The Will Of The World Tree

Chapter 16 Discovery

Eve quickly "saw" Basaka's current situation.

At this moment, the thirty-meter-tall Oak Guard was kneeling among ancient trees, his eyes closed in prayer. His massive frame was concealed within the towering woods, making him surprisingly difficult to detect at a glance.

The fellow seemed to be hiding from something...

Could he have encountered other intelligent beings he cannot match?

Eve wondered.

While Basaka was currently the only candidate for map exploration, sending him into the unknown carried inherent risks—chiefly, the possibility of his identity as an Oak Guard being discovered. Oak Guards were unique; as beings directly empowered by the World Tree, their status was equivalent to that of an Angel.

If Basaka's existence were discovered by followers of other gods and reported, the revival of the World Tree would no longer be a secret. Once Eve stood in the spotlight, the Mother of Nature's ancient enemies from a thousand years ago would certainly not let her go; they would return in force.

If Eve were in her prime, it wouldn't matter much. Currently, the mana levels on the Segas Continent are low, and the gods residing in the Celestial Realm cannot descend to the mortal plane in their true forms—this included Eve's potential enemies. Therefore, as long as Eve recovered to a certain state and secured a favorable position, she could protect herself.

Unfortunately, she was still in a near-death state. If the Chosen Ones of other gods arrived—even just three or five Legends—she could fall into grave danger.

Fortunately, Basaka was a Treant by nature and could hide effectively in the forest. Furthermore, there were very few intelligent races surrounding the Elven Forest; according to Alice's reports, there appeared to be only one hostile Orc tribe. Among the Orcs, only Priests can communicate with Uller, the God of Winter and Hunting. Orc Priests rarely leave their tribes, so as long as Basaka avoided stumbling into their village and sent any unlucky Orcs who spotted him to the underworld, he would remain safe.

But looking at things now... Has he encountered an Orc Priest? Or perhaps found their tribe?

Eve sensed Basaka's location and quickly dismissed that theory. Though Basaka had left the safe zone, he was only thirty kilometers northeast of her. If an Orc tribe existed within this range, they likely would have been exposed long ago.

Eve estimated the Orc tribe was at least sixty kilometers away. If it wasn't an Orc village, what could it be? Following this thought, Eve's vision bypassed Basaka and looked deeper behind him.

Her gaze froze.

Hundreds of meters behind Basaka lay a landscape of ruins overgrown with vegetation. Even covered in vines and weeds, the exquisite patterns on the marble fragments were unmistakable. The stone tablets carved with Ancient Elven script revealed the true identity of these ruins to her immediately.

"It's an ancient city of the Elven Kingdom. Based on the script, it should be the Holy City—Emerald City."

Eve, possessing the legacy of the World Tree, reached a conclusion quickly. Emerald City was the closest city to the World Tree in the Elven Kingdom and a sacred site for the Church of Nature. Of course, the city of today was nothing but a pile of rubble.

In truth, when Eve ordered Basaka to explore, she had hoped to find Elven relics. She just hadn't expected feedback so soon.

But why is Basaka hiding? Has something changed within the ruins?

After a moment of contemplation, Eve decided to question the Oak Guard directly. She channeled her Divine Power into Basaka's consciousness.

Basaka, who was praying with closed eyes, suddenly felt a gentle, warm power brush against his heart, instantly calming his excitement.

The Mother Goddess is watching!

Nature's Follower understood immediately. He lowered his massive head even further, his posture becoming more reverent. Simultaneously, Eve's majestic and ethereal voice rang out:

"What makes you hesitate so?"

Basaka's heart steadied. He extended his thick wooden arm to draw a tree symbol over his chest and replied with the utmost respect:

"Mother Goddess, I have found the Holy City of old—Emerald City. While exploring the outskirts, I discovered this..."

The trunk of the Oak Guard split open to reveal a hollow. Basaka reached inside and pulled out a shimmering object. It was a pale green, irregular crystal glowing with a soft light. It possessed a mysterious, holy energy that created an instinctive urge to possess it.

Divine Blood Crystal!

Eve recognized it instantly through the World Tree's memories. Her spirit jolted, and she almost felt the urge to forcibly project her full consciousness onto the scene.

A Divine Blood Crystal, as the name suggests, is a crystal formed from the solidified blood of a True God. For ordinary creatures, the power within is too overwhelming to be absorbed, but it is the ultimate material for crafting Artifacts, Holy Relics, or drawing f*******n Magic arrays. For Legends and Demigods, these crystals are incredibly precious, acting as keys to analyze and explore the path to divinity.

For a True God, every Divine Blood Crystal contains a portion of the original god's power and divine knowledge. They can be absorbed for power or used to decipher the divine authority of other gods.

The crystal in Basaka's hand was a Divine Blood Crystal belonging to the World Tree of the ancient era!

Eve quickly pieced together the history. This crystal was likely a remnant of the divine war a thousand years ago. Back then, the World Tree was besieged by various gods and nearly fell; golden divine blood had rained down like water. This pale green crystal was likely a product of that moment.

Over the past millennium, due to the presence of Cursed Divine Magic, these crystals had fallen into a state of self-sealing, making them undetectable. Thus, they had luckily survived until now. When Eve awakened and the curse vanished, the seals on the crystals dissolved. Naturally, these mana-rich crystals were beginning to be discovered.

This is perfect fortune!

Based on the size of this crystal, it could likely provide her with at least 1 point of Divine Power. Eve was elated. However, she soon calmed herself. If it were just a matter of finding a crystal, Basaka would only need to pray and offer it as a sacrifice; there would be no need to hide.

He hasn't finished speaking...

Eve's sacred voice echoed in Basaka's mind once more: "How did you discover it?"

Hearing the Mother Goddess's inquiry, Basaka did not seem surprised. He replied respectfully: "Mother Goddess, I recovered it from the leader of a group of Goblins after exterminating them."

Goblins?

Eve was momentarily stunned. Goblins were small, green-skinned humanoids with long pointed ears, capable of crafting and using simple tools and weapons. They were weak, with the strongest reaching only Level 10 (Apprentice). Because of their low intelligence, ugly appearance, cruel and lazy nature, and overall weakness, Goblins were generally unwelcome. Usually, unless circumstances were extraordinary, even a god would not take them as followers.

But why are there Goblins in the Elven Forest?

Eve was confused. But then, recalling the habits of these weak creatures from her inherited knowledge, she understood. Goblins typically lived in underground caves or ruins, possessing their own social order and tribes. They likely used the ruins of the Holy City as their nest.

So, are they the ones collecting the World Tree's Divine Blood Crystals? But what use do they have for them? Could there be a power driving them from the shadows?

Eve fell into deep thought.

"Not only that," Basaka continued, "I also found traces of a Goblin Priest within the ruins of Holy City."