504-517

Chapter 504 - Leon's Avarice

At first glance, the passageway appeared no different from other common passages found in the subterranean world.

However, the passageway before them was not naturally formed.

It was man-made, or at least made by some being. This can be observed by the chiseled walls and semi-flat ground like it had been carved and leveled out.

What surprised Leon was at the other end of the passageway, which was actually not that long and still within the range of his divine sense.

"Ruins of the Nova Civilization, huh?" Leon mumbled.

His eyes flickered with understanding.

"Eh? What did you say? Did you discover something?" Lumi suddenly asked while trying to peer into the gloomy crimson passageway, overflowing with Demonic Energy.

"Nothing. You'll see soon enough, Lumi." Leon responded with a shake of his head

"Fine…"

Shortly after, Leon pointed his index finger upwards before a bright flame came to life on the tip of his finger and brightened up the area.

Lumi distanced herself from Leon subconsciously.

Leon noticed her subtle movement and smiled wryly, thinking that she was still a spirit at the end of the day. She still cannot overcome her natural weakness and fear against extreme Yang elements.

The two followed to the end of the passageway before entering the remnant ruins of the Nova Civilization from ten thousand years ago while passing through the cluster of Demonic Energy in the area.

Leon had some apprehensions against absorbing too much Demonic Energy; thus, they were collected and dumped into the Universal Life Conversion Array.

"Leon, don't push things too far!" Maya's strong voice thundered throughout the Worldspace and quaked the ground. "Otherwise, don't blame if I make all your precious herbs wilt!"

"Haiz… this girl… don't know what's good for her." Leon shook his head with a wry sigh before he mumbled grudgingly, "Why do these women always have to threaten me with my herbs? What did it ever do to them? Some spirit herbs never hurt nobody."

After seeing the herbs growing nicely, Leon withdrew his consciousness from the Worldspace.

If he could keep supplying the herbs with stable Life Energy, it would only be a matter of days before the leading herbs advance to Tier 4 Spirit Herbs.

That is much quicker than the one-year timeframe he had initial predicted when the Sacred Garden was damaged and lacking in Life Energy.

With the right combination of Tier 4 Spirit Herbs, he could concoct batches of Heaven Ascension Pills and allow peak Core Revolving Realm Divine Cultivators to breakthrough to the Heaven Ascension Realm directly.

This was a realm equivalent to Seeking Insight Transcendent.

Alas, there are no Core Revolving Realm Divine Cultivators in the Crawford Kingdom. At most, there are Peak Body Tempering Realm Divine Cultivators amongst the citizens.

'It seems I need to raise the bar for cultivations amongst the people once I return to the empire.' Leon mused.

Each condition for the flourishing age of Divine Cultivation has been met one by one.

He has the World Tree for its endless supply of Spirit Energy, the Sacred Garden for producing high-quality spirit herbs, and himself with the knowledge of Divine Cultivation to achieve each realm.

If there was one thing these things all had in common, it was that they are all related to him in one way or another.

What does this imply?

It implies that not only will he be the leading figure pioneering the flourishing age of Divine Cultivation, he will also be making bucket loads of money, money, and money!

Important things had to be mentioned thrice!

Leon's eyes glowed avariciously.

"Hahaha!" Leon suddenly burst into maniacal deep laughter upon thinking about the endless wealth he could be making and caused Lumi to jump with fright.

"What the heck, Leon? Have you gone mad?" Lumi asked with shock before her eye's flickered with some sort of enlightenment. "Oh, no! It must be the Demonic Energy! Don't worry, I will pull you out right away!"

"Ahem, stop—stop it. I'm fine. I was just thinking about something." Leon coughed awkwardly and explained while Lumi was trying to drag him back to the Heart of Spring Chamber.

Lumi paused to gaze at him suspiciously before asking, "What were you thinking about?"

"…Money. A lot of money." Leon scratched his cheek ruefully.

Lumi was surprised by this answer before she said, "I would have never thought you were such an avaricious person."

"Haiz, me too." Leon sighed while shaking his head. He was not such a person in his past life. It was the mortal struggle of poverty that corrupted him.

The empire needed a staggering amount of wealth and resources for its development.

As long as he was the prince of the empire, he had a duty and responsibility to help his parents develop the country.

'Why does it feel like the wealthiest people were also seem to be the poorest?' Leon mulled over these thoughts.

If the truly poverty-stricken people knew he thought like this, they would have pointed fingers and cursed him to death, drowning him in their saliva.

Shortly after Leon and Lumi reached the end of the passageway, an intense crimson light welcomed them before their eyes laid upon a large open area, slanted on a downward slope.

Marbled limestones and refined alloy walls of old buildings stuck out from the ground, half-buried, while a tilted tower brimming with Demonic Energy could be seen at the bottom of the long slope.

Leon narrowed his eyes on the crimson tower with a studying gaze.

"What the heck is that thing?" Lumi exclaimed before pointing straight at the crimson tower he was observing, "That must be the source of all this Demonic Energy, right?"

"That's right."

Leon nodded.

"If I'm not wrong, that should be one of the old relics from the Nova Civilization, responsible for converting the Sun's Solar Energy into artificial Spirit Energy. However, something must have gone wrong and inverted the artificial Spirit Energy..."

"The Sun's Solar Energy? But this is the underground! There isn't any sunlight here!"

"And that is precisely what worries me... but to think there was an ancient ruin this close to the elven tribe in the underground..."

Leon did not expect to find the source so quickly.. However, that seems to have become the least of his worries.

Chapter 505 - Sturdy Tower

Looking at the energy conversion tower pumping out Demonic Energy in large quantity, Lumi frowned for a moment before saying, "We just need to destroy this tower, right? Why do I feel like it won't be enough to solve the problem?"

"Because it won't," Leon replied with a deeper frown.

For the Elder Tree to grow to its current height, it must have relied on the artificial Spirit Energy produced by this energy conversion tower under it.

He had suspected this.

However, something happened that caused the energy conversion tower to stop producing artificial Spirit Energy and started producing Demonic energy.

Logically speaking, the inversion of artificial Spirit Energy should only create artificial Demonic Energy. But there was nothing but True Demonic Energy in their surrounding.

Just this point alone is enough to raise a serious question and problem; how was this done?

"Oh?" Lumi gasp softly with surprise before asking, "Did you figure something out?"

"Think about it, this is just one energy conversion tower. Although it's producing a lot of Demonic Energy, its coverage isn't all that great. At least one energy conversion tower is not enough to spread beyond the Great Forest and infect so many rats from the wide plains of the Wildlands," Leon explained.

"Hmm… so, in other words, there should be a lot more energy conversion towers out there, right? We just have to find them all and destroy them all, no?" Lumi asked.

Leon shook his head and said wryly, "If only it was that simple."

"Huh?" Lumi exclaimed softly with confusion before asking, "Did I miss something?"

"You see anything wrong with this?"

"How can I? I don't even know how these energy conversion towers operate." Lumi responded with a shrug.

"Fair enough." Leon nodded.

He did not blame Lumi for her lack of runic understanding. If he had not inherited Arden Gilardi's runic knowledge, he would also be just as clueless.

"The Nova Civilization constructed these energy conversion towers to produce artificial Spirit Energy for their consumption and development. One or two energy conversion tower malfunctioning to invert artificial Spirit Energy can be attributed to coincidence. But all of them malfunctioning? Definitely not just a mere coincidence."

After listening to Leon's analytically explanation, Lumi's eyes flickered with understanding before asking, "Are you suspecting that someone or something had tempered with these energy conversion towers to produce Demonic energy?"

"No, I don't suspect it." Leon shook his head before stating confidently, "I am completely certain of this being the case."

"Not to burst your ego bubble, but how can you be so sure?" Lumi asked with a hard look of doubt while the two of them approached the energy conversion tower.

None of the Demonic Energy were able to come in contact with her body. Upon careful look, one would notice a thin barrier of Yin warding off the Demonic Energy.

Leon scouted the area carefully with his divine sense along the way but failed to detect any signs of life in the surroundings.

"Remember when I was assaulted by the Demonic Energy I was trying to remove from the Elf King's body earlier?" He asked.

"Yeah, what about that?" Lumi nodded.

"There was a hidden will inside that Demonic Energy. Whoever it belonged to, they had tried to invade my mind and possess my body. Too bad for them, they failed. However, they should be related to the energy conversion towers producing Demonic Energy." Leon explained.

Shortly after, he sighed, "If only they can send a few more sliver of will my way and try to possess me again."

"Are you secretly an M?" Lumi asked with astonishment.

"What?" Leon nearly staggered from her question before he quickly denied, "Of course, n—"

"Ha, I knew it. To think that you were such a person. Honestly, I am rather surprised and disappointed." Lumi commented before Leon could finish speaking.

He was immediately struck speechless.

"Like I was saying… I'm n—"

"It's alright. I totally understand." Lumi cut him off again while nodding with an understanding look, causing the corners of Leon's eye to twitched profusely.

'No, you don't understand at all!'

"You—haiz, whatever." He waved his hand in defeat.

Why did he need to explain himself? It would make him seem more guilty. So long as he knew he was not one, that was enough.

More importantly, the sliver of will was found inside the Elf King's body. This means the Elf King had long fallen under this unknown enemy's control.

Most likely, the Elf King had visited this remnant ruin on multiple occasions and might even have played a part in tempering the energy conversion tower.

However, there were some things Leon did not understand.

If the Elf King had been controlled by this unknown powerful being the entire time, it would contradict his previous assumptions about the Elf King's sacrifice for the tribe.

Why would that powerful being throw away one of its pawns in that case?

Suddenly, Leon's eyes flickered with a thought.

What if that being's control was limited—only able to influence the Elf King subconsciously like in his sleep, for example?

