Game of the World Tree-Chapter 713

【 STARRY SKY 】

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Having cleaved the last demon in his path, a clear route finally opened before Cypher.

His expression twisted with raw ferocity as he surged ahead, a hoarse roar tearing from his throat.

Golden light flared across his body, wrapping him in a blazing radiance. From a distance, he looked like a living beacon, burning through the darkness and pulling the vanguard of the group forward by sheer momentum.

Behind him, the Frost Elves advanced in unison.

Their figures merged into a sweeping golden tide, cutting through the dense haze as they charged without pause.

If seen from the sky, that radiance formed a winding torrent, coiling along the spiraling mountain path. It climbed higher and higher with every breath, carving a bright line across the gloomy mountainside.

At last, the surge of gold burst free like an eagle spreading its wings. It rose in sudden brilliance, then plunged headlong into the dark clouds that smothered the summit of the cliff.

Cypher’s vision suddenly dimmed as a hazy mist rolled in from all directions, blurring the world around him. The air grew heavy, pressing against his senses and dulling even the distant outlines of the path ahead.

Streaks of lightning seemed to coil at his side, while the roar of thunder felt so close it rattled his bones.

Yet deep within his heart, his spirits only rose higher.

The danger sharpened his focus, and a fierce excitement surged through him.

The black mist surged toward them again and again, carrying the oppressive power of the abyss within its churning clouds.

Still, it could not breach the group as the holy barrier flared with golden radiance.

At that moment, Cypher had pushed the barrier to its absolute limit. He abandoned all thoughts of offense, pouring every shred of his strength and focus into shielding the others as the group pressed forward in a relentless charge.

The surrounding mist shifted unpredictably, thinning for a heartbeat before thickening into an oppressive veil, then slowly receding once more.

But after what felt like an eternity of struggle, they finally broke through it!

In an instant, their vision cleared, as if a curtain had been torn away.

The black mist was cast behind them. The streaks of lightning no longer followed, and even the constant rumble of thunder gradually faded into the distance.

Beneath their feet stretched a roiling sea of dark clouds, drifting far below the mountain’s edge.

The path ahead leveled out, and the world seemed to open completely wide before them, unveiling a towering divine temple.

It stood at the very peak of the cliff, with the true night sky stretching endlessly behind it.

High above, countless realms glittered like stars of varying sizes, shining brilliantly across the heavens.

Those multicolored stars glimmered with a gentle radiance, weaving together into a resplendent river of light. It flowed across the true night sky, adorning the heavens with its vast cosmic splendor…

Standing beneath this brilliant cosmic canopy, the Frost Elves’ gazes gradually grew fixated upon the majestic scenery before them.

Their heavy breathing, driven by the extreme exertion of their charge, slowly faded away. One by one, their tense expressions softened, replaced by looks of pure fascination.

The true night sky…

This was the true night sky!

A brilliant expanse filled with countless stars, untouched by corruption or darkness.

Beneath such a cosmic canopy, anyone would inevitably feel their own insignificance. At the same time, an unexpected sense of peace and calm quietly rose within their heart, washing away fear and exhaustion.

Estelle lifted her delicate face, her gaze fixed upon the endless sea of stars above them. Slowly, her eyes widened, and without realizing it, tears gradually streamed down her cheeks.

“Dad…”

“I could finally see the stars…”

“And they are truly beautiful…”

A smile spread across her lips, one that was both enraptured and tinged with sorrow.

Panting heavily, Cypher stared up at that familiar sky, his chest swelling with an unprecedented mix of joy and relief.

Eventually, he couldn’t help but let out a heartfelt laugh, which grew louder and more passionate with each burst.

“Hahahaha… hahahaha!”

“We succeeded! We actually succeeded! Everyone, we succeeded!”

He raised his sword high, shouting to the heavens,

“We succeeded!”

The Frost Elves around him responded in kind, their voices rising in thunderous cheers that echoed across the mountaintop.

But their celebration was brief.

Since everything was still far from over.

Out of more than two hundred thousand members of their group, only they, the vanguard force, had reached this place.

Thus, they carried the heavy responsibility of opening the path for the rest, and of offering prayers to the Goddess beneath this true night sky.

“Hahaha, Elder Gando! Quick! Tell everyone to pray together! As long as we do it here, the Goddess would be able to hear us, and the gate back home will open for us!”

Cypher exclaimed excitedly.

Yet no one answered.

Frowning, he paused for a moment and slowly turned around. Looking around, he eyes fell upon the elderly elf who had followed him faithfully all this way, leaning quietly against a massive boulder nearby.

The old priest held a waterskin loosely in his hand. His head was slightly raised, gaze unfocused, as if he were staring directly at the dazzling starry sky above.

A faint, satisfied smile spread across his tumor-marked face.

“The starry sky is indeed… beautiful…”

Gando murmured, letting out a long, slow sigh.

He then lifted the waterskin again, tilting his head back as he opened his mouth slightly. Yet not a single drop of water fell.

“Nothing left, huh…”

A trace of regret crossed his expression.

