Chapter 105 – Great Northern War (1)

Crockta shook his head at Zelkian’s words.

He couldn’t become an apostle. Crockta already had a star on his forehead. He connected to Elder Lord and became her apostle. Furthermore, he didn’t want to mortgage his body to someone else.

Zelkian looked depressed at Crockta’s rejection.

“There are many good things if you become an apostle. You can become stronger. You might get nice muscles like me.”

He showed off his burly arm, flexing his muscles to the limit.

“I will also reject dot.” Tiyo replied. Zelkian gazed at Tiyo. “If I become an apostle, I will definitely be given duties as well as strength dot.”

“That’s right.”

“I won’t be bound to anyone dot. I will become stronger by myself dot.”

“Umm…”

The branches of the world tree swayed like tentacles. The man’s arm was still in the pose. He seemed to be in shock from the continuous rejections.

Then Zelkian’s gaze landed on Anor. Anor was a dark elf. Expectations filled Zelkian’s eyes. The world tree was sacred to dark elves, unlike orcs and gnomes. Therefore, any dark elf would consider this opportunity an honor. But Anor also smiled and shook his head.

“No, why?” Zelkian stretched out his arms. “The opportunity to become an apostle of the world tree isn’t given to just anyone. It is a tremendous gift.”

“But if I become an apostle of the world tree, will I eventually be bound here?”

“Of course. It is a blessing to be with the world tree.”

“Then no.” Anor looked at Crockta and Tiyo. “I have to go to the continent with them.”

He had promised Crockta and Tiyo before coming here. Anor hadn’t forgotten that they agreed to explore the continent together. It was his most important goal.

Zelkian nodded. “If it is friendship… it can’t be helped.”

Zelkian nodded. The world tree shook its knotted branches as if it understood.

“It will be a little harder but it can’t be helped. Don’t regret it.” Zelkian touched the world tree. “This was why I called you here, but it can’t be helped if you refuse.”

He turned his gaze towards the distant sunset. His face was red. Zelkian looked at it for a while before turning around.

“Follow me.”

They entered the world tree again. They rode a branch downstairs. They reached the upper level of the stairs.

Zelkian led them to his office. It was a desolate room with only one desk. However, the moment that Crockta’s group entered the office, the floor started to rise behind them. The wood on the floor created chairs. Crockta confirmed with his own eyes what it meant by the world tree creating this place. As they sat down in the chair, the table inside the office changed again. In addition, Tiyo’s chair rose further so he was at eye level with the others.

It was a custom interior. Branches representing the will of the world tree also appeared in the office. The tentacles moved freely but they were welcoming.

“Sit comfortably.” Zelkian shrugged. They could feel his pride in the power of the world tree. “Now let me tell you what to do.”

The table changed. The wooden surface continuously moved up and down, creating a contour. It was the north. The world tree had created an elaborate embossed map. Crockta’s group was filled with admiration. The branches of the world tree hit the table.

Zelkian pointed to Spinoa where they were located.

“We are here.” Then he pointed to the south, to the home of the Great Clan. “The great chieftain is here.”

Then he drew an arrow on the table with a pen and marked a path. The area of the orcs was expanding and advancing into the area of the dark elves. There were already battles occurring at the boundaries of the dark elf area.

“It doesn’t matter. Strategy and tactics aren’t important.” Zelkian drew a circle. “They will reach this place in a week.”

He drew a line from the circle and pointed the arrow towards the center of the dark elves. Then he wrote down the word ‘monster’ within the circle.

“You have to stop this guy.”

The great chieftain.

“Is the great chieftain that strong dot? Aren’t you an apostle of the world tree?” Tiyo asked.

As an apostle of the world tree, it was clear that he had some power. Zelkian shook his head. “An apostle isn’t invincible. And…”

Zelkian stabbed the word monster again with his pen.

“That bastard…I think he is also an apostle.”

“Apostle?”

“Yes. A senseless guy.”

“Apostle, whose apostle is he?”

Crockta remembered her. The system had given him an unknown power. If he looked at the name ‘Gray God’s Eyes’, it was likely that the woman was the gray god and a fallen god. The world tree also seemed to be such a divine being.

Was this war a fight between gods? Which god gave strength to the great chieftain?

“I can’t be sure, since I don’t know that much about orcs.”

Crockta’s Heart and Soul Penetration said that Zelkian had a strong force. There was a formidable strength inside him. But Zelkian was seriously wary of the orc chieftain. He seemed to think that the orc chieftain was stronger than him.

Crockta spoke, “So what do you want for us? Where should I fight?”

That was the key. No matter what his thoughts, they were going to war. Once he stepped on the battlefield, they had to be willing to shed the blood of their enemies. That was a soldier’s mission.

“Don’t think too hastily. We will be blocking so slowly…”

Crockta cut off Zelkian’s words and pointed to Nuridot. Then he pointed to the villages on the outskirts one by one. Zelkian was silent. They were places where fights were already taking place.

