The Amber Sword

Nordas had a dream. He was surrounded by waves of undead in the endless Wilderness. The skeletons were dark yellow in color, with fiery eyes burning in their sockets, charging straight at him from the darkness.

His allies fell one by one, his camp struck full of arrows, and there were corpses everywhere when he looked around. Aouine’s battle flag was split in the middle as though it was bowed in defeat, not even moving a little.

Heaven and Earth seemed to swallow him whole till the last moment—

And he woke up from his dream. He yelled loudly and sat upright on a soft reed bed. The early morning within the Dark Forest brought about a hint of coldness, but when he felt his back he realized it was full of perspiration and his pallid forehead was full of thin sweat beads.

He gasped for a while before he finally gained his composure, raised his head to find a ray of morning light streaming through the small room’s window—

No, the room was the hollow interior of a giant tree, and the window was carved out by removing its bark.

The room’s furniture was very simple and mostly made out of wood. In fact, several of them were carved out of the tree with several vines hanging down above.

Nordas clutched his forehead, realizing that he was no longer on that battlefield. He was rescued by strange men and sent to this place. It had been several months, but he still had these nightmares.

He took in a deep breath and stood up shakily, before realizing there were boisterous noises outside the room. He was puzzled as the village had always been quiet.

[Did something happen? Or has the Festival of Revival started?]

Nordas walked towards the window and cast a curious gaze outside—

========== Brendel’s POV ============

The Druids built a setThe Great Elder weighed Brendel’s words without speaking. Valhalla was an ancient legend in the Loop of Trade Winds where warriors spent their eternal rest. It also contained one of the primeval Fire Seeds. As long as the Fire Seed was lit up, the Laws of the Karanjar’s landscape would be rebuilt, and become a blessed land that was likely to be as wide as the Kirrlutz empire.

The Blackthorn’s Druids guarded this secret for generations. They also wanted to enter the Loop of Trade Winds to discover the truth behind the strange wind currents.

Valhalla was like a legend, there were signs of it appearing and disappearing, but the countless Druids that went into the Karanjar mountains was unable to find anything. The only thing that they found thus far was the ruins located in the center of the Loop of Trade Winds.

However, the Great Elder knew clearly that Andellu and the other Druids discovered only the outer sections of the ruins. Entering the center of the ruins meant that they had to brave the violent tempest.

No one was able to enter it.

“Brendel, I believe that Grey Raven has already informed you of the changes in the Loop of Trade Winds?”

The youth nodded. The change in the Loop of Trade Winds came from the Mana Wave’s ebbing flow. It had possibly gone longer than just a few days.

“He has downplayed the truth; the troubles that we encountered are far greater than we told you.” The Grand Elder explained.

Brendel observed the eighteen Druids in the hall silently. All the high ranking Druids in this region were present. If they had to seek an outsider for help, their troubles were certainly much bigger than he thought.

However, he did not take advantage of the situation and quietly waited with a nod. His humble attitude made the Great Elder believe he could be trusted.

“The Loop of Trade Winds originates from the Karanjar’s eastern peninsula, loops around the mountain, and is the most spectacular natural sight. The white clouds would form a wall that extends to the southern Aouine. Even Trentheim and Vlaada would be able to witness it.”

“, Grandmaster Tulman’s work—” Brendel was slightly surprised upon hearing that excerpt.

He had the impression that the Druids did not know about the worldly affairs, but they were knowledgeable about them after all. People merely did not know about this fact.

The Great Elder nodded: “You are well read. The Circle of Skies is a loose group and the Druids in it act on various tasks. They have observed the Dark Forest for a very long time. As for us, the council of Blackthorn, we have guarded the secret of the Loop of Trade Winds for generations.”

He looked past the trees’ crowns and stared at the wall of white clouds that reached tens of thousands meters long. It extended endlessly while birds flew below it like black dots.

