Chapter 508

【 DIVINEKINGDOM OF THE WORLD TREE 】

Sandstorm City, Northern Desert of Death

Nestled in the northern reaches of the Desert stood Sandstorm City, the economic heart of the entire Desert of Death and one of its few permanent settlements.

Given the orcs’ level of civilization and their inherent tribal societal structure, they primarily settled along oases in a nomadic fashion.

Built atop a passage leading to the Underground, Sandstorm City sat directly above the domain of the Dark City-State Alliance. It was the most convenient entry point one could access from the Desert if they wanted to venture down into the depths below.

It was a city that stood the test of time, and it could even be said that the city’s history traced back to the Silver Age, which was dominated by the elves.

Back then, this region was a flourishing oasis, and Sandstorm City was a stronghold established by the Elves as part of a grand effort to reclaim the desert.

Though time had worn away much of their legacy after thousands of years, remnants of elven architecture still remained here, standing as silent witnesses to a bygone era, much like those massive stone structures, and intricate carvings that could still be found throughout the area.

However, as the elven population declined, they eventually abandoned this settlement. The dwarves later on took control of Sandstorm City, using it as a mining hub to extract obsidian and mithril from the surrounding area.

However, the mineral deposits were depleted around two thousand years ago, and so the dwarves departed. Some retreated underground, becoming dark dwarves, while others migrated eastward in search of a new homeland.

Afterwards, the city’s rule passed to the orcs, who had remained its masters up to this day.

As the primary hub between the Desert of Death and the underground, as well as a crucial link between the southwestern continent and its subterranean regions, Sandstorm City has long been the most prosperous place in the desert.

Despite being ruled by orcs, the city also attracted a diverse population, including denizens of the underground, fugitives from human nations, as well as adventurers and mercenaries alike.

As long as one abided by the laws set by the orcs and paid a hefty sum in gold coins, anyone was basically permitted to enter and remain in the city.

Here, wealth determined one’s reach. Blackmarket traders, underground dwellers, and mercenary leaders could provide anything—if one had the means to pay, that is.

It was a paradise for the strong and a hell for the weak.

Thus, Sandstorm City had earned another name—

“The City of Chaos.”

The city was under the dominion of the Sandstorm Tribe, the third most powerful tribe among the orcs.

With a population of one hundred thousand, it was one of the four great tribes in the Desert of Death to reach such numbers.

The Sandstorm Tribe wielded formidable strength, boasting about two gold-rank orc warriors and a Behemoth mount of equal power.

Throughout history, the Sandstorm tribesmen had frequently risen to rule the royal orc court, producing more than one Orc King. Only a tribe of such strength could maintain an iron grip on a city as vital as Sandstorm City.

North of the city, within the abandoned dwarven mines that connected to the underground, ragged figures moved through the tunnels.

Most were orcs, though a few underground dwellers and even humans could be found among them.

These were the city’s lowest class…

The scavengers of the mines.

Though the mine’s ore deposits had long been exhausted, fortune occasionally smiled upon some scavengers who unearthed stray shards of obsidian or even mithril, thereby granting them instant wealth.

Chido was one of such scavenger.

He was an orc who had spent over a decade scouring the mines, surviving by collecting obsidian fragments to support his family.

Today, as always, he ventured deep into the tunnels, relying on his experience to seek out potential traces of remaining ore fragments.

“There was another tremor yesterday… The earthquakes have been happening more frequently since last year. Every time the ground shakes, the mines reveal new fragments. This time… I must seize the opportunity and delve deeper than ever before!”

Muttering to himself, Chido shouldered his tools and slipped into the mine, following his instincts and memories to the areas most likely to have surfaced minerals.

Yet, Chido froze when he reached his intended destination.

“W-What… is this?”

A mix of curiosity and trepidation flickered within his eyes as he stared at the unusual object in front of him.

The once-dark tunnel was now bathed in a shimmering golden haze, casting an ethereal glow that illuminated the cavern.

At the heart of the radiance floated an oval-shaped, milky-white mirror, its surface rippling like disturbed water. Along its edges, jagged black cracks twisted and shifted, emanating an unsettling aura of destruction.

Yet, rather than the ominous presence of those fissures, Chido found himself drawn to the mirror itself.

The moment he laid eyes upon it, an indescribable force seemed to envelop his whole body. Though unseen and intangible, it filled him with an overwhelming sense of tranquility and warmth.

Taking a deep breath, he detected the faint scent of flowers and greenery emanating from the mirror-like object, which felt entirely refreshing to the point of being almost intoxicating.

“What is this?” he murmured again, his voice tinged with wonder.

