Game of the World Tree

A furious voice echoed through the air like a thunderclap that shook everyone to their core, sending shivers down their spines.

All the players who had entered the palace gate immediately froze upon hearing it, clearly startled by the sudden outburst.

Moments later, the sound of torches being lit one after another in quick succession echoed through the vicinity, as the deep darkness which fully encompassed the whole area was abruptly pierced by their blazing flames.

With their sight finally restored, the players found themselves standing before a massive structure.

What lay in front of them was an imposing palace, brightly lit and marked by rugged, sinister-looking architectural style.

Its edifice was covered in fierce stone carvings, and two rows of towering stone pillars lined up on either side, each reaching about 20 to 30 meters in height.

Each pillar stretched to the farthest reaches of the palace, leading to the highest part of the hall—a series of steps that ascended to a grand platform.

And atop this high platform stood an eye-striking black statue of a demon.

This particular statue stood over 20 meters tall, featuring a goat’s head over a humanoid body clad in imposing armor, which evoked the image of a sovereign king who dominated the world.

A player in the team rubbed their pointed ears, still buzzing from the thunderous voice, and looked curiously at the statue in the deepest part of the hall.

“Wait…? Doesn’t this statue look really similar to that Demon Lord that appeared near the end of the Underground War?”

“You’re right! It’s probably the main boss of this dungeon—Demon Lord Azazel!”

Ji Gang exclaimed energetically whilst brimming with excitement.

As if on cue, the statue began to transform.

Its original smooth black surface soon became marred with numerous blood-red streaks that glowed rather ominously.

Seconds passed and these crisscrossing crimson veins immediately began to spread across the entire figure, crackling as they burst into roaring flames.

Soon, the statue was completely engulfed in an infernal blaze and a chilling aura began to emanate from it.

Then, as its blackened surface gradually faded away, the once lifeless statue grew increasingly animated, with its form shifting as though it were awakening from a long slumber.

Amidst the players’ anxious, eager, excited, and tense gazes, the demonic statue finally opened its eyes.

—No.

At this moment, it was no longer just a mere statue.

By now, it had transformed into the Seventh Demon Lord, Azazel.

Seeing the dungeon boss finally awakening, Ji Gang’s expression grew stern as he raised his bow and shouted,

“That statue actually came to life! Everyone, get ready for battle!”

At their guildmaster’s command, everyone in the team swiftly unsheathed their respective weapons, each bracing themselves for the impending fight.

The hunters began to stealthily positioned themselves into advantageous positions, while the archers readied their bows.

Meanwhile, the druids and mages at the rear chanted spell after spell, casting buffs upon their teammates.

At the forefront, the tanks activated their skills one after another as they formed a defensive line at the front of the group.

Through countless battles they had fought beforehand, each member of the team by now had already honed their combat skills to a proficient degree and developed solid coordination habits.

And even though the raid team was much larger than how they usually operate, with more members than they were accustomed to coordinating, their synergy still remained intact.

At the same time, a new system notification appeared within every players’ field of view:

【❗ 】

【WARNING! WARNING!】

【The Seventh Demon Lord Azazel has awakened!】

【The Seventh Demon Lord Azazel has awakened!】

【Battle Quest: “Seal the Demon Lord” has begun!】

【Quest Description: Demon Lord Azazel has sensed the presence of the living in his territory and has awakened from his slumber…】

【To prevent him from breaking free of his seal and wreaking havoc upon the world of the living, you must defeat him and return him back to his prison!】

【Quest Objective: Defeat the Demon Lord Azazel!】

The players’ eyes lit up.

The formal dungeon quest had finally arrived!

Suddenly, as if responding to the system, the torches around the palace flared up even more intensely, casting flickering shadows throughout the grand hall.

At that moment, the towering figure of the Demon Lord appeared even more imposing amidst the glow of the ominous torchlight.

