The Adventures of an Overpowered Knight in Another World Chapter 552- World Tree (2)

When Reinhardt had spoken up to this point, every gaze, whether deliberate or accidental, shifted toward Eldrin and his stunning wife, Elina.

Being elves, they held far deeper insights into Elfenheim than anyone else in the room.

Reinhardt noticed their expressions and went on speaking.

"Its very presence ensured that as long as the World Tree remained upright, corruption couldn't establish itself, which filled the demons with dread. It diminished their strength. Once the Era of the Seven Gods concluded and chaos engulfed the world, demons poured out from the abyss"...

"Kingdoms were reduced to ashes, entire races wiped out, and the seven temples vanished in a single night. Elfenheim ranked among the earliest to collapse. Yet, the World Tree stood as an entity equal to the Seven Gods, so toppling it proved no simple task"...

"Thus, the demons employed their favored tactic. They stirred up divisions and disseminated corruption, throwing the World Tree’s equilibrium into disarray from the inside. For that reason, they targeted its protectors, the elves"...

"With the elves removed, nothing else could halt the demons' advance, and so the corruption of Valdonia commenced."

A profound and suffocating quiet descended over the gathering.

The tale Reinhardt shared wasn't some hidden secret. It formed part of the lore handed down from ancient eras, accessible to anyone willing to dig a little.

However, following humanity's decline and the seizure of seventy percent of the continent's territory, scarce few documents survived the ravages of time. Those that endured into this age were fragmented, leaving doubts about any inaccuracies in the details.

This explained why Reinhardt directed his gaze at Eldrin, seeking confirmation or further knowledge from him.

As a race with extended lifespans, elves employed distinct ways to transmit vital knowledge across generations.

Feeling the weight of everyone's anticipating stares upon him, Eldrin let out a sigh and gave a nod.

"What Lord Reinhardt has outlined is largely accurate. The demons incited strife among Elfenheim's allied peoples to undermine it. Seizing that chance, they tainted the mana veins linked to the World Tree’s roots"...

"They released various plagues and devastation to wear us down. Our forebears battled to their final moments. But with the Seven Gods vanquished, the Empire and Seven Temples destroyed, resistance against the demons became impossible"...

"The World Tree started to tremble, shedding its branches, while the mana equilibrium shattered. Realizing the inevitable doom of the World Tree and Elfenheim, the final elven king resorted to a last-ditch decision"...

"He commanded the evacuation of Elfenheim's inhabitants, directing them to find shelter in neighboring realms. Echoes of that fateful clash persist in our clan's songs, revealing how, despite the efforts of Elfenheim’s King and his finest fighters to hold off the Demonic Horde, Elfenheim crumbled that same day, offering no real opposition."

.

.

That explained the events.

An intense hush settled after Eldrin finished speaking.

Hearing an elf recount Elfenheim's downfall made the tragedy feel vividly real, unlike mere faded myths.

The demons, those bringers of doom, had utterly devastated their once-vibrant world.

The mood grew somber, with knights and demi-human fighters all emitting deep sighs. Each person there had suffered losses to the demons—homes, family, whole cultures.

Some displayed physical marks from battles. Others harbored inner pains much graver. Nobody in the group downplayed the danger they represented.

Still, as clarity emerged, a single query lingered.

Eldrin, as the village's leader, turned his eyes to Reinhardt and posed the question.

"Lord Reinhardt, what prompts you to mention Elfenheim? Our realm perished long ago under demonic onslaught; we hold no relics or knowledge from that era."

Elfenheim's destruction represented a massive tragedy for the elves, evident in their current plight worldwide, reduced to mere possessions and servitude.

It wasn't a subject any demi-human enjoyed revisiting.

All attention focused back on Reinhardt.

He offered no reply at first, merely shutting his eyes. Then they flew open, his golden gaze shining brightly, his presence utterly transformed.

BOOM...

Right then, the surge in Reinhardt’s aura hit everyone, his magnetic force drawing all focus.

