Chapter 18: Coming To The End (Part 1)

As the War Mantis let out a final, pitiful screech and split into two halves, plummeting downward, Ruya felt at least five or six forces tugging at her body.

She had sensed these forces earlier—subtle manipulations of air magic, expertly cast by air mages to pull her off the mantis's back. But as the mantis had been flying erratically, and with her hiding within the crevices of its back, their attempts had been ineffective. Now, however, with the mantis falling apart and its descent trajectory clear, the air mages resumed their wind manipulation techniques, aiming to pull her toward them.

No matter what, the World Tree Leaf must not fall into the hands of these necromancers.

Protecting light and life against darkness—this was the sacred mission of the Elven race. These beliefs had long been deeply engraved into the core of her being. So, without hesitation, she leapt from the mantis's back, positioning herself so its massive body blocked the air mages' line of sight and their spellcasting. Instantly, the forces tugging at her disappeared.

It was a reflexive move to protect the World Tree Leaf. But the moment she did it—jumping off the mantis's back—she realized she had essentially signed her own death warrant.

The fall was from a height of two or three hundred meters. The giant ancient trees below appeared as small as blades of grass from this altitude. Ruya didn't know even the simplest air magic like Feather Fall. Without any way to slow her descent, she was certain to die upon hitting the ground.

Regret was pointless now. Even if she begged the air mages to pull her back with their wind manipulation, she was already beyond their reach. She could only fall freely alongside the giant carcass of the mantis.

All she could hear was the increasingly deafening rush of wind in her ears. The ground, which had seemed so distant, was expanding rapidly in her vision. Ruya could vividly imagine the moment her body slammed into the earth—a collision so violent it would be like smashing an egg with full force. There wouldn't even be time to feel pain.

Am I going to die? Her mind went blank.

She had thought that for the sacred mission of the Elves, she could face anything with calm resolve. But now, with death's hand grasping her tightly, ready to crush her like an insect, a primal, instinctual fear surged forth like a tsunami, drowning every other thought.

A scream tore from her throat—sharp, raw, and alien even to her ears. Her limbs flailed uncontrollably in the air, desperately trying to grasp at anything, even though she knew nothing could save her. Driven by sheer survival instinct, her body and voice did everything they could to resist the inevitable collision that would shatter her to pieces.

Then, with a soft thud, Ruya felt something beneath her back. It wasn't the bone-crushing impact she had braced for but a force that cushioned her fall. Though the collision was heavy, it wasn't fatal. There was some pain, but it was solid, reassuring—a feeling of safety. She was still descending, but her speed had drastically slowed. A powerful force seemed to surround her, counteracting the momentum of her fall.

I'm... alive?

Ruya began to regain her senses. Only then did she realize she was cradled in someone's arms—or rather, this person had leapt into the air to catch her. The resistance slowing her fall came from the Feather Fall spell cast by this person.

"Why would you jump when you clearly couldn't handle the consequences? I didn't think you were the reckless type," the person said, looking at her.

"It's... you?" Though the person wore a mask, Ruya immediately recognized the voice and the eyes.

Up above, Master Aiden, observing someone catch Ruya, hesitated briefly. Then, like a hawk, he dove down sharply. Though he dared not use offensive spells on the bearer of the World Tree Leaf, as long as the fight remained in the air, the skies were his domain.

A blue curtain of water suddenly flashed in front of Master Aiden as he dove, then scattered into countless droplets. His diving figure abruptly twisted sideways, rolling two or three times in mid-air and sliding a considerable distance before finally coming to a stop.

Although this sharp, high-speed maneuver was a testament to his extraordinary mastery of air magic—unparalleled across the continent—the movement and posture appeared undeniably clumsy.

What was even more embarrassing was Master Aiden's current state. A thin sliver of flesh was missing from the tip of his nose, with fresh blood slowly oozing out. His expression was a mix of shock and rage, his bloodshot eyes almost seeming to drip with fury. That water curtain just now, though it appeared simple, had been razor-sharp under the pressure of its passage. If his reaction had been even slightly slower, it might have sliced off his entire nose—or even his head.

"Everyone, stop right now!" A sharp female voice suddenly shouted.

