Chapter 399: The Seeds
For an ordinary mage—or perhaps anyone else in the world—instantaneously relocating the population of an entire city was a concept straight out of an absurd fantasy tale. The sheer logistics, the magical power required, and the immense volume of chaotic human panic would make it an impossible endeavor.
But for Ren, this was a perfectly viable strategy. It was a tangible goal he could actually accomplish with his current arsenal.
He only needed to use his Take Over magic to assume the form of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. By tapping into the immense, golden ocean of chakra provided by the Nine-Tails, he could effortlessly blanket the entire area with his spatial markers. From there, relocating a massive city's population would require nothing more than a momentary exertion of focus.
Since the Wood God Dragon's colossal body supported the populations of five distinct cities, it would simply mean executing the mass relocation technique five times. It would be exhausting, certainly, but far from impossible.
Once the innocent civilians were safely teleported far from the inevitable battlefield, he wouldn't have to worry about them getting caught in the catastrophic crossfire when he finally confronted the God Dragon. As for their homes, their businesses, and the towering architecture of the cities themselves? He couldn't afford to care about those.
When fighting a being supposedly equal to Acnologia, collateral property damage was the least of his concerns.
This reckless, scorched-earth battle plan was only possible because he was currently standing on the northern continent of Guiltina, far removed from his usual jurisdiction. It was someone else's turf entirely.
If he dared to pull a stunt like this back in Ishgar—completely leveling five populated cities—it would undeniably make international headlines for months. The Fairy Tail guild master would drown in an endless, suffocating sea of official complaints from the Magic Council.
Wait. Ren paused, blinking at the ceiling of his inn room. He was the First Seat of the Ten Wizard Saints and the highest-ranking authority of the Ishgar Magic Council.
There was no higher authority left to complain to him. He practically was the law, so political backlash was entirely a non-issue.
With the overarching combat preparation plan already firmly in place, all that remained was the crucial preliminary step. He needed to gather actual information on his target.
Over the years, he had almost completely forgotten the finer, intricate details of the original 100 Years Quest storyline. Even if he managed to remember fragmented bits and pieces of the canon events, his very presence in this timeline had likely altered things drastically, rendering his meta-knowledge highly unreliable.
Gathering information meant learning the exact truth behind the Wood God Dragon's current situation.
Had this colossal behemoth, much like Mercphobia the Water God Dragon, turned over a new leaf and become genuinely friendly toward humans? Or was he still a malevolent, destructive force of nature simply biding his time?
From a surface-level observation, the great beast seemed to be coexisting peacefully with humanity. He was quite literally allowing thousands of people to build sprawling, thriving cities directly upon his colossal back and massive limbs.
But Ren knew better than to trust a surface appearance. According to the dire warnings provided by Mercphobia back in Elmina, this particular God Dragon didn't seem to be the friendly, compassionate sort.
He still needed to investigate further before deciding on a lethal course of action. If he confirmed this massive creature was an evil, unrepentant threat, he would not hesitate to unleash his full power and take him down for good.
"What a monumental pain!"
Ren sighed heavily, rubbing the bridge of his nose in the dimly lit room. He hated these overly complex, morally ambiguous, and highly troublesome missions the most.
However, this was a legendary 100 Years Quest after all. With such unfathomable prestige and high rewards on the line, it was only natural for the parameters to be a bit convoluted and exhausting.
Having reasoned it all out in his head, Ren threw off his boots and lay down on the soft bed to sleep. The notoriously long and bumpy train journey across Guiltina had been physically and mentally draining enough; he desperately needed a good night's rest.
The heavy lifting and the detective work could easily be left for tomorrow's self to handle.
The next morning, Ren woke early, ate and drank his fill at a bustling local tavern, and spent a few hours casually wandering the sprawling streets of Drasil. By noon, his reconnaissance had yielded absolutely nothing of value.
Well, not exactly nothing. The locals were friendly enough, but their knowledge of the ground they walked on was strictly religious, not practical. To truly learn the deeper secrets of the Wood God Dragon, he realized he had to go directly to the source of their faith.
He needed to visit the grand church of the Wood God Dragon.
In the very center of each of the five towns, there was a massive, ornate church dedicated solely to the worship of the God Dragon. It was widely said that every single resident in the city devoutly believed in the deity beneath their feet, establishing these grand sanctuaries to honor his eternal slumber.