The players looked up at Azazel, the Demon Lord, who returned their gaze with an intensity that was almost palpable.

A gleam of cold light then flashed across the crimson eyes of the ferocious goat face, adding to the aura of malevolence that surrounded him.

At the same time, the players clearly saw a red health bar materialized right above Azazel’s head.

It was… his health bar!

At the same time, new background music suddenly blared in their ears.

The passionate and rhythmic music seemed to possess a strange power, making the players’ blood surge with excitement, as if they were about to step onto a battlefield and become heroes tasked with saving the world.

In an instant, each players within the Autobots raid team felt their adrenaline skyrocket like never before.

Their breathing grew heavier, and a faint red gleam appeared within their eyes.

At that moment, they felt like Popeye after eating a spinach, capable of crushing the entire world with ease.

Ji Gang gasped with excitement, his eyes fixed on the Demon Lord.

At this point, his heart was only filled with nothing but the burning desire for battle.

He aimed his bow at the Demon Lord, fired an arrow, and shouted at the top of his lungs:

“Brothers and sisters, Let’s go!”

“Kill him!”

“Let’s finish this!”

At his command, everyone in the team roared and charged toward the Demon Lord.

Is this lot what Yggdrasill sent to reinforce the seal?

Azazel’s heart burned with rage as he watched the pitiful ants charge at him.

Humiliation.

This was nothing short of blatant humiliation!

She actually only sent mere ten newly ascended silver-ranked elves, and fifteen rookies who hadn’t even reached silver-rank?

He, the mighty King of Hell, the Seventh Demon Lord, was being challenged by such pitiful trash?

Did she really think this was enough to defeat him?

Azazel let out a cold, mocking laugh.

He opened his mouth to shout curses at them, only to realize with shock that he could do nothing but growl and snarl.

To his bewilderment, he couldn’t get any of his words to come out, no matter how hard he tried to vocalize himself.

The seal!

His heart sank.

But at that very moment, a voice echoed through the hall—a voice all too familiar to Azazel.

The tone and cadence were very eerily identical to his own:

“Tremble! Prepare to die!”

The voice was lofty and grand, with an air of ancient arrogance.

But to Azazel, it was truly baffling.

Azazel: “???”

That… wasn’t me!

I didn’t said those words!

He opened his mouth yet again, only to recall a certain phrase left by that damned ancient god before departing:

“Three lines are all you need.”

Azazel: “…”

Yggdrasill!

It was definitely the work of that wretched bitch!

She had actually dared to toy with him like this!

Once he broke free from this prison, he would definitely show her no mercy!

Azazel trembled with rage, his entire body shaking.

He cast a vicious glare at the elves charging toward him, his expression dark and foreboding.

No matter what, those who dared to defy the wrath of divine beings like him would pay a heavy price!

With a furious roar, he summoned his flaming greatsword as he brought it down upon the players with devastating force.

The sheer intensity of the attack was almost palpable, and the players’ faces turned pale in the face of such overwhelming power.

Nevertheless, one of the tank at the front steeled his expression. He let out a long shout, activating both [Unyielding] and [Guard] skills.

Raising his sword high, he braced himself to block the incoming assault, determined to protect his teammates.

At the same time, the druids and mages at the back cast a flurry of protective spells, enveloping the tank in layers of magical shields.

Azazel’s flaming greatsword came crashing down, its fiery edge slamming into the warrior’s blade with a resounding clash.

The force of the impact reverberated through the battlefield, sending shockwaves through the air as the protective spells flickered and strained against the tremendous power of the demon lord’s weapon.

The tank coughed up blood and was instantly injured severely, as numerous cracks spread across the ground beneath his feet…

Yet, despite this, Azazel’s expression darkened even further.

It was only now that he realized his power had been restricted down to roughly that of an intermediate silver-rank.

Yggdrasill!

He roared in fury and frustration within his mind.

— 412 —

【 THE FURIOUS DEMON LORD 】

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