Joey Partlan.
A character in the ga Soul Academy, known for having the highest magical potential. Despite her position as a Duke’s daughter, she was a fellow NPC with many flaws, which made her well-liked by players.
She had a hidden passive skill that caused her to fail at tis with a certain probability, which made many players' blood pressure rise.
Nevertheless, she was the most powerful and versatile mage that could be recruited, so eventually, she had to be hired.
When I was on the other side of the monitor, she was the one who stayed the longest in my party.
I don’t doubt that it was lucky for to have beco friends with Joey.
It’s not just because she was my favorite character in the ga, and I could beco friends with her.
It may have started that way, but over ti, Joey truly beca my real friend.
Despite her terrifying appearance, she was timid.
She would get angry easily when teased.
But she couldn’t really stay mad, and soon she would calm down.
When she ate sothing really delicious, she would wear a foolish smile that didn’t match her face.
Making silly mistakes and grumbling about them, she had beco soone I needed to protect.
It’s not that my other friends aren’t precious.
They all are, and I value every connection with them.
But strangely, when I looked at Joey, the image of her sitting before the dungeon kept coming to mind, and I found myself worrying about her more.
Perhaps, because that image never left my mind, I began to see her more as soone I needed to protect.
Not as the greatest mage of Soul Academy, but as my weak, dear friend.
Joey’s magic spread throughout the area.
Her magic, which erased false truths and revealed hidden ones, looked sloppy to soone like , who knew little about magic, but that was exactly why it was so impressive.
With that clumsiness, she achieved a miracle that even Fabius and I couldn’t have imagined.
“Heh. If that old mage had seen this, he’d be happy.”
Leaving behind my grandfather’s exclamation, I took in the changing scenery of the world.
It was a world I could never have seen in the ga.
Ding!
[Joey Partlan’s affection has exceeded 85.]
[She completely trusts you!]
[Your bond with Joey Partlan grows stronger.]
[The soul of a hero guides her towards a miracle.]
As I read the barrage of ssages, I finally raised my head and t Joey’s eyes.
Only after seeing her struggling smile did I realize that I was laughing too.
“Why have you been so useless when you could do sothing like this? Have you caught the protagonist disease? Silly Joey?!”
Joey trusts completely?
Haha. I get it. Guess I have no choice now.
If Joey, who trusts , shows this side of herself, then I, standing at the front, can’t look foolish either.
“Are you just fooling around? You think I can’t deal with this?”
“You can’t ♡ idiot ♡.”
I blocked Joey’s path and glared at the alchemist, making sure his gaze was directed at .
Then, just as I expected, my friends stood beside .
Fabius.
Arthur.
Prete.
Joey.
Each one of them gripped their weapons tightly and looked ahead.
When I had faced the alchemist before, I was alone.
I had to stop that disaster by myself, thinking I could never overco it.
But not anymore.
I’m not alone.
I don’t have to do everything by myself.
“Are you struggling?”
“Stop talking nonsense and get ready to get beaten ♡ pathetic losers can’t do anything without help ♡.”
I took a deep breath. I withdrew the divine power I had stored in my shield and focused on creating a divine field around my heart.
I gathered the warmth that wanted to spread from within and pulled it back into my body.
Then I prayed.
Not asking anything from the pathetic god.
But for the apostle working for you, to give up sothing.
If you’re up there just chuckling like a useless, jobless fool, then do sothing.
Make sure your apostle can move forward. That she can stand at the forefront of victory. So she can crush the faces of those worthless idiots.
Bestow a blessing.
[The hero's spirit strengthens your step.]
[You are blessed as you walk the path of a saint.]
[The goddess’s blessing fills you with confidence as you move.]
An overwhelming sensation wrapped around my entire body.
The certainty that I would not fail.
The belief that no matter what trials ca, I could overco them.
With that in mind, I raised the corners of my mouth and pushed my shield forward, staring at the tree.
The tree of the giant that guards the forest.
Chosen by wisdom through long years, the ruler of the forest.
Now, under the power of the Void, it had lost its mind and was attacking us, modified by the alchemist.
As I thought about how to provoke that being, the conclusion ca to in an instant.
After confirming the weakness with my ntal check, I smiled at the tree’s red eyes, which had lost its sanity.
“Wow ♡ look at those rotten roots ♡ so pathetic ♡ you never even used them properly, and now you won’t be able to use them at all ♡.”
The tree of the giant was a mutant born in the forest.
It wasn’t supposed to grow there; it had been made to grow by so miracle.
Originally, a different species, the tree had stood guard over the forest for a long ti, but had left no offspring.
In human terms, it was like a centuries-old virgin.
“Hm ♡ thinking about it, even if it rotted, nothing would change, would it? ♡ It’s never been useful, so why would it change now? ♡ Maybe it’s even more honorable to just rot away? ♡”
Kruuh!
