Game of the World Tree

Some of them were fallen souls from the Underworld, while others were creatures who have accidentally strayed here and were gradually corrupted, thus losing their minds. Additionally, there were also some instances wherein shadow creatures are naturally born in this chaotic Darkland…

Nevertheless, the first two types of creatures were quite scarce in comparison to the abundant population of shadow creatures inhabiting the Darkland. The remote and chaotic nature of this lands made it incredibly challenging for any being to gain entry, requiring them to possess immense power, at least at a legendary level, thus leading to their limited numbers.

Therefore, the majority of shadow creatures summoned by the followers of the Dark Lord to attack Blackrock City were mostly indigenous, humanoid shadow monsters living within the Darklands.

However… Although there are fewer undead or living beings who strayed into the Darklands and degenerated into shadow creatures, once it happened, it also meant that they can become the absolute powerhouses within the Darkland!

For example… this Shadow Dragon that suddenly appeared!

In the world of Saigües, any creature that can be attributed to a ‘Dragon’ should not be underestimated.

And this Shadow Dragon was actually the result of a dragon that had accidentally entered the Darkland, had its soul corrupted, thus turning it into a shadow monster that only knew how to instinctively devour and kill!

The Shadow Cultists’ worst fear came to life.

Just as they were about to undo the summoning array, a terrifying presence from the Darkland suddenly emerged, which they had desperately tried to avoid!

This massive Shadow Dragon stretched over a hundred meters in length, dwarfing any kind of adult dragon.

It turned out to be a corrupted fallen ancient dragon!

Each ancient dragon was at least a peak legendary existence, and the most powerful ones can even reached the Demigod level!

Feeling the terrifying pressure emanating from the Shadow Dragon, all the followers of the Dark Lord at that moment realized that…

—They were in for some deep and serious trouble.

“R-Run!”

The leader of the shadow cultists didn’t hesitate and quickly gave orders to his subordinates.

All the cultists swiftly abandoned their control of the summoning array in an instant and followed their leader as they tried to flee deeper underground.

As the Dark Lord’s followers escaped, the summoning array, which had its control, collapsed immediately.

The Shadow Dragon looming above simply cast a cold, tyrannical gaze upon them, with its eyes brimming with cruelty and excitement.

“Roar!!!”

It let out a deafening roar and then sucked the air forcefully in the direction the shadow cultists were fleeing…

A powerful suction force enveloped the fleeing followers of the Dark Lord, instantly dragging them back into place. The ground alongside the stones, soil, and plants in the underground forest, and even some scattered shadow monsters were also lifted into the air by the dreadful force, before they were all devoured by the Shadow Dragon amidst the terrified screams of the cultists.

Afterwards, a semicircular clearing appeared at the ground in front of the Shadow Dragon!

The shadow creatures that were no longer being controlled by the shadow cultists then fell into chaos. Those farther away hastily fled, while those closer to the Shadow Dragon could only instinctively cower on the ground, trembling in fear under its oppressive presence…

The Shadow Dragon seemed quite satisfied with its actions, and it let out another proud roar before starting to consume the remaining shadow creatures around it…

The grand legion of shadow creatures, in the face of the Shadow Dragon, seems nothing more than a group of doomed helpless ants as their formation collapse in an instant.

Seeing such a chaotic and spectacular scene in the distance, all the residents of Blackrock City absolutely felt dumbfounded.

“What the heck!”

“Damn!”

Looking at the dragon-shaped monster wreaking havoc outside the city, the players were just as equally shocked as well.

“A dragon? Goddamn it’s so freakin’ huge! Compared to it, Meryer is like a chihuahua!”

“Is it the quest boss? How do we even fight this thing?”

“Hey guys, it’s covered in black smoke…is it a black dragon? Perhaps it’s one of Meryer’s relatives?”

“Look! It’s devouring all those shadow monsters!”

“Haha, maybe it’s an ally?”

Upon hearing the players’ words, the Head Priestess wore a serious expression.

“N-No… it’s neither an ally nor a dragon.”

“The Death Codex contains relevant records of it. This is a shadow creature that was formed after a dragon fell into the Darkland, known as the Shadow Dragon!”

“Although it’s called a Shadow Dragon, it’s no different from the surrounding shadow creatures attacking us. They all know nothing but to instinctively devour and kill!”

Her voice carried a tinge of bitterness as she trembled before she added, “It’s… even more troublesome than the shadow creatures attacking us. It forcefully crossed through the dimensional boundary, depleting a lot of its energy just to follow the shadow creatures and devour them…”

“I’m afraid, once it replenishes its strength…this Shadow Dragon will likely control the remaining shadow legion and set its sights upon us…”

The shadow creatures inherited some traits from the Abyssal creatures. They also possessed a strong desire to devour creatures from the material realm…

With the activation of the defensive shield, Blackrock City became like a beacon in the darkness, which would undoubtedly attract the attention of the Shadow Dragon.

The Dwarven Head Priestess words were quickly confirmed as the Shadow Dragon, after swallowing up a few more clusters of monsters, finally raised its head and looked in the direction of Blackrock City.

