Whispering Forest, inside the chamber of the Elven Elder, Ruya.
"Asa's life depends on this World Tree Leaf. I would never lie to you about this..."
Ruya bit her lip and remained silent for a long while before finally speaking. "Is this why you called me out to talk alone?"
Ayime did not reply, but her face was slowly turning pale. She gathered her courage and said, "Are you really going to let Asa die?"
"The power of the World Tree Leaf and the Sunwell was originally meant to destroy the Dark Star. That was my mission. But he seized the power that was meant to be mine. That is fate. And so, the consequences should be his to bear—that is his destiny."
Ruya's eyes were filled with a strange confusion. It was as if she was not speaking her own thoughts but merely reciting a law that had nothing to do with her.
"I... thought you would definitely go save Asa..." Ayime murmured, lowering her head. She had long noticed that Ruya had unusual feelings for Asa, which was why she had come to Whispering Forest to persuade her.
"I want to save him, but the World Tree Leaf is not mine. It is a sacred relic of our Elven race and a crucial part of the continent's fate. This is not about what I want or don't want." Ruya turned away, no longer looking at Ayime, and said coldly, "Just leave."
"I'm sorry. No matter what, I cannot let Asa die."
A hard object suddenly pressed against Ruya's waist from behind. She turned her head and saw that Ayime was holding a crossbow.
It was a finely crafted, compact crossbow. Ayime's voice trembled with sorrow. "Don't move, and don't call for help. This is something I took from a necromancer. The poison and curse on it are so deadly that even the smallest scratch is fatal. I don't want to kill you."
Unexpectedly, Ruya let out a long sigh. She neither spoke nor showed any signs of resistance, allowing Ayime to press the crossbow against her back as they made their way to the top of the Ancient War Tree.
The two of them had originally been inside a small wooden house atop the massive Ancient War Tree, and along the way, they encountered no other elves. The wide mage robe was more than enough to conceal the small crossbow, making it appear as though they were merely walking closely together. Besides, no one would ever suspect that a frail young mage girl would dare to hold an Elven Elder hostage—especially in the magic-restricting Whispering Forest.
The World Tree Leaf rested on the central altar at the very top of the Ancient War Tree. Nourished by the Sunwell, the Ancient War Tree had fully matured, now displaying its complete form as an ancient Elven Empire war fortress, once built to combat dragons and titans. Around the altar stood dozens of massive withered wood warriors, and along the Ancient War Tree's sprawling trunks, dozens of bizarrely shaped branches extended outward—each one a magical weapon powerful enough to challenge a dragon.
No one would dare to seize the World Tree Leaf by force in the face of such formidable defenses. As a result, the elves seemed relatively at ease. Some who noticed Elder Ruya even nodded in greeting.
Ayime's heart was pounding rapidly. The towering withered wood warriors around her, along with those strange branches whose purposes were unclear but undoubtedly carried immense power—any one of them could turn her into pulp in the blink of an eye. Steadying herself, she spoke in a trembling voice to Ruya, "Go get me the World Tree Leaf."
"It's useless even if I give it to you. Even if no one is paying attention right now, the moment I pick up the World Tree Leaf, someone will ask questions. Elder Lloyd has already returned, and even I don't have the authority to use the Leaf freely. Besides, even if I give it to you, you won't be able to escape."
"As long as you hand it over, that's enough." Ayime held the crossbow in one hand while gripping a teleportation scroll in the other—something she had long prepared in advance. The Sunwell's anti-magic barrier could prevent all spells, except for space-related magic.
Ruya remained silent, hesitating for a moment. In the end, she still led Ayime toward the center of the altar.
"Stop."
A white-haired, white-bearded old elf suddenly appeared atop the shoulder of a deadwood warrior, speaking in a calm and indifferent tone.
Ayime took a step forward, tightening her hold around Ruya's neck, her face full of vigilance as she watched the old elf. The other elves at the top of the ancient tree also sensed that something was wrong, erupting into cries of alarm and commotion.
However, the old elf atop the withered wood warrior remained composed, speaking unhurriedly, "This outcome is actually the most ideal for our elven race. We have no need to intervene, and you don't need to be confused over that boy. Just take it as the will of Fahma."
"What are you saying?" Ayime didn't understand.
"I wasn't speaking to you, young lady. Did you really think that little toy in your hand was enough to get you here?" Elder Lloyd paid no attention to Ayime, instead fixing his gaze on Ruya, who was being held hostage. He let out a sigh and shook his head lightly. "You wanted to use this girl's hand to take the World Tree Leaf? I must admit, I'm disappointed. I never thought even you would fail to overcome this trial. Have you forgotten all of Fahma's teachings?"
