Chapter 20: Fishing in Troubled Waters (Part 1)

Before him lay a large pool of blood, as if several buckets of blood had been poured onto the ground. A few bodies stayed in the center of the blood, mangled beyond recognition and mixed in with pieces of weapons and armor. These must be the cavalrymen he was following. The bodies were either flattened as if trampled by countless vehicles, or shredded like scraps of paper. The blood had been squeezed out of their contorted forms, creating a vast, crimson stain on the ground. This bizarre manner of death exceeded Asa's experience; he could not fathom how these soldiers could have ended up like this.

Cautiously, he scanned his surroundings, noticing that there were no traces left by other animals or people—just a few bloodstains on the withered trees. Such withered trees were common in this forest. There were always several of them over a short distance. They were about five or six people high, not as tall as the ancient trees. They were lacking branches and leaves, merely covered in numerous vines. Their thick main branches resembled human limbs. Upon closer inspection, Asa realized that these withered trees bore a strange resemblance to human shapes. Although they varied in height, each had four main branches that resembled arms and legs. They were all covered in bloodstains, and standing eerily still. But they were just trees. Asa did not sense any living beings in the surrounding silence.

Surely trees can't move or kill, can they? He furrowed his brow and shook his head, squatting down to examine the twisted corpses more closely to see if he could uncover any clues.

There was no sound, but Asa suddenly felt a shift in the air behind him. Before he could turn around, he felt a tightness in his side as he was lifted off the ground. Looking down, he saw several branches, as thick as his wrists, bending around his waist, covered in still-drying blood.

The withered tree behind him was gripping him with a hand-like branch, lifting him up, while another branch was closing in like a hand about to clap.

In a panic, Asa grabbed the two branches around his waist and pulled with all his might. The branches snapped, and he pushed off with his hands, straining to break free just in time. The clap missed him, creating a dull thud as wood splintered into the air. Should he be a moment slower, he would have ended up like those incomprehensible corpses.

Asa looked in terror at this colossal being that defied human understanding. It was undoubtedly just a tree, yet it was clearly moving. Rather than a humanoid withered tree, it resembled a giant with a tree-like exterior, those scattered soldier corpses having been crushed like paper balls. Blood was smeared all over the roots of these tree-like beings, and Asa understood why those complete corpses had been flattened like that.

He turned to flee, only to realize he was already surrounded by three such tree-like giants. He hadn't noticed how he had walked right into their midst.

A thunderous roar in the distance shattered the forest's stillness, and all the tree-like beings suddenly froze. Green firelight flickered in the dimness of the distant woods. It was still noon, yet the sky had darkened unexpectedly, resembling a gloomy twilight. In the shadowy light stood several blood-stained trees, their surroundings eerily quiet yet still.

Asa looked up, finding that the once bright sun had become a golden ring, with a black shadow obscuring most of its light. It was a rare solar eclipse.

Another even louder explosion followed, and several tree-like beings emitted a deep rumble from unknown parts, moving their root-like feet toward the source of the sound, entirely ignoring Asa.

Asa stood dazed, watching the tree-like beings move away. Suddenly, a thought struck him: this might be a good opportunity. The sounds and green flames must be the handiwork of the red-robed man, who was likely facing off against these monsters. Although he didn't know the red-robed man's purpose for entering the forest, it was likely connected to his own goals; perhaps he was also after the "leaf of the World Tree."

This forest was certainly not as simple as it seemed, and the "leaf of the World Tree" hidden within could not just be picked like fruit from an orchard. Rather than aimlessly wandering, Asa decided to follow after them, hoping to take advantage of the chaos.

Determined, he hurried in the direction the tree-like beings were headed. After running a few steps, he noticed that these wooden giants seemed utterly indifferent to him. Gathering his courage, he approached one more closely, and it still didn't react. The movements of these tree-like beings were slow, but their strides were enormous, making it challenging for Asa to keep up. He boldly climbed onto the head of one of the tree beings, allowing it to carry him along toward the source of the commotion.

