[a/n: Zy'tl Q'ae (ザイトルクワエ) was a massive tree monster that dwelled in the Great Forest of Tob.]
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Deep within the Tob Great Forest, the Dryad walked across the withered grass, making crunching sounds.
As a treant, a look of sorrow appeared on her small green face when she saw the surrounding withered and blackened vegetation.
"That evil tree with the power to destroy the world is about to awaken. When that happens, everyone will die..."
Just as she was thinking this, she heard chaotic footsteps crunching on the withered grass, sounding exceptionally clear.
Someone is coming?!
The sorrow on the Dryad's face turned into worry and urgency as she hurriedly ran toward the direction the footsteps were coming from.
"The evil tree is about to awaken! Coming here now is just seeking death! No matter who it is, I must warn them to leave!"
But when she saw the owners of the footsteps, she was instantly stunned in place.
She saw a three-meter-tall ferocious dragonoid, a demon with a cunning face, a strange-looking insectoid, and a skeleton emitting a terrifying aura.
Several monsters were surrounding a handsome young man, along with several women and children.
"Could it be... this group of monsters is here to kill people!" The Dryad hid behind a tree, taking deep breaths to calm her thump-thump pounding little heart.
This group of monsters is too scary!
Then... should she still warn them?
If she warned them, there were so many monsters.
If she did not warn them, the young man inside looked especially like a good person emiting a life-aura, and she could not bear it.
"Who are you? Why are you being so sneaky?"
Suddenly, a pair of heterochromatic blue and green eyes appeared before her.
A petite blonde dark elf with her hands in her pockets was hanging upside down from a tree, looking at her.
A child?!
The Dryad's heart tightened. Speaking so loudly, was she not afraid the monsters outside would hear!?
She hurriedly warned, "Don't speak yet! Look at that group of monsters outside, they look very scary... what if they catch you..."
As she spoke, she pointed at the monsters she had just seen.
Scary?
Aura frowned slightly and climbed down from the tree in displeasure. Following the treant's finger, she looked at the approaching monsters.
The tall Brother Herox, the wise and reliable Demiurge, the powerful and loyal Cocytus, and the steady and kind Lord Momonga.
After confirming repeatedly, a flash of anger appeared in Aura's eyes as she looked at the Dryad.
"You filth—" Just as she was about to lash out, she heard her father's voice.
"Aura, what's wrong?"
Helant walked over to Aura, with Momonga and the others following behind him.
"Father!"
Aura's face turned from gloomy to bright as she happily threw herself into Helant's arms, pointing at the Dryad without looking. "I found a peeper."
As soon as Aura finished speaking, the gazes of Momonga, Herox, and the others all fell upon the Dryad.
The terrifying pressure from a group of level 100 powerhouses terrified the Dryad, especially since most of them were monsters.
At this moment, her hands moved faster than her brain. She directly grabbed the clothes of Helant and Aura, who were closest to her, preparing to run first.
"Run quickly! I know a safe place!"
Saving whoever she could, these monsters were simply too scary.
She pulled hard with her small hands, but the two did not budge an inch.
Eh?
She pulled twice... they still did not move.
Eh? Eh? Ehhh...?
She turned back in confusion, only to see Helant squatting down, smiling kindly. "Don't be afraid, we aren't bad people."
The Dryad quickly glanced at Momonga and the others, who did not look like good people at all. She swallowed hard and whispered, "You're together?"
Creak! Demiurge's fist tightened. What did she take the Supreme Being for!?
Faced with the treant's disbelief, Momonga uncharacteristically became gentle toward an outsider, his tone carrying a hint of a smile. "Don't mind our terrifying looks, we won't hurt you."
He observed her while speaking, confirming that this little being definitely did not exist in Yggdrasil.
"O-okay..." The Dryad looked timidly at the terrifying skull and warned half-doubtfully, "Since you're good people, then absolutely do not go any further forward."
"Why?" Helant asked.
"Because the Evil Tree, Zy'tl Q'ae, is about to awaken, of course!" The Dryad stamped her feet anxiously.
"Oh." Helant gave a polite, brief response.
The NPCs behind him seemed to start discussing another topic.
"U-um, is she talking about the 'Christmas tree'?" Mare looked expectantly at Demiurge, hoping he could answer.
Ever since seeing the image of the Zy'tl Q'ae yesterday, he had felt it looked like the Christmas tree Bukubukuchagama had described. However, he had heard about it every year but had never seen one. Hearing Mare mention the Christmas tree, all the Guardians present looked at Demiurge. They had all more or less heard their creators mention this topic, but had never actually seen one.
Facing the gazes cast by everyone, Demiurge sighed slightly and said apologetically, "Sorry, I haven't seen one either."
He remembered that every year on Christmas Day, Lord Ulbert would complain to him about being single, being bored, and so on. He occasionally mentioned Christmas trees, but never spoke about them in detail.
Seemingly thinking of their own creators, the Guardians' moods became a bit downcast.
Wait?
What are you all talking about!?
The Zy'tl Q'ae is about to awaken!
It's a life-or-death moment, how can you still be in the mood to chat about other things!?
The Dryad leaned against a tree, exhausted, clutching her leaf-like hair. She silently complained in her heart, "These people, could it be they've never seen what true terror is..."
Feeling the slightly heavy atmosphere, Momonga tapped his cheekbone with his pale bony claws. After thinking for a moment, he said to Helant, "Helant-san, how about..."
"Roar!"
Before he could finish, a dull, massive roar came from underground.
The ground began to vibrate violently. Countless thick, black tree roots frantically pulled themselves out of the ground, savagely coiling around the surrounding trees and throwing them into the pit at the center of the tremor.
A giant black tree with ferocious fangs rose from the ground, its hundreds-of-meters-tall body blotting out the sun!
"The Evil tree is awake! It's over, now we're done for, we can't escape at all..." The Dryad slumped onto the ground, looking at Helant with a bitter expression.
I told you to run, but you didn't. Now look, everyone is going to die at the hands of the monster.
Regarding the suddenly awakened Zy'tl Q'ae, the red light in Momonga's eyes flared. Suppressing his anger, he wanted to finish what he was saying, "Helant-san, I think..."
"Roar!"
Another loud roar interrupted his speech.
This time, even Helant felt helpless. He looked at the Zy'tl Q'ae with a displeased gaze.
It has no discernment at all, always liking to interrupt people's conversations.
"You are courting death!" Demiurge looked up at the Zy'tl Q'ae, veins popping on his forehead.
Ayo! Helant felt a cough threaten to break his composure. He'd seen the "courting death" meme a thousand times in shitty web novels, but seeing Demiurge use it with such vein-popping sincerity was almost too much for him.
Demiurge, gritting his teeth, activated his magic. "Frost of Judecca!"
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