self-loathing.

‘I’m different now.’

What he feared more now was facing a version of himself that hadn’t changed at all—

that couldn’t move forward.

While his friends were charging ahead like raging bulls, even now.

‘I can do this.’

The victories and successes he had accumulated while traveling with Oscar had given him confidence.

Clenching his fists, Fran answered,

“It’s fine. I’m actually pretty quick with calculations, so I’d never do something that’s a guaranteed loss.”

“……”

Was it youthful recklessness, or confidence backed by experience?

All Evelyn could tell was that Fran’s voice sounded surprisingly bright.

—!!!

At that moment, a sound like space itself being crushed erupted from the World Tree.

It resembled the ultrasonic cry of a dolphin.

“We should move soon. We don’t have much time.”

“…Please.”

All Evelyn could do now was cheer for the two of them.

The same was true for the other high elves.

“Please.”

“Save the Mother Tree.”

Having received everyone’s plea, Oscar slowly turned his head toward Fran.

“Ready?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

Fran gestured to his wind-formed body.

“I’ve been ready this whole time.”

“Heh.”

As Oscar grinned—

Kuuung!

A massive branch of the World Tree crashed to the ground.

It wasn’t cut by anyone—the tree had severed it itself.

The inside of the branch was hollow, as though beckoning them to enter.

Looking at it, Oscar offered a warning.

“It’ll be dark, cramped, and hard to breathe in there.”

“The light will be handled by holy power. I’ll endure the cramped space. Breathing can be solved with magic.”

“……”

With an approving expression, Oscar smacked Fran’s back firmly.

“Go.”

“Whew.”

Exhaling deeply, Fran approached the floating wind of holy power.

As he slowly reached out, the two winds crossed and began to merge.

‘Ugh…’

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The fused divinity made it feel as though every cell in his body was awakening.

But no gift in this world came without a price.

Every nerve felt pushed to its limit.

‘Pain included.’

After steeling himself, Fran nodded.

“I’ll be back.”

With those words, he threw himself into the hollow interior of the World Tree.

Shooooo—!

Fran became a single stream of wind, racing through the winding, dark, narrow path.

At some point, even the sensation of moving forward disappeared.

He simply trusted the World Tree and kept pushing through the passage it had created.

“……”

Inside the World Tree was a suffocating silence.

Though he’d never been there, it felt like drifting through outer space.

‘…It’s suffocating.’

Dark and stifling.

Whether it was imagination or not, it felt like sinking into the deep sea—his breathing growing labored.

‘Almost there. I’m really almost there.’

He kept repeating the same words in his mind, as if hypnotizing himself.

Heat began to build in his body.

The geothermal temperature was far beyond what a human could endure.

At the same time, Fran forced his concentration.

‘If Windform breaks, I die.’

The heat here was unbearable for a human body.

The moment he inhaled, his lungs would burn.

‘Just a little more…’

Death finally began to shimmer clearly before his eyes.

Doubt crept in—was this really the right path?

The urge to turn back, to flee to the surface, surged violently.

‘No.’

Fran forcibly crushed the temptation gnawing at his heart.

Because he could feel it.

Thump. Thoom.

‘The World Tree’s heartbeat.’

The being worshipped as a god by the elves was crying out to live—

and the only one who could hear that cry was him.

‘Ghk…’

But contrary to his resolve, his vision blurred.

Maintaining this form in such heat consumed an absurd amount of mana.

‘Just a little… just a little more…’

Fran clung desperately to his fading consciousness.

He no longer even knew how he was maintaining this state.

The moment he tried to think about it in detail, it felt like everything would end.

He was in a complete trance.

‘Ah…’

And then, finally—

a vile, oppressive demonic energy surged ahead.

Gathering every last ounce of strength, Fran hurled the holy power toward it.

“……”

With his mental strength completely spent, his will could no longer hold on.

His fading vision was swallowed by darkness.

* * *

While Fran was advancing toward the roots of the World Tree,

Evelyn continued tracking his mana from above.

“He’s almost at the destination. But… compared to the beginning, his speed has dropped significantly.”

That could only mean he had been pushed to his absolute limit.

Every high elf watched Evelyn’s lips, hands slick with sweat.

“H-He’s arrived! And immediately separated from the holy power!”

At those words, every elf turned toward the World Tree as if on cue.

“Oh… ohhh!”

“The Mother Tree’s bark is regenerating!”

“Leaves are sprouting! Fruits are forming!”

The high elves embraced each other in joy.

At that moment, Evelyn’s face stiffened.

She looked at Oscar in panic.

“…What is it?”

“Ah… well…”

She rechecked again and again, wondering if she’d made a mistake.

Sensing something was wrong, the elves slowly released one another and looked at them.

After a moment, Evelyn bowed her head deeply.

“…I’m sorry. Fran Sirius, was it? Your friend’s reaction… has completely vanished.”

The elves covered their mouths in shock.

No one was insensitive enough to celebrate while a life had been lost.

“Hm.”

Oscar looked up at the World Tree and asked,

“The World Tree has been fully healed, correct?”

“…Yes.”

“And Fran’s mana disappeared after that?”

“I checked several times.”

Evelyn couldn’t lift her head, staring only at the ground as she answered.

A friend had died—

in a place where even the body couldn’t be recovered.

She couldn’t imagine how immense that grief must be.

“Then it’s fine.”

“…Excuse me?”

At Oscar’s casual tone, she reflexively looked up.

“The World Tree was healed first, right?”

“That’s… true?”

“Then it’s fine. The World Tree isn’t an ungrateful, heartless being.”

The elves, including Evelyn, tilted their heads in confusion at Oscar’s optimism.

And at that very moment—

“Pwah!”

Fran finally released the breath he’d been holding and looked around.

‘D-Did I…?’

Panicking, he raised his hands—

and sure enough, they were human hands, not wind.

Just as Fran’s face crumpled—

a warm voice echoed by his ear.

—Please don’t worry. You are not dead.

“W-What? Who are you?”

Startled by the unfamiliar voice, Fran looked around.

Only then did he realize how strangely different this place felt.

‘Wait… where am I?’

The last place he’d been conscious was inside the World Tree—

a realm of endless darkness.

But here was a vast meadow filled with brilliant colors.

‘And…’

Wind spirits drifted through the sky.

Water spirits gathered by a nearby lake.

Earth spirits dug playfully into the ground.

—That’s right. As you may have guessed, this is the Spirit Realm.

As if reading his expression, the voice continued,

—Congratulations. You are the first human to ever visit this place.

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