A New Tree

In an instant, it grew at an incredible speed, stretching and twisting upward. Its thin stem thickened, its bark becoming rough and ancient, like a tree that had stood for centuries.

The branches spread wide like giant arms, reaching high into the sky. Within minutes, a towering tree—over a hundred meters tall—stood before them.

It was just as grand and awe-inspiring as the legendary Eternal Tree.

Elaria and the three elven leaders gasped in shock.

"Y-Your Majesty… what is this tree? Is it another Eternal Tree?" They could hardly believe their eyes. Something this huge and powerful had appeared out of nowhere, beyond anything they could understand.

"This… this is a miracle!"

Renjiro took a deep breath, placing a hand on the massive trunk. He turned to his people with a small, knowing smile.

"No… this is different. This is the Battleborn Tree. Like the Eternal Tree, it is a gift from the Goddess."

The elves gasped, eyes filled with awe.

Renjiro's voice was calm but strong. "The Battleborn Tree has a special power. It can summon warriors from the Goddess's realm—archers, huntresses… all of them will come to our world through this tree."

As soon as he finished speaking, the four female elves before him dropped to one knee, bowing deeply.

"Praise the Great Goddess!"

"She has blessed us again!"

They lowered their heads to the ground, filled with faith and gratitude.

Renjiro, however, held back a sigh. Faith was powerful… but one day, their prayers would no longer reach the Goddess.

Without wasting time, he called upon the system.

'How do I summon archers and huntresses from the tree?'

A glowing green interface appeared before his eyes, filling his mind with new information.

[Battleborn Tree Unlocked]

[Available Units: Archers, Huntresses]

[Archers]

Masters of the bow, archers move like shadows in the forest. Few can match their speed and precision.

• Rank: Circle 4

• Abilities:

• Hardbow: Increases attack range.

• Precision Shooting: Boosts attack power.

• Summoning Cost: 100 gold coins per archer

[Huntresses]

Elite warriors who are fast and deadly. They ride fierce black panthers, striking down enemies with ease.

• Rank: Circle 5

• Abilities:

• Summon Owl: Calls a magical owl to spot hidden enemies, even invisible ones.

• Multi-Strike: Attacks can hit up to five enemies at once.

• Summoning Cost: 200 gold coins per huntress

Renjiro took a deep breath as he absorbed the information.

"After our battle against the Kobolds, we gained 30,000 gold coins. At 100 gold per archer… I can summon 300 archers right away!"

His heart pounded with excitement.

"If I choose huntresses instead, I can summon 150 of them!"

Even though the numbers weren't huge, this was just the start. If he kept fighting and winning, his army would grow stronger with each victory.

His gaze turned sharp. "The next step… is conquering the Goblin territory."

Goblins—filthy, greedy, cowardly creatures. But despite their weakness, they were rich.

Like dragons and kobolds, goblins loved gold. They hoarded it, stole it, and would do anything to get more.

But unlike dragons, goblins had neither strength nor honor. They left their forests to ambush travelers and loot merchants.

Renjiro's eyes shone with determination.

"If I take over their land, I'll get more gold than ever. With that, I can summon an army beyond anything I have now."

He called for Elaria, his beautiful fiancée.

The silver-haired elven princess approached gracefully, her emerald eyes full of curiosity. "What is it, Your Majesty?"

Renjiro got straight to the point. "How much gold do we have in the treasury?"

Elaria hesitated, then answered. "Around 100,000 gold coins."

Renjiro frowned. "That little?"

Elaria sighed. "Your Majesty, our land is barren. We have little food, and we must buy supplies from human merchants at ridiculous prices."

Before Renjiro could respond, Lirael, one of the elven leaders, clenched her fists in frustration.

"Your Majesty! The human merchants are even greedier than goblins! They take our finely crafted weapons for almost nothing, but they charge us a fortune for food! It's shameful!"

Selena, another leader, nodded. "It's true, Your Majesty. Our weapons sell for a fortune in human cities, but when we try to trade, they offer us mere scraps. But we have no choice—we need food, so we're forced to accept their unfair deals."

Renjiro's expression darkened. He clenched his fists. "Don't worry. One day, those greedy humans will pay for their deception."

Everyone knew elves were strict vegetarians.

But the forest was full of magical beasts, while fruit trees were rare. This gave the human merchants the perfect opportunity to take advantage of them, using food to drain the elves of their wealth.

Hearing Renjiro's words, Elaria and the three elven leaders nodded firmly.

Their trust in him was absolute. If their king said the humans would pay, they believed without a doubt that he would make it happen.

Renjiro turned to Selena. "Go to the treasury. Bring every last coin here."

Selena bowed gracefully, her movements as fluid as the wind. "Yes, Your Majesty."

As she left, Renjiro noticed the confused looks on the other three elves. He smiled and explained, "The Battleborn Tree requires gold to summon warriors. The more gold we have, the more of our kin we can bring into this world."

Lirael's eyes lit up. "Just gold?"

Renjiro nodded. "That's right."

The three elves exchanged glances. Without hesitation, Lirael and Selena suddenly turned and dashed away.

Renjiro blinked, surprised. "Where are they going?"

Elaria chuckled, gently taking his hand. "Your Majesty, they're gathering gold from our people. Defending our homeland is the duty of every elf. No one will be upset about this. Even the youngest among us will gladly give what they have."

As if to prove her point, a soft buzzing sound filled the air.

A group of tiny elves fluttered toward them, their glowing bodies shimmering like stardust.

Unlike the adults, these young elves had not yet grown arms or legs. They looked like small, radiant orbs of light.

Renjiro reached out and gently touched one. A wave of warmth and affection washed over him.

These little ones whispered to him. To them, he was more than a king—he was their protector, their guide, and their hope.

One by one, chests full of gold were brought in by the elves.

Selena returned first, carrying 100,000 gold from the treasury. Soon after, Lirael and Selena arrived with 10,000 more, gathered from the elven citizens.

Just as Elaria had said, every elf freely gave their savings.

Even the youngest ones—small as fairies—happily opened their tiny pouches and handed over their gold to Renjiro.