The Great Forest Prepares for Total War
The dragonkin waiting around the perimeter of the Great Forest war zone were so rattled that they ignored the forest’s unique property, which nullified magic, and frantically sent message spells to the elves demanding answers.
If the Demon King could unleash his full power, the Middle World would be annihilated in a month.
Once the magic power stabilized in a week, spells would work again inside the Great Cavity and the Great Forest. The terror that the wicked dark mage would then lead his contracted Demon King and high-ranking demons in a massacre spread like wildfire.
“Request joint action from the dragonkin. We must launch an all-out assault in one week.”
“The elderly and those unable to fight will evacuate beyond the forest. Every great warrior of the orc tribes will participate.”
“To think he would pull something like this. Exactly what you’d expect from that wicked dark mage. We should have eliminated him as a child.”
“It’s always the human race causing problems. When this is over, I won’t let them off easy.”
The grand conference hall built upon the colossal World Tree—ten kilometers tall and over twenty kilometers wide—of the Red High Elf Empire was now a cacophony of roars and chaos. Leaders and their entourages from every race living in the Great Forest hurled accusations at one another, old grudges igniting fresh disputes until the scene resembled a battlefield of demons.
Puhahahahaha—!
Suddenly, a giant forged of piercing flame descended from the sky with an earth-shaking roar. The divine authority of the Fire Elemental King Ifrit clamped down on every tribal leader, forcing them into immediate silence. It was the arrival of the queen of the Red High Elves, the most belligerent and combative of all High Elf tribes.
She was the Empress of Flames whose people surpassed one hundred fifty million in number. They occupied an entire World Tree within the Great Cavity and continued to expand. Given that the leading cause of orc deaths was burning alive in battle against them, there was no doubt they were the strongest tribe.
Hwarurururu—!
The Fire Elemental King dissolved into the High Elf with hair that flickered like living flame. When her sun-like eyes swept across the room, every head bowed in submission.
“How noisy.”
Instead of a royal scepter she gripped a great ruby sword as tall as herself, then sat sideways at the head seat with one leg crossed insolently over the other. She possessed the tall, graceful frame typical of Great Forest elves, yet it was packed with dense muscle that only accentuated her full breasts and hips. The blood staining her radiant ruby armor was said to evaporate instantly, creating a crimson mist—such was the legend of the Red High Elf Empress.
“No matter how strong he is, he’s still just one dark mage. Kill the contractor before the Demon King can adapt. That’s all it takes.”
She stretched out her slender legs wrapped in translucent ruby armor and gave them a light shake, yet the number of beings who had burned to death across the eons she had lived was beyond counting. The sheer weight of her killing intent and accomplishments crushed every other race into heavy silence.
“In one week we launch the total offensive. The enemy consists of a human dark mage estimated at the tenth circle, the Demon King himself, and a large number of high- and mid-ranking demons. Mobilize the full strength of the Great Forest.”
Though the order seemed directed at no one in particular, the overwhelming charisma left them feeling like loyal vassals; they could only answer with utmost deference.
“As you command, Queen of the Red High Elves.”
“Assembly point is south of the Great Cavity entrance. Gather every warrior. If we lose, every race here faces extinction.”
“We shall obey.”
The word extinction wrapped the conference hall in a chill that sank into bone. The battles they knew against the demon race had always been like this: the fighting never stopped until one side was completely annihilated. They could not hate the dark mage who had contracted with such a king of demons and now threatened them more.
Damn dark mage! Be cursed and die.
Contracting with the Demon King? I’ll kill him without fail.
The dark mage, meanwhile, was busy expanding his magic tower. The Survival Magic Tower had originally been built for just two people. Now that hundreds of female demons had taken refuge inside, there was barely room to stand.
“Whoever said a harem was great—I really want to turn that bastard into a frog.”
“Aww, you’re secretly enjoying it, aren’t you? Here, look! A cheer to motivate you!”
