Chapter 761: Soul Cocoon of the Sacred Tree
Beyond CrossBellwood Grove, they had officially entered the domain of the Spirit Saint Tree—the sacred heart of Serrynia.
The colossal tree stood hundreds of meters tall, its root system vast and deeply entwined, sprawling across dozens of kilometers. It drew power from every corner of the Elvenwood Forest, sustaining the entire ecosystem.
Every Silver Moon Elf, upon death, was buried beside the roots of the Sacred Tree, their mortal flesh returned to nature—becoming part of the endless cycle of life force rebirth.
Ria walked ahead, her gaze fixed on the distant horizon. Her voice was low and grave. “Your Majesty, the Sacred Tree Barrier lies ahead.”
Before the Allied Forces, a translucent, shimmering membrane materialized, pulsing with intense magical energy. The Sacred Tree Barrier, radiating outward for several miles from the central tree, was a magical shield designed to repel foreign enemies. It warped space, blocking unauthorized intruders.
Those who tried to force their way through would be trapped in an endless loop of illusions—only those with Elven bloodline could pass unharmed.
“We go forward,” Catherine said, nodding. She extended her Scepter into the air. Silver light erupted from its tip, spreading outward. The luminous screen dissolved instantly, parting like a curtain.
The dense roots of the Sacred Tree visibly recoiled to either side, making way for a broad path—almost as if the tree itself were welcoming the return of its queen.
But then, the ground trembled.
The roots burst through the soil like whips, lashing toward Catherine with terrifying speed.
“Your Majesty, watch out!” Ria stepped forward in a flash, drawing her Silver Sword to intercept.
A flurry of dazzling light flashed through the air. The roots were severed cleanly, their severed ends gushing crimson blood—thick, viscous, as if they were living limbs.
The severed branches writhed violently, twisting and convulsing like a severed serpent, spraying blood across the earth.
“Are those… the roots of the Sacred Tree?”
“Mother God above…”
“How is this possible? The Sacred Tree is the purest, most sacred force in existence—it’s supposed to be benevolent! Why would it attack us?”
The Silver Moon Elves gasped in shock, voices rising in disbelief.
The Spirit Saint Tree was the cradle of Serrynia, their holiest sanctuary. How could such a thing—such a horror—exist here?
Catherine remained calm. Ignoring her guards’ protests, she stepped forward and examined the wounds, murmuring, “These roots have been corrupted. Polluted by chaos, by evil. I never thought they’d dare defile even the Sacred Tree.”
Ria’s brow furrowed, her expression grim. “If even the outer root zones are tainted… the corruption in the Spirit Vein Core must be far worse.” She turned to Catherine, her tone urgent. “Your Majesty, the path ahead is too dangerous. Please remain here. I’ll lead an elite detachment forward to scout ahead—clear the way for you. Once safety is confirmed—”
“No, Ria,” Catherine refused, her voice firm. “I will go with you. No matter what lies ahead, I will not cower in fear.”
“I was born beneath the Crown of Heaven. I was baptized in the Sacred Tree Spring. The blood of the King of Serrynia flows in my veins. Guarding this sacred site is my life’s duty—I will give my life force for it.”
“Catherine, Your Majesty!”
“I will follow you to the royal court! I will save the Sacred Tree!”
Tears welled in the eyes of the Silver Moon Elves, their hearts shattered by grief and fury.
At that moment, the Ancient Gold Dragon Titus stepped forward, standing beside the Elven Queen. His voice rang out, clear and commanding.
“Catherine, Your Majesty, you are not alone.”
“Human, Dwarf, Angel, Metal Dragon race—every being who seeks justice and goodness stands behind you. Together, we form a power that is mighty, unbreakable.”
The Gold Dragon raised his head. His gill whiskers fluttered in the breeze, and his massive wings unfurled with a thunderous whoosh, catching the sunlight and blazing with a metallic radiance.
“Long live justice!”
The cry echoed across the field. Soldiers of every race roared in unison, their spirits soaring. Morale surged.