The giant tree, which had only threatened us through its roots up until now, stomped toward with heavy footsteps.
Its charge, imnse even among trees, seed threatening, but I wasn’t scared.
As long as it couldn’t hide its actions behind lies.
As long as it lost its mind and swung its arms recklessly.
That thing couldn’t escape the decaying knowledge it had.
The tree raised its arm.
A living siege weapon swung at .
Not yet.
Just a little more.
Wait until that arm reaches its peak, then cos down.
Now.
Thwang!
A clear sound echoed, signaling that the parry had succeeded, and the siege weapon was sent flying far away.
I wasn’t invincible.
The tree’s power could destroy walls, so even if I succeeded in parrying, I still had to be pushed back.
If I were alone, it would have been a tough situation.
If I were alone.
“Burn!”
Arthur’s fla struck the tree’s face, blocking its sight.
“Should’ve brought an axe.”
Prete’s sword left a huge gash in the tree.
Just then, the giant tree, now regaining its senses, swung its roots to attack Prete, but Joey’s wind magic cut them off.
Seeing this, Prete made another wound before stepping back.
“Arrogant fools!”
Perhaps perplexed by the situation, the alchemist tried to assist with his dark magic.
“Do you not know your place?”
Fabius’s purifying aura blocked his path. Standing opposite the followers of the evil god.
Before the saint’s divine power, which would not allow corruption, the alchemist couldn’t wield his power fully and struggled to block the divine energy that approached him.
Kruuh!
Having realized that blindly charging wouldn’t win him the fight, the giant tree tried to strike its roots into the ground once more.
But I wouldn’t allow it.
“Are you giving up just because you were pushed back? ♡ You really have no perseverance ♡ No wonder you’ve stayed a virgin this whole ti ♡.”
...
“Live your whole life like that ♡ all the trees. The birds. The insects. Everyone will hate you, and you’ll be buried sowhere ♡. In a way, it’s a blessing ♡ that your inferior seed hasn’t spread, making the world more beautiful.”
The tree, now completely deranged, charged at again.
It ca only at .
It attacked only .
It swung its fist.
I deflected it with my shield, creating an opening.
It swung its roots to bind .
I evaded with my movents, scratching the roots to disrupt their flow.
It threw rotten fruit.
I blocked it with my divine power, mocking the stench of decay. Once again, the tree charged.
Through all this, I didn’t always make the best moves.
While enduring the shock, I took on minor wounds and accumulated fatigue, but I didn’t lose my composure.
I didn’t need to attack.
Even if the mace hidden behind the shield only posed a threat, that was enough.
Being able to focus solely on defense and provocation was surprisingly comfortable.
While thinking this, I saw the giant tree faltering behind my shield and rushed forward.
My goal was to subdue it.
I wasn’t sure if the ruler of the forest could return to his original state, but I wasn’t going to give up on saving him.
So, while running, I made my mace smaller and put it in my pocket.
After continuous attacks, the tree’s movents slowed down, its wounds accumulating.
Even when it ca right up to , it couldn’t even swing its arm.
Staring into the tree’s red eyes, I leapt into the air, gathering divine energy into my empty hands.
The divine energy of the god who doesn’t allow corruption. The power of the sun that drives out the darkness.
With that, I struck the tree’s face with my fist full of divine power, sending its massive form slightly floating into the air before crashing down.
For a brief mont, the tree twitched, but it seed to lack the strength to rise again.
“Excellent! Lady Yuria! That was so noble and powerful!”
As I looked worriedly at the fallen tree, hoping it would still be alive, the perverted apostle appeared next to with an admiring voice.
Ignoring his nonsense, I turned my gaze to where the bear had been, spotting the giant bear sprawled out.
Its belly moved slowly up and down.
Had it been subdued after the power of the evil god disappeared?
Without knowing its pattern.
...If it weren’t for its usual disgusting appearance, it would have been a true apostle.
“Lucy, look ahead.”
Following my grandfather’s words, I raised my head and saw the alchemist fleeing under his robe, tentacles trailing behind him.
What’s this? Is he running away because he thinks he’s going to lose?
He used to be so confident, but now he wants to live?
“Puhahaha ♡”
The mont I laughed, the alchemist froze.
“Is it because your junk has rotted away and fallen off? ♡ You’re acting more like a girl than a woman ♡.”
From his slightly turned face, I could see the alchemist staring at .
“What’s wrong? ♡ Giving up on running away now? ♡ You finally realized you can’t get anywhere moving like that? ♡”
“...”
“So, what are you going to do now? ♡ Try sothing! ♡ If you struggle ugly enough, maybe I’ll listen to your last words? ♡ Ah~ ♡ never mind ♡ just die ♡ your disgusting breath will choke to death!”
“Damn you!!!”
As the alchemist rushed toward , I grabbed my mace again.
The other two forest guardians didn’t matter.
But this one? I could hit him however I wanted, right?
Right?
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