Game Transmigration: Saving the World Again 1000 Years Later

244 Tree Spirit

“Tighten that headscarf; don’t let anyone see those eyes of yours,” growled the Forest Elf, his wolf-head facial tattoo glinting in the dim light. She was still half-awake.

They walked along the aerial bridge made of vines and branches, leaving the tree hole and making their way from the top of one giant tree to another.

The aerial bridge, wide enough for a carriage, was not man-made, but a product of the giant tree’s natural growth.

That’s right. Even if there were handrails and guardrails on the bridge, and there was a fall-proof net woven from vines under the bridge, it was still a product of nature.

!!

The Forest Elves, bound by ancient contract, were forbidden to harm the forest in any way, including chopping down trees and using flames. But any civilization relied on these very things for survival.

Therefore, as compensation, even if Ravenwood didn’t have a building built of wood or stone, there was a living city built by the power of the World Tree—Holy Tree City.

The Forest Elves’ sacred doctrine dictated that the World Tree’s will, known reverently as “Matriarch,” would respond to the supplications of the forest druids by nurturing the vital necessities for the inhabitants’ survival. But with each growth, it also caused the surrounding settlements to wither and decay.

In Holy Tree City, subtle transformations occurred constantly and without pause. On a grand scale, spanning seasons, years, and even centuries, this city was one that could never be fully mapped or understood.

It was for this very reason that Elise Silence, the chosen one bearing the destiny of the Eyes of God, selected Holy Tree City as her first destination to seek blessings from the seven Holy Spirits.

“But Mr. Quayle, why have we been exposed just three days in?” Elise, a girl who had inherited the last name Silence, a nod to an ancient Judgment hero, whispered.

“We’ll discuss it when we’re in a safe place. For now, use your ability to check for any signs of the sickly among us,” the Forest Elf named Quayle whispered back, pretending to be casually surveying the residents coming and going.

Being thin and sickly was the most obvious characteristic of the Holy Tree Duke’s Wild Hunt. After all, the Forest Elf troops, who were often in charge of carrying out the massacres, would see their combat will plummet to unacceptable levels if they couldn’t maintain a state of starvation at all times.

“Mm…”

Elise nodded.

With her entire face obscured by a headscarf, Elise’s vision was limited. But as the holder of the rare ability known as the Eyes of God, this was a minor inconvenience at best. Penetrating a few pieces of cloth to obtain a wider field of vision could only be considered one of its most inconspicuous abilities.

After Elise looked around for a long time, she tugged at Quayle’s hand and whispered, “Seven floors down from the main platform, I see nine Forest Elves with abnormal figures guarding the intersection. Most of them are on the main road, but it’s too far for me to see the exact type of magical reaction. Could it be the Holy Tree Duke’s Wild Hunt?”

Quayle’s wolf tattoo on his face began to writhe as if it were alive, peeling off his skin and floating about half a centimeter away from him. It let out a low howl as Quayle’s eyes transformed into the pupils of a wild beast, flickering with ferocity.

With the help of the beast’s vision, Quayle also spotted a group of Forest Elves carrying bone weapons and wearing beast hide. But they were so thin that they were nothing more than skin and bones. Even from such a distance, Quayle could sense an extremely wild and brutal aura lingering around them.

The transformation in Quayle’s tattoo lasted only a second or two. As he retracted his gaze, the floating spirit wolf soul returned to the tattoo on his face, as if everything before had been an illusion.

“There’s a high chance you’re right… Damn it, that intersection is the only way to return to the ground from these trees. We’re trapped here… We shouldn’t have chosen the tree as our stronghold.”

Quayle gritted his teeth.

“How about climbing down the tree trunk?”

Elise whispered, her eyes locked on Quayle’s reaction.

“That’s a surefire way to get discovered by the tree spirits. With so many Wild Hunts roaming around here, the leader must be a forest druid. They can communicate with the tree spirits of these World Tree subtrees. If we climb down the tree trunk, we’ll be intercepted before we even hit the ground.”

“Okay, fine. What about flying down then?”

Elise’s voice rose slightly.

“Do you know how to use flying magic?” Quayle asked.

Elise shook her head with a gloomy expression.

Elise had obtained the coveted Eyes of God legacy, but as a magic chanter, she remained at the level of an Apprentice. The very legacy that should have propelled her to greatness, now prevented her from advancing at the Astral Lighthouse for a ritual that resonated with her affine constellation. Her magical power had been stagnant for years since her magical enlightenment as a child.

But after a moment of despair, Elise’s eyes lit up as she looked at Quayle with eagerness.

