Chapter 325

Chapter 325
Chapter 325

The assembly finally formed in front of the World Tree.

Confusion rippled through the gathered crowd as they looked around at one another.

“Isn’t this far more than we expected?”

“There have to be nearly a hundred individuals here…”

The original word had been that only a meager seven would be granted an audience with the High Druid. However, the actual turnout was hovering close to a century of souls.

“You will be partitioned into seven distinct squads, each consisting of thirteen members, to penetrate the World Tree’s dungeon.”

As I stepped forward, I offered a simple explanation to quell their uncertainty. The reason for the expanded invitation was straightforward: the fundamental protocols had shifted.

This change had been triggered the instant I restored the legendary order.

《The ‘Knights of the Round Table’ has been established within the ‘Sanctuary of Honor’.》

《The ‘World Tree of Honor’ is authenticating the credentials of the ‘Knight Order’.》

《Credentials have been successfully authenticated.》

《The ‘Honorable Ones’ have united, providing proof of their standing.》

《Furthermore, since the ‘High Druid’ has ascended to become the ‘Druid of the Golden Rule’, the access requirements for the ‘Dungeon of Forgotten Honor’ have been modified.》

《The seven leaders possessing over 20,000 honor, designated by the ‘Druid of the Golden Rule’, may each enter the labyrinth accompanied by twelve ‘order members’.》

《Demonstrate your worthiness to claim the title of ‘King of the Forgotten’ alongside your peers.》

《Entry is permitted for a maximum of 91 participants; the greater the number of entrants, the more magnificent and unique the dungeon’s spoils shall become.》

The combination of founding the Knights of the Round Table and the progression of my Druid essence had clearly rewritten the rules. Regardless of the technicalities, the outcome was favorable. More participants meant stiffer rivalry, which in turn meant superior loot.

That specific detail gripped my attention. If the prizes from a Primal-grade instance were being boosted even further, the treasures waiting at the finish line were likely beyond my wildest dreams.

“Gathered here are the elite 91 who have validated their ‘qualifications of honor’. Every one of you shall have the distinction of braving the World Tree’s dungeon under my guidance.”

“…The High Druid is a mere human?”

In that instant, the Elf Queen spoke up, her tone heavy with shock.

One should not be so quick to harbor skepticism. In the beginning, there was only one World Tree.

The Primordial Forest.

A solitary tree stood within the hallowed, untouchable lands governed by the elves—the very first celestial territory to ascend. The perks the elves reaped from it were limitless. It was revered as a holy site by every race, remaining unmolested by war, and it was so overflowing with vitality and natural resources that the elves never felt the urge to look greedily at neighboring lands.

Under the shadow of the World Tree, elven civilization flourished.

…At least, that was the case until five years ago.

The World Tree began to lose its vitality at that time. As its foliage turned brittle and its limbs failed to grow, the elves—whose entire existence was intertwined with the tree—found their own strength failing.

The Dark Elves took advantage of that vulnerability. To think they would dare to bring bloodshed to the sacred grounds of the World Tree and even commit kidnappings was an outrage. They had crossed a line that should never have been approached.

It was a direct consequence of the World Tree and its elven protectors losing their might. This was the reason the Elf Queen was so intent on tracking down the ‘High Druid’.

More accurately, she believed she had found a lead.

‘Elder Aruwen claimed she discovered him.’

Elder Aruwen had reported that the human responsible for conquering the Tower of Schism—the individual known as the ‘Master of Verdure’—was a ‘Druid’. She had noted his ability to accelerate the growth of Auril’s Laurel. There was no question he was a Druid, and a ‘High Druid’ at that.

The Queen also recalled the name she had been given.

‘Randolph.’

Randolph! In the ancient tongue of the sands, it translated to ‘Great Wolf’. How had he come across a name so ancient that its true definition had been lost to time for most?

What remained undeniable was that while he appeared human, he was something far more. The ‘Randolph’ described by Auril was a complete anomaly.

