The Will Of The World Tree

Chapter 8 Game

A gentle spring rain drizzled incessantly.

The emerald forest seemed more vibrant after its washing; a light breeze carried the fragrance of fresh earth, signaling the awakening of all things.

Standing in a side wing of the Temple of Nature, Alice, the Elven Saintess, gazed out at the world below in a trance. A lingering sense of unreality tugged at her heart.

The Mother Goddess... had truly returned.

Even though three days had passed, it all felt like a beautiful dream. The elven maiden now appeared even more sacred and noble. Having ascended to the rank of Saint, her strength had undergone a world-shaking transformation, bypassing the Iron-tier entirely to reach the peak of Silver-tier (Level 50).

However, she felt no joy in her newfound power. Her heart was filled only with the boundless happiness of her Goddess's return and a deep, gnawing guilt for having nearly abandoned her faith.

I must cultivate diligently and live up to Her Majesty's trust. I will fight for the future of the Elven race and the glory of the Mother Goddess!

Gazing at the distant mountains, Alice pursed her pink lips and clenched her small fists in determination.

"Alice."

An aged voice broke her reverie. Her pointed ears twitched as she turned to see the High Priest, Samir, walking toward her. He wore grey-white ceremonial robes and carried a packed traveler's bag. He looked radiant, as if he had shed several centuries of age.

It was hard to reconcile this man with the weary, broken elder who had chosen to give up hope just three days prior. Having reaffirmed his faith and received the Goddess's blessing, Samir had also broken through his limits, becoming a Silver-tier powerhouse (Level 41).

"Grandfather Samir," Alice greeted her elder with a respectful bow. Noticing the bag on his shoulder, her eyes lit up. "Are you... already then?"

Samir nodded. He turned toward the main hall, his expression one of pure fanaticism. "Her Majesty needs to gather our people. I am likely the only one left who can still track down the remaining survivors."

Three days ago, the Mother of Nature, Eve Iggdrasil, had issued her first divine oracle: Gather the scattered Elven tribes. Among them, Samir was the best suited for the task.

A shadow of shame crossed his face. "For the Mother Goddess, for our kin, and to atone for my own sins... I am ready." Sensing the power bestowed upon him, Samir felt like a fallen wretch because of his previous doubts. His conviction was now unshakable.

Alice's emerald eyes sparkled. "Gathering our kin... that's wonderful." Then, her expression clouded with worry. "But you are going alone. You must be careful."

Samir's expression softened. He patted Alice on the head and said, "Do not worry. I am enough on my own. Not only am I now a Silver Priest under Her grace, but Her Majesty has also granted me a sacred relic. Within a certain range, I can sense the location of our people, and it can even shield me from Gold-tier attacks."

He opened his palm to reveal a green leaf shimmering with divine aura. It was a leaf from the World Tree, reinforced by Eve with one point of Divine Power—a crude but effective holy relic.

"That is a relief," Alice nodded, though she added with a hint of regret, "I wish I could go with you to find our people."

Samir laughed heartily, then said earnestly, "You have an even more important mission. You must assist Her Majesty in guiding the 'Chosen Ones' who are about to descend."

The Chosen Ones... At the mention of them, Alice's eyes brightened. Her heart swelled with adoration as she recalled the second divine oracle issued three days ago.

The Mother Goddess had proclaimed that "Chosen Ones" from another world would soon arrive. They would act as "Heroes" to help the Elven race rebuild their civilization. Alice and Basaka had been ordered to prepare to guide these newcomers and help them adapt to this world.

What will they be like? Will they be elves too? Or perhaps... Divine Envoys? Alice wondered expectantly. Whatever the case, if they were chosen by the Mother Goddess, they must be kind, righteous, honest, and selfless—just like us!

Samir watched the eager girl, his gaze turning increasingly gentle. He looked up at the still-withered canopy of the World Tree, his resolve hardening. "Her Majesty has just awakened; her power is still limited. We must work hard to spread her faith so she may return to her peak and lead us to prosperity."

The two looked at each other and shared a determined smile.

"Praise the Mother of Nature!" "Praise the Mother of Nature!"

Their voices were filled with youthful vigor and passion.

After delivering the missions to her followers, Eve retreated back into her Divine Core. She reconnected with the digital world and began constructing the "game" to prepare for the players' arrival.

Over the past three days, she had conducted various tests to verify the feasibility of her plan. Now, she needed to polish the game—which she had named Kingdom of Elves—and make a name for it on the internet.

"The leveling system must be balanced. I'll just use the Segas Continent's hierarchy as a template. For the early stages, I'll cap it at Level 40, the limit of the Iron-tier."

"I'll copy the class system as well! And add stat settings; that's basic bread-and-butter for a game..."

"I should make an appearance at the beginning—a cinematic sequence to act as the system tutorial. I'll give the players some small gifts to build rapport..."

"For the avatars, they have to be elves. Since birthing elves is an inherent ability of the World Tree, I can set their starting strength to Level 1 to save Divine Power. Those 'hardcore grinders' will level them up soon enough anyway..."

"To make their progression easier, I'll set their talent potential to the maximum. Every single one of them will be a genius!"

"By modifying the 'War Rite' and fusing it into their bodies, I can link their level-ups to my own growth. Every time a player gains power, they'll feed energy back to me!"

"At this rate, 1 point of Divine Power can create about 100 bodies. To be safe, I'll start with 300 players. I need to keep some Divine Power for self-defense."

"Selection is key. I should prioritize people who spend a lot of time on VR games, maybe some influential streamers. That will help build a reputation quickly and attract more players later."

"I can use Divine Power to manifest the 'Game System' itself. I'll restrict their starting area so that if they die, I can easily recover the bodies, recycle their remaining energy, and have them start back at Level 1 to work for me again..."

"Experience points? I'll just monitor their physical status and display it as digital data."

"The storyline... I'll reference some online materials. The theme will be the Renaissance of the Elven race!"

"The promotional trailer needs to be top-tier! I can use actual fragments of the ancient War of the Gods from the World Tree's memories. No CGI can beat the real thing! And for the background music, the Elven archives have plenty of classics."

"The time difference between the two worlds is a huge selling point. How should I market it? I've got it! I'll call it 'Mind-Acceleration Technology.' Time in the game moves four times faster than in reality! Hah, I really am a genius!"

Before she knew it, three days had passed. With the help of her divinity, a massive game had taken shape.

"Finally finished!" Eve looked at her work with immense satisfaction.

By now, her Divine Power had dropped from 20 to 11. Operating across dimensions to manipulate Earth's network was expensive.

"I'll set the Closed Beta to start in one week. Seven days to 'lure' in as many people as possible!"

After assessing her status, Eve made her decision. Next came the marketing.

Using her power to interfere with the network once more, Eve covertly established an online entity called "World Tree Dark-Tech Co., Ltd." She registered Kingdom of Elves as a VR title and uploaded the trailer to the web.

Now, she just had to wait for the trailer to go viral and welcome her first batch of players.