The Succubus Queen lay prone wearing nothing but underwear, wiggling her delectable hips left and right right in front of him. When she turned her face slightly and gave him a coquettish look, he couldn’t help but laugh dryly.
“Haha!”
He snatched the tail protruding from her hips and yanked it hard.
“Kyaaak—! That spot’s sensitive! Aang—! Too rough! You were like this when we first met and you haven’t changed at all!”
“Forget my childhood already—! I told you not to bother me while I’m working!”
Why had he ever summoned a succubus, and why did it have to be Eleanor, the most notoriously lewd of them all? There was no greater misfortune.
It’s obvious she schemed something back then to make me fall for her. Thank goodness I was already at the seventh circle; if I’d been sixth, she would have sucked me dry into a mummy.
Yet these demons were making faces that said “the time has finally come” as they carefully removed their armor, and it was driving him insane.
In a week I might have to fight the strongest tribes of the Great Forest and the entire dragonkin. And these women are trying to drain my vitality right now and kill me?
Regardless of the situation outside, with the sudden increase in residents he continued expanding the tower. His goal was to reach the level of a fully self-sufficient castle-city.
How do I prepare for the decisive battle against the Great Forest tribes? The magic tower floating at the center of the Great Cavity was something even upper gods could not touch. Forcing through the dimensional barrier that sent every attack flying irregularly into the Demon Realm required at least a billion divine power. And he had no intention of simply watching.
If he interfered midway, even a main god would be flung into the Demon Realm.
If a main god enters the Demon Realm, the demon god would be delighted and try to kill them immediately.
If the process of entering the tower was obstructed, he himself would be sent flying into the Demon Realm.
Once I go out there I’d have to fight like my life depended on it. Better to stay safely inside. With my current magic power I can expand the interior of this modest two-story tower by nearly ten thousand times. Let’s convert the entire space into residential quarters, rice paddies, fields, and lakes capable of producing their own food.
As long as the dimensional barrier remained intact, the races of the Great Forest could do nothing. If anyone was reckless enough to ignore the dangerous dimensional barrier of the Great Cavity and cross over, he would simply deal with them.
“Stop stripping over there and inject your magic power here instead. Demon King, stop slacking and work—! Eleanor, get your breasts off my back! I don’t have any vitality to give you right now.”
Having acquired demons to exploit, the dark mage made full use of them. Time passed, and the expansion work was nearly complete.
Uuuuung! Uuuuuuuung!
Pure magic power materialized and coiled around the entire Survival Magic Tower, writhing as if alive. From within the dimensional barrier of the Great Cavity the magic power erupted with savage force, growing fiercer by the second.
Outside the Great Cavity, the stabilization of magic power now allowed approach. Every warrior of every Great Forest tribe stood fully armed in a vast encirclement.
The endless sea of troops left the Magic God of Dimensions utterly dumbfounded.
I knew the rough numbers, but seeing it in person is ridiculous.
Four billion five hundred million High Elf warriors, three hundred million of the High Orc tribe, one hundred fifty million Naga, fifty million Dwarves, and another hundred million from various other races completely filled the perimeter of the colossal cavity.
The High Elf Queens stood at the very front of their respective tribes, clad in armor adorned with the most dazzling jeweled ornaments and gripping enormous greatswords. Despite commanding an army of unimaginable scale, they showed no tension whatsoever; instead they were lost in deep sentiment for the first time in ages.
A contract between the wicked dark mage and the Demon King is a threat to the entire Middle World. A rare crisis indeed.
The races of the Great Forest understood cruelty and coldness well after eons of war against the demon race.
How much blood was shed to seal the gate to the Demon Realm that opens once every century? Each time a Demon King emerged, the very fate of our races trembled.
The period in which they held the advantage against the demons began only recently, when the High Elf Queens gained the ability to merge with Elemental Kings and overpower high-ranking demons within the Middle World. Before that, they had lost more than ten lives for every mid-ranking demon slain. What allowed them to endure at all was the pure vitality that served as both curse and blessing to the Great Forest.
