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Year 156 Continued

Edna stood in the ruined battlegrounds, it was now filled with deep gashes and cuts, most of it from the damage left from the demon king’s numerous beams. We couldn’t even find Faris’s body. The beam had vaporised him, and what’s left was a few trinkets that were not caught in the beams.

“...Life remains so frail.” She knelt and touched the dirt. She saw it first hand, when the beams burned through the air. “So frail before the demon king.”

Faris was Edna’s closest friend. They were peers for over so many years.

“And now...” She touched the ground. The dirt and earth in the entire area was magically charged. It was something I would study later on. The demon king’s magical blast also transferred some of its qualities to the remaining dirt that was not destroyed.

Jura, is a spirit in my soul realm. “So this is what it’s like to see things from your point of view.” Jura though, seemed really relaxed and free. “I have always wondered what it’s like to be a spirit.”

“Do you want to stay in this world, Jura? I’ll find a way.” He had a few months.

Jura shook his head. “I’d like to see what’s beyond that, please. The death promised to all elves who died with their spirit trees. Let me just say goodbye to those who I cared for.”

This meant the original elves. and the Valthorns that he personally trained. Many were in a way his closest friends and family, even if not related by blood.

“We died gloriously, but no big state funerals, please.” Jura said.

“There will be one, for all who died in this war.” I wanted to insist. There were many others who died, and they deserved a proper burial. “It’s the first time anyone has participated in a large-scale battle against the demon king.”

It was a sombre event. Throughout the continent there were many battles, and there were deaths there, too. Thankfully, most rifts were relatively low-risk, with only less than 5 rifts had demon walkers or demon champions. After the destruction of the demon king, we quickly redirected our attention to those demons.

But the lag meant death.

Relatively speaking, it was good for us. The central continent lost about 100,000 people to the demons, most of them when one of those demon champions got close to one of the cities or towns. Low, relative to the huge numbers lost on the eastern continent. Throughout the entire war, about 200,000 was lost. Again, good numbers, good numbers.

Yet the death of Jura, Faris and Lovis felt really personal to me, especially Jura.

“You really want to go?” I’m sure I can figure out something. Perhaps a soul contract or something to keep him here.

Jura just nodded. “I think its’ time. The next generation can take over my place. The young Valthorns, many of them have great potential.”

“No. Please reconsider.”

Jura shook his head. “Aeon, you’ve done so much for me and I am grateful. We’ve fought many battles together, and achieved much. To see Freeka grow to New Freeka, only to lose it, and then rebuild as Freshka has been wonderful. These few decades were incredible. But I’ve died, and I would like a peaceful passing.”

I sighed mentally, but I think he could feel it. “Very well. I will dearly miss your presence by my side.”

“There’s still a few months.”

-

Many of those who died in the conflict actually appeared in my [soul realm]. Some would stay for days, some for months. Often, it’s their own choice. Using a combination of Patreeck’s mental powers and my own [soul realm], we used it to grant special ‘mental audiences’ with the dead.

It’s a special ritual, the priests called it the communion of the passing, for those who remained to say and say so much. Many though, did not want to die.

I felt a little selfish and hypocritical then. I would go to great lengths if I can ‘resurrect’ Jura, but for the rest of them, I wouldn’t. A [soul contract], made before death, would’ve been an easy ‘resurrection’ solution, since I can redeploy them as something else. Yet, I felt for young orphans who’ve grown up and lived almost their entire lives as my swords and shields, to drag them to service again through [soul contract], is exceptionally cruel even for my standards.

They have given me one life as my weapon, and they would return experience, skill seeds and level seeds when they die through the familiars.

For the general populace, it was a sense of relief that the demon king disaster passed by so quickly, in about a day. Perhaps, this was the fastest we’ve ever killed a demon king, because we could predict where the demon king appeared.

If the demon’s intelligence is real, the next time won’t be so easy.

-

Kei was not dead, but the system thinks she is dead. It was incredibly weird.

