How to Survive Against Villains Chapter 276

Chapter 276 – The Seed of Division

To create the Six-Star Gate, Gram needed the true blood of two people.

Kal Blazer, who possessed the attribute of ‘Ti,’ and Samuel Barber, who held the attribute of ‘Space.’

Gram had, in fact, succeeded in obtaining the true blood of both individuals, and through the power of the Blood Master, he opened a single gate that transcended ti and space—the Six-Star Gate.

“Was this flow... unstoppable?”

We thought we had prevented the ergence of the ‘Six-Star Gate’ by keeping Gram in check, but instead, the World Tree revealed itself, and the boundary collapsed even faster.

The World Tree, which serves as a ‘bridge of the boundary.’

“It could be a double-edged sword...”

To Elder deia and Fenry, the World Tree might appear as a being of absolute trust, but if it were to beco a substitute for the Six-Star Gate, then I’d have no choice but to remain wary of the danger to co.

“Why the face? You look like a puppy holding in poop.”

Was my expression that stiff?

When Fenry asked, I relaxed my face and shook my head.

“It’s nothing. I was just lost in thought for a mont...”

“Thinking about what?”

“I was thinking about what to do regarding the World Tree.”

“So? Co up with anything?”

Fenry’s eyes shimred with a strange anticipation, but I wasn’t planning on voicing the worries currently occupying my mind.

There were far too many urgent matters involving the World Tree that needed to be handled first.

“Not yet.”

“Really? Then I’ll go first.”

Fenry, brushing her long pipe into the air, turned to look at us after a mont of thought.

“We should move Black Rose’s base here.”

“To the World Tree, you an?”

“Yeah.”

The base originally planned to relocate to Pri Root would now be moved to the World Tree.

It was a positive sign, but for the witch who had originally lived and settled here, it was a sensitive matter.

“Any particular reason?”

At deia’s question, Fenry nodded.

“It looks like the various non-human races wandering outside will start gathering toward the World Tree. To prepare for that, Black Rose needs to establish a presence here.”

“When do you expect that to happen?”

“Maybe... once the world learns of the World Tree’s existence? Probably...”

After pondering briefly, Fenry furrowed her brows.

“A couple weeks at most? It won’t take long. The World Tree alone is enough to draw attention, but more importantly, the origin story is too fantastic.”

“You an the war with Demtor.”

“Exactly.”

The witches and non-human races, pushed to the brink of despair.

The birth of the World Tree.

And the defeat of Demtor.

Witches who had long suffered under the hands of mages had now triumphed alongside the ergence of the World Tree.

It was inevitable that those who had been long neglected would gather here.

After all, the World Tree had once been a symbol of hope to many non-human races.

“Now that the Forest of Ghosts is gone, they’ll co without hesitation.”

“They may be non-human, but they’re not our people. There’ll be clashes at first. We need soone to control the situation.”

At Fenry’s words, deia sighed.

If her assessnt was correct, then Black Rose’s involvent needed to be welcod.

The witches alone wouldn’t be able to handle it.

Once one thing becos visible, other things follow.

Clicking my tongue lightly, I nodded.

“It’s going to get noisy. Inside and out.”

“You know it well. Honestly, if I were alone, I would’ve run off already.”

“What are you saying?! The shadow of the World Tree talking such nonsense?”

“You really don’t know, old hag.”

“O-Old hag??”

“What? Isn’t everyone one under the World Tree? Just being friendly here.”

Although Elder deia was the most experienced of all witches, her calm dignity seed sowhat ineffective against soone like Fenry, a hands-on brawler.

Blowing out smoke, Fenry said:

“Witches, elves, and the other non-human races who’ve been in similar straits as us... What do you think will happen if they all rally around the World Tree?”

“I was taught that unity makes strength.”

“That only works when they’re all on the sa level. No matter how many sheep gather, they’re still just a flock of sheep.”

“We’re not that weak. You experienced it yourself, didn’t you? Demtor retreated.”

“Sure, defeating Demtor’s main force was a great accomplishnt. But they didn’t back off because we were strong. They withdrew because of the World Tree—an incomprehensible existence. As the witch leader, you should understand the psychology of mages better than anyone.”

“Mages are afraid of what they can’t understand, and they keep their distance. Then they study it. Once they start understanding the World Tree, they’ll definitely act again. That fight will be even tougher. And...”

Fenry slamd her pipe down on the map spread over the table, scattering ash.

“Is Demtor the only group that sees us as prey?”

The non-humans and witches.

Since the ‘Day of Massacre,’ they’d been used as slaves, research material, or sacrificed for the ambitions of the world’s dominant powers.

“In the Black Market and Pri Root, the World Tree will be treated as an eyesore—or a pasture of unclaid sheep. If it were , I’d be drooling over it.”

“Hmm...?”

“History proves it. Every ti a new power rises, they’re checked first. They’ll observe and then decide. If we’re strong, we might beco allies. If we’re weak...”

Looking straight at , Fenry continued:

“We’ll be nothing more than prey waiting to be torn apart. That’s why we need counterasures. Arthur.”

It sounded like she was pressuring to co up with a solution.

“??”

“You’re the one who brought here. Ti to take responsibility.”

Like saving soone from drowning, only to have them demand your bag in return.

Ungrateful elf woman.

But Fenry’s foresight was sharp—too sharp to ignore.

She was right.

If we stayed idle, we’d beco easy targets.

I stared at the map, caught in thought.

Stories from the novel that the other two didn’t know flitted in and out of my mind.