Although the church doctrines, the holy texts, and the morning hymns were all obviously written by ordinary human believers, there was no harm in taking a closer look. He might as well treat the visit as a bit of cultural sightseeing.
If he really couldn't find any useful information hidden in their texts or artifacts, he could always fall back on his most reliable, straightforward method. He would just take action directly—defeat the God Dragon in combat first, then use his magic to forcibly read his memories.
If the creature had truly reformed his ways like the Water God Dragon, he surely wouldn't hold a petty grudge against him for a minor misunderstanding. Right?
Soon enough, Ren arrived at the sprawling plaza housing the Wood God Dragon's central church. It was a breathtakingly tall, magnificent building carved almost entirely from ancient, polished wood, easily capable of accommodating thousands of worshippers at once.
When Ren silently pushed open the heavy double doors and entered, the vast interior was bathed in the soft, stained-glass light of the afternoon sun. Hundreds of devout believers were already gathered in the pews, their heads bowed low in deep, synchronized prayer.
At the very center of the altar, serving as the focal point of their worship, was a glowing crystal ball roughly the size of a man's fist. Hovering silently in the air directly above it was a massive, intricately cut polyhedral magic crystal that radiated a dense, ancient energy.
"A crystal ball?" Ren muttered under his breath, leaning against a wooden pillar near the entrance.
Was it some sort of advanced communication Lacrima used to speak with the other cities? It didn't seem to possess the standard runic circuitry for that. However, his heightened magical senses could undeniably feel a very special, deeply rooted power emanating from the sphere.
It felt tethered to the very earth beneath the floorboards. He figured he could easily sneak back in tonight and study it in detail when no one was around.
Just as Ren was formulating his midnight infiltration plan, a sudden, sharp presence interrupted his thoughts.
The heavy wooden doors of the church were forcefully kicked open, banging loudly against the stone walls. A lone figure strode brazenly into the sacred hall, her footsteps echoing with heavy, disrespectful thuds.
"So this is the famous church of the Wood God Dragon? Looks quite impressive, I'll give it that!"
Ren looked toward the source of the arrogant voice, his eyes narrowing as he took in the intruder's appearance. He couldn't help but be slightly taken aback.
It was actually an acquaintance. Standing in the doorway was the fiercely confident female member of the Diabolos dark guild—part of the Dragon Eater trio he had violently clashed with back in Elmina during the Mercphobia incident. He racked his brain for a second before her name clicked into place: Kiria.
"Who are you?! Why are you making such a brazen disturbance in this sacred hall?!"
The elderly priest in charge of the congregation immediately rushed forward, his face flushed with righteous indignation as he pointed an accusing finger at the intruder.
"A disturbance?" Kiria smirked, her sharp canines glinting in the stained-glass light. "Don't flatter yourself, old man. I'm not here to cause trouble with weaklings."
As she spoke, Kiria completely ignored the gasping crowd and strode purposefully down the center aisle, her eyes locked onto the glowing altar.
Then, under the horrified, watchful eyes of everyone present, Kiria stepped up to the pedestal and casually wrapped her fingers around the sacred crystal ball.
"You... what are you doing?! Unhand the holy relic at once!" the priest shrieked, his voice trembling with terror.
"Care to take a wild guess?" Kiria sneered, her eyes glowing with malicious amusement.
As her mocking words faded into the tense silence, Kiria tightened her grip.
Crack—!
The fist-sized crystal ball shattered directly in Kiria's hand, exploding into a shower of fine, glowing dust that drifted to the polished floor.
For a split second, there was absolute silence.
Boom————!
Without warning, the entire city suddenly shook with a violent, terrifying tremor. The massive wooden pillars of the church groaned in protest as the stained-glass windows rattled dangerously in their frames. It wasn't just a standard earthquake; it felt as though the very tectonic plates of the world were shifting in agony.
"Hehe, can the mighty Wood God Dragon actually feel fear too?" Kiria laughed loudly over the rumbling, entirely unfazed by the localized earthquake. "Don't worry, you overgrown lizard. Once we destroy all five magic crystals and completely weaken Aldoron, we'll devour your flesh beautifully."
After broadcasting her dark guild's morbid intentions, Kiria finally turned to face the large crowd of people gathered in the church.
She had fully expected them to be furious, screaming in panic, or charging at her in a blind, zealous rage. Instead, she was met with a deeply unsettling sight.
