Chapter 167
Chapter 167
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 167
Chapter Title: Guardians of the World Tree (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
After a precarious silence that hung like a thread over a cliff's edge,
Kadim gave his answer.
"...Why should I?"
"...".
"Because Melissa unleashed demons upon this world?"
The priestess of the Forgotten God had a gut feeling. One wrong word from here on out, and everything would go up in smoke. She steadied her breathing carefully and parted her lips.
"Our church considers that hypothesis highly plausible, but it hasn't been proven as fact yet. And even if it were true, executing the culprit after the fact wouldn't end this protracted demon infestation. We need to stop the Grand Sorceress for other reasons."
"...What reasons?"
"'Hesilia'. The goddess of elves who governs nature and repose, descended upon this land. The world-scorching apocalypse flames are surrounding and threatening her."
"...".
"...Before I explain further, I should start with this. Kadim, do you know the three elements that constitute a 'god' in the heavens?"
Kadim shook his head without a word. Ilenia began her explanation.
Divinity, divine body, and divine rank.
"'Divinity' is the unchanging essence and mystery of a god—what you might call the 'soul of the god'. Atala is 'wilderness and struggle', the Forgotten God is 'darkness and chaos', Hesilia is 'nature and repose', and Elga... well, 'light and order' could be seen as their divinities."
"Then there's the 'divine body'... the vessel that holds a transcendent god's power, their 'flesh'. A god's authority is so immense that even a speck of it overwhelms mortal flesh. To fully bear that authority and unleash its potential, they need the body of an absolute being dwelling in those heavens—the 'divine body'."
"And 'divine rank' is the measure of a god's omnipotence, their 'absoluteness'. Not all gods possess the same power; the higher the divine rank, the greater the authority they wield. The symbol that proves this divine rank is their 'name' as a being, but for various reasons, if their rank diminishes, they can even lose their 'name'...".
Kadim interpreted this sudden theological lecture through a game lens. In other words, 'divinity' was a god's class, 'divine body' their character, and 'divine rank' their level... something like that.
"So, the 'divinity' dwelling in an appropriate 'divine body' manifests its authority through 'divine rank', supporting the faithful on the earth from the heavens—that's the normal state for gods... but in this world, three major anomalies have already occurred. Do you happen to know what they are?"
Kadim nodded slowly.
The first two were certain. Elga had become a false Elga, and the Forgotten God had lost its name and authority.
Presumably, the former was the false Elga usurping Elga's 'divinity' and seizing the 'divine body', while the latter was Elga's dogs using some trick to lower the Forgotten God's 'divine rank'.
And the final one was...
"...Yes, Hesilia herself descended directly from the heavens to this land, bringing her divine body with her. In the majestic form of the divine tree that upholds the world—the 'World Tree'."
"...".
He had half-expected it, yet it was still utterly unbelievable. Kadim's expression twisted into something uncontrollably savage.
"...How, why the hell did that happen? Wasn't this world fine even when gods descended directly to the earth?"
"Of course not... The world can only handle so much, so descent requires scaling everything down dramatically—it's an enormous burden even for a god. Her divine body and rank must have been severely damaged as a result. But even so, she had to intervene personally because... such a dire crisis had arisen on the earth that she had no choice...".
"So you're saying that was a bigger problem than the great demons rampaging?"
"...".
The air froze like a blade rimed with frost. Kadim took a step forward.
"Tell me. Why didn't the god descend when the great demons were rampaging? What the fuck were Atala, the Forgotten God, and all the other gods doing? Why did I, Melissa, Gordon, Cyril, Gale—we who vomited blood from poison, endured muscles shredding like rags, bones shattering to pieces—have to be the ones saving the world? And why the hell are you telling me now to kill the comrade who endured that hell with me and waited centuries for my return?"
A killing intent washed over her, one that made her spine curl, ribs crush, and tendons snap like frayed strings. Ilenia swallowed every word she was about to say and hurriedly bowed from the waist.
"...I'm sorry, Kadim. I was thoughtless, failing to consider your feelings and rushing into textbook explanations. For my inadequacy in guiding you, I accept any punishment you deem fit."