This was a rather terrifying thought.

Knowing when a person is being controlled is not scary. What is scary is not knowing that person is being controlled.

'The demons are more deeply rooted in this continent than I thought.' Leon frowned.

Shortly after, Leon and Lumi arrived at the foot of the energy conversion tower before they studied the surroundings.

"Seems like there were people around here recently… but not at the moment," Lumi commented while looking at the signs and traces of footsteps.

Leon nodded in agreement.

After gazing up at the energy conversion tower, Leon turned Lumi with a gesture, "Would you like to do the honors?"

"Nah, I'm just tagging along. I'll leave that job to you." Lumi spoke carefully after pondering for a moment.

Leon shrugged at her answer before flicking his wrist. Shortly after the bone spear appeared in his firm grasp, he made a diagonal sweep at the energy conversion tower.

Clang!

A powerful ring resounded through the area from the clash, but the energy conversion tower remained standing after being struck. Only a portion of its edge had been chipped off.

"Hm? It's more sturdy than it looks.." Leon wrinkled his brows before preparing a more powerful attack.

Chapter 506 - Rising Temperature

Western Frontier, Great Wall.

General Marquis Hendrick stood atop the black metal wall while another reputable person stood beside him. They both gazed down at the fiery wall of flames preventing the rat tide from advancing a step closer to their border in the dark of the night.

"It's great to have you take time out of your busy schedule to help us here at the frontlines, Duke Ignis." General Marquis Hendrick said.

Duke Ignis shook his head and said while waving his hand, "You spoke too humbly, General Marquis Hendrick. Against a threat like this rat tide, it is only right for me to lend my hand. Even King Heinrich is paying great attention to this matter."

"His Majesty is?" General Marquis Hendrick asked with surprise. He had sent a messenger during the first outbreak, but no news nor reinforcement had made their way back until the following day.

"Of course. The New Capital Plan has been put on hold, and the Railway Construction Plan has also been redirected to the Great Wall. The railway route towards the Western Frontier is being built as we speak." Duke Ignis explained.

General Marquis Hendrick was astonished by the news before he asked with doubt, "I don't mean to be rude to His Majesty, but what took so long for His Majesty to respond?"

"Ah… that. I heard King Heinrich and Queen Elizabeth was both away from the Capital, toiling at the site of the railway construction." Duke Ignis said wryly. "Call it bad timing, I suppose?"

"That is not just bad timing. That is terrible timing," General Marquish Hendrick rubbed his forehead with distress before saying, "Just my luck, huh?"

"In any case, what matters is that we are here now." Duke Ignis said optimistically. He did not come alone.

General Marquis Hendrick nodded before returning his gaze to the front, observing the rat tide's situation below.

A group of Fire Awakeners could be seen maintaining the firewall from atop of an earthen wall, erected by another group of high-level Earth Awakeners guarding them.

"Are these everyone?" General Marquis Hendrick asked casually without a hint of disappointment, despite the group of reinforcement numbering less than a hundred people.

Although the two groups consisted of blacksmiths and palace guards, they were also the strongest amongst the Fire Awakeners and Earth Awakeners in the empire.

He could not have asked for a better reinforcement than this, especially the Fire Awakeners. Their destructive element was far too useful in dealing with the rat tide.

Nevertheless, Duke Ignis shook his head, "No, Queen Elizabeth will be coming with her entourage, and further 10-thousand troops are making their way over from the eastern side of the empire."

"So many?" General Marquis Hendrick was taken aback before asking concernedly, "Has the situation in the east stabilize?"

"More or less. Either way, the situation here in the west requires more attention than the stability of the east. If we lost the Great Wall to this rat tide, it would be an unprecedented calamity, rivaling the Crimsom War."

"Right…" General Marquis Hendrick nodded solemnly.

Shortly after, Duke Ignis suddenly noticed something coming from the corner of his eyes before quickly warned with a serious expression, "Something is coming!"

Seeing the incomer shooting towards them with incredible speed, Duke Ignis immediately conjured a flame lance in his hand before aiming at the fast-approaching figure.

General Marquis Hendrick scrutinized his eyes on the figure in the distant dark skies before they suddenly widened with surprise.

"Wait, Duke Ignis!" He immediately reached out his hand to stop Duke Ignis before the person could fire his flame lance. "It's not an enemy!"

"Not an enemy?" Duke Ignis repeated, taking General Marquis Hendrick's word at face value, and dispersed his flame lance.

The person's appearance became clear to Duke Ignis shortly after landing atop the Great Wall to greet them, "Duke Ignis. General Marquis Hendrick. We meet again."

"Marquis Haldir? How's the situation in your tribe? Why are you back alone? What about the airship and its crew?" Duke Ignis rained questions on the Supreme Elder.

Supreme Elder Haldir smiled wryly.

"The situation is not good, I'm afraid. The rat tide is far, far too great in numbers. We had to light up the Great Forest to keep them at bay. However, the fire will not keep them out of the forest forever. The airship and its crew are on their way here as we speak," He answered.

"So that is what the smoke is coming from." Duke Ignis nodded.

He had seen large clouds of black smoke rising from the Elder Tree's direction. However, it could no longer be seen after the skies have gone dark.

Shortly after, he furrowed his brows slightly before asking, "What about the rest of your tribe? Do you have a plan to evacuate them from the rat tide?"

"That's what I am here for. The young prince has come up with a suitable evacuation plan for the tribe." Supreme Elder Haldir chuckled lightly before saying, "I hope you can prepare to welcome my 500-thousand tribesmen that will be coming from the northwestern direction over that distant hill."

Duke Ignis and General Marquis Hendrick gazed at the distant hill in the pointed direction with wry smiles.

"500-thousands tribesmen is not a small number. You certainly have placed a difficult task on our shoulders, Marquis Haldir." General Marquis Hendrick spoke wryly.

The Western Frontier can accommodate up to 100-thousand tribesmen at most after the central region is cleaned up.

However, what about the rest? Also, ration to feed 500-thousand elves would become a huge problem.

As if knowing what General Marquis Hendrick was considering, Supreme Elder Haldir softly chuckled.

"You might have misunderstood me, General Marquis Hendrick. You do not need to worry about our accommodation and ration supply. You only need to help us welcome them over the Great Wall safely." Supreme Elder Haldir explained.

"I see… that would certainly make things less difficult on my side..." General Marquis Hendrick replied, guessing the elves are carrying loads of goods with them.

"Well then, I will be leaving to take care of things on the other end. Let us meet again later," The Supreme Elder Haldir spoke briefly before taking off from the Great Wall.

"Marquis Haldir appears to be in a great rush." Duke Ignis commented thoughtfully while watching the Supreme Elder's departing figure in the sky.

General Marquis Hendrick nodded in agreement before he said, "Perhaps, the looming Cataclysm is closer than we expect…"

"Perhaps. I do feel the world's temperature is rising these days." Duke Ignis said.

General Marquis Hendrick glanced down at the bright dancing flames on the surface before asking, "Are you sure that is not the heat coming from the firewall?"

"…"

"Ahem, maybe." Duke Ignis coughed awkwardly.

Chapter 507 - Fleshly Abomination

Boom!

The top of the energy conversion tower came crashing into the ground after Leon exerted more strength in his spear strike and sliced off the building, diagonally in half.

At the same time, black blood spurted out like a fountain from the remaining top of the sliced tower before a dreadful high-pitched cry rang out from within.

Kriiii!

"What the hell is that thing?" Lumi exclaimed in shock at the sight of fleshly heap revealed from both parts of the tower as she shielded herself from the raining black blood.

"A fleshly abomination!" Leon stated with surprise.

He had seen a similar fleshly abomination under the Black Swamp in the Dark Continent. However, the one before them was much smaller in comparison.

His expression turned grave before he quickly retreated from the red tentacles that shot out from the wriggling fleshly heap!

Swish! Swish!

The red tentacles were sliced to pieces by Leon's bone spear as he retreated while some red tentacles were directed towards Lumi.

However, before they could coil around Lumi, they were diced into numerous pieces by threads of darkness.

After the diced up red tentacles dropped to the ground, they continued to wriggle before morphing into numerous mini fleshly heaps with growing tentacles.

"Ew! That is so disgusting!" Lumi cried with repulsion as the small fleshly heaps chased after her and Leon with their thread-like red tentacles.

"Welp! At least, we know what is really generating the Demonic Energy here!" Leon said with a frown while hacking away all the tiny tentacles with his bone spear.

The fleshly abomination was able to absorb artificial Spirit Energy into their bodies before outputting the Demonic Energy.

In a sense, they were the opposite of World Trees.

After the small fleshly heap was hacked into pieces, they shortly morphed into even smaller fleshly heaps with tentacles.

The black blood was absorbed into their bodies, and Demonic Energy was also drawn back towards them to fuel their growth.

Shortly after, they began to proliferate rapidly on a cellular level before merging together to form a larger fleshly heap.

Bam! Bam!

Leon evaded a few tentacles as they slammed into the ground with impressive force, cracking the earth while hurting themselves in the process as black blood spurted.

However, its damaged tentacles regenerated back to peak condition in a short instance.

Leon's eyes flickered at the sight before he spoke while retreating further, "These things aren't very strong, but their lifeforce and vitality are off the charts! I have never seen anything like this before!"

"And I have never seen such ugly things in my life! How are they not dying after being chopped up like this?" Lumi frowned with disgust before a wave of destruction obliterated the tiny fleshly heaps into ashes.

They did not come back after that.

"It seems the Destruction Law is still effective against them." Leon mulled before burning the fleshly heaps with his conjured flames.

At the same time, he flashed Lumi a subtle glance, seeing she resort to using the Destruction Law so casually without regard for its backlash.

