Game of the World Tree

【 MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO GROW ANY FURTHER 】

The vast extradimensional space was silent, save for the flickering presence of four towering figures, some radiant, some shrouded in shadow.

Uller’s deep voice echoed through the void…

His tone seemed calm, yet for a deity addressing another whose power far surpassed his own, such words alone were enough to reveal his inner discontent.

The other mythological beings in the space reacted differently to his words.

To his left, a figure cloaked in murky fog, with a presence steeped in corruption, let out a soft chuckle. Faintly visible behind this person were six pairs of black wings. His gaze slid past Uller, landing with amusement on the foremost figure, Hodür, the Lord of Darkness and Shadows.

Opposite of Uller stood another mythic being, a half-human serpent hybrid wreathed in a dark purple aura. This person’s womanly figure was sinuous, her presence exuding wickedness. Her eyes flickered as they observed the exchange, and she clicked her tongue twice in amusement.

The former was Luria, a fallen angel of lesser divine power, while the latter was Alyssa, the Queen of Pain, who was an evil goddess of low divine power.

Among the individuals gathered here in the extradimensional space, besides Uller, the God of Winter and Hunt, and Hödur, the Lord of Darkness and Shadows, were these two evil deities who had only briefly participated in the underground war.

Sensing the scrutiny coming from those two evil gods, Uller’s projection grew brighter with divine radiance, and the icy winds swirling around him became even more ferocious.

His gaze darkened slightly as he momentarily shifted his attention away from Hodür, before sweeping across the two evil entities instead.

“Hmph! Lord Luria, Lady Alyssa. Do you have anything to say?”

His voice was laced with disdain, his chin lifting slightly as his eyes betrayed his contempt and arrogance.

As a True God who had rightfully earned his seat in the Pantheon and a subordinate of the God of War, which was one of the three great divine factions in their universe, Uller had always looked down upon these fallen gods.

Luria, after sensing the scorn in his words, let out another chuckle. While casually playing with his own feathers, he replied, utterly unbothered, “Oh, nothing… I just suddenly recalled something amusing.”

Alyssa, too, giggled behind her hand, her eyes glinting with mischief as she cooed, “So did I.”

Uller narrowed his eyes, his presence growing subtly more menacing.

“Oh? Something amusing? Do tell.”

Luria arched a brow in response. With a slow, deliberate motion, he plucked a single black feather from his wing, blew on it lightly, and smirked.

“Nothing much… I just find it amusing how some beings, despite their mediocre strength, carry themselves with such arrogance. But then again, I suppose it’s to be expected from a deity favored by the Provenance.”

His tone was mocking, tinged with a mischievous irreverence, but Uller could hear the underlying derision in his words.

At that moment, the Orc god’s expression darkened further.

With a cold chuckle, he retorted, “Hmph. I see no reason to respect those who flee in disgrace at the slightest threat.”

The atmosphere in the extradimensional space instantly tensed after that.

Luria’s smile faded slightly, and Alyssa’s aura took on a dangerous edge.

Months ago, during the underground war, the two of them had indeed fled in panic when faced with Hela’s divine artifact, Death Scythe.

In hindsight, it turned out that Hela’s cross-realm execution of Ares, the Plague Lord, had already pushed the Goddess of Death to her limits and her subsequent intimidation had been nothing more than a bluff.

Yet… they had fled nonetheless.

As the war concluded, rumors of their retreat spread across Seigües, and their names became a laughingstock amongst the gods.

Compared to the newly ascended Goddess of Life, who single-handedly sealed the Seventh Demon Lord, Azazel, the two of them had become mere stepping stones to the new Elven God’s growing legend.

And now, with Uller bringing up the past, he had undoubtedly struck the nerve of these two evil gods.

As the highest beings and true rulers of the universe, every divine entity possessed their own pride.

Even fallen gods.

Luria and Alyssa both scoffed in unison, their divine auras surging in response, rising to meet Uller’s.

Individually, Uller, who stood at the peak of lesser divine power, might have been their equal, but against both at once, he was clearly at a disadvantage.

His aura wavered under their combined pressure, flickering unsteadily.

The clash between them sent tremors through the extradimensional space, the very fabric of reality quivering on the brink of collapse akin to the onset of an apocalypse.

But suddenly, an ancient voice rang out:

“Enough.”

An aura laced with darkness surged forth, spreading like a colossal hand that blotted out the heavens.

In an instant, the overwhelming power of the three was effortlessly subdued and crushed beneath the weight of a single presence.

Hodür, the Lord of Darkness and Shadows, finally made his move.

As the only deity present with moderate divine power and an ancient god of the Netherworld at that, he could suppress anyone there with ease, even though his current form was merely a projection of his true self.

“Have you had enough?”

His cold, aged voice cut through the extradimensional space as he cast his gaze over the three mythical beings.

Hearing his words, Luria, the Fallen Angel, withdrew his aura.

Narrowing his eyes, he glanced at the figure seated in the main seat, a flicker of apprehension flashing in his gaze.

But it was fleeting. In the next moment, Luria chuckled softly and said,

“Since Lord Hodür has already spoken, I naturally won’t lower myself to bicker with certain foolish beings.”

