Harry Potter: Archmage of Another World

"For the Treant Clan, such a perfect place to settle is truly rare. More importantly, the true significance of this location lies in the fact that the dense natural elements and the essence of the sun and moon here could nurture a genuine World Tree. Even if the probability is one in ten thousand, for the future of the Treant Clan, we were willing to risk migrating our entire race." As he spoke, the Treant seemed to recall his homeland, and he sighed deeply.

"The World Tree?" Harry asked with some confusion as he looked at the Treant. "It sounds pretty powerful just by its name."

"Hm? You don't know what the World Tree signifies?" The Treant looked at the three of them with doubt, clearly puzzled that they didn't understand such a concept.

"Uh," Hermione cleared her throat slightly and subtly tugged on Harry's sleeve before turning to the Treant and explaining, "When we were very young, we were taken in as apprentices by our teacher. We've been training in our master's wizard tower ever since, so we don't know much about the outside world. We are indeed unfamiliar with the World Tree."

"Oh," the Treant nodded in sudden understanding, but then his expression turned to surprise. "Wait a moment—wizard tower? Are you saying that your teacher is a mage who possesses a wizard tower?" The Treant's eyes gleamed with a hint of shock and anticipation as he hurriedly asked in a low voice.

Hermione's gaze flickered slightly, but she smiled and said, "Of course. We used to live in our teacher's wizard tower. Our master would take us on journeys from time to time, and we're only here because of a task assigned to us by our teacher."

The Treant seemed deeply excited at the mention of their master, so much so that a restrained joy appeared on his aged face. "Forgive me for asking, but can you contact your teacher?"

Ron snorted coldly, "What a stupid question."

This time, the Treant didn't ignore Ron. Instead, he responded apologetically, "My dear human friends, please forgive me. This concerns the survival of my entire race. My repeated questions are not meant to offend you."

Ron wasn't an unreasonable person. Seeing the Treant apologize so sincerely, he waved his hand dismissively. "We're not that petty, but you should explain what's actually going on in this place first."

The Treant nodded, now seeming more assured, and continued, "When we first migrated to this valley, the initial decade was peaceful. The rich natural elements allowed for the birth of many new kin. For us, every new Treant born is a rarity and a blessing. Many elder Treants also evolved further into roles such as War Trees or Wisdom Trees, advanced forms of our kind. As for me, due to my natural gift, I became the Tree of Life. For the Treant Clan, the emergence of a Tree of Life signifies the possibility of nurturing a World Tree—a symbol of hope for our race to establish a firm foothold in this world."

The Treant's voice grew somber. "However, we overlooked one thing. The Tree of Life is not only the source for a World Tree but also a natural spring of life force sought after by many races. To predators, a Tree of Life represents millennia of vitality and limitless spiritual energy for cultivation."

"War broke out. This valley became a battleground for humans and orcs. At first, only neighboring human kingdoms and orcish tribes fought to seize the valley. But once the news spread, the troll clans, the undead, and even the dark elves joined the conflict. This narrow valley turned into a bloody meat grinder. Countless lives were lost to the war." The Treant spoke mechanically, his voice devoid of emotion.

"In order to protect me—the Tree of Life—and the hope for the World Tree, countless elder Treants sacrificed themselves, willingly becoming trophies of war. Treant after Treant threw themselves into the battlefield, all for the survival of our kind, all for hope." Ksus' voice cracked slightly, his aged face betraying an indescribable sorrow.

"Hope. The World Tree is our race's hope. For this, my kin stepped into the jaws of death without hesitation. They stood bravely on the front lines of war, sacrificing everything. Yet I—the Tree of Life, the so-called leader of the Treants—could do nothing. I didn't dare act. I could only watch as they fell one by one before me, shielding me with their bodies, extending my survival with their lives. I was a leader hiding behind my kin. A coward, really. But I am the hope. I am the Tree of Life, the only chance for the World Tree's birth—the last hope of the Treant Clan." As he spoke, a tear, a single drop of green, slid silently down the Treant's bark-like face.

"The sacrifices of my kin slowed the progress of the other factions. The dark races—undead, dark elves, trolls, and orcs—began uniting against the humans to prevent further chaos. The battlefield shifted; the dark races began to gain the upper hand, and human armies were decimated. Eventually, nine out of every ten human soldiers were slain."

"With the human armies defeated, my Treant Clan became the next target for annihilation."

"To the dark races, the Tree of Life was meant for a sacrificial offering. The four dark races, who worshipped the Abyssal God, planned to offer the Tree of Life to their evil deity in exchange for immense blessings. However, the troll clan, greedy for power, turned against their allies. On the night they repelled the human forces, they channeled the life force of their entire tribe to summon an Abyssal Demon."

Ksus let out a long sigh. "The summoned demon—a fragment of Agares, one of the seventy-two pillars of Solomon—discovered the Tree of Life. Through a blood sacrifice, it eradicated all life in the valley except for the troll clan. Then, it cast a sealing barrier, enabling the will of the Abyssal God Mammon to descend. From that moment on, this place became the domain of Mammon, god of the trolls' abyssal faith."

"Under Mammon's control, all life within this valley—my people included—has been forced to channel its life force through a magic formation into the Abyss. Occasionally, demons lure humans here as sacrifices for the Abyssal God."

"This… is the truth of it all," the Treant finished, his voice heavy with sorrow.

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