Rise Of The Villain : In a World Ruled By Anomalies

The atmosphere in the room grew tense the moment Luna’s question hung in the air.

Arthur’s expression remained calm as he looked at the tiny fairy.

"Looks like you’re not a mosquito after all," Arthur said.

That was enough.

Luna’s eyes widened.

The next instant, she shot into the air. A faint green glow began pulsing around her small body, growing brighter as her tiny wings flared.

Erica noticed immediately.

"What are you doing, Luna?" Erica asked sharply.

Before Luna could answer, the floor beneath Arthur stirred.

Vines burst from the ground.

Thick, green, and unnaturally fast, they shot upward and wrapped around Arthur’s arms, legs, waist, and chest. Within seconds, he was completely restrained.

But Arthur didn’t even flinch.

He gave Yuna a brief glance, a silent signal that everything was fine and that she didn’t need to interfere.

Yuna remained where she stood.

She trusted him enough not to move.

Erica, however, rose to her feet.

"Luna!" Erica shouted. "Didn’t you just say we could trust him? Then why are you doing this?"

Luna hovered in the air, her tiny face tense.

"I didn’t know back then," Luna said, her voice low and sharp, "that you had figured out my secret."

Arthur looked down at the vines wrapped around him.

These were no ordinary vines.

He could tell immediately.

They were suppressing his mana, disrupting its flow through his body and preventing him from using it properly.

Even so, Arthur didn’t panic.

’So that’s your angle,’ Arthur thought. ’Interesting.’

The next second, he flexed his muscles.

The vines strained.

Arthur’s body tensed.

Then, using nothing but brute force, he tore them apart.

The thick bindings snapped and scattered across the floor.

Luna’s eyes widened once again.

She was already preparing to attack a second time.

Arthur raised a hand.

"Stop," he said firmly. "I’m not your enemy, and neither is Erica. If I were, you’d already be dead."

Luna froze.

She knew he was telling the truth.

In fact, if not for Arthur, Erica might not even be alive.

But Luna couldn’t let this go.

Not yet.

When the World Tree was involved, the matter became bigger than Erica—bigger than any one person.

Luna’s gaze sharpened.

"Answer my question first," she said. "How did you find out? No one knew about it except the previous Elven King."

Before Arthur could answer, Yuna clicked her tongue.

"Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on?" she asked. "It’s pretty rude to leave us out after everything we’ve been through together."

Arthur turned toward her.

"Well, Master," Arthur said, "that mosquito is feeling uneasy because I know the current World Tree is about to die."

Yuna’s eyes widened.

A visible jolt of shock ran through her.

She looked from Arthur to Luna, then to Erica.

Erica lowered her head.

"I’m sorry for keeping you in the dark, Miss Yuna," Erica said quietly. "But you’ve already done so much for us. I couldn’t ask any more of you."

Yuna frowned.

"What will happen to the elves if the World Tree dies?" she asked.

Luna lowered her gaze.

Her voice became heavier than before.

"The World Tree is the heart of our race," Luna said. "As long as it lives, so do we. But if it dies... the elves won’t disappear overnight. Instead, we’ll slowly watch our people wither away."

She paused.

"The forests that have protected us for thousands of years will begin to die. The flow of mana throughout our homeland will weaken, making our magic less powerful with every generation. The blessings bestowed upon our people will fade, our lifespans will grow shorter, and even the strongest among us will gradually weaken. Our potential for growth will become limited, just like that of ordinary humans."

Her tiny wings trembled.

"Our sacred herbs and crops will fail. The magical beasts that once lived alongside us will either flee or become hostile. Illnesses will spread more easily, and fewer children will be born each year. Eventually, there will come a time when no new elves are born at all."

She clenched her tiny fists.

"When that day comes... the elven race will have only one fate left."

Her voice fell to a whisper.

"Extinction."

Yuna let out a slow breath.

"Looks like you elves depend on the World Tree far more than we thought," she said.

Luna gave a small, reluctant nod.

Then Elizabeth, who had remained silent the entire time, finally spoke.

She looked at Arthur with her cold crimson eyes.

"So what are you going to do about this, Master?" Elizabeth asked. "Or rather, what can you do? If it’s already destined for the World Tree to die, then there’s nothing we can do. That’s simply the fate of these people."

Arthur looked at her.

"It would have been," he said, "if there wasn’t a solution."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow.

"There is one?" she asked. "The solution is here?"

Arthur nodded.

"It’s simple," Arthur said. "When a tree dies, you plant a new one."

He lifted a hand and pointed at Luna.

"And in our case," Arthur said, "she is the new World Tree."

The room fell silent once again.

Another wave of shock swept through everyone, but this time no one interrupted him.

Luna glared at him.

"How did you find out?" she asked again.

Arthur sighed.

"You really do like asking the same question," he said. "The answer is simple. I’m not an idiot."

He folded his arms.

"After Astarte told me the current World Tree would die and that its spirit was already gone, I figured out the rest myself," Arthur said. "I wasn’t completely certain... but your reaction confirmed my suspicions."

He looked directly at Luna.

"You are the spirit of the next World Tree," Arthur said. "Or, more precisely, its child. The inheritor of its will and legacy. The hope of the elven race."

Luna stared at him for several long seconds.

Then she slowly exhaled.

"I admit it," Luna said. "Human, you really are something else."

Her voice softened slightly.

"To figure out this much on your own... and after receiving the World Tree’s blessing," Luna said, "I will trust you."

She lifted her chin.

"You are right," Luna continued. "I am the seed itself—the one capable of giving birth to a new World Tree. The elves can survive."

Her expression turned grim.

"But it’s also true that once it happens, the Holy Kingdom will try to seize control of the new World Tree, just as they’re trying to control the current one."

Her tiny hands clenched.

"That’s why I was waiting for the right time," Luna said. "And for Erica to become strong enough to protect the new World Tree."

She looked away in frustration.

"But the circumstances are different now," Luna said. "We’ll have to move quickly, or there won’t be any elves left to defend."

Arthur frowned.

"Then what are you waiting for?" he asked. "Why haven’t you started already?"

Silence filled the room.

Luna’s serious expression gradually shifted into one of embarrassment.

"Even though I possess the seed," she said, "I don’t have the blessings needed to lay the foundation for the new World Tree."

Arthur stared at her.

"So... you’re useless," he said flatly.

Luna’s mouth twitched.

Erica glanced between them.

"What do you need, Luna?" Erica asked.

Luna sighed.

"Several blessings," she replied. "And a few rare items. The items can be obtained with enough effort... but the blessings are the real problem."

Arthur narrowed his eyes.

"What kind of blessings?" he asked.