Chapter 606 - Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint

Even as priests, they were barbarians seeking power from an unstructured and primitive faith. They could not compare to the Witch of the Night, who once terrified the jungles. The invading priests succumbed to the illusions created by the Witch of the Night and fell into an eternal sleep. The time they managed to steal from Walpurgis amounted to a mere few minutes. "Such a waste of time when I'm so busy. They must have attacked knowing the situation." There was no more time to waste. Even cleaning up this mess would be a waste. Walpurgis summoned her familiar. She intended to call another witch to clear them out and continue monitoring the situation above. Walpurgis called upon her bats to check the situation above. "Hmm?" There was no response. She had definitely left her familiar, the bats, there. All of them were simultaneously silent as if by some unseen agreement. Apparently, her familiars had been incapacitated while she was focused on the battle. If they had been killed, Walpurgis would've noticed. Whoever attacked the familiars only incapacitated them. "Was it a distraction? These aren't the kind to be ordered by someone..." Walpurgis hurriedly moved with a hint of frustration on her face. *** In the dense, leafy jungle, a beast charged. A predator leapt from the bushes with a roar. Nenyaf dodged the sharp claws aimed at his head and swung his sacred sword in return. A flash of light. Divine power grew like a reverse bolt of lightning. The green leaves briefly turned white in the afterglow. A moment later, in the place where the glaring light disappeared, a leopard with a spiritless expression tucked its tail and fled. "Birth is a blessing a couple bestows upon the future. It is also the power they hold. When more gather, more can be accomplished, and thus the birth of one is a celebration for the whole tribe. Because one is precious, couples and families must be protected." Behind Nenyaf, two large snakes exposed their sharp teeth. Yet, without even a glance, Nenyaf scattered holy light with his sword. Thousands of strands of light exploded, causing the snakes to writhe. "The power of birth is the fair strength distributed to all humans. Thanks to that strength, rulers cherish everyone. They must value one for the sake of the nation, for that leads to gaining more people, more power." Light rampaged like a storm. Nenyaf’s sword was a blessing to trees but a disaster to beasts. Creatures that used light as an instinct, not a nourishment, couldn’t understand this excessive divine blessing. Facing the Great Witch from across the jungle, Nenyaf spoke. "But Muhu sought to monopolize that power of birth. To fill this land only with beastfolk loved by him by driving out all humans. To become the King of Beastfolk who manages birth and death, or rather, a god." She knew. Nenyaf’s words echoed the path the Great Witch had once pondered. "Such a nation would neither flourish nor should it ever. Or all humans on this land would be born from trees in the future. Created through unspeakable acts as mere mental fetuses trapped in matured bodies within fleshly fruits... a child of sin!" The Great Witch yelled breathlessly. "I know! I know that!" As the creator of the fleshly fruits, the Great Witch realized the genius and devilish inspiration of her mother and felt responsible. Thus, she sought help, inside and out. She hadn’t planned for a coup but suspected it might come to that. “What are you trying to say, then? That you had no choice? That I should understand and let it go? Because you’re right, and I should give up my stubbornness to cooperate with you?” “Yes, that is correct.” “What?” To the Great Witch, Nenyaf was her mother’s enemy and a traitor. Yet here he was, shamelessly asking for cooperation. But Nenyaf spoke with calm unflinching resolve. “The Archdruid grew the Tree of Betrayal like none other, atop which she studies humans. She seeks a way to grant consciousness to humans using the fruits of humans she creates.” Nevada is experimenting with witchcraft on humans crafted from fleshly fruits, looking for a way to awaken the King of Humans. The human fruits that once burned nations still remain on the foundational tree. Nenyaf pointed this out. “If the Tree of Betrayal grows to the extent that it bears the King of Humans, that world will come.” “That world?” “A world where perfect humans are born from the trees.” Even the Great Witch, blinded by hatred, hesitated. She understood what Nenyaf was implying. The produce that grows from the Tree of Betrayal lacks souls. They live and perish as mere flesh, never seeing, never hearing. The same applies to both flora and fauna. Muhu Agartha also needed to breed humans inside the flesh fruits to mass-produce beastfolk. But what if that restriction vanished? “The King of Humans, connected to the demonic god, if reborn with full power, would make the Tree of Betrayal render humanity meaningless... It would be an attack on the very species of humans.” The Great Witch envisioned the scene in her mind. A