Chapter 572

【 ISN’T IT TERRIFYING?! 】

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Fort Collins, Northwestern Border of Holy Maniya Empire

Located on the northwestern frontier of the Empire, Fort Collins stood as a fortress established to defend against any invasions by northern orcs. As a critical military stronghold in the Empire’s western region, it bordered the snow-capped grasslands to the north and the Vymur River to the west.

At its peak, the garrison stationed there reached over 100,000 elite soldiers of the Empire.

Over the past several decades, internal conflicts gradually eroded the Empire’s national strength, leaving it unable to sustain a stronghold in the harsh and unforgiving western frontier. In addition, the recent de-escalation of tensions between humans and orcs further diminished the strategic necessity of maintaining a substantial military presence at Fort Collins. As a result, the fortress gradually fell into decline.

Today, the once-formidable military garrison has dwindled down to fewer than 5,000 troops, most of whom are old, infirm, or disabled. The city itself now serves primarily as a trade hub between merchants and orcs, thanks in large part to its small riverside port on the Vymur River.

However, Fort Collins’s geographical location is extremely remote.

Even though it has become a point of contact between humans and orcs, the area remains desolate for most of the year—except during autumn—exuding a lingering air of abandonment and quiet decay.

That is… how it was supposed to be.

At this very moment, however, the western dock of Fort Collins was bustling with activity.

The area were crowded with people coming and going.

Several merchant ships are moored at the docks, and the shoreline was teeming with adventurers, bounty hunters, fallen nobles, and well-dressed traders.

It looks more like a thriving commercial port than a forgotten outpost.

Along the riverbank, a tall, imposing warrior was seen walking leisurely.

Behind him followed a fully armed orc retainer with a sharp, formidable presence, displaying a posture of deference.

At the warrior’s side was a ragged-looking adventurer, speaking with enthusiasm:

“Sir, I could tell from your attire that you are no ordinary man. Are you also here for the divine ruins across the river?”

“Divine ruins?”

The warrior paused slightly and cast a glance at the adventurer.

Emboldened by this response, the adventurer grew even more spirited. He chuckled, thumped his chest, and said:

“To tell you the truth, sir, I’ve been in Fort Collins for over three months and I’ve already entered those ruins twice. If you’re willing to give me ten gold coins, I’ll share everything I know about it!”

The tall warrior gave no clear reply. Instead, he glanced sideways at the orc behind him.

The orc sneered at the adventurer, pulled golds worth ten coins from his pouch, and tossed it over.

The adventurer’s eyes lit up as he eagerly grabbed the coins and said with enthusiasm:

“Thank you, sir! Thank you very much! What would you like to know?”

“Tell me everything you know about the inside of that ruins,” the warrior said in a deep voice.

The adventurer nodded and began:

“Sir, those divine ruins… they’re actually the lost divine kingdom of the World Tree, which perished a thousand years ago. Inside, it’s filled with lots of corpses and buried treasures fron that era. There are also many rare magical plants growing there as well!”

“In fact, many who went in and managed to come out made a fortune!”

He spoke with animated gestures.

“Oh? But I’ve heard that these ruins have been claimed as territory by the Elves and anyone who entered is considered an enemy of both the Elves and the Goddess of Life.”

The tall warrior raised an eyebrow as he spoke.

At that, the adventurer chuckled sheepishly:

“Heh, yeah that’s what they say, but with so many people entering, how can the Elves possibly control them all? As for the Goddess of Life… we lowly mortals probably aren’t even worth Her attention, right?”

“But I did run into those crazy Elves and even fought them when I first entered. Let me tell you Sir—they’re vicious, and more devious than many adventurers I know! I’d say, they’re even worse than devils!”

“Crazy Elves?”

The tall warrior paused in his tracks.

Seeing that his client was interested, the adventurer became more animated:

“Yes! Those Elves are really crazy!”

“Sir, surely you’ve heard of the war that happened Underground two years ago, right? And the recent Holy War this last spring between the Elves and the Orcs?”

“Those Elves! They’re very unusual. They fight like madmen in battle. They seem chaotic, yet oddly disciplined. They have no regard for their lives and are incredibly difficult to deal with. I even heard rumors they sold their souls to the Goddess of Death so that they could resurrect after dying! Isn’t that terrifying?”