Alyssa, the Queen of Pain, let out a sultry laugh and added,

“I feel the same.”

“Hmph!”

Uller scoffed but also withdrew his aura.

Yet when his gaze returned to Hodür, it no longer carried the same brazen defiance as before, and replaced only by solemn wariness.

With the clash of the three auras subsiding, the extradimensional space once again regained its calm.

It was only then that Hodür turned to Uller and, without any preamble, stated, “Lord Uller, there is something I must remind you of.”

His gaze darkened slightly as he continued,

“The dignity of a true god… shall not be desecrated.”

His voice was grave, tinged with restrained anger.

Uller immediately understood the underlying message behind his words, as this was Hodür’s response to his earlier inquiry regarding his believers being harmed by the other party’s divine punishment.

The dignity of a true god cannot be desecrated.

Throughout every realm in existence, this was a universal rule any living being must adhere and follow regardless of their affiliation or faith.

And anyone who dares break such law and tarnish the majesty of a divine being shall face divine judgment.

Uller gritted his teeth.

“But… surely you understand! Your Excellency’s statue being desecrated is part of the vile schemes of that evil goddess, Eve!”

Yet Hodür merely shook his head lightly.

“Lord Uller, whether it is trickery or an open ploy, this remains a war between our mortal believers and is not our main concern.”

Of course, it’s not your own believers being struck down, so why would you care?

Uller thought bitterly.

His anger simmered within, but before he could voice it, Hodür shifted his tone.

“That being said, I shall issue a divine oracle to ensure my holy statues are properly protected. However… enacting divine punishment is a matter of principle and thus, cannot be changed.”

Uller opened his mouth but found himself unable to refute.

In the end, he had no choice but to accept this outcome, however begrudgingly it might be.

His dissatisfaction didn’t matter. Hodür’s effortless display of power had made the difference between them painfully clear.

And amongst gods, one’s might made right.

Realizing this, Uller clenched his fists in frustration but ultimately bowed his head in submission.

The four mythical beings fell into silence once more.

Yet some things, once fractured, could never be restored to what they once were.

Alliances were no exception.

Noticing the lingering resentment in Uller’s suppressed posture, Hodür’s eyes flickered with the faintest hint of disappointment.

He shook his head slightly before speaking again.

“The Goddess of Life and the Goddess of Death must have already noticed our alliance. In recent days, Hela has grown more active in the Netherworld, and her surveillance of me has further intensified.”

“At this moment, my every move is being closely scrutinized under her watch. I fear I can no longer summon my Shadow Army as freely as before.”

As the second most powerful god of the Netherworld, Hodür had long contested Hela’s dominion over the realm of the dead, seeking to usurp her title as the True God of Death.

Therefore, any large-scale exertion of his divine power would give her the perfect opportunity to strike.

But the same could be applied for Hela.

In fact, during her last cross-realm execution using the artifact, Death Scythe, Hodür had done exactly that.

Though Hela had managed to slay Ares, the traitorous Plague Lord, reclaimed the Book of Death, and emerged victorious in the underground war, Hodür had seized the moment to siphon away a portion of her dominion over the Netherworld.

Hela had won, but it was not a perfect victory, resulting in a stalemate, albeit one that leaned slightly in the Goddess of Death’s favor.

Even for true gods, such power struggles were draining.

Ordinarily, divine beings exercised restraint, keeping watch over each other without dedicating too much focus to their rivalry.

But now, after her cooperation with the Goddess of Life, Hela had clearly redoubled her efforts, intensifying her surveillance of Hodür.

This forced him to be far more cautious in his recent actions.

“Furthermore,” Hodür continued, “the Goddess of Life is growing at an unnatural rate. I strongly suspect… she has abandoned her true self, allowing her divinity to be wholly consumed and corrupted by the elves’ collective faith.”

“Otherwise, her believers would not be so extreme in nature. It is proof that she, as their Patron Deity, has been contaminated by the dark thoughts that have tainted Elvenkind over centuries of persecution.”

“Nonetheless, need I remind you that a god who has lost her true self and basked in the power of faith shall grow at an exponential rate. As such, we must accelerate our plans before it is too late.”

Hodür turned his gaze to Uller and asked,

“Lord Uller, dealing with the elves of the Elven Forest will fall entirely upon your army. Now, three months have passed… how are your preparations?”

At these words, Uller’s expression darkened slightly.

He exhaled slowly before replying,

“If we set out soon, my believers can muster an army of 300,000. Their average strength is at least mid-Iron rank, and among them, there are ten high-ranking experts at Gold-rank. This is the full extent of the power the Orcs can provide.”

“Tch, a mere three hundred thousand? If I recall correctly, someone once promised double that number.”

Luria, the Fallen Angel, chuckled softly, only to be met with a sharp glare from Uller.

With a cold snort, Uller retorted,

“Lately, there have been some… complications. I trust that Lord Hodür is already aware of them and understands my situation.”

Hodür nodded slightly but remained noncommittal.

