"My mother holds the line at Staghelm City. The enemy has not yet been driven back, so she cannot leave." Isilra answered any question the Tree of Life had.

"The demonic invasion is not yet over?" the Tree murmured, its ancient voice trailing off as it fell into a brief, heavy silence.

Seeing its pause, Isilra immediately pressed her case. "Would you consider coming with me to Staghelm City? We need your power…"

Her mission on this trip north was twofold: to forge an alliance with the Champions Alliance, and to awaken the Tree of Life and bring it back to her city. Her earlier words to the Wood Elves weren't entirely a lie; whether the Tree agreed to leave or not was ultimately its own choice to make.

However, to Orion, this was poaching. Blatant, unapologetic poaching from his territory.

Having been a silent observer until now, his presence thin, Orion finally decided he'd had enough. Isilra's attempt to recruit the Tree was an offense, a direct attempt to plunder his property. That's right. The Forest of Nature was his land, and the Tree of Life sleeping within it was, by extension, also his.

"Ahem." The Deathly Soul-Reaper's voice was cold, sharp, and laced with menace. "Isilra, if you dare repeat what you just said, I will personally lead my army south, burn Staghelm City to the ground, slaughter your soldiers, and drag you and your people back to the Stoneheart Horde to serve us."

The icy, killing intent in his voice finally snapped Isilra and the Tree of Life out of their reunion. In the same instant, the Deathly Soul-Reaper unleashed its full aura, a massive scythe materializing in its hand. The faint, oppressive weight of a Rule descended, locking onto both Isilra and the Tree of Life. The air crackled, a battle ready to ignite at any moment.

Orion wasn't bluffing. Isilra was beautiful, yes, but her actions had crossed a line.

"You… I…" Isilra turned to face Orion, words catching in her throat. Crucially, however, she did not summon her white tiger mount, a clear sign that she had no intention of actually fighting him.

"Your Eminence, please forgive Isilra's offense. She was merely concerned for my well-being," the Tree of Life interjected. Honestly, the moment it felt the power of a Rule lock onto it, the ancient being wanted nothing more than to retract its roots and seal itself back underground. The presence of a Rule meant it was facing a demigod.

"I took the Black Tower from the Cult of Four," Orion said, his gaze shifting away from Isilra, but his words were still aimed at her, dripping with threat. "I can take Staghelm City just as easily."

He shot into the air, hovering at eye level with the Tree of Life's massive face, his voice flat and devoid of emotion. "Before I arrived in the Silverwood Realm, the Wood Elves had been shattered. This forest was crawling with demonic monsters, and you had sealed yourself away to hide from the war. At that time, the Forest of Nature was a playground for demons. It was the territory of the Cult of Four. You can ask any Wood Elf who survived here if you doubt my words."

It was the undeniable truth of what had happened. Neither the Wood Elves nor the Tree of Life could refute it. Orion had taken the forest from the Cult of Four, not from them.

"You should all feel lucky that Aerin is a friend of mine. It is only out of respect for her that I chose to take in the Wood Elves and accept their surrender. Otherwise, every last survivor in this forest would now be my slave."

His voice dropped lower, colder. "And slaves have only two paths. They either become cannon fodder in my wars, or they become breeding stock for my Tribe."

He was making it brutally clear. He had saved their lives, an act of grace on his part. He was also telling the Tree of Life and Isilra that the Wood Elves were his, and the Forest of Nature was his.

"This forest is my territory," he continued, leveling his gaze at the ancient tree. "Your very presence here is technically an invasion. So now, I'm giving you two choices."

Orion raised his scythe, its tip aimed directly at the Tree of Life. "Submit or die."

A wave of killing intent washed over them, so potent it felt like a physical force, tightening around their throats and stealing their words. Orion's stance was unmistakable. The Tree of Life could either pledge fealty, or it could be killed and harvested for materials. Leaving the Forest of Nature was not an option.

Silence. The Tree of Life sank into contemplation. Deep beneath the forest floor was a hidden space it had created for itself. It wanted to retreat there, but with Orion's power locked onto it, it didn't dare move, fearing it would expose the sanctuary's location.

"Your Eminence, you are going too far!" Isilra finally cried out, moving to stand between Orion and the Tree, shielding it with her body. Though she now stood in opposition to him, she still didn't summon a weapon or her mount. Her intentions were clear: she wanted to de-escalate, not fight. She was, if nothing else, smart.

"No, Isilra, you went too far," Orion shot back. "You came here to help the Wood Elves awaken their guardian, not to steal the fruits of another's conquest. This is my territory. Everything in the Forest of Nature is mine. Did you ask me, its lord, for permission to take the Tree of Life?"

His final words rang with iron conviction, and his killing intent expanded to envelop her as well. Isilra was speechless. He was right. It was a detail she hadn't even considered. Seeing the Wood Elves still occupying the forest, she had simply assumed they remained an independent faction.

"Eminence… I choose to submit," the Tree of Life declared, its ancient voice resonating through the clearing. In the short time since it had broken through the soil, its roots had already spread out, giving it the gist of the situation between the forest and the Wood Elves. It understood the relationship they now had with Orion. Since the Wood Elf race, to which it was intrinsically bound, had already submitted, the Tree would have naturally come to the same conclusion even without Orion's threats.

Orion didn't waste any time. He produced a contract scroll and sealed the pact with the Tree of Life. The moment the contract was finalized, his suffocating killing intent vanished as if it had never existed.

"Since you're one of us now," Orion said, retracting his scythe, "you may consider the Forest of Nature your home. I grant you permission to gather the faith of this land." The tense atmosphere evaporated completely.

He turned to Isilra. "Lady Isilra, if you two would still like to catch up, please, continue."

With that, Orion descended back to the forest floor and walked toward Aerin, Xylia, and Freyla. The return of the Tree of Life meant the Wood Elf race could finally begin to normalize. This land would become a paradise, a massive breadbasket for his domain.

He had a lot of new plans to make.

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