Game of the World Tree
chapter-23

▪️EVÉ YGGDRASILL

“What? Did I hear that right? They triggered the main questline?”

“Does this game really have a main questline?”

“Is this your lucky day, Demacia?”

“What’s the quest? Is it really the main questline?”

The players’ discussions all around them were buzzing with excitement.

Demacia and his companions felt extremely pleased as they gazed at the small players down below while proudly standing upon the shoulder of the Oak Guardian.

“That’s right, I’m just that lucky!”

“Ha ha ha! We can’t tell you anything, but just so you guys know, we’re now going to the temple to personally see the goddess!”

“We’ll talk about the details later! Ha ha ha!”

Their voices were just oozing with vanity.

“They’re meeting the goddess?”

“No way!?”

“Is it the goddess Evé!?”

“Ahrrgh! Goddammit, why was it not me who triggered the main questline instead of those idiots? I’m so freakin’ jealous, man!”

“What kind of quest is it that it even involves the goddess directly?”

“Well they did say that its the main questline, isn’t it?”

“The rewards for this quest must be very generous…”

“This is just too enviable!”

The rest of the players were just full of envy and resentment as they continued on speculating the matters regarding the main questline.

Berserker didn’t pay much attention to any of the other players harping about the quest and just silently walked towards the Nature’s Temple situated along the central square of the town.

As he advanced, some players followed behind him with each of their faces etched with excitement and curiosity akin to an army of ducklings trailing behind a mother goose.

“Hurry up guys, we need to catch up to them! Let’s see what’s going to happen!”

“This huge treant NPC is so cool!”

“Quick, let’s take a screenshot and upload it in the forum!”

“What kind of quest is it? Why can’t they tell us anything about it?”

“Hey slow down! slow down a little bit! I want to come up too!”

There were even some few overly excited players who wanted to climb up to Berserker’s leg just like Demacia’s team but—

“Hmph!”

—Accompanied by a deep cold snort, Berserker merely glanced coldly at the few daring players who was recklessly attempting to climb up his feet.

A powerful pressure then swept across the entire area with the Oak Treant at its epicenter, causing the reckless players to stop what their doing as they involuntarily trembled before falling down into the ground.

Immediately, there was silence among the players just after it happened. The tense moment last for about a couple of seconds before it was replaced by an eruption of excitement as if the pressure wasn’t effective at all!

“Hot damn! This wood man sure have a strong pressure!”

“Dude that’s just terrifying…just how high is the level of this Oak Guardian NPC anyway?”

“Definitely beyond Iron-rank, maybe even around the Silver-rank mentioned in the game’s info?”

“So scary!”

“That one glance from him almost scared me to death.”

The players broke out in a cold sweat and eventually, the majority of them calmed down. Surprisingly, the few reckless ones did not try to do anything further as well. Hence as a result, no one dared to offend the Oak Guardian anymore.

Soon, Berserker, who carried Demacia and his teammates, finally arrived at the front of the Temple.

At this moment, the saintess Alice, who had received the oracle from Evé much earlier, had already been awaiting for their arrival for quite some time.

Berserker knelt down on one knee once again, before Demacia and the others jumped down from his body as they hopped along his branches to reach the ground.

After all the four male players safely climbed down from the treant, Berserker promptly stood up and chanted a rhythmic incantation, followed by his body slowly shrinking to only a four meters size in the blink of an eye…

Alice smiled sweetly as she looked respectfully at the calm and reliable Oak Guardian in front of her.

“Praise be thy Goddess, the Mother of all! Welcome back, Lord Berserker.”

She drew a tree-shaped symbol upon her chest.

“Praise be thy Goddess, the Mother of all! Saintess, the anointed one.”

Basaka responded formally in the same manner.

Alice nodded and then finally turned around to welcome as well the players that came along with the Oak Treant. However, her smile faded a bit when she saw the face of Demacia.

With a light sigh, she said with a little bit of uncertainty in her tone, “Follow along with me, the ceremony is ready.”

Then she just turned around and walked towards the interior of the temple without making any further attempts at conversation.

Demacia just smiled awkwardly and then signaled to his teammates with his eyes before following along behind the holy maiden.

Before entering the door, he then paused for a moment, thought for a bit, and turned on the built-in recording function of the system.

Berserker walked at the rear end of the group. However as they were about to enter the temple’s door, he stopped for a moment and said to the other players who had followed along with him,

“Outsiders are not allowed in.”