His instincts told him this object contained a power far beyond his understanding. Yet, something deep inside him assured him that no harm would come to him by getting close to it.

Compelled by an urge he could not resist, Chido tentatively reached out, his fingers grazing the mirror’s surface.

The moment he touched it, a surge of energy flooded through his entire being. His mind immediately went blank, whilst his consciousness was swallowed by an overwhelming force.

In the fleeting instant before darkness claimed him, he glimpsed a vast, boundless forest stretching endlessly before his eyes…

Then, as suddenly as it had vanished, his awareness snapped back into place.

Chido found himself still standing where he had been.

When Chido regained his senses, he found himself surrounded by an astonishing sight.

At some point—he didn’t know when—the entire mine had become overgrown with lush grass and vibrant flowers. Vines were steadily emerging from the rocky walls, twisting and expanding before his very eyes.

The radiant mirror continued to shine, illuminating everything in a warm glow.

The scene was both surreal and breathtaking.

However, as someone who had heard plenty of rumors from those orc warriors who survived fighting against the Elves, Chido’s expression quickly changed.

Vines appearing out of nowhere…

Countless flowers blooming all at once…

And a mysterious portal manifesting in the depths of the mine…

T-This…

Could this be the legendary magic of the elves?!

With a horrified gasp, he quickly collapsed onto the ground, his face drained of color. Then, in a panic, he scrambled to his feet and fled the mine, rolling and stumbling as he ran towards the entrance.

As he ran, he let out a terrified scream:

“B-Bad news! The elves are attacking!”

His voice was shrill with fear.

After months of relentless raids, the orcs living in the northern desert had developed a deep-rooted terror of the elves.

Chido fled at an astonishing speed.

He ran so fast that he didn’t even notice how unnatural it was.

Unknowingly, something within him had changed.

Ten minutes later, a heavily armed force of orcs arrived at the mine.

Leading them was a figure clad in an ornate ceremonial robe, his face painted with sacred oils—Sandstorm Tribe’s High Priest.

His eyes locked onto the glowing portal, his expression shifting into one of sheer disbelief.

“T-This is… a Spatial Gate?!”

He hesitated only briefly before reaching out to touch the portal.

But the moment his fingers made contact, a blinding white light erupted before his eyes.

The gate rejected him.

Yet, in that fleeting instant, he somehow caught a glimpse of a towering, majestic figure.

And from somewhere beyond the portal, countless voices echoed akin to a chorus of chants in a language so profound that simply hearing it stirred one’s soul.

The voices felt ancient, as if they had traveled across the vast expanse of time itself, of which carrying with them a sense of sorrow and longingness.

The High Priest, gifted with extraordinary intuition as a gold-rank cleric, instantly grasped the meaning behind the voices.

His eyes widened in utter shock, his voice trembling as he gasped:

“T-Th-The… World Tree?!”

༺⟐༻

Panic erupted within the Sandstorm Tribe.

No one knew exactly what had happened, but the ruling orcs mobilized at lightning speed, sealing off the mine, which was an area they had previously ignored.

Among them were the tribe’s elite Sandstorm Warriors.

Though few in number, every one of them was a silver-rank expert.

At the same time, curious onlookers consisting of orcs from other tribes, black-market traders, and human mercenaries also gathered outside, whispering among themselves.

“What’s going on?”

“Tsk, tsk… even the Sandstorm Experts were deployed?”

“Did they discover a new ore deposit?”

“Impossible! The mines resources were exhausted long ago…”

“Wait—look! Isn’t that the Sandstorm Tribe’s High Priest? Even he’s been summoned?”

“Something serious must have happened…”

Suspicion and curiosity filled the air, but every Sandstorm Tribesmen remained tight-lipped.

Meanwhile, an urgent envoy was dispatched to the Royal Court to report the situation.

Seeing how tense the city had become, a few experienced underground merchants and bounty hunters exchanged knowing glances.

The last time the Sandstorm Tribe had reacted this way was during the Orc King’s succession battle, when they lost their bid for the throne.

Whatever had appeared inside the mine this time was definitely no trivial matter.

Their eyes gleamed with calculation, and without a word, they quietly slipped away.

Sandstorm City was called “The City of Chaos” for a reason.

Here, no rule was absolute.

Wealth, power, status, and even the most guarded secrets—everything could be bought given the right price.

As long as one had enough gold coins…

Or was strong enough to take what they desired…

Nothing was beyond reach.

Therefore, in less than three days, rumors of the strange events in the mine had begun circulating among the various underground factions within Sandstorm City.