“Oh, and their efficiency is terrifying too…”

“Sir, did you know that Winterhold, the Elven city near the ruins which was built in just two months? I swore, there was nothing there two months ago! They’ve constructed it out of thin air, complete with full divine magical defenses and all. It’s nearly impossible to breach. Isn’t that terrifying?”

The warrior nodded thoughtfully:

“Indeed. I also heard that their numbers are vast, as if they appeared out of nowhere in the Elven Forest.”

“Exactly!”

The adventurer nodded vigorously.

Then, glancing around and lowering his voice, he added:

“Sir, since you mentioned their numbers seemed to have appeared out of nowhere… do you know how they got here?”

“Hmm?”

Upon hearing these words, the tall warrior glanced at the adventurer with a hint of amusement in his expression.

“So, by your tone… are you implying that you know the answer?”

“Hehe! Sir! Others might not know, but I just happened to know!” the adventurer replied excitedly. “I overheard it right before I clashed with those elves inside the ruins.”

Then, lowering his voice, he added:

“Sir, you wouldn’t believe it… The reason those elves seemed to have appeared overnight is because, they don’t even belong to our world!”

“They don’t belong to our world?”

The tall warrior narrowed his eyes.

“Exactly!”

The adventurer nodded vigorously and continued:

“Sir, this is the truth I’ve pieced together from various sources, confirmed by what I overheard. This information is one of a kind…”

After speaking, he looked around cautiously and gave the warrior a conspiratorial wink.

The warrior understood and signaled subtly to the orc behind him.

With a snort, the orc tossed another gold coin at the adventurer.

Delighted, the adventurer quickly pocketed the coin and said flatteringly:

“Thank you, sir! Thank you! You are truly generous. In that case, I’ll share everything I know!”

Lowering his voice once again, he continued:

“Sir, according to information I gathered from the Underground, there’s actually a secret demirealm within the Elven Forest—a demirealm inhabited by a great many humans!”

“A demirealm?”

The warrior paused slightly, but then a look of realization flickered across his face as though he recalled something.

His expression was natural, yet subtly strange.

“And what does this have to do with the elves?” he asked.

“It has everything to do with them!”

The adventurer slapped his thigh.

Clearing his throat, he continued:

“Those humans inside that demirealm… they are not ordinary people. In fact, they carry elven blood within them—they are descendants of elves! The elves that have emerged from the Elven Forest lately are those very descendants but have been transformed!”

“Heh heh… Sir, this might sound unbelievable, but it’s true! The Goddess of Life possesses an immensely powerful divine artifact called the Scepter of Life!”

“It is said that the Scepter of Life can create life and purify bloodlines! These elves were transformed through bloodline purification by that divine artifact!”

“That’s why their personalities are so different from traditional elves!”

“Moreover… it’s said that the Goddess of Life has a close relationship with the Goddess of Death, and because of this, these elves possess abilities that resemble those of the undead!”

“Tell me, sir… isn’t that terrifying?”

The adventurer was visibly excited.

The warrior, upon hearing this, appeared somewhat surprised. With a half-smile, he replied:

“These matters… they seem quite secretive. How did you come to know them?”

“Exactly! That’s why I said this is exclusive information! I risked my life piecing this truth together from various sources all over!”

The adventurer replied with pride.

After hearing this, the warrior chuckled softly and finally shook his head.

“Adventurer, your so-called exclusive intelligence… this is actually the fifth time I’ve heard the exact same tale from different people today.”

The adventurer’s smile froze on his face.

The warrior waved dismissively, and the orc behind him snorted coldly:

“Leave.”

Startled by the orc, the adventurer’s expression changed instantly, and he hurried off in embarrassment.

Only the tall warrior remained, slowly shaking his head.

He walked toward the dock and gazed silently at the lush forest across the river.

Noticing him and the orc behind him, several well-dressed merchants immediately perked up.

They approached eagerly with flattering smiles and began enthusiastically offering their wares:

“Sir, do you need a map of the northern region of the Elven Forest? Our guild’s adventurers risked their lives to create this! It shows several detailed routes to the Divine Kingdom of the World Tree!”

“Don’t listen to him, sir! The entrances to the World Tree’s Divine Kingdom shift constantly so there’s actually no fixed entrance to it. But our guild sells magical tools capable of detecting spatial fluctuations! For just five hundred gold coins, we guarantee you’ll find the entrance precisely!”