“The patch of Dark Forest located in Trentheim’s south has always been touted as ‘The Wilderness closest to civilization’. Trentheim rarely receives the invasion of monsters, and it is equally rare to see a monster straying at the forest’s edge.”

Brendel agreed with the assessment. The gamers would not enter the Dark Forest if it was overly aggressive and excessively difficult. They would not have been able to enter the heart of the Karanjar mountains as well.

“The reason for that stability is due to the Laws of the Loop of Trade Winds, isn’t it?”

The Druids were shocked when Brendel stated his conclusion.

“How did you know?”

Brendel ignored their shock: “It’s been a month since we entered the Dark Forest. There were two lightning storms, a day of snow, elven sunny days, three days of extreme heat, and the rest were cloudy days. There was a week where there were less than six hours of sun, while there was a day with no night. These supernatural events happen more when one goes further into the Dark Forest...... And yet in this illogical Wilderness, there’s a wind that’s unchanging and reaches the Karanjar Peninsula the entire year, bringing along sufficient rainwater as well. Doesn’t it mean there are hidden Laws?”

The Great Elder’s staff dropped onto the ground with a clatter, but he did not bend his waist to pick it up and merely stared at Brendel with a complicated expression: “...... You, do understand this place very well.”

“Indeed, as you have guessed,” the Elder stopped for a moment before he continued: “We discovered that the Laws from the Loop of Trade Winds stabilizes the Dark Forest, but the situation has changed recently.”

“What exactly are the changes?”

“We used to be able to enter the Loop of Trade Winds, but it has become dangerous. There is strong activity of monsters lurking everywhere in the forest, and the Ancient Trees are not giving us any directions...... And in that location...... that location......”

The Grand Elder was struggling to find an appropriate description:

“Seems to be shrouded in a huge fog. One cannot see or hear anything. The people who went outside the settlement were attacked and became injured, but fortunately, there are no deaths.”

“I see, so this is why you are afraid that it’s a sign. The Laws around the Loop of Trade Winds are weakening slowly, and once that happens, the stability of the Karanjar Peninsula would be gone. The rampaging mana from the Mana Waves would sweep across the entire area, and even Trentheim would be affected. The Druids’ work throughout the ages would be destroyed.”

Brendel’s words went straight to the point. The Great Elder’s expression was grave and he nodded.

The current Aouine had no ability to handle the creatures in the south. Once the change happens to the Karanjar Peninsula, the entire Trentheim, and perhaps even the Randner region would be turned into Wilderness.

Brendel compared the possibility against his memories in the game: “Indeed, your hypothesis isn’t wrong. But this problem isn’t without a solution.”

“There’s a solution?” Andellu blurted. The Elders tried coming up with solutions for half a month without success, and the youth had one when the information was just relayed to him?

[I-Is he lying?]

“I’m the one who finds it strange. If you know about the Mana Wave, why wouldn’t you know about the link between the two?”

The Great Elder was surprised: “You mean to say that the Laws of the Loop of the Trade Winds are weakened by the Mana Wave?”

“Isn’t it obvious that there’s a pattern where the Laws weaken when the Mana Waves come?”

“Hold on! The Mana Waves only happened in the last century, and even during the Month of the Demonic Moon where the Mana is strongest, there has never been an event like this!”

Brendel finally realized what the problem was: “Ah, I take it that you don’t know what the Waves of Calamity are?”

“What is that?”

“Multiple Mana Waves that happen approximately every thousand years. The previous Waves of Calamity happened in the Era of Chaos, and it’s going to happen again soon. The Loop of Trade Winds is currently affected by it.”

The Druids’ expressions changed. Monsters became more aggressive during heightened concentrations of Mana. What would happen if an incredible burst of Mana surged over the region?

“Did you say multiple?! I remembered that you have spoken of that term before, but we equated it with a single Mana Wave. Is it possible that the term is chosen because of multiple Mana Waves happening all at once? What a blunder, I didn’t think that it would be so serious!”

[This is indeed serious. There are no gamers here to handle this event.]

