Demigod?!
Hel stared in disbelief at the three towering Elven Mother Trees in the distance.
How could a place like this possibly harbor demigod-class beings?
But she quickly calmed herself down.
"Relax," she told herself quietly. "If these Life Mother Trees could actually attack people, the Goblin Empire would've been wiped out long ago."
After reassuring herself, Hel turned to Niv beside her.
"Show me all the goblins' records related to the Elven Mother Trees."
At the same time, she waved her hand, signaling the thirteen half-saint undead under her command to withdraw.
Only after they all descended from the wall did Hel finally exhale in relief.
"Master, here's everything the database has on the Elven Mother Trees," Niv said, transmitting the data through the soul network.
Hel skimmed through the files — and gradually, her tension eased.
Though the Elven Mother Trees indeed possessed demigod-level power, they were unable to move or attack.
They were nothing more than the cradles of elven birth.
Hel soon learned that while the Mother Trees lacked any self-defense ability, they were practically immortal and indestructible.
Even if destroyed, they would, given enough time, regenerate over the ages.
This was precisely why, even after countless epochs, the elven race still managed to endure — while many other ancient species had vanished into history.
"So these things are basically made of cotton — soft, harmless, and stepped on by everyone," Hel muttered dryly.
"Yet after all these eons, they're still here, while those so-called ancient races have already gone extinct."
Having grasped the situation, Hel once again led her undead back up the wall —
this time bringing only Cat Niv, while sending the original Niv to rejoin her main body.
Now, the cat-eared version of Niv had completely assumed her feline form, curling comfortably in Hel's arms.
"I thought you'd bring the elf replica with you," Hel teased, playfully tapping the little cat's nose, earning an annoyed paw-swat in return.
"Not this time, meow. We're going into elven territory," the cat replied lazily.
"The half-blood goblins know the goblins possess biotechnological creation abilities.
If they see the elf duplicate, they might assume she's a puppet sent by Edwina, and that could provoke them, meow."
"Fair point." Hel nodded and walked slowly after her undead troops.
Before long, they clashed with the defending elves — but it was a one-sided massacre.
The undead crushed their defenses like a storm tearing through leaves.
"You… you're elves too? Wait — no! That aura… you're undead?!"
The Queen of the Half-Blood Goblins struggled desperately under the boot of a Death Elf pinning her down.
When she realized her enemies' true nature, her resistance only became more frantic — but ultimately futile.
Each of Hel's undead could easily overpower her entire force.
By the time Niv's golem army arrived, the battle was completely over.
Every elf had been subdued.
"Damn that Edwina!" the fallen queen spat. "To deal with us, she actually allied with the undead!"
"How rude," Hel replied with a playful smile, strolling toward her like a predator toying with prey.
She hooked a finger under the queen's chin.
"How could you say she allied with us? It's more accurate to say we've already taken over this place.
Edwina's dead. Her puppet army now answers to me.
So for you, there are only two options — submission or death."
"Pah! Damn undead — we'll die before we bow to you!"
Hel dodged the glob of spit and raised a brow, glancing at the cat in her arms.
"So… what's the deal? Do the elves have some ancient grudge against the undead?"
"Not entirely sure, meow," Niv said, flicking her tail.
"Records mention that during the Fourth Era, one of the Elven Mother Trees was destroyed by the undead, meow."
"The undead have existed since then?"
"According to certain Third Era texts, the undead were already around in the Second Era, meow.
Some even speculate they might have existed as early as the First Era, which has almost no surviving records, meow."
"Huh… I see." Hel rubbed her chin thoughtfully.
"But I still don't get why these half-blood goblins hate the undead so much. They're not even real elves — unless…"
Her gaze drifted toward the three massive trees nearby — and a chilling theory crossed her mind.
Could their hostility be influenced by the Mother Trees themselves?
If that were true, then this whole rebellion might not have been a coincidence at all.
The thought made her lips curl into a grin.
Now that's… interesting.
Ignoring the subdued queen, Hel walked straight to the three Elven Mother Trees.
Two of them were lush and vibrant, bearing small, glowing fruits — Elven Fruits, the wombs of unborn elves.
But the third tree, on her right, was barren and lifeless.
[Name]: Elven Mother Tree (Gray Elf)
[Rank]: Demigod
[Traits]: Gray Elf Genesis (Pink), Annihilation Rebirth (Pink), Gray Elf Bloodline (Pink), Dormant State (Black)
[Description]: One of the thirteen original Elven Mother Trees born at the dawn of the world.
Severely wounded during the Sixth Era, it has since entered a prolonged dormancy.
A wounded Mother Tree, huh?
"Perfect," Hel murmured.
She reached out and placed her hand on the tree's bark.
[Trait Granted: Godslave Mark (Black).]
"Better safe than sorry," she said quietly. "Let's make sure you're under control first."
Then she sent her spiritual sense probing into the Mother Tree's soul.
What she felt was vast and hollow — an endless ocean of memories, rich but devoid of self-awareness.
That was her first and strongest impression:
a colossal soul, yet without a true consciousness.
But deep within that immense sea of spirit, Hel found something shining —
a golden key, radiating divine light.
[Name]: Life Divine Domain Key (Gray Elf)
[Grade]: Pink · Demigod
[Description]: A key that unlocks a certain door.
Beyond that door may lie boundless fortune — or world-ending calamity.
To open it, one must gather all 13 keys.
"A key…?"
Hel carefully reached out with her mind to touch it.
The moment she did, the golden key flashed into light and shot straight into her soul.
Startled, Hel immediately severed the link with the Mother Tree and withdrew her spirit.
Eyes closed, she focused inward — searching.
Moments later, as her will stirred, the golden key materialized in her hand.
"Looks like it's… stable," she muttered, examining it closely.
After a few more checks to ensure nothing was amiss, she casually slipped the key into her spatial ring.