My world-tree system-Chapter 80 - 79: Safe return

Foster felt a cold sweat trickle down his temple. Joker was here.

The earthquake grew more intense, shaking the ground beneath their feet, heralding the imminent arrival of the Lord of the Apocalypse. Behind them, the pile of stones blocking the entrance to the tunnels began to crack. Fragments flew about, thrown in all directions by an invisible force.

- We’ve got to go!" roared Foster, his voice betraying absolute urgency.

Thorgrim nodded, his fists clenched in rage.

- Onward! To Vollua!

Without waiting, the surviving dwarves and elves dashed through the forest, their footsteps pounding the damp ground, kicking up dead leaves and dust in their frantic rush.

Foster ran as fast as he could, heart pounding, clutching his jade egg. Every muscle in his body screamed under the effort, but he knew they couldn’t stop. Behind them, Joker was approaching.

A piercing laugh split the air, cutting through the forest like an invisible blade, freezing their blood.

- Running away again?! shouted Joker with almost childlike excitement. How many times must I catch you before you accept your fate!

Foster glanced back and what he saw turned his stomach.

The pile of stones suddenly exploded, hurling massive blocks in all directions. A slender, graceful figure rose from the cloud of dust.

Joker.

He floated in the air for a moment, his smile still screwed to his lips, his eyes shining with perverse euphoria. Then, with unhealthy elegance, he landed softly on the ground, his long dark cloak floating behind him.

The dwarves and elves swore as they watched their pursuer emerge unscathed from the chaos.

- He’s unstoppable..." murmured Köflik, his eyes widening with fear.

- Not if he doesn’t catch us!" roared Thorgrim. Move, move!

They continued their escape through the forest, but Joker’s shadow pursued them like a living curse.

The Lord of the Apocalypse wasn’t even running. He advanced at a measured pace, content to raise one hand slowly.

- Come, come... It’s not much fun if you run off without a little farewell present...

Foster didn’t even have time to understand before the shadows came to life around him.

Countless black filaments sprang up from the ground, twisted and animated like tentacles, seeking to wrap around the fugitives’ legs.

- Don’t stop!" shouted Foster, violently slicing a shadow with his katana.

The others did the same, the dwarves using their axes to shatter the tentacles before they could grab them. But the shadow immediately reformed, even more aggressive.

- We can’t hold out!" cried Kassandra.

Foster searched desperately for a solution. They had to slow Joker down.

Then a crazy idea crossed his mind.

- Kassandra, Köflik, cover me!

He stopped abruptly, pivoting to face Joker’s creeping darkness. His hands instantly lit up with intense fire. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

- I’ll give him some warmth...

He drew back his arms slightly, concentrating all the magical energy he could still muster. The air around him began to burn.

- Foster!" shouted Köflik, seeing what he was up to. If you stay there, he’ll kill you!

- It’s better to die slowing the bastard down than having him on your back! Foster retorted, gritting his teeth.

Then he unleashed all his magic in a burst of flame.

- Sylvester Blaze]!

An immense wave of fire swept through the forest, consuming Joker’s shadows in an instant and forming a glowing barrier between them and their pursuer.

The trees sizzled under the intense heat, the ground cracked, and the flames cast chaotic shadows across Joker’s face.

For the first time, the Lord of the Apocalypse’s smile faded slightly.

He looked down at the blaze before him, almost disappointed.

- Oh... interesting.

Then, without any haste, he raised a hand and snapped his fingers.

An icy wind blew instantly, sucking out the heat and extinguishing some of the flames.

Foster felt his heart clench.

Even that wasn’t enough.

- RUN!" roared Thorgrim.

Foster gritted his teeth and turned on his heels, joining the others who had already gained a head start. They had gained a few precious seconds, but it wouldn’t last.

They ran as fast as they could, picking their way through the massive trees and treacherous roots that tried to slow their progress. Foster’s muscles burned under the effort, but he refused to weaken.

- Just a little longer!" shouted Kassandra. We’re approaching more open ground!

Thorgrim was still leading the group, his short but powerful legs hammering the ground with force.

Then, suddenly, they emerged from the forest onto a hill overlooking the horizon.

And there, in front of them, was Vollua.

Foster’s breath caught.

The canopy of the Mother Tree glistened softly in the dawn light, imposing and majestic, a fragment of their world they had thought lost.

- We’ve arrived..." breathed Köflik, his voice full of emotion.

