Chapter 266 – That Becos Real
The Millennium Tree was the remnant of a grand spell, Wish, which witches had completed by sacrificing themselves in order to survive the Witch Massacre.
It was the final sanctuary of the witches and, in essence, a guardian deity that protected them.
Guuooooooo~!
“......!”
That colossal divine tree let out a mournful resonance that filled the entire forest.
The sound echoed like the desperate wails of the witches who had sacrificed themselves for Wish.
“Ah...?”
Elder deia clutched her chest at the resonance that pierced straight through her heart.
Her strength drained instantly.
It was the sa for Cordy and the other witches.
Their hands dropped weakly as they gazed up at the Millennium Tree.
Swaaaaaaa—!
A violent friction sound exploded through the wind.
The sound was much like the downpour of a torrential rainstorm.
Monts later, an enormous amount of leaves began to fall from beneath the tree.
All the leaves were shriveled and dry, withering as they fell. Instead of a pleasant herbal scent, a rotting stench began to fill the air.
Ulk! Ulk!
The dagger of the dead, embedded in the center of the trunk.
Around the embedded point, black-red veins began to spread, flooding the Millennium Tree with vicious corrupt energy.
The decayed aura, soaked with the resentnt and death of tens of thousands.
Starting with the leaves, the entire Millennium Tree began to rot rapidly.
“No, no!!!”
The witches scread.
They poured every spell they had at Lyon in an attempt to remove the dagger.
Lyon’s bones began to twist, and his skin started to decay. Yet he clung to the dagger obsessively like a stone statue, unmoving.
“Please let go!!!”
As if he couldn’t even feel pain, his body trembled, but he did not collapse.
Watching the divine tree’s life force being eaten away, Cordy felt fear before she felt rage.
If the grand spell broke, the Ghost Forest would vanish.
It would return to an unprotected state.
They were already at war with Demtor.
But that was only the beginning.
From the Black Market, to other regional powers—
Those who had harbored greed for witches were countless. Everyone who had been waiting for a chance would now target the forest.
“Another Witch Massacre will happen!”
The witches had always lived in isolation.
The Dortas had dwindled.
Could they really stand against the world with only a few ties to other races?
Would anyone be willing to fight with them, risking their lives?
No. There was no one who would help.
Cordy despaired as she stared blankly at Lyon’s back, who stood firm.
Like she was looking at the back of a giant.
An overwhelming presence.
He was terrifying. A monstrous being.
Soone the witches’ spells could not subdue.
“If soone—anyone…”
Just as she was about to whisper a desperate prayer—
Vhooooooom!!!!
The air vibrated violently.
The mont she turned toward the source of the sound, Cordy’s eyes began to glow golden.
A golden light pierced the air, drawing nearer.
The blinding radiance struck Lyon’s back and scattered in all directions.
“Ggeaaagh!”
A horrible scream burst out.
Even though he had endured the witches’ curses unwaveringly, the mont he was engulfed in the golden light, Lyon scread and crashed to the ground.
Thick black smoke, as if he had been scorched, poured from his body as he writhed.
“Damn it, please!!”
Having entered the village, I cursed and quickly rushed toward the Millennium Tree.
I hastily pulled out the embedded dagger, but it had already lost power and scattered into the air.
I bit my lip as I looked at my empty hand.
“Am I too late…??”
The corrupt energy had already completely devoured the Millennium Tree.
The imnse tree began to disintegrate from its bark.
The sanctuary of the witches was collapsing.
Boom! Boom-boom—!
As the Millennium Tree sank into the earth and crumbled, I widened the distance and quickly scanned the surroundings to assess the situation.
Lyon was staggering back to his feet.
“So it really was you…?”
It was truly Lyon, standing before us alone. And he had wielded the Dagger of the Dead.
“What was your intention in doing this?”
With Kal’s death all but confird, I couldn’t understand why Lyon would act like this.
And how did he even know that the Dagger of the Dead could destroy a grand spell?
I couldn’t believe he’d done this alone.
If it wasn’t Kal—then who?
But my thoughts were cut short.
“You bastard…!”
Natasha burst out from the side and rushed at Lyon with a twisted expression. Through the thick dust, I caught a glimpse of the Millennium Tree’s final monts.
It was crumbling slowly, like turning into ash.
The fields we had cultivated together, the huts full of mories, the playground where we played, everything we shared under the Millennium Tree—was collapsing.
The village had beco a massive tree grave.
Decades of history vanished. They had lost their ho.
“Shit!!”
Natasha, exploding with rage, threw punches wildly at Lyon.
He curled up tightly.
His skin split and cracked, quickly becoming covered in blood.
“Kuaaaagh!”
Lyon let out another crazed scream and lunged forward.
His Spectral Form exploded, destroying his own muscles, yet he still moved like lightning and counterattacked fiercely.
Pang—!
“Ghh!”
The mont their fists clashed, Natasha coughed blood and retreated.
He was horrifically strong—and horrifically tough.
It wasn’t even a sword, just a fist—and yet she was overpowered.
“…Where did this monster co from?”
At that mont, I hurled myself above her.
“Everyone, attack together!”
From above Lyon’s head, I unleashed the Siren’s Hymn.
