The Kingmaker System Chapter 748 - 747. The New World Tree (2)

[The following abilities have been temporarily sealed:

• Frost Affinity

• Mana Manipulation

• Supreme Aqua Dragon Mana]

[Reason:

Your have exceeded your mana operating limits.

Continued use of these abilities may result in irreversible damage. In order to assure safe recovery, the age of your body has been adjusted to optimise the effect of Mana.]

[Recovery Requirement:

You will have to remain within the influence of the newly established World Tree for maximum 5 days for your Mana Recovery.]

[Estimated Recovery Progress: 0%]

[Recovery Period Initiated.]

[Duration: 5 Days.

Restrictions:

• Frost Affinity - Sealed

• Mana Manipulation - Sealed

• Supreme Aqua Dragon Mana - Sealed

Dragon Form - Unavailable.

Adult Body - Unavailable.]

"If all of my attributes are sealed then what am I supposed to do?!" Reina suppressed the urge to shout loudly.

[It is for your recovery.]

"Is that supposed to make me feel good?" Reina asked but then sighed, "What about my body? When will it turn back to normal?"

[Recovery of Mana Reserves is expected to reach the minimum operational threshold in 5 days.

Remaining within the World Tree’s Domain is mandatory for 5 days.]

[Physical Recovery Status: Indeterminate.

Your physical body sustained extensive strain during the nourishment process.

Estimated restoration of the original physical form: Unknown.]

Reina stared blankly at the notification, the urge to cuss at this system was too strong.

"You know what happened when I was trapped in a weak body the last time, right?" Reina reminded.

[Yes. But unlike last time, the Patrons or System are not to blame. It was a necessary process.]

"The day I meet your maker, system, will be your last day."

[...]

[Access to Dragon’s Presence has been activated.]

Reina offered no comment on the only ability that remained available as she glanced toward the Elves who were still arguing and looked ready to draw weapons and start a civil war right then and there. The system had angered her enough and the unnecessary fight before her was only aggravating her.

"Ugh, these Elves are so noisy." Issyrha sighed.

The notifications were pushed aside as Reina stepped ahead and walked up to the crowd. She reached out and gently held Vaelorion’s hand, but since her fingers were little she could only hold three of his long fingers.

She had been listening to him for a while now and it had irked her enough to step in.

Despite every one of her other abilities being sealed away, Reina had no need for them.

The Dragon’s Presence did not consume mana. It was not a technique nor a spell. It was simply the weight of her existence, and now that she bore the authority of the Dragon God, that weight had become immeasurably greater.

The moment her small hand closed around Vaelorion’s fingers, the old Elf felt his entire body stiffen. An invisible pressure settled upon his shoulders, crushing the breath from his lungs. His legs trembled violently as he struggled to remain standing, but the resistance lasted only a few heartbeats before his knees buckled beneath him.

He stared at the child before him with widened eyes.

"You have quite a venomous tongue, old man."

Reina released his hand and turned her gaze toward Aelfric.

The Elf King immediately lowered his head sinking to his knees feeling the Dragon’s Presence.

"L-Lord Dragon..."

Seeing both their King and Vaelorion kneeling before a child, the remaining Elders and Dark Elves stood frozen for only a moment before they hurriedly followed suit. None of them dared mistake the youthful appearance before them for weakness.

Reina quietly walked past them.

Though her body had become that of a child, every step she took seemed to weigh upon the hearts of those around her.

"You were entrusted with protecting Yggdrasil together..." she said calmly. "And you both failed."

Not a single Elf dared answer.

Reina stopped before the three lifeless Dark Mages.

"These bastards should never have made it this far. Had either side possessed even the slightest shred of unity, they would have died long before reaching the World Tree."

Her gaze shifted from the corpses to Fior and then to Yttriva sitting silently beside him.

Vaelorion drew a slow breath.

"Lord Dragon, we-"

Reina’s eyes met his and the words died in his throat.

"This World Tree was born from my own life force," she continued. "Yet after witnessing everything that transpired today, I no longer find a single one of you worthy of serving as its steward."

Aelfric’s expression froze while Xeveris stared at Reina in stunned disbelief. Around them, the Elders of both factions exchanged uneasy glances before lowering their heads, none of them daring to meet the young Dragon’s eyes.

Reina slowly lifted her hand and gestured toward the three lifeless Dark Mages lying upon the roots of the newborn World Tree.

"These three," she said calmly, "never managed to anger me."

Her hand gradually shifted until it pointed toward the kneeling Elves instead.

"You did."

