Ch.145Chapter 145 – Truth and Lies Are Separated by a Single Sheet of Paper

Near the roots of the World Tree, Telio, who had used the Ascension Stone, was feeling the new power that filled her body.

“Is this… magi?”

She instinctively realized that the identity of this new power was magi.

Magi (魔氣)!

It was a power found only in demons, demon folk, and ma-in.

The Demon God, who could be called the primordial demon, passed his energy to Eldran, the High Elf Grand Elder.

The magi given by the Demon God consumed Eldran, turning him into the Demon God’s faithful slave.

Consumed by magi, he became the first demon folk.

The first thing he did after becoming a demon folk was to seek out elves who shared similar thoughts.

More than 500 individuals accepted the magi he offered and transformed into demon folk.

After increasing the number of demon folk to a certain extent, Eldran led them away from the World Tree toward the abandoned lands.

Using the power of magi, combined with the authority received from the Demon God, he created a space underground in the abandoned lands where demon folk could live freely.

It was a land of no value to the elves who had no desire to venture beyond the lands of the World Tree.

This was also true for Telio, who was close to Shreka.

As a member of the elf clan, she took great pride in rising to become the closest aide to Shreka, the High Elf Grand Elder.

She believed that their mission to protect the World Tree was not given to any other race, which naturally led her to think that elves were superior to other races.

However, she occasionally ventured outside the lands of the World Tree with Shreka.

During those times, she had experiences that made her realize those outside the World Tree’s lands were not necessarily inferior races.

“Pleased to meet you, Guardians of the World Tree. I am Regina Blasteria, Grand Magician of the Gelebrio Empire.”

Regina Blasteria.

Meeting her came as a great shock to Telio.

‘Overwhelming mana capacity… and above all, the spirits are drawn to her.’

Seeing the spirits being drawn to Regina because of her overwhelming mana, Telio began to harbor deep doubts in her heart.

‘Are we elves truly absolutely superior to other races?’

This small droplet of doubt fell upon the lake of Telio’s firmly established beliefs, creating a small ripple.

But that ripple did not stop; it continued to amplify, stirring up Telio’s mind.

She trembled at Regina’s overwhelming prowess.

Magic power of a different dimension that could turn plains into mountains, flip the sky and earth, and return the wicked to nothingness with a single strike.

Witnessing this shattered Telio’s fixed notions, and she began to wander.

‘So elves aren’t greater than all other races? Then why are we bound to protecting the World Tree? Wasn’t it because we were superior that we were entrusted with guarding the World Tree?’

Shreka was aware that Telio’s fixed notions were breaking down.

Since she had experienced this herself in the past, she had a baseless confidence that Telio would overcome it well.

However, Shreka and Telio had grown up in different environments.

Unlike Shreka, who had learned about the outside world from previous High Elves as a member of the High Elves, Telio had received education that bordered on brainwashing about the greatness of elves.

For her, the superiority of elves was an absolute truth.

But after meeting Regina Blasteria, Telio’s world began to crumble.

And the one who extended a hand to her was…

“Poor little lamb, deceived by false truths. Take my hand. And realize the truth.”

It was Eldran.

In the eyes of Eldran, who had become the first demon folk, Telio was a lamb undergoing trials.

So he told Telio about the purpose of the World Tree and elves.

The World Tree exists for the circulation of mana in this world, and elves are merely slaves created to manage that World Tree.

“Then what should I do?”

“Accept the truth and resist the false truths. When the time comes, you too will ascend with us.”

For Telio, who had fallen into confusion, Eldran’s existence alone served as a great pillar of support.

She wanted to cast off the heavy yoke that bound her clan, just like Eldran had.

After that, Telio no longer thought that elves were greater than other races.

To her, elves were merely beings bound by the gods’ schemes, slaves to the World Tree who boasted of their golden chains.

Naturally, Shreka, seeing that Telio had come to her senses, trusted her, thinking she had stopped looking down on other races, just like herself.

If Shreka had been an elf who had lived for thousands of years, she might have noticed something off about Telio.

But unfortunately, she had been Grand Elder for less than 500 years.

In the end, her mistake due to lack of experience was no different from causing today’s situation.

All the energy released from the Ascension Stone was absorbed by Telio.

Then the Ascension Stone turned to dust and disappeared without leaving a trace.

After the Ascension Stone vanished, Telio opened her closed eyes.

“Now I have finally become a demon folk.”

Eyes like Eldran’s.

Telio’s eyes, like a red sun rising over a black sea, signified that she had become a demon folk.

Her golden hair, which had shone brilliantly in the sunlight, gradually dulled and began to change to an ashen silver.

This meant that the mana in her body had completely disappeared and been replaced by magi.

She had finally transformed into a complete demon folk.

“Hehehe, kyahahahahaha!”

Feeling the magi overflowing throughout her body, Telio began to emit strange laughter.

“Ah~ ecstasy~♡. So this is magi, I never knew such a pleasurable power existed. If I had known this earlier, I would have become a demon folk long ago…”

Telio’s face was flushed, intoxicated by the euphoria brought by the magi.

“I must quickly complete my mission and return to Lord Eldran. And then receive plenty of praise!”

Telio, now completely a demon folk, no longer held the elven belief in cherishing the World Tree.

She recalled her days managing the World Tree and drew up magi.

“Lord Eldran said that corrupting the World Tree is done the same way as managing it.”

Telio began to move her hands, filled with magi drawn as Eldran had taught her, gradually closer to the World Tree.

—Crackle!

Small sparks flew in all directions as Telio’s hands, surrounded by magi, collided with the barrier protecting the World Tree’s roots.

“Kyahng~♥. What’s this? There was still a barrier? But this much can’t stop my hands!”

Telio, whose manner of speech had completely changed, now resembled the succubus known only in legends.

“Hiyaap!”

Telio’s palms, drawing up even more magi than before, slowly charged toward the World Tree.

—Crash!

With a sound like breaking glass, the barrier protecting the World Tree’s roots shattered into pieces.

Originally, the barrier had enough strength to withstand Telio’s magi, but it had weakened as the World Tree’s roots gradually became corrupted.

Just as Telio’s palms were about to reach the World Tree after breaking the barrier—

[We’ve arrived!]

Terenum’s massive fist, carrying Shreka’s group, appeared beside Telio.

As Terenum’s fist struck Telio from the side as she was about to corrupt the World Tree’s roots, she flew far away like a person hit by a truck and tumbled on the ground.

“Kyaaaak!”

Telio, thrown far away, collided with the rock wall surrounding the World Tree’s roots.

—Boom!

The sound of her hitting the rock wall was like that of an artillery shell.

“Tch, who is it! Who dares to interfere with me!”

“Haah…”

Before Telio, who was shouting in anger, appeared the person she was looking for.

“Telio? Why are you here? Those eyes, could it be…?”

“Kyahaha, my goodness~ can this be? What brings you here, Lady Shreka?”

While Shreka was shocked at the sight of Telio transformed into a demon folk, Telio looked at Shreka and began to laugh mockingly.

“What happened? You weren’t originally like this!”

“Oh, Lady Shreka, you’re so clueless~? Well, that foolish look is charming too♥.”

All that came back to Shreka, who was questioning to find the truth, was mockery from Telio who had become a demon folk.