Magic Tree?!
Using the skill "Information," Tang Zheng obtained details about the changes in the Tove Great Forest from Anri and was taken aback.
There was no accurate intelligence yet.
However, the fact that monsters in the Tove Great Forest were in constant turmoil, and even had roots growing inside them, was an abnormal situation.
After much thought, Tang Zheng concluded that besides the "Magic Tree," there were no other monsters in the Tove Great Forest capable of causing such a significant impact.
"How could this be?"
Tang Zheng stood in the valley, inside a wooden shed he had temporarily set up and filled with various magical materials. He looked in the direction of the Tove Great Forest, frowning slightly.
"I recall the seal on the Magic Tree loosening not long after the Great Tomb of Nazarick descended. That's still two years away?"
"Could something have happened, or is my appearance causing this?"
Tang Zheng fell into thought, unable to make a judgment.
"At least I can confirm that the Magic Tree has not fully revived. If it had, given its level, there would be no possibility of any living creature surviving around the Tove Great Forest."
Tang Zheng decided to observe further through Anri.
The Magic Tree's strength was already in the top tier of this world, but it wasn't a threat to Tang Zheng at the moment. Even if something unexpected occurred.
He could easily deal with the Magic Tree by relying on the World Item, [Two Worlds Mandala]!
The establishment of the Slane Theocracy's [Darkness Scripture] was specifically to counter the Magic Tree.
[Starry Sky Thousand Miles] was frequently used to detect the Magic Tree's revival status in order to take appropriate measures.
"Once the [Darkness Scripture] makes a move, it should be a good opportunity." Thinking this, a smile appeared on Tang Zheng's face.
The God-Human Captain was his next candidate for a [Crown] member. He had previously considered this while hidden within the Theocracy and hadn't acted.
Perhaps this time he could use the "Magic Tree" incident to bring the God-Human Captain under his control.
Tang Zheng remembered the God-Human Captain's level to be around level 70. However, seeing as he was suppressed by Killing Death, it indicated that his job build was likely quite messy.
The identity of the third God-Human of the Theocracy was the previous High Priest!
Tang Zheng estimated his level to be between "Lv 40 to Lv 50." He was already very old, and his talent was limited.
The leader of [Zuranon] was secretly in contact with him. Both parties wanted to find the [Abyss Body].
Their true intentions were not difficult to deduce.
Unfortunately.
The [Abyss Body] was destroyed, and their opportunity was gone.
--- E-Rantel ---
As a border city and the front line of the Empire's wars, it always became more lively around this time of year.
And at this moment.
This liveliness far surpassed previous years, though too many people did not appreciate this "liveliness."
Adventurer's Guild.
Recently, many renowned adventurers from various cities had rushed to this place, causing the Adventurer's Guild to be overcrowded.
The abnormal situation in the Tove Great Forest could not be concealed, but ordinary adventurers had no right to know more specific details.
"They're here!"
"Ah!"
"Ohh!"
"It's such an honor to see so many powerful adventurers."
"I'm so happy!"
"...Don't you care about what actually happened?"
"It has nothing to do with us."
Excited and noisy voices erupted from the first-floor lobby of the Adventurer's Guild.
The crowded masses uniformly looked towards the outside of the Adventurer's Guild, where several adventurer teams were approaching from a distance.
"Isn't that [Blue Rose]?"
"That's right, an all-female, Adamantite Rank adventurer team."
"Blonde... As expected of the woman called 'The Light of Life,' I think I'm falling for her."
"Get lost, you idiot, you're crushing me!"
"Hey, hey, is that tall, muscular person really a woman?"
"Strange, why is there one extra person?"
"..."
Discussions rose from all directions.
"Darkness Sword"'s captain, Peter, pushed through the crowd with his three teammates, all looking towards the Blue Rose at the very front.
"I'm so envious."
"This is the destiny an adventurer should have." Captain Peter's face was flushed, his gaze burning towards the front.
"Don't overthink it."
"We've only just been promoted to Silver Rank adventurers. I heard that the minimum rank for those summoned is Gold Rank teams."
Teammate Lucroht loosened his shoulders, his brown eyes fixed on the beautiful figure ahead.
"Hahaha~"
Another teammate, Dain, let out a hearty chuckle. "Then we have to work even harder. Speaking of which, our team is named that because of the Four Demon Swords, right?"
"I never thought I'd have the honor of seeing them today."
As he said this.
