Pillar of Yita

In Eteliria, Grey Treants are Level 27 large creatures. But just like humans, level refers to the individual’s knowledge, experience, abilities mastered, and acquired growth. Yet, different creatures have varying innate talents and physical properties. Just as Level 20 Rock Shark can make a group of Level 20 teams run chaotically, a Level 1 human is certainly no match for Level 1 giants or dragons.

Of course, giants and dragons, being special creatures, have bloodlines that grant them innate knowledge and abilities, and even their juvenile forms are rarely just Level 1 upon birth.

However, differences among creatures are apparent — barring a few exceptions, large creatures generally surpass humans in strength, defense, and life force. Even the slightly lesser agility of Grey Treants is a measure compared to warriors who have undergone specialized training — they still outperform ordinary humans and those reluctant to engage in close combat like spellcasters.

Invokers classify the creatures of Eteliria into five danger levels: ordinary creatures, large creatures (like Grey Treants, various beasts), legendary creatures (dragons, giants), pseudo-god level, and god level creatures. The last one truly refers to the power of the deities.

Beyond these categories, distinctions such as elite, lord, and leader exist. These classifications originate from the Invokers and may not be authoritative or accurate but broadly encompass the strength levels of the tens of millions of species in Eteliria, providing rough guidance for Invokers.

Therefore, the Level 27 of Grey Treants certainly can’t be measured by human Level 27, needing an additional 3 levels roughly to be about right. Short Beard, as an elite warrior among Tree People, is outstanding; it is an elite individual with a level higher than ordinary adult Grey Treants, reaching Level 30.

Once enraged, its power should not be underestimated. The force of nature emanates from each dry branch of the towering Grey Treant, permeating the surrounding soil like a visible green ripple. Within a hundred meters radius around it, nearly all plants are growing wildly, while vine and thorn as thick as arms break through the soil, reaching every nearby human.

Short Beard does not distinguish targets; even members of the Holy White Stone Guild are within its attack range. The guild’s lower-level members immediately suffer as they are entangled with hands and feet, swiftly dragged up and left suspended in midair.

The captain of the Holy White Stone Guild reacts swiftly, cutting through a section of thorns binding his subordinate with a single sword strike. As he looks up, the two young Tree People do not regard them, directly stepping over them, heading towards the direction where the Twilight Guild is located.

However, their real opponents, who are not like those from the Holy White Stone Guild, show Twilight Guild as sending elite personnel, possibly even adventurer members, with levels of at least Level 25 or above. Though still inferior to Grey Treants, they number about twenty.

The Elementalist first spreads their five fingers, flames spraying from the fingertips — this is a Level 5 spell whereas anything below Level 3 of the fire system can barely scratch these vines — but this spell is different; under the sweeping flames, the thorns quickly wither into ashes.

Following this, the Twilight Guild sends out seven or eight Great Swordsmen and Iron Guards, descending to engage the two young Tree People.

Rangers at the back swap arrows, using arrow clusters with fire system crystals; physical attacks are not effective against Tree People, but elemental damage is uncertain. The Tree Peoples’ dry and tough skin can block swords and arrows, but it is weak and flammable in the face of fire.

The two young Tree People Guards swat away Twilight Guild’s Swordsmen and Iron Guards like flies, though only knocking away one or two people despite their vigorous swings of long arms. At this moment, the Rangers raise their longbows and release the bowstrings; arrows leave golden-red trails beneath the earth, several striking accurately against the tall Tree People.

Flames rise up, the Tree People Guards retract their branches to slap at the flames on themselves while Swordsmen and Iron Guards surge forward again, denying them an opportunity.

Seeing this, Short Beard retracts the spell that has little effect, roars in wrath, and joins the battle. Yet on Twilight Guild’s side, the man leading is flanked left and right by two higher-level Invokers, stepping forth to block its path.

The combat momentarily reaches a stalemate, but Short Beard’s side cannot change their disadvantage in numbers. The two young Tree People Guards, after toppling down a few Iron Guards continuously, are ablaze bright as massive torches.

The raging flames not only scorch their skin but greedily consume their life force like a parasitic maggot in a bone —

A Tree People Guard grabs the Great Swordsman’s Great Sword in one go, before the opponent can react hoists him up and slams him into the dirt. But this strike seems to have exhausted its last strength, and its burning long arm fractures with a ’crack’, losing support as it collapses heavily onto the ground, never rising again.

It remains merely as a piece of charcoal with flames constantly flickering upon it.

Meanwhile, another Tree People Guard, driven mad by the fierce flames, opens its arms like a blazing figure charging into the crowd, but the Twilight Guild folks retreat, offering no chance.