Chapter 356: Blood Elf

A greatsword ice sword tore through the night sky with a sharp, whistling sound.

Standing atop its broad blade was a young man whose snow-white hair fluttered wildly in the wind. He continued ascending, higher and higher, reaching altitudes he had never dared to explore with this ability before.

A set of lightweight armor covered his body, consisting of a chest plate, shoulder guards, and protective pieces around his elbows and knees. It offered some protection without restricting his movements.

His glacier-blue eyes remained fixed on the enormous tree in the distance.

The World Tree. Even from here, the sight was horrifying.

Several elven mages were hovering near the burning branches, desperately attempting to extinguish the flames with their magic. Water spells, wind magic, and other abilities struck the blazing tree, yet the fire showed no signs of weakening.

Noah hovered roughly half a kilometer away, observing the situation from a safe distance.

’The flames aren’t spreading very quickly. That’s good, at least. It gives them more time to figure out how to deal with this.’

He narrowed his eyes, carefully studying the burning branches.

Whatever was happening, it was clearly no ordinary fire. If even the elven mages couldn’t extinguish it, there had to be something unusual about those flames.

BOOM!!

A thunderous explosion suddenly echoed through the night.

Noah immediately turned his attention away from the World Tree and toward the source of the sound.

Far beyond the city, two figures were engaged in a fierce battle.

They were too distant for him to distinguish their appearances clearly, but the destructive force of their attacks was impossible to miss. Each time their attacks collided, shock waves tore through the air, accompanied by deafening booms that echoed across the surrounding landscape.

Even from this distance, Noah could tell that the battle was taking place on an entirely different level.

’Those attacks... They’re powerful enough to destroy an entire city.’

His expression grew solemn.

’Could one of them be the queen? She’s the only person I’ve encountered here who might possess that kind of strength. Is she fighting whoever is responsible for the fire?’

After thinking it over, Noah nodded to himself. ’Yeah, that must be it.’

He glanced back toward the burning World Tree before sighing.

’Well, I should head back. Damien should have already checked whether Ken was with the other students.’

He shook his head in frustration.

Just then unknown voice came. "Sigh... Just how did the queen find out about this so quickly? Everything was going so smoothly, and now we’ve got two monsters fighting each other in the distance. What a troublesome night." An unfamiliar female voice suddenly sounded from behind him.

Noah’s entire body tensed. He immediately turned around, only to discover someone floating even higher in the sky behind him.

A woman. Her long hair fluttered in the night breeze, its dark navy-blue strands blending into deep crimson toward the ends. Her eyes glowed an eerie blood-red, while her pale, smooth skin gleamed beneath the moonlight.

Most striking of all were her pointed ears, she was an elf.

But not an ordinary one. The ominous aura surrounding her, combined with the distinctive crimson hues of her appearance, left little room for doubt.

’A Blood Elf?! Dammit!’

A dark violet cloak draped over her shoulders, its fabric rippling. Strange patterns shimmered faintly across its surface, giving it an almost otherworldly appearance.

Noah’s gaze lingered on the cloak for a fraction of a second before returning to the woman herself.

She tilted her head slightly, her blood-red eyes examining him with open curiosity.

"And who might you be, human?"

Moonlight illuminated her face, revealing an appearance that was almost unnaturally beautiful.

Noah didn’t let his guard down for even a moment. He reached into his storage ring and retrieved a sword, gripping its hilt firmly.

The woman noticed his movement, but rather than appearing threatened, she simply curled her lips into an amused smile.

"What are you doing here, young man?"

Noah immediately put on his most charming smile.

"It’s a pleasure to meet such a beautiful lady beneath the moonlight." He gave her a polite nod. "As for who I am, well, I’m afraid I’m not particularly interesting. I simply lost my way and was trying to find my way back. I hope our paths never cross again."

The moment he finished speaking, Noah channeled mana into the enormous ice sword beneath his feet.

The blade shot forward.

Whoosh!

He fled toward the hotel at full speed.

’Goodbye, beautiful lady! I hope you have a wonderful night! Preferably somewhere far away from me!’

Unfortunately, his hopes were shattered almost immediately.

"Young man, where do you think you’re going without even introducing yourself?"

The woman’s amused voice followed him through the night.

Noah pretended not to hear her.

’Forget introductions! Not everyone can fly, even among people at the highest core levels. Yet she’s floating up here as though it’s the most natural thing in the world!’

His gaze flickered toward the woman’s strange cloak. ’Is that thing an artifact? It has to be! Maybe it grants the ability to fly. That would explain—’

Before he could finish the thought, he sensed something approaching from behind.His instincts screamed.

"Shit!"

Noah twisted around, bringing his sword up just as a crimson lance shot toward him at terrifying speed.

Mana surged through his weapon, coating its edge in a thin layer of ice.

SLASH!

His sword collided with the incoming projectile.

The impact sent a sharp vibration through his arms, forcing his muscles to tense. For a brief moment, the tremendous force threatened to knock his weapon off course.

However, Noah managed to hold his ground.

His glacier-blue eyes narrowed as he redirected the strike, allowing his blade to slice cleanly through the crimson lance.

SHING!

The projectile split into two pieces. Both halves tumbled through the air, gradually losing their shape as they fell toward the distant ground.

Noah stared at them for a moment.

Then he realized something.

"...That’s blood?"