Riding atop what might be the strangest mount in the world, Asa traveled for a distance until he spotted several charred remnants of tree-like beings and shattered wooden fragments, as well as a few crushed and mangled zombies. It was indeed the work of the red-robed man. More and more tree-like beings began to gather around, all moving toward the front.

The number of tree-like beings multiplied, and it seemed the entire forest was coming to life. Not far ahead, he could already see wood chips flying through the air with the force of explosions, and suddenly, green flames erupted fiercely, as if a grand fireworks display were unfolding before him. The original silence of the forest had long since vanished, replaced by a cacophony.

After a few more giant strides from the tree-like being beneath him, Asa caught sight of the group of zombies and the red-robed man.

Without a doubt, the red-robed man was the absolute center of this spectacular scene; the entire battle revolved around him. Over a hundred zombies surrounded him, providing protection as he occasionally hurled small bursts of green fire at the tree-like beings, which would be engulfed in raging flames, turning them to charred remains. At other times, he would launch glowing orbs that detonated with deafening explosions, ripping the tree-like beings apart.

Beneath the towering forms of the tree beings, there were also some unicorns and individuals with pointed ears and long hair attacking the zombies alongside the red-robed man. The unicorns bore a single sharp horn protruding from their foreheads. Asa had heard tales from seasoned adventurers that these must be unicorns, creatures that could only be found in the purest, most primordial forests. The individuals with pointed ears and long hair were likely elves, a race often mentioned by dwarves back in his homeland. They were said to dwell only in forests, similar in appearance to humans but not considered sub-humans.

The elves, regardless of gender, skillfully leaped among the tree-like beings, wielding longbows to shoot at the red-robed man, some even casting spells. However, the zombies surrounding the red-robed man rushed forward, eagerly absorbing the arrows and spells, ensuring none struck him. While the red-robed man seemed intent on retaliating, the elves agilely hopped from one tree-like being to another.

The unicorns pierced the zombies with their glowing horns. Once lifted and thrown by the radiant horn, the zombies fell to the ground, shattered like broken puppets. The tree-like beings used their enormous limbs to crush the zombies, squeezing them into pulp.

The number of zombies dwindled rapidly, while the reinforcements for the elves continued to increase and new tree-like beings also kept arriving. The red-robed man was completely surrounded by tree-like beings now, and it seemed the battle was coming to the end.

Suddenly, Asa noticed a scene that felt entirely out of place amidst this fierce battle.

Several moss-covered rocks stood on the ground, arranged in a circle with an air of order. In the center there was a pool of clear spring water. Three emerald-green leaves floating on the surface of water, and in the center of the spring stood a naked elven girl.

The girl stood still in the water, her arms crossed over her chest, her head bowed and eyes closed. Her silvery long hair cascaded down, blending with the glow emanating from her exquisite form, creating an aura of beauty that evoked a sense of reverence, leaving no room for impure thoughts.

Asa's attention was immediately drawn to the three leaves floating on the water. From such a distance, he could not see clearly what they were, but he felt an overwhelming, soul-stirring shade of green, as if the essence of all life in the world had coalesced within it.

It seemed like a scene from a painting, an ethereal beauty indifferent to the fierce battle taking place nearby, existing in its own tranquil splendor.

A deafening explosion jolted Asa from his reverie. A nearby tree-like being was struck by a glowing orb, and the shockwave, mixed with flying wood chips, swept across his face, causing it to sting painfully. Only then did he realize that the tree-like being he was atop had joined the battle.

Just as he thought to slip off and escape, he felt a tight grip on his body; vines had somehow coiled around him, binding him to the top of the tree-like being.

The continuous explosions and the sounds of flames suddenly ceased, replaced by the red-robed man's voice, which echoed as if a thousand spirits were released, reciting a chant with a poetic intonation: "O dark dragon, slumbering in the rift of time…"

Asa struggled desperately to break free from the vines binding him, but they were soft yet resilient, refusing to snap.

Only thirty or forty zombies remained, surrounding the red-robed man. As he raised his skeletal hands and began to chant, the zombies gathered closer, some climbing onto their companions' shoulders to form a wall of flesh around him for protection.

The elves on the ground suddenly increased their attack speed, raining down magic and arrows on the red-robed man, but all were blocked by the zombies' bodies, decaying flesh flying everywhere.

