Chapter 64: The World Tree
[You have used a Random Keeper Summon Card.]
[A summoning circle is being generated.]
[The summoning circle forms near the crystal sphere, stabilizing the mana.]
A brilliant blue light flashed as the circle took shape. This was his third Keeper summon, but for the second Balak, it held a special significance.
"The new Keeper will be Sir Zighart’s replacent," deria said softly.
"That is right," Taehyun affird. "He sacrificed himself to the Spear of Longinus. It is ti this place had a new guardian."
Currently, the second Balak’s only defender was the Guardian, deria. Though she was rapidly approaching A-rank, a proper Keeper was still necessary.
[Great Success!]
[S-Rank Keeper, Cinder Golem Tartas, has been summoned.]
A hulking mass of rock, wreathed in roaring flas, erged from the light. It was an S-rank. Its blazing form imdiately identified it as a fire-attribute golem.
’My second golem, after Deshkar,’ Taehyun thought, a brief mory of his fallen soldier flashing through his mind.
The summoned golem, Tartas, stirred as if waking from a long slumber.
"Grrr. It is unbearably hot in here. Stifling."
"That is probably because you are on fire," Taehyun pointed out.
"What?! I am on fire? This is a catastrophe! I must extinguish it at once!"
The blazing boulder began frantically searching for water, its actions making no sense whatsoever. Taehyun shot a questioning look at deria, but she simply shook her head, just as baffled as he was.
[Cinder Golem Tartas]
[Rank: S]
[Level: 1]
[Class: None]
[Title: Golem Born from Cinders]
[Affiliation: Balak]
[Loyalty: 50]
[Favorability: 30]
[Obedience: 40]
[Skill: Heart of Cinders]
[Special Ability: Gatekeeper of Hell]
[Strength: 35] [Endurance: 50] [Agility: 3] [Stamina: 68]
[Mana: 2] [Divinity: 1] [Affinity: 34] [Luck: 1]
[Status: Identity Crisis]
Its stats were impressive, as expected of an S-rank Keeper. The special ability suggested it was a high-tier golem. He would have been thrilled, if not for the glaring ‘Identity Crisis’ status. Taehyun sighed, watching the panicking golem.
"Even when my luck is good, they are always missing a screw sowhere. Tell Kinjo to send him over to the main Balak later."
"Are you leaving already?" deria asked.
"Trouble always brews when things get quiet. I have a feeling it is about to get busy, so stay sharp. I will evolve you soon, too."
"I will look forward to it, Master Taehyun!" she bead.
deria leaned in, planting a light kiss on his cheek and smiling shyly, no longer hesitant with such simple displays of affection. Taehyun touched his cheek for a mont, then returned to the main dungeon.
---
[You have entered the Silent Forest.]
The forest was lusher than he rembered, the trees and undergrowth thick and vibrant. A faint blue luminescence emanated from the plants, a clear sign of the High Elves’ ambient mana. He was taking in the scenery when a group of raiders burst from the trees.
"Hah! Another one of Balak’s soldiers!"
"Idiot, look closer! Black hair, black eyes. He is a demon!"
"Then that must be the Dungeon Master of Balak!"
To them, killing the demon ant conquering the dungeon. It was an opportunity no raider would pass up. They activated their skills and charged forward.
Suddenly, dozens of arrows rained down from the canopy above. ’Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!’
They were homing arrows, glowing with dense mana. The charging raiders fell, their bodies pierced through before they could even scream. In their single-minded focus on the demon, they had completely forgotten about the High Elves. It was a fatal mistake.
"What brings you here, demon?"
The High Elves erged from the treetops, their bows still drawn. Safaella looked down at him, her expression one of clear displeasure.
’I have not been here in a while, but I guess a warm welco is too much to ask for.’
They had been living here in peace for so ti, so he could not bla them. Taehyun shrugged and glanced at the corpses.
"You were watching for a while, were you not? Could have stepped in sooner. You gave quite a scare."
"I was tempted to let them have you," Safaella retorted. "State your business."
"I just ca to plant a seed. Do not mind ."
"A seed?"
Her eyes fell to the small object in his hand. For a Dungeon Master so intensely focused on his domain, it was a bizarrely trivial errand. Taehyun ignored her confused stare and called out.
"Neru, could you guide to the center of the forest?"
"Of course."
"Neru!" another High Elf cried out in protest, but it was too late. Bound by her contract, Neru was already leading the way. Taehyun followed her to the heart of the Silent Forest.
"This should be the center," Neru said.
"Thank you. You can rest now."
"Call anyti."
Of all the High Elves, Neru was the easiest to get along with. Her naturally open personality played a part, but her favorability rating of over 50 was likely the main reason.
’Co to think of it, her favorability is the only one that has been rising. I had almost given up because of the forced contract. This might turn out well after all. First things first, let us plant this seed.’
He knelt and pressed the seed into the soft earth.
[You have planted an Unidentified Seed.]
[It has begun to absorb the forest’s mana.]
[Sothing will begin to grow over a set period.]
He could feel the ambient mana of the forest slowly seeping into the ground. Now, he just had to wait for it to sprout. But Taehyun had no intention of waiting.
’Instant growth is always better.’
His vision was flooded with white light. Evolution could target any living thing, and the seed he had just planted was no exception.
[Unidentified Seed]
[Grade: D]
[Sub-grade: None]
[Evolution EXP: 0/1,000]
[Evolution Possibility: 100%]
[Evolution Materials: D-rank Mana Stone x 10]
The seed’s grade was finally revealed. His inventory was overflowing with D-rank mana stones, and he had a fresh surplus of A-rank ones as well. There was nothing stopping him from uncovering the true nature of this mana-absorbing seed.