Exposed to the golden light, Lyon began screaming and thrashing.
Black smoke spread across the area.
I identified the nature of that energy.
Madness.
That’s when I saw the stone embedded in Lyon’s head.
It was the Stone of Madness.
As he staggered, Natasha’s fist slamd into his chest.
Lyon spat blood.
Then Elton’s Fla Sword slashed across his back, and Fenry’s crows sliced both his ankles.
Thud—
As Lyon fell to his knees, two blades flashed in front of him.
Lochter, with Belin and Reyna crossed, drove the twin swords beneath Lyon’s chin.
Puhk—
“…Kruk!”
Lochter bit his lip and pushed the twin blades into Lyon’s neck, speaking softly.
“You fool. Did you serve him as your master just to end like this?”
There was no reply.
Before them stood only a mad knight of madness.
A discarded pawn.
“When you et your master in hell, bla him, Lyon.”
Ssskuk—
Lochter withdrew his twin swords, severed Lyon’s neck with Belin, and destroyed his heart with Reyna.
And then—
Crunch—
I stomped on the Stone of Madness that rolled out of Lyon’s head and shattered it.
The intruder had been dealt with.
But the situation was only getting worse.
“Ah…!”
The witches collapsed helplessly as they looked up at the massive hill of rot—the grave of their ho.
As the Millennium Tree vanished, the grand spell Wish also disappeared.
Wish had been the manifestation of the sacrificed witches’ desires.
There had been two desires.
The first was a land without magic.
Just as they wished, the Ghost Forest had been born, and for ages, it had been called the cursed forest by Demtor.
But then—
Drrrrrrrr—
A great upheaval shook the forest.
The whole forest trembled faintly, and a light mist began to spread between the trees.
In no ti, the mist engulfed the entire forest.
Surrounded by the cool mist, I felt a strange sense of dissonance.
It felt awkward—but I could tell what kind of energy it was.
[I sense mana.]
“…This is bad.”
Had the desire of Wish vanished?
Mana energy began to fill the void left in the forest.
“The restriction is gone?”
[The abnormal land simply returned to its original state.]
It had returned to its original form.
This ant that the suppression of mages’ power unique to this forest had disappeared. Ordor Forest was no longer a place mages feared.
The mages’ thods were subtle, ticulous, and relentless.
This forest was no longer safe. Fortunately, thanks to Hunt, the situation wasn’t at its worst.
We had enough strength to fend off Demtor as it stood now.
But that was the limit.
Losing their nest was a fatal blow to all of them.
“Does that an Wish’s second desire never existed?”
Wish’s second desire.
A lifelong sanctuary to be gifted to all who had bled during the Witch Massacre.
The witches had lived content with the first wish, but in reality, the second had never been fulfilled.
Until now, Ordor Forest had only been a sanctuary for witches—not for everyone.
I only muttered it out of frustration, but Reto’s response was unexpected.
[That depends on how you interpret it. The presence of the Millennium Tree remains.]
“What? What do you an?”
[You should be able to see it—with your eyes—the presence of the Millennium Tree.]
At Reto’s words, I realized sothing.
That the Millennium Tree was a divine entity that had awakened its soul.
“Ah…”
Looking down at the grave of the rotted tree, I saw a faint glow.
[Millennium Tree – Seed of the World Tree [Wish]]
The Millennium Tree was not truly dead.
And then—
Vhooooooooom!
A change occurred.
Between the remnants of the rotting tree, a dazzling light of five colors began to radiate.
Like the red dawn breaking across the horizon.
A round object pierced the earth and slowly rose from within the grave.
An entity imbued with divine light.
I recognized it imdiately.
‘…The Seed of the World Tree?’
The mont the massive seed floated into the air, the witches’ cries rang out.
“Th-the sky!!!”
In the dark sky, a pure white vortex began to swirl.
A sign of divine birth that only those who revere the gods can see.
The mont the Seed of the World Tree revealed itself to the world, a new divine revelation descended.
Tension, as if sothing might explode at any mont, flowed from the seed.
What is about to happen?
A situation I was experiencing for the first ti unfolded before .
“Fe-Fenry!”
Fenry, with a dazed expression, slowly began walking toward the seed.
Reto’s voice flowed out. For once, he sounded excited.
[So this is how it unfolds…?]
“What are you talking about?”
[The ‘Seed of the World Tree’ is the second Wish, born from the witches’ desire. A thing that should not exist in this world.]
For decades, it had remained a manifestation of their wish. Through the Ghost Forest, it had absorbed mana, slowly turning desire into reality.
It must have taken trendous mana.
And then—
[Its form is now complete.]
So it will beco the World Tree?
[Not yet. To be acknowledged as a real part of this world, it needs proof of existence.]
“Proof?”
[A shadow.]
I looked at Fenry, who was now close to the seed.
[The Shadow of the World Tree.]
I thought of Fenry’s divine form.
If the Seed of the World Tree and the Shadow of the World Tree made contact, what would beco of them?
[The illusion created by desire gains life through mana, and once it casts a shadow upon the real world...]
The mont Fenry’s outstretched hand touched the seed, the world was dyed in rainbow light, and Reto’s voice faded like an echo—
[That... becos real.]
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