‘The Master of Verdure, a figure so prominent that the Dragon God Einhasad personally arrived to escort him. A warrior capable of slaying the Demon of Jealousy, earning the respect of the War God Karas.’

He was a transcendent entity, someone who had surpassed the limitations of the human race. In all her years, the Elf Queen had never heard of Einhasad personally visiting a mortal.

Furthermore, after encountering Randolph, Einhasad had reclaimed her full divinity as a Dragon God. The War God Karas followed a similar path. He truly lived up to the name ‘Great Wolf’.

Yet, the Queen had been unable to locate Randolph. The Dark Elves had launched a full-scale invasion, and Elder Aruwen, the one with the information, had vanished, her fate uncertain.

Then, the second World Tree manifested. This was a priority even higher than finding a specific Druid, which is why the Queen had come in person.

And now, they were claiming a High Druid was present here. She waited, holding her breath, along with everyone else in attendance.

—Is he truly significant enough to command this entire gathering?

—The brightest rising stars are all here. If he proves to be a fraud, I will crush him on the spot.

—I want to see just how much ‘honor’ this man actually possesses.

The scrutiny was intense. Figures like the ‘Giant of Ruin-Demolition’, guardian of the ‘Mother Star’, the Ancient Phoenix known as the ‘Mother of Fire’, and the reclusive Royal Guardian, the ‘Protector of Light’, were all present.

Even the White King was there. Many powerful figures who had remained in the shadows for years had emerged. These were holy titans that even the Elf Queen would hesitate to provoke. It was an unprecedented gathering of the masters of the sacred realms, rather than the usual forces of darkness.

‘The lord of the second World Tree is human?’

Yet, the figure who finally showed himself was a human once more. He couldn’t be Randolph. Surely not every ‘High Druid’ was human?

“He is not merely a ‘High Druid’, Elf Queen. He is the ‘Druid of the Golden Rule’. He is the ultimate Druid and the sovereign of the World Tree.”

The Great Chief of the Druids, Albino, stepped in to set the record straight. Not just a Druid, not just a High Druid, but the Druid of the Golden Rule.

“‘Druid of the Golden Rule’…? How does that differ from a High Druid?”

The title was entirely foreign to the Elf Queen. She had never heard of such a rank existing among Druids.

Albino nodded and began to clarify. “A ‘High Druid’ represents the sovereign among Druids.”

“Then what does the Druid of the Golden Rule represent?”

“A deity.”

“…A deity?”

“The god of all Druids.”

Albino and his fellow Druids looked toward the human, their expressions radiant with fervor. To them, their god had physically manifested before them.

If he was a ‘god’, his human exterior was irrelevant. The only appropriate response was to bow in reverence. Because Druids were the architects of the natural world, their god was, by extension, the god of the elves as well. No elf, regardless of their status or bloodline, would dare act insolently toward the god of nature.

Albino was not a man given to falsehoods. However, the Queen found it difficult to process.

‘The magnitude of his ambition…’

It was staggering. It went beyond anything she could have imagined. Elves had the innate ability to perceive the ‘desire’ of a soul. Nature itself was inherently vast and all-consuming, so perhaps it made sense, but still.

“Th-that’s impossible…”

Auril’s eyes widened in shock. Now possessing the strength of a High Elf, she had been included in this group solely based on her prowess. Yet, she was staring at the Druid of the Golden Rule with visible tremors.

“Auril, what’s wrong?”

When the Queen inquired, Auril quickly composed herself and shook her head.

“N-nothing. It is of no consequence, Your Majesty.”

“Are you sure…?”

“Yes. Please do not concern yourself with it.”

Seeing her stern expression, the Queen let the matter drop. There were more pressing issues at hand.

“Anyone who questions our deity is questioning the Druid race as a whole,” Albino announced firmly, shutting down any further dissent.

