Fairy Tail: All Magic Converges in One Body

As the fireball hurtled towards them, Hope grabbed the still-stunned forestry owner, pushed off with his feet, and activated "Divine Footwork" instantly, sending the two of them retreating like a gust of wind.

The fireball struck the spot where they had just stood, blasting a shallow, charred crater, and the air was thick with the smell of burning.

"That was close..." The forest farm owner was still shaken, his face pale.

When the crimson tree-man missed its target, it let out a hoarse, unpleasant roar, and the twisted face on its trunk was filled with savagery.

It took heavy steps with its roots, causing the ground to tremble, and another, even more powerful magical fire fruit condensed among its branches.

Just then, the large, leafy tree next to them also started to move.

It rose from the ground, transforming into a taller but gentler tree-man form, blocking the crimson tree-man's path, emitting a low, mournful sound like the wind whistling through the leaves, as if trying to dissuade it.

However, the Crimson Treant was unmoved and instead hurled the newly formed Flame Fruit directly at the Green Treant.

The green tree seemed to have been prepared, its thick branches crossed to block, and a pale green halo appeared on its surface.

boom!

The fireball exploded, its power so great that it plowed two furrows into the ground, leaving deep charred marks on the Green Tree Man's arms.

But it stubbornly stood still, trying to protect the forestry owner and Hope behind it.

Seeing his old friend, the tree spirit, who had known him for decades, sacrifice himself like this, the forest owner's voice choked with emotion, "Sir mage, please help us."

Hope nodded, his sharp gaze fixed on the berserk red treant. He could tell that the green treant was only on the defensive and its defeat was only a matter of time.

That mutant must be subdued as soon as possible.

"Sir, please step back."

Hope said in a deep voice, as his magical power began to surge within him.

He slightly bent his knees, and the next moment, the 'Divine Foot' magic erupted at full power.

Chapter 24 An Unexpected Joy

Hope's figure almost became a blur, bypassing the two confronting treants at an astonishing speed, and instantly appearing behind and to the side of the crimson treant.

This speed was clearly beyond the Treant's reaction limit. The Crimson Treant was still roaring at the Green Treant, completely unaware of the threat descending from behind.

"Wooden Shape - Binding!"

Hope waved her hands, and magic condensed into dozens of vines shimmering with pale blue light, which shot out as if they were alive, precisely wrapping around the torso and limbs of the Crimson Treant.

The Crimson Treant let out a piercing scream and struggled violently. It was incredibly strong, and the sturdy magical wooden strips were stretched taut, making a teeth-grinding sound, as if they would break at any moment.

Hope frowned slightly, maintaining her magical output.

The mutated tree-man's power exceeded his expectations, but it was still far inferior to the demon Lalabai.

Seeing that brute force could not break free, the crimson treant suddenly erupted with scorching flames, attempting to burn away the restraints. The vine-like structures crackled in the flames, their light flickering, yet remaining as steadfast as ever.

However, the wooden design ultimately contains the character "wood," making it inherently weaker when facing flames.

With a thought, Hope changed the shape of her hand, and some of the magical vines quickly transformed into solid wood, interweaving and fitting along the tree-man's joints and branches like Lego bricks.

In just a few breaths, a complex three-dimensional Luban lock had taken shape, firmly binding the Crimson Treant to the ground.

The more it struggled, the tighter the wooden strips became, restricting its joints and rendering the mutated tree-man powerless despite its brute strength. Even the flames on its body were weakened by the suppression of its magic power, leaving it only able to roar in impotent rage.

"Down!"

With Hope's low shout, the Crimson Treant's massive body, struggling under its own weight and the combined effect of the Luban Lock, lost its balance and crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Both the green-tree people and the forest farm owner who had just run to the distance were dumbfounded.

Is it really that easy?

If they knew that Hope had used the same tactic to control the demon Lalabai, they would probably be even more shocked.

Having resolved the temporary threat, Hope approached the locked-up Crimson Treant and examined it closely.

As he approached, he clearly sensed a chaotic and violent energy flowing within the tree-man's body, which was incompatible with the "tree-man" race, which was inherently peaceful.

"Something's not right; it doesn't seem like a natural mutation."

Hope pondered for a moment, then placed his hand on the Luban lock, closed his eyes and focused his mind, carefully sensing the entire body of the treant through the magical artifact as a medium, tracing the source of the chaotic power.

Gradually, near the mutated tree-man's forehead, he discovered an extremely faint, yet exceptionally domineering, aura of magic.

This technique doesn't seem to have formed naturally.

It was the domineering magic from outside that influenced the treants' minds, causing them to become violent and warlike.

Hope opened his eyes and tried to use his own magic to dispel the wisp of magic, but the magic was extremely stubborn, like a bone-deep infection, and forcibly dispelling it might damage the tree's very foundation.

Since that's the case, we might as well just get rid of it.

After all, this is just a mission to subjugate.

Hope was no kind-hearted person. He immediately clapped his hands, and a large number of sharp wooden stakes appeared from all directions around the Luban Lock that was binding the mutated tree man.