Kriiii!

The fleshly abomination cried in pain.

Its fleshly parts squirmed in the scorching hot flames. However, it regenerated as quickly as it burned, rendering Leon's flames ineffective in dealing it a finishing blow.

"Not good enough, huh?" Leon frowned while evading a flaming tentacle attack before retaliating with an upward spear sweep, cutting off the fat flaming tentacle.

Kriiii!

The fleshly abomination continued to cry painfully before attacking more furiously, focusing all its attention on Leon.

Lumi shortly appeared beside Leon as they retreated together.

"I think your fire made it mad." She casually commented.

Leon swept her a glance and noticed she was enjoying his plight while not seeming all that concerned herself.

"I can see that much." Leon shrugged before requesting, "Can I entrust you with the task of finishing it off for me, Duna? It seems by my abilities alone are not enough to deal with it."

At that moment, the fleshly abomination had crawled out of the energy conversion tower and merged with all its counterparts, swelling to five times its original size.

It was nothing more than a big ball of meat with excessive flesh.

Its so-called tentacles turned out to be its arms and legs. However, they were ridiculously long and fleshly that they were not so easily recognized as limbs.

Meanwhile, countless eyeballs could be seen poking out of the surface of its round main body. It was a truly grotesque appearance and could be said to be a living abomination.

"See? You need me after all—" Lumi shortly smirked before she suddenly froze, flashing Leon a look of surprise, "When did you realize?"

"I had my suspicions since earlier, but the real nail in the coffin is your utilization of the Destruction Law. Lumi shouldn't be able to cope with the backlash so calmly like you." Leon explained before smiling ruefully, "Just what are you scheming by pretending to be Lumi anyway?"

To be honest, he was puzzled by their aura swap after discovering Lumi had actually been Duna the whole time.

Lumi was usually white like lilies when she is in control, while Duna would be accompanied by her blackening aura of malevolence and darkness.

It was strange to see Duna in white, but it also made him concerned about Lumi's well being. Their condition was rather puzzling and complicated.

"Eh? No real reason. I don't need to tell you anyway." Duna said nonchalantly while flourishing her white dress made of Yin Energy.

A tiny crack could be seen on her hand.

Suddenly, the two of them leap out of the way moments before a large tentacle arm slammed down at their original spot.

Boom!

After softly landing some distance away, Duna negotiated, "I don't mind dealing with this thing if you transfer some of that Pseudo-Grandmist Energy and help me recover from the backlash after."

"Of course." Leon agreed straightforwardly without trying to haggle with her.

He had yet to refine much Great Pseudo-Grandmist Energy, but he did not mind giving them all to Duna if the present situation could be dealt with swiftly.

The longer they lingered in the subterranean world, the more unpredictable the situation become.

Chapter 508 - Mutation

Duna was surprised by Leon's straightforward answer and wondered if she should have demanded more.

However, it was too late to change her mind since Leon had already accepted. Besides, she was not that unscrupulous.

"Alright." Duna nodded.

Shortly after, the power of destruction manifested in her palm before she waved them at the approaching tentacles.

The fleshly red tentacle arms and legs were immediately vaporized into ashes when they came into contact with the wall of destruction before it continued onwards, straight towards the fleshly abomination's main body.

Kriiiii!

The fleshly abomination exhibited its fear before retreating from the invisible wall of destruction advancing towards it.

However, its main body was incomparably slow compared to its tentacle limbs and failed to outrun the destruction wave before half its main body was cleanly shaved away from existence.

Kriiiii!

A piercing scream was heard, resounding throughout the underground space before the other half of the fleshly abomination quickly attempted to regenerate its missing half, albeit at a much slower rate than it had previously showcased.

"Duna, quickly finish it off!" Leon shouted with a frown. He was concerned that the fleshly abomination's cry would attract more powerful enemies towards them.

"I know! I don't need you to tell me what to do!" Duna responded unhappily with furrowed brows, not expecting her first attack to be insufficient.

The slight crack on her hand expanded, spreading through her fingers as a result of wielding the Destruction Law. Nevertheless, it was far from reaching the same level as last time.

Another wave of destruction was birthed into existence, gathering around the tips of her finger with a gloomy crimson glow.

Evidently, this concentration of destruction was greater than her previous attack as its form could be partially seen like a black hole, except eerily crimson in color.

At the same time, the tips of her fingers cracked at an accelerated rate.

However, Duna did not hold the power of destruction for too long and sent it shooting towards the escaping fleshly abomination.

Kriii—!

The fleshly abomination was struck as the power of destruction shaved off another portion of its body before making its way towards the standing energy conversion tower and disintegrated it into dust.

"Tch!" Duna snickered at her unexpected miss.

Before she could summon the power of the Destruction Law again, the fleshly abomination collapsed to the ground with a thud.

"Did it just die?" Duna gazed at the motionless corpse that started rotting as black blood flowed out of its body.

"It seems this thing had a weakness hidden somewhere in its body, and you had inadvertently destroyed it," Leon spoke after analyzing the fleshly corpse.

The internal structure of the fleshly abomination was not much different from humans. In fact, its flesh was also made from the same components as humans.

The only difference about its internal structure—which was also the most significant difference, was that it had far more organs than a single person should have.

It was like numerous people had been fused together through some sort of diabolic means to produce such a grotesque abomination.

However, of all the organs Leon detected with his divine sense, the heart was missing, and only half a brain remained.

"What kind of weakness could it have? With its powerful regenerative ability, I wouldn't be surprised if it can regenerate its missing organs." Duna said.

"That's true." Leon nodded in agreement before saying, "However, the heart is missing, and half a brain is left before it died. This cannot be a coincidence, can it?"

After all, the heart was a vital organ responsible for pumping the blood flow and was the source of a person's vitality.

"Well, it doesn't matter. Let us quickly get out of here." Leon suddenly said before Duna could respond to his previous question.

At the same time, he collected as much Demonic Energy as he could fill his empty pill bottles.

"We are not going to explore deeper? There are multiple entrances down here. It might lead us to more of those energy conversion towers you wanted to destroy." Duna said with surprise.

Leon shook his head and said, "No, destroying all those energy conversion towers is no longer my priority. Returning to the empire is. We don't have time to go looking for all these energy conversion towers out here in the Wildlands."

If there are energy conversion towers producing Demonic Energy in the Wildlands' underground, then chances are, there are also energy conversion towers back in the Human Domain's subterranean world.

Those were Leon's concerns.

Why would he still care about the Wildlands when he still had his own home to look after? That was like putting the cart before the horse.

"I see…" Duna shrugged.

She was just tagging along anyway. Whatever they decide to do rests on Leon's shoulder. She would just follow along since she had nothing else to do.

"How's your hand?" Leon asked while staring at the cracks on Duna's arm.

She waved her hand around for a moment nonchalantly before she answered, "It's alright. But it can do better after you supply me with some Pseudo-Grandmist Energy to absorb."

She licked her lips as she said this.

"Right, absorb it as we leave. I don't want to linger around here any further." Leon nodded as he channeled a few strands of Great Pseudo-Grandmist Energy out of his body and send them to Duna.

"Alright." Duna nodded happily while receiving the Pseudo-Grandmist Energy from Leon.

The Pseudo-Grandmist Energy were quickly absorbed into her body before repairing the cracks in her hand, while the excess amount reinforced her Corporality.

"By the way, what do you think that fleshly thing was? For something that produces Demonic Energy, it sure didn't look like your average demon… uh… actually, it doesn't look like a demon at all." Duna mentioned while they were leaving.

"Right," Leon nodded before speaking with a thoughtful frown, "It looked more like a giant tumor that grew controllably—Watch out!"

He immediately warned after sensing danger.

Bang!

A bone arrow struck the ground a split second after they quickly retreated from the spot before Duna turned her head to spot the assailant.

"Oh, damn. Now, what the heck is that thing?" She exclaimed with a raised brow.

It was another being with tumorous flesh all over its body. However, it appears more humanoid, except for its extra third leg, four arms, nine eyes, and numerous bone pikes growing out of its body.

It was quite a monstrous figure, but not quite demonic.

If Leon had to define just a hideous figure, he would say it looked more like a mutation gone wrong—terribly wrong from intense radiation exposure or something similar, in fact.

"A mutated person, perhaps?" Leon frowned before his eyes flickered with a possibility.

Chapter 509 - Leon's Speculation

Screee!

After missing the first shot, the mutated person roared angrily before pulling out another one of its bone spikes and hurled it at Leon like a javelin with incredible arm strength.

Swoosh~!

"It's coming again!" Leon warned with narrowed eyes as the bone spike whizzed through the air in an instance, heading straight for him.

Bang!

Leon dodged the bone spike with a quick sidestep as it implanted itself into the ground deeply, with slight web-like cracks forming around the impact point.

"It's going after you. Why don't you take care of it?" Duna found herself a spot on top of a boulder to sit before gazing at Leon with amusement.

At the same time, she continued to absorb the strands of Pseudo-Grandmist Energy.

"I intend to."

"Off you go then." She urged.

Leon was a bit speechless before nodding. It seems that they would not be able to leave until they finish off the mutated person or creature.

After clenching his bone spear, Leon immediately lunged towards the mutated being with a quick burst of speed, closing the distance in a matter of seconds.

Clang!

The two exchanged blows like the clashing of metals between Leon's bone spear and the mutated being's bone spike, producing a loud ring before the mutated being was flung into the distance.

Leon himself retreated a few steps after exerting 100-thousand jin strength in his strike.

Evidently, the mutated being was physically capable on the level of Transcendents despite its grisly and sickly appearance.

After realizing this, Leon stomped the ground and shot in pursuit.