Brendel glanced at Andellu: “Have you not contacted the other members of your Circle? I’m sure there is a headquarters located in your Holy Land. Wouldn’t they keep the doctrines of the past centuries? Is there truly no one who knew about the Waves of Calamity?”

The Great Elder wondered if the youth had some kind of ties with the Druids; the latter knew too much about the Druids:

“Allow me to explain. For the Druids to communicate with each other, we would rely on the wind to pass on messages. We would require at least a season to send and receive a reply. Furthermore, the next season is Spring, the season of the Goddess Nia. When we receive our reply, it would be summer.”

“I see,” Brendel nodded, “then let us get back to the topic of solving this issue. I’m afraid that I can’t wait until summer.”

“Do you have a solution, Lord Brendel?” The Great Elder changed his tone, causing the youth to scratch his head when he heard the usage of his title again.

“The single solution that I know of, is to ensure the Laws don’t change even if the Waves of Calamity happen.”

“You mean......?”

“Valhalla.”

tlement outside the Loop of Trade Winds called The Green Tower. It was somewhat of a city since as there were thousands of people. There was a large amount of Centaurs, Tree Elves, and a small number of Senia.

The Druids spent a long time living with other races. They had planted a type of ancient tree that grew exceedingly quick, and resided within the branches of magical giant trees.

The settlement was built upon these gigantic trees some thirty meters above the ground, and it was connected by countless vine bridges reinforced by Mana. They were interwoven together to make them sturdier than stone bridges, and wooden planks were placed on top to make them flat.

The druids lived a simple life despite the creation of the unique city, but the centaurs loved a vibrant city, and decorated the bridges with lamps and crystal lights, causing it to seem like it was ablaze even in the night.

The settlement also had different levels, a place to allow the Druids to gather, as well as nests for the Giant Eagles.

The Druids and the Giant Eagles had been allies for centuries and treated each other as partners.

Brendel followed the Grand Druid Grey Raven and slowly went up the Vine bridges. It was at that moment where he saw the large flying beasts dancing in the air. The crowns of the giant trees were like their clouds as the eagles passed through the green canopies.

The centaurs that passed by Brendel wore shiny armor and wearing Sentinel Helmets. They had lived together with the Druids for a considerably long time too. They were a race that lived for combat, and their physical feats were even stronger than the Subterrane Dwellers.

But in the Dark Forest, they had to rely on the Druids to survive.

Drayds, Senians, Furbolg, Pegasi, and Unicorns also lived within the settlement. As long as they worshipped the Goddess Nia, they would be the Druids’ guests. (TL: Senia = lycanthropes, Fulborg = bear monster)

But the Druids were not in charge of the city’s daily operations. The leader of the centaurs, Zegnar, was in charge of the Green Tower’s defenses, while the daily operations were managed by a council consisting of a Tree Elf, Senian, and Furbolg.

The Druids lived in the upper level, and they had their own council, Blackthorn, to handle their internal affairs. Their main task was to observe the Loop of Trade Winds, as well as the Dark Forest’s movements.

The Druids’ residence was much simpler compared to the town area. The Grand Druids created a courtyard where it was centered around six different trees, and there were six different branches leading out to six different halls. The center of the courtyard had a statue of the Goddess Nia, while the west hall from the courtyard was the location of Blackthorn.

Two Elder Treants, the size of approximately six meters tall, held up their upper bodies with their hands while sleeping. They seemed to be the hall’s guards but did not fulfill their responsibilities. However, when Brendel approached them, the left Treant opened an eye to peek at the Grand Druid Grey Raven, before closing it again.

The other Treant snored, its voice long and rustling as though it was a song from the ancient forest.

Grey Raven nodded at the Treants before he turned back and spoke to Brendel and his followers: “Please follow me into the hall.”

The youths under Brendel had been allocated in the settlement, and there were Tree Elves who were fond of guests to entertain them. Kodan and Ropar were there to keep these energetic men in check.

