A Core Ship From The Start

Chapter 248: Chapter 198 Forest Princess_1

Staring at the girl in front of them who claimed to be the princess of the Spirit Rat Tribe, everyone was taken aback.

The girl was very short, or at least, on the surface, she appeared to be about the same height as a dwarf, perhaps even shorter. Her figure wasn’t robust like a dwarf’s either. She was extremely slender. Honestly, in Duanmu Huai’s view, this girl looked more like a walking Barbie doll…

“We are just a group of travelers.”

Duanmu Huai stepped forward to face Melfy, gauging her intently. Frankly, Melfy seemed even smaller in front of him, hardly bigger than a figurine.

“Then, I ask that you please leave this place.”

Despite feeling somewhat unsettled by Duanmu Huai’s presence, Melfy took a deep breath and stared back at him stoically.

“This is Cursed land, anyone who enters it will become ensnared by the curse.”

“Oh?”

Hearing this, Duanmu Huai raised his eyebrows.

“If it’s not too much trouble, would you mind explaining further?”

“…… Sure.”

Soon enough, Melfy provided everyone with a detailed account of the circumstances surrounding this subterranean world.

According to Melfy, this underground world was once an unbearably hot furnace, with fiery rivers of blazing flame that burned around the clock. Later, a seedling emerged in this scorching land. However, instead of being consumed by the fire, it grew robustly, transforming into a towering tree. Under the influence of this great tree, the once raging fire gradually vanished. In its place, countless plants sprouted from the dust-covered ground, forming a new, wondrous, and vast subterranean world.

At the time, many races were attracted here, and these races were later blessed by the Golden Tree, becoming stronger and forming individual civilized nations.

Among them were humans, orcs, giants, and even Moon Rabbit Monsters and the Spirit Rat Tribe that Melfy belonged to. They all lived together in this subterranean world, leading peaceful, untroubled lives.@@novelbin@@

However, this peace was soon disrupted.

One tribe suddenly claimed they had received guidance from the Golden Tree and demanded that all races follow the Golden Law. This instantly distressed many other tribes. Although each tribe indeed revered the Golden Tree as part of their beliefs, due to their different cultures, their interpretations of the Golden Tree varied.

To others, this tribe’s actions seemed like an attempt to monopolize the Golden Tree, something they could not tolerate. Thus, a war erupted.

Nonetheless, it had to be said that the Golden Clan was indeed powerful. They eventually defeated the other tribes, seizing their faith and strength, and used it to forge the Golden Law. Only a very few tribes managed to escape this calamity. Melfy’s Spirit Rat Tribe was one of them. As rats are known for their ability to survive, when the Golden Clan attacked, the Spirit Rat Tribe immediately relocated, escaping to the outskirts of this subterranean world, where they built a small city to evade the influence of the Golden Clan.

After this, the Golden Clan flourished, almost completely occupying the entire subterranean world known as the “Borderland”.

However, what rises must fall. The Golden Law, once the source of the Golden Clan’s power, shattered for some inexplicable reason. Following this, a terrifying curse suddenly erupted, engulfing the entire Golden Clan.

Melfy didn’t know what happened. She only knew that those of the Golden Clan, once blessed under the Golden Law, were now transformed into half-dead monsters. Their will twisted into madness, becoming creatures filled with hatred and distortion. The remaining leaders of the Golden Clan were seemingly collecting fragments of the Golden Law, intending to reshape this world’s order.

Of course, those races who had managed to escape the Golden Clan’s massacre had thought about reclaiming the Golden Tree during this time. They organized an army and tried to infiltrate the Golden Clan’s Royal City to recapture the Golden Tree. However, the curse and madness that pervaded the land exceeded their expectations. The entire expedition was wiped out, with only a few mentally unstable survivors barely making it back.

However, the terror did not end there.

The survivors brought back a dreadful contagious disease, which infected all those who came near, driving them mad and reducing them to ashes within the fire. This disaster greatly weakened those races that had not been eradicated. After this, no one dared to approach the Golden Tree. Melfy’s Spirit Rat Tribe was no exception. They had been lingering on the outskirts of the Borderland, monitoring everything and stopping outsiders from entering the Borderland.

“Therefore, I beg you to leave this place immediately.”

After recounting the story of this land, Melfy stared at them and spoke again.

“This land is cursed. Those who once set foot here can never return. Please leave immediately!”

“Even if you say that, I won’t give up.”