However, another bone spike suddenly hurtled over from a different direction, causing Leon to twist his body in midair.

Bang!

The bone spike struck the ceiling of the subterranean space and shook the area mildly.

"Hurry up, Leon. Did you say you wanted to leave early? Why are you holding back and taking your time?" Duna said from a distance before narrowing her eyes to observe him fight, curious to see the extend of his abilities.

"No need for you to tell me twice," Leon replied before furrowing his brows. These mutated beings were stronger than they appear.

The second mutant appeared from a dark corner, revealing its hideous appearance that looked slightly different from the first one.

This one had four legs and two arms. However, from these two arms had another four arms growing out of them.

The ghastly sight was enough to send Leon goosebumps.

Shortly after, he engaged the two mutants in combat as they charged at him with bone weapons that grew out from their bodies.

After parrying one of their attacks, Leon immediately used his full strength to slice off one of their arms, causing the mutant to cry in retreat while waving its remaining half arm.

Screee!

At the same time, Leon frowned while sending the mutant flying with a bone-crushing sweep of his powerful spear.

Although he managed to slice off half an arm, the attack was not as clean as he had anticipated. Evidently, the mutant was not only physically strong, but their bodies were also incredibly robust.

After sending out his divine sense, he understood the reason.

The mutants' inner structure was almost entirely encased in bones like a hard exoskeleton shell protecting its vulnerable organs.

The heart was black like its blood, but it was strangely filled with abundant amounts of lifeforce.

Leon watched as the mutant's bones rapidly grew before a new arm was formed, albeit without its layer of tumorous flesh.

Unsurprisingly, these mutants also had extreme regenerative abilities.

However, they seem to belong to a different class from the fleshly abomination. The fleshly abomination could regenerate its flesh while the mutants regenerate their bones.

Even so, the mutants were not hard to deal with, once Leon learned of their weakness.

After driving his bone spear through their hard skeleton shell, penetrating their black heart, and scorching it with his flames, the mutant's resistance became weak, seemingly lost all its strength.

"Oh? It's not dying yet? Such impressive vitality." Leon commented with surprise before withdrawing his spear from its chest to finish it off with a penetrative blow to its head, destroying its brain.

Afterward, the mutant finally died.

Screee!

The other mutant cried with a high piercing pitch like it was mourning for its loss before pouncing towards Leon in a frenzy.

However, its entry-level Transcendental strength was no match for Leon.

With each swing of his bone spear, a limb was removed from the mutant's body, one after the other, until it finally fell flat on its back, limbless.

Leon stomped on its chest, stopping it from getting back up before he tried communicating, "Can you understand my words?"

Screee!

The mutant struggled furiously while its limbs were regrowing.

"I suppose not."

Shortly after ending the mutant's life by destroying its heart and brain, Leon returned to Duna's location promptly.

"You look a little disappointed."

"Well, I did expect them to put up a stronger resistance than that. But then again, I don't know what the heck they are. They are neither humans, beasts, nor demons. Any ideas?" Duna replied with a nod before hopping off the boulder she was seated on.

She was only able to witness his impressive display of brute strength and none of his other abilities. To say she was disappointed was not wrong.

"If I'm not wrong, these mutants might have been survivors from the Cataclysm over 10-thousand years ago," Leon made a guess after some thought while they were beginning to leave the subterranean space together.

"The Cataclysm from 10-thousand years ago? Are you sure they can live for so long, given the sort of extreme regenerative ability they have?" Duna responded with doubt before adding, "I would not be surprised if such ability even shortens their lifespan."

"Well, it's just a guess. I could be wrong. However, I don't think I am. At least, I believe these mutants should be related in some way. I can't think of any way these mutants could possess such grotesque appearances other than getting scorched by the sun's solar flare during the Cataclysm directly without Gaia's atmospheric protection."

"Without Gaia's atmospheric protection?" Duna was surprised before she asks, "You mean they might be coming from…?"

"The void.." Leon nodded while pointing directly upwards.

Chapter 510 - Retreat

The Gaia Civilization expanded and lived in the void outside of planet Gaia during their most prosperous era. Remnants of their interstellar age could ever be observed in the high heavens above, day and night.

The debris ring orbiting planet Gaia was none other than their ruins.

After Duna received Leon's answer, she realized this.

"If these mutants came from the orbiting debris in the void, how did they get here? And of all places, hide underground?" Duna asked.

Undoubtedly, she believed falling at high speed from the void would kill any life the debris carried with them.

Leon shook his head and said helplessly, "I don't know. We can only find out in the future whether my speculation is true or not."

"I suppose." Duna shrugged.

Shortly after, Leon and Duna passed through the short passageway they came from and returned to the Heart of Spring Chamber.

However, Duna suddenly noticed Leon pausing his steps before asking, "Why did you stop? You still have something to do back there?"

"Not really. I'm just going to seal this place. Give me a moment," Leon said before waving his hand at the passageway.

The earth quickly broke apart and collapsed the passageway before Leon clenched his hand, compressing the collapse rubbles and reinforcing the blockade with earth manipulation.

"Alright, I'm done." Leon patted his hands before saying, "I guess it's also time for you to go."

"Go? Go where?" Duna asked while raising her eyebrow in confusion.

Leon smiled wolfishly at her before stating as a matter of fact, "Back inside the Worldspace, of course."

"What? Why do I have to hole back in there?" Duna asked unhappily with a frown.

Leon shrugged, "It's too troublesome to explain to the others about your sudden appearance and existence in and of itself."

"Oh. I. See." Duna furrowed for a moment before smiling sweetly at Leon.

Seeing her smile, Leon smiled back, "Great, I will let you out l—"

"I guess it's not as troublesome as growing new herbs after I wreck your herb garden, eh?" Duna spoke casually, but her threatening undertone was clear.

"Uh..." Leon froze.

Shortly after, he rubbed his forehead with distress before saying wryly, "On second thoughts, you can stay outside."

"That's what I thought." Duna nodded with a smug look.

Leon flashed her a helpless glance before asking, "How's your hand?"

Duna's smug look disappeared with her antagonizing attitude before waving her fair hand to Leon.

"As you can see, it's all better now... thanks to your Pseudo-Grandmist Energy." She added at the end.

"That's good." Leon nodded.

Seeing that Faelyn have yet to enter the Heart of Spring Chamber, he spoke, "Let us head back up--"

Boom!

The sealed passageway behind them burst open with flying rubbles after suddenly being struck with immense force.

In that split instance, Leon instinctively reached out and pulled Duna into him before they were blown away from the blast together.

His body shielded Duna from the flying rock bullets that struck his back repeatedly before they tumbled on the ground and slammed into the wall on the other end of the Heart of Spring Chamber.

Duna's eyes were wide open while gazing at Leon before they quickly shifted to the passageway behind the waterfall, trying to locate the assailant.

"Are you alright?" Leon asked after bringing them back to their feet and patting the dust off his clothes.

"I should be asking you that. You shielded me with your body and took the brunt of the force." Duna peeled her gaze away from the exposed passageway to study his body's condition with a frown.

"I'm fine—" Leon suddenly coughed up blood before he could finish speaking, causing Duna to gaze at him more sternly.

"How is this fine? You're coughing up blood!"

"Don't worry about it. My organs are just a bit shaken." Leon wiped the blood on the corner of his lips before saying solemnly, "More importantly, what attacked us?"

His efforts in sealing the passageway were easily blown apart with little-to-no resistance in a single shot. Whatever attacked them was undoubtedly strong.

Hearing Leon's question, she immediately return her gaze on the dust-covered passageway with seriousness.

"I'm not sure. I didn't get a good look." She said.

Leon activated divine sense to peer into the dust-covered passageway while placing a hand on his chest and healing his internal injuries with Wood Energy.

At the same time, his Wood Energy was replenished from absorbing the rich Wood Essence in his surroundings.

Suddenly, Leon's eyes narrowed as a shadow shot out from the passageway before the dust cloud settled.

Bam!

Leon immediately received the figure's claw attack with his summoned bone spear before his eyes widened at the excessive force blowing him away.

"Leon!" Duna cried as Leon slammed back into the wall behind them again. She immediately blasted a wave of destruction at the enemy.

However, the enemy was extremely fast and managed to evade her attack at point-blank range before retreating far away after sensing the fatal threat in her Law of Destruction.

It was another mutant.

However, unlike the previous mutants, this one had the most humanoid appearance. Yet, it was also the most powerful one Leon and Duna had encountered!

"We need to leave quickly! This space is too narrow to fight it!" Leon stated before coughing up more blood.

"How are you faring?" Duna asked while supporting him as they headed for the vine staircase to escape from the Heart of Spring Chamber together.

"My body is fine, but my inner organs are not," Leon replied with a frown before spurting more blood from his mouth.

His inner body was far too weak and fragile!

He needed to quickly consolidate his viscera if he was going to battle physically strong opponents in the future!

"What? That doesn't even make sense!"

"It makes perfect sense!" Leon asserted.

Duna quickly sent out another destruction wave before the strong mutant got close, forcing it to evade and retreat once more.

However, the destruction wave landed on the Heart of Spring Chamber wall, disintegrating a portion of the woody wall and caused the Elder Tree to rumble in anguish as the entire space shook!

Everyone outside was immediately alarmed.

Chapter 511 - The Tribesmen's Doubts

At that moment, tribesmen had already begun to depart from the eastern parts of the tribe in large groups under the direction of the elven warriors some time ago.

These elven warriors were further supervised by the few Elders who remained behind to oversee the procedure while the rest led their own groups and families to collect valuables from the Elder Tree's crown.

The tribesmen's departure could be seen forming a long line that stretched all the way to the outskirts of the Great Forest while elven warriors were stationed sparsely on both sides as they guided them.