The words settled over the masses with crushing weight. No one spoke. The silence beneath the newborn World Tree became almost suffocating as every Elf kept their eyes fixed upon the ground, their hearts pounding against their ribs.

Reina regarded them quietly, her expression betraying neither rage nor mercy.

"Tell me..." She asked at last, her voice frighteningly composed. "Would slaughtering every last one of you be enough to quell my anger?"

The instant those words left her lips, nature itself seemed to respond.

A violent gust swept across Edrisyl, bending the surrounding trees as robes and silver hair whipped wildly through the air. Thick storm clouds rolled over the island with unnatural speed, swallowing the dawn beneath a blanket of darkness while streaks of pale lightning silently crawled through the heavens. The entire island seemed to shudder as though the world itself had sensed the fury hidden beneath the Dragon’s composed expression.

Issyrha’s eyes widened. She instinctively looked toward the sky before turning back to Reina.

"Hey!" She shouted. "You don’t have any mana left! Don’t push yourself!"

Reina frowned faintly, she hadn’t done anything.

Before she could even question it, a translucent blue notification quietly unfolded before her eyes.

[Unique Passive Effect Acquired.]

[Maternal Resonance

The World Tree will instinctively synchronize with your emotional state.

Environmental phenomena within the World Tree’s Domain may be influenced by your emotions.]

Reina’s eyes widened just by a fraction before she glanced at the World Tree.

[Notice.

The World Tree has instinctively restricted the flow of Life Source to all Elves within Edrisyl island.]

The moment the notification disappeared, every Elf on Edrisyl suddenly stiffened. A sharp gasp escaped countless mouths as they instinctively reached for their throats, their eyes widening in panic. It felt as though the very air had vanished from their lungs.

One after another they collapsed onto their knees, clutching desperately at their necks while violent coughs wracked their bodies.

Aelfric staggered forward, forcing himself to remain conscious despite the crushing sensation tightening around his chest. Even drawing a single breath had become agonizing, yet he still lowered himself before Reina, his forehead nearly touching the ground.

"Lord Dragon..." He struggled out between ragged breaths. "The fault... lies with me. I failed... to uphold the duty entrusted to my people."

Around him, the Elders from both sides fared no better. Some had already collapsed completely, while others desperately fought to remain upright as they gasped for air that refused to come.

Zale immediately stepped between Reina and the struggling Elves.

"Master," he said quietly, "they deserve judgment... but not annihilation."

Beside him, Erisgrirlum lowered his head as well.

"I ask the same of you, Lord Dragon. Let them answer for their sins... but spare their lives."

Reina’s brows drew together as she looked from the suffocating Elves to the darkening skies above. She had never intended for any of this to happen.

"...System," she called inwardly. "How do I stop this?"

[Maternal Resonance allows communication between the Host and the World Tree.

The World Tree recognizes the Host as its Guardian.]

[Verbal instruction is sufficient.]

"So, I simply tell it to stop?" Reina asked.

[Affirmative.]

Reina turned toward the newborn World Tree whose vast canopy swayed beneath the restless winds. Although it had existed for barely a few minutes, its bluish-green leaves already shimmered with an ethereal glow, while faint azure veins pulsed beneath the silver bark as though a heartbeat flowed through the colossal trunk itself. The tree stood quietly behind her, yet she could unmistakably feel its emotions through the strange connection they now shared. It was furious. Furious because she was.

"...That’s enough."

Her voice was no louder than before, yet it carried a gentleness that contrasted sharply with the storm raging overhead.

"Don’t kill them."

For several long moments, nothing happened.

The winds continued to howl through Edrisyl, whipping robes and silver hair into the air while lightning crawled across the darkened skies.

The Elves remained collapsed upon the roots, their desperate gasps and violent coughing echoing across the clearing as the World Tree continued denying them its Life Source. Reina narrowed her eyes, beginning to wonder whether the System had once again decided to test her patience, when a soft rustling sound drifted down from the canopy above.

It was almost like the tree had sighed.

The shimmering leaves quivered gently before the violent winds gradually lost their fury. The heavy storm clouds slowly drifted apart, allowing the first rays of dawn to spill across the frozen island. One by one, shafts of warm sunlight pierced through the heavens, bathing the newborn World Tree in a tranquil glow as the suffocating pressure that had gripped every Elf abruptly disappeared.

The Elves collapsed fully against the roots beneath them, drawing deep, ragged breaths as though they had narrowly escaped drowning. The clearing filled with harsh coughs before those too gradually subsided, leaving behind a silence unlike the one that had existed moments earlier. It was no longer the silence born from terror, but the exhausted stillness of those who had looked death in the eye and survived only because mercy had been shown.

