Keon sat inside his glowing prison, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
Not because he was planning something.
No.
Because he had nothing else to do.
He had no idea how much time had passed.
Hours? Days? Weeks?!
All he knew was—
His Rift Leap cooldown was now at 6 minutes and 58 seconds.
'Great.' Keon sighed internally. 'At least I know I haven't been trapped for a whole year.'
He had tried asking questions.
No one answered.
He had tried moving.
The glowing runes around him adjusted to keep him perfectly contained.
He even tried poking the seal.
Keon sighed again, leaning back.
'At this point, they might as well put me in a museum.'
Just as he thought that—
CLANK.
The seal flickered.
Keon's eyes sharpened.
For the first time since his capture…
The prison moved.
Keon, out of sheer boredom, finally reached out and touched the glowing seal.
The moment his fingers made contact—
DING!
A system panel flashed before his eyes.
───◈───
[Seal Analysis Complete]
Status: TEMPORARY SEAL
Duration: Fading due to lack of mana input.
───◈───
Keon blinked.
Then he blinked again.
…Then his brain caught up.
His entire face twitched.
His eye twitched.
His soul twitched.
"YOU'RE TELLING ME I WASN'T EVEN FULLY SEALED?!"
His scream echoed inside his glowing prison.
The system remained silent.
Which only made it worse.
Keon grabbed his head, trembling.
'I'VE BEEN STANDING HERE LIKE A CAPTURED FINAL BOSS FOR WHO KNOWS HOW LONG—AND THE STUPID SEAL WAS NEVER EVEN COMPLETE?!'
His dignity took 3000 emotional damage.
Keon pointed at the system panel, furious.
"WHY DID YOU WAIT SO LONG TO TELL ME?!"
The system, as usual, did not respond.
Which only made Keon madder.
This wasn't just bad luck.
This was personal.
The seal finally weakened, fading into nothingness, and Keon could now see the outside. The sight before him was anything but welcoming.
Standing in an intricate formation were elves clad in ceremonial garb, all of them women. Their faces were veiled with shimmering silver fabric that left only the faint outline of their elegant features visible. Each of them held a staff or a glowing talisman, the artifacts humming faintly with restrained magic.
At the center of the group stood a figure who radiated divine authority and beauty: High Priestess Elyndra, the spiritual leader of the Eternal Grove.
She was strikingly beautiful, her age only adding to her grace. Her long, silver hair flowed like molten moonlight, adorned with emerald-encrusted chains that sparkled faintly. Her emerald-green eyes, deep and piercing, seemed to see through Keon entirely. She wore a ceremonial white robe with golden and green embroidery, its designs resembling blooming vines. The hem of the robe shimmered as if enchanted, and a golden circlet adorned her forehead, framing a glowing emerald jewel.
In her hand, she held a staff of twisted white wood, its top adorned with a large green crystal that pulsated faintly, exuding a gentle but oppressive aura of power. Around her, the other priestesses began chanting in unison, their melodic voices carrying an air of reverence and menace.
Keon was no fool. This was no welcome party.
The system panel appeared, delivering a chilling realization:
---
[SYSTEM PANEL – SCAN RESULT]
Name: High Priestess Elyndra
Race: High Elf
Title: Holy Keeper of the Eternal Grove
Age: 643 Years
Affinity: Nature, Light, Restoration
Abilities:
Sanctified Bloom: Channels nature's energy to purify and heal. Can also grow barriers of thorns to defend or entrap foes.
Blessing of Elyris: Temporarily grants allies enhanced mana regeneration and resistance to corruption.
Luminous Wrath: Summons beams of holy light to smite enemies, especially effective against cursed and undead beings.
Aura of Serenity: Radiates an aura that calms hostile entities and weakens their aggression.
[WARNING: High hostility detected. Combat likelihood – 94%.]
---
Keon muttered under his breath.
"Combat likelihood? You could've warned me when I was dragged here in the first place!"
High Priestess Elyndra raised her staff, her voice ringing with authority.