"...".
Kadim swallowed a deep breath and reined in his killing intent for the moment. He realized he was lashing out at the wrong person. He urged her to hurry up and explain the reason for the descent.
Absurdly, Ilenia didn't know the exact answer. She only said she'd heard secondhand that it was another world-ending calamity, still ongoing. The church had only recently contacted their liaison in the Great Grove, so they were still gathering precise information.
"...Liaison? So there are followers of the Forgotten God inside the Great Grove too?"
"Yes. Because 'Hesilia' can no longer fully support her faithful, some elves in the Great Grove have turned to following the Forgotten God. Not long ago, my superior happened to make contact with them. Some of the Great Grove documents I showed you came from them."
"...".
Ilenia paused there, gauging his mood before returning to the main point.
Hesilia, having descended as the 'World Tree', had repeatedly striven to protect the world despite her damaged divine body and rank. But the Grand Sorceress Melissa, dwelling in the Great Grove, discovered it and began exploiting it for her own ends. As seen earlier, breaking off a branch of the World Tree to create the Forest of Eternal Dreams was likely one such example.
"The liaisons are convinced that if this continues, 'Hesilia' will lose her divine rank like the Forgotten God or vanish entirely... just as they reported with certainty. That would bring another massive crisis to the world. We've verified it ourselves to some extent, and even the dragons have sensed the threat and stepped in, so it's no mere wild speculation."
"...".
"Of course, we have no right to condemn your desire to see your old comrade. Still, I recommend prioritizing meetings with the dragons and our liaisons. The current 'Grand Sorceress' is highly unlikely to be the person you remember."
"...".
"So, just in case you ever feel the need to stop her, think of it as taking out some insurance...".
Kadim closed his ears. He let all sounds flow past. He even shut his eyelids, sinking into quiet contemplation.
Melissa, what the hell are you doing?
You couldn't find me, your grand spell consuming all the world's mana failed, everything's gone to shit beyond recognition, and yet you haven't given up—what are you even doing now?
He finally pulled himself from the heavy reverie. In the space filled only with silence and darkness, Kadim muttered in a voice sunk like the abyss.
"...Show it to me. The thing you've been hiding. Not the pitch-black cloth Duncan saw, but what's beyond it. I'll decide whether to heed your words after seeing that."
"...".
There was no room left to retreat. Ilenia covered her eyes with both hands, making a sign like the holy gesture. Then, with evident tension, she drew out the 'something' hidden in her bag.
Kadim's pupils dilated as if they might burst upon seeing it.
*
A flock of birds in vibrant, multicolored hues sliced across the sky.
Up close, they seemed oddly un-birdlike. Too large, with unbalanced proportions. Some even wore clothes and carried bows or swords, resembling primates disguised in feathers more than anything. All except the one at the very front.
The lead bird, despite its massive size, had perfect proportions. Cloaked in pale blue feathers and turquoise mist, it exuded an auspicious aura like a herald of good fortune. It scanned the dense forest below, leaving trails of its energy in the sky.
- Piiieeeeek!
The birds' true nature revealed itself only after they landed at the signal. Wings folded back to expose smooth skin, head crests rose to reveal pointed ears and refined features.
Elves. They were the elf reconnaissance team guarding the Great Grove and protecting the World Tree.
An elf following behind clicked his tongue in admiration as he approached the lead elf.
"As always, your flight skills are unparalleled, Rushador. Among all the guardians—no, among all elves—there's no wild druid with talent to match yours!"
"...No, I've got a long way to go. Compared to the first-rank guardians, I'm nowhere close. I've only just mastered mimicking the azure-white heron; if I transform into anything stronger, I can't avoid 'naturalization'...".
Elves blessed with Hesilia's divine power were called 'druids', able to shapeshift into animals or natural forms. But transforming into something beyond their level risked losing their sense of self, merging with the form in a side effect called 'naturalization'.
"The monsters known across generations as 'tyrants of the forest' were mostly druids who overreached into forms they couldn't handle and naturalized... Arrogance is forbidden when wielding the power Mother World Tree grants. Even if you reach my level someday, don't get cocky—master transformations befitting your station step by step."