Her body was entirely a mixture of crystal and vines, like an overgrown laboratory. “This is not what I expected.” She looked like a golem. A crystal golem.

She lost her [hero] class when the blast happened. It stripped her of all her classes and levels, and she was... temporarily level-less. Then, because the healing happened simultaneously as the demon king’s blast stripped her soul of all her soul-bricks, she didn’t actually die even as the loss of all her levels somehow made the system think she died.

“My friends think I’m dead, right?” Kei said.

“Most likely, if they get the notification.”

“Then lets’ keep it that way.”

Ah. Shit. This meant the advantage has just shifted to the heroes again, now that Kei’s lost all her hero powers. They most likely won’t believe that this golem is her either. Shit. Am I going to face the crusades, next?

“How do you feel?” I asked the golem. She shrugged and moved. The first few days after the battle, I thought she was dead. After all, that’s what the notification said, and it had never been wrong before.

The heart kept beating. Pulsing. I thought it was just residual energies that caused it to beat. Then she moved after a few days, and talked. Kei looked around, right now, she was in a resting area within the Valley of the Unrotten. I wasn’t comfortable letting her wander around in Freshka. Not yet, anyway.

“Surprisingly fine, even if this body needs getting used to.” Kei was incredibly nonchalant about the entire transformation. “If anything, I suddenly have a clarity of mind that feels amazing.” Her golem body was mixed with organic elements within, and anyone who laid their eyes on her would immediately say she is an abomination.

“Really.” Consider the implications that the system could be ‘wrong’. What else is wrong, then? Also, the demonic blast was able to strip a person of their soul and levels. If so, could I replicate it to ultimately free the heroes from their traps?

“I’m now a Level 1 [Bio-crystalline Construct], with no classes. Do you think this is just a copy of my soul, and the real me is really dead, or this is really me?”

“There’s no true answer for that, is there?” I could see that she still has a soul, but if most of a soul has been stripped away, is it really still her? It reminded me of the ‘ship of Theseus’ problem.

“Good answer.” Kei laughed mechanically. “I should gain levels. Can you help me?”

“Certainly.” I secretly guided Kei to a patch of the Rottedlands, where she can fight hybrids.

-

Edna had gained levels. She gained 14 levels from the battle, so she is now Level 139 as an [Aeonic Grand Knight]. She is stronger, and yet at the same time, she is cursed.

“Aeon. How do you do it? To watch our friends perish?” She was actually trying to cope with her own loss. Faris and Lovis were her friends, and as fellow Valthorns, they were really close knit. “I’ve lived with certainty that my friends would survive. Drunk on our own immortality...”

When you are a level 100+, and it’s normal to feel like you’d never die.

“I honestly have no good answer for you, Edna. Jura is my most loyal warrior, and he had served at my side since the days when this valley was a village called Freeka. His loss and his presence will be something I keenly feel for decades, perhaps even centuries to come.”

Edna nodded and wept privately. We all lost a friend. “This struggle against the demon king destroyed too many friendships and relationships. When you told us you wanted to stop the cycle, I honestly thought I understood it. But only now do I see and feel the real cost of this struggle.”

“It will be a path paved with the blood and bodies of our friends. Victories all have a price.” I said, despite my own struggles with Jura’s death.

Edna didn’t reply and continued to cry alone. An hour or so later, she responded. “Well... if I stopped now, Faris and Lovis would’ve died for nothing, isn’t it?”

“Indeed.”

Faris, Lovis and Jura’s spirit watched that same conversation. Faris just sighed. “I felt like I died like a chump, though. Just a bad position and the deathray just killed me. How does one even stop such things?”

Lovis nodded. “I think there must be a way to strengthen our body such that we can resist it. At least, we should be able to survive it.”

Jura nodded. “That explosion at the end was extremely disgusting. To think that a demon king almost always self-destructs when it is defeated.” Well, almost all demon kings self-destructed. “We should have prepared with some kind of instant teleportation ability.”

