Pillar of Yita

”Hold on, but we’re not going anywhere.”

”Humans, we mean no harm, but if you are defeated piecemeal, the forest will face destruction as well. Let us unite against the ancient Guardians guided by ancient wisdom.”

”But I still haven’t understood clearly, who are these ancient Guardians?”

”... She was once our caretaker here, but evil has controlled her mind, driving her into madness and hysteria. She has killed many and seeks to destroy everything here, and if this place falls into danger, your world above will also be threatened.”

Finishing these words slowly took quite a long time for Long Branch. The square returned to silence, and the complex Wood Clan Language sounded like an alien language to most people.

And indeed—

Alice instinctively believed the other side was exaggerating, so she asked, ”What is here that is so important?”

Long Branch was silent for a moment.

”We can’t tell them,” the shorter Short Beard beside it spoke gruffly, ”We can’t fully trust these people yet.”

”So we must find a way to make them trust us, Short Beard. The Heart of Tree guides us, and we must follow the will of the earth.”

Long Branch faced Alice and slowly spoke, ”It’s the Heart of Chongshan.”

”The Heart of Chongshan?”

Alice pondered over this unfamiliar term.

At this moment, a faint sound came from above the cliff, pebbles rolled off the steep wall and fell into the Abyss. People turned alertly toward the direction, and Long Branch’s leaves on its head shook slightly, its voice trembling with a low tone:

”They have arrived.”

It gazed at the girl before it.

”Humans, you’d best make a decision quickly.”

On the other side of the cliff appeared a ghostly blue shadow, ”It’s those things!” someone shouted lowly, as an uneasy signal spread among the crowd. The people from the Hydra Guild rushed out; they had suffered more losses in the previous combat and turned pale seeing the demon-like enemies on the cliff.

The ghostly blue shadow quickly disappeared, but unease did not fade from the crowd. Soon, rustling sounds appeared on this side of the cliff, above the peoples’ heads.

”They’re coming over!” someone from the Hydra Guild couldn’t help but shout.

Unease is contagious, not to mention the bloody wounds from just a moment ago being torn open; the crowd wavered uncontrollably, facing similar enemies under such circumstances akin to certain death.

”These idiots.” Amatoran cursed coldly.

”Can you take us to a safe place?” As Alice also watched this scene, she immediately turned around to ask the tall Tree People.

Long Branch slowly nodded.

”At least relatively safe, humans.”

Alice immediately turned back and relayed its words to Amatoran.

Amatoran retrieved the Combat Axe from his back, responding without looking back, ”Tell it we agree. As long as it can take us safely to that place, what can be worse than staying here?”

Alice’s lips moved slightly; she wanted to mention the Land of Dead Silence, a place she had seen that was more despairing than Despair itself. But due to certain thoughts, she swallowed her words.

She turned around and nodded to the tall Tree People.

”Get behind me, humans.” Long Branch replied seriously.

Alice was slightly startled, ”What?”

”Let them get behind me, all of them.”

On the other side of the canyon appeared ghostly blue shadows.

The crowd started to panic, only the Shieldbearer Guards remained steadfast, needing no commands; they silently formed a line.

Though it might also be futile, for warriors, it is their fate.

Long Branch stepped forward then, crossing Alice and Amatoran, stooped down, and planted its barren hands into the ground. Countless flourishing leaves grew from its gray-white arms as if new branches sprouting from dry wood, like seeds germinating— the powerful strength contained within life pierced the black rock layers, creating cracks from which vine branches emerged.

The thorned vines grew wildly in all directions, expanding outward, reaching both sides of the rocky wall, as if extracting nutrients from the barren land, exhausting all its life’s fire. People had never seen such vibrant life force; it was a pristine green beneath gray-white bark, never having seen spring arrive, but already blooming fully in winter.

The light in the eyes of the tall Tree People gradually dimmed, as if investing all its life into this Mithril Wall. A thrumming voice echoed throughout the canyon:

”Take them away, Short Beard.”

”Let me hold off these things.”

It’s as if people woke from a dream, only now noticing the changes behind them. They watched in disbelief the wall of life blooming beneath the cold black rock layer, every leaf on it seemingly glowing with a dream-like vivid green.

Vines extended forward, wrapped around those yet unaware, sending them one by one to the other side of the tree wall. More vines stretched outward, coiling toward the ghostly blue shadows, weaving a shadow of death upon their advancing path.