Ieros' gaze never left the little girl.
She continued smiling at him as though they were old friends, happily swinging her legs from the massive branch. Her long silver hair danced gently with the breeze, shimmering beneath the rays of sunlight that pierced through the endless canopy.
Her emerald-green eyes sparkled with childlike innocence.
Yet hidden deep within them was the faintest trace of purple.
The color was almost imperceptible.
Almost.
But Ieros noticed it.
His throat tightened.
Just her alone...
She could erase the entire city without breaking a sweat.
Compared to the terrifying monsters he had encountered on his journey here, this seemingly harmless little girl was in an entirely different realm of existence.
He swallowed once again.
His eyes never left her.
"Hey!"
She called out cheerfully, waving both hands before bouncing lightly on the branch.
Ieros carefully observed her movements.
Each bounce caused her silver hair to sway, briefly revealing one of her ears.
It was long.
Elegant.
Pointed.
"...An elf," Ieros whispered beneath his breath.
His heartbeat skipped.
From everything he had studied, only High Elves possessed the ability to communicate fluently with humans.
The lesser elves were little more than savage beasts.
Wood Elves fiercely protected their forests.
Dark Elves were infamous for their brutality and cruelty.
Only the High Elves possessed intelligence comparable to humanity.
They were so rare that only the Knight Order was rumored to have ever encountered them.
Yet one was happily playing on a tree branch right in front of him.
No wonder every instinct in his body screamed danger.
She could probably crush him without even lifting a finger.
The elf tilted her head.
Apparently she had heard his whisper.
Her smile froze for a brief second before amusement slowly spread across her beautiful face.
"Human."
She giggled.
The single word carried no hostility.
Only curiosity.
Ieros immediately lowered his head respectfully.
If there was one race renowned for its pride, it was the elves.
Especially the High Elves.
Legends claimed that if a human so much as dirtied the clothing of a High Elf, the offender's entire bloodline could be hunted down for generations.
With lifespans measured in millennia and memories that rarely faded, keeping grudges was almost effortless for them.
The elf tilted her head again.
Then, with the same innocent smile, she spoke.
"Come help me down, human."
She bounced happily once more.
Ieros blinked.
"Help... you down?"
He couldn't hide the disbelief in his voice.
"Yes!"
She nodded enthusiastically.
Ieros looked around before his gaze landed on the giant ape sleeping peacefully against the ancient tree.
"Wouldn't he be much better suited for that?"
The elf glanced toward the ape.
After a few seconds, she vigorously shook her head.
"No."
That was all she said.
Ieros forced a smile.
She can descend from that height without suffering the slightest injury, he thought inwardly.
Elves are loved by nature itself. Even the wind would gently carry her to the ground if she wished.
So why insist that I help her?
His instincts warned him that refusing wasn't an option.
Putting on his most charming smile, he walked toward the enormous tree.
The ape's sleeping face rested only a few steps away.
Every movement Ieros made became unbelievably cautious.
Reaching the trunk, he placed one hand against its perfectly smooth bark.
He slowly raised his head.
The tree stretched endlessly upward.
It looked as though ten skyscrapers had been stacked atop one another.
Yet somehow...
The outside world had never discovered it.
His eyes settled on the lowest visible branch.
He bent his knees.
Then jumped.
The instant both feet left the ground—
BOOM!!
An unimaginable pressure descended from above.
It crashed onto his body like the weight of the heavens themselves.
His jump ended almost instantly.
His knees slammed into the earth.
The ground beneath him shattered, forming a deep crater.
Fresh blood erupted from every pore of his body.
The sleeping ape stirred slightly.
Its enormous eyelids twitched.
For one terrifying moment, Ieros thought it would wake.
Fortunately...
The giant simply shifted its position before continuing its peaceful sleep.
The crushing pressure disappeared.
Above him, soft laughter echoed through the branches.
"Hehe..."
The elf covered her mouth as she giggled.
"No taking shortcuts."
She struggled to suppress another fit of laughter.
Ieros remained kneeling.
Blood dripped from his nose.
His ears.
Even the corners of his eyes.
Every muscle trembled violently.
Veins bulged across his body.
Rage threatened to consume him.
Slowly...
He clenched his fists.
Not because he wished to endure.
But because there was no one here upon whom he could vent his frustration.
Taking a deep breath, he stood.
Without thinking, he punched the tree with everything he had.
Thud.
The impact was pitiful.
The ancient tree didn't even tremble.
Not a single leaf fell.
Instead, pain shot through his knuckles.
"..."
Ieros silently rubbed his aching fist.
The tree hadn't even acknowledged his existence.
Looking back toward the elf, he sighed.
"How did you get up there?"
The elf smiled brightly.
"It's a secret."
She whispered.
The breeze gently carried her voice across the island.
The instant the words reached his ears...
Warmth spread throughout his body.
The cuts covering his skin disappeared.
His broken muscles mended.
The dried blood evaporated.
Within seconds, every injury had completely healed.
Ieros stared at his hands in disbelief before clenching them repeatedly.
His strength had fully returned.
"...Did you do this?"
The elf nodded proudly.
"Mhm!"
Her smile widened as if expecting praise.
Ieros looked at her for several silent moments before shifting his attention back to the enormous tree.
"Then..."
"How exactly am I supposed to get up there?"
He slowly circled the trunk.
After eight steps...
He stopped.
His expression became strange.
Looking behind him, he realized he was standing exactly where he had started.
Space itself had folded around the tree.
No matter which direction he walked...
He couldn't go around it.
The elf watched him with obvious amusement.
Finally she pointed toward the trunk.
"Climb."
She paused.
"But don't jump too high."
Her smile somehow became even brighter.
"You might die."
Ieros simply nodded.
He hadn't expected a detailed explanation anyway.
Placing both palms against the perfectly smooth bark, he searched for even the slightest grip.
Nothing.
It was as smooth as polished jade.
Impossible to climb.
After several failed attempts, he sighed heavily before sitting down cross-legged beneath the tree.
If brute force wouldn't solve the problem...
Then perhaps cultivation would.
Closing his eyes, he searched through the countless techniques stored within his memories.
The complete inheritance of the Sacred Sect flowed through his mind like an endless river.
His breathing gradually steadied.
Qi slowly circulated through his meridians, flowing in perfect cycles as he analyzed every movement technique, every body-strengthening art, and every footwork manual he possessed.
Somewhere among the Sacred Sect's countless legacies...
There had to be a way to climb a tree that rejected the heavens themselves.