The sudden whoosh of dozens of arrows tore through the air, accompanied by the simultaneous attack of summoned giant venomous insects and vines, all lunging toward Sandru. The elves did not dispel their hostility just because of Asa's intervention. That colossal corpse-formed creature and the necrotic magical aura emanating from the old man made his identity unmistakable. With the Black Star's emergence, a necromancer to the elves was no less a threat than a venomous serpent to a songbird.
The massive corpse beast abruptly extended its arm, forming a towering shield in front of Sandru with a speed that rivaled the elves' arrows. The projectiles struck the creature's arm but failed to penetrate, while the summoned venomous insects, before they could even get close, withered and perished under the overwhelming aura of death.
"Young lady, tell your impulsive and simple-minded people to stand down. I am not here to cause trouble. Of course, if you force me to turn you all into corpses, I wouldn't mind," Sandru said coldly to Ruya. From the various reactions of the elves, he could already tell that this young girl was their leader.
"Everyone, hold your fire," Ruya signaled to the elves around her. She understood clearly that continuing the attack would only lead to their own destruction.
"It's been a long time. So, are you here looking for me?" Asa asked, gazing at Sandru.
"Yes." A rare smile appeared on Sandru's face—neither exaggerated nor mocking. It was the kind of smile a kind elder would show upon seeing a child, though tinged with a hint of bitterness. "Knowing that you're still alive… I'm quite surprised… and a little glad."
"Surprised? You thought I was dead?"
Sandru pondered for a moment before saying, "This is not the place to talk. Let's find somewhere else."
"I can't leave here yet..." Asa glanced back at Grutt on the altar. Nearly all of the Sunwell's water had been poured over him. The blackness on his body was slowly fading, but his eyes remained tightly shut, as if he were still unconscious.
"Are you worried about those guys heading this way?" Sandru swept his gaze around. Though the dense forest blocked normal vision, it couldn't hide from someone of his level. "Just kill them, and the problem's solved."
Asa could also sense the approaching individuals—the same ones who had been trailing him ever since he left the Glory Fortress. Though they never tried to get close or interfere, they had been keeping their distance, shadowing him. He had no interest in dealing with them, and he could roughly guess Lancelote's intentions in sending them. Confronting them wouldn't change anything.
"Forget it. They probably won't do anything. Not worth the trouble." Asa leaped onto the corpse beast. The creature's enormous wings unfurled, stirring up a gust of wind thick with the stench of decay. Its massive form began to rise. Since Asa's necromantic magic originated from Sandru's teachings, he could control the beast just as well.
A thousand meters above the Ancient War Tree, the massive corpse beast hovered in the sky, carrying the two men. The fierce high-altitude winds howled around them.
"I always believed that if the Black Star were ever unearthed and wielded by someone, that person would be you," Sandru said, his voice barely carrying over the wind. "It wasn't just me—Ronis and Vadenina thought the same. None of us ever expected it would be someone else. More than anything, we never imagined that even Lord Akibard's prophecy could be wrong." He shook his head with a bitter smile.
Asa sighed and shook his head. "That prophecy was never about me. Or rather, it was never meant to refer to any one specific person."
"Hmm? What did you just say?" Sandru's eyes widened in surprise.
"You've never met Grandma Ail... no, Agrenel, have you?"
"No. And... I don't particularly want to meet her," Sandru admitted, shaking his head. "Why are you bringing her up all of a sudden?"
"Then you don't know the truth behind Akibard's prophecy... or the origins of the Black Star and the Necromancer's Guild."
"What do you mean? Do you know something?" Sandru's expression grew more and more astonished.
"Not long ago, I went underground to Nigen and met the black dragon Moriel. I learned a lot from her, but I haven't had the chance to tell you yet..."
Above the Ancient War Tree, Ruya and the other elves gazed upward at the massive corpse beast, which, from this angle, resembled nothing more than a giant bat. Meanwhile, on the nearby altar, every last drop of water from the Sunwell had been poured over Grutt's body. The lifeless blackness had completely faded from him, yet his eyes remained shut. Only the faint rise and fall of his breath proved he was still alive.
"What should we do?" asked a patrolling elf beside her. She had already drawn her massive black war bow but hesitated to fire. She knew very well what might happen if she loosed an arrow too rashly.
"What else can we do? Just wait," Ruya sighed.
Suddenly, a panting elf sprinted up and shouted, "Elder Ruya! There are people approaching from outside the forest. The scouts say they look like members of the Church!"