Through the prayers of his own believers and the divine punishment he delivered upon those who desecrated his statue, he had gained some insight into the events unfolding in the Desert of Death.

“It was the work of those strange elves, I assume?”

His aged voice echoed once more.

At the mention of them, Uller’s expression grew even more unpleasant.

“I have no idea how… Hela and that false goddess, Evé, managed to create such vile abominations. Those evil creatures masquerading as Elves… they’re even more detestable than the cultist of evil gods!”

“Heh.”

“Pfft.”

Luria and Alyssa both scoffed in unison.

Hodür frowned slightly.

“Enough.”

Then, turning back to Uller, he shook his head lightly.

“Your number of forces is still far too low.”

Uller’s expression grew even grimmer and after a brief silence, he replied,

“Lord Hodür, this is my current absolute limit. That is, unless you give me a few more months to prepare.”

“Moreover… without the assistance of your Shadow Army, my army will definitely suffer catastrophic losses.”

“As a god whose power depends on faith, I’m sure you, even as an ancient god, grasp the gravity of losing a significant portion of my believers, Lord Hodür.”

Hodür nodded lightly.

“I do.”

“But sometimes, what must be sacrificed… must be sacrificed. As long as we can achieve our goal.”

“We have all joined forces here for a reason. Thus, it means our desires align with one another.”

“I seek to sever one of Hela’s subordinates, while Lord Luria and Lady Alyssa wish to consume the Goddess of Life’s divinity. And as for you, Lord Uller, to elevate your divine rank.”

“Our goals do not conflict. Alas, we are running out of time. If we allow the Goddess of Life to continue growing unchecked, then even with the power we hold in the realm of Seigües, we may soon be unable to oppose her—unless we descend in our Incarnate forms ourselves.”

“During the war underground, I believe you all have witnessed the potential of those strange elves who called themselves ‘Chosen Ones’.”

“If we allow them to grow any further, then mayhaps we will have a real problem within our hands.”

“Henceforth, we must strike before the Goddess of Life fully matures and gains mastery over her Divinity, cutting her down while she is still in the process of consolidating her power and ascending to her full potential.”

“If she was able to seal Azazel, then she has likely already reached the level of a Lesser Divinity. Thus, we cannot allow her to continue growing unchecked any further…”

“We must begin the war soon, lure her true body out into the open, and slay her on a battlefield of our choosing. This is a plan we must see through to the end.”

At Hodür’s words, the three other mythical beings all nodded in agreement.

However, the Queen of Pain, Alyssa, suddenly spoke up, her tone laced with curiosity.

“Lord Hodür,” she said, “I have always wondered…how exactly do you intend to lure the Goddess of Life out in the open like you plan?”

As soon as Alyssa voiced her question, both Uller and Luria turned their attention to Hodür as well.

They, too, were curious, as Hodür had never explained this part of his strategy in detail.

Seeing their inquisitive gazes, Hodür let out a low chuckle.

His deep, aged voice echoed through the void once more.

“Tell me, do you know this Goddess of Life’s full name?”

“…Full name?”

Luria, the Fallen Angel, raised an eyebrow.

Hodür nodded.

“It was Evé Yggdrasill.”

“Yggdrasill…”

Luria narrowed his eyes slightly.

“—Yggdrasill?!”

Alyssa’s expression flickered with surprise.

“Yggdrasill!”

Uller’s face darkened.

“Using that surname…how bold of her,” Luria mused.

“I was just as surprised,” Hodür admitted. “Had I not personally confirmed that the World Tree’s divine throne in the Pantheon remains broken and abandoned to this day, and had I not observed that this Goddess Eve’s temperament differs entirely from the Mother of All Gods…”

“If not for these things, I might have thought ‘She’ had somehow returned. And that is precisely why I am certain that this newly born Elven deity has already been tainted by the corruption of faith.”

He paused briefly before continuing.

“The elves’ unwavering obsession with their Matriarch has given birth to her. With Evé being the new Goddess of Life and Nature, as well as taking on the role of the new Matriarch of Elvenkind… there is no doubt that her entire existence, even from the very beginning, has already been tainted by the elves’ faith, leading her to adopt that particular surname.”

“And for a newly born god like her, drawing her out in the open is quite simple.”

Hodür turned his gaze back to the other mythical beings.

“All we need… is the remnants of the World Tree.”

“Remnants of the World Tree?”

The others exchanged thoughtful glances.

This time, Hodür no longer kept them in suspense.

With a faint smile, akin to a kindly elder sharing a secret, he said,

“Tell me—have any of you ever heard of the World Tree’s divine kingdom?”

༺⟐༻

The meeting between the four mythical beings did not last much longer.

After another ten minutes of discussion, they each withdrew their respective projections. Yet, as they departed one by one, there was a subtle difference in their demeanor.

Compared to when they had first arrived, the three seemed more composed and confident.

And once the others had left, only Hodür, the Lord of Darkness and Shadows, remained.

He silently gazed at the empty space where the three had vanished, then shook his head lightly.

“A mob of opportunists,” he murmured.

With those words, divine radiance flickered across his form before his projection, too, finally disappeared.

— 507 —

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