Faris nodded. “Yeah. The next generation of Valthorns must have the ability to perform instant-short range teleportations, and also super-enhanced senses. There are skills that can grant the ability to temporarily supercharge one’s senses and reaction time.”

Strangely the 3 dead spirits were a lot more analytical. Perhaps, now that they are dead, the best way they can contribute is to think about how to prevent their own deaths.

Edna was back to work after resting for two weeks, and then she had a session of ‘mental-communion’ with Faris and Lovis.

-

A part of me felt numb. I’ve always known that as a tree, I would eventually outlive everyone around me. A magical tree that does not decay nor age, but only grows larger and more powerful over time, it is inevitable.

< Did you ever lose those loyal to you, Lilies? >

> Always. One eventually turns detached. Friends eventually become just tools. To lose so many, so often, one learns to draw lines. <

At that moment a human part of me resisted. No. No. I must have courage to constantly make friends and trust them. If I become more like Lilies, eventually the Valthorns will just be numbers on a battlefield. I would be nothing more than a general, safe in one’s nuclear bunker, pressing buttons.

No. I didn’t want to become desensitized to this. I wasn’t prepared to lose what little left of my humanity just to accomplish this goal of stopping the cycle. I am already a murderer and slayer of thousands, enslaver and mind controller. To lose even friendships and trust, that’s just the next level.

Even villains need to have people that they can trust. No. Great villains all have people that they can trust.

> Time, and cycles. < LIlies responded. > Cycles, repeating lives and conversations. <

I paused.

> It hurts too much to see those who have fallen, in those that still lived. < I wonder which one of Lilies’ many minds were talking. This one seemed a little more melancholic. > LIke a widower who sees a woman that looked like a splitting image of their deceased wife. <

I sighed. Maybe Lilies has a point. But I believe I should try. I owe it to those who lived to give them a chance. I can’t just wallow in grief and never move on. No.

I will trust and I will make new friends. Even if I will have to suffer and watch them die eventually, it is only right I continue doing so. A tree survives disasters and storms, and still blooms when spring comes. The scars did not alter its will to live and love.

-

Once the state funerals and about a month had passed, I was finally prepared to revisit the huge wall of notification that I received.

I gained 27 levels and I am now Level 197.

[Due to your excessive contribution in the fight against the demon king as a non-hero, you have been granted a special experience multiplier. You gained 27 Levels. You are now Level 197]

[Jura has bequeathed the skill - Warlord’s Barrage. Skill absorbed into Root Field. Root Fields upgraded to Fields of Death]

[Lovis has bequeathed the skill  - Spear of Destruction. Skill modified and changed to Roots of Destruction]

[Faris has bequeathed the skill - Vine Control. The following skills have been merged. Healing Vines, Constrict, and Absorption to Root & Vine Mastery]

[Level 190 - Domain Skill acquired : Court of the Deitree. Court of the Deitree has a 50 member limit. Possession of the Devoted now merged with Court of the Deitree.]

[Those granted the ‘Court Familiars’ gain abilities similar to those of the Devoted. Court of the Deitree does not require star mana.]

[Those who served never truly die, their abilities are recorded and retained. Jura, Lovis and Faris’s abilities and skills are elevated as Zealots of the Ancestree. Court members function similar to Familiars. You’ve gained the ability [Summon Court]. Court members can be instantly teleported to your location without any mana requirements, with no use limits and restrictions. Skills of those who died with the Court Familiars are absorbed]

[Level 180 - Domain Skill Acquired : Natural Dungeons]

[Grants ability to trigger new dungeons. Each dungeon must be powered by either a leyline or magical formation of equivalent power. Dungeons are not subordinates and are mostly independent, but you have some influence to control their difficulty level and strength. Each dungeon generates rewards and monsters based on the chosen difficulty and strength]

[Active Titan Soul capacity increased to 5]

[Root Strike significantly upgraded. Root Strikes and Super-antidemon root strikes merged and now all automatically have anti-demonic effects]

[Healing abilities significantly upgraded. Vines now can perform instant-healing by touch.]