“It’s fine. You can drink more when we get back. You can even sip this tea while watching the stars at home, as much as you like.”

“You are the High Priest, right? Come on, old man, stop dawdling and start directing everyone to pray. This is not the time to relax, you know,” Cypher said, a smile tugging at his lips as he looked at the elderly elf, who seemed unusually at ease.

But Gando did not rise immediately. Instead, the elder turned his head slightly and offered a gentle, apologetic smile.

“I am sorry, Cypher…”

“It seems… you will need to lead everyone in praying to the Goddess in my place…”

“I am afraid… I will not be able to treat you to elven flower tea back home anymore…”

Cypher’s voice caught in his throat. His gaze slowly dropped, and his heart sank as he saw a dark crimson stain rapidly spreading beneath the elderly priest.

Cypher’s expression shifted sharply.

Panic surged through him as he rushed forward, sliding his arms under Gando to lift him up.

Only then did he notice the full extent of the damage.

The old elf’s chest bore a fatal wound.

No, it was not just the chest!

His entire body was riddled with injuries, but the wound on his chest was the most severe. The injury had almost completely torn open Gando’s abdominal cavity, a jagged gash that looked as though it had been ripped by a demon’s claw.

Inside, shattered internal organs were clearly visible.

Even more terrifying was the damage to the chest cavity. The heart that had once beaten there had been reduced to nothing but a mass of pulp.

Abyssal corruption continued to infect the wound, thereby resisting the healing effects of the holy barrier.

Only then did Cypher realize the grim truth:

All those Frost Elves who had initially followed him, tasked with protecting him, had all fallen in battle. How, then, could Gando, their leader, possibly have survived without sustaining similar injuries?

It turned out he had long since been gravely wounded, surviving all this time solely through grit and sheer willpower alone.

But now that they had finally seen the true night sky…

—Gando had allowed himself to finally collapse.

Bright red blood continued to pour from his wounds, quickly soaking Cypher’s clothes and staining him crimson.

Trembling, Cypher stared at the elder’s mangled wounds, his lips quivering and his hands shaking as he tried to steady himself.

“N-No, Gando… hold on… my friends should arrive any moment now… Right! Among them are the best healers I know. They will surely heal you!”

Cypher’s voice broke through sobs, tears streaming freely down his face as he pressed desperately against the bleeding wound.

Seeing his panic, the elderly man managed a faint, trembling smile.

“Don’t cry…” he whispered.

“You are the chosen one… the hero who will lead everyone back home.”

“Don’t worry… I am… merely returning early to the embrace of the Goddess…”

As he spoke, he slowly lifted his head again, his blurred gaze settling on the endless starry sky above.

“Cypher…”

“Tell me…”

“In the divine kingdom of the Goddess…”

“Is there… good… flower tea there…?”

Cypher’s vision blurred further as more tears ran down his face.

“There is…” he choked out.

“I’m sure there is! In fact, I bet the flower tea by the Goddess’s side must be better than any tea in the Elven Forest!”

He tried desperately to stop the bleeding, hands trembling as tears and mucus ran freely, but there was no way to stem the torrent of crimson pouring from the wound.

“Really? That’s good… to hear.”

A satisfied, peaceful smile spread across Gando’s face.

Then, slowly, the hand that had held the waterskin fell limp.

“Gando!”

Cypher roared in grief, his voice cracking and echoing across the mountaintop.

But the old man did not answer.

His voice was gone, leaving only the stillness of the starry sky above.

Beneath that vast starry expanse, Cypher’s anguished sobs rang out.

The cheers of the vanguard force also gradually died away as one by one, the elves gathered around the fallen priest, dropping to one knee and bowing their heads in silent mourning.

Cypher knelt beside Gando and gently closed his eyes, which still seemed to gaze toward the canopy of stars.

Tears streamed down his face as he forced himself to rise.

He looked at the Frost Elves surrounding him, their faces etched with sorrow and loss, and drew in a deep, steadying breath. Suppressing the grief that threatened to overwhelm him, he picked up the staff Gando had carried and raised his voice.

“My fellow kin. Let us begin our prayers.”

“Let us call upon… the power of the Goddess.”

At his command, the Frost Elves lifted their eyes to the true night sky overhead. Their expressions were solemn, each voice trembling slightly as they murmured their prayers.

Together, they began to recite the true name of the Goddess, their voices blending into a single, unwavering chant that stretched upward into the heavens, echoing across the surroundings and beyond.

Light of faith began to gather around them, glowing softly at first, then rising and intensifying with each word, until it finally converged above the towering temple that had stood over the Cliff of Sorrows for thousands of years.

A gentle radiance formed above the temple, bathing the mountainpeak in warm, golden light.

One by one, more Frost Elves surged onto the cliff, drawn by the sound of the chant. Each new arrival joined the prayer, adding their voices to the growing chorus.

The collective voices grew stronger, louder, and more unified, reverberating through the vicinity and filling the night sky with their devotion.

