Chapter 5: The Resurgence of the Mother Goddess
Oak Guardian!
For the sentient beings of the Elf Forest and its surrounding areas, the significance of these legendary sacred creatures is crystal clear.
A thousand years ago, during the existence of the Elf Kingdom, it was the pinnacle of the Silver Civilization.
At that time, the Elf Main God reigned supreme over the world. And the Oak Guardians were His followers, with a status equivalent to that of the angels who serve the Divine!
At the height of the Elf Main God's power, He commanded an army of a hundred thousand Natural Army, all composed of powerful Oak Guardians.
Even the weakest Oak Guardian possessed silver-level strength!
Witnessing this colossal creature in front of him, which rivaled the size of a dragon, Panstone's heart surged tumultuously...
Feeling the overwhelming magic pressure, his mind went blank.
How is this possible?
Weren't the Oak Guardians all supposed to have died along with the fall of the Elf God?
Could he be mistaken?
He rubbed his eyes, but everything in front of him confirmed it was not an illusion.
Looking at the towering Tree-man, Panstone felt his whole body shivering...
No... it can't be wrong, he had seen this figure countless times in the tribe's wall paintings, he could not be mistaken!
This... this is definitely an Oak Guardian! A follower of Mother Nature!
How... how is this possible?!
Panstone, not particularly high in intelligence, found his mind struggling to keep up... However, one thing was clear, the appearance of the other party wasn't to invite them to a meal.
He's going to kill us!
A sense of instinctive crisis engulfed his heart.
"Run..."
Panstone murmured, then as if suddenly jolted awake, bellowed:
"Run for your lives…!"
After shouting, Panstone didn't even bother to grab his Wolf Fang Club, he turned tail and bolted.
What a joke!
An Oak Guardian with at least silver-level strength, ten of him wouldn't stand a chance!
Even if the High Priest of the tribe came, it would likely be futile!
A group of Half-Beast mercenaries were already stunned, they opened their mouths, then as if by mutual agreement, turned and scattered like birds and beasts, desperately starting to run…
At this moment, the idea of hunting was furthest from their minds, their only thought was to flee for their lives...
As Panstone ran, his mind became more chaotic and fearful...
Why would there still be Oak Guardians?
The Crown had clearly fallen, a known fact all across the Segis Continent!
Without the patronage of a True God, how could there still be Oak Guardians?!
No...
Could it be...
Suddenly, an incredible thought popped into his mind, and somehow, the image of the majestic and ancient World Tree surfaced in his thoughts...
"No... it can't be..."
At that moment, Panstone felt his throat dry and his body go cold.
Run!
Run fast! Back to the tribe!
This must be reported to the Priest!
If it really is as he thought, then the Half-Beast Tribe is in grave danger!
...
Berserker was utterly furious.
Moments ago, he had received the divine oracle from the great Mother Nature.
Being able to dedicate his power to the great Crown, Oak Guardian Berserker felt incredibly thrilled.
However, when he arrived at the location designated by Mother Goddess, he found a group of ugly, evil Half-Beasts!
What infuriated him even more was that these Half-Beasts were hunting the children of Mother Goddess!
Not only that, hearing those evil Half-Beasts daring to blaspheme the great Mother Nature, Berserker's last shred of rationality completely collapsed.
At the same time, the icy voice of Mother Goddess resounded again in Berserker's mind:
"Eliminate them."
As if the last restraint had been released, the Oak Guardian became thoroughly enraged.
"Roar—"
A deafening roar shook the forest, startling countless birds.
"Blasphemers, die!"
The immense magic power mixed with a trace of divine aura spread out from the center of the Oak Guardian, and his already thirty meters tall body seemed to grow even more. Berserker, red-eyed, swung his branches-formed arms in an instant, bellowing:
"War Sacrifice!"
A melodious chant began, and his arms immediately transformed into rapidly growing vines and tendrils, like dancing ropes, chasing after the numerous fleeing Half-Beasts...
The vines moved incredibly fast, and several Half-Beasts had hardly taken a few steps before they were bound...
"What is this? Let me go! Let me go!"
"Help! Lord Rock, save me!"
"Monster! It's a monster! It's absorbing my life force... Ah..."
"Ah... my legs! My legs!"
"..."
Hearing the countless tragic screams coming from behind, Rock's scalp tingled.
Suddenly, a sense of crisis surged in his heart.
Rock felt a thud in his heart and instinctively dodged to the side, only to see a thick vine shooting through the spot where he had just been, leaving him startled.
However, before he could catch his breath, the vine charged at him again.
He gritted his teeth and pulled out the curved knife from his waist, chopping fiercely at the vine.
Accompanied by a "clang" sound, the knife in his hand broke into two pieces, while the vine remained unscathed.
Under Rock's stunned gaze, the vine leaped up and bound him tightly.
As he was bound, a terrifying force of attraction emerged on the vine, and before Rock's horrified eyes, he saw his robust body rapidly wither, his strength continuously weaken, and his life force quickly drained—aging him within seconds...
"War Sacrifice…"
His voice was hoarse and aged, filled with boundless fear.
War Sacrifice, a mid-level ability of Druids.
The user can transform into vines, absorb the life force of the target for their own use, and sacrifice a portion of the gained power to Mother Nature.
At the last moment of his consciousness, Rock finally remembered this horrifying skill unique to the Furious Druids...
In a blink of an eye, the entire Half-Beast Hunting Team of over twenty people was annihilated.
All these twists and turns happened in less than ten seconds.
Alice, sitting paralyzed on the ground, was stupefied.
"Oak Guardian... War Sacrifice..."
Watching Half-Beasts turning into bones and ashes under the vines of the Oak Guardian in an instant, the Elf Girl muttered.
Suddenly, as if realizing something, two lines of crystal-clear tears slowly flowed down her fair cheeks.
Alice suddenly raised her head, with seven parts surprise and three parts apprehension, her gaze somewhat bewildered, anticipatory, yet a bit fearful and ashamed towards the direction of the World Tree:
"Mother Goddess, is that... you?"
A breeze swept by...
Countless dazzling pale green lights descended from the sky, incredibly holy and solemn.
The light carried a soft power, as if following some command, streaming eagerly into both Alice and Samir's bodies.
The injuries caused by the forced detonation of her origin in the Elf Girl healed instantly while the shattered body of the Old Elf Samir visibly recovered at a speed visible to the naked eye, with his consciousness slowly returning...
Everything was like a Divine Miracle.
The old priest tremblingly stood up, looking incredulously at the majestic Oak Guardian and then at his own injuries in disbelief. After realizing what had happened, he slumped back to the ground.
His lips were sticky, his expression hopeful yet a bit uneasy, as if he wanted to believe in something, yet feared that what he had experienced was a mere illusion...
Is this... real?
Can I believe it?
Suddenly, a grand and holy voice echoed in their consciousness...
"My name—Eve Yoctrahill."
Both their bodies shook.
They looked at each other, seeing the fear and disbelief in each other's eyes, but it quickly turned into boundless joy...
It is the Mother Goddess!
It really is the Mother Goddess!
She,
has returned...
In an instant, Alice felt all the strength in her body as if drained, her body trembled, and she couldn't help but fall to the ground, bursting into tears.
As the voice entered, Samir's mouth slightly opened, his deep wrinkles uncontrollably trembled, and his cloudy tears fell like beads.
Samir, once revered as an elder of the tribe, now wept like a child...
"Mother... Mother Goddess... is that you? Is it you!"
"Mother Goddess, oh... Have you returned?"
"Have you... come back?!"
The extinguished flame of faith reignited, soaring into the sky.