The Kingmaker System Chapter 747 - 746. The New World Tree (1)

The moment the final seconds began slipping away, agony erupted through Reina’s body with a violence she had never known.

It felt as though every bone within her was being broken apart and forced back together at the same time, while her flesh, muscles and even her organs twisted beneath an unbearable pressure. A sharp ringing drowned out every other sound until she could no longer tell whether she was still kneeling upon the earth or had already collapsed. The only thing she knew was the searing pain that threatened to tear her body apart from within.

[Time Remaining Until the Seed Germination: 01 second.]

[Congratulations!

The Seed of Life has been successfully nourished.]

[The Seed of Life has completed germination.]

[Growth Sequence Initiated.]

[Warning!

Your Mana Reserves have fallen below the minimum threshold.]

[Emergency Preservation Protocol activated.]

The system notifications blurred past Reina as she could barely keep her eyes open but she did feel the change in the land under her almost immediately.

The land of Edrisyl shook violently, throwing the four relieved individuals to the ground and before they could make sense of anything they heard the sound of something shifting underneath the ground and suddenly there was a large shadow that grew over them.

The four lifted their heads and Xeveris’s jaw dropped while Aelfric’s eyes widened in disbelief, Zale and Erisgrirlum also watched, stunned beyond their wits.

Issyrha, who was in the air saw the growing huge Tree that grew taller and taller before her very eyes.

She drifted farther back watching as the tree’s trunk grew thicker and thicker and the branches spread wide with bright emerald leaves tinged with sapphire blue.

It was like a miracle unfolding before her eyes as she watched the birth of the new World Tree.

In the branches of this new Tree though, she spotted something white which seemed to be hanging over a thick branch.

Once the tree had reached nearly the same height Yggdrasil once possessed, Issyrha flew closer to inspect the white thing.

When she saw clearly what it was, she nearly burst out laughing.

Issyrha curled her arms around her abdomen as she laughed her head off watching a little girl, probably of age 4 or 5 draped over the thick branch. Her small arms and legs dangling from the branch and she looked completely beat with her oversized clothes in tatters. It was Reina.

"When you’re done laughing to your heart’s content, get me down please. I can’t move." Reina spoke, her voice so feeble that if not for Issyrha’s Dragon senses, she couldn’t have heard her.

Issyrha wiped the tears that had gathered at the corners of her eyes from laughing so hard.

"How did you become like this?" Issyrha asked.

The girl only grumbled and Issyrha sighed before she removed her soft robe and covered the little girl with it and then scooped her in her arms. A flicker of a surprised expression crossed her features as she realized how soft and light the child was.

Zale and others watched as Issyrha carried the little girl with long snowy white hair from high up, down to the base of the newly grown World Tree.

"Wha- Who?" Zale almost blurted as he saw Issyrha gently putting down the little girl in her arms.

The little girl sat down on one of the protruding roots and instantly leaned back, letting out a deep sigh.

The ashes and the blue particles that were storming around just seconds earlier were now raining down on everyone. The child watched those particles before she shuddered, pulling the robe closer to her small body.

"Kin Issyrha." The little girl spoke, her voice was too weak. "It’s cold."

Issyrha rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers and the ice that enveloped the Edrisyl island and its inhabitants started thawing.

The individuals closest to the newly grown World Tree came to their senses almost immediately.

Blue particles immediately began carpeting the thawed ground.

Ermid gasped, shuddering once before he felt movement over his lap and he looked down to see Yttriva slowly sitting up.

"Hey, wait, keep lying!" He shouted as he held her shoulders and realised that his missing arm had somehow returned.

He stared at his left arm which had somehow regenerated and seemed just like his old one. He flexed the fingers of his restored hand, watching the veins and muscles standing taut over his grey skin.

"My-My arm..." He gasped.

Xeveris who noticed them quickly rushed over, his eyes going wide as saucers as he saw Ermid’s regenerated arm.

"What... How did it grow back?" Xeveris gasped.

Ermid shook his head and then looked at Yttriva who still had the sword lodged in her side.

"Remove the sword."

Both male dark elves turned at the voice and saw the little girl with white hair looking at them.

"She’ll be fine." The girl said.

Ermid and Xeveris looked at her before they glanced at Yttriva, she looked like she was just a breath away from death.

"Remove the sword or she die." The child pressed.

Xeveris and Ermid exchanged glances before Ermid gave Xeveris a nod and gripped the hilt of the sword and winced himself hearing Yttriva groaning in pain.

He yanked the sword out and Yttriva nearly screamed as she fell on her side clutching at her side as the blood poured out. The little girl watched them while the others also started unfreezing.

"Your Majesty!" Vaelorion, who also was unfrozen rushed to Aelfric’s side, bewildered.

"What’s going on?"

"What happened?"

The unfrozen Elder Elves looked around, unable to discern what just happened.

"How in the heavens..." Vaelorion gasped as he looked around, "I-I thought I felt Yggdrasil..."

He stared at the new World Tree with the look of amazement and wonder before he narrowed his eyes.

"That’s... Not Yggdrasil."

"The old World Tree was destroyed, Vaelorion." Aelfric said making the old Elf to whip his head and look at the Elf King.

"What?!"

"Yes, the Lord Dragon grew this new World Tree..." Aelfric’s tone was uncertain and confused which made Vaelorion look around until his eyes fell on the two females with white hair, one young maiden and other the little girl.

Both of them looking exceptionally beautiful, one of them exuded the immense mana presence which nearly made Vaelorion faint as he realised that it couldn’t be anyone other than a Dragon.

