Awakening The Only SSS-Rank Class! Now Even Dragons Obey Me Chapter 792: Asking Three Questions

Simultaneously, within the area that was once a forest, an eerie silence prevailed, devoid of the sounds of an army or the clash of energies. The war cries of warriors, which had echoed moments before, had vanished entirely.

Only utter devastation remained. The vast expanse of the forest floor lay fractured for kilometers, resembling shattered glass, with deep fissures consuming the earth. Mountains that had endured for ages were reduced to mere heaps of rubble and ash, and a dense cloud of dust hung in the air, as if the very essence of nature struggled to comprehend the cataclysm.

Ash descended from above like a mournful snowfall.

A pall of death.

And at the epicenter of this desolation, the accursed tree stood firm.

Its immense roots thrummed with a quiet rhythm beneath the soil, and its somber branches stretched towards the fractured heavens.

However, the focal point of attention was undoubtedly the fruit.

Daniel slowly lifted his gaze, fixing it upon the anomaly. Previously no larger than a clenched fist, it had now swelled to a size approximating a human head.

Its surface, once smooth, was now interlaced with golden veins, appearing as channels of light flowing beneath a translucent membrane. Periodically, the internal luminescence would concentrate and then pulsate.

The fruit pulsed as if it were the heart of a living entity.

With each pulsation, the surrounding reality seemed to warp subtly, suggesting that the fabric of existence itself strained under the burgeoning power contained within.

Daniel's eyes narrowed momentarily. He could feel it.

The demise of Walterk and his forces had nourished the fruit far more profoundly than he had anticipated.

"So, the passing of an Eternal Warrior… truly makes a significant impact." A wry smile touched his lips.

He had understood that the life essence of an Eternal Warrior could catalyze substantial growth in the fruit, yet the magnitude of this development exceeded his expectations. Naturally, it wasn't solely the Eternal Warrior himself; the army of several thousand had also contributed considerably, bestowing a substantial amount of life force upon the tree.

Nevertheless, he harbored doubts that any Eternal Warrior would dare to venture here again in the near future.

Particularly after one of the continent's most formidable Eternal Warriors had been so effortlessly annihilated, along with his entire legion. He surmised the remaining warriors would likely prove hesitant.

And he was certain they had all borne witness to Walterk's demise.

That revelation, he mused, could present a considerable dilemma.

'What if I were to end my own life, have the tree absorb my life force, and then be revived?' A notion surfaced in his mind, though its efficacy remained uncertain.

In principle, it ought to function. After all, even in death, he possessed the means to return to life with relative ease, courtesy of his accumulated extra lives. But would this particular exploit function as intended?

Or would the Mother System intervene and prohibit it?

The only recourse was to conduct an experiment.

At that precise juncture, Daniel experienced a peculiar sensation. Faint and elusive, yet undeniably real and palpable.

'Hunger and eager expectation…?' His attention shifted back to the tree. He had no doubt these were the tree's elicited emotions.

His gaze intensified slightly. This marked the first instance where he perceived a strengthening of his bond with the tree.

"It appears that as the fruit matures further, the connection with the tree also deepens." And for the first time, a contemplative thought gently arose within him.

"If several more Eternal Warriors were to perish..." His eyes remained fixed on the fruit.

"Would you achieve completion?"

A short distance away, Elisira remained rooted in place, her attention no longer scanning the devastated landscape. She did not gaze upon the colossal chasm in the earth, nor at the void where thousands had vanished, but solely focused on Daniel.

Her mind struggled to reconcile the events she had witnessed, a feat it could not accomplish. Such a reaction was understandable. She had observed an occurrence that, had anyone described it to her even a day prior, she would have dismissed them as utterly mad.

Walterk Bloodfang was not merely a warrior of immense power; he was a figure of legend.

A being whose very name could compel armies to turn back.

