Ka-Ka-Ka-Boom!
Majestic ancient trees with hundreds of years of history rose from the fertile forest and rushed toward the mutants that were rushing out from the intersection. With a series of sounds of wood scraping against each other, the heavy branches of the ancient trees fell from the sky and smashed the mutants into a pile of meat paste. Behind the ancient trees, elite rangers had already drawn their bows and nocked their arrows. The surface of the specially enchanted longbows shone with the radiance of runes. The tips of the finely crafted arrows rippled with three green cyclones that flickered between bright and dark. The air resonated with them and buzzed with the sound of air resonating with them.
"Everyone, recharge. Aim, fire!"
The voice of the commander rang from the high ground. A dozen arrows filled with arcane energy flew past the scorched crown of the ancient tree and landed at the end of the crossroads in a parabola. A group of aberrations that were lucky enough to escape the ancient tree's heavy blow staggered up from the ground and were pierced by the arrows one after another. After that, the energy within the arrows ignited a series of explosions in their bodies. Amidst rising smoke and flames, the wave of aberrations that rushed out of the dense forest was finally wiped out.
"Team one, rest here. Team two, retrieve the arrows. Medic, help the wounded!" A human commander walked down from a nearby high ground and gave orders to the warriors. His head was wrapped in bandages, and the white bandages had been stained black and red by blood and dust. The enchanted longsword in his hand was stained with blood, and the magical radiance that it was radiating was now extremely dim. He was very tired, and his eyes were bloodshot. However, his voice was still loud and clear — at this moment, only this loud and clear voice could support the warriors to continue fighting here.
Not far away, the tall and majestic ancient tree let out a series of tired creaks. It walked with heavy steps to the edge of the battlefield, and its roots were once again planted into the ground. As it absorbed the limited nutrients in the soil to heal its wounds, it tried its best to extend its canopy towards the edge of the forest where the morning sun had just spread. The canopy of the ancient tree had been scorched black by the flames and smoke, and the only green leaves that remained trembled in the wind and rustled.
A few silver-haired elves stood up from among the human soldiers and walked towards the exhausted ancient tree. They seemed to be talking to the ancient tree. The human commander could not understand the special rhythm of the conversation between the silver-haired elves and the plant, but he could see that the faces of the elven rangers were becoming more and more serious. It was clear that the situation of the ancient tree had reached its limit.
The sound of footsteps came from the dense forest nearby. The human rangers who were resting instantly tightened their grip on the weapons in their hands. But when they saw the source of the footsteps, the soldiers immediately breathed a sigh of relief and began to recover their strength, enjoying the rare respite.
The human commander of the small army looked towards the direction where the voice came from. He saw a silver-silver elf with a tall stature, wearing a light golden alloy armor leading a dozen soldiers through the forest. He immediately went up to greet him. "General Lomar."
"You don't have to be so courteous. I'm just patrolling the line of defense." Lomar, the ranger general from the Silver Empire raised his hand and interrupted the human commander. He did not seem to have much blood on him, but the bloody aura exuded from his every move was far more intense than anyone here. This ranger general seemed to have slaughtered hundreds of enemies on the frontline, but he did not let the slightest filth stain his body. "What's the situation here?"
"The strength of the soldiers is almost at its limit, and our weapons are seriously damaged," the human commander said in a low voice. He took an arrow that had just been recovered from the front from a soldier beside him and pointed to the casting unit that had begun to melt at the front end of the arrow. "The casting arrow has consumed too much energy, and it has become like this. I'm afraid it can only hold on for two more rounds before it completely melts down. Conventional arrows are almost useless against those monsters …"
Lomar's gaze fell on the magic arrow that had reached its limit. His expression was solemn and he did not speak for a long time.
It was too expensive. This kind of sophisticated casting unit was not easy to produce. Even with the joint efforts of the Silver Empire and the Kingdom of Kaolin, the amount they could get from the treasury was very limited. In the usual "normal war", this kind of consumption might be acceptable, but the number of the mutants that came out of the wasteland was more than a million. Almost all of the thick-skinned monsters had to rely on this kind of casting weapon to completely kill them, and the magic weapons in the hands of the soldiers on this line of defense … they were almost at their limit.
