The stream of light that Linde transformed into was like a scorching blade, easily slicing through the increasingly dense energy dust on the outer edge of the Eversong Forest, which carried an aura of "tranquility" and "forgetfulness".
The moment you enter the forest, the sensory changes are extremely abrupt.
The sounds of the wind, birdsong, and even the subtle sounds of magic flowing from the outside world suddenly diminish here, as if they were wrapped in a thick layer of velvet.
The light became soft and diffused, losing its clear directionality, and the outlines of the trees appeared somewhat blurry, as if viewed through frosted glass.
The air was filled with the fresh scent of vegetation unique to the elven forest, but beneath this scent lay a lurking, inert force that unconsciously relaxed the mind and slowed the thoughts. This was the effect of the "Dust of Reality," attempting to soothe all intense fluctuations, including the visitor's wariness.
However, this had no effect on Lind. The [Deconstruction Halo] formed an invisible domain around him, analyzing and repelling all attempts by the "tranquility" to penetrate. His perception, like the most sophisticated sonar, forcefully outlined a clear picture in this disturbed environment.
He flew directly towards the heart of the forest, towards the "Garden of the Mother Tree," where the Mother of a Thousand Roots, Elisia, resided. Along the way, he noticed something unusual:
The forest was still beautiful, but lifeless. Many elves walked slowly, their eyes somewhat vacant, as if immersed in some kind of half-dreaming, half-awake state.
They were unusually slow to react to Linde's streak of light, which clearly did not belong to the forest, as it swept past them. They simply looked up blankly, then lowered their heads again, continuing their slow work or stroll.
In some forest clearings, the once lively little sprites, light-spotted butterflies, and other elemental creatures have disappeared. In their place are translucent energy threads, like spider webs, that emit a faint "calming crystal" luster. They hang among the branches and leaves, swaying slowly, absorbing the energy dissipating from the environment and... thoughts?
The deeper one goes, the denser these energy threads become, even beginning to coalesce into a cocoon-like structure that envelops certain areas. Lin De can sense that in those areas encased in the cocoon, the flow of time and energy activity become extremely slow, almost to the point of stagnation.
“Weaving a web of silence…has it already begun to assimilate the forest itself?” Lind’s eyes grew even colder.
Finally, the Garden of the Mother Tree came into view.
It was a vast clearing in the forest, in the center of which stood the Eternal Mother Tree—the true form of Elessia, a colossal tree whose magnificence and antiquity defied description, its branches seemingly reaching the heavens, its roots deeply embedded in the very foundations of the world.
However, at this moment, the mother tree's condition was clearly not right.
Her trunk and branches, which once shone with the emerald light of life, were now shrouded in a layer of gray, their radiance dimmed.
Countless thicker, more solid dark silver energy threads, like parasitic vines, wrapped around the branches of the mother tree. These threads were not physical, but they exuded a powerful law of "tranquility" and "isolation." They seemed to be drawing life force from the mother tree while continuously injecting a sense of "slumber."
The mother tree's immense will emanated waves of suppressed, dreamlike pain as she resisted, but this resistance appeared exceptionally difficult and exhausting.
Beneath the mother tree, a standoff is underway.
On one side were several elven elders and high priests, led by the Elf Queen. Their bodies shone with furious magical light, life force and nature magic coalescing like a storm as they attempted to dispel the dark silver threads binding the mother tree, their attack aimed directly at—
On the other side, there was a figure suspended on the main branches of the mother tree.
It was not a physical entity, but rather a humanoid silhouette that was constantly changing shape and composed of countless flowing dark silver data streams and silent runes.
It has no facial features, no fixed posture, and seems to be merely a "concept" projected onto reality. It emanates a power that originates from the same source as the "dust of reality," yet is infinitely purer and stronger—it is the manifestation of the "Weaver of Silence"!
Beside the Silent Weaver stood an elf whose gaze caught Lind's attention—she wore a priestess robe adorned with Tranquilizing Crystals, held a staff carved from pure crystal, and her face was hidden in the shadow of her hood, but the energy fluctuations emanating from her body were highly coordinated with those of the Silent Weaver!
"Priestess of Twilight Stars!" The Elf Queen's voice was filled with grief, indignation, and disbelief. "You have betrayed the Mother Goddess and colluded with such an evil being!"
