Power of Runes-Chapter 156: Phantom Veil

[Elven Continent]

The continent of the Elves was also known by another name—The Forest of Life. The herbs, plants, and every living thing that grew in this land were of the highest quality and held remarkable vitality.

While in the Dragon Continent, the herbs were prized for their incredible age and the deeply rooted mana they absorbed over thousands of years, the herbs in the Elven lands were nearly equal to them in terms of potency, owing to the rich life essence nurtured by the land itself.

With their innate connection to Nature and their control over Spirit Magic, the Elves were renowned and revered as the undisputed rulers of the forest.

’Can the spirits of the forest sense me...?’

Ash stood atop the mountain, facing the vast expanse of the Forest of Life, his thoughts adrift.

His gaze remained locked on the far-off horizon, where a single, majestic tree towered towards the heavens, its colossal branches stretching endlessly towards the clouds.

"I don’t know... maybe they won’t be able to sense me, but even if they can’t detect my presence directly, they can still see me. And I... I can’t see the spirits at all."

Ash was troubled.

He was stuck in a dilemma that felt like an invisible wall in front of him. Three months had already passed, and now, the only thing standing between him and Elysia... was this forest.

Back then, after being pushed to his limit, he had managed to teleport himself at the very last moment to the Unicorn King’s house. What happened after that was completely blank in his memory.

He had opened his eyes a full day later, only to learn that within that short span of time, the entire Dragon Continent had erupted into chaos and was thrown into complete upheaval.

One side, which consisted of Alarion, Kristos, the Space Dragon, the Darkness Dragon, and the Blue Dragon, still clung tightly to the words of the former king, unwilling to ignore the warning of the king.

The other side, however, had completely fallen under Taylor’s influence, brainwashed into rejecting the king’s final orders and declaring them nothing more than outdated ideals.

Eventually, the conflict between the two factions erupted into open battle. And although one-fourth of their lands were devastated in the clash, the war reached no resolution.

It ended in a deadlock, with both sides retreating, bloodied but unyielding.

The dragons had even come searching for Ash at Solareth’s location, but the illusion crafted by the Unicorn King had deceived them, and they left empty-handed.

It was during that time that Ash received one of the biggest shocks since arriving here—the egg he had taken wasn’t a Dragon Egg at all, but something entirely different.

It was an egg belonging to another mythical beast, one that even the dragons seemed unaware of.

And yet, despite asking again and again, Solareth never once revealed what species the egg truly belonged to.

He only said, "You won’t regret it."

Those were the only words Ash could hold on to.

He had entrusted the egg to Solareth’s care, especially since he was heading to the Elven Continent where anything might happen, and danger could appear at any time.

And Solareth also advised him not to steal another egg, Ash was reluctant but eventually he agreed.

Before leaving, Ash had to offer a considerable amount of his blood—not just for the egg, but also for Eric, who still relied on life energy of his blood.

Solareth had soaked the egg in his blood, claiming that it was a necessary part of the awakening process.

He also handed Ash a special communicator, telling him that when the time came—either for the egg to hatch, or if it needed more blood—he would contact him immediately.

Of course, before leaving, Ash had quietly taken both the Golden Blood Crystal and the Golden Skeleton. He had also picked up a few mana replenishment potions along with several useful artifacts, all without making a sound.

’Now then, should I head directly to the World Tree? Or would it be better to move slowly and cautiously?’

’There could be traps hidden deep within the forest, but then again, the World Tree itself might be protected by far more dangerous mechanisms.’

In the novel he remembered, there was barely any meaningful interaction between Ray and the Elves. Even during the great invasion when the Demon King made his move, the Elves did not lift a finger to assist anyone.

In truth, none of the other races offered support either. It was the humans who bore the brunt of the war, fighting against the demons with no reinforcements from any other side.

’There’s also a possibility that the World Tree possesses a consciousness or a will of its own... and if that turns out to be true, it could actually be a blessing in disguise.’

’Rather than wasting time negotiating with the Elves, I might be able to appeal to the Tree itself. It would be far more efficient.’

’Yes. It’s decided. I will go directly to the World Tree. Whether I move fast or slow, the danger will still be there.’

After making up his mind, Ash stretched his body lightly to loosen up, then tapped his armor, changing its color to a natural blend of earthy brown and forest green, perfect for camouflage.

Even if someone did happen to catch a glimpse of him through the dense foliage of the forest, Ash hoped that his camouflage-colored armor would help him blend in just enough to be overlooked.

’This armor set is really amazing. Let’s check its description again.’

**

A/N: Don’t worry—the armor description isn’t included in the Chapter’s word count. I’ve written it separately, just for detail’s sake.

From now on, I won’t include status windows or item descriptions in the official word count, so you’re always getting full story content with every update. 😄📖✨

**

Armor Name: Phantom veil

Rank: Mythical

Type: Cloth Set (Mask, Gloves, Cloak, Shirt, Pants, Boots)

Description: A mythical armor set woven from spirit-thread. It offers no physical defense, but its special traits give the user powerful utility in combat, exploration, and escape.