Ruya's face showed a hint of panic as she lowered her head and said, "I'm sorry, I was just careless for a moment. This young girl is the disciple of Master Edwina, and her brother once helped us…"
"There's no need for pointless explanations with me. I know what you're thinking. Don't do anything foolish." The old elf shook his head decisively, but his voice was kept low—so low that only Ayime and Ruya, who were closest, could hear him.
"I don't care what you all want to do—give me the World Tree Leaf, or I'll kill her." Ayime suddenly pulled the crossbow from her sleeve and aimed it at Ruya's head.
The surrounding elves cried out in alarm, many drawing their bows and other weapons, but Elder Lloyd remained calm. He said, "Don't be foolish, young lady. For the sake of the two Tower Masters of the Tooth Tower, I won't make things too difficult for you."
"I don't care if you make things difficult for me—I just want the World Tree Leaf. Don't push me. I'll do anything right now," Ayime said, her hands trembling as she held the crossbow.
"Just because you dare to act doesn't mean you can succeed. Don't forget, you're in the Whispering Forest, and you're standing above the Sunwell." Elder Lloyd smiled faintly and pointed a finger.
With a soft whoosh, the crossbow in Ayime's hands suddenly changed. Every wooden component of the weapon, including the bolt, began to rapidly sprout roots, buds, branches, and leaves—blossoming into full bloom in the blink of an eye. What had been a deadly weapon was now nothing more than a lush, vibrant potted plant. The mechanical parts collapsed, and the tightened bowstring snapped straight, flinging a burst of flowers and leaves into the air, while the metal pieces clattered to the ground.
Ayime clenched her teeth and lunged toward the World Tree Leaf on the altar. However, from the surface of the treetop, dozens of thick vines suddenly sprouted, as thick as a child's arm. In an instant, they wove together into a cage, trapping her inside.
The surrounding elves finally let out a sigh of relief. Elder Lloyd leaped down from the shoulder of the deadwood warrior, walked up to Ruya, and patted her shoulder gently. In a soft voice, he said, "Don't overthink it. Didn't you say it yourself? This is his fate. Since he has gained that power, he must bear the responsibility."
"So you really were eavesdropping?" Ruya looked at Elder Lloyd with a strange expression. Their conversation had taken place within the range of the Ancient War Tree. With all the abilities embedded within the tree, it would have been effortless to listen in. Yet, Ruya had never expected that Lloyd would actually spy on their conversation.
"I'm worried about you," Elder Lloyd shrugged, his tone carrying a hint of double meaning. "I noticed that girl's expression was off when she first came to see you."
The old elf let out a long sigh. Just like his unusual aging, his voice carried a sense of time-worn sorrow that other elves did not have. "I understand, I truly do. But you must realize, he is just a human. A human's life is fleeting. Even if he doesn't die now, in another fifty or sixty years, he will still perish. If what that young girl says is true, his early death by those decades could grant peace to the entire continent for five or six centuries—including our elven race."
"I understand. I've always understood..." Ruya murmured expressionlessly, turning her head away.
Inside the vine cage, Ayime had collapsed to the ground, sobbing.
"Intruders!" A distant voice suddenly called out from the branches. An elf responsible for monitoring the surveillance images had raised the alarm.
"What? Where did they come from? Where are they now?" Elder Lloyd asked, his voice still calm. After the misunderstanding with the Tooth Tower, the Ancient War Tree's surveillance range had been expanded to its limits, covering a radius of ten miles.
"They're right here, they appeared suddenly!"
"Right here?" Elder Lloyd, Ruya, and all the other elves warily looked around, but saw nothing unusual. "Appeared suddenly? How is that possible?"
The surveillance magic of the Ancient War Tree was an ancient elven magic, one that no one could fool. Elder Lloyd swiftly flew to the branch where the magical diagram from the surveillance spell was displayed. There was indeed a light point indicating the presence of an intruder, and it was located exactly on top of the War Tree, right where the light representing the World Tree's Leaf was. The two light points were coincidentally overlapping.
Elder Lloyd was startled and quickly looked towards the altar. The World Tree's Leaf still lay quietly on the altar, and the surrounding dozens of deadwood warriors remained motionless.
Had the surveillance magic malfunctioned? Elder Lloyd was momentarily stunned, then, after a moment of thought, he suddenly understood something. He looked up.
A shadow swiftly dropped from above. Although it was still high up, it was already vaguely visible that it was a person. The falling figure's landing spot was precisely at the location of the altar.