Chapter 375


At the entrance of the Divine Wood Dungeon.


What was once a temporary camp for treating wounded soldiers and those infected by madness had now become another forward defense line.


The ranger squad captain who had once received Iros and his party gave the decisive order to hold the line at all costs, blocking any animated giant trees attempting to break out of the dungeon.


However, manpower at the camp was already scarce. Even with the lightly wounded pressed into combat duty, their strength was still stretched thin.


At first, they managed to barely hold out, but as their arrows and mana potions dwindled rapidly, the defense line began to waver.


The captain had already sent messengers to call for reinforcements, but no response ever came.


When another wave of giant trees appeared in the distance, the captain personally led a few rangers forward to intercept. Through skillful coordination, they managed to cut the enemies down, but one of the rangers was struck in the chest by a whipping root and collapsed with severe injuries.


Without ranged firepower, fighting these massive creatures in close combat was a losing battle!


Manpower! Supplies!


He desperately prayed for either form of aid to arrive.


When he led his team back to the camp, he found that his prayers had been answered — beyond all expectations.


“Your Majesty?! Chief Advisor!” The captain saluted in shock and excitement.


Iros raised his hand, a light of healing enveloping the wounded ranger who had been coughing blood.


The Elf King took a glance around and sighed quietly in his heart.


He had still held a faint hope that the activation of the giant trees within the city might not yet be irreversible. Now, it was clear — the artifact must be used.


Without delay, he pressed forward — but instead of descending into the dungeon, he moved toward the edge of the great spiral.


Looking down, Aurel witnessed for the first time in his life the Divine Wood Dungeon shrouded in total darkness. “Even the Light-Gathering Barrier has been destroyed?”


Raising the artifact, Aurel spoke without turning back: “Iros, I’ll leave the aftermath to you. Handle everything according to protocol.”


“As you command.”


Aurel lifted the Heartwood Core, and a torrent of life energy surged from his body into the artifact.


The staff flared to life as countless tender buds sprouted along its branches, quickly covering the entire shaft.


Within half a minute, the overwhelming vitality reached its peak — a pillar of pure green light shot upward into the sky before turning sharply downward, piercing deep into the spiral structure of the dungeon.


It landed squarely upon the Divine Tree sapling now veined with crimson corruption.


The flood of life energy washed over it like a cleansing tide. Wherever it passed, the madness receded as if wiped away.


Not only the sapling, but even the massive trunk of the Divine Tree within the abyssal chamber — its sinister red lines were rapidly replaced by flourishing green.


And at that moment, Lin Jun, who was rummaging through the Divine Tree’s consciousness for access permissions, seemed to hear a faint, muffled groan.


Startled, he immediately froze all actions, ready to self-detonate and flee at the first sign of danger.


That came from the Divine Tree?


Don’t tell me it’s waking up?!


Lin Jun nearly lost his composure.


This artifact’s effect felt more like a supercharged alarm clock than a purification relic!


Whatever wild schemes he’d had moments before were instantly doused.


When he reopened the Divine Tree’s interface, he found that it was still in a dormant state — but the madness had indeed vanished, replaced by a new tag: “Life Overflowing.”


After waiting for a while longer with no further change, Lin Jun finally relaxed.


……


The madness had been purged from the Divine Tree, yet the animated giant trees outside the dungeon did not revert right away.


At the dungeon’s entrance, the Elf King Aurel drove the now-barren staff into the ground, using it to barely support his near-collapsing body.


But a wave of dizziness hit, and he finally fell backward.


“Your Majesty!”


Amid the guards’ cries, Iros rushed forward to catch the falling figure.


Aurel’s hair was now pure white, his body frail and shriveled, his face deeply lined — the image of an elf at the twilight of life.


Yet, a faint light of relief flickered in his eyes. He had prepared to be completely drained; to find he still had a few breaths left was a mercy.


“I will heal you.” Iros’s hand glowed softly with healing light — it could not restore lost years, but it eased the dying body’s pain.


“Iros… it seems…” Aurel tried to speak, but his words froze midway.


Behind him, Iros’s other hand was secretly weaving another spell — Life Drain.


Dual casting!


Concealed beneath the aura of healing, no one but Aurel himself could sense the truth.


“Aurel, you may hate me,” Iros whispered so faintly that none around could hear, “but I must do this. The elves must step beyond our cage…”


Aurel’s gaze locked on Iros in momentary confusion — then realization dawned.


With his last strength, he gripped Iros’s wrist, his breath faint as thread. “Don’t… lead them… to ruin…”


“I’m doing this to find that last thread of survival,” Iros murmured.


Aurel’s hand fell limp. No more breath followed.


The elves around them stood frozen in disbelief. Their king had come to resolve the crisis — none had imagined this would be the outcome.


The ranger captain collapsed to his knees, utterly lost.


And at that tragic moment, more giant trees appeared at the dungeon entrance!


Before anyone could react, they suddenly shattered and fell.


From the settling dust stepped an elf — covered in grime, eyes bloodshot, all elegance gone.


“Lord Eko!” The ranger captain recognized his superior instantly — but Eko paid him no mind.


When his gaze fell upon the scene before him, rage flooded his eyes, and he bit down so hard blood seeped between his teeth.


“Iros—!”


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Twin curved blades sliced apart the vines that lashed out to block him — they didn’t hold for even a heartbeat before more brambles burst from the ground.


Eko’s sudden appearance made Iros’s heart lurch. He had no idea how the man had escaped the Abyssal Chamber.


Not only did that require the Abyssal Ritual as a gateway, but the access-control data cube had been completely isolated by Iros himself — it should’ve been impossible to find.


But now was no time to ponder that.


As he conjured plants to hinder Eko, Iros called out, “Eko, there must be some misunderstanding! Calm yourself — we can still talk this through!”


Eko ignored him entirely, blades flashing in a storm of silver. “Either you die, or I do!”


Realizing words were futile, Iros shouted, “Everyone, fall back! Eko’s been infected with madness! He’s lost his mind — I’ll subdue him!”


A wall of fire rose before Eko. In that brief moment, Iros reached toward the artifact on the ground — essential for gaining full control over the Divine Tree.


But his hand closed on nothing.


A hole had opened in the earth, leaving only the tip of the wooden staff visible above the dirt…