Mother Goddess

The Guardian Lantana!

For the woodland Elf clan and the highly knowledgeable beings residing within the subsidiary area, this legendary sacred beast is well understood.

Long, long ago when the Elven Kingdom still existed — during its highest Silver Age — this was clearly the pinnacle of the Silver Civilization.

When Master God — while surveying the world — looked favorably upon her subjects, the Guardian Lantana was related to the Angel.

When the Kingdom of Elf was at its peak, it owned 100,000 natural legions, with the entire group comprised of the strong Lantana guards.

Even the weakest guard of Lantana has the power of Silver!

Facing the enormous beast in front of him, whose size was even comparable to that of a Giant Dragon, Rick felt a powerful surge of strength within his heart.

"Sli... Silver..."

Struggling to make sense of the scene in front of him, he experienced a mental block due to the immense magical pressure.

How did this come to pass?!

Didn't the Guardian Lantana pass away with the Mother Goddess?

Could it all be an illusion?

Rubbed his eyes as if trying to disbelieve the reality in front of him, he could only stand and shake in fear.

Impossible... I've witnessed countless depictions of the Guardian Lantana in our tribal murals, and will certainly not be mistaken!

This is the real deal!

They are the direct descendants of Mother Nature herself!

How can this be?

Hey, why is that even possible?

Rick was not the epitome of intelligence, and the idea of his brain wandering slightly caused his mind to be preoccupied.

One thing was clear — the strange figure emerging before them was undoubtedly an individual.

He desires to slaughter everyone!

That instinctive sensation of danger filled his heart with dread.

Rick whispered a single word, before suddenly letting out a loud yell:

"Run! Quickly...!"

After he expressed the command, the Half-Orc leader did not even bother to explain himself further, but instead, turned around and fled at the top of his speed.

He felt that, even if he possessed Silver's power as the Guardian Lantana, this would not be a sufficient match for the giant in front of them.

Even if the priest of the tribe were to rush forth, he believed that they would not manage to survive.

In the midst of their sudden escape, none of them could help but think about the dangers surrounding them, leaving the matter of hunting as a secondary thought.

As Rick reflected on this moment, and the more he considered it, the more he felt confused.

He wondered why Lantana's guardian would still reappear now, despite the fact that everyone on the Sega Continent knew the Mother Goddess had perished long ago.

Without the blessings of the True God, how could the Guardian Lantana yet still exist?

A sudden, unthinkable notion rose forth from the depths of Rick's heart.

Rick's mind became preoccupied with the memories of the catastrophic events that had unfolded long ago.

"Somehow, in my mind, I see that tragic and glorious World Tree..."

Rick's mouth grew dry, and his entire body grew cold.

"Escape..."

"Run away rapidly! Flee towards the tribe!"

"This matter must be reported to the priest at once!"

If he failed to deliver the warning to the correct people, then their Half-Orc tribe would swiftly be placed inside the imminent danger zone.

......

Berserker's rage was immeasurable.

Having previously accepted the edict of the almighty Natural Mother Goddess, he was greatly excited at the prospect of being able to assist her.

However, when he arrived at the assigned site, he was utterly infuriated to discover the existence of a gang of repulsive Half-Orcs.

These Half-Orcs were even engaging in the pursuit of Mother Goddess' offspring!

Upon hearing that atrocious Half-Orc insult the revered Mother of Nature, Berserker's reason collapsed in the blink of an eye, and he could no longer control himself.

Simultaneously, the frigid voice of the Natural Mother Goddess once again reverberated within Berserker's mind:

"Kill him!"

As the final chain was severed, the Lantana guards became utterly enraged.

"Roar — "

A deafening and shrieking sound sent countless birds flying through the jungle sky reeling in fright.

"Whoever insults the Mother Goddess deserves to die!"

Lantana's Guardian's massive form was immersed in a formidable blend of magical power and divine aura, with Berserker's blazing red eyes as the focus.

Upon witnessing this sight, he issued a furious roar:

"War Sacrifice!"