"… The reinforcements organized by Lord Valentin have crossed the Homeward Bridge and will soon arrive at the front line." The ranger general sighed softly and told the news he had just received from the rear to encourage the warriors on the front line. "Including three astromancer columns and at least six ranger regiments. Your king is also mobilizing the western and eastern frontier regiments. The pressure on our side will soon be relieved."
"… This is indeed good news. As long as the reinforcements are confirmed, I think we can hold on until then." The human commander nodded hard and deliberately said in a higher voice, but then he lowered his voice again. He quickly looked back at the billowing smoke at the end of the forest and asked in a hurried tone, "General Lomar, the situation at the Constellation Temple …"
"The gap from the wasteland to the line of defense has been mostly blocked. Now only a small number of enemy troops can still enter the forest barrier through the small gap next to it. The 'tide' of the previous large-scale will not appear again," Lomar said with a serious expression. His tone had calmed down, but there was another kind of hidden sharpness and coldness in that calm voice. "Now we have to stop the monsters that have entered the forest line of defense. We can't let them have the chance to gather and enter the civilized world to spread pollution …"
The human commander acknowledged the order in a low voice. Lomar walked past him and walked toward the guardian tree not far away.
A few elven rangers who were taking care of the giant tree immediately saluted their supreme commander. One of the rangers said in a low voice, "General, it's not doing well …"
Lomar nodded and came to the foot of the guardian tree. He saw that the guardian of the forest seemed to have fallen into a short slumber. Its canopy twitched and swayed in the wind, and the mottled bark was covered with shocking scars. The sap that flowed out of the trunk had condensed and dried in the fire and smoke, and the tainted power of the aberrations had left corrosive marks in the wounds that could not be healed.
How many fatal attacks had this venerable guardian helped the humans and elves on the line of defense?
The guardian tree was the main force of the Kingdom of Kaolin in the southern part of the Gondor wastelands to resist the erosion of the wastelands. These permanent treant guardians, created by Druil spells, were originally brought to the Loren Continent by the Silver Elves from the distant southern islands and planted at the northern border of the Kingdom of Kaolin. After seven centuries of growth, they had grown into a forest along the long border. But today, they had suffered a heavy blow.
In the face of the vast Gondor wastelands, every border country had their own defense against the wastelands. The old Ansu had the natural Gloom Mountains and the Cecil Line of Defense. The Typhon had the border swamps and the powerful Mage Legion and the National Knight Legion. The Ogre Tribal Kingdom had a unique mountain barrier and brave orc warriors. As for the Kingdom of Kaolin … The only thing between this country and the Gondor wastelands was open plains and gentle hills. Without any natural barriers to rely on, the only thing they could rely on to resist the wastelands was the guardian tree planted by the elves and the flesh and blood of generations of border warriors.
Krak … Krak …
The sound of wood rubbing against each other was suddenly heard. The guardian tree, which had fallen into a short hibernation, seemed to have sensed the presence of Lomar. The ancient and venerable guardian of magic had awakened. Its canopy was shaking, and the upper part of the bark was like a wrinkled old face. It turned to the ranger general beside it. A trembling voice that only the elves could understand came from the withered branches and leaves. "Do you need me to fight? General? "
"You need to rest," Lomar said slowly. "We have temporarily cleared the area of enemies."
"There are still many enemies …" The ancient tree creaked. "They are spreading in the forest … They have lost their minds, but they are spreading like a plague. Many of my brothers and sisters … have stopped making a sound. General, I can smell the forest burning. The plague has ignited the poisonous evil flames, roasting my brothers and sisters …"
Lomar's voice was flat and cold. "We will 'purify' these plagues. Those monsters will turn into mud and become nutrients for your brothers and sisters in the coming year."
"Purify … very good, but they are not good nutrients …" The ancient tree murmured, its voice getting lower and lower. "They … smell disgusting. They are worse than mud …"
The ancient tree said slowly. This guardian that had been rooted on the border for hundreds of years seemed to have accumulated considerable wisdom in its long life. It seemed to want to use its humor to amuse the general next to it. However, Lomar did not show the slightest smile. He just silently watched the branches of the ancient tree drooping down little by little. He watched its bark and roots become stiff and still like a real plant. The magic flowing in its body finally dissipated. It completely quieted down and no longer made any sound that belonged to the 'wisdom'.
