Chapter 61: cunning and strange

His anger received no response.

His strongest martial skill was like a child’s play before the Sacred Tree.

Not only did it fail to leave even a white scratch on the tree’s bark, but it also drew the attention of the Council of Elders.

Seeing Anaris actually harming the Sacred Tree, they immediately moved to subdue him, who was blinded by rage, restricted all the Douqi in his body, and imprisoned him in the most terrifying dungeon of the City of Emerald Shadows.

It was located in the deepest part of the City of Emerald Shadows, the only ancient Elven structure that had not been buried underground after the Sacred Tree’s descent.

Anaris had been here before.

He discovered that a springhead of the Sacred Spring existed here, surmising that its power was precisely what maintained this space.

But adhering to the principle of ‘use it or lose it,’ Anaris had this place transformed into the City of Emerald Shadows’ secret prison, specifically for detaining those who had committed grave offenses.

But he never imagined that the first person imprisoned here would be himself.

Drip… drip……

Due to its proximity to the springhead, the Water Element here was extremely dense.

It felt like stepping into a puddle with almost every step.

Footsteps stopped before him.

Anaris looked up to find that the visitor was none other than his twin sister, the Chief Elder of the Council, the Dark Elf, Ashlyn.

A flicker of hope ignited in his eyes, but it was extinguished the moment he clearly saw the sword she held in her arms.

“Are you here to kill me? Ashlyn.”

He let out a self-deprecating laugh.

If Ashlyn were to be the one to take his life in the end, perhaps that would be a form of happiness for him.

“No, I just want to know why you did this.”

Ashlyn stood before him.

Looking at her calm face, Anaris suddenly felt that it was not yet time for despair.

He gripped the iron bars with a clang, almost roaring as he told her the truth.

“Ashlyn, all the Elves are being turned into puppets by the Sacred Tree. It might have been the deity that saved the Elves before, but now, it is undoubtedly the greatest terror to the entire Elf race!”

“We must destroy it! Otherwise, the entire Elf race will become a group of puppets without self-awareness!”

Ashlyn quietly watched his fury.

Not a trace of emotion stained those pitch-black eyes of hers.

Being gazed upon by those eyes, a sliver of fear welled up in Anaris’s heart.

‘Could it be that even Ashlyn has fallen under the Sacred Tree’s influence? Then who else can I turn to for help?’

“Why must you do this? Anaris.”

Ashlyn suddenly spoke, her clear, crisp voice pulling Anaris’s attention back.

She crouched down, her gaze level with Anaris, who had lost his power and was sitting on the ground.

“What’s so bad about becoming puppets? It was Mother who saved them from the brink of extinction. Isn’t it only fair that, in return, Mother draws upon their emotions?”

“At the very least, they are still alive, aren’t they?”

“Losing oneself is worse than death!”

Anaris refuted resolutely.

At the same time, his heart settled.

Since she could still say such things, it meant Ashlyn wasn’t controlled by the Sacred Tree.

It was just that her emotional attachment to the Elf race was far, far less than his own.

“I don’t understand, Anaris.”

Ashlyn stated her thoughts plainly.

“We are both Mother’s children. Compared to these natives, we should side with Mother more.”

“But they are my people, and I am their king. As the Elven King, I have a duty to protect them. No matter who my enemy is.”

Anaris’s will remained firm.

He had only followed the Sacred Tree’s commands during the years the War of Divine Fire lasted.

Ever since the war ended, no matter how he reported to the Sacred Tree, it had never responded.

If forced to choose between the Sacred Tree and the Elf race, he would undoubtedly choose the Elf race he had personally cared for over two hundred and thirty-seven years.

“I am not a king, so I cannot understand the responsibility you speak of.”

“But I support you, Anaris.”

Ashlyn placed her hand over his heart.

Ignoring his stunned expression, she spoke softly.

“We are incomplete twins. From the moment of our birth, our souls have yearned for the missing other half.”

“Just as where there is light, there must surely be shadow.”

“But if you wish to oppose Mother, relying on an incomplete soul is not enough.”

“I will not betray Mother, so I will inevitably become your enemy.”

“But I do not wish to fight you. Whenever I think of becoming your enemy, my heart aches terribly, so terribly it almost takes my breath away.”

“Ashlyn…”

Anaris understood what she wanted to say and was about to speak when a pale finger was placed upon his lips.

“Let me finish, Anaris.”

Ashlyn revealed a smile.

It was the first time Anaris had ever seen her smile.

So gentle, so captivating.

“I will be your first enemy, and I will also become the missing other part of your soul.”

“Now, you only need to thrust your hand into my chest, and your soul will be made whole. Only then will you truly attain the divine status. And only then will you have a chance to harm Mother.”

“Come, just push forward like this. Just once, your greatest enemy will depart, and you will become the strongest in this world.”

Ashlyn noticed Anaris’s hand was trembling.

Just as she cared for him, he cared for her deeply too.

Thinking of this, Ashlyn suddenly felt a sweet sensation in her chest.

She knew this emotion was called joy.

Joy, ah, what a wonderful emotion.

If possible, she would love to immerse herself in it forever.

Ashlyn’s gaze grew distant for a moment, then suddenly softened again.

‘But if one becomes a puppet, they cannot possess joy, right?’

Therefore, she had to give Anaris a push.

She slightly parted her lips and coldly uttered a sentence.

“Let me see your resolve to save your people, Your Majesty the Elven King.”

!!!

Anaris’s eyes were filled with pain and struggle.

But upon hearing these words, his body shuddered violently.

When he looked at Ashlyn again, only determination remained in those eyes.

‘I’m sorry.’

His hand shot forward like a blade, piercing through the beating heart with ease.