As Fenry had said, the forces threatening the World Tree were Demtor, the Black Market, and Pri Root.

Though they appeared as three distinct entities on the surface, we must never treat them as only three.

“If they all attack at once, it would be a disaster.”

Their forces were tangled together like a spiderweb, and a misstep could turn them all into enemies.

Demtor alone had its ‘cleaners’ embedded everywhere.

Their strength would swell if summoned.

“The more complex it gets, the simpler the answer...”

A long while seed to pass, yet no one interrupted.

They were waiting for to speak.

Eventually, I looked at the two and opened my mouth.

“First, we need to secure the area around the World Tree. Newcors will need sowhere to stay.”

“I’ll call that dwarf bastard first. If we’re going to secure territory and build defense facilities, we’ll need dwarven power.”

“No. We need to organize Tobaron’s forces first. If Lord Dorneth is to beco the center, he must remain in Tobaron for a while.”

“Tobaron’s vast. Even without Kal, it’ll take ti to reorganize. Focusing on the World Tree will be faster.”

“Using Priestess Nella will speed it up.”

“Nella? The Nella I know doesn’t have that kind of ability.”

Even among her own race, Fenry’s judgnt was ruthless. And she was right—Nella didn’t have that ability.

“Until a few days ago, yes.”

“She gained a special ability.”

“What??”

When I pointed to the sky, Fenry’s pupils widened slightly.

“No way...?”

“Let’s just call it a blessing of the World Tree.”

I nodded.

While learning about the spiritual resonance of those around us through Lily, an unexpected na had surfaced.

Nella had awakened as the owner of a spirit.

Though I didn’t know why, with the World Tree’s awakening, the sacred branch she held seed to gain a new power.

One of her abilities,

[Companionship That Breaks Walls],

brought rapid emotional harmony among those around her.

To unite fractured forces and quickly suppress the resulting unease, no one was more fitting than Priestess Nella.

“The reason I want to reorganize Tobaron quickly is...

“To protect the World Tree, we need them.”

“You’re planning to bring Tobaron’s forces beneath the World Tree?”

“If I did, the surrounding factions wouldn’t sit idly by. That’s why we’ll station them here.”

I pointed to a location on the map.

“Elletor Fortress?”

“Yes. Right here.”

The place I indicated was Elletor Fortress, situated between Tobaron and the Ordor Forest.

It was the most strategically ideal position to support the Ordor Forest.

With the Forest of Ghosts gone, any support request could be fulfilled within three days.

Fenry nodded and summoned Banri.

“Good. Nella should be stationed there too, so I’ll send the word imdiately.”

As Fenry made her decision and played a hand ga with Banri, deia cleared her throat and approached .

“Isn’t there anything the witches can do?”

“Hmm...?”

“Anything. Just say it. Witches have all sorts of abilities.”

She seed to be pitching her usefulness, but it felt a little ridiculous.

It was as if a power competition had broken out between allies.

“Have the witches patrol the forest’s outskirts and cast wards.”

“Wards?”

“They don’t have to be like the Forest of Ghosts, but we need so way to detect and stop intruders in advance.”

“I’ll consult with Dorta.”

Once the eting got going, the next moves were decided rapidly.

We first discussed the internal situation, how to reorganize our forces and establish a defense periter.

The World Tree’s surroundings needed to be stabilized if we wanted ti to prepare.

From stabilizing the Tobaron region to securing the forest with safe warding spells, ti was tight, even with us moving quickly.

Both Fenry and the elder exhaled in relief.

“At least we’ve got so breathing room now. Plenty of ti to prepare.”

The damage Demtor suffered from this battle was massive—humiliatingly so.

Now that they’d retreated beyond the boundary, I expected it would take them a while to regroup.

But I thought differently.

“No. We must not give them ti.”

“What??”

“Defense alone won’t be enough to protect this place. We have to strike first.”

The World Tree’s location was too central.

Geographically, it was too unfavorable for defense.

To move on to the next step, Demtor had to be erased from the map.

“What’s the rush?”

I silently looked around.

This was a temporary eting room where only the three of us had access.

“Reto, can you detect it?”

[I can.]

The King of Shadows.

As always, he was a being who watched over us from anywhere and everywhere.

That presence had grown stronger.

So strong that even Reto sensed it.

I looked at Fenry’s flickering shadow beneath the candlelight.

“The rulers of the fallen worlds... are starting to intervene, one by one.”

The World Tree is a double-edged sword.

The King of Shadows had settled here through the World Tree’s physical manifestation.

At the very least, he wouldn’t harm the World Tree itself.

What I was worried about was another absolute being I had encountered before—Jess Milo, the King of the Dead.

His allies had once been the Nest of Shamans.

Now that the shamans had fallen, who he would ally with next remained a variable.

“Others will also start moving, each seeking prey.”

Those the absolutes contacted all had imnse talent and desire to match.

Most had been called the “main villains” and had been granted great power.

Given enough ti, even Six-Stars could erge.

Just two Six-Star beings would push the World Tree’s existence to the edge of a cliff.

The surest way to protect it was to strike visible enemies first.

Demtor.

They had to fall.

There were two revelations that foretold Demtor’s downfall.

One was the birth of the Great Witch who carried the Seed of Calamity.

In the original story, it was Lily, the Great Witch who beca the Black Star, that destroyed Demtor.

But now, the Seed of Calamity was gone.

Which ant only one option remained—Division.

The Seed of Division within Demtor was still alive.

“The Blood-Drinking Chalice.”

I had to use her.

It was no coincidence that I spared Modin, Lord of the Ivory Tower.