"What?" Ruya was stunned, then quickly turned and waved to the other elves. "Pass down the order—full battle readiness! Forget about that necromancer above for now. We deal with the Church first!"
"No, you're wrong. Forget about them. Our real enemy is the one up there," an aged voice interrupted her.
From the other side, Elder Lloyd had appeared atop the tree.
"Elder Lloyd, why are you—" Ruya was dumbfounded.
Lloyd hadn't climbed up on his own—his body, as ancient and frail as an old tree, couldn't possibly move that fast. Someone had carried him up.
It wasn't an elf, but a man. A tall, imposing figure clad in knight's armor. And he wasn't alone—more figures followed him up the Ancient War Tree.
High above, Sandru and Asa remained unaware of the commotion unfolding below.
Sandru's expression was grim. Asa had never seen him look this terrible before—perhaps this was the worst expression Sandru had ever worn in his entire life. But the fact that his reaction stopped at just a grim expression was, in itself, unexpectedly calm.
"I thought you'd explode in anger after hearing all this," Asa remarked.
"I do want to lose my temper. I've never been this furious in my entire life—not even when Inham schemed against me," Sandru said, his voice filled with rage, his breaths coming heavy and fast. But as he spoke, his tone gradually settled, his emotions ebbing away into an eerie calm. After a long pause, he spoke again, now in a hoarse voice weighed down by exhaustion. "If it were before, I could still be furious. But now, the Black Star has already emerged, and everything has come to its conclusion. Finally, I can think about it with a clear mind. In the end, all the turmoil, all the chaos—it was just trouble we created for ourselves, born from our own arrogance and delusions."
"Heh… 'Clarity and Transcendence.' I've heard that phrase my whole life, but only now do I understand what it really means. If you're drowning in your own attachments and emotions, how can you ever grasp the insights beyond the mundane?"
"Now that things have come to this, what do you plan to do?" Sandru asked.
Asa countered, "Isn't that the very reason you came looking for me?"
"You already know?" Sandru asked, slightly surprised.
"I figured it out long ago. When I was in prison of the Glory Fortress, I knew they wanted to use me to destroy the Black Star. After escaping, Lancelote sent a few men to trail me. With such obvious movements, do you take me for a fool? They couldn't capture me in the castle, so they planned it slowly after I got out. Since I was alone, it was the perfect opportunity."
"Yes. I came from the Magic Academy, and I got the information from your prime minister lover. It seems that's exactly what's happening."
"Oh?" Asa raised an eyebrow.
"Magnus and the others are trying to persuade you to walk willingly to your death. If you refuse, they'll have no choice but to use force to make you play the role of their so-called savior." Sandru gave a weary smile. "I specifically came to warn you, but it looks like that was unnecessary. Since you already know, I assume you have a plan? What will you do?"
"There is no plan." Asa gave a bitter smile. "At this point, what options do I have? I'm just trying to do whatever is still worthwhile."
"Don't you want to run?"
"Run?" Asa sounded as if he had never heard the word before.
"Your little lover asked me to tell you to run—to leave this continent and head to the Far East. Honestly, that's what I think you should do too. The King of the Undead is still incomplete. He still needs to go to Dehya Valley to unearth the true Black Star. You might still have time."
"Then… why aren't you running? And why haven't the others fled either?"
"Me? The fate of a necromancer has long been sealed. No matter where we go, the mark of the Black Star in our bodies has already determined our final destiny. As for people like Magnus and Lancelote, those who do have the ability to run, they refuse to do so. They have too much they can't let go of—things like the so-called justice they preach, their sense of responsibility, their power. All of it is worth gambling for—especially when they're gambling with other people's lives." Sandru's face was full of mockery. "But you're different. Living freely without attachments has always been your goal, hasn't it? And even if there's some last shred of hope left, it has nothing to do with you. So if anyone has the right and the reason to run, it's you."
Asa fell silent for a moment, then looked at Sandru with a wry smile. "I'm surprised. You sound like a persuasive envoy, working so hard to convince me to flee."
"Because I don't want you to die. It's only now that I realize just how much we already owe you. The way you are now… it's entirely our doing." Sandru smiled bitterly. He pulled out a neatly folded robe and handed it to Asa. But before Asa could take it, Sandru's expression suddenly changed, and he turned his gaze downward.
"Looks like someone really doesn't want me to escape," Asa said, also smiling bitterly.
Below, an enormous white sword of light shot toward the sky with a deafening roar, carrying such overwhelming force that it seemed as if it could pierce a hole straight through the heavens.