The Will Of The World Tree

Chapter 17 Uller

A Goblin Priest?

Generally speaking, it was impossible for Priests to emerge among Goblins because they possessed neither totems nor faith. However, once a Goblin Priest appeared, it meant the tribe had likely developed a racial totem or—more concerningly—had pledged itself to a deity.

If it were the former, it would be manageable. But if it were the latter...

Recalling Basaka's deliberate concealment, Eve already had an inkling of the truth. Only a connection to a god would make an Oak Guard hesitate out of fear of unintended consequences.

"Who is it?"

The majestic voice resonated in Basaka's mind, though this time, it carried a sharp edge of gravity.

Basaka instantly understood what the Mother Goddess was referring to. He took a deep breath and replied respectfully through their mental link:

"Based on my observations, it appears to be the God of Winter and Hunting—Uller."

Just as I thought!

Eve's mood grew heavy. This matched her suspicions perfectly.

She knew the Orcs had established a tribe near the Elven Forest. As the primary source of believers for the God of Winter and Hunting, an Orc tribe also served as Uller's eyes and ears. From the World Tree's inherited memories, Eve already knew a fair amount about Uller.

Uller was a relatively young deity. It was said he had ascended from a primitive totem two thousand years ago, reaching the peak of Weak Divine Power. His domains were Winter and Hunting. Since ancient times, he had been at odds with the World Tree, which governed Nature, Life, and the Elves. During the War of the Gods, he had been a sworn enemy of her predecessor.

After the fall of the World Tree, this cruel deity had not ceased his persecution of the Elves; he remained their greatest adversary. Consequently, he was at the very top of Eve's "must-kill" list—both to avenge her predecessor and to ensure her own safety and growth.

And now, it seemed this god was also scavenging for the World Tree's Divine Blood Crystals. To find these targets, he had even recruited Goblins!

Goblins were low in intelligence and provided a pathetic amount of faith, but they feared the strong and made excellent manual laborers. Eve wasn't surprised that Uller had chosen them for the grunt work. However, Uller's collection efforts likely hadn't been active for long. Since the Divine Blood Crystals had been sealed until recently, they would have been nearly impossible for living beings to detect.

Could it be... Eve hypothesized, ...that Uller noticed the change in the Divine Blood Crystals and wants to analyze them to seize the domains of Nature and Life?

Uller's current domains of Winter and Hunting were sub-domains, a tier lower than primary domains like Nature and Life. This was precisely why he had been stuck at the level of Weak Divine Power for so many years. Since Winter and Hunting were naturally related to Nature and Life, Eve wasn't surprised he was trying to use her blood as a shortcut. For a True God, analyzing a Divine Blood Crystal was the fastest way to obtain information regarding another god's authority.

However, Eve didn't think Uller would immediately jump to the conclusion that the World Tree had been resurrected just because the crystals changed. At most, he would assume the ancient curse had finally dissipated. After all, it had been a millennium; a masterless spell fading away was perfectly normal.

Furthermore, Eve wasn't worried about Uller's plan succeeding. She had already reclaimed her role as the World Tree, re-establishing her absolute control over Nature and Life. Since divine authority and control are unique, Uller could exhaust himself to death and still fail to decipher the domains he craved. His true ambition was thwarted the moment Eve woke up.

Even so, absorbing the World Tree's Divine Blood Crystals would provide Uller with Divine Power, making him stronger. This was not an outcome Eve wanted to see. Those crystals belonged to her, the successor! They represented a vital opportunity for her to rapidly recover her strength.

With this in mind, Eve asked: "What is the strength of these Goblins?"

"Most are above Level 5, with a few elites at Level 10," Basaka answered. "However, the Goblin Priest possesses the strength of a Level 11 Lower Iron-tier. I am currently uncertain of the exact number of Priests."

Not that strong, then. Eve nodded inwardly.

With this level of power, Basaka could have wiped them out with a single finger if he weren't worried about Uller's detection.

"Priest leader at Level 11, elites at Level 10, and others between Level 5 and 9..." Eve murmured to herself. "This difficulty level is actually quite suitable for the players to test their mettle."

After several days of quests, the strength of the three hundred players was no longer what it used to be. The vast majority had reached Level 7 or higher. Some of the "hardcore grinders" and design masters, like Carl had even reached Level 10—the final stage of the Apprentice tier—standing just one step away from advancing to the Iron rank.

While this strength might be insufficient against truly powerful Iron-tier monsters, it was more than enough to handle Goblins. Even against a Level 11 Priest, the players could prevail if they stood together.

Lately, while the players had been working hard on quests, the long-term repetition had begun to breed boredom. Some of the bolder players had already started ignoring the system's Newbie Guide to explore outside the safe zone. The best solution was to give them something exciting to do.

Eve had originally planned to have Basaka herd some suitable monsters from outside the safe zone for the players to hunt, encouraging them to venture out only after reaching Level 11. But the appearance of the Goblins presented a better opportunity.

Basaka is a Nature-loving Treant. Even if he doesn't say it, forcing him to hunt down wild animals would eventually affect his faith. But goblins are different.

Goblins belong to a hostile faction and are relatively weak. Hunting them won't upset my native followers, and they don't pose an overwhelming threat to the players. More importantly, letting the players hunt Goblins disrupts Uller's plans and indirectly earns the approval of the Elven spirits. Plus, the players can help me find Divine Blood Crystals, allowing me to escape my near-death state faster!

It seems I'm about to receive the first return on my investment in these players.

Eve made her decision. She would design a side story and develop the game's first "Dungeon Quest" in the ruins of Florence to deal with the Goblins.

The players were different from Basaka. Basaka was Eve's chosen follower; his direct intervention against Uller's pawns would draw the god's attention. But the players... while they looked like Elves, they weren't "Believers" in the traditional sense. Their souls lacked a divine mark.

In fact, even if they were considered believers, it wouldn't matter. Their souls remained on Earth; only their consciousness was here. If Uller wanted to check for a faith mark, he'd have to find a way to Earth first.

A thousand years ago, the gods witnessed the fall of the World Tree with their own eyes and believed it implicitly. The players' actions would, at most, make Uller suspect that a few faithless Elves had returned to the forest. It wouldn't lead him to suspect a resurrection. Furthermore, the presence of Goblins in the ruins of the Holy City was an insult to the proud Elven race; a few angry Elves attacking them wouldn't be surprising. Without the involvement of a deity's direct followers, the death of some Goblins wouldn't warrant much of Uller's attention.

Eve didn't think the Goblins in Florence were the only ones Uller had recruited. If they were here, the ruins of other Elven cities scattered throughout the forest would likely be infiltrated as well. Of course, Eve knew she couldn't hide forever. Since Uller had noticed the seal on the blood crystals had broken, he would eventually realize the curse on the World Tree had also vanished. It was only a matter of time before he sent his chosen agents to investigate.

Thus, Eve's exposure was inevitable. Fortunately, for now, Uller was the only god who had noticed. She had to increase her strength as quickly as possible. To that end, the risk was worth taking.

Eve spoke to the Oak Guard: "Basaka, I have instructions for you."