But they had no time to savor their victory.

Behind them, a cold laugh resounded.

- So close to the goal..." murmured Joker’s honeyed voice. But the game’s not over yet.

Foster turned just in time to see a silhouette silhouetted against the dying flames, Joker’s purple eyes glowing with an almost supernatural intensity.

The Lord of the Apocalypse’s smile widened.

- I’m so going to enjoy ruining this little reunion.

And without warning, he charged.

Foster could feel his heart beating at a frenetic pace as they neared the edge of Vollua. But they didn’t have the luxury of slowing down. Behind them, Joker’s icy laughter echoed through the burning forest, a malevolent reminder that death was on their heels.

- Just a little longer!" shouted Kassandra, her voice ripping through the cold morning air.

Thorgrim, though slowed by his shorter legs, wasn’t giving up. His fists were clenched, his jaw clenched under the weight of rage and duty.

- Vollua is in sight! Hold on!" he thundered, catching sight of the immense silhouette of the Mother Tree.

Vollua’s rooted ramparts shimmered faintly in the light of the new day. An impenetrable protective dome, born of the power of Lïanna and the 156 Woods of the World, shielded the city from outside threats.

Foster knew that once inside, they’d finally be safe.

But so was Joker.

And he wasn’t about to let them reach their destination.

- No, no, no! he chuckled, teleporting in their direction with a leap. He was only a few meters behind them, moving at a frightening speed, his hands covered in a cloak of swarming shadows.

- He’s not going to let us go!" exclaimed Köflik, glancing back terrified.

- Hurry up!" roared Thorgrim, "I don’t want to die in a damned elven forest!

Foster saw Vollua’s doors begin to vibrate.

They had recognized them.

They were about to open.

- ALL INSIDE!" shouted Foster.

The group broke into a final sprint, their bodies exhausted but driven by the most primal survival instinct.

At that very moment, Vollua’s magical barriers gently cracked, revealing a passageway.

The elves and dwarves immediately rushed through, feeling the ancient power vibrating around them. Foster was the last to cross the threshold, leaping through the opening just before it closed.

Behind him, Joker leaped.

His smile widened as he reached out, trying to slip into the opening.

But he never quite got there.

The earth shook violently.

Waves of raw mana rose around the Mother Tree, bending the surrounding trees. The 156 Woods of the World awoke in unison, connected by a common will, an ancestral rage.

Joker’s shadow was instantly swept away.

He took a few steps back, blinking in surprise.

- Oh..." he murmured with an interesting smile.

Then a voice rang out, pure, powerful and implacable.

- You shall not cross this barrier, Lord of the Apocalypse.

Joker slowly raised his head.

There she was.

Lïanna.

A silhouette slowly emerged from the trunk of the Mother Tree. A feminine form, elegant and majestic, draped in pulsating green light. Her hair, like golden leaves, waved in a non-existent breeze.

Her luminescent eyes gazed at Joker with overwhelming authority.

She was the guardian of Vollua.

- Fascinating..." breathed Joker, an amused smile on his lips.

He took a step forward.

The response was immediate.

The ground exploded beneath his feet.

Immense roots sprang up from the ground, twisting like living creatures, hurtling towards him with lightning speed.

Joker leapt back, barely dodging.

But he didn’t even have time to land.

A second wave of roots washed over him, springing up from all sides. They closed like jaws.

Joker tried to use his shadow to disappear...

But it didn’t work.

He blinked, realizing too late that Lïanna’s magic was different.

- You have no power here, Destroyer," she declared coldly.

The roots tightened.

The air cracked under the pressure.

Joker was violently thrown backwards, as if torn from the very existence of this place.

He crashed into a tree several metres away, spitting blood.

There was a heavy silence.

Then Joker laughed.

The laugh of a child. The laugh of a man drunk on chaos.

- AHAHAHAHAHA!

He sat up slowly, wiping the blood from his lips, his smile wider than ever.

He raised his hand, noticing that his shadow was no longer answering his call.

Lïanna had sealed it.

- Héhéhé... You’re... impressive, my dear..." he murmured, "but that’s only part of the story.

He stepped back gently, the roots still quivering around him, ready to strike again.

Then, with a final smile, he stepped back and disappeared into the darkness of the forest.

Lïanna’s voice echoed softly in his mind.

- Welcome home, Foster.

A shiver ran through him.

- I see our protections are still in place. he smiled.