He quickly walked up to Issyrha and fell on his knees.

"Lord Dragon..." He spoke, tears glistening in his usually sharp eyes.

"You saved the world."

Issyrha looked down at the old Elf and then sighed, "It wasn’t me. It’s her."

She gestured at the child who was slumped on the large roots beside her.

Vaelorion looked at the girl, her presence was that of an ordinary human child which made him suspicious.

"But she... she’s not a Dragon. She’s a human."

Issyrha glanced at her and the child looked at Vaelorion.

"You want to see my mana? It’s there," she gestured at the World Tree and then her finger pointed at the surrounding, " and all over."

Vaelorion was perplexed and opened his mouth to ask more before a shout rang through the surroundings.

"What-What in the hell just happened?! Where’s the dead mana? Dominus! What happened?!"

Everyone turned their heads watching as Zevran who was also unfrozen came to his senses but before he could do or say anything else. A dagger’s bloody edge poked out of his chest and he froze. Zevran coughed out blood before he staggered and then turned around to see Fior. Fior had also come to his senses along with Zevran and the moment he heard him shouting, he recalled everything and grabbed the dagger and thrust it into Zevran’s back with all his force.

"You..." Zevran grunted before lifeless body fell and then rolled over the roots until it reached at the feet of Dominus who had also woken up.

The Dominus stared up at the World Tree, his hollow black eyes quivering as his body swayed.

"How did this happen...? Yggdrasil was burned... How is it still here?" He murmured.

He then looked down at his palms, he strained his brows but despite trying as hard as he could, he couldn’t feel any dead mana. He couldn’t make any sense of what happened to him. He lifted the crest of the ram skull from his chest but it exuded no energy.

"That Dragon!" He snarled and whipped around angrily.

The Elves and Dark Elves who had also awoken glared at him warily, the weapons were ready in their hands but maintaining a safe distance in case he tried anything again.

"His power is gone, just finish him off." The girl spoke.

The Dominus’s eyes widened as he saw her, "You-"

He quickly dodged the attacks of Vaelorion who charged at him first. Despite losing his dead mana, the Dominus was an exceptional fighter, he was also swift and fluid enough to dodge the attacks aimed at him.

"Ah, I guess it’s a late introduction, Myrrdin. I’m the scion of Supreme Aqua Dragon. Not so nice to meet you." The little girl spoke casually before Issyrha sighed and snapped her fingers and an ice blade shot through the air and sliced the Dominus’s head off cleanly.

"Burn their bodies and bury their ashes near the roots-"

Before Reina could finish, she saw a flash of green and an explosion which threw Fior on the ground close to the dead bodies of Dominus, Domina and Zevran.

"You swine, you should be dead with them." Vaelorion spat.

Fior coughed out blood as he curled up on the ground, cradling his abdomen, even his cut off hand was healed by now.

Yttriva who was healing slowly, rose to her feet.

"Yttriva, you’re not completely healed yet." Ermid said but she simply made her way to Fior.

"I think it’s time we made a decision of who stays on this island, Your Majesty." Vaelorion announced, and thrusted his finger at Fior, "It is because of this vermin that Yggdrasil was compromised. We can’t have it repeating. I request the exile of every Dark Elf from this island!"

Xeveris and Ermid looked at Aelfric, unable to say anything, Aelfric looked at Xeveris once before he sighed.

"It’s all done now, Vaelorion. It’s not right to exile them all when they have fought alongside us to prevent the disaster."

Vaelorion frowned, "You’re still insisting on this, Your Majesty? Even after what happened?!"

"I accept responsibility for what Fior did." Yttriva stepped ahead.

Vaelorion glared at her as she walked over and stood beside her grandson.

"It’s my fault for not raising him well so, I’ll take him and leave this island."

Fior looked at her as she bowed her head low.

Issyrha ignored the Elves and looked at Reina who sat leaning ahead with her elbows propped against her thighs and her chin cradled in her palms.

"Why are you like this? I don’t sense any mana from you." Issyrha asked.

"I used up all of my mana reserves," Reina said watching the old Pure Mana Elf accusing and shouting profanities at the Dark Elves while Aelfric tried to calm him down.

The Pure Mana Elves who were in the palace up till now also started streaming out watching in wonder at the new World Tree and then took notice of the row going on between Vaelorion and the Dark Elves.

"You’ll heal soon, right?" Issyrha asked and Reina hummed, her eyes falling on Fior who stayed on the ground along with Yttriva.

"All of this wouldn’t have happened if you had killed this bastard right when he dared to attack His Majesty!" Vaelorion shouted.

Fior slowly sat up and kneeled with his head down before Aelfric.

"Everything that I did... It was all done of my own accord, none of the other Dark Elves have anything to do with it." He said, "I accept any punishment given to me... please... don’t drag the whole colony into this."

"You think you have a say in this?" Vaelorion shouted, kicking Fior back to the ground.

The Dark Elves who had gathered around all stood looking at each other before some youngsters stepped ahead.

"What is his mistake?!" One of them asked.

"If you hadn’t been treating us discriminately, we wouldn’t have been pushed to fight like this!"

"We agree that we were in the wrong but who pushed things to go this far?!"

"It was you damn Pure Mana Elves!"

"You and your stinking holier-than-thou attitude is also to blame for what happened!"

"Don’t put all the blame only on Fior when you’re equally at fault here!"

Vaelorion glared at the Dark Elves.

"You insolent bastards think you have any-"

Vaelorion’s words froze as he felt something soft curling around the fingers of his left hand which somehow came with the feeling of immense murderous intent that made his blood run cold.