The chilling and killing intent emanating from its glowing eyes sent shivers down the spines of all those on the city walls…

Meanwhile, as if receiving a new directive, all the shadow creatures around simultaneously stopped fleeing and and returned to their organized formation.

“L-Looks like it has now subdued all these shadow monsters under its control…”

At that moment, the Priestess’ face turned ghastly pale. She gritted her teeth and looked desperately at the players.

“Where does your teleportation circle lead to?”

The players glanced at each other and someone replied,

“Uhh, its Rivendell.”

“Rivendell? It’s the former elven city on the surface, right? If I remember correctly, that’s the territory of the Crypt Queen. It’s quite close, but perhaps we can barely escape if we’re lucky…” The dwarven High Priestess muttered to herself.

After saying that, she then gave the order, “Blackrock City can’t hold much longer. Everyone, quickly escape through the teleportation circle. Luckily, we might be able to survive this calamity.”

Upon hearing her words, the players looked at each other in bewilderment.

“Escape? Are we gonna give up protecting the city?”

The High Priestess looked saddened as she spoke,

“That Shadow Dragon probably possesses power close to that of a Demigod… We can’t possibly fight against it.”

“Do you know that eight hundred years ago, humans created a Magic Kingdom that was eventually destroyed? It happened when they too attempted to summon a legendary, peak-level Shadow Dragon at the demigod level. That creature ended up slaughtering millions of humans, ultimately paving the way for the rise of the Holy Maniya Empire, which now stands as the strongest human nation.”

“That Shadow Dragon only met its end thanks to the Archbishop of the Eternal Church, who performed a divine descent.”

“This time, this whole area is in grave danger of being destroyed, and even the nearby Elven Forest might be devastated as well. So… we need to run, quickly!”

The players’ expressions became strange as they listened further.

“Close to a demigod? Peak Legendary-level?”

“Do not underestimate peak legendary-level beings! During the era of the True Gods, they represented the pinnacle of power in Saigües, possessing destructive capabilities that rivaled even the Demigods!”

The players’ expressions grew even more peculiar after hearing it.

However, to the surprise of the High Priestess, after explaining the potential strength of the Shadow Dragon, the elves seemed to…breathe a sigh of relief?

“So…it’s just a mere Demigod?”

What’s going on? Were her words too frightening for them?

Soon, she heard the elves discussing among themselves, and their conversation startled her.

“Oh, so it’s level is close to a demigod! Well yeah, we can’t fight that…”

“Dude that scared me. I was worried about how to complete the questline earlier. Looks like we’ll have to call up the Goddess once again.”

“Let’s prepare to summon the Goddess. Who’s going to ask Aél to summon the Goddess’s incarnation?”

“Aél can’t do it anymore. He can only perform divine summoning once a month. But there’s someone here who can and Salty Cat has already gone out to find them.”

“Sigh…It’s such a shame. The Goddess will probably one-shot it again. If only we could get a chance to deal some damage as well. Imagine the experience points we’d gain from assisting to kill a demigod level boss!”

“Dumbass, you’re daydreaming. Let’s just hurry up while the game’s plot hasn’t progressed yet, and kill as many shadow monsters as possible while we still can!”

With that, the players unexpectedly turned back to confront the approaching shadow monsters, and returned to the battlefield with renewed urgency.

However, this time, their behavior seemed much more determined.

Goddess? Incarnation? Game Plot?

Listening to the players’ discussions, the Dwarven High Priestess felt absolutely perplexed.

But soon, she realized something—these elves seemed to have a way to summon the power of a true god!

Was it that mysterious entity that had formed an oath with Her Majesty, the Goddess of Death?

Her mind began to form certain speculations as hope began to form within her heart…

But before the High Priestess could contemplate even further, the situation on the battlefield suddenly changed once again.

The colossal Shadow Dragon suddenly took a deep breath and shoot a gray dragon breath towards Blackrock City!

The breath’s radius was nearly ten meters, and its power was terrifying.

The icy and chaotic force of the blast hit the magical defense barrier of Blackrock City, easily shattering it into pieces!

Blackrock City was now exposed to the onslaught of the shadow creatures.

“Oh no!” The High Priestess heart sank.

Just then, a crisp snort echoed through the entire vicinity.

“Hmph!”

High above the shrine, a female elven figure dressed in black armor slowly ascended into the air.

As she rose, her aura also surged, before a golden divine power rippled around her. A sacred semi-translucent figure enveloped in holy light then materialized behind her.

The Shadow Dragon instinctively roared and aimed once more at Blackrock City, spewing yet another massive dragon breath!

The hovering female elf then raised her hand, and the illusionary sacred figure behind her also did the same…

Just as the dragon breath was about to hit the city, a giant palm shadow slowly materialized, instantly blocking the dragon breath.

Looking at the female elf in the air as she exudes a potent divine aura, the High Priestess widened her eyes in astonishment before exclaiming,

“Divine Possession!”