Yet, he had vanished in an instant, and more disturbingly, it had occurred without a struggle, without any semblance of resistance. Such a formidable entity had not been afforded even a moment to defend himself.

And the individual responsible for this astonishing feat stood composedly beneath the tree, as if nothing extraordinary had transpired.

This very composure terrified her more than any overt display of power. Had Daniel exhibited anger, she could have comprehended it. A maniacal laugh might have seemed logical under the circumstances.

After all, this was an accomplishment worthy of lifelong boasting. This singular feat alone had the potential to elevate Daniel to the status of a legend.

Yet, he remained serene, almost detached, as though the demise of thousands was merely a natural occurrence within the grand tapestry of existence.

Elisira unconsciously clasped her hands together, and simultaneously, a different recollection surfaced in her mind.

Daniel had preserved her life on two separate occasions, rescuing her from imminent death resulting from Walterk's assaults.

Her lips quivered slightly.

"If he is truly a monster… why did he save me?" She found herself unable to accept or comprehend this paradox.

Every logical thought fled her mind. Despite being terrified of this monstrous presence, a primal fear that was entirely sensible, she felt an unshakeable sense of security. It was as if her life was not only out of harm's way but assured of safety as long as she remained near this man, no matter the calamities that might befall the world.

"Staring won't change anything." Daniel's voice, soft as it was, caused a subtle tremor in Elisira's frame.

Her eyes snapped upward. She had assumed Daniel was lost in his own contemplations, yet he had perceived her scrutiny without even glancing her way.

Daniel redirected his attention back to the fruit.

"The fruit matured more rapidly than I had anticipated."

His tone was remarkably ordinary, yet that very normalcy sent an icy wave of dread through Elisira.

He spoke of the demise of thousands as if discussing the simple growth cycle of a plant.

No elation, no sorrow. This profound indifference was more chilling than any overt act of brutality.

After a significant pause that stretched between them, Daniel slowly turned his head to face her.

His golden eyes retained an inscrutable serenity.

"You may now pose the three questions I pledged to answer."

For a fleeting moment, Elisira found herself speechless.

Questions? She harbored a multitude, a swirling vortex of inquiries.

Her mind grappled with fragmented, inexplicable images: the towering tree, the ancient tome, the mysterious gateway, and most unsettlingly, the enigmatic figure of Daniel himself.

Yet, a deeper apprehension gripped her – the fear of the revelations the answers might bring.

Her gaze drifted to the fruit, then ascended to the tree. The words from the book resurfaced in her memory:

"The gateway shall remain ajar until the fruit reaches its final form."

A palpable weight settled upon her heart. A dawning realization began to form: her inquiries were no longer solely about Daniel.

They concerned the very fabric of the world itself.

Drawing a quiet, steadying breath, she finally voiced her first question. She had rehearsed countless possible questions, meticulously preparing for this moment, and she posed the initial one.

"What… are you, truly?"

She questioned if Daniel was human, or indeed, any recognizable entity. Could he be something transcending this realm, beyond mortal comprehension?

Daniel remained still for several seconds, offering no reply. It was not a reluctance to speak; he was bound by his promise and would honor it. However, his intention was to hear all three questions before providing his answers.

"What exactly is this accursed tree, and why do you defend it so fiercely that you've become an enemy to the entire continent?" Elisira pressed her lips together, her voice gaining a measure of resolve as she continued.

Then came the final question.

A query she herself wavered on whether to ask. Not out of apprehension of Daniel's reaction, but from a profound dread of the answer itself.

She feared the truth might diverge from her deepest assumptions, and such a divergence could herald an unparalleled catastrophe for this world, or at least its remaining remnants.

"Do you intend to destroy this world, or preserve it?" she finally whispered.

An encompassing silence descended upon the scene.

For a few moments, Daniel exhibited no discernible reaction.

Then, the faintest of smiles touched his lips. He calmly assumed a cross-legged position beneath the tree, his sword resting across his lap.

"Let us commence with your first question and its answer…"