This legendary treant stood even taller than a hill giant. His aged face and bark as tough as refined steel all proclaimed his might.
Of those present, not one dared guarantee that they could defeat him.
Yet after fighting one another to the death, they had reached a temporary agreement to join forces once they stopped.
Now that a powerful being had suddenly appeared and declared his intention to join them, how could he not draw attention?
The hill giant's eyes rolled, and he was the first to speak. "You can join us in dividing up this 'Tree of Existence,' but you'll have to show your sincerity."
"Then... how about this?"
The enormous treant spoke slowly, then smashed his gnarled ancient-tree hands fiercely against the ground.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!!!
The entire forest surged and roiled like a vast sea. Countless trees twisted together, forming five strongholds around the plane's World Tree.
The hill giant and silver dragon received an enormous nest, the paladin a grand hall, and the Balrog lord a cavern.
As for the treant himself, he had his orchard.
More than that, the giant, silver dragon, and the others could sense that the power of existence within these strongholds was almost as dense as it was near the Tree of Existence.
In other words, unless they entered the tree itself, the power of existence within the strongholds was at its richest.
Yet no one knew whether entering the tree would kill it.
With these strongholds, they could keep watch on one another while freely absorbing the power of existence.
The hill giant's words had merely been an excuse. After all, they could all sense how powerful the treant was.
These strongholds, however, were an unexpected delight.
The four of them promptly agreed to the treant's terms.
But since