Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 312

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Drip. Drip.
A drop of black liquid fell to the ground.
The moment the earth began to turn black.

Crack!
A wooden stem pierced into that ground. Simultaneously, the tree that had been tinged brown turned black, while the earth returned to its original color and the wood transformed into pitch black.

“…What in the world is this!”

The Imperial Knight spoke without thinking, then flinched and trembled. The moment he lifted his head, seized by an unsettling sensation.

“Aaahhh!”

Rustle, rustle—
A colossal black wooden stem passed overhead with the sound of rustling leaves.

“They’ve gone mad. The trees have gone mad.”

He collapsed to the ground.
In the eyes of the fallen knight, the sight of Sector 7 was reflected.

Alive and moving.

This entire vast space of Sector 7 was convulsing and stirring with life. It was all because of the colossal wooden stems that had suddenly sprouted.

Boom! Boom!
Even as dead mana bombs detonated, the Imperial Army could not rush toward the airship. They could not, even if they wanted to.

Rustle, rustle—

Every time the sound of rustling leaves reached their ears, the Imperial soldiers’ bodies shrank back.
Beside their feet, above their heads, trees darker than the night’s darkness descended upon them.

They wanted to flee, but the trees were faster.
What should have always remained in place now controlled the movements of all Sector 7 and began to rampage freely.

“What… what kind of tree is that!”

The Alchemist in charge of the airship gripped the railing, his face drained of all color.
His eyes could only fixate on the withered vines swallowing the dead mana bombs at the red-haired commander’s gesture.

“W-we must inform headquarters! We have to!”

He barked orders at the subordinate standing beside him.

“C-contact the Tower Master and His Majesty immediately! A-and, and!”

His lips trembled as he tried to think, but his mind refused to function properly against this unforeseen variable.

A tree that consumed dead mana had appeared.
Because of it, Sector 7 had no areas devastated by the dead mana bombs. Instead, black vine tendrils draped across every residential district and building, intertwining like shields to protect the structures.

Boom!

The Alchemist turned his head at the sound reaching his ears.

South.
The golems were crumbling.
Simultaneously, he spotted a figure in the distant south staring toward him. Or rather, he couldn’t actually see their gaze.
But the moment he saw the black robe directed at his position, he realized the other party was also watching him.

That renowned Necromancer Mary of Roun.
The Western Continent’s sole and final Necromancer.

Contempt and revulsion toward the Necromancer ignited in the eyes of the Alchemist who was also a dark mage.
He could see the shimmering black mana beside the Necromancer. Likely, they had purified the black despair and absorbed the remaining dead mana.
Soon the Necromancer staggered and was supported by a Dark Elf.

‘Even so, they’re far beneath the Tower Master.’

Recognizing this fact, the Alchemist’s mind cleared. He turned his head to face forward and issued his command.

“Detonate all the bombs as quickly as possible!”

His subordinate’s eyes gleamed with understanding.
Detonating the bombs quickly meant the airship’s takeoff would accelerate as well. The Alchemist nodded at his subordinate’s expression and spoke again.

“And—”

The epicenter of transformation.
I pointed to the being that the tree tendrils rushed to protect first and foremost.

“And attack Kale Heniatus as much as possible! No, obstruct him!”

At those words, the Mages and Knights immediately sprang into action.

“Prepare offensive magic! Flame attribute!”

The Mages aboard the airship began drawing massive flame magic circles. They had determined that minor magic would be useless against those black tree tendrils.
Simultaneously, the Knights charged toward Kale at the center of Sector 7.

“Do you really think you can block all of us alone!”

Kale exhaled a sigh at the words spilling from the Knight rushing toward him with sword drawn.

‘What a clichéd line. Truly clichéd.’

Wasn’t this exactly the sort of dialogue enemies spouted when fighting a solitary protagonist in fantasy or martial arts novels? Kale found himself understanding the hearts of such characters in stories.

“I’m alone because I can manage it.”

Can’t you even calculate that much?
Kale allowed the corners of his mouth to rise as he moved his hands with leisurely grace. Then Raon’s voice reached his ears.

-Our human is not alone! The great Raon Mir is here!

And he added,

-But human looks scary!

Kale’s smile deepened.

I know.
I’m aware of what I look like right now.

How menacing my own appearance must be—laughing while ensnared by black tree tendrils that moved like living serpents—Kale could imagine it with just a moment’s thought.

I manipulated several of the black vine-like tendrils, my mind drifting back to what the Glutton Goddess had said.

‘All I can do is block?’

We shall see.
Unlike what the Glutton Goddess claimed, I felt as though I wielded a weapon mightier than fire itself. That weapon now turned toward the enemies converging from all directions.

“Fall back! Those vines feed on dead mana! Retreat!”

Crash. Boom!
The Knight heard the detonations of yet another dead mana bomb and the ravenous consumption of the vines devouring it, but he pressed on, barking orders with renewed force to his subordinate knights.

“Use aura smoke to sever them! As long as you don’t make contact, you’re safe! Move in pairs!”

The Knight raised his blade and brought it down.

Slash—
The black vine bearing down on me was severed with ease.
Thud. The severed branch withered and fell to the ground. The Knight’s eyes gleamed with triumph as he cried out.

“It cuts easily! Avoid the dead mana and they’re just ordinary branches! Their offensive power is negligible!”

Though the massive vines possessed considerable destructive force in their own right, the number of knights surrounding me exceeded a hundred.

Slash—
Crackle, crackle—

“Cut them down! Keep advancing as you sever!”

The Knight continued issuing commands, sneering at me as I stood at the center, seemingly cradled by the black vines. Following his orders, the knights advanced methodically toward the core.

I appeared like a rat trapped in a cage.
Beneath the darkness, commanding these black vines seemed terrifying, yet in truth, it was nothing of consequence.

