From Ethan's position, the edge of the canopy blurred at the horizon, appearing to merge seamlessly with the boundary of the sky.
Clouds wrapped around the trunk of the World Tree.
They flowed slowly between the branches of the World Tree, like streams winding around rocks, or like sheer gauze brushing past a giant's fingers.
Some clouds were caught in the crevices of the branches, constantly shifting and morphing under the wind, yet never quite able to break free.
Ethan could feel the thirty-six runes inside his mental sea light up simultaneously.
That glow was his Plant Affinity passive vibrating wildly.
The Azure-Dyed Forest beneath his feet, the long journey across half the world behind him, and the colossal tree connecting heaven and earth before his eyes—all of them were bound together by a single consciousness.
That consciousness was far too massive, so immense that his Plant Affinity could only perceive its presence but could not begin to touch its boundaries.
An ancient voice drifted over from the direction of the World Tree.
“Young friend, I have lived here for so many years that even I can no longer remember. You are the very first outsider I have met who is so peculiar.”
“Are you... the World Tree?”
“Yes, the children of this world call me so.” The ancient voice echoed in Ethan's consciousness, carrying an indescribable weariness. “I have lived here for too long, so long that even I cannot remember my age.”
Ethan's pupils contracted slightly.
The World Tree!
The core of Amons World, the physical manifestation of the World Consciousness.
Why would such an entity take the initiative to seek out a mere Third-Tier Apprentice like him?
“Then, why did you seek me out...?”
“Child.” The World Tree's voice paused. “This world is beyond saving, is it not?”
Ethan fell silent.
For a moment, he really did not know how to answer.
“This...”
“Hehe, from your hesitation, I have my answer.” There was no anger or sadness in the World Tree's voice, only a serene calm that had seen through everything. “So, what will be the fate of this old fellow? Total destruction, or something else?”
“I am sorry. My strength is too meager, so I do not know.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“You...”
Just as Ethan was about to ask further, a rumbling roar echoed from the horizon.
Ethan snapped his head up.
At the edge of his vision, the clouds began to churn.
A massive, grayish-white silhouette slowly emerged from the clouds.
It was a bone dragon.
The bone dragon was staggeringly massive; its head alone, poking out of the clouds, was dozens of meters long.
Dark gray runic patterns flowed across its pale skeletal surface, and each flash of the runes stirred a visible ripple of energy in the air.
Eerie green soul fire burned within the bone dragon's eye sockets, the twin flames spinning slowly as they swept over the Sacred City below.
Atop the bone dragon's back, three figures stood suspended in midair.
They did not intentionally release their auras, but simply by standing there, the surrounding air began to warp.
Space groaned, energy particles wailed, and the entire sky trembled at their presence.
Blood Bone stood atop the bone dragon's head, his dark red hair whipping in the wind.
Behind him stood two Tier 3 Wizards, a man and a woman.
The male wizard was named Meltbone. He was short and stout, clad in a heavy, dark red robe.
His skin had an eerie, dark red hue, covered in countless fine cracks through which an orange light, resembling flowing lava, could be seen slowly moving deep within.
Wizard Meltbone specialized in the Fire-element Body Refinement branch, and his temper was as explosive as his spells.
The female wizard was named Frostfall. She was tall and slender, draped in a pale blue cloak.
Fine ice crystals clung to the edges of her cloak, each refracting the sunlight into a spectrum of colors.
Her face was as pale as a corpse's, her lips nearly bloodless, and her eyes a crystalline, pale blue.
Wizard Frostfall specialized in the Ice-element, possessing a cold temperament and rarely speaking.
In Blood Bone's hand rested a writhing mass of flesh, contracting, expanding, and rolling in his palm like a living thing.
“Natives, surrender now and live,” Blood Bone's voice pressed down from the sky, each word vibrating the air. “I will give you thirty breaths to consider.”
As his words fell, the auras of the other two Tier 3 Wizards erupted simultaneously.
Boom!
The sky darkened.
The clouds were blown apart by their sheer presence, revealing the pitch-black Void above.
The bone dragon let out a silent roar toward the sky, eerie green soul fire spewing from its eye sockets to form a burning halo around its head.
The entire Sacred City trembled.
Dense networks of emerald-green runes surfaced on the city walls, flickering frantically under the pressure of the Tier 3 Wizards' auras.
From deep within the Sacred City, three figures soared into the sky.
The elderly woman at the front wore a dark green priest robe embroidered with intricate gold patterns.
Behind her stood two strong men, their bodies covered in dark teal scales that shimmered with deep green patterns. They were bare-handed, the muscles on their arms knotted like ancient tree roots.
One Protector Priest and two Protector Envoys.
The three Third-Tier lifeforms stood in the air above the Sacred City, looking up at the five figures in the sky, their expressions incredibly grim.
“Thirty breaths,” Blood Bone's voice pressed down once more, devoid of any emotion. “Twenty-nine. Twenty-eight.”
The Protector Priest gripped her staff tightly as the emerald-green light at its base began to spread, climbing up her arms to her shoulders and condensing into a thin film of light around her body.
The two Protector Envoys growled simultaneously, all the deep green patterns on their scales lighting up.
The air beneath their feet exploded, and countless fine specks of light materialized around them, seeping out from every brick and tile of the Sacred City and surging toward them.
They were mobilizing the Sacred City's defenses.
They were drawing upon the power of the World Tree.
Standing on the canopy of the giant tree in the Azure-Dyed Forest, Ethan watched this unfold, a thought sparking in his mind.
“World Tree.”
“Young friend?” The World Tree's voice echoed in his consciousness, still gentle and completely devoid of tension.
“I can contact the people in the sky and buy you some time. What do you say?”
The World Tree fell silent for a brief moment.
“Oh? Young friend, what is it you want?”
“A piece of your heartwood, and a seed.”
There was no hesitation.
“This old fellow hasn't lived long enough yet. Deal.”
The corner of Ethan's mouth twitched into a grin.
He sent his mental power into the Wizardry Tool on his right ear. “Command, this is Ethan Leo.”
A voice came from the Wizardry Tool, “Received. Go ahead.”
“I am currently in the Azure-Dyed Forest outside the Sacred City, and I have established contact with the World Tree,” Ethan said rapidly. “Please contact Lord Blood Bone and the other masters. Tell them to hold their hands.”
Silence fell over the other end of the Wizardry Tool.
About three breaths later, the white-robed wizard's voice rang out again, his tone clearly rising half an octave. “You've established contact with the World Tree?”
“Yes.”
“Hold on, reporting this immediately.”
The other end of the Wizardry Tool fell silent once more.
Rate on N.U.
