Re: Evolution Online



"What do you intend to do about the array?"

Instead of answering her, Liam's icy gaze pierced the woman, his eyes gleaming with a frigid determination. He halted, fixating on her with a chilling intensity. "Where did you disappear to?"

Once more, the draconic princess offered an awkward laugh. "Heh. I didn't anticipate that my absence would leave such an impression on you. Otherwise, I wouldn't have gone."

"You haven't answered my question," Liam stated, his tone devoid of warmth.

"Sigh. Alright, alright. Hold your horses. Don't jump to conclusions just yet. I wasn't out gallivanting. I was actually doing you a favor," her demeanor shifted, growing serious. "I was also investigating the demonic array."

Liam sneered, his voice nonchalant but the air around him growing colder. "Investigating, were you? So tell me, how can I dismantle the array?"

The draconic princess swallowed, her voice strained. "Destroying the array won't be easy, Liam."

"Are you certain?" Liam replied, his composure undisturbed, yet the temperature plummeted even further.

"It's a complex array that spans the entire world. Only someone deeply knowledgeable about this specific array could assist us."

"And a structure of this magnitude likely has numerous backup nodes. So even if I were to expend my energy demolishing a few, there's no guarantee that the entire array would become ineffective."

"What do you propose, then?" Liam asked, maintaining his calm demeanor.

The draconic princess appeared startled, caught off guard by his response. She opened her mouth to explain, but Liam spoke before she could utter a word.

"Perhaps I should do nothing. Maybe I should allow it to occur. If this world were completely consumed by nether, wouldn't everything be easier?"

"What are you suggesting?" she inquired, her confusion evident.

"No. Everything would undoubtedly be simpler. Imagine if I relinquished the mana core and willingly let nether consume me entirely. I wonder, would I become an undead?"

Liam approached the woman, his voice steady. "I am uncertain of the outcome for myself, but surely you know what would happen to my family and friends."

Once again drawing nearer, he continued, "But that doesn't matter, does it? Because if this entire world succumbs to nether and all its inhabitants become undead, my power would skyrocket."

"Liam, I..." the draconian princess attempted to interject.

"I would lose everything, but it would be worth it. My sole purpose in this accursed existence would then be vengeance. I would bring down your enemy, regardless of the cost. What else do I have to lose? I would have already lost everything, right?"

"I'm afraid I..." she struggled to reply.

Liam sneered. "Princess, there's no need for formalities any longer. Just admit it, why don't you? To settle your affairs with the divine temple, you intended to sacrifice me. You wanted to use me as your weapon."

"Why should you care about my fate or the fate of my family? All you require from me is that one thing. Perhaps I might even gain enough strength to assist you in reclaiming your kingdom or whatever it is you need from your people."

Liam chuckled. "I've always pondered what caused your family to abandon you. The divine temple is formidable, but shouldn't dragons be even more powerful? I sensed something amiss. Now I understand."

"That's enough!" the draconian princess retorted, her patience waning. Liam's words had struck a nerve, and she no longer wished to hear them. "You know nothing about me. I suggest you halt before crossing a line."

"Cross a line? You must be joking!" Liam seized the woman's throat, his grip tightening. "I am on the verge of losing everything. There's no line I wouldn't cross."

An overwhelming force suddenly propelled Liam backward, pushing him several feet away. The draconian princess, however, appeared unfazed by his actions.

"I lack my former strength at present. I couldn't detect the array in time," she gritted her teeth and muttered. "Otherwise, I wouldn't be here seeking your aid."

"Very well. I will trust you. Just answer me this: what about the world tree? You mentioned that planting the world tree would stabilize the earth's mana and create a potent barrier around the world. Could it halt this array as well?"

Once again, the draconian princess froze, aware that this was not a simple question. This was the defiant human's final chance.

She couldn't fault him for reacting this way. What he said held some truth. The thought had crossed her mind. If she did nothing at all, then things would go her way even then.

But she had still made an effort. Not because of her pure intentions but because she knew this human would eventually unravel the truth.

After all, she had already discovered his SSS affinity with nether. However, she hadn't expected him to deduce the extent of the array. Within the given timeframe, it shouldn't have been possible, especially for someone unfamiliar with arrays.

Could he sense the entire array, perhaps? No, that shouldn't be possible. For that to happen, his affinity would need to surpass the SSS grade. It simply didn't make sense.

The draconic princess mustered a wistful smile, releasing a sigh as she slowly shook her head. She would have loved to explain everything to him, but it wouldn't help.

"It's too late," she uttered, her voice measured. "Believe me or not, it's my belief that this array was set up when the invasion began. It's likely a... how should I explain it... a prearranged array of sorts."

"What?"

"The high priestess of the divine temple alone shouldn't possess the power to execute something like this. Most likely, the vampire you mentioned before was involved once again."

"If a powerful clan lord desired it, they could have contacted one of the nether realms under their control and orchestrated this."

"The cost of such an endeavor is not trivial. They would have made significant sacrifices. What I don't understand is why the vampire would go to such lengths."

Liam interrupted her. "There's no use discussing this now."

The woman nodded. "Indeed. But talking is all we can do. The array is already in motion. Everything is irreversible. Perhaps, if we had the world tree, there might be a slim chance of delaying it, but that's all."

Liam's expression shifted immediately. Even if they couldn't halt it entirely, delaying the array might grant him time to take action. It was a preferable alternative to utter annihilation.

Yet, in the next moment, the draconic princess shook her head once more. "I'm afraid even that is not possible. I've done my best, but I am unable to sense any trace of the world tree seed."

"It's too late now. This world has only a few months remaining before it becomes completely attuned to nether. Perhaps you can beseech the fairy to open a teleportation portal to one of the lower realms, allowing people to evacuate safely. Currently, that is your sole glimmer of hope."