‘It’s alright. I’m happy. In death, what I see is still a resolute you.’

Ashlyn closed her eyes in contentment.

Her lifeless body slumped powerlessly into Anaris’s arms.

He wanted to hold her tight, but the moment their bodies touched through the prison bars, Ashlyn’s form suddenly dissolved into countless black points of light, merging into his body.

Kekeke!

It seemed someone was cackling weirdly in the shadows, watching all of this.

When all the black points of light had merged into his body, Anaris felt a sense of solidity he had never experienced before.

The incomplete soul was finally made whole.

The sacrifice of the twin propelled the other onto the throne known as godhood.

He had become stronger.

Anaris clenched his fist.

He could feel within his body not only Douqi more potent than before but also a force of Mana that matched it in strength.

That was Ashlyn’s Mana.

Anaris had no time for grief.

He tore open the iron cage that held him, picked up the sword scattered on the ground, and walked step by step back to the surface.

Now, it was time to rid the people of a scourge.

And the enemies he had to face were his brothers, the first to have received the Sacred Tree’s blessings, those who had lived and died together in the War of Divine Fire.

“Anaris! Do not persist in your delusion any longer! It was the Sacred Tree that gave us everything! It was the Sacred Tree that saved the Elf race! By doing this, you will become the greatest enemy of the entire Elf race!”

“That’s Ashlyn’s ritual sword! You killed Ashlyn! You heartless monster!!!”

‘The truly heartless ones are you.’

When Anaris looked into the eyes of his former comrades-in-arms and saw only endless emptiness within them, his very heart trembled.

‘He had been too slow. If only he had discovered the truth about the Sacred Tree earlier, perhaps these brothers could have become his comrades once more.’

But now…

‘I’m sorry, my brothers. Once I deal with the source of this calamity, the tree, I will personally descend into hell to face your judgment!’

With a great roar, Anaris charged forward, sword in hand.

His strength was now extraordinary.

Having attained divinity, he could clearly see all the elements in the environment actively converging towards him.

No incantations were needed, no guidance required.

With just a thought, the elements in the air would spontaneously assemble into the spell formations in his mind.

He only needed to input Mana, and one magic after another would form under his palm.

This slaughter lasted for seven days and seven nights.

Blood nearly soaked the entire palace grounds.

Elves not yet fully controlled hid in their rooms, trembling.

They did not understand why their king had raised his blade to massacre, but each feared they would be the next soul to fall under Anaris’s sword.

It was the longest week since the founding of the City of Emerald Shadows.

Later, the Elves would call it “The Crimson Emerald Shadows.”

Thud!

After driving his sword into the heart of the last brother, Anaris’s body swayed, nearly collapsing to the ground right then and there.

Every Elder possessed at least Eighth Rank strength.

Each was a great hero who had achieved remarkable feats in the War of Divine Fire.

Therefore, they absolutely could not be allowed to become puppets of some entity.

“Tha…nk… you.”

In the final moment before life faded, clarity finally returned to his eyes.

Struggling, he looked at Anaris.

The gratitude in his mouth had not yet fully formed before he completely lost his vitality.

Anaris had witnessed this scene countless times over these seven days.

His heart was no longer moved by it.

He coldly pulled the sword from the chest, lifted the still-dripping blade, and marched towards the Holy Ground of the Elf race.

Finally, it was the end.

He just needed to cut down the Sacred Tree, and the terror hanging over all Elves would vanish.

Anaris’s body, nearly crushed by exhaustion, now seemed filled with renewed drive.

He quickened his pace, forward!

Forward!

Forward again!

In the end, he charged into the Holy Ground at a run.

Even though its entrance was piled high with blood and corpses, this place remained serene and beautiful.

Anaris could even smell a sweet fragrance in the air.

A breeze blew from the direction of the Sacred Tree, carrying cloying joy, washing away the violent aura from his body, like a mother gently soothing an injured child with her hand.

‘If it could always be like this, perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad…’

“Kekeke!!!”

!!!

A strange cackle suddenly jolted Anaris awake.

He shuddered violently, realizing he had nearly fallen under the Sacred Tree’s control just moments before.

A pair of emerald-green eyes glared furiously at the great tree at the center of the Holy Ground.

At that moment, he suddenly noticed a crow perched on a branch of the Sacred Tree.

He focused his gaze and was shocked to discover that the crow’s feathers were covered in spider eyes!

This was definitely no benevolent creature!!!

Goosebumps rose on Anaris’s skin.

Gripping his sword tightly, he demanded sharply.

“Who are you!”

“Who I am is not important. What matters is what you are about to do.”

The strange bird placed one wing over its chest, like a human gentleman bowing.

But when it spoke, its voice was layered, as if many people were speaking simultaneously.

Anaris gritted his teeth.

He was almost certain that what stood before him, like the Sacred Tree, was an evil god from beyond this world.

‘Is it here to help the Sacred Tree? Are my opponents this time two evil gods?’

Anaris tightened his grip on the sword.

Having come this far, he absolutely could not retreat a single step.

Noticing his fighting spirit, the strange bird suddenly revealed a human-like smile.

“Please do not regard me with such hostility. Although I am indeed the safety measure they left within your bodies, I have a fondness for betrayal. So, for now, I am actually your friend.”

Friend?

Anaris would not believe a single word from the mouths of these evil gods.

He scoffed, pointing the tip of his sword at the strange bird perched on the tree, and laughed.

“A friend who won’t even reveal their name?”

“It seems you are truly concerned about my name. Very well, seeing as we are friends for now, I shall tell you my name.”

The strange bird bowed at the waist with a wing over its chest, introducing itself elegantly.

“Xin Liezhi, that is my name. Of course, I would prefer you address me by my other name—”

“Tzeentch.”