Game of the World Tree

“The Wise One mentioned in his records that the Heart of Life was once a supreme treasure, a relic that had belonged to none other than the Mother of All Gods,” Elder Roergue began, his voice reverent as he spoke of the divine artifact.

His eyes glinted as he continued, “I believed… perhaps it is the very object you honorable envoys sought when you crossed into our world.”

“Do not be alarmed; I do not claim to know the precise nature of your mission here,” he added. “But the prophecy, though veiled in obscurity, hints at the purpose of your arrival in this realm.”

The players listened to Elder Roergue’s story as they exchanged looks with equal parts surprise and intrigue reflecting upon their eyes.

And the more they felt that the ‘Heart of Life’ he mentioned was very similar to the characteristics and abilities of the last fragment of the Scepter that Lady Zero had told them about.

Could it be… this is the very object they’ve been searching for?

“So, where exactly is this Heart of Life located? Where do we go to obtain it?” asked Optimist, his voice tinged with urgency as he watched the Elder grow paler in his weakened state, yet visibly more animated with every word.

The other players also looked to Roergue expectantly.

“It’s in Seigües City,” Elder Roergue replied gravely.

“Legend has it that the Heart of Life is hidden within the headquarters of the Church of Creation, which lies in the largest city in this world—Seigües City.”

“It was the first city founded a thousand years ago by the Creator and three hundred divine beings upon their arrival in this world. It is considered a holy city by many, as it was where these ancestors of ours once lived and, it is also said, where the Creator now slumbers.”

“The Heart of Life…must be somewhere within the city of Seigües! If we want to find this divine artifact and thwart the Creator’s plans, then we should definitely need to go there!”

With that, Roergue turned and walked towards a wooden statue in the center of the living room.

He then stopped before the statue, stretched out his hand into it, and, to the players’ surprise, pried it open to reveal a crystal-clear, radiant orb.

He sighed softly, handing the crystal orb to the players.

“This is a crystal infused with the Creator’s power of faith. It was also left behind by the Wise One.”

“The Creator has fallen into a deep slumber and is unable to respond to the calls of His believers. It is said that He now primarily depends upon the Heart of Life to sustain the Church’s operations and draw power from faith.”

“Therefore with this crystal, you will be able to sense the Heart of Life’s presence within Seigües City.”

Is this orb a key item?

The players eyed the crystal ball curiously before carefully tucking it away.

“The city of Seigües is situated far from Divine Grace Town. Even by carriage, it will take at least a three-day journey in order to reach it.”

“I’ll arrange a carriage to take you, Honorable envoys there.”

“You all have special identities, so please be careful not to reveal who you truly are. I will make sure Lilia and the others shall keep your identities a secret as well.”

“Alas, this is all I can do for you. Anything more would risk drawing the Church’s attention, which could bring devastating consequences to our town…”

With a hint of regret in his voice, Roergue continued, “Once you arrive in Seigües City, everything will depend entirely upon you all.”

The players nodded in understanding.

After discussing their plans, Calabash stepped forward and asked, “Elder Roergue, can you tell us the approximate strength of the Church? Now that we’ve decided to confront them, we should at least know our enemy’s power.”

Roergue paused, then responded with a question of his own. “I heard that… you defeated the mighty Forest Lord—the giant bear with just a single strike?”

The players nodded.

“Then your strength must have reached the legendary Silver-Rank?” Roergue said in awe.

Taking a deep breath, he continued…

“With the strength of a silver-ranked expert, you, Honorable Envoys, are already among the strongest individuals in this world. Even within the Church, it is likely that only the Pope and a few senior bishops could reach that level.”

“Simply facing the Church shouldn’t be an issue for you all, just as long as you proceed with caution.”

“But the real danger lies where the Creator Himself resides.”

Roergue sighed, his face heavy with concern.

“In the teachings passed down from the Wise One, it was said that upon death, the souls of devout followers shall return to the Creator, merging with Him to become guardian-like entities…”

“Over the centuries, even though the Church has lost favor with the people, the number of devoted souls that return to the Creator has grown to a terrifying scale.”

“And these devoted guardians may very well awaken when you attempt to claim the Heart of Life…”

“If you want to succeed, then you must reach the Heart of Life before these guardians are awakened!”

“Otherwise, you may probably be besieged by a large number of guardians!”

“If it comes to that, then you will not only be facing the church, but also tens of thousands of guardians and the eventually reawakened God of Creation as well!”

Roergue’s tone was solemn.

However, the players exchanged looks with their expressions turning somewhat curious.

“An all-out assault?”

“A horde of guardians?”

“Do we need to call for help?”

“Wait, would this escalate into a full-scale war?”

“That shouldn’t be the case, right? This quest is only limited to us five, and bringing in more extra players would likely cause us to fail, isn’t it?”

They whispered amongst themselves.

Just then, a familiar voice echoed within their minds:

“Do not worry about the guardians.”

“I’ve already located your exact location.”

“If things truly spiral out of control, then I can teleport other Chosen Ones to your location using your coordinates.”

“Your main task is to locate the Heart of Life and reach the place where the Creator slumbers.”

It was Zero, her voice calm and cool, carrying a reassuring strength that instantly eased the players’ worries.

Hearing Zero’s words, the players looked at each other, the same thought crossing their minds:

Is this… the power of a Godwarden?

She can teleport others across realms?

How Awesome!

The players were both surprised and thrilled.

As they relaxed, reassured by Zero’s promise, a new system message appeared within every player’s view that’s currently online at this moment.

【❗】

【Players “Boxlunch,” “Calabash,” “Chopin,” “Optimist,” and “IAmInvincible” have triggered a hidden storyline: Heart of Life.】

【Quest Objective: Locate and acquire the “Heart of Life,”and defeat this demi-realm’s Creator.】

【Quest Duration: Unlimited.】

【Number of Players Allowed: Unlimited.】

【Minimum Level Requirement: 31.】

【Quest Reward: 50,000 XP, 3,000 Contribution Points, 50 Resurrection Tokens.】

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