"To confront the demons, venturing into the Tainted Lands is essential."

His declaration sent chills rippling through the assembly.

"Valdonia's territories, long surrendered to demonic control, barely qualify as land anymore. The ground lies smothered under dense, dark sludge that writhes and exudes corruption like a living entity"...

"The heavens no longer yield rain, but instead a ceaseless shower of ashen grime that adheres to skin and gear like a malediction. The very atmosphere corrodes the breath".

Reinhardt evoked a nightmarish scene familiar to the knights. The demi-humans, having spent lives on the run and clashing with demons along frontiers, knew it equally well.

Even so, neither they nor the Temple of Light's knights grasped the deeper terrors buried in the Tainted Lands' core.

Maybe only veterans and leaders like Reinhardt, along with select level 8 knights, truly understood the perils of the Tainted Lands.

Yet, merely hunkering down in defense behind barriers after the Bloody Rain incident offered no real answer.

With demons already tainting over seventy percent of the land, humanity's stillness would invite total extinction soon enough.

Collecting his ideas, Reinhardt declared, "We must mount an incursion into the Tainted Lands' innermost regions."

Those words drew stunned stares from everyone.

He had just depicted the overwhelming corruption lurking in the Tainted Lands' depths. And now he proposed an expedition?

Undeterred, Reinhardt proceeded.

"I fully recognize that under those circumstances, even seasoned knights can't endure extended stays without their forms and spirits crumbling. Mana turns aggressive, twisted, and toxic there, after all. Ordinary folk face even steeper odds"...

"All the same, to achieve victory and forge a path forward, entering those areas is unavoidable. We have to assault their bastions, eradicate their spawning grounds, and seize back the territories they've usurped."

Nobody cut in; they weren't naive, sensing he harbored a strategy.

And as anticipated, he reached the heart of the issue.

"Achieving that requires cleansing the corruption. Eradicating the blight that engulfs seventy percent of Valdonia's expanse isn't a straightforward feat. No flames, sacred abilities, or artifacts can manage it."

Not even the mightiest purifying relic among the Seven Supreme Divine Treasures could handle it, though he withheld this to avoid dampening spirits further.

"Only one force in existence possesses the might to scour corruption of that magnitude... The World Tree."

Reinhardt emphasized those final three words.

"Predating even the Seven Gods, the World Tree wields the authority to restore worldly harmony. Its sprawling roots across the globe alone can cleanse the poisoned mana veins."

With that, he drew in a steadying breath before proclaiming.

"To battle the demons. To restore Valdonia. To enable creatures to tread those grounds anew without succumbing, reviving the World Tree is imperative."

His statement resounded like a final judgment through the space.

Shock rippled instantly across the group.

Revive the World Tree.

For an instant, silence reigned.

This monumental undertaking, capable of reshaping the world, left them uncertain of its feasibility.

The sheer magnitude made even the mightiest knights and warriors feel dwarfed.

Nevertheless, the bold vision of resurrecting the World Tree, coupled with the spark of possibility, ignited something within them all.

Their pulses quickened with thrill and optimism, for if Reinhardt proved correct, the conflict's trajectory—and maybe the entire world—could flip dramatically.

As the others grappled with his grand scheme in stunned reverence, Reinhardt kept his focus solely on Eldrin and Elina from beginning to end.

Success or failure of his intentions hinged on their involvement.

Eldrin himself couldn't stay seated any longer. Almost instinctively, he stood up.

"How exactly do you intend to bring it back? The World Tree perished alongside Elfenheim. Its limbs hacked away, roots scorched by the demons, right along with the royal lineage."

Eldrin detailed, sorrow plainly etching his features. Though he hadn't witnessed that era, the ancestral ballads depicted a heartbreaking struggle.

"Reviving a World Tree demands either acquiring a World Bough, a unique limb cut before the tree reaches maturity, or its Origin Seed, the initial essence formed at the Tree’s heart."

Recalling those treasures, he shook his head in regret.