[194] The Elven Forest and An Incoming Enemy

Chapter 194: The Elven Forest and An Incoming Enemy

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Resources were scarce in his home world, Atlanton. Because of civil wars lasting for millennia that littered the planet, resources burnt out, and the planet grew quite barren. Deserts of burnt-out black soil had spread across his world.

The Demonic Phoenix God of Destructive Flames has always been revered as a malevolent deity in Atlanton, along with the other eleven Gods of his Pantheon. The civil war happened between the twelve of them after they defeated the benevolent Gods and couldn't decide who should rule the world. By the time they finally came to their senses, it was too late, Atlanton was a planet dying from inside out.

So they did what any sensible God would do in such a crisis. They plundered other worlds for resources, murdering others to save their own.

Pangeal was not the first planet to be their target, no.

This story was from a thousand years ago, and they have long since recovered their world by plundering hundreds of other worlds. Now they were plundering more due to their new enemies; plundering hundreds of worlds created many enemies, it turns out. The Icy Blooded Sword Sect was one of them. They were a bunch of righteous fools, originating from a Murim World, yet now even the weakest member of it was strong enough to wipe off a star system.

So they needed World Pearls to charge up their powerful weapons, battleships, and also themselves. The last option was the hardest, it required great technique and other stuff that the Twelve Atlanton Gods didn't even know. So far, only the Chief God had tasted a Pearl successfully and absorbed it.

In just two more months, Pangeal would pop out Pearls as well. Two of them. He, the Demonic Phoenix God, looked forward to having a taste of it this time. He was unsure if he would have a higher success rate than his Chief God, but he knew he wouldn't fail at least. Due to the special characteristic of his flames, he could eat the pearl, use his fire to melt it in his system and absorb it.

So far, for the last couple of months, everything has been smoothly leading toward that sweet, sweet future. Although trouble would sometimes come, it had been calm and predictable recently. Until the report today.

"Hmm," sitting in his dark, gloomy office, with the windows showing barren burning ice lands outside, the Dark Phoenix heard his subordinate's message in his humanoid form. 

In this form, he was wearing a red mask to hide his face. The mask was quite plain except for the beak it had, as well as the letter 'Phoenix' from his homeworld painted on the surface. The gloomy atmosphere in the room made him appear quite moody as he spoke in a deep voice, "How odd. You're saying he was defeated in less than five exchanges?"

Outside the window, the south pole's landscape was a vision of nightmarish desolation, a barren expanse of burning ice lands that stretched endlessly. The ground was scorched black, dotted with jagged, crimson crystals pulsating with malevolent energy, as if it were remnants of ancient battles and sacrificial rituals. In big chunks of ice, the reflection of the massive crimson pillar of blood and void energy rising into the sky, twisting and writhing like a grotesque serpent, could be seen. The Phoenix was sitting inside it. The blood-red light bathed the icy wasteland in an eerie glow, casting long, twisted shadows that danced ominously. It was hell on earth.

His assistant, also his [Avatar], stayed kneeled in front of him and nodded. He's been serving the Phoenix God for ages, going by the title of Phoenix Avatar. He too looked surprised at his own report, "Yes, my lord. From the signature his mana released, that is the case. We're unsure of any details since all of him and his subordinates died in such a short time that none of them could send back any details."

The Mass-Produced Ahaiyute Angels were divided into three ranks; Lesser, Higher, and True. Although this Ahaiyute was a Higher one, and not True, it's still odd for him to go down this fast, especially when the discharged Mana from his system, which the Blood Tower caught, said he observed his minions fight for tens of minutes before he got into battle himself, and died immediately.

"It seems there was a hidden enemy who was enjoying the show, and only when it got dangerous did he step in," the Dark Phoenix grumbled. "Find out who that puny little bastard is, at all costs. How dare some idiot from a low-ranked world play with our creation?"

"Understood, my lord," the Phoenix Avatar nodded and left the room, while his lord rested his face on a fist and pondered.

He would show that little fucker what it meant to play with one's prey, once he would find out who it was and where he was.

****

It rained normal rain for the first time in months, for once it was not the usual acid rain. Saintess Seraphina took that as a good sign.

Sitting on her balcony, sipping tea even as rain fell over her, tickling down her face, she enjoyed the wind as well as the darkness of the clouds. It felt good as if the clouds were embracing her. Rain was considered a holy incident since the sky darkened like the eyes of the great Goddess, and the land received minerals for soil from the water.