That pure vitality was a nutrient beyond compare. While only a handful of World Trees remained beyond the mountains, thousands grew within this Great Forest.
A single mature World Tree sustains one hundred million High Elves. The Great Forest where World Trees form an entire forest is a holy land obtained only by the grace of Lady Granzoa. The lands outside have grown so barren that World Trees can scarcely take root. We cannot abandon this place no matter the sacrifice.
If the World Tree upon which they were born died, the entire High Elf race would be driven to the brink of extinction.
We were defeated in the war against humans and lost vast territories. Carrying the seedlings of our withering World Tree, guided by Lady Granzoa, we led our tribe across the towering mountain range that seemed to pierce the heavens. By the time we barely arrived, nine-tenths of the tribe had perished.
Even High Elves who displayed infinite stamina within the forest would collapse from exhaustion traversing such a colossal range.
The elderly who could not endure the endless journey vanished into unseen places or offered themselves as bait for magic beasts. Children too weak to climb trees were hunted by predators or fell to their deaths from cliffs.
In such a merciless trek, even among warriors the weak all had to die.
Every time our numbers dwindled, pushed aside by other prospering races, how bitterly I cursed myself for losing our mother World Tree and being driven out?
Upon first arriving and seeing thousands of World Trees, the High Elves had wept with emotion for the first time in their lives. Yet while carving out territory against other races and forest magic beasts with the World Trees’ aid, they had again lost nine-tenths of their remaining numbers.
When we rebuilt our kingdom upon the World Tree, the gate to the Demon Realm opened once more. We lost nine-tenths again in battle against the demons. After a year of migration and settlement, a tribe that had once numbered over a million was reduced to roughly one thousand souls.
The countless kin who had once filled the forest could now be counted at a glance, and few remained with all limbs intact. The same tragedy had befallen the other High Elf tribes who had lost their World Trees at the same time and migrated here under divine guidance.
We swore an oath. Rather than suffer such humiliation again, we would fight to the bitter end and choose extinction! We would never surrender this Great Forest to the demon race or any other.
Around the High Elf Queens lost in recollection, the Elemental Kings they had contracted with already stood ready for summoning.
Urrrrrrrrng! Hwarurururung! Hwooooooung!
Responding to their queens’ fierce emotions, the elementals raged—burning space, freezing it, or hurling lightning according to their attributes. The High Elf queens’ hair and eye colors shifted vibrantly to match their chosen elementals, yet they shared one common trait: killing intent and fighting spirit powerful enough to overwhelm every other tribe.
Though they possessed the beauty for which High Elves were said to be unmatched in the Middle World, their extremely trained bodies—far beyond the slender elf frame, with full breasts and hips—did not draw the eye first. Only the fighting spirit that could cow even the battle-born High Orcs dominated their foes.
Urrrrrrrrrrrrng!
They glared at the black magic tower with its explosive flow of magic power, eyes gleaming with murderous light. Under their influence, even the High Elves’ eyes held nothing but killing intent. The other races could only swallow dryly, crushed beneath that pressure.
Through extreme training they had transcended the realm of ordinary sentient beings. These were High Elf Queens who had stepped beyond their race to obtain eternal lifespans.
From the dark mage’s perspective, the sight was simply stifling.
Damn it—! What the hell did I do that was so wrong?
“Whoa—! That’s terrifying. Master, exactly how evil were your deeds that even the famously gentle High Elves look like that?”
This detestable succubus was flipping his stomach again. Taking pride in being first as the Succubus Queen, she had stealthily clung to him; now she brazenly rested her watermelon-like breasts atop his head from behind, wrapped both arms around his neck, and grinned.
“Shut up—! I only struggled to survive.”
Before finishing the expansion work inside the Survival Magic Tower, he had taken a brief look outside and nearly suffered a heart attack for the first time since reaching his current realm.