The sudden appearance of a radiant portal, shimmering like liquid light, the strange yet invigorating energy emanating from it, and the vines and flowers that defied nature by growing endlessly from barren stone…

The vast, primeval forest glimpsed beyond the portal, its emerald canopy stretching endlessly, and the ethereal chants that seemed to resonate from within it as if carrying the echoes of an ancient, forgotten hymn…

And most notably, the High Priest’s stunned reaction—the sheer disbelief in his eyes when his hand made contact with the portal.

Somehow, all of this had been leaked.

By the time the Sandstorm Tribe realized what had happened, it was already too late.

As a vital link between the surface and the Underground, Sandstorm City was more than a trade hub—it was a center of information, where intel were worth gold.

What happened in the mines was no longer just the orcs’ concern. Rumors had already spread, carried by merchants, mercenaries, and informants eager to gain a profit.

Thus by this point, the Sandstorm Tribe’s secret was no longer a secret.

༺⟐༻

Elven Forest, City of the Chosen

Within the ever-expanding Central Temple, which had grown more majestic with each renovation by the players…

A figure sat in the main seat of a side hall.

It was Evé, who’s currently in her disguise as “Zero.”

She lifted a stack of reports in her hands, her eyebrows arching slightly as she read it’s contents:

“A portal? The World Tree?”

Her soft murmur was immediately met with a lively, excited voice from the guest seat across from her:

“That’s right, Lady Zero! Our trade company obtained this intel from some of the underground dwarves we do business with. The orcs tried to suppress the news, but the commotion was simply too great, and it inevitably leaked out!”

“According to some influential figures in the underground, that portal could very well be connected to the lost Divine Kingdom of the World Tree that the Goddess has been searching for! There’s a strong possibility that a remnant of it fell into the Desert of Death!”

A remnant of Divine Kingdom of the World Tree…

Evé neither confirmed nor denied it.

Instead, she raised her gaze to the speaker.

Golden hair, emerald-green eyes, a breathtaking beauty that surpassed most players… and an expression of exhilaration, tinged with fanatic devotion.

It was DongDong.

This fourth-beta player had successfully advanced to a higher class after completing various priest tasks one after another, becoming a Silver-rank priest.

She is also the very first priest in the entire server to possess Silver-rank strength.

Incidentally, this achievement had also made her one of the most sought-after players in the entire game.

Not because of her masterful character customization of her avatar, nor because she was one of the rare players who had gotten a dragon partner.

But because she had become the strongest healer among the players after reaching Silver rank.

The kind of healer who could out-heal ten others combined.

Naturally, with her status as a Silver Priestess had also allowed her to “blend” into the inner workings of the Church of Life.

With her charisma and unwavering (fanatic) faith, she had quickly formed deep connections with many native elven priests including Saintess Alice herself.

The natives even revered her as the most devout (fanatical) of the Chosen Ones.

Well, It couldn’t be helped…

Her divine aura was simply overwhelming.

In battle, she was a reckless warrior-priestess who charged forward in the frontlines with a staff in hand.

But when it came to spreading the faith, compiling the Holy Codex of Life, and preaching in the Ouros Demirealm, she had surpassed even native elven priests and become a role model for many.

Yet at that moment, Eve’s focus wasn’t on DongDong’s theories about the World Tree’s supposed Divine Kingdom.

Instead, she looked at the girl with a slightly strange expression.

“…A trade company?”

DongDong’s smile stiffened, and she let out an awkward cough.

“Ah… It’s… our Amway Company… Ahem… It’s all for the Goddess’ sake, of course!”

Eve: “…”

“Our” Amway Company…is it?

Just great.

Another one dragged onto Demacia’s notorious MLM Group.

If she remembered correctly, this girl was the very same player had once declared she would never work with that guy in the past.

And yet… here she was.

With a sigh of resignation, Evé shifted her attention back to the reports in her hands.

As the successor to the previous World Tree, and having replaced her as the current reigning World Tree, Evé could discern far more from these brief descriptions than anyone else.

A portal… A forest… Voices chanting with an ancient aura…

And the mysterious transformation that occurred upon touching it…

As she read the Intel report, she instinctively compared these phenomena to her own Divine Kingdom.

And with each line, her expression grew more and more serious.

Everything described in this report…

Every phenomena which manifested…

It all aligned with what one would expect when a mortal stumbled upon a Divine Kingdom.

And those rather specific strange visions…

Only one Divine Kingdom could produce such phenomenas:

The lost Divine Kingdom of the previous World Tree, in which contains the very essence of Life and Nature…

However, something about it…

Evé narrowed her eyes.

She had a vague sense that something about it was really off.

— 508 —

— —

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep