Chapter 237 The familiar place

Chapter 237 The familiar place

Nikol stood tall, his commanding presence radiating through the air. Before him, a magnificent tree loomed, its ancient branches reaching towards the sky. He gazed beyond its protective veil, his piercing eyes filled with determination.

"How did this tree get this tall?" He questioned himself, but right now he had to put his attention on the army that he gathered for the purpose of invading the other side beyond the tree.

His girl army, a force unlike any other, gathered in perfect formation. More than a thousand strong, they represented a tapestry of diversity, their unique races and backgrounds intertwining to create a formidable unity. They stood with unwavering loyalty, their hearts filled with courage and a shared purpose.

Be it demons, beastkin, elves or humans, none of them looked bothered by this diversity because they get to fight beside their saviour and lover and that's all they wanted.

As the sunlight filtered through the leaves, Nikol turned his attention to his trusted commanders, the closest allies he had handpicked to lead alongside him. And Most of them were the relevant queens or the leaders of their race, but in different circumstances like in the elven race, Zenda led the group since their queen was not so great in close combat.

Their eyes met, a silent understanding passing between them before Nikol addressed the assembled warriors.

"Ladies, today marks a turning point in our journey," he spoke, his voice resolute yet filled with a touch of warmth. "Beyond this tree lies the path to our destiny. It will not be an easy road, but with each step we take together, we grow stronger and this is the first time we formed an army that truly represents everyone instead of just us fighting with each other,"

A ripple of determination spread through the ranks, the warriors exchanging knowing glances and nodding in agreement. One of the commanders, Usha, stepped forward, her fiery hair framing her determined face.

"Nikol, we are ready to face whatever challenges lie ahead," she declared, her voice echoing with conviction. "We have trained tirelessly, honing our skills for this very moment. With you as our leader, we fear no foe."

Nikol's eyes softened as he regarded Usha, his gratitude shining through his gaze.

"I know, let's do this,"

Leaving those words with the girls, Nikol decided to leave the tree and cross beyond that, but suddenly he felt his power getting sucked by the tree and he quickly backed off without even having any hesitation.

"What happened?" Leona asked, but Nikol looked at the tree with his eyes squinted and decided to destroy it.

Nikol's fingers crackled with energy as he summoned his powers, his aura blazing with determination. With a swift motion, he launched his attack, directing a barrage of lightning towards the tree's towering trunk. Bolts of electricity crackled and sizzled, striking the tree with fervour.

But to his astonishment, the tree seemed to absorb the energy, its bark shimmering with an otherworldly glow. The ground quivered beneath their feet as tendrils of the tree's essence snaked their way toward Nikol and his army, ensnaring them.

"Girls, use your weapons and cut it, don't use energy, this tree seems to be absorbing energy," Nikol shouted while using a sword to cut all the branches that tried to wrap around his body.

"Jormungand, what sort of a nuisance is this?" Nikol thought and thought about something he can use to destroy this tree and when he looked at its root, he suddenly got an idea.

Nikol's jaw clenched as he unleashed a torrent of flames, his attacks intensifying. "If you can absorb my power, then I just have to uproot you from the place that gave birth to you,"

He didn't care how much this tree absorbed his energy because he had a massive pool that can be compared to what Jormungand had, so he had enough to spare.

Nikol's flames surged forward, engulfing the tree's trunk and root system. The intense heat caused the bark to crack and sizzle, while the tendrils that were ensnaring Nikol and his army recoiled and withered under the onslaught. nove.lB-In

As the flames raged, Nikol focused his energy on uprooting the tree. He channelled his power into the ground, sending shockwaves through the earth and destabilizing the tree's foundation. The ground trembled violently, and the tree's grip on the land weakened.

With a mighty heave, Nikol exerted all his strength and summoned a powerful gust of wind to aid his efforts. The tree groaned and creaked as its roots were torn from the earth, its hold on the battlefield crumbling.

Finally, the tree was wrenched free, its massive form toppling to the ground with a resounding crash. The otherworldly glow that had emanated from its bark faded, and the tendrils that had ensnared Nikol and his army disintegrated into wisps of smoke.

As the dust settled, Nikol surveyed the scene. The once towering and formidable tree now lay defeated, reduced to a mere obstacle on the battlefield.

"Sometimes brute force is the way,"

He thought to himself and looked at the place where the tree was supposed to be and below it was the empty hollow, which was the thing that Nikol might be searching for, but right now it lacked the same power he felt when he first came here.

He turned to his army, his gaze filled with determination. "We cannot let our guard down. This battle is not yet won. This is just the beginning,"

Removing all the branches and burning them, all the girls followed Nikol and looked at the hollow, which was filled with the dead bodies of monsters that weren't able to become the new humans.

"They went away, it's too late for us to stop now, they might have already formed another army," Nikol muttered and looked at the forest beyond the tree.

"Let's go," He said and asked everyone to follow him, as he kept his senses sharpened in case something attacks them.

Nikol knew that the encounter with the absorbing tree was just a glimpse of the trials they would face on their journey. But with his indomitable spirit and the loyalty of his army, he was confident that they would triumph against all odds.

As Nikol and his army continued their march through the dense forest, the atmosphere thickened with tension. Each step was taken with caution, their senses heightened, ready to face any lurking danger. The rustling of leaves and the hushed whispers of the wind kept them on edge.

It was then that Eva, who was silently accompanying Nikol, suddenly halted, her eyes widening in realization. "Wait... this part of the forest... it feels familiar," she murmured, her voice filled with a mix of surprise and confusion.

Nikol turned to her, intrigued by her statement. "What do you mean, Eva? Have you been here before?"

Eva's gaze focused intently on the surroundings as if searching for a long-lost memory. "I can't explain it, but there's something about the air, the trees... I feel like I've walked these paths before, even though I don't have any memories."

Just as Nikol pondered Eva's words, the dark elf representative, who had been silently observing, stepped forward with a grave expression. "I agree with Lady Eva's sentiments, Lord Nikol. This part of the forest holds a haunting familiarity for me as well."

The dark elf representative was one of the most skilled girls instead of their queen or the commander, as both of them were not great fighters.

Nikol furrowed his brow, his curiosity piqued. "Are you suggesting that there's more to this forest than meets the eye?"

The dark elf nodded solemnly. "Indeed, my lord. This path, almost looks like the path to the dark elf queendom, to be more accurate our former home, but the trees and all the landmarks are completely different,"

Nikol's mind raced with possibilities. If Eva and the dark elf both sensed a familiar energy here, it could be a good sign or a bad sign.

"Let's just proceed for now, make sure you mark all the trees because something is playing with my sense of direction in this part,"

As they ventured further, the air grew heavier, and the creepy mist bathed the forest in an otherworldly feeling. The atmosphere hummed with energy, and Nikol knew they were drawing closer to the heart of the forest's hidden power, which might be the Jormungand's work.

Whatever awaited them, Nikol was prepared to face it head-on. He understood that the journey ahead would be filled with unforeseen challenges.

Eva and the dark elf stood beside him, equally confused as they proceeded through the forest.

"Nikol, should we visit dark elf's Queendom? I feel like we might be able to find something there,"

It was a simple question, but Nikol suddenly asked Eva to be quiet while keeping his finger on his lips.

"Incoming! An attack is incoming, everyone is ready," Nikol warned and kept looking at his surrounding for any signs and suddenly he saw a shadow moving above them and he knew it will be a full-blown battle from now on or either he will have to teleport back to the hollowatch.