CHAPTER 257: CONFRONTATION AND AN UNEXPECTED DISCOVERY

"The Sorensen Mountains?"

Wang Yu paused at the mention of that name. Amid all these foreign places, it sounded strikingly familiar.

"That's Holo's homeland, isn't it?"

Fragments of his memory surfaced. Wang Yu had never looked too deeply into the mountains, but everything he knew about them came from the dark elf druid once affiliated with the Church of Nightfall.

"Yes, I remember you told me about it." Avia nodded. "That the Sorensen Mountains were once home to Mr. Holo. You also mentioned the radical followers of the God of Life there... and the reason he was forced to leave—corruption."

The map had always been pinned to the wall, but neither Wang Yu nor Avia had paid much attention to the names of far-flung locations.

It wasn't until today, after Avia ascended to the rank of mage and cast Perfect Fractal, that she noticed the name Sorensen Mountains among the flood of information her magic gathered from the outside world.

"So has the corruption there been resolved?" Wang Yu mused. "I didn't expect Sorensen to be so close to Liaheim. Though the inhabitants are dark elves, they're still elves, after all. It makes sense that Liaheim would step in."

He gave a thoughtful nod as he formed a general assessment of the situation.

"If possible, we should let Mr. Holo know," Avia added with a smile. "If he finds out his homeland has returned to normal, I'm sure he'll be delighted."

She held a deep respect for that responsible and kind-hearted dark elf. He had been forced to lead his entire family away from their blighted land. If he and his family could return home, that would be a joyous occasion indeed.

"Holo left the capital some time ago with a few followers from the Church of Nightfall. They were searching for a place better suited to the church's future," Wang Yu recalled. "No telling when or where we'll see him again."

Still, if the Sorensen Mountains were truly restored, it would be an ideal site for the Church of Nightfall to expand—especially now that the fanatics who once served the God of Life were likely long gone. Preaching would certainly be easier now.

"We can think about it more later," Avia said. "As Lady Darkness gains more followers, her power will only grow stronger. When that time comes, distance will no longer be an issue—we'll be able to reach our friends through the Prayer Network."

"More importantly," she continued, a playful glint in her eyes, "I have some rather good news for you, Wang Yu."

"What is it?"

Wang Yu responded with a curious brow. Her mischievous smile was uncharacteristic for her, which only deepened his intrigue.

With a grin, Avia rolled up the sleeves of her mage's robe, revealing her smooth, pale arms. Then, she turned her back to Wang Yu and struck a pose common to bodybuilders.

Despite her slender build, the girl's arms revealed defined, elegant muscles—evidence of deliberate training.

Wang Yu burst into enthusiastic applause.

"You don't get it, do you?" Avia turned her head, still smiling. "What I'm trying to show you, I mean."

"Nope!" Wang Yu responded loudly, with theatrical sincerity.

"Ha! Well, I can be Knight Avia now, too."

She turned back around, gently tapping her bicep with one hand to show it off.

"Not bad. The golden apple worked even better than I expected," Wang Yu said with a chuckle. "I thought that with your magician's aptitude, the apple would only enhance your magical talents. I didn't expect it to awaken knightly potential as well."

He shook his head in amusement. Avia this lively was a rare sight. The joy of transcending the threshold of magehood—and now awakening as a knight—was clearly overwhelming her.

Still, it was a good thing. A very good thing.

"I gathered a huge amount of data with Perfect Fractal after consuming the golden apple," Avia said, returning to a more serious tone. "With this, we should be able to determine whether the apple would work on your body, too."

Because of the many unknowns surrounding Wang Yu's unique constitution, eating the golden apple rashly would be wasteful. As such, they had been researching its properties for some time.

Now that Avia had experienced its effects firsthand, they had the data they needed. With some follow-up analysis, Wang Yu might finally achieve a breakthrough in his strength.

"I wonder if this will be enough to push me past the final barrier to become a grand knight..." Wang Yu murmured, eyeing the remaining half of the golden apple. The radiant fruit shimmered, as tempting as ever.

Meanwhile, the dwarven representative Tobey stood outside Ironforge Bastion, massive warhammer in hand, as he faced down a delegation of elves. At the forefront stood Elder Gewen, fresh from Liaheim.

"I've already told you—whether it's to your envoys or to you personally, Elder Gewen—my answer remains the same. We will not suspend our use of the Tree of Life's root network. It is our rightful inheritance."

"I think I've made myself very clear," Gewen replied coldly. "This is not a request—it is a demand. The dwarves must cease all use of the Tree's root branches."

"Are you elves going to ignore the pact that we two races signed together? The dwarven king himself sealed that pact with a handshake and his signature! It is as good as an oath!"

Tobi frowned. The harsh and unyielding response was out of character for most elves, who were generally more peaceable. But Gewen had always been known for his inflexible nature and his tight adherence to law and principle.

Still, Tobey had no intention of backing down. The Deep Delve was of vital importance to the dwarves, and the Tree of Life's underground root system was indispensable to the project.

"Our pact stated that the Tree of Life's power would be shared with our allies," Gewen countered, his expression grim. "It was a gift in gratitude for the dwarves' aid during the Tree's great migration. But if your actions begin to harm the Tree, the elves will not tolerate it."

Tobey's eyes narrowed. Even the ancient pact, signed by the royalty of both races in person, did not move the elf elder. That chilled him more than he cared to admit.

"Harming the Tree? Are you accusing us?"