world where no one is born from their mother's womb. A world where beings mature inside fruits and step fully formed onto the earth. It's not impossible. Tyrkanzyaka just recently awakened as a Blood God. If the King of Humans also wielded the power of the demonic god, creating humans like a creator would be possible. “That’s why you’re here this time.” Nenyaf nodded. The Great Witch let out a dry laugh. “You don’t consider people’s feelings at all. You only see right and wrong.” “Right and wrong are indeed the most crucial things.” The Great Witch had once thought that way too. Which was why she had reported her mother’s plans to a revered druid, believing it to be the right action—a child’s naive sense of righteousness. The outcome was a kingdom reduced to ashes. It was a consequence too heavy for a child to bear, and the Great Witch placed the responsibility on the druids and harbored intense hatred for them. The Great Witch clenched her fists so tightly it seemed her bones might shatter. "If it was such an important issue, why didn't the King of Humans follow you? Why did he return of his own accord to the root tree?" "That is because, despite being a king, he is still a beast and thus barbaric…." "No. He understood. He knew Nevda had no interest in any of that." The Great Witch, too, understood what was right and wrong. She comprehended the claims of the others with her sharp intellect. But she never wanted to follow their words. She would rather follow someone else than them. "Nevda isn't interested in what you talk about. Nevda's sole interest is reclaiming the king she lost ages ago. For that, utilizing the flesh fruits is something she might do." Whether it's right or wrong doesn't really matter. Nevda is the Great Witch's mentor, and her longing to see the dead king again is a reason that can be fully empathized with. Because of her past traumas related to the flesh fruits, she couldn't assist in that research, but she also never thought of hindering it. The Great Witch quietly supported Nevda from afar. …Unlike the atrocities committed by Muhu, this endeavor was something she could encourage. "But to you, that hardly matters, does it? You set the sacred tree on fire and killed my mother. That, which was never desired." "…Muhu wouldn't have yielded to external pressure. If a druid had come, she would've enchanted them and pushed on. The only way to stop her would have been to attack before getting enchanted." Nenyaf's words were sincere. The Great Witch also knew how arrogant and imperious her mother was. For Agartha, loved by everyone, it was near impossible to concede, and yet she did it wearing a mask of composure. But the bitterness pressed heavily on her. Losing it too soon didn't allow any potential possibility to be denied. The Great Witch spoke as if vomiting out her words. "We'll never know if that would have been the case. You killed her before we could find out." The Great Witch bit down on all ten of her fingers, shaking off her inner hesitation. From the ends of her fingers, a vigorous flow of blood surged, entwining and crushing the surrounding trees, growing into a towering red tree. A sinister red tree that pulsed like a living being, with blood instead of sap. Huge fruits bloomed on its pulsating branches, looking ripe and ready to burst, scattering its crimson flesh like a pomegranate. "Blood in exchange for life, life in sacrifice for blood. Let the circle of blood form the knot of the beast." However, when the fruit split open and its inside revealed, what emerged was a beast with all its veins exposed. Born without fur or skin, the bloodied creature howled in agony. The Great Witch dealt in beasts. As someone who inherited the blood from the Founder, she could manifest countless flesh fruits with her abundant vitality. In just thirty seconds, hundreds of newly spawned familiars roamed the earth. Nenyaf, facing the bloodied beasts that filled the surroundings, gripped his sacred sword more tightly. "You’ve made your decision." "It was you who decided. I’m merely caught in the middle." The Great Witch extended her hand with eyes cold and calm, and the hundreds of frenzied familiars charged en masse at Nenyaf. *** And at that moment, when the Great Witch, Blanca, and Walpurgis each left their stations for their own reasons. The druids had infiltrated the highest layer of the root tree. Walpurgis was overseeing the water pipes, and Blanca, along with the Baskerville family, guarded the trunks. The Great Witch had been drawn far off in pursuit of Nenyaf. While everyone’s attention was turned below, the druids chose to ‘descend’ as their method. Falling leaves obscured everyone’s vision, concealing the druids falling from above. Riding tamed owls, they soared high and, seizing the moment of distraction, successfully infiltrated the magistrate layer. The druids, landing with feathered wings, sped through the corridors of the magistrate layer. Witches appeared upon hearing the noise of their footsteps and shouted upon seeing the intruders. “Intruders!” “Caw! Caw! Caw! Sound the alarm!” The druid