His voice was deep and he stated it in a commanding tone that could not be refuted.

After giving that warning, the Oak Treant simply walked inside after closing the doors of the temple.

“Damn! Why are they being all so mysterious?”

“I really want to see what’s happening inside!”

“The windows! Quick, peek through the windows! The window’s still not closed!”

For a while, a large wave of players peeked through any of the available openings such as the windows or they tried to listen as they planted their ears close to the walls, and some even squinted their eyes through the gap in the door just to see anything inside…

Inside the temple.

Demacia and his teammates looked around curiously.

Although this temple was also built by players, his team did not participate in its construction, and this was their first time entering inside.

Because the construction had just been completed recently, the temple was still very much empty, and the only noteworthy things inside are the small altar with a statue of the goddess on a podium.

Around the altar were engravings of mystical magic arrays, with faint fluctuations of divine power emanating from within the magical circle as it releases a power that could soothe one’s heart.

Even Demacia and his teammates were affected by such soothing power and their initial excitement gradually calmed down as well.

Alice and Berserker knelt down respectfully in one knee towards the statue of the goddess, and gestured a tree-shaped symbol upon their chests.

They then devoutly proclaimed with their voices echoing with reverence and adoration,

“Praise be thy Mother of Nature.”

“Praise be thy Goddess of Life.”

“Praise be thy Great Matriarch of the Elvenkind—Evé Yggdrasill!”

After speaking, the two NPCs turned their heads and looked expectantly at the four players.

Demacia and the others were stunned for a moment. They looked at each other dumbfoundedly before reacting in unison as they all got down on one knee in the same manner and drew the tree symbol upon their chest just like the indigenous believers before shouting,

“Praise be thy Mother of Nature. Praise be thy Goddess of Life. Praise be thy Great Matriarch of the Elvenkind—Evé Yggdrasill!”

As soon as they finished speaking, the statue upon the altar suddenly burst into a golden light as it enveloped the entire group…

Demacia suddenly felt a strong mystical force pulling along his consciousness. His vision suddenly turned blank, as the control of his body was suddenly stripped away from him in an instant.

Could this be…a cinematic cutscene?

His heart trembled.

Accompanied by an indescribable sense of weightlessness, Demacia gradually regained control of his body.

His vision also gradually recovered.

When Demacia opened his eyes and looked around to see where he was, he was suddenly stricken with a profound sense of shock that he couldn’t even close his mouth at all.

He found himself in an incredibly magnificent temple within a vast space as several huge stone pillars carved with exquisite, complicated patterns on both sides supported the entire structure.

The temple seemed to be adrift along the starry skies. As profound and magnificent cosmic wonders could be discerned through the vicinity on both sides whilst the galaxies from up above bathed them with extremely mysterious and bright radiance.

Faint prayers and solemn chanting could be heard coming from somewhere within the cosmic void. It sounded completely obscure but no one could deny the divine and mysterious sentiment it embodies, making one’s mind inexplicably calm while also producing a heartfelt awe and admiration to anyone who hears it.

In front of the temple was a high podium, with mysterious and ancient characters painted on its sides and enigmatic symbols carved into it. The content of the symbols hinted at nature, life, and elves…

On the platform was an intricate divine throne constructed entirely of gold as various vines and flowers, and even branches accentuate its features.

A graceful figure exuding a sacred radiance was sitting atop of the throne as she gives off the dignity of a sovereign whilst looking down at the new arrivals with profound gaze.

It was the old ancient god, Evé Yggdrasill in the flesh.

She was wearing a white divine dress adorned with floral patterns along with a beautiful and luxurious crown of wreath placed on top of her head.

Her long platinum straight hair reached all the way down to her waist as it glistened in an otherworldly light. Whereas her gorgeous and abstruse amethyst eyes radiated the brilliance of a divine power, making her overall countenance akin to a being that can only exist within a fantasy….

An aura of holy light covered her entire body, as she simply sat there silently, with one hand supporting her smooth chin while the other taps the armrest of the divine throne in a slow and rhythmical manner.

A faint smile could be seen upon her lips, with an amiable yet still dignified visage.

Evé looked at her visitors, with profound eyes as deep as the starry skies, as if her simple gaze alone contained all the mysteries of the entire galaxies around them. She then finally opened her mouth as her voice resounded in a transcendent and ethereal tone.

“Chosen ones, we meet again.”