Episode 310: The World Tree (2)
The World Tree was dying.
Its branches, once a canopy over the sky, fell like rain, and its trunk crumbled like a sandcastle.
“O World Tree…”
The elves watched in stunned silence, their faces etched with disbelief.
For elves, who spend their entire lives intertwined with the World Tree, its death was akin to the end of the world.
With the severing of their connection to the tree, the spirit energy they held within vanished. The effect was immediate.
“I… I can’t breathe!”
“The spirits… I can’t feel the spirits!”
Clutching their throats and chests, the elves cried out in pain, desperately trying to hold onto the vanishing spirits.
But there was nothing they could do. All they could do was wait for death.
One by one, the elves abandoned hope. Just as they all resigned themselves to their fate, something changed.
“What?”
At the top of the World Tree, where the Guardian resided, a light began to shine.
The light spread like a wave, washing over the World Tree. In the next moment, something unbelievable happened.
The branches that had fallen to the ground began to rise back into the sky.
They returned to their original positions, reconnecting, and the leaves regained their vibrant green hue.
But that wasn’t all. The trunk, which had been collapsing like a sandcastle, began to restore itself.
The gaps, as if gnawed by mice, filled back in, and life flowed through it once more.
The connection with the elves was restored. They could feel the spirit energy coursing through them again.
“I can breathe again!”
“The spirits… I can feel their energy!”
The elves were overjoyed, yet bewildered.
The World Tree had surely died.
Everyone present had felt it vividly.
So how had it come back to life?
No matter how great the World Tree was, overcoming death should have been impossible.
“We need to find out what’s going on!”
“I’m coming with you!”
The elves rushed to the Guardian’s chamber. When they arrived, they witnessed another incredible sight.
The chamber was filled with flowers.
These weren’t ordinary flowers. They were the World Tree’s blossoms, which bloomed perhaps once in a century.
“What… what is this?”
Amidst their confusion, the elves spotted Demian Haxen surrounded by the flowers.
The blossoms seemed to bloom around him, as if in tribute.
The elves realized then that it was Demian Haxen who had revived the World Tree.
The World Tree’s tribute didn’t end there.
A branch extended towards Demian, and something emerged from its tip.
About the size of a walnut.
It wasn’t a fruit of the World Tree. It was much smaller.
Yet, as the seed appeared, the elves felt a presence more powerful than any fruit.
“Demian… take it.”
The Empire’s greatest swordsman spoke with a trembling voice, pointing at the seed.
“What is this?” Demian asked.
“It’s the seed of the World Tree.”
The swordsman’s voice was filled with awe.
“I’ve only heard of it in stories, but there’s no doubt. That’s the seed of the World Tree.”
Even the Empire’s foremost swordsman, who had handled countless treasures, was visibly tense.
“The seed has only appeared once before. If you accept it, the World Tree’s sapling will take root in you. You’ll be able to wield the World Tree’s power.”
Demian reached out and took the seed. It was absorbed into his body in an instant.
In that moment, Demian felt it. The seed of the World Tree taking root in his soul.
He communed with the sapling, which whispered of its capabilities.
Demian decided to test one of the sapling’s powers.
His senses expanded dramatically, enveloping the entire island.
The expanded senses revealed everything on the island to Demian, leaving him in awe.
”…I can even feel ants crawling on the ground.”
While Demian had always been capable of wide-range detection, he had never been able to perceive things in such detail. It felt as if he were an omnipotent god gazing down from the heavens.
But the World Tree’s power didn’t end there.
“Answer my call.”
Demian spoke briefly into the air. Instantly, flames ignited, winds gathered, and droplets of water condensed.
They formed into the shapes of animals. A rabbit, a cat, and a puppy looked up at Demian.
Spirits.
Beings not permitted to humans had answered Demian’s call.
Or rather, they had been drawn by the sapling.
But it didn’t matter. The sapling was Demian’s power.
“Congratulations, Demian.”
The Empire’s greatest swordsman spoke sincerely.
Even as a sapling, the World Tree was still the World Tree.
Demian now possessed the power of the World Tree.
”…”
”…”
The elves exchanged glances. Their emotions and expressions varied, but their understanding was mutual.
The elves knelt, bowing their heads to Demian.
It was a sight hard to believe from elves known for their disdain of humans.
“Thank you, savior of Elfheim.”
Someone shouted, and the elves all joined in unison.
“Thank you, savior of Elfheim!”
The next day, Demian prepared to leave Elfheim.
“So, you’re leaving after all.”
The Empire’s greatest swordsman seemed to have expected it as he saw Demian off.
“It seems you anticipated this.”