“Sir! I have magic scrolls specifically designed to counter those evil elves! For only three hundred gold coins, no elf will be able to approach you!”

“Sir, sir…”

Various merchants swarmed around the tall warrior with great enthusiasm. As seasoned traders, their eyes were sharp and although the two were dressed modestly, they could immediately tell from the materials of their gear that they were of exceptional quality.

More importantly, the fact that he commanded a formidable orc retainer clearly signaled that he was no ordinary figure.

The orc retainer was not someone easily intimidated, especially this one, whose aura was powerful enough to suggest he had likely reached the Gold-Rank.

Anyone with even a hint of awareness would immediately realize that a warrior capable of commanding such a formidable companion must be a person of great potential and likely very rich.

Naturally, if one could cater to his interests, the rewards could be substantial.

And what exactly would he be interested in?

At this time of year, anyone coming to Fort Collins could only have one purpose, the shattered divine kingdom that had fallen into the forest across the river.

The merchants eagerly introduced their wares. However, the tall warrior remained indifferent, unmoved by their enthusiasm.

As their persistence grew, he began to show visible irritation, faintly furrowing his brow.

“Disgusting creatures much like goblins. Get lost!”

Noticing the subtle change in the warrior’s expression, his orc retainer let out a thunderous roar and barked angrily at the merchants.

At the same time, he unleashed his overwhelming presence and drew a massive crimson battle axe from his waist, slamming it forcefully into the ground.

The wave of pressure that followed sent a chill through everyone present, not only the merchants but also the nearby adventurers, whose expressions changed instantly.

“The Crimson Battle Axe… That’s the Orc Berserker, Hercules!”

A voice rang out from within the crowd.

Hercules?

As the name spread, the gathered crowd collectively froze—then their faces turned to awe and fear.

Hercules was a legendary warrior of the Orc Alliance.

One by one, the crowd dispersed.

In moments, the area around the dock was completely cleared.

Neither merchants nor adventurers dared to linger.

Looking around at the suddenly quiet dock, the tall warrior sighed in resignation.

He muttered:

“Hercules, after all these years, you’re still so quick-tempered.”

The orc, Hercules, shook his head slightly.

“They were noisy foolish mortals. Disturbing Your Excellency Athos’s peace.”

“Is that so? I actually found their haggling rather amusing,” the tall warrior—Athos—replied with a chuckle.

“It reminded me of a long time ago…”

Despite his words, he made no mention of the irritation that had briefly flashed across his face when the merchants surrounded him earlier.

After a moment of silence, Athos spoke again, more to himself than anyone else:

“A secret demirealm with many elven human hybrids… bloodline purification… So that’s the reason behind the elves’ rapid rise?”

“But why does something about this still feel… off?”

He shook his head.

“What a pity… The elves are under the direct protection of the Goddess of Life. Otherwise, capturing one of them might reveal their secrets.”

“No wonder His Majesty instructed me to investigate thoroughly. This Goddess of Life… she’s quite the enigma.”

Having said that, Athos turned toward Hercules once more.

“By the way, Hercules, how are things in the Desert of Death?”

Hearing the question, Hercules’s expression darkened slightly.

“Not good. I’ve sent out some of my followers to spread their faith, but with little success… Many of the orcs there even viewed them with hostility.”

“Hostility, huh…”

Athos paused, then sighed.

“It’s not entirely unexpected. After all, it was your people who drove them out of the Orc Alliance in the first place.”

Hercules fell silent, unable to respond.

Seeing the orc’s silence, Athos patted him on the shoulder.

“Enough. Don’t dwell on it. Let’s focus on meeting the Goddess of Life first. It’s been far too long since I descended upon the realm of Seigües. I’ve already delayed more than I should have.”

Hercules straightened his posture.

“Understood, Lord Athos. Shall I arrange a ship? From here, we can go straight to the heart of the Elven Forest. The elves have built a port there… called Grey Haven, I believe.”

“There’s no need.”

Athos shook his head.

“No need to make things complicated. Let’s just head to the nearest elven city. As long as there’s a temple, it’ll suffice.”

“Let’s go to Winterhold. I’m curious to see what kind of city can be built in just two months.”

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