quickly glanced at his companion. "Brother, can you move the Tree of Betrayal?" "Impossible. This tree is the very power of the Archdruid. It’s beyond our strength." "Darn it, we’re at a loss." “Do not worry. While we cannot control the tree itself, the many weeds and trees grown from it are still our allies!” Exclaiming, the druid launched a small seed with a slingshot. The seeds implanted all over the tree absorbed the energy of the World Tree and grew into massive thickets. The witches trapped in the thickets screamed. “Above the violet, right of the chrysanthemum, below the mistletoe! Minions are hiding!” “Handle the familiars first but don’t kill them! Witches sensing the disturbance will all come!” “I’ll throw the paralyzing powder!” The druids, united in their mission, worked in perfect coordination. Through precise cooperation, they subdued the witches and incapacitated the familiars, advancing at full speed towards the King of Humans. They didn't know the path or structure, but it didn’t matter. “It’s a strange feeling. This may be our first time reaching here…” “It feels like someone is lighting the way for us.” “It must be the remnants of the blessed Ginkgo tree protecting us.” Choosing the correct turns without hesitation, the druids were enveloped in a bizarre sense of elation and reached the chamber where the King of Humans slept. “This is it…!” When the druid instinctively realized that this was the destination and was about to rush in. “Oh. Are you here to see the King of Humans too? You must be qualified if you’ve come this far.” A peculiar figure blocked their way. No, saying ‘blocked’ is slightly incorrect. For this figure was also approaching the King of Humans, much like the druids. “Please wait. I’ve awaited a private audience with the King of Humans for over twenty years. And I got here first. I expect you to respect the order.” Despite the presence of intruders, the peculiar figure remained unfazed. Even the previously confident druids hesitated momentarily at his presence. Wearing a sleek coat and a sophisticated monocle uncommon in the jungle, this peculiar figure—a large cloak adorned with thousands of interlocking gears—made his identity unmistakable as Maximilien. Inside the cloak, the sound of mechanisms working in harmony could be heard repeatedly. If there was someone in this jungle who seemed most out of place, it was undeniably the figure standing before them. “Who is this?” one of the druids asked, recalling information shared earlier. “Isn't he the oddity she mentioned? The mage from beyond the plains, the one who deals with gears.” “A foe, then. Let's deal with him!” The druids quickly assumed formation. The leading druid charged with his skin transformed into ancient bark, while from the rear, dozens of seeds were launched at Maximilien. Aimed more at his surroundings than at him directly, the seeds erupted upon contact with walls and floor, rapidly growing in a lush green explosion. Even as he became enveloped in green, Maximilien remained composed. “I’m not particularly fond of grass and trees. Functional, yes—but lacking compatibility.” With a click, a sharp blade shot out from his coat. The violently spinning blade shredded through the overgrowth within moments, turning it to sawdust. Amidst the scattered leaves, Maximilien murmured to himself. “An individual is completed as an individual. However, the integration with other individuals lacks synergy, unfortunately. It’s difficult for 1+1 to fully equal 2. The more there are, the worse it gets.” “Gasp!” The leading druid transformed his arms into massive logs—a combat adaptation of his power to merge with trees. Setting his feet firmly like roots, he anchored himself and launched his log-like arms like battering rams. “But what about gears? The beauty of gears is that their value shines brighter the more they join together.” Boom! The log slammed into Maximilien, causing his body to sway under the impact, shedding his cloak. And beneath the cloak, his body was revealed. Around a central massive gear, countless smaller gears moved over his entire body like a swarm of ants. “What in the world…?” “Is that truly a human body?” Ignoring their shock, Maximilien continued speaking as if unaffected. “Even the Archdruid, who brushes against the seat of the demonic god, seeks my aid to make simple tools. Intricate clocks or machines for precise measurement, for instance. Combine them, and they evolve into devices that distribute precise amounts at set times. The Archdruid made good use of them, saying they were perfect for administering doses to the King of Humans.” The gears that had been rolling formed into a coherent structure. With a central passageway, the gears spun fiercely, turning into a device that launched a long stake instantly. A real battering ram. In under three seconds, Maximilien finished designing and assembling the device, and then demonstrated it. “If I standardize the world around my gears, it will be a world where anyone can create the device they desire.” Boom! A force incomparable to before swept through the druids.