A captivating melody rang out as his arms transformed into rapidly surging vines, which resembled flying ropes, as they chased after the fleeing Half-Orcs...

The vines were extremely rapid, and a group of the Half-Orcs could not even manage to travel a few steps before being ensnared in their clutches.

As several distressed people shouted for aid, Rick became deeply concerned.

"What's this? Release me! Let me go! Let me go!"

"Please help! Mr. Rick, please spare my life!"

"Oh my god! Monster! He's absorbing my soul... Ah..."

"Ah, my legs... My legs..."

"..."

Listening to the cries of the distressed ones behind him, Rick's scalp tingled with dread.

All of a sudden, his heart began to pound vigorously, and he immediately fled the scene without thinking.

Before he could relax, the vine stormed towards him once more.

Rick ground his teeth together and removed his knife from its sheath, slashing at the vines with tremendous force.

In tandem, the vines and hair remained undamaged as his weapon was sliced and diced into two pieces.

"How is this possible?!?"

The vines snaked upwards, ensnaring him as a grave sense of dread engulfed him.

As the vines tightened their grip, a terrifying gravitational force emerged on them.

Under Rick's bewildered gaze, his previously powerful body began rapidly shrinking.

"War Sacrifice..."

His voice was hoarse and raspy, filled with unceasing fear.

The intermediate Druidic ability, War Sacrifice.

The wielder transforms into a vine in order to drain the life force of a target, while also receiving a portion of the power of the sacrificed individual.

In his final moments of consciousness, Rick recollected the fearsome skill of the Rage Druid.

In the blink of an eye, the entire army of over twenty Half-Orc Hunters was utterly annihilated.

The entire ordeal took place within a matter of seconds.

Alice cowered on the ground, her eyes vacant.

Upon witnessing the transition of the Half-Orcs into piles of bone and ash via Lantana's lethal vine, the young Elven girl whispered.

"Guardian Lantana..."

"War Sacrifice..."

As if having recalled a certain fact, tears began to stream down her pale cheeks.

Alice abruptly raised her face, her eyes portraying various emotions:

Amazement mixed with anticipation... shock... nervousness... and curiosity.

Her shy gaze turned towards the majestic World Tree, as she inquired:

"Mother Goddess Sama, ... Are you...?"

A gentle breeze swept by, as pale rays of green light emanated from the sky, imbued in a deeply sanctified and grave ambiance.

The light carried a serene force to it, as if it had received some form of instructions, penetrating into Alice and Samir's bodies.

Their injuries, which had originally been sustained through the forceful detonation of their sources, gradually recovered, while Samir's body, which had been extensively damaged, appeared to be healing visibly and rapidly.

Everything seemed like a miraculous occurrence.

As the elderly priest stood up, he stared at Lantana's imposing protector, as well as the injuries on his body, with a degree of skepticism.

"Is this real? Is this true?"

His lips curled inwards, revealing a sense of unease hidden behind his anticipation.

His gaze reflected his deep uncertainty, since he was fearful of believing in what he had just witnessed — it was as if he feared that this was only a vivid hallucination.

All of a sudden, a majestic, sacred sound engulfed the consciousness of the two individuals.

"My name is —— Eve Yggdrasill."

The duo's bodies became unsettled.

They exchanged a look, recognizing fear and skepticism in each other's eyes, yet being quickly transformed into tremendous amazement.

"It is she, the Great Mother Goddess!"

"It truly is! It is the Mother Goddess herself!"

Within the blink of an eye, Alice's body was engulfed in an overwhelming force that extracted her strength, causing her to fall to the floor in a weakened state. Tears instantly rolled down her cheeks on a massive scale.

The sounds touched Samir's ears, causing him to open his mouth, his deep wrinkles trembling in an uncontrollable manner.

His tears resembled falling pearls.

A once noble clan elder, Samir was weeping like a child in this moment...

"Mother...! Mother Goddess... Are you back? Is it you? Is it you?"

"My Lady Mother Goddess... Have you returned?"

"You... you have come back?"

The burning flame of faith that had been extinguished was re-ignited, and shot up into the sky.