Mixtures of complicated emotions could be felt when the tribesmen passed the burning forest point, billowing with clouds of black smoke.

"Move quickly and orderly, people! Do not dilly dally around here. You are holding up the people behind you! This smoke is not good to breathe in!" An elven warrior urged with care.

"You have a long trek ahead of you all! Please continue on your way! Time is of the essence!" Another elven warrior spoke.

"Sorry about that, noble warriors. We will be on our way now."

The tribesmen shortly expressed their apology before continuing on the guided path through the gap in the burning forest the elven warriors have created.

At the same time, the leading group of tribesmen ahead finally exited the Great Forest before they witnessed the fire-lit road ahead of them.

The distance to the Great Wall was not far for trained Awakeners with their enhanced physiques and greater stamina.

But for ordinary elves like them, the journey ahead could be considered quite far and strenuous. Not only were they traveling by foot, but they were also carrying many things when there are hills ahead to cross.

"Are we really traveling through the night? How long will it take us to reach the Human Domain?" A tribesman wondered curiously.

It was the first time leaving the Great Forest for many tribesmen, let alone seeing what the outside world was like.

They expected to see the big wide world, but it was limited by the darkness of the night and two distant dark walls on their sides.

Only the road ahead was clear to them.

"Where are the rats, though? I heard from a warrior who shall not be named that the plains outside are swarming with them." A female elf mentioned carefully.

"Eh? So secretive. Who is that warrior? Why can't he be named? Are they still keeping secrets about the situation from us, even in a time like this?" A male elf queried unhappily.

The tribesmen began to whisper amongst themselves before their concerns reached the ears of the nearby elven warriors.

"There's nothing to hide. The rat tide is beyond those dark walls you see in the distance to your left and right. I'm not afraid to also tell you that those walls are made from rat carcasses!"

"You all better stick together and not wander off!" Another elven warrior warned.

Although the elven warriors were stationed to keep them in check, there was no telling when a few mischievous kids or naughty children will slip past their guard and sneak off on their own.

"These walls aren't precisely firm, so you all best not have any designs on going near them and mess around! Is that clear?!"

"Yes, sir!"

The tribesmen answered.

They were greatly astonished to learn to such tall walls were built from the bodies of rats. Just exactly how many rats were out there?!

While many tribesmen decided to comply obediently, there were also some who had their doubts.

"How many rats would it take to build these walls? And it's supposed to reach the Human Domain as well? Doesn't that sound a little too ridiculous?"

"It does! Even if the surrounding tribes combine their population, it might not reach such a number! Has anyone even seen a single rat? What if we are being fooled into leaving our homes?"

As the tribesmen spoke their doubts, it began to grow like a disease, spreading to other tribesmen and infected them with the same doubts.

The elven warriors noticed this situation before they glanced at each other with the same look. They must quickly quell the disorder before the tribesmen rile out of control!

"Ahh! Help! The warriors are attacking ordinary folks!" A tribesman with a loud mouth suddenly cried within the crowd after getting grabbed by a high-level elven warrior.

While pressing the tribesman's head into the ground, the high-level elven warrior spoke fiercely with sternness, "We spent a lot of effort cleaning the field to give people like you a more comfortable time traveling! You might not be able to see the rats from here, but you can still smell their pungent stench in the soil, can't you?! Exactly what are you plotting by sowing chaos in the crowd?!"

"You are slandering me! I am not trying to sow chaos! I am just voicing my doubts! What is wrong with that?! You—ow, ow! You are hurting me! Let go! Are you trying to silence me to hide something?!" The tribesman said defiantly while being forced to grovel in the ground.

"Hide something?" The high-level elven warrior snorted coldly before his eyes flickered with a fierce glint and exerted more force

Ka-cha!

The tribesman's arm being held behind his back was snapped before he cried painfully, "Ahhh! You broke my arm! Save me! These warriors are abusing their powers!"

"So, what?"

The high-level elven warrior could not care less and stepped on the tribesman's back, pressing further into the ground before gazing at the surrounding tribesmen with an oppressive glint.

"You all better listen carefully. As we speak, my brothers and sisters are risking their lives to lure the rat tide away out there—just to keep you all safe! The least you can do is to cooperate nicely and not cause any trouble. Is that too much to ask?!"

The crowd immediately quietened down.

Those who intended to raise the voices to help the oppressed tribesman immediately cowered from the high-level elven warrior's intimidating aura.

"It's true… it's faint, but there's a stench of blood in the ground. That noble warrior might be speaking the truth." A male elf spoke after sniffing a handful of soil.

The high-level elven warrior snorted at the word 'might' before barking, "You have all wasted enough time! Now continue on your way! We are doing this to save you all, so stop being f*cking idiots and making our jobs harder!"

There would always be pessimistic people like this. Without confirming with their own eyes, they would always assume the worst of things according to their own imaginations.

Shortly after the tribesmen fell back into order and continued treading on the guided straight path ahead, a distant rumble from the Great Forest was heard.

The high-level elven warrior glanced back to look but failed to see anything due to the dense clouds of black smoke and dark sky obscuring his vision.

"I wonder what is happening back in the tribe…" He mumbled with a frown.

Meanwhile, a group of royal guards returned to the royal palace on the Elder Tree's crown back in Elvengarde before Silver barked, "Arf, arf!"

The royal guards paused some distance away from Princess Faelyn and Princess Thessalia after being warned before one of them spoke respectfully, "Your Highnesses, everyone has begun to leave to the tribe. Please come with—"

Rumble!

The Elder Tree's sudden large movements shook the entire space.

"What's going on? Who infuriated the Guardian Spirit?" Princess Thessalia wiped her face before asking with startlement.

Chapter 512 - Calling The Kettle Black

The Elder Tree shook wildly, causing everyone on the Elder Tree's crown to lose their balance while some stumbled and dropped the goods they carried.

Some even fell from the treetop and plunge towards the surface. However, the royal guards and high elves were able to grow wings and fly before they hit the ground, thanks to their earlier training.

While the outside was pondering the cause of the Elder Tree's fury, Leon and Duna continued to escape from the strong mutant.

After exiting the Heart of Spring Chamber, they rushed up the next flight of vine staircase that would take them back to the top of the Elder Tree's crown.

However, the strong mutant was no longer their only concern as the Elder Tree targeted Duna with its green leaves that came pouring down from above.

Leon tried his best to placate the Guardian Spirit, but it would not listen to him. It was hell-bent on destroying Duna for the damages she caused.

The Heart of Spring Chamber might have been located under the Elder Tree, but it was still a part of it—just like its tree roots, but more important.

Its fury was understandable.

"Duna, hide inside my Worldspace! The Guardian Spirit wants to kill you and won't listen to me!" Leon quickly urged.

"But what about you?" Duna was surprised by Leon's suggestion before adding, "We still have that mutant on our tail!"

"I'll figure something out on my own!" Leon said with a pondering frown before waving his hand at Duna.

Before she could react, Duna was quickly sucked into his Worldspace before Leon took off from the vine staircase and flew up directly.

Duna's disappearance made the Guardian Spirit immediately redirected its sharp green leaves to curve around Leon, avoiding contact with his body.

It was only after Duna and did not want to harm Leon. He was reassured by this fact as he heaved a sigh of relief before he continued to shoot to the top.

Boom!

The ground below cracked as the strong mutant shot in pursuit of Leon with a powerful jump.

However, the Elder Tree's flurry of sharp green leaves did not try to avoid the strong mutant. Thus, the strong mutant lacerated itself while breaking through the downpour of thousands of leaves.

Leon's eyes flickered with an idea while gripping his Tier 4 Bone Spear firmly in preparation for receiving the strong mutant's blow.

Bang!

In a short instance, the distance between them was closed before the strong mutant slammed into Leon's defending bone spear!

The force of 500-thousand jin immediately catapulted Leon upwards with significant momentum as the distance between them increased once more!

At the same time, Leon coughed out another mouthful of blood from having his organs shaken from the impact!

Even his bone creaked, threatening to fracture from the impact! However, if his muscles had not been tensed, it definitely would have!

The force of 500-thousand jin seems to be the limit of the strong mutant's strength!

It could be considered a mid-level Rank 1 Transcendent, the equivalence of a Mid-rank Battle Master in strength.

Leon quickly swallowed a Tier 3 All-Purpose Recovery Pill before his eyes narrowed on the strong mutant some distance below him.

After the strong mid-level Rank 1 Transcendent mutant broke through the cluster of sharp leaves with brute force, its entire layer of flesh was shredded away!

At that moment, nothing else could be seen except the exoskeleton-like bone shell hidden underneath its flesh!

"That mutant is the one who wishes to harm you! Direct your anger at that thing instead!" Leon spoke to the Guardian Spirit, helping Duna pin the blame on the mutant.

His body quickly reached the top and flew out of the courtyard.

"Arf, arf!"

Silver quickly barked excitedly while wagging its tails after picking up Leon's scent in the vicinity, causing Princess Faelyn and Princess Thessalia to turn and look from outside the palace.

"Leon!"

"Stay back!"

Leon quickly warned after Faelyn called out to him.

Shortly after, he continued to convince the Guardian Spirit, "If that thing did not try to attack us, you would not have been hurt in the process! It's all that thing's fault! It is to blame for the damage you incurred!"

The Guardian Spirit went silent and began to ruminate over his words as it recalled the events happening inside Heart of Spring Chamber.

This seems to be the case, not to mention the mutant had also hurt it, albeit slightly after leaving behind footprints in its jump.

"Look, it's trying to kill me. I won't be able to give you any more spirit stones if I die!" Leon ultimately said.

These last words were the real nail in the coffin.

