The Demon King's First General
Chapter 192: Towering Creatures

Chapter 192: Towering Creatures

Clouds scattered, drifting across the sky while thick clusters of smoke coming from burning houses built above trees hung around in the open air. The ladders made from vines hanging on the tree branches were set ablaze as well.

The suffocating stench lingered and assaulted every being’s sense of smell. Beasts, crawling or flying, let out painful howls as they stared at their habitat being devoured by the massive fire.

But despite this destruction, a huge tree with vines glowing with a pale blue hue remained undamaged from the fire. Its shade, more than several hundred meters in diameter, became a temporary shelter for those affected by the incident.

"Lady Crescent!" Shouted an elf as he looked at a woman with silky blonde hair.

Upon hearing her name being called, the elven princess glanced at her subject; her face had traces of dried tears.

The man swallowed hard the moment he saw the princess’ downcast expression. So, he chose his words and watched his tone.

"The centaurs are getting more and more aggressive. We need to fight back and teach them a lesson!" He exclaimed, though trying to calm the rage rising on his chest.

"Now, our homes. What’s next? Our children? Our family?" Added another, an edge of panic present in his voice.

Like a chain reaction, a cacophony of murmurs that talked about declaring a war against the tribe of centaurs reverberated in the place.

The already hot atmosphere turned even hotter as the elves’ rallied in front of their princess.

Meanwhile, Crescent stared at them, pondering.

’How I wish you were here in times of crisis like this, Kizhaiah,’ she thought.

Crescent knew how deceitful a war was; it was a mindless killing that wouldn’t stop until the last one of either party fell. Instead of the problems being solved, war made them more complicated. Revenge after revenge—an eye for an eye—this was what war really was.

At first, she always prevented her people from fighting back. She taught them how to defend but never engaged in a battle. However, what happened now was not a simple matter that could be resolved through playing the defensive.

The centaurs already stomped their hooves; they began attacking their abodes, even setting them on fire. If it were not for the mystical tree’s protection, the blazing flames would already have destroyed the entirety of their homes.

Thus, Crescent clenched her fists and looked at her people, her eyes glowing in an unusual viridescent hue.

"Are we prepared to give up our present for the sake of protecting our future?" The princess asked.

Then the chitchats disappeared as everyone listened to what she was about to say, and upon seeing the determination on them, Crescent stepped forward and spoke once again.

"This could lead to our downfall once handled wrong. I’m no soldier, and I don’t know any strategies like my father, the king, but..." The princess paused and swallowed hard before continuing. "If this is our only choice, I’ll stand with you and give all the support that I can provide."

Silence loomed over them; only the noise coming from the fire and the cries of beasts could be heard, though it was soon broken as a young elf shouted.

"For the elves’ future!" He yelled, and the rest followed.

His words acted like a catalyst, igniting everyone’s suppressed anger. The unshakable resolve they displayed left Crescent with only one thing to do.

"Prepare for the war!" She declared; her voice carried a strong sense of conviction.

. . . . .

Meanwhile, inside the forest, Zeno and Blackwell walked towards a certain direction. There was no path ahead; thick shrubs even taller than the two of them were the only thing present, surrounding the whole area.

The soul devourer was walking in front while the black dragon in human form followed him behind.

"General Arthur," Blackwell called the silver-haired demon.

Upon seeing him glance at him, he spoke again.

"I’m not in a position to ask, but are we still far from our destination? We’re already walking for half an hour," he said.

However, the demon laughed at his question and answered with a teasing remark.

"Tired already? You can take a rest if you want," Zeno replied.

Blackwell shook his head and didn’t reply any further. They continued their strides for another half an hour before the scenery around them changed.

Blackwell let his eyes roam in the area; the tall bushes already dwindled, and thick tree trunks standing several distances apart on both of their sides came into view.

There were long, golden-colored strands hanging on their branches, which made Blackwell stunned for a second.

He felt amazed by the spectacular sight; the trees looked like ceremonial guards, paying their respect on them. However, his elated expression turned into a greater shock when he noticed a pair of eyes located on the tree’s trunk staring at him.

"General! Watch out! They’re alive!" Blackwell yelled, giving Zeno a hint on the thing that he saw.

Then, he checked all the trees near them, and they all had those pairs of eyes embedded on their bodies. Thus, he gathered a black orb of energy on his palm and prepared to obliterate every one of them.

However, Zeno extended his hand sideways, gesturing for him to stop.

"You’re living for a thousand years, and yet you still don’t know what treants are?" He asked without glancing back at his companion.

"Treants? These are the so-called treants..." Blackwell repeated; his voice had a tinge of doubt.

"H-How? The treants that I met before during the war against the elves were smaller in size. My original form was a lot bigger. But these? They’re on a completely different level!" Blackwell exclaimed with a disturbed expression.

As a dragon, he held pride over his giant body; he trampled on those smaller than him, treating them like ants; however, in this moment, he felt betrayed. He stared at the treant; its height was almost twice that of his dragon form.

Meanwhile, the silver-haired demon shook his head upon hearing Blackwell’s remark, and a chuckle escaped from his lips.

’I wonder what his reaction would be if he met the King of Giants,’ Zeno thought.

Then, as the two of them continued to step forward, the treants at the very end stood up and blocked their paths.

"Return at once; this place is a sacred ground. Trespassers are not allowed," a voice so loud reverberated throughout the area.

It gave the two people a warning not to continue any further; however, the soul devourer ignored its statement. He remained calm and walked past the humanoid tree.

Zeno’s action angered the forest guardians; all of them stood up and went towards the demon. With every step, the ground trembled, and leaves fell off from their branches.

"One last chance, demon, turn around and leave," the same treant threatened, ordering the soul devourer to head back.

But still, Zeno ignored the threat as if he didn’t hear a thing and continued to move forward. At the same time, Blackwell shifted to his dragon form and prepared himself to attack if a fight broke out.

However, his mind was still occupied by the treants’ massive size.

Then, one of the towering creatures raised its root-like foot and put it above the silver-haired demon with the thought of crushing him flat on the ground.

However, due to its enormous body, the treant’s movements felt like slow motion from the soul devourer’s perspective. He evaded the stomp with ease and thought of fighting back, but upon sensing a presence slowly approaching, he dismissed the idea.

The treant lifted its foot again upon seeing the soul devourer dodge its previous attack. However, its plan to crush the demon came to a sudden halt when a soft and gentle voice reverberated in the whole place.

"Oakford, that’s enough, he’s my guest," it rang from a distance, and the treants went back to their respective places.

The next second, the man stared at the demon, who was now looking at him.

"Welcome to our sanctuary," he added with a nod.

Dressed in a fluffy white robe, the man walked towards the demon. A long braided hair was swaying under his chin while not a single strand could be found present on the top of his head.

’Finally, a druid has appeared,’ Zeno disclosed inside his thoughts.

As the distance between them diminished, the old man smiled at the soul devourer.

"You’re here for quite a reason," the druid stated out of nowhere as if he was already aware of the real purpose of the demon’s visit.

Zeno let out a chuckle and looked at the druid’s eyes.

"Indeed, and I’m hoping that you can give me one satisfying answer," he said, his voice filled with excitement but having a tinge of doubt.

Afterward, the druid snapped his forefinger, and a table with two chairs made from tree branches and dried roots materialized before them.

Then, he took a seat and gestured for the demon to join his company.

. . . . .