“Thank you, Titus, Lord,” Catherine said, bowing slightly. The strength in her heart grew.
The Ancient Gold Dragon smiled—a warm, wise expression. “Ria General has spoken of you often. She told me you were a monarch of great vision and compassion. Now I see she was right. You have not disappointed me.”
“I will stand by you, without reserve, until Serrynia casts away darkness and returns to the light.”
Nearby, a Half-Elf Holy Knight bowed deeply, his face filled with gratitude.
Even Ria was stunned. She hadn’t expected the Ancient Gold Dragon to go this far—bringing not just himself, but a full relief force.
Above, Gold Dragons and Angels soared through the sky. On the ground, a vast army of Elves, Dwarves, and Humans marched in formation along the path Catherine had carved through the roots, advancing toward the heart of the Sacred Tree.
In the distance, the Sacred Tree appeared hazy, its surface veiled in a shimmering, patchy glow.
Then, the Elf Scout in front gave a sharp cry. “Look! Something’s hanging from the Sacred Tree!”
All eyes turned.
Silhouettes dangled from the branches—hundreds of them—swaying like puppets on invisible threads.
“What in the name of the gods… is that?” Catherine frowned, unease creeping into her chest.
Ria’s instincts flared. She caught a faint, metallic scent in the air—blood. Thin, sharp, unmistakable. And it came from the tree.
From the City of All Arts, mages raised their staves, chanting. A clear, vivid magical image bloomed before them.
Cocoons.
Each silhouette was a giant cocoon, wrapped in thick spider silk. Thousands of them—dense, hanging like fruit from a cursed tree.
And they were all torn open.
Drenched in blood.
Inside each, a corpse—still dressed in the robes of a Silver Moon Elf.
Their deaths were horrific. Faces twisted in agony, mouths torn open as if ripped apart. Tiny, blood-stained spiders writhed from their bodies, crawling across the ground.
A collective gasp tore through the ranks. Even Ria, hardened by war, paled. Her pupils contracted.
“Gods above!”
“Shahanini, protect us!”
“Who could do such a thing? In this sacred place—this massacre?”
“I know him… He was my friend. He was murdered like this!”
The Silver Moon Elves were overwhelmed—grief and rage boiling over. Some retched.
To them, the Sacred Tree was the birthplace of life, a sanctuary, a dream.
They could not reconcile it with this scene of slaughter.
Even the Ancient Gold Dragon lowered his head, mourning the fallen. “This is beyond cruelty. Even Tiamat, the Mother of Monsters, would never commit such a crime against a Metal Dragon.”
“Your Majesty,” he said, voice heavy, “your enemy is more monstrous than I feared. Without mercy. Without limits.”
Catherine staggered, clutching her chest. Pain flared—her people, so brutally slain.
But then her eyes hardened. Her gaze sharpened.
“Those who did this… will pay. In full.”
“Wait—look! The tree’s surface!”
A sharp-eyed Human Hunter, his eyes like a falcon’s, pointed.
The bark of the Sacred Tree shimmered—rippling like disturbed water.
Closer inspection revealed the truth:
A sea of spiders.
Countless, countless spiders.
They covered the entire trunk, their countless red compound eyes glowing with unnatural light. The sight sent chills down every spine.
“Spiders!”
“Gods… how revolting!”
The Elves recoiled. Even the bravest Dwarves wrinkled their noses in disgust, their faces twisted with revulsion.
Catherine’s voice cut through the chaos. “They’re sacrifices.”
“The elders offered our people as tribute. They sacrificed them to a Dark Abyss Demon—summoning these abominations.”
At that moment, Ria’s senses flared. “Your Majesty—earth is trembling.”
From the cracks in the tangle of roots, a dark tide began to rise.
Then, with a subtle shake of the ground, the “tide” spread—visible to the naked eye. It swallowed the sunlight, covered the exposed roots, blotting out the sky.
It wasn’t water.
It was spiders.
An endless, writhing wave of them—forming a storm of living darkness.