"Wooden Design - Forest of Guns".

Just as the mutated tree-man was about to be turned into a hedgehog, the green tree-man next to him suddenly stood up and let out a low growl at Hope.

Hope couldn't understand the tree-man's language, but the forest owner, who had known him for many years, could. He quickly said, "Mage, please have mercy! Please have mercy!"

Hope paused, then turned to look at the Green Tree Man, which was rustling softly, its massive canopy swaying gently as if pleading for something.

The forestry owner, who had jogged back, translated: "It says this mutated tree-man was originally a good tree... It begs you to save it and restore it to normal."

Hope looked troubled. "That wasn't a requirement on the order form..."

Years of business experience allowed the forestry owner to instantly understand Hope's meaning, and he subconsciously quoted, "10 J?"

Hope's expression shifted, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes, before he shook his head and smiled. "Removing unknown magic is a delicate task, very laborious and time-consuming..."

The forestry owner continued to probe: "15 J".

Hope continued to refuse, saying, "It's not suitable, it's really not suitable."

The forestry owner remained expressionless. "20 J."

"Aren't you asking the impossible...?"

"25 J".

"This isn't about money..."

"A flat rate, including commission and rescue fee, totaling 50 J. If you can do it, great; if not, you can take the original 18 J and leave."

"Hey~" Hope's frown instantly turned into a bright smile. "Boss, you have a good eye for people. I guarantee I'll get this job done."

The speed at which he changed his tune left the forestry owner speechless. However, 50 J was nothing to him; it would be best if this mage could solve the problem once and for all.

The deal is done.

Hope took a deep breath and placed her hands on the Crimson Treant again.

This time, instead of trying to dispel it, he manipulated the fine magical threads extending from the magic wooden strip, like a delicate surgical scalpel, carefully cutting open the mutated tree-man's forehead to guide out the wisp of magic affecting the tree-man's mind.

Just before the magic left the treant's body and was about to dissipate.

The system's cold voice rang out at an inopportune moment.

【ding~】

[The host has come into contact with extraordinary power—the lost magic 'The Arch of the Great Tree']

[Analysis in progress—]

Analysis complete. The estimated time required to decipher the "arc shape of the tree" is 45 days.

[Current unlock slots: 'Plant Magic' (9 days remaining), 'Demon Spell: Curse Kill' (15 days remaining)]

Upon hearing the system's notification, Hope was startled, her wrist trembled slightly, and she almost pierced the tree-man's brain with the magic thread.

45 days, which is one and a half months.

This is the spell that takes the longest to decipher among all the spells recorded in the system to date, demonstrating its immense power; it truly deserves to be called the legendary "Lost Magic".

In this world, "lost magic" is a collective term for magic that has been lost or is on the verge of being lost.

These spells, in terms of both power and function, far surpass ordinary magic, but due to their extremely high learning difficulty and demanding aptitude requirements, they are difficult to pass down.

Unexpectedly, simply going out to complete a C-rank quest resulted in unexpectedly acquiring a lost magic item...

I'm actually quite excited about it.

Chapter 25 Souvenirs

As the culprit that had been affecting his mind disappeared, the ominous red markings on the Red Leaf Tree Man's body quickly faded, and the raging flames went out, turning it back into an ordinary dark brown tree trunk.

The savage red light in its eyes faded, replaced by a sense of bewilderment and exhaustion. Its struggles lessened considerably, and it let out a low, weak groan, as if it had just woken from a nightmare.

Seeing this, the green tree people made a rustling sound of satisfaction, and their huge branches swayed gently.

"It's a success?!"

The forestry owner was speechless as he watched Hope's smooth operation.

They seemed so reluctant when they were haggling just now, but it turns out they were really only after money...

Hope smiled, snapped his fingers, and the complex Luban lock that bound the tree-man instantly disintegrated, turning into pure magic and dissipating into the air.

Freed from its restraints, the Red Leaf Tree Man shook its head and tried to stand up, but staggered due to its previous exhaustion and injuries.

The green-leafed tree-man quickly stepped forward, extending a thick branch to support it, and the two tree-men began to communicate in hushed tones in their unique language.

Hope couldn't understand, but fortunately the forestry owner was there to translate.

The Red Leaf Tree People originally lived happily deep in the forest, but about half a month ago, a human mage came to the forest. His magic could control the magic power in the earth and allow him to hide in the trees.

Because it was sleeping, it habitually disguised itself as an ordinary tree, the Red Leaf Tree-Man, and unfortunately, the mage mistook it for an ordinary tree and passed right through it. A wisp of magic left in its body by the mage caused it to lose its mind, becoming violent and warlike.

Magic power can reflect a mage's personality from different perspectives.

Based on this, the mysterious mage who used the "Great Tree Arc" technique must have been a very warlike person.

However, there is too little information about the other party, and their strength seems unfathomable, so there is no need to investigate further.

Hope turned to the financial backer of this mission, rubbed his fingers together, and smiled with exceptional sincerity.