A look of dejection appeared on Captain Peter's face. It was probably the feeling of his dream being shattered before it could even be realized.
A seemingly frail figure in the team looked at the girl accompanying the Blue Rose. "She's so young, yet so amazing."
"Hm? Who is that girl?"
Other adventurers nearby asked curiously.
"Anri, the 'Soul Eater'!"
"The wielder of the Pure Sword, one of the Four Holy Swords!"
A collective gasp echoed through the air.
The Adventurer's Guild, 4th floor.
On this floor, in the rooms containing various documents and important intelligence, a vault was now in use. This basically signified an important event being handled by the Guild and the entire city of E-Rantel.
Pushing open the door!
Lakyus and Anri entered the room first, followed by the rest of the adventurers.
Due to the large number of adventurers and the limited space in the conference room, the people entering were representatives of their respective adventurer teams.
Even so!
There were still over a dozen people.
Everyone's gaze immediately focused on the three figures already waiting in the conference room.
The Guild Master of the Adventurer's Guild - Einzack!
The Guild Master of the Mage's Guild - Raxil!
The Mayor of E-Rantel - Panasole!
With a "click," the conference room door closed behind the last person to enter, completely shutting out the noisy atmosphere outside.
In the center of the not-so-spacious conference room was a long table. After Anri and the others sat down, the space and atmosphere immediately became oppressive.
"I am very grateful that all of you could lend your aid at such a critical moment. Pfft-hic."
Panasole, his stout body shifting slightly, expressed his gratitude while dabbing his forehead with a pure white handkerchief.
Towards the end, as if his nose was blocked, he made a breathing sound resembling a pig's snort.
Hearing this strange sound.
Everyone's expressions were calm, devoid of any emotion.
Even though this mayor appeared no different from the incompetent nobles imagined by common people, he was, in fact, the highest-ranking person in this city.
Any "strangeness" or "disrespect" would lead to unforeseen trouble!
Anri sat up straight, her hands resting on her knees, gently pinching her thumbs to remind herself that she was representing the entire "Free Will."
"It's been a while, pfft-hic, Lakyus."
Panasole turned his head, his fleshy neck moving. "When I saw you last time in the royal capital, you weren't this... pfft-hic."
"Thank you for your assistance during this period."
"Lord Panasole."
Lakyus's emerald eyes were bright and clear, showing no disgust towards the mayor's pig-like appearance:
"I've heard my father praise your talent several times."
"E-Rantel's prosperity is all thanks to your governance. And as an adventurer, this is what I should do."
This exchange caused many of the adventurers present to look sideways.
It was then that everyone remembered that Lakyus was not only an Adamantite Rank adventurer but also a rare high-ranking noble in the Kingdom.
"Hahaha... pfft-hic, hahaha."
Panasole let out a hearty laugh upon hearing the sincere praise. "It is my honor to be recognized by your father."
Einzack watched the two people continuing their reminiscing, a helpless smile gracing his lips. He raised his hand to his mouth. "Ahem, ahem."
"I sincerely apologize, Mayor. I believe reminiscing can wait."
"Pffft, a pleasant chat will help ease the atmosphere a bit."
"Headaches and troublesome matters always exist, and they won't disappear just because you're in a hurry... pffft."
Panasole raised a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead again, speaking softly.
Einzack could detect the sarcasm within those words and could only offer a wry smile.
"Perhaps my understanding of this matter is insufficient... Could you explain in detail, Guild Master?"
Panasole's narrowed eyes flickered slightly. From Einzack's tone and expression, he could grasp the man's urgency.
This swift and serious approach to the situation.
Immediately elevated the impression of Panasole among the adventurers present.
"It's like this..."
Einzack immediately presented the intelligence he had gathered over this period, explaining as he handed it to everyone present.
The atmospheric pressure in the room visibly grew heavy!
"It can parasitize within monsters?"
"Control rampaging monsters, causing them to go bersackle?"
"If widespread parasitization causes disaster... it's speculated to be a plant-type monster."
The meeting room fell into a profound silence!
"It's worse than we anticipated, pffft. All these things are happening at once."
The sweat on Panasole's forehead became more profuse. He had to take out his handkerchief to wipe again, his expression grim.
"In short, how much budget is needed for this, and can it be handled in a short period?"
He felt a bit weary.
Captain Gazef and Captain Renners of the Kingdom were currently stationed on the outskirts of "E-Rantel."
According to reports, Imperial troops had also been spotted, and war could break out at any moment.