"Alright," Taehyun said with a grin. "Let us see what you really are."
He began pouring resources into it, triggering one evolution after another.
---
In the Forest of Spirits, at the southern tip of the Astral Continent, stood a sacred domain. It was once protected by the High Elves, who guarded an ancient temple and the World Tree. But that was a year ago, before the great disaster. A magic circle had appeared without warning, swallowing the High Elves whole. They never returned.
"We cannot wait forever! We must go find them ourselves."
"But the Elder forbade it. We cannot leave the forest. He said we must protect the temple and the World Tree, even if it is just us."
"The forest’s barrier has weakened since the High Elves vanished. The number of slave hunters grows by the day. We cannot hold out much longer."
The absence of the High Elves was a gaping wound. Their only remaining hope was the World Tree, its branches stretching toward the heavens. The ancient tree, known as the parent of nature, was the only thing reinforcing the forest’s borders.
Then one day, the World Tree began to tremble. ’Rumble...’
An unnatural vibration shook the earth, as if the entire forest were shuddering in fear. Sensing the strange energy, the elves flocked to the tree.
"What is happening? The World Tree is shaking!"
"Is Aria, the Goddess of Nature, angry? Or is this a revelation?"
"Everyone, look!"
Descending from the heavens was Aria herself, the ruler of nature. She trembled with a sense of foreboding as she looked down upon the elves.
"Sowhere... I am being called," she whispered, her voice like the rustling of leaves. "My children, this place will not last. You must hurry and find a new ho."
"Oh, great Aria, Goddess of Nature," an old elf stepped forward. "I am Hamolten, elder of this forest. When you say another place, where do you an?"
"The West," the goddess declared. "Find in the West. For reasons I do not understand, a new World Tree is being born in a place filled with ominous energy. Go there. Protect it!"
As she spoke, the deeply rooted World Tree began to wither. Hamolten wept as Aria’s form faded away.
"We will find the new World Tree, Lady Aria! We will protect it with our lives!"
The ancient temple no longer mattered. Their pillar of support was gone. They had to embark on a new journey. Their destination: the West.
Hamolten, having lived in seclusion, knew little of the continent, but it made no difference.
"What are you all waiting for?" he roared. "Prepare yourselves! This forest is no longer our ho. We march to the West to find the new World Tree!"
"Hurry! The Elder has given the order!"
"Bring the artifacts! We will need magic to conceal our identities!"
And so, the great migration began, as the elves of the south set a course for the West.
---
[S-Rank Keeper, Spirit Master Lia-Shu, has summoned the Interdiate Wind Spirit, Raijin.]
[Raijin fires a Wind Cutter at the High-Ice Spirit, Seira.]
After the incident with the slave hunters, Lia-Shu had begun to follow orders. She had not overco her misandry, but with In-hye’s guidance, she was at least leveling up. The slave raiders were also slowly being integrated, thanks to In-hye’s patient counsel. But that was not the most important developnt.
[Evolution Successful!]
[The Mana-infused Ancient Tree has evolved.]
The tree, which had grown to A-rank, now soared into the sky. What began as a simple seed absorbing mana had beco a colossal tree with roots deep in the heart of the forest. Taehyun stared, dumbfounded, at a tree larger than any he had ever seen.
"What kind of tree gets this big? You could probably see it from outside the territory."
He craned his neck but could not see the top. He checked the results of the final evolution.
[World Tree of Balak]
[Grade: S]
[Sub-grade: None]
[Evolution EXP: 0/50,000]
[Evolution Possibility: 20%]
[Evolution Materials: S-rank Mana Stone x 500, Soulstone of Great Nature]
’A World Tree? What in the world have I done?’
First High Elves, then Dwarves, then an angel, and now he had created a World Tree inside his dungeon.
[Aria, the Goddess of Nature, descends.]
A goddess materialized from the trunk of the great tree. Her hair was the deep green of sumr leaves, her eyes held an unfathomable depth, and she wore a soft brown gown. The very air around her thrumd with the energy of nature. She trembled as her eyes found Taehyun.
"Y-you are the one who summoned ."
"It is not like I did it on purpose," Taehyun muttered. "Look, you should probably go back."
"Do you truly think that is possible?" she replied. "I will take root here and protect this forest. But where is this place? Why do I feel such a profound chill...?"
"This is a dungeon."
The Silent Forest was within Balak’s territory, making it part of the dungeon. Aria finally understood the source of the ominous energy, and her eyes widened in horror.
"N-no! Of all the forests in the world, it had to be a dungeon? And more importantly, how did you, a demon, give birth to a World Tree?!"
"How should I know?" Taehyun shot back. "I just planted a seed and helped it grow. If you have a complaint, take it up with the tree."
"Ugh. Unclean. So very unclean," she shuddered. "St-still, the World Tree has taken root here, so it cannot be helped. From this day forward, this forest shall be the domain of the elves."
"Hey, who gave you the right to decide that?" Taehyun snapped. "This is my land. I do not care if you are a goddess or not, no illegal squatting."
"B-be quiet! I am leaving now. See that you welco the elves properly."
With that, she dumped the entire responsibility on him and vanished. Taehyun turned around with a stunned expression to find the High Elves gathering, their faces a mixture of awe and disbelief.
"D-demon! What is going on? Why is the World Tree here?!"
"Oh, great World Tree!"
"How is this possible?"
The area around the tree beca a sea of tears. Seeing the sacred tree from their holand once more, the High Elves collapsed to their knees, overco with emotion. Taehyun watched the flood of notifications about his rapidly increasing favorability and scratched his head.
"This was not the plan."
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