It surged toward the Allied Forces, a devouring tide meant to consume them all.
Catherine raised her Scepter. “Attack! Do not fear! They’re just fragile insects!”
Silver light erupted from her staff—thousands of beams, like divine punishment—crashing into the swarm. Instantly, the spiders turned to black smoke.
“Attack!”
The Silver Moon Elves loosed their arrows—fire-oil coated, blazing like meteors—piercing through the horde, setting them ablaze.
Arcane Hermitage mages raised their staves. Crystals at their tips flared. A massive column of solar flame roared from the ground, scorching everything in its path.
“Solar Flame Burst!”
The flame swept across the earth—spiders turned to ash.
Another mage summoned thick, storm-laden clouds. Thunder cracked across the sky. Lightning struck again and again—crackling, exploding—leaving only smoldering remains and electric arcs.
“Filthy monsters! Witness the rage of justice!”
The Ancient Gold Dragon roared. He launched into the air, wings flaring like a storm. He dove with the force of a hurricane, fire gathering in his throat—
Boom!
A shockwave erupted. A sea of blazing flames erupted into the sky, turning the heavens red.
The spiders were incinerated—burned to nothing.
Flames soared high, casting a golden glow across the battlefield.
The soldiers stared in awe.
“No wonder he’s the Wings of Dawn! No wonder he’s an Ancient Gold Dragon! These revolting pests are nothing before him!”
But Ria remained at Catherine’s side, unmoving, her eyes locked on the Sacred Tree.
“Your Majesty, these spiders are numerous—but easy to defeat. They’re just a distraction. A trap to blind our vision.”
Suddenly—dozens of animated roots burst from the soil, surging toward Catherine like serpents.
“Quick! Guard Your Majesty!”
A group of Silver Moon followers stepped forward, shields raised, forming a wall.
Ria swung her sword. A blade of silver light, dozens of meters long, sliced through the air—severing the roots cleanly, their cuts unnaturally precise.
“Beware!”
A sharp whistle—poisonous spines shot through the air, aimed at the Half-Elf Holy Knight.
Ria spun, her sword flashing. Light clattered against metal. The spines shattered midair.
She turned toward the source.
A Human-Spider hybrid emerged from the swarm—long, spindly legs covered in bristly hairs. Its face was cracked, split, yet it wore a grotesque, twisted smile. Red compound eyes gleamed.
Ria’s breath caught.
Her pupils dilated.
“…Ophion Hayes?”
The third squad leader of the Sanctum’s Sword. The man who had trained her.
The man she once revered.
Now… a monster.
The half-spider leapt—its clawed leg spearing through two Silver Moon Elves in an instant. It spat venom—dwarven armor melted away in seconds, flesh liquefying, skull collapsing into pus.
“Damned abomination!”
Ria lunged forward, a streak of silver.
The creature laughed—a hollow, chilling sound—as its tail stinger shot out like a spear.
But Ria twisted mid-air, dodging with impossible grace.
The creature attacked again—rapid, relentless, limbs slashing like a master swordsman. Every strike aimed for the vital organs.
Yet Ria remained calm. Her Silver Sword danced through the air, deflecting, parrying—then, with a single motion, she severed the creature’s arm.
She raised her sword.
“Divine Supremacy Slash!”
A blade of sacred light, radiant and immense, cut through the air.
Shhhhh—
The half-spider was cleaved in two—elf torso and spider lower body separated. Its grotesque smile froze in place—unnatural, haunting.
“R… Ria…”
The creature’s mouth moved. A voice, hoarse and broken, from deep within.
Ophion Hayes—her mentor, her teacher.
Now a monster, slaughtering her comrades with cruel precision.
In those black eyes, Ria saw—just for a moment—a flicker of pain. Of struggle. Of rage.
She whispered, “Rest in peace. You should not exist in this world… like this.”
With a final, clean stroke, she severed the creature’s head.
The head tumbled to the ground. Eyes wide open.
Tears, thin and silver, traced the edges of its face.
(End of Chapter)
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