My world-tree system-Chapter 44 - 43: Temporary victory

Foster stood facing the ramparts of Vollua, his body covered in fresh wounds, his muscles tense with effort. He knew he no longer had the strength to fight head-on. His condition no longer allowed him to call upon the Avatar of Life, and yet it was now that everything would come to a head.

The Obscurus were advancing en masse.

They were no longer an organised army but a black tide of rage and chaos. The absence of their generals had not made them back down, on the contrary - they were now uncontrollable, with a visceral hatred and a destructive instinct.

The elves, posted on the walls, held their ground, but fear was evident in their greetings. Their Lord and his group had been gone for too long.

And now, the enemy was here.

Foster closed his eyes for a moment.

’If you know the enemy and you know yourself battle, you need not fear the outcome of cents.

This was the very essence of the Art of War.

He couldn’t face them head on. Not in his condition. Not with so few elves.

But he could make them destroy themselves.

He opened his eyes and observed the battlefield. Every element of the terrain had to be used to his advantage.

Then he spoke in a loud voice:

- ’We will use their own nature against them.’

Köflik, Giovanni and Yhänn turned towards him, out of breath, their bodies bruised by the previous fight and by Köflik’s slaps that had woken them up.

- Explain yourself,’ Köflik demanded, wiping the blood from his forehead.

Foster inspires people.

- ’The Obscurus no longer have a command. They advance without order, without strategy. They are a brute force. But brute force misdirected can be turned against itself.’

Giovanni cupped his head.

- ’You want to manipulate them?’

Foster smiled despite the pain.

- ’Get them exactly where we want them. Like a current we redirect.’

He stretched out his hand towards the World Woods , those gigantic trees he’d worked out when he’d first arrived. They were the key.

- If we leave a strategic opening, they’ll rush in. We’ll create a path that will lead them to their doom.’

Yhänn frowned.

- ’You want them to think they’ve broken through our defences?’

- ’Exactly.’

’The whole art of war is deception.’

Foster closes his eyes and plunges his hands into the earth. He felt the roots respond.

In his current state, he couldn’t unleash all their power, but he could control their growth. Shape the ground.

The plan is taking shape in his mind.

- ’We’ll weaken a section of the wall. They’ll think they finally have an opening and rush in.’

Köflik understood immediately.

- ’And once they’re piled in...’

- ’We’ll close the trap.’

Giovanni let out a sneer.

- ’A real massacre.’

- ’Victory belongs to he who knows when to attack and when to avoid combat,’ Foster murmured.

It was about time.

He landed on his palm in the sun.

The Woods of the World shuddered. The underground roots intertwined, imperceptibly modifying the structure of the ground. A discreet crack appeared along one of the outer walls.

That was all it took.

The Obscurus howled in rage and rushed into the apparent breach.

They had won.

They couldn’t see the shadows of the trees closing in around them.

’Draw them further in.’

The elves posted on the ramparts feigned panic, abandoning the section of wall as if they had lost hope.

The Obscurus charged.

They pushed through the narrow passage between the Woods of the World like a wave trying to break.

Then the trap closed.

Foster clenched his fists.

Roots exploded from the ground like hungry tentacles, wrapping themselves around the creatures, crushing bones and chairs in a chaos of screams and blood.

Some tried to flee. But it was too late.

The Woods of the World were alive.

The trunks themselves fell, creating a natural prison from which no one would escape.

- ’Keep eliminating the survivors!’ shouted Köflik as he leapt from the wall, his saber tracing a luminous arc in the air.

Giovanni and Yhänn dived in after him, cutting through the mass.

The carnage was total.

Foster, exhausted, felt his legs give way beneath him. He leaned against a tree trunk, panting.

He had won.

The surviving Obscurus fled in panic, abandoning their assault.

The elves froze.

The battle was over.

Foster suddenly pulled two large black stones out of his pocket, filled with overwhelming power. Their surface was smooth and cold, with glowing veins that pulsed slowly, like a heart beating in slow motion.

- Maybe this will bring you back, Lïanna,’ he said with a sad smile.

Walking as best he could towards the tree at the centre of their city, Foster placed the stones against the trunk of the World Tree. Immediately, the stones seemed to sink into the bark as if it were devouring them. A shiver ran through the venerable wood, an invisible wave that reverberated through the air. The tree’s roots twitched, stretching into the depths of the earth. The foliage lit up with a new radiance, vibrating with an unprecedented power.

The ground trembled beneath his feet. The World Tree grew, rising even higher, its branches spreading out with fearsome majesty. A mighty wind whipped through the ruined city, carrying ash and dust in a blinding whirlwind. Foster stepped back, raising an arm to protect himself from the immense breath emanating from the sylvan colossus.

Then silence fell again.

The Tree was there, more imposing than ever, vibrating with immeasurable strength. But there was not a whisper in the air. No sighs, no voices.

Lïanna remained mute.

[*Ding* Quest Completed: Survive the invasion while keeping 150 of the world’s woods alive]

[Reward: Designation of the mother tree]

- Huh? the system notification snapped him out of his sadness.

[Description: The woods of the world are numerous but they remain alone and this solitude hinders their growth and power, one tree must stand out and be the centre of their power.

Effect 1: Complete strengthening of the tree designated as the mother.

Effect 2: Strengthens the offensive and defensive power of each of the son trees

Effect 3: Hidden]

- As I am with the elves, one tree will be for the whole wood.

Without hesitation, he chose the Mother Tree.