That silence was eventually broken by the quiet scrape of knees against the ground.

Fior slowly crawled forward until he reached Reina’s side. His body trembled from exhaustion and guilt alike, yet he forced himself onward before reaching out with a shaking hand to grasp the hem of her white robe. He held it almost timidly, as though afraid even that small act might earn him her wrath.

"I accept responsibility for everything, Lord Dragon."

His voice shook so badly that each word seemed ready to fall apart.

"I believed I was fighting for my people... but all I accomplished was becoming the enemy’s weapon."

His forehead lowered until it rested upon the roots at Reina’s feet, and his fingers tightened around the edge of her robe.

"If my life is the price for that failure... then I accept it."

For a brief moment he paused, gathering what little courage remained within him before speaking again.

"But... please don’t strip my people of the one purpose for which we exist."

His confession seemed to shatter the last remnants of pride lingering among the gathered Elves.

Without exchanging so much as a glance, the Elders from both the Pure Mana Elves and the Dark Elves silently lowered themselves until their foreheads rested upon the roots of the World Tree. None attempted to justify their actions. None searched for excuses. Before the Dragon God who had sacrificed her own life force to give birth to this new World Tree, every grievance that had divided them for generations suddenly felt unbearably insignificant.

After what felt like an eternity, Aelfric slowly raised his head just enough to speak.

"If punishment must be given... then let it begin with us."

His quiet words were met by complete agreement. No one objected. Not even Vaelorion, whose pride had always been among the greatest. They simply remained bowed, awaiting whatever judgment their Lord Dragon deemed appropriate.

Reina’s gaze swept across every lowered head before she released a slow breath.

"Very well, your lives are spared."

A fragile hope appeared across several faces but it disappeared just as quickly.

"However, the Elves shall no longer stand as the sole stewards of the World Tree."

The declaration struck the gathering harder than any weapon could have.

Aelfric’s shoulders stiffened beneath his robes while Xeveris slowly shut his eyes in quiet despair. Vaelorion’s hands clenched so tightly against the roots that his knuckles turned white, yet not a single one of them dared question her decision.

Leaving them to absorb her words, Reina turned toward the two Kings standing nearby.

"Kings Zale and Erisgrirlum."

Both rulers straightened instinctively before lowering themselves onto one knee as soon as they met her gaze.

"If I entrusted this World Tree to your people... would you devote your lives to protecting it?"

Neither King hesitated.

"The Merfolk would guard it with our lives, Master."

"The Dwarves would dedicate ourselves to its stewardship until our final breath, Lord Dragon."

Only after hearing their answers did Reina return her attention to the kneeling Elves.

"You may retain your duty."

Relief washed visibly across every face, but before anyone could celebrate, Reina calmly continued.

"You simply shall no longer bear that duty alone."

She rested her hand against the young but large protruded root behind her. Beneath her palm, she could feel the steady pulse of life flowing through the vast network of glowing azure veins that stretched throughout the World Tree.

"This World Tree differs from Yggdrasil. It no longer supplies mana alone. It nurtures Life Source itself and transforms whatever energy it receives into the nourishment required by those living beneath its branches. Mana, aura... even dead mana may all serve as nourishment."

Her gaze slowly moved from the Pure Mana Elves to the Dark Elves before settling upon the Dwarves and finally the Merfolk.

"From this day onward, stewardship of the World Tree shall belong to all of you equally. Once every year, representatives of every race shall gather here to nourish it together."

Her voice remained calm, yet none failed to understand the finality of what she was declaring.

"No race shall ever again claim sole ownership of the World Tree."

Silence descended across the clearing once more as the silent acceptance was exchanged among the Elves, and others.

Off to one side, Issyrha quietly regarded the newborn tree, her translucent eyes lingering upon the bluish veins that pulsed beneath its silver bark and the faint sapphire glow shimmering across its emerald leaves. Yggdrasil had always stood as an impartial guardian, offering life freely without preference, judgment or emotion.

This tree was different.

It had been born from Reina’s life force, nourished by her mana, and awakened beneath her will. It carried not only her power, but something of her nature as well. Being born as a human who was then granted the Mana Heart of a Supreme Dragon and then also the authority of a Dragon God, the new World Tree had a unique Guardian which made it almost natural of it too be unique in a sense.

Just then another notification popped up.

[Your affinity with the World Tree has increased.

Would you like to name it?

- Yes.

- No.]

"I can name it?" Reina wondered looking at the new World Tree.

A gust of wind breezed through everyone, making Reina’s hair dance.

[Please enter a name. ___.]

Reina glanced at the Tree and then around her.

"Give me some time to think."