Every single person in the pews—men, women, children, and the screaming priest from moments ago—was now staring at her in absolute silence. Their eyes were eerily calm, devoid of any human emotion or survival instinct. The sheer, unnatural stillness of their collective gaze sent a sudden, unexpected shiver racing down the Dragon Eater's spine.
Shaking off the creeping unease, Kiria's eyes swept across the back of the hall. Suddenly, she spotted a very familiar face leaning casually against a far pillar.
"Huh? It's you!" Kiria barked, pointing a finger at him.
The person she saw was none other than Ren. If she had initially thought of him as just an ordinary, moderately strong passerby back in the water city, she had since learned from Skullion's grim warnings that this guy was an absolute monster. He was no simpleton.
"Uh... Hello. What a wild coincidence, running into you here again," Ren replied dryly, peeling himself off the pillar.
Seeing the bloodthirsty Dragon Eater directly address him in such a tense environment, Ren had no choice but to offer a polite, albeit sarcastic, return greeting.
"What the hell are you doing here on Guiltina?" Kiria demanded, her hand instinctively resting near the hilt of her sword.
"Me? I'm just... sightseeing. Enjoying the local architecture."
"Sightseeing?" Kiria scoffed, rolling her eyes at the blatant lie. "Then I highly advise you to leave this city quickly. My companions, Skullion and Madmole, have already gone to destroy the crystal balls located in the other four cities on this beast's back."
She crossed her arms, a vicious grin returning to her face. "When those final seals break, these cities might very well be completely annihilated in the fallout."
Ren tilted his head, his expression hardening. "Destroyed? Why go to such lengths to destroy them? What's the actual purpose of shattering these magic crystals?"
"What a stupid question," Kiria spat, shaking her head. "Obviously, it's to break the seals and weaken the Wood God Dragon, Aldoron! We're going to drag him out, kill him, and eat his flesh to gorge on his power!"
"And what about the innocent people living in these cities?" Ren asked, his voice dropping to a dangerously low, frigid tone.
Kiria waved her hand impatiently, entirely devoid of empathy. "They can do whatever they want. Die, run, scream—why should I care? You sure talk a lot for a supposed tourist. You don't have the luxury of time to worry about a bunch of weaklings; you'd better focus on saving your own skin."
Having delivered her warning, Kiria turned on her heel and strode out of the church, her mind already focused on the impending feast. She disappeared into the panicked streets outside, leaving the grand hall in a suffocating silence.
Ren let out a slow breath, stepping away from the pillar. He looked at the massive crowd of worshippers still standing motionless in the church.
"You all heard what that crazy woman said," Ren announced, projecting his voice clearly across the hall. "The physical foundations of this city are about to collapse. You should all evacuate and leave this city quickly. I can help transport you if—"
"There is nothing for us to worry about, young traveler," a soft voice interrupted.
An elderly woman with a deeply lined, very kind face stepped forward from the front row of the congregation. Despite the ground still faintly trembling beneath their feet, she smiled at Ren with an expression of pure, unwavering serenity. "We have all been eagerly waiting for this glorious day to finally come."
"What?!" Ren frowned, his magical senses flaring in alarm.
He had sensed an incredibly eerie, unnatural atmosphere among these people from the moment he walked in, but this completely confirmed his suspicions. After all, as devout, fanatical believers of the Wood God Dragon, their reaction to their most sacred relic being violently shattered was far too calm.
It completely lacked the normal emotional response, the panic, or the outrage that ordinary humans should fundamentally possess.
"We are a physical part of Lord Aldoron. We are fundamentally different beings from a human like you," the elderly woman explained gently, her smile never wavering as the rest of the congregation nodded in terrifying unison.
"Lord Aldoron spent a massive, unimaginable period of time recuperating his strength. To do so safely, he connected his very body to the five grand crystals, deliberately sealing away his own movements and consciousness. Then, we 'seeds' were born from his dormant flesh to populate his back. And right here, we shall happily welcome our deaths, ultimately returning to become a part of Lord Aldoron once more."
"'Seeds'?"
Hearing that specific, terrifying word drop from the old woman's smiling lips, Ren immediately felt a deep, twisting sense of existential discomfort settle in the pit of his stomach.
"Yes," the elderly woman whispered, her eyes glowing with a faint, unnatural green light. "We are simply the nutrients meant for Lord Aldoron's great recovery."
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