"I summon you in the name of darkness and destruction..." The red-robed man continued to chant, shielded by the zombies, as a vague giant shadow began to condense in the air.

The vines were still tightly coiling around Asa's waist, seeming to tighten even more. Asa began to panic. He didn't know what spell the red-robed man was casting, but he understood that the speed of spellcasting is inversely proportional to the caster's level and magical strength. Since even the red-robed man needed to chant slowly to cast, it definitely wasn't a simple fire spell to burn down the tree beings. And the very tree being he was atop was still making its way toward the source of the incantation.

"Please, reveal your power in this world." The red-robed man's chanting ceased. The shadow gradually became clear in the air, revealing a massive lizard-like body covered in green scales, with a pair of enormous wings on its back. It was the illusion of a green dragon.

This was just an illusion; the immense body did not obstruct the tree beings' assault. The tree beings continued to swing their limbs beneath the illusion, and the number of zombies diminished rapidly. But when the illusory dragon raised its neck, inhaling, the surrounding air was suddenly drawn towards what should have been the void, turbulent winds even stirring the wood chips on the ground.

Asa shot a fireball at the vines around his waist, straining through the pain to free himself. On the ground, the elves had completely ceased their assault, gathering together to create a dome of white light. The unicorns began to scatter in all directions.

With a loud bang, the fireball exploded around Asa, finally severing the vines. However, he was startled to find something strange.

The tree being's determined advance had brought him directly beneath the dragon's mouth; he could even feel the concentrated air swirling within it, intertwined with overwhelming magical power. There was no time to escape, he decided to take a gamble.

The dragon's head reached its peak, its inhalation halting, and the airflow in the air settled. The once tumultuous battlefield suddenly returned to the forest's original tranquility, with almost all sounds ceasing, leaving only the tree beings silently striking at the zombies that were still forming a wall for the red-robed man, producing lonely pinging sounds that amplified the ominous atmosphere.

Suddenly, the dragon jerked its head around in a rather casual manner, and a dead-green flame, reminiscent of the decay of corpses, erupted from its mouth like a flood unleashed after hundreds of years.

In an instant, everything was engulfed in this surging sea of green fire. The towering tree beings, upon contact with the magical flames, disintegrated as if wax had been doused with molten iron, disappearing in an instant, seemingly leaving no trace behind.

The dragon twisted its body, its neck swaying as the dark green waves spread recklessly in all directions, consuming everything it touched, even the sound itself. The world was left with only the roar of flames erupting from the dragon's mouth.

It felt as if a century passed before the emerald flames ceased to spew from the dragon's maw. The illusion of the dragon let out a low moan, as if exhausted. The shadow gradually faded away, dissipating slowly in the air, just as it had formed. The green flames also receded with the dragon's disappearance.

Everything vanished—zombies, tree beings, elves, unicorns, even the towering ancient trees, rocks, and the grass on the ground—all without leaving a trace that they ever existed. A blackened expanse stretched for hundreds of meters around, completely barren.

Standing in the center of this scorched earth, the red-robed man gasped as if struggling against a curse, his magical energy nearly depleted. But all obstacles had been eliminated. He gazed ahead.

Yet, not far in front of him, the spring still glimmered with its crystal-clear water. The leaves remained vibrantly green, and the girl continued to stand there, quietly bowing her head with her eyes closed. This scene appeared entirely unaffected by the chaotic events surrounding it, standing in solitary beauty on this desolate land. Remarkably, the destructive magic had left this place unscathed.

However, the red-robed man was not surprised; it seemed to be an anticipated outcome. He smiled triumphantly, as if hundreds of dying wolves were collectively howling in joy.

Suddenly, the spring began to shimmer with a golden light. The red-robed man looked up at the sky; the solar eclipse was nearing its end, and the sun was gradually restoring its brilliant radiance.

He walked toward the spring. He had won; his goal lay before him. He would seize the beautiful body within and drain its essence, just as he had dealt with a mere human.

Suddenly, the scorched earth stirred, and a figure sprang up from it, snatching a unicorn's horn from the ground and charging toward the red-robed man.