The Guardian Spirit was immediately riled up like a child that just got its candy stolen and immediately sprung into action, directing all its attacks at the mutant as it just climbed out of the center.

"Scree?"

The mutant gazed up before a mountain of leaves dropped down and bombarded it, flushing it out from the treetop before numerous branches and tree roots assaulted it in a flurry of attacks!

B-B-B-B-Bam!

Countless strikes landed in quick succession without the mutant being able to resist!

Undoubtedly, the Elder Tree was the strongest being in the area who can crush the mid-level Rank 1 Transcendent mutant without much effort.

If Leon used his trump cards, he could also kill the mutant. But why would he do that when he can incite the Guardian Spirit to help him?

He quickly caught up to the edge of the treetop and watched the Elder Tree pulverized the mutant with heavy strikes that sounded like sonic booms in midair.

Shortly after, a mashed-up ball of flesh and powdered bones fell from the sky and landed on the ground with a soft thud.

The Elder Tree's attack had transformed it into mush.

Leon lip's twitched at the sight of the motionless remains of the mutant. Surely, such an attack would have killed it.

"What's going on, Leon? What was that thing—" Faelyn inquired after making her way over before she suddenly paused. "You're hurt."

She quickly used her sleeve to wipe the trace of blood on the corners of his lips carefully after discovering while Leon enjoyed her tender care.

"We ran into some trouble down below, but it's been taken care of now.." He replied to her question shortly after.

Chapter 513 - Rocky Ride

"We?" Faelyn noticed Leon's choice of words before asking curiously, "What do you mean by 'we'? Was there someone else with you?"

"Ah…"

Leon realized the error in his words, but it was too late to hide it from Faelyn. As such, he decided to come clean and nodded, "Right, let me introduce someone to you. You two should have met before."

Shortly after, Duna reappeared from before them.

"Are you alright? How's the situation? Where's the mutant?" Duna quickly asked while studying the state of Leon's body.

"Ahem, it's been taken care of." Leon pointed down at the mush object at the bottom of the Elder Tree before introducing the two, "Anyway, this is Princess Faelyn of Elvengarde, and Faelyn, this is Duna, a vengeful—ahem, a good spirit. Two have met before, sort of."

Unsurprisingly, his introduction was not very reliable. The one Faelyn met in the past was Lumi, but Leon found it hard to explain this to her in a few words.

Duna and Faelyn had to rely on themselves.

"Well met, Princess Faelyn. I am Lumi's elder sister." Duna spoke.

Faelyn was surprised by their spitting image and aura before asking, "You look exactly the same as Lumi. Are you perhaps, twins?"

"Yes, that's correct." Duna nodded after a brief pause before the two of them exchanged simple pleasantries.

Shortly after, Princess Thessalia joined them.

Leon was surprised by Duna's patience. He did not take her to be the social type, interacting with people she was not familiar with.

"What is it?" Duna noticed his odd look and frowned.

"It's nothing."

Leon shook his head before his gaze paused on Duna's fingers that have become cracked once more while they were escaping from the Heart of Spring Chamber.

"Anyway, it was thanks to you that we made it out alive. I'll transfer you some more Pseudo-Grandmist Energy once I have more of them." Leon expressed.

Duna hid her hand under her long sleeve before she said, "It's not like I wanted to save you or anything. I was just saving myself, idiot."

Leon could only smile wryly in response.

"What was that thing? Did that thing come from Heart of Spring Chamber?" Princess Thessalia inquired.

"Yes.." Leon nodded before shaking his head, "…and no. To be more precise, it came from a secret underground space connected to the Heart of Spring Chamber."

"There's such a secret passage connected to the Heart of Spring Chamber?" Princess Thessalia exclaimed with shock.

Did this have something to do with her family's death?

"Yes…" Faelyn answered her third eldest sister's question before gazing at Leon questioningly, "Did you…"

"They're in my storage space." Leon nodded, knowing what Faelyn wanted to ask before saying, "Let's make a proper grave for them once we return to the Human Domain."

"Mmm." Faelyn nodded.

Shortly after, Leon stated objectively to everyone, "We should quickly begin our departure. We don't know how if there are any more mutants hidden below. It'll be bad if a stronger one comes out."

He was not sure what the mutants were doing underground, but he vaguely believed that they were also puppets controlled by a sliver of will.

The being with those sliver of wills concerned him.

Princess Thessalia furrowed her brows slightly at the interaction between her baby sister and Leon before she agreed with Leon's statement, "Prince Leon is right. The tribesmen have already departed. We should not fall too far behind."

Leon gazed towards the eastern parts of Elvengarde below.

Most of the tribesmen have already left the tribe. Only a few Elders, royal guards, and High Elves remained behind on the Elder Tree's crown.

Shortly after, Leon nodded, "I guess there are only a few of us people left behind. Please tell everyone to buckle up, Princess Thessalia."

"Tell everyone to buckle up? What do you mean?" Princess Thessalia raised an eyebrow in question.

Leon grinned and sat down before patting the big branch he was sitting on, "Time to go."

Rumble!

The Elder Tree began to shake once more, causing many elves on the Elder Tree's crown to stagger. But unlike before, the shaking was not as fierce. As such, no one lost their balance and dropped their goods.

"Arf, arf!" Silver barked with shivering nervousness when it sensed the Elder Tree rising, increasing in height as it uprooted itself and stood up like it had grown numerous pairs of legs.

The situation naturally startled many elves.

"Oh my god! The Guardian Spirit is moving!" a High Elf exclaimed in shock while carrying a crate of herbal goods.

"The Guardian Spirit is going to follow us to the Human Domain? Hooray! We don't have to part with the Guardian Spirit!"

The elves cheered before one of the elves sighed emotionally, "The Savior is truly the Savior. We are truly blessed to have the Savior around!"

"Looks like we don't have to go anywhere."

The High Elves grinned at the special treatment, feeling privileged for not needing to tread the surface like the rest of the tribesmen.

That being said, their happiness did not last long.

The shaking became greater and greater with each booming step the Elder Tree took with its mighty roots.

Boom!

The ground cracked apart under the Elder Tree's immense weight, collapsing the earth and revealing pocket spaces and caves underneath wherever it moved.

"Careful, everyone. We are in for a bumpy ride!" Leon grinned.

Faelyn was suddenly swept off her feet, but Leon grabbed her, pulling her towards him before holding her firmly in place as his body stuck to the branch like glue.

Princess Thessalia quickly used her vines to tie herself to the ground while barking out orders for the others to do the same time.

"Ahh! Please, let me off! I prefer to walk!" a High Elf cried while tightly hugging the floor of the tree branch he was situated on.

Nevertheless, Leon asked the Guardian Spirit to stop for a moment so that the elves could better prep themselves.

When all the goods and elves were bound firmly to the Elder Tree's crown, the rocky journey resumed under Leon's communication with the Guardian Spirit.

However, the High Elves did not account for everything in their preparation for the rocky ride ahead of them.

A huge object was suddenly dropped out from the treetop before it came crashing into the surface and shattered into splinters.

One of the High Elves' eyes bulged in disbelief while watching the scene unfolded before he cried, "Sh*t! My house fell!"

Chapter 514 - The Fiery Plains

On the Great Forest's eastern outskirts, the last batch of tribesmen had already left the forest and followed the crowd in the distance, treading over their first hill.

The elven warrior army followed closely behind them and on both sides, guarding the tribesmen against all sides.

Meanwhile, many more elven warriors flew above the distant rat walls while observing the rat tide's movements outside.

Rumble…

At that moment, the elves all felt the subtle rumbles of the earth before they all gazed back at the Great Forest in surprise.

However, they could not see anything.

Nevertheless, it did not take long before the clouds of black smoke parted, revealing the towering Elder Tree following after them.

"T-The Guardian Spirit is moving!" A male elf exclaimed. He was shocked, but more than that, he was excited to see the Elder Tree moving!

He had lived at the bottom of the Elder Tree his entire life, worshipping the Guardian Spirit every day, and had long grown attached.

One can only imagine the emotions bottled up inside him to learn that he did not have to part with the Guardian Spirit, who had been his symbol of hope and security.

Many tribesmen shared the same sentiments.

"…It must be the Savior! The Savior convinced the Guardian Spirit to follow the tribe!"

"That must be the case! Only the Savior can move the Guardian Spirit! Long live the Savior!"

The tribesmen cheered.

At the same time, the elven warriors urged, "Alright, don't delay the trip, people! Keep moving! You won't have an easy time once the Guardian Spirit catches up!"

"What if we want to wait for the Guardian Spirit so we can catch a ride along with our Savior?" A male elf asked curiously.

"If you want to wait, then wait. However, we will not be staying with you. You'll be on your own." The elven warrior stated.

"Eh?" The male elf was surprised. He wondered why the elven warrior was not interested in riding on the Elder Tree before asking, "Why not?"

"If you are interested in seeking death, and it doesn't affect the rest of us, why should I stop nor join you?" The elven warrior responded before pointing, "Can't you see what's happening?"

The tribesmen peered at the Elder Tree in the distance with strained eyes before noticing objects getting thrown out from the treetop.

They were the homes of High Elves.

Gulp!

"On second thoughts, I will just continue walking." The male elf said wryly.

Many tribesmen who shared similar thoughts with the male elf also abandoned their ideas of riding on the treetop with their Savior. They were not sure their hearts could endure such thrills.

Meanwhile, Leon observed the situation outside with his [Spirit Eyes] while the Elder Tree moved out from the Great Forest.

After noticing the distant rat walls shaking from the tremors of the Elder Tree's heavy movements, he immediately communicated his wishes to the Guardian Spirit.

"Eh? Why did the Guardian Spirit suddenly stop?" Faelyn looked outside and asked curiously after the tremors stopped before turning to face Leon while snuggling in his arms, "Did you say something to the Guardian Spirit?"