A winged pegasus flew toward the gathered mages. Surrounding the pegasus was a shimmering, circular curtain of water that remained intact, resembling a massive, translucent blue gemstone encasing the creature. Two figures sat atop the pegasus: a delicate-looking teenage girl and a middle-aged female mage in her forties, dressed in the distinct light-blue robes of the Tooth Tower.

"Tower Master Edwina! What brings you here?" The mages immediately recognized the woman.

"Everyone, stop fighting! I have something to say!" The mage atop the pegasus shouted to the crowd.

A sharp whistling sound suddenly pierced the air. The female mage's expression turned icy as she spun to face Master Aiden, who was hovering below her at an angle. A thick wall of ice materialized in front of the pegasus, only to shatter into countless fragments with a muffled crack.

As the shards scattered, the blue water curtain around the pegasus quivered slightly, forming a visible dent before quickly returning to its original state. The female mage coldly fixed her gaze on Master Aiden as he floated upward.

"Edwina! You old hag, what are you doing here? You dare to ambush me?" Master Aiden roared furiously, glaring at the mage on the pegasus. Electricity crackled across his entire body, yet he refrained from launching any attacks. It wasn't that he could suppress his fury; rather, he knew it would be futile. No matter how powerful his lightning might be, it would have no effect on this magical water curtain. Even his Thunderclap Bomb attack, under a grandmaster-level water spell, would fail to explode before its energy was absorbed and dissipated by the water. His earlier Wind Blade spell had already been his most effective option, but it clearly had no impact.

Water magic was considered the weakest in attack power among elemental magics, though it was known for its versatility. However, once a mage reached the grandmaster or master level, no one wanted to provoke them. Particularly for air mages like Aiden, his unparalleled mastery of lightning and thunder was akin to a mouse biting a turtle—there was simply no point of attack.

"You're no longer the Tower Master of the Tooth Tower; you have no authority to command anyone here. We're here to avenge ourselves against the elves and reclaim the medicine to treat Tower Master Granden. While I've long wanted to teach you a lesson, you're lucky I don't have time for you today. Now get lost and stop interfering us all!"

"Interfere with all of you? No, I'm here to stop just you," said Edwina coldly, staring at Master Aiden. Her face, as beautiful as a blossoming peach, was framed by auburn curls cascading over her shoulders. Despite her cold, icy demeanor—her face showing the marks of time—it did nothing to diminish her allure. Even as she glared at Aiden with killing intent, there was still a subtle charm, as though she were lightly scolding in jest.

"Stop me? Stopping me means stopping us! Stopping us from saving Tower Master Granden! Everyone, listen up! Let's take this hag down first!"

"Listen up, everyone! He's the real culprit behind Tower Master Granden's plight. He's using all of you to rob the elves of the World Tree leaf!" Edwina's voice wasn't as loud as Aiden's, but its weight shook everyone. Every mage who heard her froze in shock.

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Aiden's entire face twitched.

"Nonsense? I regret to inform you that I've dispelled the mind-control magic from your so-called witnesses. They can clearly recall that it was your friend who told them Tower Master Granden was stabbed by elves. He described it vividly and in great detail. Coupled with the effects of mind-control magic, they all believed they had witnessed it themselves."

"Two years ago, you and Aisri schemed to force me out of the Tooth Tower, even pursuing me relentlessly. You imprisoned or expelled anyone who displeased you. Did you think you could do whatever you wanted with the Tooth Tower from then on? Though I've been hiding in Einfast's territory, I planted people in the Tower long ago. The moment something was amiss, they informed me."

Edwina patted the young girl beside her, who was holding the reins of the pegasus. "I owe this to Ayime and her brother. Without them notifying me and identifying the mind-control spells on those individuals, the Tooth Tower might truly have fallen into your hands." She pointed at the chaos below, her voice rising with fury. "The lives lost here are all because of you!"

The mages hovering in the air exchanged uncertain glances, unsure of what to do. Though Edwina had been absent for a while, she was still the Tower Master of the Tower of Water. In terms of reputation and influence, she far surpassed the reclusive Master Aiden. Furthermore, her words weren't hard to believe.