***

The next day.

Telmarian Tribe Village.

Slowly, Ethan opened his eyes and saw himself lying weakly in a wooden room, with a simple architecture that looked like a traditional house.

When he tried to get up, pain shot through several joints in his body. Ethan winced a little, feeling more sore than in pain.

Where am I?

That was the first thing that crossed his mind when he realized he wasn't in the village, but instead in a house with traditional architecture.

Compared to the design of the Blood-Cursed Tribe's village, Ethan found it somewhat similar. That led him to another thought.

Could the Blood-Cursed Tribe have saved me?

Impossible. Their aggressive attitude toward outsiders means they wouldn't have saved me just like that, especially since Risa isn't here.

Ethan tried to sit up on the bed, leaning his back against the wall. He was still wearing the same clothes as yesterday, his wounds had been healed, and even the scars were gone.

What actually happened?

[Congratulations, you have obtained loot:]

[+35,000 EXP || +25,000 Gold || +20,000 Contribution Points || +100 Moon Fragments || 1x Earth Element Spirit Crystal (Legendary)]

[Congratulations, you have leveled up]

[Name: EthanArk]

[Level 63 → Level 64]

[EXP: 267573/281550] [AP: 60] [+30]

With the addition of 35,000 EXP, Ethan had leveled up from 63 to 64. He remembered defeating Varnash, the Banyan Monster, but its self-destruction effect had left him severely wounded.

Until now, he still didn't know who had saved him.

While Ethan was thinking about who might have rescued him, the door suddenly opened. A woman with dark green hair and small deer-like horns walked in, carrying a tray of food and drink for Ethan.

"You're awake," the woman said.

"Who are you?" Ethan asked.

The woman smiled, stepped closer to the nightstand beside the bed, and placed the tray on top of it.

She smiled again and sat beside the bed, looking at Ethan with her wide round eyes. Ethan grew even more confused.

"Thank you for defeating the Eternal Tree Monster," said the woman.

"You mean Varnash, the banyan monster?" Ethan asked. The woman cleared her throat and nodded. It had been a long time since she'd heard that name.

Ethan remained silent, still trying to understand what was going on. The woman who brought the tray was Elara — the one who had fought desperately last night to heal him.

Seeing Ethan safe and sound allowed Elara to breathe in relief. At least, the Telmarian Tribe's problem hadn't taken an outsider's life.

"Where am I? Who are you? Why do you have deer horns? Why is your hair green?" Ethan asked.

"Hmm, it seems there are many things I have to tell you."

"All right. I'll tell you slowly, and I hope you'll listen," Elara replied.

They started with Elara introducing herself. She also told him that she was the one who had healed him — with help from her friends, of course.

Elara then explained the cause of the monster's appearance, the Telmarian Tribe, and the tribe's gratitude toward him.

"That monster appeared because of the use of forbidden nature magic. The power of that magic was so strong and uncontrollable that it manifested destruction itself," said Elara.

"Over time, its form changed according to its surroundings until it reached its final evolution — the banyan tree monster," Elara explained.

She didn't just talk about the monster. Elara also explained about the Telmarian Tribe — a tribe that guarded the balance of nature and worshiped the Goddess of Nature, Thalmera.

Ethan was startled when he heard the name Goddess of Nature Thalmera. The game administrator had once explained that there were three main goddesses players had to defeat. He had only known one so far — Seraphelis.

Now he had learned the second: Thalmera. But he never expected that the goddesses players must defeat to escape the game were the Goddess of the Sun or Light and the Goddess of Nature.

This is hard. Really hard.

Even so, Ethan believed there were players capable of handling it. But since his life was tied to the game's existence, he would do everything he could to prevent its destruction.

He wouldn't side with the players. Instead, he would side with the goddesses to keep the game alive — because his soul had already become one with it.

If the game ended, his life would end too.

After talking with Elara about the tree monster, the Telmarian Tribe, and everything else, Elara invited Ethan to leave the house.

She told him that someone wanted to meet him to personally thank him.

"I can, but my body still feels sore. I guess the wounds haven't fully healed," Ethan said.

"Don't worry, I'll support you," said Elara. Ethan nodded.

He put his arm around Elara's shoulder, then they walked out of the room and down the main path of the Telmarian village.

People began to notice Ethan. News about the man who had killed the tree monster had already spread among the villagers. They were curious about how he did it.

"He's the one who killed the tree monster, right?"

"Seems like it, but he doesn't look that strong."

"Strength doesn't show in muscles, but in a person's heart and determination."

Everyone whispered and talked about Ethan, but he didn't care. He just kept walking slowly, supported by Elara.

Eventually, they arrived at the wide square of the village, where many people were gathered.

"Elara has brought the outsider here. I ask the Chief and the Elders to come and meet him," Elara said firmly.

Slowly, five men came out from a large house — all of them elders. The one in the middle was the village chief, known as Chief Malron.

"Our respects to Chief Malron," everyone said, kneeling and bowing their heads.

Ethan still had trouble standing and leaned on Elara's shoulder to keep his balance. He lifted his head and looked forward as Chief Malron stepped onto the wooden stage in the middle of the square.

"Outsider, you have done a great deed by defeating the tree monster that threatened our village for hundreds of years. You've brought hope to us," said Malron.

"As a token of gratitude from the Telmarian Tribe, you may ask for anything you wish. We will do our best to grant it."

Ethan fell silent. He didn't know what to ask for — he had never intended to fight that monster in the first place.

He only fought because he had been caught in a deadly situation. If he hadn't fought, he would have died.

"Nothing," Ethan said.

"Nothing?" Malron asked in surprise.

"Just let me rest here until I recover. That's all I want," Ethan replied.

"HAHAHA!"

"That's interesting."

"Truly interesting."

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