"You stand accused, Outlander, of being an Ancient Cursed Being, one of those who brought ruin to this world! In the name of the Holy Goddess Elyris, we shall ensure your vile existence is purged once and for all!"
Keon raised an eyebrow, amused but annoyed.
"Elyris? Pretty name. I'd compliment it if you weren't all trying to murder me."
The chanting priests raised their staffs, and golden symbols appeared in the air, forming a circle of light around Keon.
It clicked for Keon now.
These weren't elves trying to capture him—they'd brought him here to kill him with the combined powers of the Eternal Grove.
He touched the shimmering seal still faintly holding him, and suddenly the system panel flickered to life.
---
[SYSTEM ALERT]
Temporary Seal detected.
No external mana detected. Seal weakening rapidly.
Keon's eye twitched as he stared at the sarcastic remark on the screen. He banged his fist against the seal, muttering through gritted teeth, "Why do I even have you?!"
Suddenly, the seal dissolved completely, and the priestesses fell silent for a moment, startled.
High Priestess Elyndra narrowed her eyes.
"So, the cursed one awakens. You will regret this moment, Outlander."
Keon wanted to respond with something witty, but the priests acted before he could even breathe.
They raised their staffs and shouted in unison, "In the name of Goddess Elyris, let the light of the Eternal Grove erase this abomination!"
Keon's eyes widened as glowing arrows and spells rained down, forming a massive sphere of golden energy around him. The ball was covered in radiant, glowing symbols of power, pulsating with immense energy.
To their surprise, Keon didn't react at all. He stood there, motionless, with his hands in his pockets, as if this had been his plan all along.
But the truth was…
"Oh, come on!" Keon screamed inside the sphere. He had no time to even flinch before the seal had reformed around him, and now he was stuck again.
The priests continued pouring their mana into the seal, the glowing ball brightening until it nearly outshone the sun. High Priestess Elyndra smirked faintly, her voice firm and triumphant.
"It is done. The cursed one shall not escape this time."
Meanwhile, Keon, trapped inside the suffocatingly bright sphere, sighed heavily, rubbing his temples.
Keon stood motionless inside the radiant, mana-charged seal. The chanting of the elves grew louder, and their confidence was palpable as they prepared to finish him off. High Priestess Elyndra watched with a satisfied expression, believing the cursed one was finally contained.
Inside the glowing prison, Keon sighed deeply, his irritation bubbling up.
"Okay, think, think. What can I even do? I can't brute force this... unless..."
An idea sparked in his head, a crazy one, but an idea nonetheless.
"What if I just… store it?"
Without hesitation, Keon raised his hand, summoning the Rift Storage ability. The air in front of him rippled, and a dark abyss appeared in his palm—a swirling void that seemed to devour light itself.
He aimed it at the glowing prison.
"Here goes nothing…"
The void expanded, latching onto the edge of the seal. To his surprise (and everyone else's), the magical prison started to distort, bending inward toward the abyss like a piece of cloth being sucked into a vacuum. The golden runes flickered, their glow dimming as the entire seal was consumed into the dark rift.
It was gone.
Completely gone.
For a moment, silence fell over the area. The chanting stopped, and the elves froze in place, their triumphant cheers dying in their throats. Even the High Priestess, who had been brimming with confidence, now stood speechless, her emerald eyes wide with shock.
The soldiers glanced at each other, unsure if what they had just witnessed was even possible.
Keon, too, was stunned.
He stared at his hand, then at the space where the seal had been. He didn't know what was more shocking—the fact that his plan worked, or the fact that he had no idea what the consequences of storing a magical seal could be.
"Did… did I just eat their seal?" Keon thought, his mind racing.
The High Priestess finally broke the silence, her voice trembling but still commanding.
"What… what have you done?!"
Keon didn't respond. He stayed quiet, as if this was all part of some grand plan.
In reality, he had no idea what to say.
The elves looked to Elyndra for guidance, but even she seemed at a loss. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife.
Then, without a word, Keon slowly raised two fingers to his temple in a mock salute.
And vanished.