It sounds better when you say one billion, but the number is literally endless. Moreover, every single one of them is an ancient superhuman race. Outside the mountains, each could handle at least fifth-circle mages or below.
Imagine a billion such monsters gathered in perfect silence, radiating blue killing intent aimed solely at him. The thought was utterly horrifying.
The worst of them were those five High Elf Queens.
They may look like peerless beauties, but they’re completely insane. They truly spared no means or method to kill me.
Especially that red-haired Red High Elf Queen. She had merged with her Elemental King and charged straight into the neutral zone saturated with magic power that was lethal to her kind.
She pierced my master’s barrier while he was momentarily distracted and tore out my heart. Even as her own body melted from the magic contamination after delivering the fatal blow, she smiled with genuine pleasure. When I tried to fling her into the Demon Realm, she charged at me with her dissolving flesh, screaming we should die together. It gave me chills.
He had barely managed to blast her outside the cavity with magic power, yet days later she had tried to charge in again.
Whenever she approached I prepared to send her to the Demon Realm, so from outside she poured the Fire Elemental King’s lava without pause into the neutral zone. Seeing that, the other High Elf Queens hurled boiling water, mountain-sized boulders, and exploding masses of lightning. Avoiding them for an entire month nearly drove me mad. Fortunately my master, whose neck had not been severed, suffered seizures at the mere sight of the Red High Elf Queen after being revived through heart restoration. As a dark mage of the Root School who had spent his life on battlefields, he clicked his tongue and said he had never seen such a crazy bitch before.
There had even been an incident where the two priests instinctively covered their hearts and backed away whenever they saw her, nearly crossing the boundary and being flung into the Demon Realm themselves.
The more he remembered, the more painful the memories became.
“Let’s just forget it. The best policy with crazy bitches is to avoid them entirely.”
He cleanly filed away the past and turned his gaze from them.
Thinking about living in hiding, I’m suddenly ashamed I ever considered a life-or-death struggle against those terrifying creatures.
Whoever the madman was who claimed elves were a peaceful race clearly had no idea what he was talking about. Even the brutish orcs were cowed by the High Elves’ murderous fighting spirit—a common belief that was utterly wrong.
And at last the Great Cavity entered its stabilization phase.
Hwooooooooo—!
With the stabilization of magic power, everything except the center of the Great Cavity saw its magic density drop, allowing the use of spells once more. Then came the sound of tremendous wings beating amid a raging storm as the dragonkin arrived.
True to their reputation from the Main God Star, even the smaller individuals exceeded a hundred meters. The sky turned black as countless giant dragons blotted out the sun.
The dragonkin only number around ten thousand. That’s honestly fortunate. Since everything here is counted in hundreds of millions, they actually look few.
It seemed every dragon of adult rank or higher from the Middle World had come, yet ten thousand still made them a minority tribe.
You need at least a million to even be treated as a proper tribe. With so few it must be difficult just to preserve the species.
How furious the dragonkin were—roaring, spewing breath, and raging through the sky.
“A direct contract with the Demon King? Judge that insane, wicked dark mage!”
“You who would lead the Middle World to ruin shall not be forgiven!”
“You shall be cursed for all eternity!”
He suddenly regretted having worried about the dragonkin’s safety and felt an intense longing for his master.
It felt a little better when they cursed the dark mage together. Hearing it alone feels lonelier. I should have tried harder to convince him to become a lich.
With a light sigh of regret, he activated his magic.
Sigh. When have I ever lived receiving praise? Let’s just get to work.
Uuuuung! Pooooooong!
A figure wearing a black robe appeared above the black magic tower. The materialized black magic power concentrated around his body spread outward in concentric circles like ripples from a stone dropped into water. The overwhelming magic power emitted by the dark mage pushed back even the magic of the Great Forest itself. The dragonkin flying in blind fury actually froze in mid-air for a moment.
How can invisible magic power materialize to the point that it pushes even the air aside?