In the heart of the settlement, three Wood Elves—Aerin, Xylia, and Freyla—were already waiting with a small squad, having received word of his arrival.

"My lord!"

"Greetings, my lord!"

Led by Aerin, the Wood Elves dropped to one knee in a formal salute.

Orion raised his right hand, a simple gesture that brought them back to their feet. "At ease," he said. "I'd like to introduce you all. This is Lady Isilra, a Moon Elf from Staghelm City to the south. She believes Staghelm and the Forest of Nature have been allies for generations, and she's here to help you find the Tree of Life."

The announcement sent a ripple of shock through the elves, which quickly erupted into excited, hopeful whispers.

"This is Aerin, the current lord of the Wood Elf race," Orion said to Isilra, indicating each in turn as the elves murmured amongst themselves. "This is Xylia, their Arch Elder. And this is Freyla, their prophet."

Lord, Elder, Prophet. A triumvirate, it occurred to him. A separation of powers. It was a change they had implemented after he marched south to invade the Black Tower, a restructuring of their old system that he had subtly encouraged. It was exactly what he wanted to see.

Aerin might be a Survivor, but she was also lazy and not exactly a go-getter. Checking her power not only protected his own interests but also gave the Wood Elves a better chance at a swift recovery.

After a moment, Aerin, the first to compose herself, stepped forward. She spoke for all the elves behind her, asking the one question that mattered most. "Lady Isilra, can you truly help us bring back the Tree of Life?"

"If it has merely chosen to seal itself away, then yes, I believe I can," the Moon Elf confirmed, her smile warm and genuine. Facing the Wood Elves, Isilra's demeanor naturally softened. In a way, they were her kin, just a different branch of the same family tree. They were all children of this world.

"That's… that's wonderful!" Aerin cheered, and the elves behind her echoed her joy. The Tree of Life was an arch lord-level power. Its return would mean the Wood Elf race could finally, truly begin to rise again. Without it, their slow recovery would take a century or more before their population even began to bounce back.

"Lady Isilra, on behalf of the Wood Elf race, I welcome you. Thank you, and Staghelm City, for this aid."

Isilra smiled and nodded, genuinely happy to see that some of the Wood Elves had survived the demonic invasion.

Aerin, proving she was more than just a figurehead, quickly focused on the critical details. "Lady Isilra, what do you need from us? How can we assist you?"

"It's quite simple, actually."

As she spoke, the moonstones mark on her forehead flared with light. In an instant, the forest's bright day was pulled into a deep, star-filled twilight. Countless beams of moonlight pierced the canopy, bathing the entire Forest of Nature in a soft, ethereal glow.

Then, Isilra produced a vial of moonwater, a gift from the Moonwell demigod before she'd set out. The liquid instantly evaporated, rising into the air as a fine, silvery mist. A light drizzle began to fall, nourishing every plant, flower, and tree it touched.

Watching from the side as Isilra commanded the moonlight and the rain, Orion understood her strategy. The immense infusion of moonlight and moonwater was creating a massive surge of life force. That vitality, in turn, was revitalizing the entire ecosystem—the perfect catalyst to awaken the Tree of Life.

Damn, she's good, he thought, impressed by the dreamlike spectacle.

For a split second, he seriously considered just kidnapping her and taking her back with him. A beauty like that wasn't just for show; she could cultivate countless magical plants for the Stoneheart Horde, indirectly churning out an army of mages.

But the thought was fleeting. Isilra's power was no joke. The rank of arch lord peak meant she wasn't someone he could just snatch. And even if he succeeded, no one in the Stoneheart Horde could keep her in check. He'd end up being the one on a leash.

That day, a gentle rain fell across the Forest of Nature under a sky of endless moonlight. The overwhelming wave of vitality surged through the earth, nourishing the plants, the trees, and every animal that had survived the demonic onslaught. Under the rain and moonlight, the forest was reborn.

As one of his territories, Orion felt the change on a level even deeper than the Wood Elves did. He could feel a massive influx of faith flowing from the Forest of Nature, pouring into his very being. This land, once brutalized by demonic monsters, was alive again.

An unknown amount of time passed before the rain subsided and the moonlight receded. A brilliant rainbow stretched across the sky, spanning the entire forest. The world was alive with vibrant color, new buds sprouting on branches, and the sound of burbling streams mingling with what sounded like a faint, joyful song carried on the wind.

Just then, the ground began to tremble.

A deep, rumbling sound echoed from below as an even more immense life force—ancient and powerful—surged from beneath the earth. Strangely, though the ground shook, none of the Wood Elves panicked. The small animals in the surrounding area remained undisturbed.

"It's the Tree of Life! I can feel its presence!"

"Me too!"

"It's… it's really him!"

"This is amazing!"

Amid the joyous cries of the elves, the tremors intensified. Suddenly, not far from where Isilra stood, the soil erupted as if thrown aside by a giant hand. A colossal tree, crown first, burst from the earth, growing at an impossible speed.

A voice rolled forth like thunder, deep and ancient. "I feel the moonwater upon the forest… Gima, is that you?"

"And the moonlight… Isilra, have you come as well?"

"It is I, Isilra!" she called out immediately, drawing the Tree of Life's attention.

The canopy of the great tree rustled, its branches shifting to reveal a massive, sturdy trunk. The bark in the center rippled and peeled back, forming a colossal face with only eyes and a mouth.

"Tree of Life, it is a relief to see you awakened," Isilra said, her voice filled with a mixture of joy and reverence. The Tree of Life and the Moonwell were wonders from the same era. She, who considered Moonwell her mother, naturally viewed the Tree as a venerated elder.

"Where is Gima?" the Tree rumbled. "She did not come?"

Having just awakened, its roots had not yet taken hold deep within the earth, unable to reach out and form its unique connection with the Moonwell. And it could not sense the presence of the Moonwell demigod anywhere in the forest.

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