Of course, Duanmu Huai wouldn’t just turn away because of this. In fact, after listening to Melfy’s words, he was even more intrigued by the Golden Law. Moreover, when Duanmu Huai overlaid the map of this vast land extending from the Southern territories to the Skaven Demon City onto the real-world map, he found that they almost coincided.

The fact that this world has become a fragment means this world has already been destroyed in reality.

What was the cause of its destruction?

It was clear now that this world, like the Holy City and Manaria, was caught in a death cycle. But each death cycle had a reason.

The destruction of the Holy City was due to the monks of the Mechanical Religion summoning the Hell Demon, Ice Hell King.

The destruction of Manaria was due to the war between Manaria and Regnes instigated by the Evil Dragon Fafner.

So, what about this Borderland?

What led to its annihilation?

And that power… does it have anything to do with the Skaven Ratman?

According to Melfy’s theory, the Golden Tree had initially bestowed power upon a number of races, allowing them to gain sentience, and even evolve into bipedal races as we see them today. Melfy is an example of this. The rat guards that Duanmu Huai and his crew had previously encountered outside still retained their rat form, while Melfy only retained her rat ears and tail, being otherwise indistinguishable from humans.

Isn’t that the case with the Skaven Ratman?

Originally just common rats, they gained sentience due to some reason and evolved into a race with wisdom – in fact, the Skaven Ratman are seemingly unique on this entire planet.

After all, whether they are dwarfs, humans, high elves, ogres, or orcs, their origins can always be confirmed with certainty; the Skaven Ratman, however, seem to have oddly emerged later on.

It’s as if this world originally did not have ratmen, and then one day, they simply crawled out from the cracks in rocks.

They definitely didn’t evolve from monkeys. Is that possible?

And why rats? Why not pigs, sheep, cows, or predators like tigers and lions? If it were a matter of numbers, roaches outnumber rats by millions.

But a world full of muscular roachmen would still be scary. Just the thought might make one faint.

Duanmu Huai had an intuition that this World Fragment was very likely related to the birth of the Giant Horned Rat and the Skaven Ratman in some inseparable way.

And all the secrets were hidden within the Golden Tree.

“We have decided to head toward the Golden Tree, Princess Melfy. You may think our choice is foolish, but we also have things we need to do. Therefore, I’m sorry, but we can’t comply with your request.”

“Is that so…….”

Hearing Duanmu Huai speak, Melfy’s lowered her head dejectedly. However, just at that moment, another voice sounded.

“If that’s the case, how about I accompany you?”

At the sound of this voice, Duanmu Huai and his crew lifted their heads and looked deep into the forest. Among the trees, a girl emerged. Like Melfy, she also had fluffy beast ears and long golden hair. But compared to Melfy—who resembled a Barbie doll—the girl’s figure was not much different from that of an ordinary human girl. She wore a skirt-like piece of armor and held a large shield with a longsword embedded in it. In her deep blue eyes, a spark of curiosity and excitement gleamed.

“I have been watching all that you have done. You defeated the Tree Guardian so easily, you really are extraordinary travelers. Since you have decided to go to the Golden Tree, could you allow me to accompany you?”

“Your Highness!”

Seeing the girl appearing, Melfy cried out in surprise, and Duanmu Huai also looked toward her.

“Are you…….”

“Oh, hello, nice to meet you. I am the Forest Princess, Mistelina, and I suppose you could say I am this forest’s protector.”

The girl called Mistelina gave Duanmu Huai a slight smile, and then curtsied.

“May I ask, this powerful Steel Warrior, could you allow me to accompany you?”

“Your Highness, please do not say such reckless things!”

Before Duanmu Huai could answer, Melfy interjected, her face paling.

“You are the protector of the forest. If you’re not here, what will happen to the forest…….”

“I am fully aware of that, Melfy.”

However, Mistelina interrupted Melfy’s words with a serious expression.

“You should also be clear that the forest is getting weaker and weaker. The curse has started to spread and expand, and even we will not have anywhere to retreat to eventually. Therefore, I hope to go to the Golden Tree and communicate with the Mother of the Earth. Perhaps I can find the root of all these problems. At least, this is much better than staying here, watching everything deteriorate without doing anything.”

After saying this, Mistelina turned to Duanmu Huai again.

“This formidable Steel Warrior defeated the Tree Guardian bare-handedly, proving his strength. Since they are not planning to leave, don’t you think that someone familiar with this place would be more helpful?”

“But, but I can also go…….”

“You’re right.”

Hearing Melfy’s words, Mistelina nodded with a smile.

“Then, come along with me.”

After that, she spoke.