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I still remember it clearly. The land was already desolate, dry and twisted, cracked wide open. The barren scenery, with dry vines tumbling across the earth in the wind.

On it, I encountered hundreds, thousands of monsters, their presence pressing against my skin like a sharp pain. How could I forget how hard I fought to survive, pushing through the dungeon clearance?

Even now, thanks to Edelin’s quick actions, we’ve set up barriers to block the intrusions of magic. But I know all too well the nature of this magic that rode in on the winds to reach this place.

‘So it seems that filthy creature has indeed surfaced.’

The fifth demon, adept in venom and curses. It seems Edelin’s prophecy wasn’t wrong after all. That damned monster had succeeded in making its presence known in this world.

Otherwise, I wouldn’t be feeling this cursed energy that seems to rot my lungs just by being exposed for so long.

I took a moment to recall what the creature looked like.

Sometimes it took on the shape of a massive serpent, other times it appeared as a scruffy man who hadn’t bathed in ages. When in serpent form, it was a monstrous being that swallowed the earth, and when in human form, it sneaked about, spreading its vile poison all around and disappearing like a wicked demon.

At least there were some ways to deal with its poison. But when it was in that massive serpent form, I just felt lost on how to kill it. For some reason, it seemed like there was a specific condition that had to be fulfilled for it to maintain that serpent shape.

As I was deep in thought, Elvis, who had been trembling a bit, immediately flew over to me.

“Dad!”

“Oh, Changsik.”

“…It’s Elvis, you know.”

Changsik, nestled in my arms, turned his head sharply towards the eastern forest, his expression wary.

“By the way, Dad, this energy…”

“Right. The poisonous demon.”

“…This is troublesome. Both you and me, along with Sister Tania, can’t utilize our powers here.”

And that was the truth. For a creature of that level, even if I couldn’t use my true power, I would need Tania and Changsik’s help to have any chance of doing something.

The mere appearance of such a formidable foe in the situation I currently found myself in was anything but encouraging.

‘World Tree, Eriantina.’

That one massive tree that forms the foundation of the Great Forest. What was its true nature that it interfered with my status window like this?

But right now, that World Tree had created a quest in my status window with all its might.

『Defensive Battle ─ Struggle』

As the quest suggests, we must fight back, no matter what, to stop the advance of those damned demons.

Just as I was contemplating that, Edelin, having finished casting her magic and taking a moment to catch her breath, stood facing the crowd who were looking up at the barrier she raised around herself and the city.

The figure of a benevolent ruler was nowhere to be found. Only one woman, with the power to unite and inspire people’s spirits like a conquering king before a battle, stood there. Moreover, she was still standing gracefully in the midst of the mana storm that lingered from her powerful magic.

Indeed, every little gesture of hers sent the mana bound to her swirling, capturing the gaze of the people even more than during the Great Trial.

“It seems quite coincidentally that the day of war, decreed by the World Tree, is about to officially arrive.”

“The Great Forest has prepared thoroughly, having balanced both offensive and defensive strategies. However, it has only recently devoted itself to preparing for a defensive battle.”

“Yet judging by the heavy energy we feel now and my experiences from the past, it seems that the demons who will scorch all the forests have finally arrived here, so from now on—”

The ominous premonition was announced.

“I declare a full mobilization order.”

The Grand Elder allowed no objections to this.

“Forest Guardians and the militia for peace must prepare for battle. We’ll be recruiting citizen soldiers to earn merits in the fight.”

“And those who cannot fight should contribute in any way possible to lay the groundwork for the day of our survival and revival.”

“Thus, I declare once again. Prepare for the great war and transformation.”

Preparation for the great war and transformation.

“If we don’t prepare sufficiently, we will all end up eliminated and fade away into the annals of history.”

If one cannot accept this…

The future that the wisest elf in the continent, Edelin, foresaw had nothing but dark and bleak outcomes ahead. The extinction of elves and the Great Forest was all that awaited.

As the tension of dread loomed over the Great Forest, the Great Trial quickly wrapped up, and everyone dispersed, bustling with activities. Edelin’s Royal Guards split into two teams—half escorting Ianette, while the other half began preparations for defense and the recruitment of volunteers.

Arielte and Chelness were also not just sitting idle. With Chelness’s expertise in spirit magic, they called upon engineers to set up defensive barriers and the most powerful weapons in the city to perfect their defensive stance.

The Arielte family, together with the vigilante group, organized the panicked populace. They encouraged the most combative among the elves—the Forest Guardians—to gear up for battle, commanding their warriors to don their full armor and revitalize their spirits, sending 60% of their strength to the front lines and dispersing 40% throughout the city for readiness.

Almost all of Ianette had been mobilized, and in another way, contributed to the Great Forest. Edelin had pried open the treasure vault of the Ianette family, managing to gather a significant amount of supplies from their vast reserves to ensure a steady supply for the war.

And so, the Grand Elder held an urgent assembly, gathering all the important figures of the Great Forest.

“Fletta and Friel from the Arielte family. Kashia from Chelness. Eunice Kalia of the Kalia Marquis Family. And other elders…”

Edelin’s gaze then turned toward me and Shione.

“And the heroes who traveled here from the Count’s House.”

A clear friendly attitude directed solely at me and Shione.

Shione, perhaps feeling the weight of her goodwill, could only nod stiffly with a serious expression.

“I believe everyone here knows the reason we are gathered. To indeed stop the enemy and protect our homeland. However, we are, at this moment, almost completely ignorant regarding the enemy.”

“Though I fought against demons thousands of years ago, demons vary greatly from each other and are not easily comprehensible in their intent. Even if I devise dozens of plans to counter them, only a few will prove useful.”

“Yet we can’t simply sit still. Thus, I have prepared several restrictions we must endure, and practically guaranteed measures that could be advantageous to us; I will now discuss those.”

The discussion moved forward in a one-sided manner.

The speaker, naturally endowed with the power to lead the conversation, was the queen of the Great Forest. We were only permitted to listen to her.

We contemplated the best strategies for defense and offense while solely focusing on her words.

“Shall we start with the restrictions we must endure?”

“First, outside the barrier I’ve cast, the chances of engaging the demons entranced by magic are slim, so we must confront them within the barrier. We will have no choice but to forfeit any chances outside of it.”

“Second… the forest—no, more precisely, we must protect at least the World Tree’s roots within the barrier to ensure it does not suffer damage. This barrier heavily relies on the World Tree’s divine power. Should it suffer great harm, our greater aims would be jeopardized.”

“And lastly, this is a restriction but could also be seen as an advantage—”

The atmosphere grew heavy.

Simultaneously, it became clear just how much weight Edelin placed on us.

“The two heroes must absolutely maintain optimal condition in battle until the final phase, no matter what happens.”

“Neither the World Tree nor I have ever glimpsed a future devoid of you both.”

“You must protect them by any means necessary.”

And with those words…

“However, restrictions do not mean we lack powerful countermeasures. We possess formidable cards in our hand as well—if we utilize them wisely, we can create a significantly advantageous situation.”

The once heavy atmosphere shifted dramatically.

“Despite the World Tree suffering great losses thus far, it has still retained power reserved for our sake. If we harness this power, for a brief moment, we elves can hold a definitive advantage over the demons.”

Edelin’s smile graced her lips, her sharp gaze shining brightly as she boldly declared.

“For just 30 minutes, we will meld the environment of the Great Forest with the realm of spirits, not the material world.”

 

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