Cellica Berzon could not believe her eyes.
"Impossible."
That word escaped her lips as she looked at the ginormous tree in front of her.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me."
She stood in the middle of the busy street, looking at it with a dumbfounded look on her face. Speople who passed by saw her and assumed she must have been a countryside bumpkin who was just arriving in the capital for the first time.
It was the third day of July, and Cellica was in the centre of the Elven Empire's capital city of Lustea.
It was a busy city, with high-rise buildings everywhere, and tens of thousands of people moving around in the bustling metropolis.
At the centre of this metropolis, there were two things.
First, was the Elverston Citadel, the Palace of the Elven Emperor and one of Aidos' Five Transcendent Level Existences.
Despite how majestic it was, this palace was not Cellica's focus.
Her mind was on the second thing in the centre of the capital—the true centre of Lustea.
It was a ginormous tree that towered high up into the clouds.
There was a barrier surrounding the tree that restricted the absurd magic power and World Law energy pressure that the tree released, a pressure so heavy even Living Legends would struggle to breathe near it.
Anyone weaker than that would just straight up die if they ever got past the barrier.
This was the Elven World Tree—or at least that's what Cellica had always thought it was.
Cellica was following a trail on orders from the First Finger, which led her back to her hcountry which she hadn't entered in years.
This little trail turned out to be the fattest one ever.
The First Finger had given her a special Analysis Artifact created with the World Laws of Wisdom, Knowledge and Revelation. It was something created by a Transcendent from the 'Age of Deities' and was the only thing capable of bypassing the fog of magic power around the World Tree which was also from the Age of Deities.
Cellica doubted that there existed any form of concealment that could block this.
The artifact was in the form of a pair of glasses adorning her face.
Because she was using this artifact, she was able to see through the fog of mana, and what she saw made her skin turn as pale as her hair.
'I need to leave.'
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtShe made that decision but her feet remained rooted to the ground. The chills she felt running down her spine at this discovery she just made astounded her.
'No wonder they built the Elverston Citadel in this part of the country. It was because of this.
To think he was hiding in plain sight for centuries!!'
Cellica looked up from the castle and straight at the World Tree—no, at the third Member of the Iremith Family.
A Defence Mechanism of the Planet.
|Name- Lios Iremith
Race- Elder-Breed Ouroboros Dragon.
Gender-Male
Age-2943
Level- 897 []
Existence Level – Sovereign (Superior)
Titles- Ouroboros of Wood and Earth, Defence Mechanism of 'Aidos', World Tree. |
Cellica looked at this appraisal result one more tbefore turning around and heading back to the train station.
She bought a ticket and got onto the train headed for Ulmlion Station City without hesitation, almost as if she was running away.Which she actually was.
Powerful beings were very sensitive, and given how long she had been staring at the Ouroboros, she did not know if he had sensed her gaze that had seen through the fog of mana or not.
And she certainly didn't want to stay there long enough to find out.
'Lord First said he had noticed sstrange moves with sAlpha Continental Living Legends, almost as if sof them were converging in the GEE.
He believes that Evan Eris is up to something again, but this discovery takes precedence over that boy.'
Such were her thoughts as she got out from the train and left the station. Since she had stayed in Ulmlion the night before, Cellica had sthings she left in her hotel room and she wished to retrieve them.
But first, she went into a nearby park, glancing at the small elven children who ran around with their parents as she headed towards a nearby water fountain.
'I need to clear my mind.'
The weight of the discovery she just made shocked her. It was to the point where she began to believe that there were far more than a thousand Sovereign-level existences on the planet.
Maybe, there might even be hidden Transcendents she didn't know about.
'There aren't…right?'
She wasn't so sure of herself anymore.
The woman ran her left hand through her hair as she heaved an exhausted sigh, but it was at that moment that she sensed a chill run down her spine and she turned her body on instinct.
However, it was already too late.
**SWISHH!!
Black light flashed in her eyes, and what followed next was the sensation of pain.
"Gak!"
Blood sprayed in the air and dyed the green grass red as Cellica's left arm was unceremoniously severed in two.
She held the wounded stump of her arm and jumped backwards; her gaze locked onto the person who had just attacked her in the middle of a public park.
It was a golden-eyed and dark blue-haired elf woman who was wearing a dark-themed maid uniform, holding a black blade in her hands which was still stained with Cellica's blood.
Cellica recognized her, as this elf was a 'Living Legend' just like she was. But if there was a difference, it was the fact that this woman was the 'Living Legend' who was touted as the 'Strongest' the Elves had ever produced.
Her epithet was the 'Twilight Blade'.
"Zestari Herrel!!
What is the meaning of this?!"
Cellica's public face was that of the 'Living Legend' with the epithet of 'Earthborne Sentinel'. Zestari should be crazy for daring to attack her in public like this.
"..."
Zestari offered no words, instead, she just flicked the blood off her blade and it was then that Cellica realised something strange.
Although Zestari had attacked her in the middle of a public park with hundreds of people around, these people went on with their lives as if nothing had just happened.
It was as if these people didn't even realise they were beside the fountain.
"You've gotten stronger, Cellica.
The you of a decade ago would have not been able to react that fast."
Zestari spoke as she looked at the severed arm on the floor. She had delivered a hypersonic speed strike, aiming to slice off Cellica's arm from the shoulder, but was only able to get her from the elbow.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"Normally, I would act first and ask questions later, but you are someone I've known for over a century.
Even if we aren't as close as we used to be, you are one of the few people I consider a genuine friend.
Which is why I must ask…"
The High Elf's golden eyes trembled a bit before she looked right into Cellica's brown-red eyes and asked.
"Why did you join the Demonic Hand, Cellica?"
"…"
Cellica's expression was one of confusion as if someone had just told her something absurd, but inside she was shocked to hell and back.
'HOW? How did she discover it? I have artifacts that obscure Analysis techniques and skills. Even 'Perfect Appraisal' would not be able to see my status, so how did she know?'
The fact that Cellica was a member of the Demonic Hand was something only the Executives and the Senior Members of the Fourth and Sixth Division knew.
These Senior Members were under binding contracts to not reveal this fact even if they were tortured to death, so there should be no way for Zestari to find out she had joined the Demonic Hand.
'No…there is a way.'
Cellica possessed the Designation of 'Enemy of Aidos'. Even if she could hide the title from her status, it did not mean that designation went away.
All these thoughts of hers took no more than a second, and she voiced her reply right after.
"Demonic Hand? Zestari, have you finally gone mad?"
"Am I? If you didn't join the Demonic Hand, then I cannot think of any other reason why you of all people, would now be considered a 'World Enemy'."
Hearing Zestari's reply, Cellica confirmed her conjecture.
'I knew it!'
There were certain people who could tell one had the Designation of Enemy of Aidos, without needing to appraise the target themselves.
Cellica knew this, which was why she had made ample preparations and confirmed none of them were nearby before daring to enter Lustea.
However, the fact that Zestari appeared here, could only mean one thing.
'She's here as well!! Abigail Lowe!!'
The current 'First' of the Seven Heroes, the Princess of the Elven Empire whom Cellica had confirmed was supposed to be in the Jine-Alora Duchy was here.
'After the failed Fake Hero attack, the chances of Zestari separating from her again are nearly zero.'
Cellica stopped the bleeding in her arm with magic and looked up at Zestari, taking a deep breath before answering.
"It's one thing if you're throwing allegations atwith no proof, and it's a different thing if you're attackingas well.
My tolerance has limits…"