“Great World Tree…”

“Benevolent Mother of Nature…”

“Goddess who governs over life…”

“Sovereign of the Elvenkind…”

“Her Grace Evé Yggdrasil!”

“We, your most devout children… humbly call upon your powers to descent upon this world!”

→⟐←

Beneath the sea of dark clouds formed by abyssal power, the main group of the Frost Elves continued their relentless charge upward.

By now, the ghostly blue undead elven army had already completely mixed with the demons.

Within the gray mist, the clash between the three mythical beings unleashed terrifying shockwaves that tore across the battlefield again and again, each accompanied by jagged flashes of lightning and deafening roars of thunder.

From time to time, Apophis’s furious roar could be heard.

“Aurora! Uria! I know you’re stalling for time… but do you really think this is enough to defeat me? You underestimate my true power!”

With that, it raised its massive head and let out a piercing hiss that echoed across the heavens, traveling farther and farther, shaking the very air around them.

Gradually, the lightning in the sky faded one strand at a time, while the heavy dark clouds rolled slowly.

Howling winds rose on all sides, bending trees and rattling rocks, and the earth itself trembled faintly at first.

The tremors grew more frequent, more violent, each pulse sending vibrations that shook the ground beneath their feet.

Soon, black waves began to appear along the horizons in every direction.

This… was the Black Tide.

A colossal tide that every abyssal evil god was capable of summoning.

Countless demons and abyssal monsters roared and howled, surging in from all sides like an endless tsunami toward the Cliff of Sorrows.

At the same time, several malevolent and unfathomable auras slowly emerged in the distance, in which rapidly closed in on the Cliff of Sorrows.

They were… new mythical beings.

In an instant, the main migration group below the cliff, still unable to break through the demon encirclement, fell into grave danger.

Yet at that very moment, a pillar of golden light suddenly pierced through the rolling clouds, tearing apart the dark firmament and illuminating the Cliff of Sorrows.

A terrifying tide of energy spread outward, radiating from the pillar and forcing the surrounding clouds back.

High in the sky, the dark clouds retreated, forming a vast circular vortex that continued to expand.

Pure starlight slowly descended, illuminating the shattered ruins of the ancient city below.

The Frost Elves locked in battle all raised their heads.

Above them, the rolling black clouds were finally gone.

And in their place stretched a magnificent river of stars.

A dazzling golden pillar of light seemed to descend from the cosmic void, shining upon the temple at the cliff’s summit. Immediately after, radiance gathered above the temple, brilliant light spread outward, and space itself began to twist.

Accompanied by ethereal and sacred hymns, a solemn and majestic arch gate, glowing with golden light, appeared in the sky.

Its radiance was resplendent, dreamlike, and unreal.

In the next instant, hazy light poured forth from within the gate, and waves of spatial ripples spread outward.

Then, with three resounding, earth-shaking roars, countless golden figures emerged from the gate.

Under the stunned gazes of the Frost Elves, three colossal dragons, each hundreds of meters long, one gold and two silver, appeared in the sky.

Their forms were elegant, their bodies shrouded in holy radiance. Their magnificent eyes, gleaming with divine power, gazed coldly upon the abyssal serpent Apophis, who was coiled upon the Cliff of Sorrows in visible shock.

“Mythical-rank… dragons?”

Apophis’s voice carried deep wariness.

Immediately after, numerous loud shouts rang out from behind the dragons.

“Comrades, charge!”

“Kill them! Support the Frost Elves!”

“For the glory of the Goddess! For the glory of the elvenkind!”

“Uraah!”

Behind the dragons, countless brilliant figures slowly emerged.

They were elves riding flying magical beasts, clad in ornate armor and wielding a wide array of weapons.

Like divine messengers descending from the heavens, like meteors, they poured down onto the battlefield below.

Moments later, even more spatial ripples bloomed around them.

Countless radiant golden magic arrays appeared across the battlefield.

Within the light, fully armored humanoid figures gradually took shape inside the arrays.

As those figures solidified, the Frost Elves widened their eyes.

Their expressions swiftly shifted from shock to excitement, and then from excitement to joy, realizing that all these figures bore unmistakable elven features!

They were the players who had long been waiting in the Chosen City.

At this moment, they all joined the battle.

At the same time, three black silhouettes slowly emerged near the Cliff of Sorrows.

Sinister and terrifying auras surged upward, and an overwhelming pressure that seemed capable of destroying everything spread outward.

They were new abyssal mythical beings, drawn here by the roar of the abyssal giant serpent.

Yet before they could take any action, an even deeper and more majestic aura appeared above the Cliff of Sorrows. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Golden and green particles scattered endlessly, turning the sky into a sea of light.

That sea of light continued to gather and coalesce until it finally formed a towering silhouette.

Under the fervent and ecstatic gazes of the Frost Elves, the silhouette transformed into a beautiful female figure, her entire form enveloped in holy radiance.

The incarnation of the World Tree.

The sovereign who governs over nature, life, and the elvenkind.

The Goddess of Life, Evé Yggdrasil,

—Had descended.

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