Far across the sea on the western continent, Erik and his son remained blissfully unaware of the shifts altering the world. Because neither of them possessed the reality-bending might of a Paragon nor wielded anything even close to that level of power, the clash between the two major forces had completely bypassed them. They had no idea a battle of that magnitude had occurred, nor did they realize that every major power across the globe had taken notice and was now looking for more ways to grow their power.

Instead, the father and son were filled only with the quiet joy of a long, grueling mission finally drawing to a close.

Behind them, the territories of the humanity kingdom had been transformed into an eerie, silent dead zone. There was no violence, no structural ruin, but the sight was deeply unsettling to anyone who crossed the border, streets lined with the motionless, sleeping bodies of pale, cursed beings.

Yet, just beyond the borders of this unnatural slumber, ordinary life persisted. In the untouched territories, humans went about their daily routines, entirely oblivious to the spreading dead zone creeping up around them. They didn’t notice the silence closing in, but there was one thing they could see. In fact, the entire western continent was slowly waking up to a bizarre phenomenon, the sky above them was being subtly overtaken by the shimmering, translucent shadows of gargantuan tree branches, spreading across the heavens like a dream.

For the humans remaining within the borders of the humanity kingdom, this celestial spectacle was far more intense and undeniable. The moment they raised their heads toward the heavens, they were met with the breathtaking sight of shimmering, colossal branches laden with ethereal leaves, accompanied by a inexplicably sweet scent that drifted through the air.

However, for those standing outside the territory and looking in, the view was entirely different. To the outside world, it appeared as a colossal, rapidly growing tree whose roots and canopy were aggressively expanding to swallow the entire territory of the humanity kingdom.

Such an ominous, rapid transformation immediately drew the eyes of the world. Questions spread like wildfire, and a suffocating wave of paranoia began to rise among the populace. People were terrified of Erik’s next move, deeply apprehensive that the insane king was about to unleash something cataclysmic again that would endanger them all.

Sensing the threat, top-tier nations like the Sun Kingdom immediately mobilized. Powerful Paragons took to the field, ready to intervene and cut down the anomaly before it could spread further. Yet, before they could even cross the border, their advance was utterly halted by a terrifying presence.

Guarding the tree, cast in an imposing silhouette against the shimmering sky, was the shadow of Viridrigon. The mere presence of the legendary dragon acted as an absolute deterrent, freezing the world’s strongest forces dead in their tracks.

The presence Viridrigon exuded was nothing less than that of the Origin Gods themselves, leaving onlookers paralyzed with awe and curiosity. Speculation ran rampant, what could possibly be the relationship between the mad king Erik and this ancient dragon to make such a legendary being leave its sanctuary?

Yet, before the kingdoms could decipher the mystery, the major battle shook the world. That explosive clash instantly drew the world’s attention away from the western border. Suddenly, the Paragons found themselves facing a far more pressing crisis concerning the stability of their own power and their actual standing in a rapidly changing world.

Meanwhile, entirely detached from the global panic, Erik and his son hovered silently in the air above a city. This was it, their final stop. The very last place in their kingdom that still contained the transformed, cursed beings.

Having repeated this grim ritual countless times across the kingdom borders, they were entirely familiar with the process. Without exchanging a word, father and son broke into action with a cold, terrifying efficiency. To an outside observer, the sheer brutality of their method would look like pure cruelty, but to them, it was cost effective.

First came the swift shattering of bones and crippling of the targets to completely immobilize them. Once the cursed beings were incapacitated, the blood extraction process was carried out, draining their corrupted vitality and forcing them into a weakened, deep sleep state. Finally, Erik would cast a powerful healing spell over the area, knitting the broken bones back together perfectly, leaving the pale citizens whole, stable, and deeply asleep in the quiet streets.

In less than an hour, an entire metropolis had been completely subdued by their hands. Together, father and son watched the pulsing, highly condensed mass of harvested blood hover in the air. Suddenly, the phantom manifestation of a dragon materialized, snapping its jaws to swallow the crimson sphere whole before diving deep into the earth, vanishing into the distance below.

Erik turned his gaze toward his son, Eldrin, who was already looking back at him with a weary but triumphant smile. Without speaking, both were having the exact same thought "Finally, after all these years of suffering and decay, their home was going to stand strong once again"

Erik placed a firm, grounding hand on his son’s shoulder. "Return to the capital. Station yourself there and act as my voice. I do not know how long the full transformation will take, nor when the rebirth of our people will be complete. Regardless, it is vital to have someone of authority there, a voice of reason to calm the populace and explain exactly what has transpired."

Eldrin nodded in understanding, but a small frown creased his brow as he looked at his father. "You still insist on informing the normal citizens about the change? On giving them the freedom of choice?"

Erik’s feet smoothly left the cobblestones as he began to drift upward, hovering in the open air. "I have made choices of my own over their lives for far too long now," he said softly, his voice carrying a weight of centuries of burden. "It is about time I let them decide their own path."

With a sudden burst of momentum, he took to the sky, cutting through the air toward the isolated territory where he had originally erected his massive protective shield, the barrier that had kept the remaining uncorrupted, normal citizens of his kingdom safe from the horrors outside.

He was heading there for two distinct reasons. The first was to finally dismantle the shield itself. While it had successfully acted as an absolute sanctuary for his people, it had also kept them entirely trapped, mired in a state of confusion that ensured they never dared or think to venture beyond its borders.

The second reason was to deliver the news they had anticipated for generations. He was going to inform his people that the nightmare was finally over, they had overcome the plague of curses. After so many years of survival and desperate research, they had not only found a way to completely immunize themselves against the corruption, but had learned how to harness and bend its very power to their own benefit.

Of course, this monumental triumph was not without its price. To acquire such power, one had to entirely forgo their human identity. Utilizing his own ancient Elven blood, Erik had birthed the gargantuan tree that now dominated the sky above their heads.

It was a tree that represented the total transformation of their race into a new, half-elven identity. A necessary evolution, as pure Elven blood had proved through all logic to be completely immune to the corruption of the curse.

For the vast majority of his populace, those who had already been turned into mindless, cursed beings obtaining consent had been an impossibility. He had been forced to make the executive choice for them, subduing them and leaving them in their current dormant state, waiting for the tree to fully mature so their transformation could take place.

But it was a different case altogether with the uncorrupted citizens living beneath the shield. Erik understood that he could not simply force this metamorphosis upon them without breeding deep, lasting resentment. They deserved a say in their own destiny. He needed their explicit consent, and that was exactly what he was flying out to secure.

His kingdom had been named the Humanity Kingdom for a reason, it was the first human nation in this world to rise against all odds. Because of this monumental history, the people within its borders were fiercely, undeniably proud of their human identity.

It was also the exact reason Erik had never truly revealed his Elven lineage to them. To his subjects, his striking looks and timeless beauty were simply the marks of a child favored by the gods, to them, he was the ultimate, perfect expression of the human visage.

Now, he was about to completely shatter that illusion, exposing his true self at the exact moment he laid these life-altering choices before them. He fully expected a massive wave of pushback. He knew all too well that he hadn’t exactly been a good or present leader to them for a very long time.