"...How nostalgic," she knew this was just a coincidental rain, but she couldn't help but feel nostalgic. That's why she had removed her mask for the first time in months and kept it on the table. The luxuriant dark sky was a lovely contrast to her pale face.

Back in the day, Saintess Seraphina could call forth rainstorms with a gentle clap of her hands. The Goddess would reply to her wish and bring forth rain instantly. In all of Pangeal's history, she was titled as the most spoiled Saintess due to just how much the Goddess liked her.

In the last four months, no amount of clapping had brought any rain.

Her hands bled and the fabrics of her clothes wettened from tears and sweat, but no rain came to cleanse the drought-filled lands. When the rain did come and she looked up with a shaky smile, it fell on her face and burned her skin off as if to mock her.

Instead of her Goddess, the Demon Gods replied to her plea with a rain of acid.

And without the Goddess' power, she couldn't even heal her face. Saintess Seraphina has been wearing a white steel mask ever since, not even taking it off for food or tea since she didn't need sustenance to stay alive. Most people believed she was immortal because of the Goddess' blessing, but truthfully, she's been immortal even before that due to a personal trait. The only one who actually received the Eternal Youth blessing was the Princess, and she's also the one suffering from it the most. Depression etched her very soul, at this point.

"...." her mood shunned a little thinking about that poor woman. By the time Saintess Seraphina finished her cup of tea, a knock fell on the door.

"Saintess, it's time for prayer," said Mayrin, a fellow sister in this Temple.

"It's okay, Mayrin, I'll be there soon." She didn't need to be in a prayer room to pray to that old lady, not that she ever replied these days. Of course, Saintess Seraphina knew why there was no reply; she was one of the few in this world who knew the truth about the Goddess' passing. 

Goddess Galaxara Voidborne was dead.

And the Church was hiding that truth from the rest of the world.

What was the point in praying to her anymore? Saintess Seraphina still did so every day, but she knew better than anyone that there was no point. She sighed, "Actually, come here and see how beautiful the rain is today. It's so chilly," she said, and the door pushed open.

A lady in a nun outfit walked inside, sighing, "Saintess, we shouldn't be late. Even if the-" Her words got stuck in her throat as her eyes met with Seraphina. Seraphina blinked before realizing that her mask was off. "Saintess, your face…"

"Ah, yes, sorry," she grabbed the mask from the table, "I'm lucky it's just you, I'll be damned if someone who hasn't seen the scar already were to see it."

"No, no, Saintess, don't put it on yet," Mayrin got lively, suddenly running around the room searching for something. Saintess Seraphina tilted her head in confusion until the woman found a hand mirror and put it in front of her face. "Look! Your scar, it's gone!"

Saintess Seraphina stared at her reflection, her eyes forgetting to blink.

Her eyes bubbled, and tears trailed down. Her lips stretched and she looked up at the clouds, "You stupid, idiotic, old goddess," she grumbled, "...Why didn't you tell me you're back?!"

The sky rumbled, and Seraphina's smile dropped in pure shock from what the rumble revealed. Shock remained etched on her face, even as hope filled her eyes.

"W-what's wrong, Saintess?!" Mayrin asked nervously, seeing the change in her face.

"...Mayrin," Saintess Seraphina turned to her friend with a shaky grin. "What is that old elf and bitch princess' current location, again?"

The Hero's three wives seldom lived together after his passing. While the Saintess could call all the Temples in the world her home, the Princess would remain in the Duchy's castle, and the Elf Mage… that old woman would spend most of her time researching magic, locked in her tree castle inside the World Tree in the Elven Forest.

"Ugh, fuck!" Saintess Seraphina slammed her fist on the table, and the entire balcony crashed. She had pushed Mayrin further into the room before she did this stunt, so she was fine. Saintess rose from the rubble, ruffling her wet hair and grunting in annoyance. "Lucky ass bitch. Fuck you and fuck the Elven Forest. You know what? I won't notify you beforehand, you elf bitch." 

"A-are you okay, Saintess?!"

That would ruin the surprise anyway, just like how this stupid Goddess spoiled her about it. She hated spoilers, so she'll save that old hag from this depressing fate.

Saintess Seraphina's heart burned with a fire so passionate that she had never felt in the last three hundred years.