“I shall avenge the defeat at Wipper!”

The momentum of the Knight and his soldiers surged ever stronger.

Slash!
I brought down my sword wreathed in aura, and several branches fell in a single stroke. It was merely an ordinary tree. There was no reason to fear.

A smug smile played at the Knight’s lips.

“…sir!”

Hm?
In that instant, as the Imperial Knight charged toward me, the shouts of soldiers reached his ears. The cries grew louder and louder until they finally reached the Knight clearly.

“Enemies! The Jungle Kingdom is attacking!”

What are they saying?
Wasn’t it the Jungle Kingdom and Roun who just attacked?
Before the Knight could even voice his confusion, he heard a sharp sound cutting through the night.

Whiiiing— whiing—

It was an alarm blaring from the airship.
In that moment.

Boom!
Booom!

The two remaining golems collapsed.
Simultaneously, the Knight glanced toward where the golems had been and his eyes widened.

People with brown skin, faintly visible in the darkness, different from those of the Western Continent’s Central Region.
Warriors crossing over the City Wall, stepping over the fallen golems.

Growl—
Growl— growl—
The roars of beasts with eyes that gleamed even in darkness mingled with the shadows. Jungle Warriors entered Sector 7, some mounted upon the fierce creatures while others advanced on bare feet, weapons gripped in their hands.
Tens of thousands of them. And among them, a figure stood towering atop the high City Wall.

“Roooaaaar!”

A massive black panther roared beneath the moonlight and starlight.
Its enormous yet lithe body surged forward. It was heading toward where the last remaining golem was crumbling.

“Ten!”

The moment a voice pierced through the darkness, Ten crouched low, and a woman vaulted onto his back.
A massive spear gleamed in her grip.

None of those scaling the City Wall or climbing over the golems uttered battle cries. They infiltrated silently, methodically, like shadows seeping through cracks.

The Knight swallowed hard as he watched the enemy tide surge forward. In that instant, a voice reached his ears.

“Weren’t you the one targeting me?”

The Knight turned his head with a start.
Kale Heniatus’s smiling face came into view. As a chill ran down his spine at that silent grin, another sound erupted.

Whoooosh—
The rustling of leaves that had been audible moments before suddenly intensified, and Kale’s robes billowed. The charging Knights faltered, then hastily retreated.
The Knight shouted urgently.

“Fall back!”

Hundreds of branches suddenly erupted from Kale’s position, spreading outward in all directions.
Simultaneously, they began to grow.
Black wood surged forth, thickening and strengthening with each passing moment.

“Roaaaar!”

The black panther Ten launched into the air.

Thud.
Yet new ground materialized beneath Ten’s feet.
Black timber. The colossal tree became solid earth for Ten to stand upon.
In that moment, the Mage on the airship cried out.

“The magical formation is ready to activate!”

The commanding Alchemist barked orders, veins bulging in his neck.

“Activate the formation now! Kill Kale Heniatus!”

Black wooden tendrils radiating outward from Kale wove together in a dense lattice, as intricate as a spider’s web.
Above ground, in the sky.
They intertwined without discrimination, forging pathways in every direction.

All those paths converged at a single destination—where the branches were headed.
The Royal Palace.
The tendrils advanced relentlessly toward the airship, moving with unstoppable momentum.

Crash. Crash!
Along the way, they devoured the dead mana bombs as an afterthought.
Nothing could stand in their way.

“Hurry!”

The moment the Alchemist urged them on, the magic circle activated.

Whirrrrr—
The magic circle and the mana stone above it blazed with light.
Yet the Alchemist’s face contorted as he stood at the airship’s railing.

From beneath Sector 7’s City Wall, a human figure soared skyward.
A person with blazing crimson hair, burning like the flame magic the Empire had prepared.
Rosalind was flying toward the airship. Scarlet mana swirled around her like a billowing cloak.

‘Damn it!’

How much have they prepared?
The Alchemist struck the railing. His gaze fixed on the center of the approaching enemies. Across the blackened ground of Sector 7, that crimson hair stood out vividly.

Kale, the owner of that crimson brilliance, opened his mouth. He commanded the wooden tendrils.

“Grow.”

Grow even more.
Enough to terrify our enemies.

“Spread forth.”

Advance without end.
Toward the enemy’s throat.

Kale gazed at the vine-like path woven from black spider silk and cried out.

“Forward, march!”

Roooaaarrr!
The black panther Ten roared and kicked off the vine, surging forward. Ritana leveled her spear ahead, gripping it in one hand.

“Let’s go.”

Choi Han stepped onto the vine that touched the north and charged toward the center. Two Dark Elves followed in his wake.
Merry and Tasha alike—all of them began racing along the black path.

Kale’s voice rang out once more.

“All allied forces, advance!”

North, south, east, west.
The Jungle Warriors, more familiar with the trees than anyone, began scaling the black vines in unison.
But they were not alone.
Several Jungle people who were not warriors, having hidden in silence beneath the protective canopy of vines, began to move along the black paths.

Whether mounted on beasts or charging on foot, their destination was singular.
The airship positioned above the Royal Palace at the heart of Sector 7.

“No, this can’t be!”

The Alchemist involuntarily stepped backward, watching the tide of beings surge forward. The pressure was as overwhelming as a black tsunami crashing down.

Screeeech—

At that moment, the airship lurched.

“What, what is this?”
“We’re caught! Commander, we’re caught!”
“What?”

At the panicked voice of his pallid subordinate, the Alchemist hastily peered downward.
Beneath the airship.
Black wooden tendrils clawed and burrowed into that very spot.
In that moment, Kale smiled.

“I have you.”

Everything in Sector 7 was now within Kale’s grasp.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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