The subordinate elves acknowledged the point from the third-rank guardian, Rushador. After a moment of hesitation, one asked if he had any future transformation goals.
"Well... Once I've mastered avian forms, I'd love to challenge mimicking the 'gold-iron tree' someday. Mastering both wild and arboreal transformations... that should earn Mother World Keeper's favor and elevate me to first-rank guardian."
The gold-iron tree, which grew only a handspan in a century.
A legendary tree of immense strength and fire resistance. Its difficulty made it the culprit behind countless arboreal druids' naturalization. But the reconnaissance elves, inspired by their leader's ambition, followed with excited steps.
That excitement rapidly cooled upon reaching their target site.
Instead, unspeakable shock and lamentation spread.
"Huuuuh...! N-No... Oh gods...".
"Aaaah! How can this be, how...".
"Mother World Tree, what madness is this...".
All eyes fixed on the massive 'World Tree branch', its pillar snapped and collapsed.
Even though they'd come investigating forewarned, the shock lingered. Without exception, eyes bulged as if to pop from sockets, screams and cries to the gods filling the air. A subordinate approached Rushador, still flustered.
"R-Rushador, how is this even possible...? To fell a sacred World Tree branch so cruelly... No one but the World Keeper or top guardians has ever even scratched it...".
"...".
Overwhelmed by the carnage like the rest, Rushador kept his emotions in check. Instead, he coldly scanned the traces left at the scene.
"...Footprints lead north."
"Pardon?"
"They're heading for the World Tree via 'Hesiliad'. Fortunately, not many of them, and the surrounding trees are all felled—tracking won't be hard."
"...!"
"I don't know what trick they pulled, but we can't let those who dared topple a fragment of the divine tree get away... Leave two to preserve the scene; the rest, shapeshift and resume pursuit immediately."
"Y-Yes...! Understood, Rushador!"
Rushador spread his arms resolutely. Wings sprouted into pale blue plumage, a bright yellow beak covering his mouth. He kicked off the ground and soared powerfully, his bird-shifted subordinates forming up in flight formation behind him.
As predicted, the tracking was simple.
The widespread devastation of the woods let them follow footprints even from the sky. The flight speed of divinely empowered elves outpaced ordinary birds by far. The reconnaissance team found the culprits who felled the World Tree branch before sunset.
One scrawny human, and one burly human.
- Piiieeeeek - !
- Kaaaawk - !
During the flight, shock had evaporated from the team's minds. Rage toward the scoundrels who defiled the sacred filled them instead. Even Rushador lost his cool this time. Baring his beak-covered mouth, he shrieked in fury.
"Short ears! Those short-eared bastards dared fell the sacred branch! Listen up! Attack from the sky—they won't counter effectively. Execute them on the spot!"
"I'll take them, Rushador! Give me the chance!"
A subordinate who had mimicked a raven shot forward. He dove, dropping altitude sharply before releasing his form at the perfect moment, nocking an arrow.
Elf archery needed no boasting. They were innate archers from birth. Once they could walk and draw a bowstring, they hit targets hundreds of paces away with ease. Even mid-dive, at this range, missing was impossible.
The elf missed his target.
...Rattle-rattle-rattle-crack, crunch!
"Urk!"
Whoosh—hum, whoosh—hum, whoosh—hum...
Because the target struck him first.
The raven-elf dropped his bow, spinning as he plummeted. Whatever had hit his face spun back to the ground.
It happened so fast most elves couldn't process it. Even seeing it clearly, they wouldn't have grasped it. Sniping a diving attacker with a thrown axe mid-drop was utterly beyond reason.
The elves stared dumbfounded at their falling comrade, letting out puzzled cries.
- Kiiieeeeek, kiiieeee...
- Quaaawk... Quaaawk?
"...!!"
But one—Rushador—saw and understood perfectly.
On that distant ground, the burly human was raising his axe haft again. To down a second target.
Rushador's feathers bristled across his body as he bellowed at the top of his lungs.
"Everyone, flee upward—nowwww!!!"