"Yeah, I'm afraid the rat walls might collapse if we continue at this rate. We will wait for the tribesmen to gain some distance before we resume the journey—"

Leon suddenly paused.

Seeing Leon seemed to have noticed something with narrowed eyes, Faelyn remained silent for him to concentrate.

"Oh? This looks pretty bad, doesn't it? Did you account for a situation like this in your plan?" Duna suddenly said teasingly after she also happened to notice the situation ahead.

In the darkness of the night plains, the rat tide could be sensed rushing towards the rat walls on either side of the traveling tribesmen.

"What's happening?" Princess Thessalia inquired with a frown.

"The rat tide is being attracted to the tribe's scent from both sides. They are rushing towards the rat walls as we speak." Leon calmly explained, despite the elven warriors failing to lure away the rat tide further.

He sensed Faelyn's anxiousness as she tightened her grip on his sleeve before he smiled at her reassuringly, "A large tribe like Elvengarde cannot go unnoticed by the rat tide, even if we have two big rat walls obstructing them. However, there's nothing to worry about. Such a situation has been accounted for. There's no way I would have overlooked this point."

As Leon finished speaking, Duna, Faelyn, and Princess Thessalia all gazed outside.

In the far distance plains beyond the rat walls, the scouting group luring away the rat tide were the first to notice the situational change before the sentries stationed above rat walls did.

"Captain, the rats are no longer following us! They have caught onto the scent of our tribesmen!" an elven warrior at the 9th Awakener Realm informed urgently.

"Un, I know. Light the signal immediately!" The captain barked.

Shortly after, all members of the scouting group immediately tossed out their crushed exploding pills at the rat tide below.

Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Explosions after explosions went off in various parts of the plains, briefly lighting up the night skies in their area.

No matter where the sentries were stationed on the long route toward the Great Wall, all of them saw the bright exploding signals in the distance.

"That's the signal warning us of the rat tide's movements! Proceed with the plan!" A high-level elven warrior at the 5-Star Ranked Awakener Realm immediately urged his men.

"Yes, sir!"

The sentries answered.

Very shortly, the elven warriors stationed in various parts along the rat walls used their exploding pills and set the two rat walls on fire, creating two long flaming walls that brightened up the night sky!

The Wingrats leading the charge immediately halted their steps at the sight of fire.

However, the brethren following closely behind them were slower to react and forced them to tumble forward into the fast-spreading flames!

Screech!

The rats cried in burning agony.

Duna, Faelyn, and Princess Thessalia all watched with astonishment as the flaming walls immediately halted the rat tide's advancement.

At the same time, the fire spread to various parts of the plains like a chain reaction as an increasing number of Wingrats caught on fire.

The High Elves were awed by the beauty of the fiery plains.

"Now, we are really pressed for time," Leon said softly.

Chapter 515 - Asking For Some Seeds

"Pressed for time? What do you m—" Princess Thessalia was about to ask when her eyes quickly flickered in realization. "Once the flames die out, there will be nothing left to stop the rat tide!"

"Exactly."

Leon nodded.

"You understood quickly. That's right. That's the situation we are in now." He said before picking Faelyn off his lap in order to get up from his seated position.

"Where are you planning to go?" Faelyn asked.

Leon gazed towards the rat tide in the distance before he said, "I'm going to go thin out the herd."

Of course, with such a large rat tide, his so-called thinning out the herd would make no difference whatsoever.

However, it was better than doing nothing.

"I have a bad feeling that not everything will go according to plan if I just sitting around doing nothing," Leon said with a worried frown.

Faelyn gasped with startlement before admonishing him, "Don't say something like that. What if you jinx it and something terrible really does happen?"

"A wise man once said anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. There's also a famous proverb that goes; man proposes, but God disposes. As such, we should do everything in our power to prepare for the worse." Leon stated.

"When did you suddenly become a scholar?" Faelyn asked with a short giggle before she stared at Leon with solemnity, "This is my tribe, and these are my people. I don't want to wait here idly and do nothing. Please let me come and help too."

"Maybe not. It might be a bit dangerous for you…" Leon denied her request out of concern.

"Huh?" Faelyn furrowed her brows before pouting with a puffed chest, "Are you looking down on me? Despite how I look, I am still a 9-Star Ranked Awakener."

"Do you have a lot of combat experience? Can you fly?" Leon asked.

His questions immediately made Faelyn deflate like a balloon. Her head was bobbed down before she answered softly, "Not a lot… and I can't fly… yet."

"Let me come and help. I have a lot of combat experience. Like my baby sister said, this is our tribe and our people. We cannot let Prince Leon do all the work." Princess Thessalia requested while patting her chest with valiance.

"Oh?" Leon turned towards the elder sibling before he asked, "And can you fly?"

"Uh…" Princess Thessalia immediately froze, unable to answer Leon's question.

He shortly shook his head and helplessly said, "Even if you can fight well, you will just become rat food if you don't have a single means of escape from the rat tide."

The two princesses' heads were hung down in low spirits.

"Practice how to fly with your elder sister first, then you can come and join me," Leon said while caressing Faelyn's head with a smile.

Shortly after, he suddenly thought of an idea and quickly added, "Ahh, but there's another way you can help your tribesmen."

"How…?" Faelyn asked with uncertainty.

What else can she do except kill rats with her high cultivation?

"You'll find out soon enough. Come, we'll pay the tribesmen a visit together first."

"Alright."

Faelyn nodded.

"I'm coming too," Duna suddenly stated.

"Oh? You also want to help me that much?" Leon turned to Duna before he said concernedly, "But you might aggravate the cracks on your hand. Maybe you shouldn't do anything until it recovers."

"No, I don't. Stop flattering yourself, Leon." Duna wrinkled her brows before saying, "I'm bored here, and killing some rats just happens to be able to relieve my boredom. It'll be fine if I don't rely on the Destruction Law."

"Fine, fine, whatever you say," Leon shrugged with a wry smile.

Just as they sorted everything out, Leon prepared to take off when Silver suddenly whimpered pitifully some distance away, "Awrooo…"

"Ah…"

While looking at the three-tailed silver wolf that had been bound firmly to the floor by countless vines, Leon said wryly, "You also want to tag along, huh?"

Considering the Elder Tree was no longer moving for the moment, there was no need for everyone to remain shackled by vines.

Silver was released from its binds before it immediately shot to its feet excitedly while wagging its tail and kicking up a gust of wind.

"Alright, alright. We're leaving now." Leon calmed down the big wolf before putting Faelyn on its head and picking it up with his brute strength.

Shortly after Leon communicated with the Guardian Spirit, he took off from the treetop with Faelyn and Silver while Duna flew beside him.

"The rest of you shouldn't stay here and go make yourselves useful as well." Princess Thessalia shortly said to the others before leaving with a royal guard, whom she made her flight instructor.

"Yes, Your Highness!"

…

"Savior is here! Everyone, the Savior is here!"

"The Savior has come to see us with Her Highness!"

"Savior, why have you come? We are blessed with your presence."

The tribesmen greeted.

Leon's lips twitched at their excitement and reverence while trying to adapt to their form of address. He was not used to being put on such a high pedestal.

"Ahem, some silence, please." Shortly after, Leon quickly requested for silence with a wave of his hand, the noise in the crowd died down.

Afterward, he turned towards Faelyn and asked, "Do you have seeds I can borrow?"

"Yes, of course," Faelyn answered.

At the same time, the tribesmen began to offer up their own magic seeds, "Savior, I also have some seeds here. Please use mine!"

"Please use mine too, Savior. I just need a moment to make them!" A male elf spoke while unbuckling his belt, causing Leon and Faelyn to retreat in horror.

Whack!

The male elf was immediately bombarded with angry smacks on the head before one of the tribesmen admonished, "Not that kind of seed, idiot! How dare you try to show your vulgar junk in front of the Savior and Her Highness!"

"F*ck, let's beat this idiot up, everyone!"

"Ah, ah, it was a mistake! Spare me!"

The male elf was quickly taken away for a beating, but of course, the tribesmen did not go too heavy on their punches and kicks.

"Fuu… that gave me quite a scare." Faelyn patted her chest with relief.

Neither she nor Leon expected such a situation to crop up for a simple request, such as asking for some seeds.

"There are all sorts of interesting people even amongst the common folks in the elven community, isn't there?" Leon smiled wryly.

Chapter 516 - Vine Carts

Faelyn nodded rigorously at Leon's comment before she said, "I've frequently interacted with the common folks in the tribe, but it's also the first time I've encountered such a situation."

"They revere you so much, even male elves want to give you their seeds~!" Duna teased with a soft laugh as she enjoyed seeing Leon in distress.

Leon naturally understood what she meant and could not help but feel goosebumps crawling on his skin as he shivered.

"Please do not joke like that, Duna. I don't need no man coming onto me," Leon said with a bitter smile. He was not amused.

"But what do you need the seeds for anyway? How will these help the tribesmen?" Faelyn asked after passing her entire grass-woven pouch of seeds to Leon.

Leon noticed this small detail and smiled before he started explaining, "You can see that the tribesmen's pace is rather slow due to the goods they are carrying with them. This is quite an inefficient way of transport and will only tire them down quickly if they were required to increase their pace."

"But how will you use these seeds to help them?" Faelyn asked curiously, wondering what Leon was planning.

"You have been to the Human Domain and have seen the modes of transport in the Capital." Leon explained patiently with a smile before asking, "What do you think the tribe is lacking in comparison?"

"Elvengarde does not have any of those steel moving objects. They're called trucks and cars, right?" Faelyn said.

Leon nodded.

