However, there wasn't much helpful information regarding the current situation, almost none at all.
Tap.
Colin reached out, flicked the copper pocket watch, and the hands on it continued to move as before.
"Only two more minutes before the Dark Red Contamination Wind arrives again," Colin said silently, stomping his feet lightly as he loosened his body to prepare.
He glanced over at the Treasury Arch in the middle of the palace.
Seven days had passed, and there was still no sign of Lillian.
Thinking of this, Colin took out the delicate little wooden hammer he had obtained from Lites, inserting his spiritual power into it.
"The place to use this is at the foot of the mountain... from there, one can leave with the help of the hammer," he confirmed again.
Just a glance at the faintly visible mark on his wrist was enough for Colin's mind to dismiss all thoughts.
The reading he'd done over these days had informed him about the function of the mark in his hand—it limited the range of his movements.
Considering his previous experiences, he speculated that the little elf, Nasi, might also bear the same mark.
And this mark could only be removed by the giant tree...
As for whether killing the giant tree could remove it—no elf knew.
There was no record of it in the books composed of the giant tree's odd memories.
Colin's expression remained solemn; he looked back for a moment, then turned, stepping through the illusion.
Although he was unsure whether solving the mystery of the giant tree would remove the mark, thus saving Nasi and himself and allowing them to escape, or even how to deal with the gigantic tree...
He couldn't just resign himself to fate and stay here as a so-called Tree!
Passing through the illusion, the cave was just as unchanged as it was seven days ago, and Nasi was still all right, merely maintaining her dormant state.
Hoo~
A wind, origin unknown, suddenly blew, lifting the golden strands of hair from Colin's forehead.
"The Contamination Wind... has started," he sighed out, taking out the Demon Release Ring and bracing himself while shifting his gaze to the giant tree in the cave.
Though the giant tree had informed him to keep some distance when the Dark Red Wind blew... the more it said so, the more Colin was inclined to do the opposite, in order to seek out a possible lifeline within it!
His pale golden hair started to fly wildly behind him as the wind grew stronger, and his vision gradually stained a pale red.
But since the mountains were less polluted than other areas, the current wind was still not strong enough to greatly affect Colin.
However, just moments later, just like previously inside the petrified tree, a denser Dark Red Wind suddenly sprang up in the cave.
Colin's eyes sharpened as he quickly searched for the source!
"Is it... the tree knots at the lower part of the tree?"
Below the giant tree, tree knots covered in dark red spots suddenly began to pulsate slowly like a heartbeat, sending waves of foul wind like surges toward the surroundings.
"Amis—!"
Just as Colin was stunned, a massive human face suddenly appeared on the tree, screaming in agony.
Perhaps it was because of the interference from the Dark Red Wind, or perhaps it was because it did not care.
The face on the tree ignored Colin's presence, screamed a bit as if it were routine, then shrank a few sizes and moved up to the highest part of the tree crown.
Thud, thud, thud—
The long knots below continuously contracted and expanded.
Colin clenched his teeth, struggling to withstand the Dark Red Contamination Wind coming from all directions, hoping to stay a bit longer to see more changes.
The gigantic face above the giant tree seemed to dread this contaminated wind; a misty emerald Spiritual Light ignited from the crown, striving to fend off the dark red wind.
The branch that once held the little elf Nasi was also separately lowered, away from the crown.
But here, the winds that once blew aimlessly seemed to have found a unanimous target, assembling wave after wave, attacking the human face above the tree crown.
A small tornado suddenly formed atop the tree crown, causing the once strong emerald Spiritual Light to sway precariously.
"Amis—!"
The face reappeared from the tree trunk and roared again it.
The next moment, deep inside the tree knots from which the Dark Red Wind constantly emerged at the lower part of the trunk, a pale golden light gradually began to emit.
This light was so intense, it almost penetrated the outer layer of the dark red tree knots.
"This is?!"
As the light pierced through, an extremely pure essence of life immediately filled the entire cave.
On the rocky walls, specks of green crawled out from the crevices, wildly expanding outward, almost instantly turning half of the cavern green.
On closer inspection, these greens were all unknown plants, some mossy, others blooming with various colored flowers...
However, this beautiful scene did not last even a moment before it altered under the suddenly intensified Dark Red Wind of corruption.
The green gradually receded, replaced by the dark red color of corruption. The plants wilted one after another, falling from the rocky walls like crushed stones, then turning into dark dust in the wind.
Colin clenched his teeth, his feet firmly planted, striving to resist the corrupting wind.
In the midst of it all, he realized that perhaps the method to deal with the ancient tree in front of him, perhaps the hope to escape life, might be hidden in this very special transformation!
Colin strained his eyes, looking through the dark red wind, he saw the shape of the light beneath the tree tumor!
"Is that… a broken giant branch?!!"
Before he could confirm it, the dark red tree tumor abruptly swelled, then violently contracted.
Puff!
A deep purple wind, squeezed out of the tumor like blood, rapidly diffused outward like ink drops in water.
The golden light was slowly obscured, and the gigantic face issued an unhappy roar.
However, even though the golden light had disappeared, the green light wafting from the treetop where the gigantic face was no longer wobbled.
It was a narrow range but it barely protected the gigantic face, keeping it unscathed from the corrupting wind.
A fragile balance was maintained between the two.
On the other hand, as the deep purple wind spread, Colin's situation was not looking good.
"Amis… Eternal Wind… marvelous painter…" Strange whispers suddenly sounded in his ear.
"Cough cough—" Colin's complexion immediately turned flush, a trace of bloody scent surged to his throat.
His heart pounded like a drum, as if a ball of flame was stuffed inside, a burning and scorching sensation immediately emerged in his heart, then it intensified, nearly igniting his entire being!
"Not good!" Colin forcibly blinked his eyes filled with dark red blood vessels, hesitated for a moment with pursed lips, then after one last determined look at the giant tree, he chose to retreat for now.
Behind him at arm's length, the illusion that led towards the palace was present.
Colin turned around, activated the Flying Witchcraft, and plunged into the illusion, arriving at the palace.
But before he could react,
His internal heat unexpectedly surged!
Puff!
Caught off guard, stimulated by the heat in his heart, Colin felt a warmth in his throat and involuntarily spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.
He opened his eyes trying to inspect his surroundings, but saw only the deep, nearly purple dark red wind.
Endless mad whispers echoed in his mind, Colin shook his head trying to stay conscious.
Biting his tongue tip sternly, he spurred his full Magic Power, pushing the Light Flame Soaring Skill and Swift Skill to their limits, and headed forward with all his might.
It was unknowable how long had passed, but Colin gradually regained his lucidity, and his mind had the excess rationality to observe his surroundings.
That was when he realized that he hadn't flown far at all.
He had merely moved from the deepest part of the Treasury Palace's cave to the front door.
However, despite such a short distance, the concentration of corruption was vastly different.
Colin looked up at the cave wall engraved with the Ancient Tree of Life.
Starting from the two faint gold Thrones, the corrupting wind seemed to be gathered and compressed by some force there, darkening almost to a purple hue.
The corrupting wind continued to blow forward, passing the Emerald Throne but was staunchly blocked by the cave wall engraved with the Ancient Tree of Life, forming an "wall" of dark red and purple.
"Is this perhaps the reason why the giant tree refuses to contact the outside world?" Colin wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, silently pondering.
With that, a day passed in an instant.
Colin stepped beside the Emerald Throne and gently sat down cross-legged.
The dark red wind of corruption had ceased, and the entire palace returned to silence.
Yet his heart was far from calm, prompting Colin to close his eyes and silently contemplate.