A heavy silence fell over the group. The Druids were the bedrock of the natural world, and no one wanted to be on their bad side. Life itself depended on the nature they maintained. Furthermore, Albino was a ‘legendary Druid’, a powerhouse who could challenge anyone present. As a survivor of the era preceding the ruin, he commanded immense respect.

“I have never heard of a dungeon existing within the World Tree. We require an explanation,” the Giant of Ruin-Demolition finally spoke, maintaining a level of respect suitable for addressing another race’s god.

His curiosity was shared by all. Being told to dive into a dungeon without context was jarring.

I nodded and gave them the answer they sought. “It is a Primal-grade dungeon.”

“Hmm…?”

“Primal?!”

“What does Primal mean?”

The crowd split between those who understood the term and those who didn’t. Those who did were visibly shaken.

“‘Primal’ signifies the beginning.”

“So a ‘Primal-grade dungeon’ is the ‘first dungeon’?”

“The concept of ‘first’ can be subjective, so I won’t label it the very first. However, it is certain that this is a dungeon that came into being alongside the World Tree’s own creation.”

“Born with the World Tree itself…!”

The realization hit them hard. Since the World Tree was linked to the birth of the world, its origins were ancient beyond measure.

I shrugged casually. “The rewards found within will be unlike anything seen in other dungeons. One of you might even secure the right to rule this World Tree.”

“…!!!”

“…?!”

The shock was palpable. The god of the Druids was suggesting he might actually transfer the authority of the World Tree to a different race. Albino and the other Druids looked panicked, but I did this intentionally to spark their ambition.

The Dungeon of Forgotten Honor. The requirement of honor suggested a ‘battle for honor’, but I had no intention of making it a level playing field.

“To enter, you must have my personal recognition and possess genuine honor. From this assembly, I will select six individuals to serve as captains. Each will lead a squad of twelve.”

I made sure the point landed. I was only acknowledging six people. It was a clear message: if I didn’t pick you, you weren’t even considered a worthy rival.

“Who are the chosen six?” the Elf Queen inquired. Every person there wanted that leadership role.

“First… the Giant of Ruin-Demolition,” I said, a faint smile playing on my lips.

“…I am honored by your recognition,” the Giant replied, bowing his head.

Back when I had met him as Randolph, he had been incredibly dismissive. Had I acknowledged him then, he would have laughed. It seemed that status and title were everything to him.

The crowd watched me intently. Being named meant being placed on the same tier as the Giant of Ruin-Demolition. They were desperate to know who else made the cut.

I spoke again, slowly. “The White King.”

“…The Druid of the Golden Rule has a keen eye for talent,” the White King said, stepping forward with his usual arrogance.

He was as annoying as ever. He had nearly fought the Giant of Ruin-Demolition during the hunt for the King of the Dead in Kramdel, so his ego would have been bruised if he hadn’t been picked.

That was two. Four remained.

“Ancient Phoenix. What name do you go by?”

This was a creature I hadn’t encountered before—a deep-sea entity that was appearing for the first time, yet held the respect of all phoenixes. I couldn’t even determine its name. Albino, the other Druids, and even the World Tree had no information. It was a being so sacred that its identity was hidden unless it chose to share it.

—‘Al Raum’. Druid of the Golden Rule, I ask that you keep my name between us.

The voice resonated in my mind. Al Raum. I nodded in agreement; it clearly preferred to remain a mystery to the others.

“Moving on,” I stated.

—My thanks.

“Next… the Radiant Transcendent, Kasim.”

Kasim was a human. Among the humans whose honor had been verified by the World Tree, he held the highest standing, excluding Serengeti. He was a figure of myth—the man who had single-handedly wiped out the Empire of Evil during the chaotic years when the continent first rose.

Legends said he had vanished following the empire’s collapse.

‘I’ve seen his name in quest logs, but I hadn’t expected him to be alive.’

Kasim was a legend even among the player base. That’s how significant he was.

The Giant of Ruin-Demolition, the White King, the Ancient Phoenix Al Raum, and the Radiant Transcendent Kasim. Only two positions were left to fill.