“We have to think quickly Zelkian. This isn’t like playing toy soldiers.”

“……”

“The war has already begun. You seem to only be concerned with the orc chieftain, but there are a series of fights where people are dying. I don’t want to act leisurely. No, it seems like coming to Spinoa itself is a waste of time.”

Tiyo nodded in agreement.

“We have to go to the battlefield as soon as possible to avoid unnecessary damage dot. If you only called us to become apostles then we will be going.”

Zelkian didn’t say anything for a while. Then he nodded.

“I understand. I’ve been acting too leisurely.” Then he pointed to the branches of the world tree. “I’m connected to that guy… It seems like I have changed a lot.”

The world tree didn’t respond. It was a divine presence. Just like humans didn’t care about the lives of ants, it might think of the dark elves and orcs as small points on a map. Concentrating only one fighting the great chieftain, who seemed to be someone’s apostle, reflected that perception.

And that wasn’t Crockta’s point of view. The scenery he saw through the map was the sight of those bleeding on the front lines. It was the perspective of someone who thought every minute and second was precious.

“I’ll give you quick caruks, so be ready to leave tomorrow. Move quickly from Spinoa.”

“I understand.”

Zelkian’s face was relieved like he had changed his mind. “It is good that I met you. No one here tells me what to do.”

He laughed bitterly. An apostle that communicated with the world tree. To the dark elves, he was like an agent of god.

“So…”

At the moment that Zelkian was talking…

Kukukung!

The world tree shook.

Crockta grabbed the table. Tiyo got off the chair and lowered his stance. Anor fell over.

“What is happening?” Crockta asked Zelkian. The branches of the world tree had disappeared like they were sucked somewhere else.

His expression was serious. “The world tree…attacked.”

“What?”

“Come along.”

Zelkian leapt out of his office. It was chaos inside the world tree. The dark elves within the world tree were confused. But that confusion stopped once Zelkian appeared.

“Maintain your positions.”

“Yes.”

“Let’s go.”

Crockta’s party followed Zelkian. They climbed the stairs then rode the branch of the world tree. The branches of the world tree were waiting for them. It rose in an instant. The movement wasn’t slow like earlier. They stopped at a point that could be called the center of the world tree. The world tree opened and they went outside.

On the large branches of the world tree, a sight they never imagined was revealed.

“……!”

The bodies of wyverns were hanging all over the branches. There wasn’t just one. The wyverns were twitching as blood poured from their heads. The wyverns were wearing steel equipment on their heads and bodies. They flew over a large distance with this equipment and hit the world tree. The world tree was broken in places and sap was flowing down. It looked like blood.

“There aren’t any big injuries. It’s okay.”

The moment that Zelkian said this. Something started shaking on the wyverns’ bodies.

“……!”

Crockta distinctively saw what it was. It was the same for Zelkian. They didn’t speak for a while.

“He really is… crazy chieftain dot…” Tiyo muttered.

The wyverns had bundles wrapped around their necks. They were…

Bizarre necklaces made of the heads of dark elves. The soulless faces were staring blankly into the air. It wasn’t just one or two. It was a terrible necklace made of dozens of dark elves. In addition, there were over 10 wyverns.

The heads of hundreds of dark elves were delivered towards the world tree. It was a warning from the great chieftain.

“That…bastard…” Zelkian’s voice trembled. His hands were shaking. A blue light seemed to explode in his eyes.

“That bastard…!”

His voice rang out through Spinoa. Zelkian, the apostle of the world tree was angry.

“Dare──────!”

The whole world tree started twitching.

“I will surely kill Calmahart!”

Zelkian yelled out. Crockta raised a hand to his shoulder. It was meant to calm him down. Anor was already covering his ears due to the loud shouting. Zelkian slowly regained his composure.

“Hoo…”

Zelkian looked at the air. Then he gazed at Crockta. Fury was in his eyes.

“Crockta. You are right. I was thinking too easily.” He raised an arm to Crockta’s shoulder. “I am asking as an apostle of the world tree. Come with us and fight against the crazy chieftain.”

Crockta nodded. “Of course.”

“Thank you.”

“There is no time to delay.”

“It seems so.”

“Then tell me.” Crockta grinned. “Where should I go?”

Zelkian closed his eyes. He thought for a moment before opening it again.

“Emeranian.”

On the map that the world tree created, it was the place where the most intense battle was occurring. The place where the orcs were smashing against. The most dangerous front line.

Crockta grinned.

“I’ll willingly accept.”

***

The city on the verge of falling, Emeranian. Orc siege weapons were breaking down the walls.

There was a shadow walking towards the orcs of the Great Clan.

It was…

An enormous greatsword that couldn’t be ignored. A body covered in tattoos. An orc warrior.

It was the opening day of the Great Northern War.