The people behind Brendel currently were Amandina and Scarlett. They had never seen such a unique place, and even Amandina who controlled her emotions well glanced around curiously.

The Blackthorn’s hall did not have any difference with their normal architecture. It was simple and crafted from nature. Other than a few statues of the Ancestral Druids and Divine Beasts, there was no additional decoration.

The pillars looked exposed in the strong winds as the gigantic tree branches had been dug hollow and its bark removed, but the Ancient Trees’ vitality was very robust and their growth was not affected; the pillars extended upwards to grow into new tree branches and leaves.

Brendel looked at the people standing in a circle in the great hall waiting for him.

Andellu was the first Elder Druid that he saw. There was a total of seventeen Druids, including a few elderly men. However, Brendel sensed two Druids who were like the Grey Raven.

[Three Grand Druids, including Andellu. They certainly think highly of me.]

He could not help but think that when he realized this fact, but his thoughts were quickly interrupted by a small figure rushing out from the side room, her long green hair swaying behind her and she jumped straight into his arms.

“Brother Brendel!” Sifrid buried her head against his chest and called his name in delight.

As the person chosen by the Goddess Nia, she had foreseen that he was going to leave Firburh to reach this place one day. After a month’s worth of waiting, she finally got to meet him.

Brendel had to take a moment before he recognized the little girl. Sifrid had grown a little taller and the color of her face had become rosy.

[The Druids must have treated her well.]

Unfortunately, that was a misunderstanding. The Druids did not know how to take care of people, and they left Sifrid’s livelihood to be taken care by the Tree Elves. Since it was the request of the Grand Druids, the Tree Elves who were friendly by nature made doubly sure that her needs were taken care of.

“I like people who keep their promises. I’m satisfied that you didn’t lie to me.” Brendel patted Sifrid’s head and nodded to the Druids.

Sifrid understood that Brendel was here for official business, so she received her head pats and stood to one side. Amandina took Sifrid’s hand and smiled at her, and she received a sweet smile in return.

“Lord Brendel,” One of the Grand Druids spoke; he was the eldest amongst all the seventeen Druids.

He was leaning on a staff and wore a robe that was woven from long tree leaves. His hair and eyebrows were greyish-white, and the severe wrinkles cut deeply on his face, but there was a pair of sharp eyes that were full of spirit.

“Great Elder,” Brendel interrupted him politely, “although I’m a noble of Aouine, there is no meaning to that title once I leave the humans. There is no need to call me lord. You are the elder here and I’m much younger, so please call me Brendel.”

The Great Elder paused momentarily and his expressions softened as he nodded. But Andellu stood out after observing for a while.

“Lord Brendel, I think it’s best that I relay the questions.”

Brendel nodded as he knew that the Druids wanted to return the respect, and did not object.

“The Great Elder wants to know how much truth there is when you claim that you know the Druids’ ancient Magic, as well as the secrets in the Dark Forest.”

[My, my, these Druids really don’t know how to interact with the guests. Instead of welcoming us and letting us have seats with some refreshments, you’re going straight to business? It feels like you don’t care about the guests at all. Though it’s not to say I dislike this style. Having to stay here for three days and only discussing things after banquets, I probably won’t be able to enter the Loop of Trade Winds if I don’t spend half a month on pleasantries.]

He did not have time to waste.

“...... I know a little about your Ancient Magic, but that doesn’t mean that I understand it, let alone being familiar with it. As for the Dark Forest, I do know a fair number of secrets.”

“Then is the ruins in the Dark Forest truly Valhalla?” A tall Druid asked.

“No,” Brendel glanced at him, recognizing him as a Druid from the Circle of Beasts: “I said that Valhalla is in the Loop of Trade Winds. I am not certain if the ruins that you found are truly one and the same. Perhaps the ruins are merely ruins that are close to Valhalla.”

The Great Elder nodded. Brendel did not exaggerate or make a conclusion easily. This made him feel that the youth could be believed a little. But he did not make speak and only exchanged glances with the other Druids.