This dungeon has mushrooms growing on it.

Chapter 375, Section 374: Another Divine Artifact Appears
King Auril and Iros arrived at the ancient ornamental tree in the center of the royal court, and he gently placed his palm on the trunk.

As the deep chanting began, the tree trunk started to emit a soft green light.

In Ilos's eyes, Auriel's seemingly simple operation actually unlocked many protective barriers here, a privilege that only the Elf King possessed.

As the Elf King moved, the entire ancient tree cracked open and then came to life!

Only then can you see that this is not a tree, but a disguise made of countless living vines intertwined with each other.

The vines, like a group of snakes awakening, made a soft rustling sound as they slowly parted to the sides, revealing their core.

At the heart of the intertwined roots, a wooden staff rests silently in the soil; it is the very artifact Iros mentioned—the Living Wood Core.

A divine artifact that is inextricably linked to the sacred tree.

Its staff is woven from the branches of a sacred tree. These living woods retain a light golden-brown color and are warm to the touch. The surface of the staff naturally shimmers with a faint light, as if it were breathing, making it seem like the most perfect creation in the world.

However, on this near-perfect creation, there is a shocking flaw.

Near the top of the staff, where the most lush branches should be, the most crucial main branch is missing, leaving a cut-off surface that looks as if it had been forcibly removed.

Although the fracture has healed smoothly, no new shoots have grown; only a dull, withered color remains, like an indelible scar on a beautiful woman's face.

Whenever the light flowing across the staff passes this spot, it pauses slightly, as if the entire artifact is lamenting the absence of this part.

Despite acquiring the artifact, Auriel felt no excitement whatsoever at the prospect of using its power.

There is a reason why the core of the living wood is sealed here. The incompleteness of the artifact has brought huge side effects. When it is used, the user's life will be lost in large quantities through the broken part.

Simply put, this is a weapon that costs you your life, and it requires the skill of a master; if you're not strong enough, you can't even fully activate it.

If it weren't for this fatal flaw, wouldn't Auriel also want to be like the vampire emperor, letting the glory of the artifact shine on the royal city day and night?

Instead of having to be prepared to sacrifice every time it's used, as it is now.

As his fingertips traced the winding wood grain, Aurel felt a deep sense of regret.

That was a mistake they made, blinded by ambition, that led to the destruction of the artifact and nearly wiped out an entire generation of elves, leaving them only able to survive with a few old guys.

Iros approached Auril: "Your Majesty, let me use it."

Aurel simply patted the old minister on the shoulder: "No, this is my duty, and the consequence I must bear."

A hint of emotion flickered in Iros's eyes, and he suddenly said, "Your Majesty, the demons have now extended their reach to the sacred tree. We must retaliate in kind."

Auril nodded: "Let's lift the restrictions on human aid later."

However, Iros was not satisfied with this: "If I may be so bold, this... is too weak."

“I understand, Ilos,” Auril sighed. “But now, the elves have finally survived their weakest period, and talented young elves are beginning to emerge. We should not let their lives be lost in the endless conflicts of the continent.”

"In these three hundred years, it's not just the elves who have weakened; we also need to venture out..."

Iros tried to persuade him further, but the Elf King had already made his decision and remained unmoved.

Seeing this, he could only shut his mouth, and the emotion in his eyes quickly melted away, turning into calm.

……

The City in the Trees.

With the arrival of the royal guards and the timely return of the forest rangers who were previously out on the move, a large number of elven civilians were rescued in an organized manner and escorted in batches to the outskirts of the royal city for temporary resettlement. The animated giant trees caused considerable casualties, but ultimately, due to the distance, the animation was not complete enough, and even a weakling like Riel could withstand it for a while.

Some civilians could hold out for a long time by gathering together, and there were also many wandering knights and mages in the city. In the end, the casualties were within a range that was heartbreaking but still acceptable.

However, the current security is only temporary.

The giant trees are now visibly revitalizing, and if left unchecked, they could become the source of the elves' defenses against the forest's attacks, with the royal city as their only refuge.

The likely outcome is that the nearby giant trees will be completely destroyed, leaving the elves standing dumbfounded in a desolate, treeless wasteland.

Not to mention that the Elven Rangers are still trapped in the dungeon, and the Captain of the Guard, Eko, is imprisoned in another dimension, his fate unknown.

For various reasons, the Elf King quickly took out the artifact after Iros proposed using it—he didn't have much time to hesitate.

The guards escorted the Elf King and the Chief Mage through Ishildorin, heading towards the dungeon.

As he passed an open space, Iros paused slightly and glanced down at his feet.

He sensed that there was a young sprite below, and several monsters were present around the sprite.

Were they dragged into the cave by monsters in the chaos?

There is still a chance to rescue the little elf.

However... the little fairy is located too deep, and it will take a lot of time to rescue her.

Now, by arriving at the dungeon sooner and allowing Auriel to use the artifact to complete his plan, we can preserve more valuable elven rangers.

With just a pause, Iros made his decision; he didn't stop, but silently continued forward.

What follows is just one of the costs.

……

Underground, Riel opened his eyes wide, staring at everything before him!
The small underground cave, which was specially dug out, was full of colorful mushrooms that emitted a fluorescent glow.

Beside Riel, the Puji sat close to her.

The hole was dug only a day ago, so the space is not large.

Thanks to Riel's small size, he could squeeze into any hole that Puji could fit through, with Puji's help.

Moving from the ground to the underground was unavoidable. Those giant trees were becoming increasingly active and it was estimated that they would start moving soon. The safest way was naturally to burrow deep underground, to a place where the giant trees couldn't reach.

Riel wasn't scared at all. Instead, he acted like he was being invited to a friend's house, touching the little mushroom next to him and looking up at the beautiful fluorescent mushrooms around him, exclaiming "Wow!"

It's great that Lin Jun doesn't have to worry about her; Lin Jun's attention is now entirely focused on the Elf King Auriel!

Or rather, on top of the almost complete divine artifact in Aurel's hands!
[Artifact: Yesheng Wood Core (Remnant)]

Lin Jun had seen another part of this divine artifact!

I know roughly where it is!

In other words... in other words!
If I could get my hands on it, there'd be a very good chance I could create a complete divine artifact!
Don't be greedy...don't be greedy...don't...just a little bit?

(End of this chapter)