Daniel’s eyes were still half open, but his sight was no longer limited to light and shape. The forest had spread out in his perception like a living network.
His divine sense could see almost the entire structure of the forest and the world, and currently, his focus was on the presences coming toward the cursed tree.
They were moving in a specific direction, with calculated distances, without any disturbance.
It was clear they were a group, and naturally, they had only one goal.
"...They’re coming." Daniel said very quietly. His voice wasn’t loud, but in that heavy silence, it was enough.
Kieran immediately turned his head. His gaze sharpened, and his hand unconsciously rested on the hilt of his sword.
"Finally, it’s starting..."
Lumira stepped back, her body on alert. Saren remained motionless, but his gaze deepened, as if trying to analyze the enemy before they arrived.
Elisira only looked at Daniel, as if she wasn’t worried at all about the people approaching.
She stared at him for a few seconds and then made her decision.
"We have to go." Her voice was calm, but there was no hesitation in it.
"These might be from another empire. If a fight breaks out, it will get out of control."
"You come too." Then she said directly to Daniel. Bringing a stranger to the Holy Empire wasn’t a good thing.
Especially a stranger who had uttered blasphemous words like disobeying the Divine Prophet’s orders... but that very thing made this man even more special and amazing in her eyes.
She really wanted to know more about this man, where he came from and exactly who and what he was. She didn’t want to let anything bad happen to him.
He sat calmly, his back against the silver trunk of the tree, and his sword materialized beside him, its tip sinking into the ground, his fingers resting on the hilt without any pressure.
It was clear that he didn’t care at all about the approaching group and didn’t see them as a threat.
His gaze was forward, but it was as if he was looking at something beyond this forest.
"You guys go." That was all he simply said, without any explanation or justification.
"You don’t need to worry about him, Princess." Kieran sneered, with a hidden happiness in his voice.
"He chose to stay himself." His gaze was fixed directly on Daniel.
There was something in his tone that wasn’t just protection. A thin shadow of jealousy, of dissatisfaction, that Elisira’s attention had gone elsewhere.
Elisira didn’t answer immediately. She was still standing.
Her gaze remained on Daniel, on the peace that didn’t seem natural. On that stillness that was more like waiting than indifference.
"This is wrong and dangerous. Please listen to me and come."
Daniel showed no reaction and ignored them. His answer was clear.
"The Princess herself requested you, and you’re still refusing? Tch, what an idiot." Saren snorted.
Finally, Elisira took a short breath and stepped back.
They distanced themselves, but didn’t leave completely. They stood behind a row of trees, where they could still see everything. The princess wasn’t willing to give up on Daniel.
She decided to hide there so she could save the boy if needed. That was the best thing she could do.
A few seconds later, the forest changed.
The trees parted, the branches slowly bent, and dozens of people emerged from the shadows.
Different armors, some heavy, some light. Weapons that showed years of warfare. Faces that hid exhaustion behind ruthlessness.
These weren’t beginners, and it was clear they had been trained for years or even decades.
Their leader stepped forward.
A large man, with broad shoulders and skin covered in old scars. A massive hammer rested on his shoulder, its metal dark and dull, as if it had broken many bones.
His gaze fell on Daniel. He paused for a moment and then laughed.
"Well, well... someone got here early."
He stepped forward.
"Did you come for the tree too?"
"No." Daniel answered without hurry.
"Who are you?" He paused briefly, then asked.
A few of the mercenaries laughed, but there was some anger in their laughter, as if they were angry that this boy didn’t recognize them.
"Are you serious?" The leader raised an eyebrow. It was clear he didn’t expect anyone not to recognize them.
"We are the Iron Grave mercenary group." Then he said in a tone bordering on pride.
He thought to himself that maybe this boy was from a small village and that’s why he didn’t know them. Otherwise, it was impossible for city dwellers not to have heard of one of the continent’s largest mercenary groups.
Their symbol was engraved on their armors, and anyone who saw them would understand who they were.
"We came from the west of the continent." He raised his hammer slightly, as if their name alone was enough.
"And the reward... a hundred million gold coins." Then his smile widened, and his gaze fell on the tree, as if he was talking about it.
Whispers and sneers spread through the group.
"For a tree, not bad. I’m really curious what this tree has that they placed such a reward for destroying it."
"Who cares? Anyway, once we destroy it, that money is ours."
"Haha, that’s right. We should thank those idiots who put up such a reward."
Daniel watched them in silence, but he didn’t care about them.
"I’m protecting it." A few moments later, he said very simply.
Because of his words, silence covered everything for a moment, but only for a few seconds.
Then loud, reckless, contemptuous laughter erupted.
"Is the kid crazy?"
"Enough joking." The leader raised his hand and cut the laughter off halfway.
Then he stepped forward and approached the tree, but Daniel blocked the way, and as long as he didn’t move aside, he couldn’t do what he wanted.
"Move aside, pretty boy." It was clear he hadn’t taken this boy’s words seriously at all and considered them just a joke.
After all, he didn’t think there was any idiot who would stand in his way, and more importantly, disobey the Divine Prophet’s order!
"I suggest you leave if you want to stay alive." Daniel didn’t even move from his spot. He wasn’t joking.
His tone was empty of threat, more like a recommendation.
"Did you hear that?" The mercenary leader suddenly laughed. Even he himself felt like he had misheard this time.
"I’m tired of wasting time. If you don’t move aside, you’ll be destroyed along with that tree." And without paying attention, he walked toward the tree.
He raised his hammer, his muscles tensed, and each of his steps sank the soil a little.
One step.
Two steps.
Three steps.
Everyone was waiting for the strike, for the explosion and collapse of the tree.
But his body paused. His eyes suddenly widened. His mouth remained half open, as if he wanted to say something.
And then he burst from within, as if something deep inside him had been activated.
His head split apart in an instant. His body collapsed, and his heavy hammer fell to the ground with a dry thud.
Before even the first person in the group could react, the second person fell.
The third.
The fourth.
One by one.
Without any contact and without any defense, the bodies burst, collapsed, went silent.
Within a few seconds, dozens of professional warriors turned into motionless corpses.
And again, a heavy, suffocating silence covered everything.
From behind the trees, Elisira and her companions were stunned. Kieran unconsciously stepped back, his hands sweating from fear of what he had seen.
"I told you." Daniel sighed and his gaze returned to the tree.
The tree suddenly absorbed and devoured all the life forces that were dispersing, and became slightly brighter. Its light deeper, more alive, and it grew a bit in volume.