I Supported My Fiancé for 10 Years After He Said, 'Let's Get Married When I Succeed,' but When He Finally Did, He Dumped Me. By the Way, I'm a Witch and Turning 30 Next Year!! - Episode 50
The sky was filled with dark clouds, and thunder roared in the distance. The once lush vegetation had turned pitch black, as if rotting away.
The eerie sound of the wind whistled through the air, carrying the stench of decay. The thick miasma made every breath feel heavy and painful.
Carbuncle had insisted on walking on its own, but after seeing the state of the ground, it chose to float instead.
I could feel an unsettling sensation creeping up from my feet. With every step forward, a deep, nauseating discomfort welled up from the pit of my stomach.
With visibility barely maintained, I could see it towering in the distance—the tallest tree in the area, standing in the thickest part of the miasma.
“This can’t be real… Is that the World Tree?”
“It appears so…”
The massive vines wrapped around it were far thicker than the ones at the gate, draining its nutrients down to the last drop. The bark had lost its sheen, and leaves were falling like rain, leaving it in a grotesque state.
“How did no one notice before it got this bad?”
“It’s beyond terrible.”
Merv Maple tried to cut the black vines tangled at the roots, but they were far too strong. Instead of slicing through, a metallic clang echoed through the air.
“Mmm… Too hard!”
“It seems that way. Don’t force it.”
There was nothing more we could do. We had to inform Ie as soon as possible so he could report this to the Holy King.
“This is horrifying… The World Tree is as good as dead… What can we even do…?”
“We go back and call for help!”
“Y-Yeah, you’re right!”
If I had been alone, I might have been accused of being the culprit. But with Carbuncle as a witness, that wouldn’t be a problem.
“Let’s hurry.”
I picked Carbuncle up again and turned on my heel. The moment I did, a chilling sensation ran down my spine.
When I turned around, a vine, its tip as sharp as a spear, was lunging straight at me.
Before it could strike, Merv Maple expanded its leaves and hardened them into a shield, blocking the attack with a heavy thud.
But more vines were coming from different directions.
“What the hell is this?!”
The black vines moved with clear intent, attacking like living creatures.
Not just one or two—there were too many to count.
I grabbed the enchanted leaves from my pocket, forming vines of my own to ensnare and halt the enemy’s movements. But they were easily torn apart, and the attacks continued relentlessly.
There was no time to counterattack—just dodging was taking everything I had.
And then—one of the vines wrapped around my leg, yanking me off my feet.
In an instant, I was bound up like a cocoon.
Not stopping there, the vine pulled me up at an alarming speed, leaving me dangling upside down from one of the World Tree’s thick branches.
“Damn it…!”
I could feel the vines draining my magic, bit by bit.
So this was how they had been killing the World Tree.
Who could be responsible for this?
As I struggled, I caught sight of a figure standing on the branch I was suspended from.
Though the thick miasma blurred my vision, I recognized that silhouette—tall and elegant.
“Alyssa von Strolt!”
“You surprise me. Even while having your magic drained, you remain conscious?”
Alyssa… was part of this?
“Who put you up to this?”
“Put me up to it? No one. I simply do as I please. Like this.”
“—!!”
A wave of nausea and dizziness washed over me.
My whole body turned cold as my vision threatened to fade into white.
To keep myself conscious, I bit down on my lip hard.
It would probably leave a canker sore, but I’d just heal it later with my best potion!
She must have increased the rate of absorption—and the amount being taken.
If I lost all my magic, I would die.
And then, I realized something.
“Alyssa von Strolt… You’re the ‘Dark Witch,’ aren’t you?”
Even through my hazy vision, I thought I saw Alyssa smile.
It was the kind of smile that confirmed everything.
“Why are you doing this…?”
“Well, let’s see… I suppose I’ll tell you, as a parting gift before you die.”
Alyssa gathered the vines to her, shaping them into a throne. She sat down gracefully and began speaking.
“I’m doing this… to win Ie’s heart.”
“What—?!”
Destroying the World Tree, just for the sake of love?
“Don’t tell me you’re planning to resurrect the Demon King?”
“That’s right. You understand quickly.”
It wasn’t hard to figure out.
I had gathered enough information from Saint Sui, who was knowledgeable about this world.
Though, according to her, the ‘Dark Witch’ should have been me…
“Are you aware that fifty years ago, another dark magic user tried to do the same thing?”
“And what of it?”
“It just makes you a cheap imitation.”
“—!!!!”
Alyssa’s face twisted with rage.
A massive black magic circle formed beneath her.
The moment I felt the vines constrict tighter, I knew—this was my chance!
During spellcasting, a magic user is at their most vulnerable.
I activated the Sun’s Hand at full power.
Before, I had hesitated to touch the vines. But now, with them wrapped around me, I had no choice.
I had to burn through them—no matter what happened.
The golden flames flared—
And the vines burned away.