CHAPTER 95: THE TRUE RULERS AWAKEN

In the deepest part of the forest, a place untouched by the spreading corruption, was a hidden sanctuary. The mana in the air was so dense it was almost visible, and the trees here were ancient, their leaves glowing with a faint, otherworldly light. In the center of this sacred area stood a great stone table, and around it sat five figures. Each one radiated an incredible aura of power.

These were the Forest Guardians, the true rulers of this domain. They were ancient beings who had watched over the forest for millennia. Though they had humanoid forms, their features were not human. Their skin was like the bark of ancient trees, their eyes glowed with the light of the sun, and their hair flowed like living vines. To them, the queen had been nothing more than a caretaker, a child they had given a small part of their forest to manage.

Runes were carved all over the stone table, and they hummed with a quiet energy. For a long moment, the Guardians sat in silence. Finally, the one with a crown of antlers, who appeared to be their leader, spoke. "The queen is dead. A human has slain her."

Another Guardian, a woman whose hair flowed like a waterfall, leaned forward. "She was weak. We granted her power, and she wasted it. Her death is not important."

A third Guardian, a massive being whose skin looked like solid stone, slammed his fist on the table. The impact made the ground itself tremble. "Not important? The human has defied the order of this forest! This is an insult we cannot allow to stand."

The antlered Guardian raised a hand to silence him. "The human is strong. He is much stronger than we anticipated, it is true. But he is still only a human. He cannot possibly stand against us, the true power of this forest."

The water-haired Guardian smirked. "Then let him come. Let him see what true power looks like. He will quickly learn the foolishness of his actions."

"We should not wait. We should hunt him down now and crush him before he can grow any stronger," the stone-skinned Guardian growled, his voice like the grinding of boulders.

The antlered Guardian shook his head slowly. "No. We will not lower ourselves to hunting a mere human like some common beast. He will come to us. When he does, we will show him the vast difference between a human and a guardian."

Another of the silent guardians spoke up. "We should at least be thankful. That human did get rid of that troublesome dungeon. In that, at least, the queen succeeded in her duty."

The stone-skinned one scoffed. "Hmph, that does not excuse the fact that the same human killed her. This is a serious problem. If we do not kill him, our entire home could collapse from this disruption."

The meeting did not last much longer. After they concluded, the Guardians dispersed, each one returning to their own domain within the vast forest. They had much to prepare. The human would come, and they would be ready for him.

Meanwhile, far from the sanctuary, Vell and his group continued their journey. They moved through the forest, hunting and killing any monster or lesser guardian that crossed their path.

’Hmm, something is strange. These monsters are too weak. These cannot be the real guardians, can they?’

[Yes, I think these are just lesser monsters. They were probably sent to test you.]

’Well that’s stupid. They should already know how strong I am, I did kill their queen, after all.’ He glanced back at his team. They were all tired from the constant fighting. He scanned the area and held up his hand. "Okay, we will make camp here. Sit back and relax, I will go hunt us some meat."

He disappeared into the trees, leaving the girls to set up camp. The exhaustion from the endless battles had left them too tired to keep up their usual attitudes. They gathered in a small clearing, each finding a spot to sit and rest.

Yenna was the first to speak. "We have been fighting non-stop since we killed the queen. Do you think it is going to get worse from here?"

Wren, who was perched on a low branch, tilted her head. "It is already worse. The forest feels... different now. It feels like it is alive, and it is angry with us."

Jia, who was sitting quietly with her back against a tree, finally spoke. "The queen’s death has upset the balance. The forest is reacting. The guardians... they will not let this go unpunished."

Kana looked up from sharpening her blade. "You sound like you know more about this than you are saying. Are you going to share with the group?"

Jia hesitated. "The queen... she was not the true ruler of this forest. She was only a caretaker. The guardians entrusted a small part of their domain to her. The real power here belongs to them. They have been here for thousands of years, and they will not tolerate any threat to the forest’s balance."

"So, what you are saying is, we are not just fighting monsters anymore. We are fighting the actual gods of this place?" Jolly asked, her voice full of worry.

Jia nodded. "Yes. And they are far more powerful than the queen ever was."

Yenna sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Great. Just what we needed. Even more powerful enemies."

Kana scoffed. "It is not like we have a choice. Vell made it clear we are not backing down. And after everything we have been through, I am not sure I even want to."

Wren jumped down from the branch, landing next to Yenna. "We have faced impossible odds before. We will do it again. Besides, we are all much stronger now than when we first started."

Jia nodded in agreement, but she still looked troubled. "Yes, but these guardians... they are not just strong. They are ancient. How are we supposed to fight something like that?"

"We do not have to fight them alone. We have Vell. And... we have each other," Jolly said, trying to be optimistic.

Kana snorted. "Yeah, because we have all been such a great team so far."

Yenna shot her a sharp look. "Kana, that is enough. We are all tired, but that is no excuse to start fights. We have to stick together if we are going to survive this."

Kana glared at Yenna for a moment before she sighed and looked away. "Fine. But do not expect me to just start trusting everyone here."

Jolly spoke up, her voice soft. "I understand how you feel. I have lost everything, too. But if we do not trust each other, at least a little bit, we are not going to make it out of here."

"She is right. We are all in this together, whether we like it or not," Wren said, leaning against a tree. "And honestly, I would rather have you all watching my back than anyone else."

The group fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts. The weight of what they were facing was immense, but a fragile sense of unity was beginning to form between them.

After a while, Yenna broke the silence again. "Do you think Vell knows what we are up against? About the guardians?"

Jia shook her head. "I am not sure. But if anyone can figure it out, it is him. He is... different. He is stronger than any human I have ever seen."

Kana smirked. "Yeah, well, let’s just hope that is enough. Because if it is not, we are all going to die."

Jolly sighed, leaning her head back. "What a cheerful thought, Kana. Thank you for that."

"I am just being realistic," Kana shrugged.

Just then, the sound of rustling leaves made them all tense up. They reached for their weapons, but relaxed when Vell emerged from the trees, a large boar slung over his shoulder.

"The food is here," he said, his tone casual. He had been listening to their entire conversation. "Let’s eat and get some rest. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

The girls exchanged glances, a silent understanding passing between them. Whatever was coming, they would face it together. With Vell leading them, they still had a fighting chance.

[Master, you expanded your scan of the forest and noticed the presence of powerful monsters. I advise you to suppress your power and let the kids deal with them.]

’Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. I cannot keep protecting them forever. This will be a good chance to test their limits.’

[You have enough mana to evolve them further. Why are you not doing that?]

’I have my reasons. They need to be pushed beyond their limits. Just giving them power without letting them gain experience is meaningless.’

[I see... What about you?]

’Oh, you mean my own evolution?’