The priest known as Twilight Star slowly raised his head, revealing a pale yet fervently beautiful face beneath his hood:
“Betrayal? No, Your Majesty. I am saving you! The Mother Goddess is too conservative, too attached to the glory of the past and the so-called ‘natural balance.’ Only the path of the ‘Weaver’ can save the Elven race and the entire world from the impending Star Sea Storm (she was referring to the threat of the extraterrestrial evil gods and the Arbiters of Order), and bring them back to eternal peace and harmony!”
Her voice carried a deep, hypnotic firmness:
"Look, under the power of the Weaver, strife has vanished, pain has been soothed, and even the Mother Goddess can find peace from the endless burden of time... This is evolution! This is the future!"
"Absurd!" an elven elder roared, his powerful nature magic transforming into emerald spears that shot towards the Twilight Star Priest and the dark silver humanoid figure.
However, the light spear suddenly slowed down the moment it got close, as if it had sunk into an invisible swamp. The energy and will on it were quickly "smoothed" and decomposed, eventually turning into specks of light dust and dissipating. Not only did it fail to cause any damage, but it also seemed to be absorbed by the opponent.
The shifting silhouette of the "Silent Weaver" rippled slightly, and a silent stream of information spread out, directly affecting the consciousness of all the elves:
"[Resistance... is a futile waste... Embrace silence... merge into the eternal web... only then can one transcend turmoil and destruction...]"
This thought carried a powerful hypnotic force, and the eyes of several weaker elven priests immediately began to glaze over, and the light of their spells flickered and seemed about to die out.
The Elf Queen's face turned deathly pale. She could feel the Mother Tree's pain and the wavering will of her people. She herself was also under immense pressure, as the power of "Tranquility" seeped in everywhere, attempting to erode her soul.
At this critical moment—
"Transcendence? You coward, hiding your true colors and stealing the power of dreams?"
A cold voice, filled with undisguised sarcasm and murderous intent, boomed like thunder in the Mother Tree Garden, instantly shattering the almost solidified "tranquility" field!
Linde's figure had appeared in the arena at some point, standing with his hands behind his back between the Elf Queen and the dark silver humanoid.
He didn't emanate any powerful energy, but the invisible pressure, born from the slaying of gods and the baptism of the starry sea, calmed the turbulent energy field like a rock, causing all the elves to tremble and refocus their unfocused gazes.
"[Outsider... powerful variable... your existence... has interfered with the perfection of the web weaving...]" The Silent Weaver's thoughts came again, carrying a hint of displeasure at being disturbed and scrutiny.
The Twilight Star Priest shouted sternly, "Lind Truk! You are not welcome here! This is an internal matter of the Elven race, and it has nothing to do with you!"
Linde didn't even bother to glance at her; his gaze was fixed directly on the dark silver humanoid figure, his purple eyes seemingly burning with icy flames.
"Interference? I'm just here to get rid of a bug that was trying to spin a web in the corner of my house."
“Alesia,” he turned to the dusty mother tree, his voice low but carrying a power that pierced the soul, “your ‘ancient covenant,’ is this what you call letting this thing nest on your head? Or has the long years worn away your claws, leaving you unable even to protect your own dreams?”
The mother tree's massive trunk trembled slightly, emanating a powerful wave of will mixed with pain, shame, and a hint of enrage.
The dark silver threads binding her tightened instantly, flashing with light; clearly, Lind's words had stung her.
"[Arrogance...]" The Silent Weaver's thoughts were tinged with icy rage. It said no more, and its shifting outline suddenly expanded. Countless dark silver threads shot out from the void like living things, no longer slowly eroding, but transforming into sharp spears of silence with a "concept stripping" effect, shooting towards Lind from all directions!
Where these spears passed, even space itself seemed to lose its attributes of "sound" and "color," becoming gray and lifeless.
At the same time, the Twilight Star Priest raised his crystal staff, drawing upon the power of the surrounding "Dust of Reality" and Tranquilizing Crystal to create a powerful mental shockwave. This shockwave, mixed with the intentions of "Slumber" and "Forgetfulness," and combined with the Spear of Silence, swept towards Lind!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com