Chapter 138

Chapter 138: The Pretender

The Tree of Life, Branch of Yggdrasil.

This towering tree, witnessed by the people of the duchy since birth, grew atop the dragon vein with roots spanning hundreds of kilometers. Legends spoke of its boundless magic, offering perfect conditions for practitioners’ transmutation. Its roots formed the Nibelungen Dragon Sealing Array—when activated, its defenses could shield the entire capital of Hertonmar.

To control this tree meant claiming the Undefeated Position.

Yet now, it had fallen into Midi’s enemies’ hands. Worse, its essence had been twisted.

A purely defensive Nibelungen Dragon Sealing Array might eventually be breached, but this altered national defense array could both defend and attack with unimaginable destructive power.

Under the purple-gold lightning’s divine wrath, the Battle of Rainbow Light City ended abruptly amidst smoke and chaos.

Midi should have emerged as the clear victor—

Crushing the Sais family, seizing the southern stronghold of Rainbow Light City, luring and defeating the lurking destroyer cavalry with the Hawk Brigade, exposing traitors while training his forces.

Over half of the ten thousand destroyer cavalry perished, and the Sais family’s three legions scattered. This triumph should have secured the Hamilton family’s dominance in the civil war.

But the lightning’s baptism incinerated every advantage gained since the war’s start.

Caught unprepared, the Golden Branch Legion suffered over ten thousand soldiers directly struck by lightning. Combined with prior losses, their troop strength dropped by sixty percent, leaving them in utter disarray.

The Hawk Brigade fared better—adventurers excelled at survival and had received warnings—yet still lost a thousand members.

Even the Fog Demon "Feast of Night," Devil’s Vine, and Devil’s Flower, Summoned Beasts once impervious to mortal weapons, sustained heavy injuries. Alice reluctantly returned them to their realms to recover, rendering them unusable for now.

In mere seconds, Midi’s forces suffered greater losses than all previous battles combined.

And this was merely the first assault.

One week after the retreat, lightning struck again—

This time targeting cities.

Hamilton’s famed Rose Mountain City burned under endless strikes. Though the castle endured, a third of the city vanished into ash, leaving thousands homeless and broken families.

The Asreks family’s Eagle’s Nest followed. Forewarned by Rose Mountain’s fate, most evacuated. Yet the lightning still left smoldering ruins.

Watching their hard-built city vanish in flames, even the typically cheerful Fina clenched the balcony railing, her azure eyes burning with fury—while the impulsive Alice trembled with rage.

By the third week, lightning ravaged the Sais family’s main city. The Senator’s faction, hoping to profit from others’ strife, now lay crushed under heaven’s wrath.

Amidst the duchy’s despair, one refuge remained—

Autumn Ancient City villa.

Midi’s secrecy had kept outsiders ignorant of this unassuming town’s true role as the Asreks family’s greatest stronghold. Even if discovered, its defenses—powered by twin magic veins beneath—could withstand the strikes.

Here, Midi’s forces regrouped.

"If this continues," Fina muttered, staring southwest, "every noble’s castle in Belmar will soon be rubble."

The red-haired girl’s grip tightened on the railing, her usual confidence shadowed by dread—not for herself or Hamilton, but for their shattered homeland.

"Then we strike first," Alice cut in, her voice icy yet eyes blazing. "The Nibelungen Array stores energy weekly. After their next attack, we break through."

"Before switching from defense to offense, we need more information." Midi cut in, glancing at the two equally beautiful young women radiating authority before nodding to the waiting old steward Lothran. "Bring them in."

"One moment, young master," the old steward replied with a respectful bow.

Several pale Elves in robes soon entered the villa. During his exploration of the Elven Kingdom’s Palace, Midi had subdued these Dawn Garden member gardeners and sealed them away with the seed of the Tree of Life for later use.

Yet he hadn’t expected to need them so soon after returning. But with the nation’s fate at stake, only these gardeners truly understood the divine artifact. Even Midi’s reincarnation experience offered little help against such power. To find any chance of winning, they had to start here.

"You know the situation," Midi said, locking gazes with the elven elder and skipping formalities. "How do we reverse this?"

The elder had prepared since first hearing the crisis. His answer would determine whether he returned to the Star Cocoon’s frozen slumber or gained the genius youth’s trust.

Clearing his throat, he answered promptly: "The Tree of Life isn’t our enemy—its controller is. Defeat them, and we reclaim victory. Current evidence suggests our foe is a ‘fallen gardener.’"

"Fallen gardener?" Midi frowned. This term hadn’t existed in his past life.

Searching his memories, he exchanged puzzled glances with Fina and Alice.

"You may not know fallen gardeners," the elder continued, "but you recognize the Blood Curse. Its victims become skin-wearing demons. Those who can twist the Tree’s power? That’s a fallen gardener."

Midi suddenly understood—these were Pretenders!

In his previous life, Blood Curse victims had hidden among humans, demon-possessed enemies every adventurer feared. The curse originated from the chaos deity, just as the destroyer cavalry’s Kazan curse came from the god of destruction. Both deities were linked Demon Realm rulers.

Now Midi saw the truth—the Belmar civil war’s mastermind bore the Demon Realm’s mark. How else would both curses appear? The Scroll branch and Queen Skadi were mere puppets.

This revelation meant preparing anti-demon gear—silver weapons and magic-resistant armor could boost battle strength by 30%. A level 40 high-level adventurer might rival level 50 peak fighters!

But first came a greater obstacle.

"Second question," Midi continued. "Hertonmar’s sealed by the Nibelungen Dragon Sealing Array—not even birds enter. How do we retake the Tree?"

The elder smiled. "The Tree’s national defense array can’t be broken by force. But don’t we possess our own countermeasure?"

"The Elven Kingdom’s seed?" Midi’s eyes lit up.

"Exactly." The elder nodded. "As Dawn Garden wisdom says: Only the Tree of Life can oppose itself."