The humans and lizardmen entered the Elven Forest together. The forest was so vast that they traveled for several hours before the elven settlement finally came into view, with enormous trees stretching high above them and dense vegetation covering the land in every direction.
Waiting at the edge of the settlement were four individuals, with a large gathering of elves and druids standing behind them. Their arrival had clearly been expected.
"You must be the additional forces our great ancestor spoke of."
The speaker was an elderly druid who stood at the front of the group.
"You have met our ancestor as well?" Siar’s eyes lit up with recognition.
The druid nodded before turning toward the people beside him.
"Then allow us to introduce ourselves. I am Markus, the current leader of the Druids."
He pointed toward the young druid standing beside him. "And this is Adin, the Beholder. Our great ancestor Moleius entrusted him with a powerful divine weapon."
Another figure stepped forward, this time an elf dressed in the traditional attire of the settlement.
"I am Erid, the current leader of the Elves. Our great ancestor Olium has also entrusted me with a divine artifact."
His expression softened as he looked over the forces that had arrived.
"After hearing the revelation about the creature approaching our land, I was beginning to wonder whether our people had any chance of surviving. The fishmens later confirmed the same threat, and the more we learned about that creature, the more hopeless the situation seemed."
Erid lowered his head slightly before looking back toward the assembled warriors.
"But now that all of you have come, I no longer have to face that fear alone. You knew what was waiting for us and still chose to come here, so on behalf of the elves, I sincerely thank you."
Cull raised his head, his expression firm.
"Do not thank us yet, brother elf. This threat does not concern the elves alone. Your settlement is close to ours, and we will not simply stand by while something capable of destroying your people approaches."
Siar nodded in agreement. "We were given a divine order to protect the elves and druids as well. Whatever happens tomorrow, we will face it together."
Siar suddenly glanced toward the humans standing behind him.
"I almost forgot. We should introduce everyone."
He proceeded to introduce himself and Cull before presenting the five humans. Mizyuk, Vax, Trias, Gajia, and Retian were introduced one after another, followed by the armies that they brought alongside then, The Riversians and Forestians.
The elves and druids could not help but breathe a collective sigh of relief. To think that individuals whose names had become famous across their lands had come all the way to the Elven Forest to help them was enough to ease the tension that had weighed heavily upon their shoulders.
Once the introductions were complete, the elves and druids led them deeper into the settlement.
The sight immediately caught the attention of the newcomers.
The elven settlement seemed to have grown together with the forest itself. Massive roots had been shaped into walls, while enormous trees had been hollowed from within to create homes and gathering halls. Some of the structures looked so old that it was difficult to tell where the forest ended and the settlement began, as though the buildings had existed long before the surrounding trees.
Even Cull, despite his notoriously high opinion of his own settlement, could not deny that the Elven settlement was larger and more impressive than his own.
Their settlement is actually better than ours.
He immediately pushed the thought aside.
The armies were eventually given places to rest after their long journey, while the leaders gathered inside one of the larger buildings to discuss the coming battle.
Erid looked around the room. "Five powerful humans, two divine lizardmen and their armies, a strong Fishman army, our entire Elven and Druid forces, and the divine weapons entrusted to Adin and me."
He looked toward the others.
"Do you think this will be enough?"
The room fell silent.
Markus eventually spoke. "The Fishmen told us that several enormous sea turtles were destroyed while the creature was making its way toward this land. According to their accounts, it possesses a breath similar to that of a dragon, except its power is great enough to melt even mountains."
The expressions around the room immediately hardened.
The sheer scale of the creature’s power was difficult to comprehend. They had gathered forces from several races, powerful warriors, and even divine weapons, yet the enemy they were preparing to face could apparently destroy mountains with a single attack.
"And that creature will arrive tomorrow." Retian’s quiet voice brought everyone’s attention toward him.
Erid lowered his gaze. "Adin and I were given powerful weapons, but we have only possessed them for a short time. We still do not fully understand their capabilities, and against something like this, that uncertainty could cost us everything."
He clenched his hand. "If only I possessed the strength of the elven leaders who came before me."
Retian looked around the room before speaking. "None of us knows whether what we have is enough."
Erid raised his eyes toward him.
"But we’ve already gathered everyone capable of fighting. The elves, druids, lizardmen, Fishmen, and humans are all standing here for the same reason."
Retian’s expression hardened. "We can worry about whether it is enough after the battle. For now, we should focus on making sure that everything we have is used to its fullest."
With Retian’s encouraging words settling over the room, the leaders began working together to formulate a plan. There could be no margin for error, because a single mistake could cost them the battle and leave their settlements exposed to eventual destruction. It was a strategy born from the combined efforts of multiple races, each contributing their strengths toward a single objective: defending their land and ensuring that their people survived the coming catastrophe.
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