Using the Disguise Cloak, Keon turned invisible, disappearing from sight in the blink of an eye. The elves gasped, their heads darting around in search of him.
"Find him!" Elyndra commanded, her voice sharp with urgency. "Do not let him escape!"
But Keon was already gone, slipping away into the shadows of the elevs, leaving behind a group of baffled and panicked priests, soldiers, and one very flustered High Priestess.
As he darted through the unfamiliar streets under the cover of invisibility, Keon couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
"Okay, that was way too close... but damn, that was cool."
Keon moved cautiously, slipping through the elven village under the cloak's invisibility. His steps were silent, but his mind buzzed with thoughts.
"Alright, Keon, let's recap. You got captured, escaped like a magician, swallowed a seal, and made an entire group of elves question their reality. What's next? A flying bear parade?"
He stopped abruptly, his gaze locking on something in the distance. His breath caught.
A massive tree loomed over the village, reaching high into the heavens.
Its bark shimmered faintly, glowing with a soft, emerald hue, as though alive with magic. Towering roots twisted across the ground, carving deep trenches into the earth and connecting to smaller trees that seemed to thrive under its protection. The leaves were a vibrant green, glowing faintly under the sunlight, with golden veins running through them. Even from this distance, Keon could feel a strange, warm hum in the air, as if the tree itself was breathing.
He stared in awe, whispering under his breath, "What in the divine bonsai tree is this?"
The system panel blinked into view, its text cutting through his thoughts.
---
System Analysis: Mystic World Tree
Name: Aeloria, the Eternal Root
Description: A sacred tree worshiped by the elves, believed to be the source of their mana and connection to their goddess, Lysera, Keeper of Life. Its roots extend across the entire forest, nourishing the land with life energy.
Threat Level: Passive. (Unless disturbed.)
Notes: Direct interference with Aeloria may invoke catastrophic consequences. Explore with caution.
---
Keon narrowed his eyes at the "catastrophic consequences" part.
"Well, noted. I'll make sure not to carve my name into it," he muttered sarcastically.
Suddenly, his vision blurred, and his head throbbed. Before he could process what was happening, a calm, melodic voice resonated in his mind—a voice so pure it felt like sunlight piercing through clouds.
"Outlander."
Keon's body stiffened. He spun around, but there was no one in sight.
The voice spoke again, this time with more clarity, its tone holy and commanding.
"You stand before Aeloria, the Eternal Root, the heart of the forest and lifeblood of this land. State your purpose."
Keon blinked, his thoughts scrambling. "Great. Now I've got a tree goddess whispering sweet nothings in my brain. What's next, talking squirrels?"
When he didn't respond immediately, the voice continued.
"You have disrupted the balance of this sanctuary. Yet your essence does not feel malicious. You are… an anomaly."
Keon groaned inwardly. "Why does everyone keep calling me that?"
The voice ignored his sarcasm.
"If you wish to remain here, outlander, you must prove your worth. Seek the one named Aban."
Keon frowned, tilting his head. "Aban? Who's that? Some elven sheriff ready to throw me back into a glowing ball of doom?"
The voice didn't answer directly. Instead, it offered a cryptic reply.
"Go to the tallest structure. There, you will find what you seek."
Before Keon could ask more, the voice faded, leaving behind an unsettling silence. He stood there for a moment, processing what just happened.
"Great. Now I have a divine quest from a giant tree. This day just keeps getting better," Keon muttered sarcastically before turning toward the towering structure built into Aeloria's trunk.
As he walked closer, the tree's features became more pronounced. Bridges and platforms seamlessly wove into the bark, glowing symbols etched across its surface. Spiraling staircases disappeared into the canopy above, leading to what seemed like an entire city hidden within the leaves.
Keon took a deep breath, steeling himself.
"Alright, Aeloria. Let's see what this 'Aban' of yours is all about." He smirked, brushing off the lingering nerves. "And if they try to trap me again? I'm vanishing in style."
With that, he stepped toward the towering tree, the faint hum of magic growing stronger with every step.