Iros arrived at the entrance camp of the Divine Tree Dungeon. Behind him were several students, including Saryan with a puji perched on his head, as well as another seven mages.
The atmosphere here was utterly different from the peaceful tranquility of the Tree City above.
Makeshift reinforced fences and rune-lit barriers surrounded the camp in layers. Elven rangers moved in a hurry, their faces marked with exhaustion and vigilance, and even the air carried a faint scent of blood.
A squad leader clad in light armor and carrying a longbow quickly stepped forward, bowing respectfully to Iros. “Honored Chief, the Captain of the Guard has sent me to escort you.”
But before he could finish, a stifled and pained howl rang out from the direction of the medical tent, filled with an inhuman frenzy.
Iros stopped in his tracks, turning toward the sound. “Is it infection? Take me to the wounded first.”
The squad leader’s eyes brightened and he immediately nodded. “Yes, Chief!”
When they arrived, two elven rangers were carrying out a druid.
“What’s wrong with him? Is it serious?” Saryan asked.
One ranger explained, “Nothing too bad. Dui just pushed himself too hard. A day of rest and he’ll be fine.”
Judging from their reactions, this was far from the first time such a thing had happened.
Inside the medical tent, several exhausted druids were seated in front of bound elves, maintaining the glow of purification spells.
Under the constant cleansing, the infected elves with dark-red markings on their skin were relatively calm.
Not far away, a few drained druids had simply collapsed into chairs, falling asleep where they sat.
“Chief?!” One druid quickly recognized the newcomer.
Iros swept his gaze across the druids’ ashen faces. “I’ll help. You all need rest.”
He stepped forward, lips moving soundlessly before raising his hand.
A gentle yet overwhelming radiance rippled out from him, like waves, instantly covering the entire medical area.
The glow was not blinding, but it carried immense purifying power.
The infection marks on the wounded melted away like frost in sunlight. Some even let out comfortable murmurs in their sleep.
The effect was so strong that even the puji on Saryan’s head felt invigorated!
The ranger squad leader reacted first. He pressed his hand to his chest and bowed deeply. “Thank you for your aid, Honored Chief!”
The druids, finally snapping out of their shock, looked at Iros with reverence and admiration.
“Such powerful wide-area purification… in an instant…”
“As expected of Chief Iros…”
Iros only gave a slight nod before turning back to the squad leader, his tone still steady. “Now, take us to the frontlines.”
“Yes! Please follow me.”
The squad leader led them into the dungeon, explaining the current situation as they moved. “Most of the clearing and scouting is concentrated on the thirteenth and fourteenth levels. Progress… is extremely difficult. The monsters there were already powerful, but now, infected, they’ve become insanely aggressive, throwing themselves into battle with no regard for their own lives. The supply line is an even greater problem. Every time we advance, we must spend enormous effort reinforcing the rear.”
They walked along a “safe path” carved out by the rangers.
On either side lay the traces of battle—charred scorch marks from spells, arrows embedded deep in tree trunks.
Looking up, they saw elven rangers stationed at intervals along the colossal tree, wary of frenzied monsters that might lunge from the darkness at any moment.
As they descended deeper, Saryan felt the Divine Tree Dungeon had grown desolate. Monsters once everywhere were now scarce.
But there were exceptions.
In the forest, the numbers of Pujis and Mud Monsters had noticeably increased, often seen chasing each other around.
The rangers guarding the path paid them little mind. As long as the Pujis and Mud Monsters didn’t attack first, they were left alone to scurry about.
This was because the madness that eroded minds did not affect all creatures.
Beings like Pujis and Mud Monsters, with no complex thoughts and driven only by instinct, were immune.
Their minds were too simple to be twisted, making them naturally resistant to madness.
In fact, there were other unaffected species as well, but the Pujis and Mud Monsters, as classic scavengers, were the greatest beneficiaries of this disaster.
The clearing operations left countless monster corpses behind. With elves too overwhelmed to handle them all, these became an endless feast for scavengers.
Food was abundant, and their numbers exploded.
Saryan frowned slightly at the sight of the ordinary Pujis running aimlessly about. Almost unconsciously, he raised his hand to touch the unusually quiet one perched on his head.
Unlike its kin, his little puji clearly possessed higher intelligence, which meant it might actually be at risk of infection.
The thought made him cautious. He’d need to watch the little guy carefully.
If something went wrong and he had to return to his sister carrying nothing but broken puji pieces… the very idea made him shudder.
Other elves had different feelings.
“All the years of the Divine Tree’s growth… what a waste…” Iros’s fellow student, Seldan, sighed softly at the sight.
His lament drew nods from several mages nearby.
Some even began quietly discussing post-war ecological restoration, debating whether to introduce certain monsters from outside to hasten recovery.
Perhaps due to luck, or perhaps because the rangers had cleared the path thoroughly, their descent went surprisingly smoothly without monster ambushes.
But when they finally reached the frontline stronghold, the scene was utterly different from the barren upper levels.
It was chaotic—overwhelmingly so!
The sharp, shrill howls and roars of monsters never ceased, a constant, maddening background noise that battered their ears.
In the deep darkness, arrows flashed like streaks of light, fireballs burst in roaring explosions, briefly illuminating the shadows.
The constant barrage of spells left the magical field unstable, surging and crashing like tides.
The unstable energy environment disrupted the mana circulation of newcomers like Saryan, leaving them nauseous and dizzy.
“Go ahead and puke! After a few times you’ll get used to it!” Amidst the chaos, a booming voice called out. Covered in mud and dark-red bloodstains, Guard Captain Eko strode forward.
Under the wavering glow of magic crystal lamps, he walked straight toward Iros. “Iros! The king finally sent you to support us!”
Spreading his filth-streaked arms, he looked ready to give his old friend a hearty embrace.
But when he was just one step away, his body froze.
From the earth, a slender but sturdy root emerged, coiling firmly around his ankle.
“Dirty.” Iros rejected him with a blank expression.