Tobey's voice boomed like a drum. He had already been furious at the elves' demand to halt the project. With this insult to dwarven honor, his rage boiled over.

He raised his warhammer, Shatter, forged precisely to his specifications, and leveled it at Gewen.

From behind him, Ironforge Bastion responded in kind. Alchemical cannons—true dwarven weapons, not the inferior replicas that humans had—swung into position, their muzzles gleaming in the sun as they aimed squarely at the elven host.

"You dare slander our people's earthbound honor? You dare insult our oath?

"I am." Gewen's tone was firm. "If you truly have done nothing to harm the Tree of Life, then allow us to enter the underground root network beneath it and investigate for ourselves. Only then can the truth be known."

His expression remained unchanged, even as the dwarves raised their warhammers and the alchemical cannons atop Ironforge Bastion swiveled toward him.

"Out of the question," Tobey growled, his thick brow furrowing. "You've broken our ancient pact, cast doubt upon the dwarves' bedrock loyalty, and now you dare interfere with our plans? What exactly do you hope to accomplish? If you don't want to ruin this situation, withdraw immediately. Otherwise, the friendship between our two peoples—"

A piercing sound sliced the air. Tobey's words were cut short as a blurred shadow streaked past his cheek. A thin line of red appeared on his face, and a single bead of blood welled slowly from the cut.

"If you refuse to cease your excavation of the Tree's roots, and if you deny us the right to inspect them," Gewen said coldly, lowering his longbow, "then I shudder at what the dwarves are trying to hide. If such is your decision—then know this: next time, my arrow will find your skull."

The shot had been so swift that no one had even seen Gewen draw his bow or fire the arrow, which had grazed Tobey's face with terrifying accuracy. As he had warned—had he aimed a few degrees lower, Tobey would not have walked away.

A single droplet of sweat slid down Tobey's cheek. He was shaken. Never had he imagined that these pointy-ears would act so brazenly, so recklessly.

The fire of indignation that had flared when his honor was questioned was instantly doused by the stark realization that the elves would not back down.

"Damn it. Have these pointy-ears gone mad? Are they really going to throw away centuries of friendship? But... the Deep Delve cannot be compromised. Letting them underground is absolutely out of the question. But these lunatics mean business! By the Forge God, are these still the same elves? Why are they so unhinged?!"

Tobey's thoughts raced—a strange thing for a dwarf known more for grit than guile.

"If it's Gewen... maybe this could work."

His face twisted in a storm of emotion—the shame of humiliation, and tension from the standoff. But finally, he spoke.

"We dwarves have no desire to destroy the bond between our peoples. However, the details of the Deep Delve are not to be shared with outsiders. As for this accusation regarding the Tree of Life—we swear we have done nothing to endanger it.

"According to the terms of our alliance, in the event of a dispute, both sides are permitted to seek arbitration in the presence of their respective leaders. This time, you and I shall bear witness.

He took a deep breath. "Here is our offer: you will remain here for one month. If the Tree shows any further signs of damage during that time, we will allow your people to enter the underground and conduct your investigation. And regardless of what happens, once that month has passed, we will relinquish all claim to the Tree's root system. What say you?"

Tobey glanced up anxiously at Gewen's stern gaze. This elf was known for his rigid adherence to law and honor. He would uphold the pact. This was as far as the dwarves could bend—if Gewen still refused, then...

"...Agreed. One month. Then, no matter what, we will inspect the underground."

Gewen nodded slowly. The lines in his face softened ever so slightly.

Tobey blinked, caught off guard. He had expected more resistance—perhaps another volley of demands. Instead, Gewen had accepted without further contest. He had the distinct, uneasy feeling that the elves had just played him. Still, the promise was made. And a dwarf's word, once given, could not be broken.

In the name of the God of Order, the pact was sealed.

Meanwhile, back in Moira's treehouse, Moira was reclining in a gently swaying chair, eyes closed, half-dozing in the golden afternoon light.

"Madam Moira, how did the elves deal with the corruption in the Sorensen Mountains?" Avia asked, looking up from her herbalism treatise. "Do you know what causes this so-called ‘corruption' to occur in the first place?"

Avia's question roused Moira. The young woman had been pondering the strange affliction Holo had spoken of—the slow rot that had once spread across his homeland, poisoning the woods.

"The Sorensen Mountains? Where those dark elves live?" Moira sat up, her voice tinged with confusion. "Why are you bringing them up? They're not exactly well-liked in Liaheim. And what corruption are you talking about?"

Avia blinked, surprised. "You don't know? The corruption of the Sorensen Mountains—the forests withering away in great swathes... wasn't that something the elves of Liaheim had to deal with?"

It seemed inconceivable to her. It was such a major event—surely it would be recorded and remembered?

Moira frowned. "I may be an outsider here in Liaheim, but I keep my ears open. And I've never heard of any ‘corruption' in the Sorensen Mountains."

"Forest dieback, sure—that happens all the time. There are a dozen possible causes: blight, poor soil, mana imbalance. But something large-scale and long-lasting like you've described? No, nothing like that. There were even caravans passing through that region recently. Everything's fine over there."

She looked genuinely perplexed, even a little concerned by Avia's insistence.

The young woman was stunned. "But... Holo told me about it himself..."

A sudden, jarring thought slammed into Avia's mind. Her expression hardened. Rising from her seat, she turned toward the window, eyes locking onto the distant silhouette of the Sorensen Mountains. Something wasn't right.