[Wooden materials significantly upgraded. Strength of all wooden items made significantly upgraded and gained passive skills]

[Giant Attendant Trees defensive abilities and force projection significantly upgraded. Giant Attendant Trees now able to recreate up to 66% of Aeon’s original strength over long distances]

[Familiars significantly upgraded. All familiars gained additional skills and abilities. All familiars are now Greater Familiars.]

[Biolabs and other labs significantly upgraded. All labs now are significantly more attuned to demonic energies and rift-related energies]

[Overall physical defense and magical defense significantly increased. Demonic Curse dispelled]

It was a long one, but ultimately it’s still numb to me. All these abilities were achieved with the death of those close to me. And was it worth it? These abilities enhanced my strength and defenses. The Domain Formations would allow me to make stronger traps, to fight the eventual demon king.

There was something extremely bittersweet of receiving powers like [Court of the Deitree], which would have allowed me to save Jura, Lovis and Faris. It’s like having the ability to close the stable doors after the prized horses have left the stables.

Yet it’s clear that during the battle, Kei’s magical powers did at least 60-70% of the damage. I wonder how much these deity-tier traps can actually contribute, compared to the hero weapons.

Regardless, these small steps all lead me closer to that eventual day.

-

The rest of the Central continent had some reconstruction to do, and privately, our intelligence services indicated most of the other temples were amazed how quickly the demon king was defeated. Yet, despite Kei’s death, there were no concrete plans for a continuation of the crusade. Just rumors and discussions.

I wonder what changed on their end.

Lausanne and Laufen were both most affected by Jura’s death at the battle. They spoke to him too via the mental communion. Arlisa only sparred with Jura a few times, after all, her training was mostly conducted by her mother. To her, Jura was that uncle that seemed to mostly accompany the crazy tree.

Yet, Arlisa too, witnessed the destruction wrought by the demon king. The craters it left behind all still had residual magical energies, and already labs are in full swing, conducting research.

Lausanne tapped her daughter’s head as she guided her through the battlefield. She wanted to see what happened to all the traps and fortresses, and she was greeted by the hellscape.

“The land will heal. Aeon’s powers would soon undo all the wounds of the earth. Which is why you must see it now. When the wounds are fresh and the earth is torn asunder.” Lausanne said. The magical residue was gradually being cleaned up. Beetles hard at work, they dug and carried them back to the labs for studies. “Those of us who received Aeon’s blessings are more sensitive to the land, we can feel the subtle flow of the energy in the ground, the same way a druid could. If it scares you, hold my hand.” Lausanne assured her daughter.

“Are all battles like this?” Arlisa was both impressed and fearful. It was quite a sight, and the terrain’s energy meant the weather was just as chaotic. Storms and thunder seemed perpetual, and I could feel my own mana wrestling with the unsettled air.

“When the opponent is a demon king, yes. But this is a lot more common. Even demon champions can deal huge damage. We’ve seen things like this back in the Eastern Continent.” Lausanne spoke, and she remembered her own time in the wasteland that was the Eastern Continent.

“You fought them before?” Arlisa suddenly seemed really impressed at her mom.

“Only the champions.” Lausanne said. “Never the King.”

“But Uncle Jura did.”

“Yes.” Lausanne said. “If the other heroes were here, maybe he did not...” She couldn’t finish the sentence.

“Can Aeon fight the King?” Arlisa though, quickly switched the question.

Lausanne paused for a moment. “I don’t know, Arlisa. Maybe, maybe not. Unlike us, Aeon cannot move himself to face the demon king head on.”

“Then they’ll have to lure the demon king so that Aeon can smack him?”

Lausanne smiled and patted her daughter. “Now that’s an idea to think about.”

“If we ever face a demon king, what can we do to survive?” She wondered.