[Image Here]

****

A few days passed, and the Demonic Phoenix God of Destructive Flames received a report. It was about the fall of Erebian Empire, that the Hero Jasmine tried her best to defend and yet lost. Humanity's morality was at its lowest, and from the injuries that the fleeing Jasmines caught, she might end up dying any second.

That was a joyous occasion and the Catastrophic Clown of Calamity was partying for it. His [Avatar] was the one who defeated the foolish hero, so he had the right to brag a little. The Dark Phoenix declined his invitation for a banquet, however. Unlike that clown, he believed in not celebrating until the work was really done.

Amidst this, something bothered him. His Avatar reported all of this, yet failed to get an update on who subjugated the High-ranked Ahaiyute. He expected that individual to rush to the nearest frontlines and slay more demons—if he had done that, plenty of information about him would have been found.

Rather, he went under the radar entirely.

"That means his goal isn't to just mindlessly kill demons, despite his powers, hmm," the Dark Phoenix clenched and unclenched his jaws. "...He has a goal. So he must be either hiding and waiting for something, or he's traveling somewhere."

The only relevant locations near where the incident took place were the frontlines, the Eldein Academy, and the Elven Forest. It can't be the frontlines nor the academy because according to the reports, almost everyone from the academy has been sent to the frontlines. So it had to be the Elven Forest.

"...." He rubbed his chin in thought. I refrained from messing with that area since the insane mage was guarding that place. It was not worth it to send troops to cleanse it as that place along with the entire world would end anyhow. But now… I have a bad feeling about this.

It would be problematic if he left the Tower now, but he couldn't just send a random scout either because of that mage. The mortal closest to divinity wasn't an easy match.

He snapped his finger, and a figure formed with a swirl of ashes. "I am at your command, my lord," his Avatar kneeled before him and said.

"Take ten True Ahaiyutes," he ordered, "and lead them to the Elven Forest. Burn it to the ground." It's an area of rich nutrients, it'd have helped make the Pearl more powerful, but he had to follow his instincts in things like this.

"Understood," his Avatar lowered his head and said, and he assumed the work was done already. After all, as the Avatar of Dark Phoenix, he was stronger than everyone in this world. He could be said to be a God of his own right.

With their flight speed, they should reach the forest in no time from the South Pole.

****

[First Person Point of View]

Ruby and I stood atop a hill, the wind tugging at our clothes as we gazed down at the breathtaking view before us. 

The Elven Forest stretched out in an endless sea of emerald green, its ancient trees towering high. It was honestly awe-inspiring, although for me personally it was more nostalgic than anything. I've been here before. The trees' canopies were interwoven to form a dense, living tapestry. The sunlight pierced through the foliage, casting dappled shadows on the forest floor below. 

Far in the distance, a lake so massive that one could mistake it for an ocean glistened under the sun, its surface shimmering like a bed of sapphires.

"Finally…" I muttered, a sense of accomplishment washing over me as I took in the sight. It took us two days of continuous flight, but we were here.

Ruby stood beside me, her eyes wide with wonder, as she whistled around. "So this is the place? It's so big."

"Yes," I confirmed, feeling a surge of determination. "Be careful from here on out, Ruby. We have to walk now since it seems there is an anti-flight barrier here." Even though I wasn't even using a flight spell or technique, and instead stepped on the air, it still activated. It was a spell cast by the highest level of Archmage.

We both took a moment to appreciate the beauty before, with a nod, I stepped down from the hill. Ruby followed as we descended from the hill, our feet touching the soft earth of the forest floor with a soft thud. 

Flying was no longer an option, but that didn't matter. We had arrived; our journey into the heart of the Elven Forest had just begun.

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Author Announcement: 

I've released a new project, [Marvel: False God]. 

To be more specific, it's been rewritten after 1 year of stasis. I felt like it's better to rewrite than return when nobody remembers it. Give it a chance, the chapters are super long there, 4k words to 6k words! Three chapters, 15k words, have been released already. Check it out!!

[Synopsis: Piece-of-shit and shrewd businessman Enrique Nova dies, and his soul is called before an Egyptian Goddess. He's not in his world anymore, and when he realizes that he's in the fuckfest called Marvel, he accepts the Goddess' offer to become her [Avatar].

With the power of Ogdoad Gods, he is now given the mission to make Egypt great again. Against Norse, Olympus, and Superhumans who can destroy Earth with a sneeze, this bastard businessman will try his best not to die and come out on top.

Tags: Anti-Hero, Power Hungry, R-18, Black Adam Powers.]