The wind blew from the distance. The withered branches of the Ancient Guardian Tree trembled in the air, producing a series of rustling sounds. It had died, taking root in this land it had guarded for seven hundred years. It stood tall and straight, dying in this dawn where the sun was waning.
Lomar looked at the dead guardian for a long time. An elven ranger next to him whispered, "It was planted by the queen and Master Velania …"
Lomar did not speak. He just gently took a breath and put his hand on the withered, mottled, and scarred trunk of the ancient tree. He wanted to say a brief farewell to his comrade and then organize the warriors into the next battle. But at this moment, an indescribable feeling of 'throbbing' suddenly surged in his heart, and he subconsciously paused for a second.
An invisible wind blew through the entire forest in this one second, and the invisible force brushed across every inch of the forest's defense line.
The rangers next to him seemed to have sensed something too. They looked up in astonishment and tried to find the source of the wind, but all they saw was that all the surrounding treetops were rustling in the wind, and all the plants in the forest were responding to the power of the wind. The forest that was slowly dying seemed to have come back to life in an instant, and even the foul and pungent smell in the air seemed to have gradually dissipated.
Lomar's heart skipped a beat. He subconsciously looked at the ancient tree guardian that had just died, and he saw some sprouts quietly growing out of the tree's skin. The completely dead and stiff branches became soft again in the wind. He then looked in the direction of the forest in the distance, and saw layers of green waves stirring. The next second, a very familiar but extraordinarily majestic voice resonated in the forest with the resonance of countless ancient trees.
"People of the Silver Empire, allies of the Kingdom of Alpine, I am the Silver Queen, Bersethia Morningstar.
"I have returned here, and now I speak to you through this forest.
"The enemy's reinforcements have been cut off, and the gap in the wasteland has been sealed. The pollution that pervades this land has begun to dissipate, and the most difficult phase is over. Our defense line still stands, and so does our homeland behind us.
"Across the entire border of the wasteland, the Alliance's battle lines are still fierce, and the entire civilized world has not been defeated by the attack of the monsters. I have received news from the north of the continent, and I am sure that reinforcements from the south will soon arrive at the frontline.
"But before that, the aberrations wandering in the forest barrier are still a threat to our homeland and kin. These blind and unintelligent monsters will continue to spread in the direction of the light of civilization, and we … are the border of civilization itself.
"Here, as the Silver Queen, and as a fellow mortal, I implore everyone in the forest barrier to continue fighting bravely, to protect the land beneath your feet, to protect your comrades beside you, and to protect this forest. No matter what, we cannot retreat.
"Comrades, hold on until the reinforcements arrive. After today, no matter where history goes, our descendants will always remember this day.
"Today, the mortals will live forever!"
The wind whistled through the forest, and all the leaves and branches rumbled at this moment. The entire forest barrier seemed to have recovered from its twilight in an instant. In the gradually diffusing morning light on the horizon, Lomar seemed to hear the sound of mountains and tsunamis coming from the forest itself.
"General …" A ranger said beside him. The young soldier had a complicated expression of confusion and excitement on his face. "That was …"
"It was our queen." Lomar took a light breath and raised the sword in his hand. He looked at his soldiers, and a blazing flame once again ignited in the depths of his eyes. "Have you heard the order, soldiers?"
"Yes, general!"
…
"Is that all?"
South of the crash zone of the Constellation Temple, at the edge of the forest defense line, the giant deer Amoun's figure was hidden among the collapsed boulders and the withered remains of the forest. Bersetia stood on the giant deer's shoulder as she looked at the forest barrier in the distance that was still shrouded in the flames of war. She lowered her head and spoke to Amoun.
"That's all." Amoun nodded gently. "The forest has begun to regenerate, but more importantly, the rebirth of 'hope'. Not many people have the energy and ability to pay attention to the changes in the forest as a whole, but everyone here heard your voice."
"… I'm going back to them," Bersetia said softly.
Amoun did not speak for a moment. He just looked at the forest for a long time, and at the silver people who were fighting in the forest. After a long time, he squeezed out a low voice from his throat.
"Then … I'm going back to where I should be."
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