“Honestly, unlikely. You may not even be able to run, since it’s attack range is clearly very far.” She pointed as the gashes in the earth, which stretched for miles. Even the hills in the distance were not spared. There were many destroyed forests and trees in the area, often from a stray energy beam, or a deflected projectile that exploded.

“Then we’ll just accept our fate?” Arlisa looked back at her mom. Lausanne nodded.

“Pretty much. Unless you are someone like Uncle Jura. He died a hero, a true champion of Freshka. But his path is not for everyone.”

Arlisa the little rebel frowned. She was underleveled in many ways, at least, compared to the Valthorns of her age. Already there were young, upcoming Valthorns just about 15, or 16, that had reached level mid 40s in their chosen combat profession.

Still, she watched the ruins, all the fortresses, so strong and sturdy before this, flattened in a single battle. All those magical traps and hero items activated, and it was still insufficient. The destruction truly hammered in how small she was in the larger scheme of things.

Without levels, one has no say in what the world can throw at them. “Without levels and skills, we are just lambs for the slaughter.” Lausanne said quite frankly. “Our world today is changing thanks to Aeon, but should he fall, the world will revert back to its original state. One where might and power makes right. Aeon’s overwhelming might today is what grants the lesser ones a choice. Without his vast shade, what we have today is not possible. One day, I’ll take you to the other continents, there you will witness what the world is like without an overwhelming presence like Aeon.”

Arlisa merely nodded.

They had a rest at a makeshift rest stop. The Valthorns had set up multiple ‘viewing points’, since there clearly was an interest in disaster-tourism.

“Lady Lausanne, what a coincidence.” There were not the only visitors. Many nobles too came to see the destruction. Some hoped to see daemolite, but somehow this demon king did not leave any behind. Those in the Freshlands Treetiary college even organised large tours for the students to see the destruction for themselves.

“Ah. Lord Kraveik, what luck.”

The tree lord smiled. “Fascinating, isn’t it. Even though it does pain me to see the land in such suffering.” The treefolk could feel the damage when they walk, their exposed feets have little feelers and roots.

He turned to face Arlisa. “And you must be Arlisa?”

The young girl nodded.

“Taking in the sights, too?” Lausanne asked.

“Yes. How many lords and kings can even claim to have seen the site of the demon king’s death? If anything, this is an experience unique to us!” Kraveik smiled.

Lausanne laughed. Indeed, it was heaven and earth, if compared to the vast destruction of the Eastern Continent. Here, the nobles are talking about tourism. Arlisa merely listened as the nobles continued their conversation. Even if her mother said she wasn’t a noble, no one would believe it. In the eyes of the entire continent, her mother was a member of the nobility and perhaps, even as close to a continent-wide royalty.

-

“Thanks for fighting with me all this while, Jura.” I said one day, I could sense that his soul would soon move on.

He just smiled. “It’s not too bad. Casshern once said, ‘Death comes to us all, but for some earlier than others. Oh tree spirit, take good care of them, those who still lived, and in your Court of the Deitree, truly, elves that die with their spirit trees, never truly die...’

“May you have a blessed life.” At this point, his heart was already set, and I was not going to hold on to him forcefully. Forcing a soul to do what it doesn’t want to do, outside of [soul contracts], is something quite against the nature of soul and spirit trees.

“I’m blessed enough, TreeTree. The heights I’ve reached, the battles I fought, few can even speak of. I’m sure Faris and Lovis feel similar.”

He bowed in my soul realm.

“I remember I knelt that day when I returned to Freeka. I returned expecting to see nothing, and how this tiny village has gone through so much change. Destruction, and then reconstruction. There will be more change, but I know they will have you to guide them.”

I felt sad. Maybe it was that tiny fragment of humanity left in me.

“Goodbye, Aeon.”

“May we meet again, in your next reincarnation.” In the long run, we will all meet again.

“Indeed.”

[Author note : No chapter next week. Will resume subsequent week.]