“You were fixated on the lich, Dorgo. With him gone, there’s no reason for you to stay in Elfheim.”
The swordsman nodded.
“There are still remnants left. Do you need my help?”
“Are you joking?”
The swordsman tilted his head.
The remaining Pandemonium forces were mere remnants.
With the elves and the Empire’s greatest swordsman present, dealing with them would be a simple task.
“I was just being polite.”
“What do you plan to do now?”
“Hunt them down and kill them.”
Demian’s voice turned cold for a moment.
“I’ll chase down the demons and kill them all. Dorgo, and every demon that stood in my way.”
His voice and gaze carried a chilling resolve.
“You’ve grown stronger.”
The swordsman spoke softly.
While others might not notice, the Empire’s greatest swordsman could clearly sense Demian’s transformation.
“Yes, I’ve made some progress.”
When he harnessed the power of the Death Knight, Demian had an epiphany.
It was ironic, gaining something from a power he so despised.
“It’s more than just some progress. You’re on the verge of becoming a Grandmaster.”
The swordsman looked at Demian with trembling eyes.
When he first met Demian, he was merely at the Master Class.
Yet in such a short time, he had reached the threshold of Grandmaster.
A genius? Could that word even begin to describe it?
The swordsman felt a shiver run through his body.
“Demian, I owe you a great debt for this. If you ever need anything, just ask.”
“Can I ask for something right now?”
“Of course.”
“When you return to the Empire, please send knights to my family.”
The swordsman quickly understood why Demian made such a request.
“Because of the demons.”
Demons were unpredictable.
With such dangerous beings taking an interest in Demian, it was only natural for him to worry about his family first.
“I’ll select the best knights and send them.”
“Thank you.”
Demian expressed his gratitude briefly before boarding a small boat.
Though small, it was crafted from the branches of the World Tree. It would suffice for his journey back to the continent.
“Then, I’ll be off.”
As Demian unfurled the sail, a sudden storm erupted from the sky.
A fierce wind descended upon the two men. Soon, a dark shadow covered the ground.
Demian and the swordsman looked up.
A dragon.
A red dragon was descending upon them. The sudden storm was caused by its wingbeats.
“A dragon?”
Demian murmured in surprise.
Dragons were a race that had vanished from the continent long ago.
Even in his past life, Demian had never seen a living dragon.
The red dragon landed and shouted at the two men.
-Which of you is Demian Haxen?
The voice wasn’t particularly loud, yet it echoed powerfully around them.
-I’m asking you! Who is Demian Haxen?
Demian and the swordsman exchanged bewildered glances.
“I am Demian Haxen.”
-Good. The Council of Elders seeks you for an explanation of this incident!
The red dragon glared at Demian.
-You’d better come quietly. Otherwise, you won’t like what happens!
The dragon spread its wings.
A scorching wind spread in all directions, an intimidating presence like a force of nature.
“Well, well.”
The problem was, Demian Haxen wasn’t someone easily intimidated by such things.
Instead of fear, Demian felt a slow, simmering anger rising within him.
“What if I say I won’t go with you?” he challenged.
“Foolish question! I’ll swallow you whole and take you anyway! Unless you want to feel the agony of your body dissolving in stomach acid before we reach the Council, you’d better do as I say!”
“Oh, really?” Demian replied, unfazed.
He opened a pocket of space and pulled out a hexagonal club.
Seeing the club, the Red Dragon furrowed its brow and asked, “Human, what do you think you’re doing? Surely you don’t intend to defy me…”
At that moment, Demian leaped onto the Red Dragon’s head and brought the club down hard on its crown.
With a deafening crack, the dragon’s head slammed into the ground.
“Ugh!” The Red Dragon let out a pained cry as its skull reverberated with the impact.
“You empty-headed lizard,” Demian taunted, resting the club on his shoulder. “Do you really think I’d be crazy enough to follow someone as suspicious as you?”
Standing atop the dragon’s head, Demian tapped the club lightly.
“Now, you owe me some answers. Why have the dragons reappeared? And why is the Council looking for me? Explain in detail.”
“How dare a mere human lay hands on a noble creature like me!” the Red Dragon roared, lifting its head in fury.
In an instant, Demian lunged forward, gripping the club with both hands and striking the dragon’s abdomen with an upward swing.
“Argh!” The massive creature was launched into the air before crashing back down.
By now, even the Red Dragon realized something was amiss.
“Well, this is a stroke of luck,” Demian said, tapping the club against his palm with a smirk.
The sound made the dragon’s face turn pale.
“W-wait a moment…”
Demian swung the club at the dragon’s snout, shattering its teeth with a resounding crash.