Chapter 45: Awakening of the Guardian

Late dawn.

A night in the forest is incredibly quiet.

All that could be heard was the rustling of bushes swaying in the wind.

Lucy opened her eyes in the silence and glanced around the tent.

Alice to the left, Abet to the right.

Both were sleeping soundly, their bodies turned toward her.

Because of this, Lucy, who usually slept on one side, had no choice but to lie straight on her back tonight.

‘How suffocating.’

Carefully, she got up, making sure not to wake them.

She had drunk too much juice during dinner and needed to relieve herself.

Stepping out of the tent, she ran into Noah.

He was tending the campfire alone, despite the late hour.

Was he trying to stay awake?

Lucy tilted her head.

“You’re not sleeping.”

“The fire was dying down, so I was adding some wood.”

“Oh, I see.”

“What about you, Lucy?”

“Bathroom.”

“It’s pitch dark out there. You won’t be able to see a thing. Want me to go with you?”

“Do you want to?”

“…My apologies.”

Lucy frowned at his flustered reaction.

Noah, sensing the awkwardness, forced a sheepish smile.

Without another glance at him, Lucy walked off.

Just then—

Boom!

A deafening crash shook the forest.

The impact sent fragments of bark flying through the air, startling Alice and Abet awake. They poked their heads out of the tent, alarmed.

“Lucy? What was that?”

Abet was startled.

Alice was terrified.

Noah scanned the surroundings cautiously.

Lucy, however, stared into the darkness with unsettling composure.

Among them, she was the first to grasp the situation.

Her crimson eyes, empowered by the True Eye, detected a surge of immense magical energy coming from the northeast—the exact location of the nest they had visited earlier that day.

‘Is it a demon beast? But there aren’t supposed to be any demons in Edem Mountain.’

A definitive judgment was impossible at the moment.

Lucy had two options.

First, she could investigate the disturbance directly.

Second, she could evacuate the scattered students.

However, since the students were spread throughout the forest, her choices were limited.

‘No time to hesitate.’

She extended her hand and chanted.

Summoning magic—Illusionary Telegraph Snake.

Dozens of black serpents with glowing red eyes materialized from the ground.

Their true name was Telegraph Snake, summoned beasts that transmitted messages to distant allies. If the opponent’s level wasn’t significantly higher, they could even bind enemies.

Lucy issued her command.

Deliver the message to all the students and lead them to the gathering point.

The serpents slithered into the night, disappearing into the dense foliage.

Abet and Alice recoiled in fear.

“Eek..!”

“S-Snakes!?”

“Stop looking at my summons like that. Just follow them.”

“What about you, Lady Lucy?”

“I need to check the situation.”

She signaled to Noah, who, understanding her intent, swiftly followed Abet and Alice.

Now alone, Lucy took a deep breath.

She was still too drowsy to fight properly.

“Haa…”

Stretching her small arms, she worked out the stiffness in her bones, audible pops following each movement.

Once she was ready, she pulled out a floating cloak from her inventory and donned it.

Her body lifted off the ground.

She flew towards the center of the forest—toward the source of the disturbance.

Thanks to her speed, she arrived in no time.

“What the hell happened here?”

The once peaceful forest had been ravaged.

Flames raged in every direction, and craters littered the ground—clear signs of battle.

Scanning the area, Lucy spotted Abres leading the soldiers.

“Put the fire out, quickly!”

“Lord Abres, the flames are spreading!”

“Damn it! Are reinforcements on the way?”

“The forest paths are too rough!”

“Then evacuate the students first! Princess Lucy’s safety is the top priority—”

Abres stiffened mid-command.

The very person he wanted to evacuate was now standing before him.

Flames crackled dangerously around them, but Lucy remained unfazed, as though she had simply stepped out for a stroll.

“Princess L-Lucy!?”

“Why are you here!?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I heard a loud noise and came to check.”

“Even so—”

“What’s the situation?”

Abres hesitated before replying.

“At midnight, a demon that had been dormant in the forest’s center suddenly awoke and began rampaging.”

“A demon? There aren’t supposed to be any demons in Edem Mountain.”

“It’s called a demon, but it’s more akin to a fairy. Still, its appearance is indistinguishable from a demon.”

“I see. And its identity?”

“It’s a guardian of the sapling tree—an entity that has been asleep for 400 years. This has never happened before.”

Abres looked utterly perplexed.

Lucy, however, had a hunch.

“Just to confirm… could someone have disturbed the sapling tree?”

“Huh? That’s… possible. The sapling guardian exists to protect it. But why do you ask?”

“Just a theory. Anyway, where is this guardian now—”

Boom!

Before she could finish, a colossal figure emerged over the hill.

A being of earth and trees, towering at nearly 50 meters.

A walking mountain.

Lucy’s eyes narrowed.

This had to be the sapling guardian.

With the situation assessed, her course of action was clear—calm the guardian before it caused further destruction.

She prepared for battle.

“Princess L-Lucy!? What are you doing!?”

“I’m going to handle it.”

“That’s insane! Even if you’re strong, there’s always a risk! Please, prioritize your safety and retreat—”

Abres stopped mid-sentence.

A suffocating pressure gripped him, as though a blade were at his throat.

He realized, belatedly, that the source was Lucy’s piercing red eyes.

“Run? Who are you telling to run, Lord Abres?”

“T-That…”

“Your only task now is to evacuate the students. I will take responsibility for this.”

With that, Lucy vanished into thin air.

Abres exhaled shakily.

The sheer intensity of her presence had overwhelmed him.

More than fear, he felt awe.

As expected of the daughter of Satan.

Above, Lucy observed the sapling guardian’s immense form.

“It looks just like a forest golem.”

Even in Ragnarok Online, she hadn’t seen a creature this massive.

Intrigued, she teleported directly in front of it and cast her top-tier illusion spell.

Magic skill—Hypnosis.

A formidable spell capable of controlling any beast with a level difference under 20.

But it failed.

Meaning—the difference between the guardian’s level and hers is less than 20.

‘At least level 80, huh?’

The guardian howled in defiance, raising a massive arm before slamming it down.

Lucy teleported away effortlessly.

A massive crater formed where she had stood moments ago, dust and debris billowing into the sky.

‘I tried using karma, but that didn’t work either. Interesting. He’s a tough one. I like it.’

Lucy smirked.

A strong opponent.

An unknown creature.

The thrill of battle stirred in her chest.