CHAPTER 114: ’EMBERVALE’ IS YOUR TRUE ENEMY...?

"An Erdtree?"

After handing the Amplifying Crystal to Samantha, the teacher sent them off, two Holy Knights following behind.

The teacher hesitated to share any details with Mel, probably suspecting the Saintess would fill her in later.

Mel shrugged slightly, showing she’d picked up on their closeness.

"Yes, it’s an Erdtree," Mel whispered to Lila, as they walked past the familiar green path again. "It’s way more different than the Erdtree I know, but yes."

In the game, the Erdtree was depicted as a lush, green tree with the richest bark and thickest roots.

Strangely, the Erdtree was known to thrive only in the Eastern Habitat. Had the Cult somehow forced it to grow here?

Or worse, had they known Embervale could nurture an Erdtree all along?

Mel frowned, remembering how grotesque the tree looked—far too unnatural compared to the game’s illustration.

"Mm." Lila hung her head, tightening the grasp on Mel’s hand. "It’s also a little too creepy to be the famed Elf Tree."

"Hm? How exactly?"

"The roots." Lila’s brows knitted together. "They... they were merged with the lava veins, a little too closely."

She clutched her chest. "I feel it more closely when something inside me grows; there was an echo inside that tree. Or rather..."

Her emerald eyes dropped to the ground. "It’s like... something alive-but-not-alive is calling out from beneath our feet."

Mel cupped her chin, contemplating.

’Partner.’ She sent a telepathy. ’Any idea what that tree entailed?’

[ Hm... before that, Mel, have you ever noticed that there were fewer Mana Crystals when you arrived at the site earlier? ]

Nodding to the air, Mel deduced. ’I assume the Cultists mine them all out for the operations. Is that not true?’

[ Technically, no. Remember that those Mana Crystals were the tortoise’s corpse made manifest. ]

A blink. Then Mel’s eyes glimmered with a subtle realisation.

’You mean the Erdtree... devoured the Mana Crystals? Is that why there were none near it?’

[ Ding ding! You’re right, Mel! ]

[ Normal creatures would have gone berserk when consuming those crystals, but there was one exception. ]

With a smirk, Mel glanced around the forested path; crystals still shimmered under the shadow of trees and leaves.

’Plant.’ Mel nodded to herself. ’When I first entered here, the Plants seemed to have adapted well in contrast.’

How the lava veins lost their heat, and how the mana crystals’ energy was transformed to benefit the plants’ growth in the end.

A cycle born from impossible circumstances, a ’beautiful coincidence’.

[ Exactly. Unlike Monsters, Plants easily adapted to the mana crystals and converted them to controllable energy!]

’And the Erdtree was known to be the hardiest of all trees...’

Mel idly stroked Lila’s hand, further calming her lover as she continued the discussion. ’And those [ Amplifying Crystals ]—were they the result of using the Erdtree for experiments?’

[ Specifically, failed experimentation. ]

’Failed?’

[ Of course! Samantha’s reports said the enchanted monsters unleashed on the students were failed byproducts. ]

[ Not even corpses or undead brought from the Kingdom could withstand the Erdtree’s corrupted version of Pride’s energy.]

Mel gulped, a trace of nervousness slipping through her cheerful expression. ’Then, if the Knights consumed the failed [ Amplifying Crystals ]...’

[ They will explode without a trace. ]

She chuckled, surprised she’d unwittingly spared her enemies such a cruel fate.

’A final question then.’ Mel’s face beamed, the prideful satisfaction of a last-minute detective rumbling in her chest.

’What is the thing that called out to Lila from beneath us?’

Mel glanced back towards Lila, whose gaze was still stuck to the ground.

To her surprise, the emerald eyes trembled not with an intense fear of the unknown, but rather a soft understanding.

[ That’s extremely simple. ]

Viewing the knowing message from the Saintess, Mel tilted her head. ’Come on. Don’t play mystery man on me!’

[ Hehe. It’s a relatively simple mystery, Mel. ]

[ Like Calina stated before in the restaurant and the battle, Enchanted Monsters happened everywhere in Embervale. And by extension...]

’...means the Mana Crystals grew everywhere for the Monsters to consume, yes?’

Mel grumbled against the teasy Saintess, earning a confused look from Lila.

Flashing a small smile to reassure Lila, she asked again. ’Furthermore, that showed how influence from [ Volcanic Tortoise ]’s corpse spread everywhere in Embervale, right?’

[ You should’ve thought it a more... balanced manner, Mel. ]

[ The true Miracle lay in that the corpse’s energy co-existed with nature in the form of those crystals, almost like a parasite. ]

The word ’parasite’ flickered in Mel’s mind, and with it storm the truth that horrified Mel a little.

’You couldn’t have meant...’ Mel’s lips parted slightly. ’that the Volcanic Tortoise...’

[ I meant what I said. ]

The panel paused, as if giving Mel a moment to process the revelation before delivering the ultimatum.

[ Volcanic Tortoise’s corpse has completely merged with Embervale. ]

Mel’s steps slowed, her breath catching in her throat as the revelation sank in.

’Is that... why that huge wall exists?’ Mel heaved a deep sigh. ’To keep the entire Embervale out? In case the Volcanic Tortoise was resurrected?’

Mel remembered the massive wall she’d seen when she first arrived at Embervale, encircling the entire region.

[ It was the Dwarves’ idea; the merging has seeped too deep into the soil that Volcanic Tortoise, or rather, Embervale, was too difficult to be defeated. ]

’That’s why the Witches in the game didn’t even bother touching Embervale...’

Overwhelmed by the revelation, Mel let go of Lila’s hand and wrapped her arm around her instead.

When Lila shot her another confused look, this time tinged with concern, Mel squished her cheek in frustration.

"Mmmm... Mel...!"

"Sorry, Lila." Mel’s eyes closed as she sighed, unbothered. "I just feel like relaxing a little."

Something alive but not quite alive...

Lila’s analogy now made perfect sense; a fitting conclusion to the true nature of Embervale.

’But something still hasn’t quite added up.’

As Lila groaned at Mel’s touch, Mel frowned at the System panel. ’If any tree would work, why did the Cult insist on planting Erdtrees here?’

[ That would have to conclude after I look at the reports. Wait for tonight! ]

’Meanie...’ Mel complained, twirling idle circles on Lila’s cheeks.

[ For now, though, I predict Envy’s awakening tonight will resolve everything, if our little gamble pays off. ]

’Wait,’ Mel’s brows raised. ’That means... I have awakened Lila within tonight? Seriously?’

[ Yep! Good luck, Host! ]

’Grr...’ Mel pouted, her thighs clenching together with desires emptied.

With Lila’s awakening set for tonight, Mel realized there wouldn’t be time for any ’bedtime’ with her Partner. Had she played herself for nothing?

Mel pouted as her hands stretched Lila’s cheeks further, much to Lila’s dismay.

Little did she know; a certain Saintess was smirking, her mind not intending to skip the meal that was Mel.

[ Envy’s cheek burned with an annoyed confusion! ]

[ Envy’s favourability: 99 - 98 ]