The 2,000 elite troops, along with horses, weapons, armor, and supplies, were already giving him a headache.
Now.
With this incident occurring in the Tove Great Forest, it was clear that Guild Master Einzack could no longer handle it solely with the Adventurers Guild, hence today's meeting.
"Please forgive my directness," Einzack said with a serious tone. "This is not merely a matter of budget."
"So?"
Panasole put down the handkerchief he was using to wipe sweat. "Can you elaborate further?"
He admitted he didn't know much about adventurers' affairs, but he figured the professionals present could explain it clearly.
"Based on the current intelligence."
"This is an unknown plant-type monster, with an adventurer rank of at least level 90."
Einzack spoke words that made the faces of the adventurers present change dramatically.
A flicker of bewilderment crossed Panasole's eyes. He still couldn't accurately grasp the evaluation of such strength.
"To confront a monster like this, generally requires an Adamantite Rank adventurer team. An Orichalcum Rank adventurer, below that level, is roughly equivalent to over a thousand soldiers."
"This is because a team of 2,000 soldiers once attempted to suppress an Orichalcum Rank adventurer team. The result was that the team safely retreated after the soldiers suffered a thousand casualties."
Einzack had to adopt a clearer perspective to explain:
"And five Orichalcum Rank adventurer teams might not be a match for one Adamantite Rank team."
Panasole's mouth opened, but he remained silent.
"Um, I'd like to ask something."
"Regarding the level of this unknown plant-type monster, how did you arrive at that conclusion?"
The captain of an Orichalcum Rank team named "Sirius" inquired.
Lakyus replied, "It's like this."
"The Tove Great Forest originally had Three Great Dominators, with an average adventurer strength of around level 90. This plant-type monster has never appeared before, not even in rumors."
"Now, the Three Great Dominators were eliminated by members of [Zuranon], and this plant-type monster suddenly appeared. Therefore, in terms of strength estimation, we lean towards the level of the Three Great Dominators."
Lakyus explained patiently.
"That's right."
Einzack immediately agreed, his expression even bordering on anger. "[Zuranon], this cult organization, eliminating the Three Great Dominators likely meant they knew all along that a plant-type monster of similar level was hidden in the Tove Great Forest."
"With the suppression of the Three Great Dominators gone, they released it. This mysterious plant-type monster has since become unrestrained."
"This is a naked act of revenge against the Kingdom!"
Bang!
Einzack slammed his fist on the table, breathing heavily in anger.
The moment the word "retaliation" was spoken!
The gazes of the many adventurers present couldn't help but turn towards Anri, who sat to the side, having remained silent until now.
"Free Will" had foiled the plot of [Zuranon] in the Abelion Hills, and even their leader was rumored to be dead.
Such a great loss!
It was completely normal for a cult organization like [Zuranon] to retaliate, especially since "Free Will" was an adventurer team from their kingdom.
"These detestable bastards!"
Anri pursed her lips, gritting her teeth as she whispered furiously.
Even more so, she silently conveyed to Tang Zheng her anger towards evil organizations like [Zuranon].
That's right!
Tang Zheng was also participating in this meeting.
He was communicating secretly through "information," having Anri relay the meeting's content in real-time.
Tang Zheng had initially wanted to obtain information about the Magic Tree first, but he hadn't expected the Adventurer's Guild to blame [Zuranon] for the matter.
—Abelion Hills.
Tang Zheng's expression was somewhat strange. He had previously attributed the deaths of the Three Great Dominators to [Zuranon].
He had only wanted to prevent the "Goblin Farming Plan" from being investigated, never expecting that people from the Adventurer's Guild would connect it to this.
"From what I'm hearing now..."
"Does the Adventurer's Guild completely lack any information about the 'Magic Tree'?" Tang Zheng's face showed surprise.
Even if the Adventurer's Guild didn't know, wouldn't Iville Ai?
Come to think of it!
It did seem possible.
The "Magic Tree" was sealed deep within the Tove Great Forest over 300 years ago, which forced the Dark Elves who originally lived in the forest to leave and migrate to the current Ivantsha Great Forest.
Apart from the Slane Theocracy, human nations like the Kingdom and the Empire were basically established 200 years ago.
That was the era of the 13 Heroes.
The "Magic Tree" had last partially awakened 200 years ago and was resealed by members of the 13 Heroes.
At that time, Iville Ai was only around 50 years old, so she might not have been involved in the matter, making it normal for her not to know.
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