Abilities:

- Mask of Silence: Once worn, the mask sticks to the face and cannot be removed unless the user chooses. It filters the voice, making it sound according to user will.

- Grasp of Resolve (Gloves): Enhances hand grip to the extreme. No matter what is held—weapon, scroll, or artifact—it will not fall or slip, even under extreme pressure.

- Veil of Night (Cloak): When worn, a soft shadow falls across the user’s face, obscuring it in darkness from the view of others. Even under bright light, the user’s features remain indistinct. Also allows limited environmental camouflage.

- Boots of Momentum: Increases movement speed significantly. Enhances agility and balance on rough or unstable terrain. Allows quieter steps when walking or running.

- Adaptable Weave (Set Effect): The clothing adapts to external temperatures, maintaining the user’s body temperature and comfort regardless of the climate.

- Weight Shift (Set Effect): The armor can adjust its own weight at will, from weightless to heavily weighted.

- Self-Healing Fabric (Set Effect): Any damage to the clothing slowly repairs over time using the wearer’s mana as fuel.

- Color Shift (Set Effect): Allows the user to change the clothing’s color and patterns to suit the environment.

Note: While this armor offers no direct defense, its utility and support features are on par with legendary sets when used wisely.

**

’Yup, this suits me perfectly. I don’t really need defense anyway. I’m already half-immortal. This is more than enough—it gives me the best kind of support I could ask for.’

’I should take it to Garry later. He might be able to add some more features to it.’

’Alright, let’s move now.’

Ash pulled out a telescope-like artifact from his space ring. It was sleek and brown colored, etched with fine black veins, and pulsed faintly with mana. It was one of the many artifacts he had taken from the Dragon Treasury.

Its purpose was straightforward: it amplified the user’s vision depending on the amount of mana supplied into it.

’It’s ideal for long-distance scouting. I can use it to pinpoint an exact location for teleportation.’

He funneled a small amount of mana into the device and brought it up to his eye, focusing on the World Tree that towered far in the distance.

The World Tree was massive beyond description. Just one look at it, and it felt like the sky had grown roots. Its enormous branches pierced through the clouds and curved across the horizon like an ancient creature stretching its limbs across the world.

Although the forest below was too thick and vast to see through, he could clearly spot several Elven buildings constructed high up on the branches.

They resembled temples or sanctuaries, seamlessly grown into the tree itself, shaped by magic and nature together. Among those structures, one caught his attention immediately.

It stood directly in the center, a towering structure rooted between three massive branches. Its shape was like a blooming spiral—smooth and open at the top, with glowing leaves forming a crown-like roof.

The outer walls glowed faintly with golden-green veins that pulsed like a heartbeat, as if the building itself was alive.

’That one’s clearly different. It must be important.’

’And if I’m going to take a risk anyway, I’d rather bet everything on something like that.’

’I choose you.’

With that quiet, whimsical thought—like selecting a Pokémon—Ash activated his teleportation.

In the blink of an eye, his body vanished from the mountain peak.

He reappeared at the top of the central building.

Ash remained fully alert, his senses heightened as his eyes scanned the surroundings carefully.

But his attention soon shifted toward the center of the flower-like building. The architecture opened at the top like petals spread wide to the sky, and in that open space, nine elves were seated together, locked in a heated discussion that echoed faintly through the air.

"Those greedy humans cannot solve our problems!" one of the female elves exclaimed, her voice trembling with anger. Her clenched hand shook slightly as she struck the table. "Do not bring them up again."

Another elf let out a quiet sigh, leaning back slightly in his chair, his expression filled with weariness.

"What do you think we should do then? We have been searching for a solution for such a long time, and yet we are still circling the same questions with no answers."

"How is the queen? Is she still in the Royal Library?" someone asked from the far end.

"Yes, she is still there," another answered with a slight shake of the head. "She remains holed up in that place, endlessly trying to decode the ancient language."

A few moments of silence followed, but the tension did not ease.

"But can she still be considered a proper queen?" a younger elf asked cautiously. "The World Tree has strangely fallen into silence. It has shown no reaction ever since it acknowledged her presence."

"And the previous king died so abruptly," someone added, lowering his voice as if hesitant to even speak of it. "He passed before he could transfer the knowledge of Life Magic to her."

"Do not cross your limits, Elowen.," another elder interrupted sharply, his tone filled with warning. "Do not forget where you came from or the blood you carry."

"But what exactly did I say that was wrong?" Elowen protested, clearly confused rather than defiant. "I only stated the truth that everyone here is already thinking."

They continued arguing among themselves, each one holding a different view, their words clashing midair like invisible blades.

But for Ash, who had just arrived in the middle of this storm, it felt like a thunderbolt had struck right in front of him.

A queen who cannot use Life Magic.

A World Tree that has fallen dormant.

A king who died before he could pass down the legacy.

Everything he heard in that moment hit him like a quiet explosion inside his mind. The weight of it settled heavily in his chest, and though his body remained still, his thoughts ran wild in every direction.

***

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