Time passed. On the third day, news came from Athven: countless Risen, backed by a massive army of beasts, along with a large group of Summoners and Spiritual Guardians, were closing in.

It was an endless mass of enemies marching toward the World Tree — and everyone around it. The great battle was near.

Pure miasma burst out, darkening the skies. The air was thick with corruption and sorrow.

That small world was opened, and a little over eight thousand troops stepped out from within. Immediately, all the pure and natural life in that place withered and then decayed in a tragic, rotten way.

Just that kind of scene was already threatening on its own. The very air smelled of death and felt oppressive.

The miasma held an energy and power that the Risen could absorb, letting them launch their attacks even more effectively. It was like water to a fish — without it, their fighting strength would drop hard.

Everyone held onto their weapons tightly — just breathing in that death-filled air was tough enough. Each breath seeped into their bodies and souls, draining their strength.

So they all drank a blue potion right away. That would greatly reduce the corruption from breathing.

On top of that, Veyle had made pills out of those crystals. If anyone got injured or corrupted, they could recover on their own without relying so much on the twins or Darian.

Everyone looked around, feeling the shadows creeping closer.

The enemy forces were around five times larger. Then their eyes locked onto a specific group up north. They could sense the traitors' rings.

Hatred filled their eyes. The ones trained by Darian saw the Risen as enemies they had to kill. But when it came to the traitors... they wanted to wipe them out in the cruelest way they could.

But the new recruits from Celestia Academy had a different look in their eyes — a little hesitant, a little conflicted.

That was because a lot of the people among the traitors hadn't entered the World of Life as enemies. They'd been captured, forced into it, and accepted the condition just to survive. Once they agreed, a mark was carved into their bodies. That sealed their fate. No turning back.

In the minds of those fresh recruits, maybe — just maybe — there was still a chance to save them. But...

"There are no innocents on a battlefield." Darian's voice rang out cold and sharp.

"Anyone who raises a blade against you is someone you have to kill. Maybe they're innocent. Maybe they were tricked or used. Doesn't matter. As long as someone dares to fight us, for whatever reason, that person has to be killed without mercy. They made their choices, and people have to pay for their own mistakes and stupidity — 'cause their stupidity is gonna get us all killed. Once this battle starts, they only have one identity. They're all enemies. Let me make it real clear: they have to be killed with everything we've got. No mercy. Got that?"

"Got it!", the young recruits shouted in unison. They snapped out of their hesitation — if they held back even for a second, they'd be the ones to die.

*Rumble!*

Suddenly, the ground began to shake. Powerful auras started closing in from all sides.

Niara and Darian stood at the front of the army, eyes on the horizon. A pitch-black wave was slowly approaching.

Everyone's attention turned to the small dragon standing in front of them. It wasn't huge, but something about it filled them with unshakable confidence. As long as that couple was there, no matter how bad things looked, they still believed victory was possible. That belief never wavered.

Total darkness covered everything, and the atmosphere tightened like a drawn bow. The air grew heavier, colder.

"Hahahaha... I didn't think you'd be this bold. You came all the way in here, freed that dumb tree from its cage, and stirred up all this mess... You think you're invincible? Think each of you can kill ten of us just like that? You really don't know how weak you are, huh."

A mocking voice echoed from within the dark army.

It wasn't loud, but somehow it rang through the sky and land. When they looked, they saw a small humanoid figure glowing with terrifying power.

A corrupted dwarf. In the past, the dwarves of this universe were magical blacksmiths who fought side by side with the Summoners against the Risen. But they were all wiped out — now, only those twisted creatures remained...

"What a pointless waste of time," Darian said calmly. "If I came here, it's 'cause I know I can escape. If I'm standing right in front of you, it's 'cause I'm ready to crush you. And for someone half-dead like you... you really think numbers alone are enough to beat us again?"

"Hahaha, so arrogant. I used to say stuff like that when I was alive — how childish. In the end, you'll be the one dying here, and you still dare throw out such big words," the Risen dwarf sneered.

*BUZZ*

The space trembled, and a huge shadowy figure covered the sky.

It was a colossal tree, pitch black, with tiny scales covering its body. Its leaves were shaped like sharp blades, and a thick corruption radiated from it.

It was the same size as the World Tree, but it gave off a corruption as heavy as that of a Risen Chief — not any weaker than that Risen dwarf's.

Everyone gulped hard. Now there weren't just two powerful enemies to worry about — a new one had shown up, and there could be more.

"World Tree, I'll give you a chance. If you choose to stay out of this fight, we'll wrap things up here real quick. Then we'll deal with you — but we won't fully corrupt your body like last time. You'll keep some autonomy, hold onto a bit of dignity, and maybe even get some benefits over time."

The voice came from the massive black tree.

Suddenly, the sky shook, and a bright green light bloomed, lighting up the horizon.

"!"

That light started pushing the black tree back, startling all the enemies.

Natural energy filled the air, and the pressure on the allies below dropped — the miasma forming the domain had thinned.

"You… you recovered? No way!" — the voice of the black tree and the other Risen was full of shock.

They expected Darian to have some method to break part of the corruption and free the World Tree's body, even if it still had major limits. But this… this was pure, overwhelming power — totally free of corruption.

"I don't need to make any deals. You used me — and my children — for way too long. I'd rather d... no, I will kill you and end this."

"Hmph, like hell we care if you recovered. You think you can stop my army? That's just cocky! The Celestial Shadow is about to wake up. We don't need you alive anymore. So today, we're wiping you off this universe!"

The Risen dwarf roared, and the black tree unleashed its full power. A black rain fell over the sea of Risen.

It was some kind of buff. The Risen started to grow stronger uncontrollably. All their auras got heavier and more frenzied.

"Kill!"

The sea of enemies roared in unison and charged forward.

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