“I heard Forest Elves can fly, right? They just grow eagle wings on their backs with a whoosh…”

Quayle could sense the excitement in her tone, even though he couldn’t see her expression.

It was clear that the prospect of soaring in the sky was more thrilling to her than the rumors of the Wild Hunt troops’ ferocity.

Did this young girl not realize the danger she was in? Or was this the norm for those who received the Eyes of God’s recognition and underwent the coronation ceremony?

Quayle’s mind raced as he thought about the future of his organization.

“I can’t… Inscribing the tattoo of the falcon spirit on the body to summon wings to fly is the Eagle Feather Clan’s legacy. And as you can see, I’m from the Wolfspeak Clan.”

Quayle shot down Elise’s daydreams with a sharp point of his finger at his tattoo.

He didn’t bother to explain how striking it would be to see someone from the Eagle Feather Clan take flight in front of everyone.

“Alright…” Elise murmured, her head drooping in defeat. She was more disappointed that she wouldn’t see the Forest Elf grow wings and soar, than the fact that they were in danger.

“Those Wild Hunts are just blocking our exit,” Quayle continued, his voice low and urgent. “The forest druids are probably communicating with the tree spirits of these subtrees right now. They’ll investigate the upper levels soon, and if that happens, we’ll be in big trouble.”

Quayle’s fingers drummed nervously on the railing as he ignored Elise’s gloomy demeanor.

Suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind.

Attention all citizens who have pledged allegiance to the Matriarch. Return to your homes before sunset and await inspection from the hounds. Pestilent insects intent on destroying the balance of the forest have infiltrated our land. Let us root them out together, cooperate with the hounds.

The voice was ancient, yet carried the energy of a living being.

As the voice spoke, humanoid figures made of countless emerald-green particles materialized on every platform in the giant trees. They hovered in the air, their voices a booming swarm as they addressed the people.

“May all non-Matriarchal citizens gather in the square outside the Canopy Holy Temple for examination. Those who resist will be marked with the Burner’s mark and exiled, never to set foot in Ravenwood again. Cooperation is expected.”

The Forest Elves were the only ones who could hear the tree spirits, but they knew that the other species needed to be informed. So, they summoned the spirits to act as messengers.

As the spirits wandered around the platforms, they used the empire’s standard language to remind visitors from other species to undergo inspection. They were like blank spirits, without any personal thoughts or emotions.

Quayle and the others were still standing near the railing when a tree spirit clone floated over to them. It floated straight in front of Elise and mechanically repeated its previous words.

“May all…”

Without hesitation, Quayle pressed down on Elise’s shoulder, signaling that he would be there soon.

Although these soul fragments were only summoned by the tree spirits to transmit their voices and their theoretical intelligence wasn’t much higher than that of the Elemental Souls, these soul fragments were not just simple messengers. They were also eyes used by the tree spirits to extend their vision. Quayle knew that if they were spotted, it would be all over.

Just as the floating soul fragment turned and left, Quayle prepared to breathe a sigh of relief. But before he could, a cold and slender hand suddenly patted his shoulder, causing his hair to stand on end.

Instinctively, Quayle clenched his fists and jerked backward, activating the wolf soul tattoo on his face. He was ready for battle at a moment’s notice.

...

But to his surprise, it was not the Wild Hunt or any other dangerous creature behind him.

Instead, it was a tall human woman with a cold expression.

She was dressed in light and exquisite leather armor, had a precision repeating crossbow on her back, and a silver rapier at her waist.

“I just arrived in Holy Tree City today. I want to ask where the Canopy Holy Temple that thing mentioned is,” the woman asked.

Quayle looked at her in confusion, sizing her up.

Just arrived in Holy Tree City today? Impossible!

According to the rules, anyone who came to Holy Tree City had to be provided with a local guide to familiarize foreigners with the city’s taboos and customs.

This wasn’t an exception even for the empire’s royal family. Before Erin Riel became the empress who ruled the empire, the current Holy Tree Duke personally served as her guide when she, a member of the royal family, was sent to Holy Tree City to recuperate.

Quayle casually asked, “Just you?”

“Holy… My master said he had something on and asked me to wait for him here. I never expected this to happen all of a sudden.”

Master? In other words, is he also human? After all, Quayle had never heard of a human calling a Forest Elf “Master” after the Unification War.

...

Therefore, could this person be a… stowaway who didn’t understand the rules of Holy Tree City?

Perhaps he could exploit…

Instantly, Quayle came up with a plan to escape.

He immediately nodded and said, “No problem. I happen to be heading to the Canopy Holy Temple too, so I can bring you along… May I know your name, Miss?”

Quayle opened his mouth and probed.

“Nizemar,” the woman replied directly. “You can call me Nizemar.”