Starshine Forest
The Root Elder tells the story of the Tree Mother.
According to it.
A hundred years ago, ahead lay a thriving Great Forest. Under the care of the Tree Mother, the entire region flourished and followed the laws of harmony.
This aligns perfectly with Linsey's understanding.
Because long before the Dragon Beast descended, the Expedition Team had recorded the situation in this canyon area when they passed through it.
They made no mention of any dangerous creatures lurking in the forest.
The records show that the scenery here is beautiful, which put the members of the Expedition Team in a good mood.
They even gave the place a name, Starshine Forest, in memory of a Meteor Shower they saw there.
Unfortunately, the state of Starshine Forest did not remain unchanged after a hundred years.
With the arrival of the Dragon Head ruler of the Black Mountain World, he naturally wouldn't overlook a vast region like the Starshine Forest.
Originally following the way of nature, the Tree Mother of the Great Forest was also forced to submit to the Dragon Beast...
"Didn't you ever think of resisting?"
Linsey listened quietly to the other person's message, but Red suddenly spoke up.
The girl had been freed from captivity by Linsey. Although she had lost her memory, she knew that her position as a prisoner and her relationship with the Dragon Beast were definitely not good.
Upon hearing about the so-called Tree Mother, they chose to submit to the Dragon Beast.
Hong's dissatisfaction was almost written all over her face:
"If I were you, I would not easily choose to give in, even if it meant risking my life."
The Root Elder didn't seem to care about the red's contempt.
It offered its own perspective as Plant Spirit on this issue:
"We creatures born from plants generally have long lifespans. Even if that Dragon Beast rules us, after a long time, it will eventually turn into nourishment for the earth, but the forest will still exist."
"Moreover, in nature, the strong prey on the weak, and submitting to the strong is not an unacceptable choice."
"Heh—" Hong snorted coldly, ignoring the Root Elder.
Linsey did not comment on this, but instead guided the other person to continue recounting what had happened:
"Since you beings of the forest have accepted the fate of submission, then you should live in the forest and cannot be here."
"Something must have happened after that. That's probably why you left the forest, right?"
"Human, you are very clever." The Root Elder acknowledged Linsey's deduction. "About 52 evolutionary cycles... about 13 years ago, the Dragon Beast sent an envoy into the forest."
At this point, the Root Elder paused briefly.
It seemed to recall some very terrible experiences, and after composing itself, it continued, "After that envoy arrived, he ordered the extraordinary beings in the forest to hand over their Essence to help that Dragon Beast complete its advancement."
"The Tree Mother was originally gentle and loved nature."
"But as her essential power was continuously extracted, her personality became twisted and violent. She was no longer like a forest tree, but more like a wild beast."
The Root Elder' account matched the Corrupted Poison Spider's warning.
Linsey silently gazed at the Starshine Forest to the east. The green in her vision stretched as far as the eye could see, and even after disappearing into the horizon, it did not fade but instead became even more vast, almost becoming part of the earth itself.
This region is already vast.
Through the management of the extraordinary beings in the forest, it has continued to expand over thousands of years, its area now equivalent to that of a large country.
Refer to the records of the Expedition Team crossing the forest.
The Starshine Forest is over two thousand kilometers long from east to west, but its distance from south to north is unknown as it has not been explored.
Today, the rulers are gradually descending into madness through submission.
It is entirely foreseeable that some people would choose to detach their gecko's tail and escape.
"The Tree Spirit at the World Boundary must have escaped from here."
Linsey murmured a sigh.
He then nodded slightly to the Root Elder, indicating his approval:
"So you didn't want to accept this outcome, so you ran away?"
The Root Elder quickly admitted, "I've already told you what I know. According to the agreement, you can let me go..."
Linsey abruptly interrupted the other's pleas, "Yes, you have your reasons for leaving the forest. But that doesn't explain your actions in alerting us. As a deserter who betrayed the Tree Mother, you should have stayed hidden here, instead of coming out to warn us whenever you see someone."
"..."
The Root Elder was silent for a moment, but quickly found a reason.
"Both of you are awakened humans. If you are captured in the forest, it will undoubtedly help that Dragon Beast advance."
"I came out to warn you, just to prevent him from..."
"Don't bother with such ridiculous reasons." Linsey interrupted the Root Elder forcefully once again. "How many Awakened Ones like us are there in such a vast forest? Even if we were captured, what difference would two more of us make?"
At this point, Linsey's gaze became extremely aggressive.
The neutral presence Yellow Marker is not worth the risk of giving them a warning.
Based on her previous experiences, a bold idea emerged in Linsey's mind.
Even if I guess wrong, it won't cost me anything! At most, I'll get a few sarcastic remarks from Hong during dinner tonight...
Linsey made a decision instantly, and the next second she asked in a stern tone, "There must be someone else behind you, and it is because of the orders of this person behind the scenes that you gave us this warning."
"..."
The Root Elder fell silent and did not answer.
Linsey continued to intensify the pressure in her language, "And that Rock Golem that was lurking in my camp at the beginning."
"If you were still at the Fifth Stage, creating such a large puppet might be possible; but with your current Fourth Stage strength, you certainly don't have the corresponding ability."
"Tell me honestly, who exactly is behind this and instigating you!"
The Root Elder's reaction was unexpected.
This man, who would have been willing to beg humbly to survive, now completely shut up and offered no response.
It seemed as if it had already made a decision.
Even if it is killed by Linsey here, it will not reveal any more information.
Sometimes, not answering is itself an answer.
Seeing what was happening, Red knew that Linsey had guessed some of the truth.
Faced with this problem, the Root Elder chose to refuse to cooperate.
"You chose this yourself!"
Red showed no mercy; her fiery red pupils turned as cold as iron.
Without any hesitation, the Meteorite Spear that had been hanging over the head of the Root Elder immediately burst into red flames.
Rumble! Almost simultaneously, the ground at the edge of the cliff trembled, making it difficult to stand.
In the instant of the Root Elder' life-or-death crisis, an earthen-yellow puppet appeared from the earth, its hands raised high.
It had appeared stealthily, positioned directly below the three of them.
The Root Elder, about to be burned to death by the Meteorite Spear.
It was also protected by its clasped hands, which wanted to drag it underground.
"Trying to run away!"
Despite the trembling ground, the ferocity in Hong's voice was incredibly calm.
Bang! The girl stomped her foot on the ground and leaped up like an eagle.
She held her Meteorite Spear high in the flames, immediately aiming at the Rock Golem that was trying to sink into the earth.
This attack is not only meant to pierce through the puppet.
The Root Elder it protected must also die! "Please don't hurt him!" At the critical moment, a deep voice rang out from the Rock Golem, "He is only following my orders."
"If you want to know the truth, come see me with this puppet."
Whoosh—! The next second, the Meteorite Spear in Red's hand was thrown out.
The girl's icy voice was like a death sentence. "The truth?"
"Just die first!"