"Ah… yes, Elvengarde doesn't have steam-powered vehicles like the Crawford Empire. But let alone steam-powered models of transport, the elves do not seem to even utilize any form of carriages." He shortly stated.

"Ah? Right… We don't, do we?" Faelyn's eyes suddenly flickered in realization before she asked, "Then that means that you want to…?"

"That's right. We'll make some carriages. The power of leverages will lighten their burden and quicken their pace," Leon stated.

He knew the elves were a self-sufficient race, but it was surprising that they do not even use wheeled constructs to carry their load.

Shortly after, he took out some seeds from Faelyn's grass-woven pouch before channeling his Wood Energy into them.

It was the first time he would be utilizing his wood abilities outside of healing.

Nevertheless, he had seen others manipulate vines with their wood abilities so many times that he had vaguely grasped the trick behind it.

In a short moment, the seeds germinated and quickly grew into vines before Leon manipulated them, shaping them according to his thoughts.

First came the four wheels, then the cargo area for holding, and finally the shaft for pulling. It was a relatively simple design, but not bad for Leon's first attempt.

With a single thought, the vines could become soft, hard, brittle, or even stretch like rubber. But for the carriage, it was naturally made hard and firm like ironwood.

It was definitely not the typically common breed of vines that could be seen every day.

"This is the carriage? It's a bit small." Faelyn commented with a hint of doubt. She had seen much bigger carriages back in the Human Domain.

"No, not quite." Leon shook his head and said, "At most, this is just a cart. Hang on, I am still experimenting with the designs. I will make a bigger carriage soon."

"Why don't you help the tribesmen load their goods onto this cart first, then find some able warriors to do the pulling and give them tasks to recreate similar carts for the other tribesmen?" Leon suggested.

"Alright, I will do just that," Faelyn nodded and summoned the nearby elven warriors to do just ask Leon suggested.

At the same time, Leon gazed towards Silver and said, "You're going to have a big job to do later."

"Arf?"

The three-tailed silver wolf tilted its head sideways in confusion. However, it vaguely picked up a bad feeling due to Leon's gaze.

It was the feeling of going to be exploited.

As expected, half an hour, Leon made an impressively large carriage that could carry hundreds of tribesmen and their goods.

It was hardly considered a carriage due to its sheer size. No, it should be called a massive ship with wheels attached—numerous wheels attached.

Leon made Silver stood at the forefront to pull the oversized carriage.

If not for consideration of the weight limit the carriage could bear, Leon would have made the oversized carriage even bigger.

At the same time, the elven warriors created thousands of vine carts of various sizes for all the tribesmen. They did not stop production until every tribesman was able to unload their goods onto the carts.

Although the work ended up delaying the trip, the overall time to complete the journey was shortened. The pace was increased by at least twofold with the help of the idle warriors pulling the carts

"Only the elderly and children can board this carriage. If you are not one of them, please make way for them." Faelyn shortly stated.

Everyone wanted to hop on the huge carriage driven by the big three-tailed silver wolf, but obviously, not everyone would get the opportunity.

Many tribesmen were disappointed, but they did not protest and cooperated obediently, allowing the elderly and children to pass through.

Leon watched as everyone boarded the carriages and resumed the trip before he said, "Seems like my work is done here."

"I'll be relying on you to help these tribesmen reach the Great Wall, bud." Leon shortly patted the three-tailed silver wolf.

"Arf, arf!" Silver barked with dissatisfaction and unhappiness.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure to reward you plenty once we return to the Human Domain." Leon said with a smile while ruffling its thick fur.

Silver could only agree with a nod at the mention of rewards, albeit unwillingly.

Shortly after, Leon spoke some words to Faelyn and returned the seed pouch to her before leaving with Duna.

"You know, if you wanted to kill some rats, you did not need to wait for me," Leon said to Duna with a smile while they were heading back to the Elder Tree.

"Huh?" Duna furrowed her brows before she snorted, "I was not waiting for you, alright? I was just fascinated by what the elves were doing and wanted to watch them for a bit."

"Oh, I see. Then why are you still following me? I'm heading back to the Elder Tree for a bit, you know?" Leon asked nonchalantly.

"This…" Duna was at a loss for words before she suddenly said snappishly, "Why are you asking me so much nonsense? Just shut up and do what you need to do!"

Seeing Duna behave like this, Leon could only respond with a wry smile.

Chapter 517 - I Am Going Too

After returning to the Elder Tree's crown, Leon communicated with the Guardian Spirit to resume its journey.

With the current situation outside, even if the flaming rat walls collapse, it would still be a sea of fire that the rat tide would not cross to reach the elves.

Nevertheless, Leon made the Guardian Spirit take a different path.

"You want to use the Elder Tree to mow down the rat tide?"

Duna quickly guessed Leon's intention before he nodded.

"That's right. Might as well utilize this big girl to the fullest," Leon said while patting one of its big branches.

"Oh? The Elder Tree is a girl?" Duna asked with surprise before adding, "I didn't know trees even had genders."

"Oh, but they do. Trees are divided into four genders, in fact. Some trees can even change their genders as well, going from males to females," Leon explained with his wealth of knowledge on plants and herbs.

Duna was merely curious and not all that interested.

After listening to Leon's explanation, she casually changed the topic with a question, "How about you? Have you considered becoming a woman?"

Leon was caught off guard by the question and nearly staggered before his lips twitched profusely. What kind of question was this?

"Of course not. I was born as a man, and I will die as a man."

"Uhm, sure," Duna responded with a light laugh.

Leon shook his head helplessly.

Sometime later, the Elder Tree moved, taking a short turn to the right before proceeding forward with rumbling steps that shattered the earth.

The sea of fire posed no threat to the Elder Tree as it continued onward without fear and quickly reached the rat tide. It was not fazed by weak flames.

Squeak! Squeak!

The rats were immediately thrown into frenzied disarray at the Elder Tree's heavy steps quaking the earth while hundreds of their brethren were crushed underneath its footsteps made of tree roots.

Many High Elves, Elders, royal guards had left the treetop to make themselves useful previously under Princess Thessalia's order, and only a few remained behind.

At that moment, Princess Thessalia could be seen flying in the sky with other royal guards and High Elves as they slew the rats.

As expected, Princess Thessalia was a fast learner and already took off to kill rats once she mastered the flight skill—or so Leon thought at first.

However, he quickly noticed that her flight was shaky from time to time.

"This elven princess… sure is reckless," Leon mumbled with a bit of speechlessness. She was definitely one of those muscle for brains type, he thought.

Shortly after, Leon took off with Duna to slay some rats and refine more exploding pills with their blood.

Whether he liked it or not, he chose an area not too far from Princess Thessalia to watch over her. In any case, she was Faelyn's elder sister.

He could not let anything happen to her.

…

Grassland Region, World Tree.

At that moment, large numbers of troops were busying themselves about in preparation for departure within the military encampment near the foot of the World Tree.

Lilith exited her tent after hearing the busy footsteps.

"What's going on here? Why are there so many movements at this time of the night? What are you all doing?" Lilith pulled over one of the soldiers for questioning.

"Miss Lilith, I'm not too sure exactly. I've only just received orders from my superiors to prepare for departure. I heard the others talking that we might be mobilizing to the Western Frontier." The soldier said.

Lilith was surprised before she furrowed her brows.

"The World Tree is now the focal point of the Crawford Empire, and the king's intention to construct the new capital here is no close secret… For the army to be mobilized away from here, something big must have happened in the Western Frontier…" Lilith analyzed.

"Yes, I also believe something big has happened at the Western Frontier, Miss Lilith." The soldier agreed with her analysis.

Lilith gazed at the soldier with a pondering look before asking, "Do your superiors know more detail about what is going on in the Western Frontier?"

"I would like to believe so." The soldier did not give a definite answer.

Nevertheless, Lilith nodded and requested, "Please take me someone in high command. I would like to inquire them about what is going on."

Anything happening in the Western Frontier would most likely be related to the Wildlands. As such, she could not ignore what might be happening over there.

"I'll be my honor, Miss Lilith. Right this way, please." The soldier patted his chest with a big smile and gestured for Lilith to follow him.

The soldier quickly met with his superior to receive permission for his temporary leave before he went to carry out Lilith's wishes.

Sometime later, they reached a big tent.

"Reporting to the commander, Miss Lilith would like to see you, sir!" The soldier spoke audibly with a disciplined salute outside the big tent.

Some movements were heard within the big tent before a middle-aged soldier with a strong presence exited the big tent in surprise.

"Is there something you need from me, Miss Lilith?" The commander asked courteously, showing Lilith preferential treatment.

"I was hoping you can tell what is going on in the Western Frontier, Commander. Why is the king mobilizing the army there?" Lilith asked politely.

"This…" The commander hesitated for a moment before Lilith urged, "Please, Commander."

"Well, alright. However, you cannot divulge what I tell you carelessly, Miss Lilith. It will cause unnecessary panic among the scholars and citizens." The commander stated.

Lilith nodded, "I can agree to this."

"That's good." The commander nodded back before turning to the soldier, "You did well to escort Miss Lilith here. You may return to your post and prepare for the departure."

"Yes, sir!"

Shortly after the soldier, the commander gestured towards his tent, "Let us talk in private, Miss Lilith."

"Alright." Lilith nodded.

Shortly after she entered the big tent, the commander followed closely after her. However, moments later, Lilith stormed back out of the tent in a hurry.

"Miss Lilith, please wait! You mustn't follow us. The situation in the Western Frontier is unclear, but it definitely won't be safe."

"Don't stop me, Commander. If the Cataclysm is impending and the Wildlands is in turmoil due to the rat tide like you said, then I am coming along, whether you like it or not.. I must return to my clan!" Lilith said resolutely.