Reborn as a Useless Noble with my SSS-Class Innate Talent
Chapter 256 - 256: Ch 256: Foolishness- Part 2

The trio of elves finally reached the clearing where the world tree stood, its towering form radiant with a soft golden light.

Even amidst the ancient corruption it had endured, the sacred tree still retained a majestic beauty that made their breath catch in awe.

Its leaves shimmered like silver in sunlight, and the roots pulsed faintly with life, as though drawing strength from the earth beneath.

One of the elves stepped forward, unable to hide his excitement.

"It's even more beautiful than the stories. This… this is the heart of our people. The source of everything."

He murmured, voice trembling.

The second nodded, though more hesitant.

"They say the greatest elves of the old world used to sit beneath this tree and receive visions. Wisdom. Power."

The third, the most reckless of them, gave a small smirk.

"Then it's about time we see what the legends were talking about."

Without waiting for permission or hesitation, he reached out and placed his hand on the bark of the sacred tree.

The change was immediate.

The air, once peaceful and warm, turned cold and sharp like shattered glass.

A hum of energy crackled across the clearing, and the branches of the tree rustled—not in welcome, but in warning.

The elf who touched the bark stiffened. At first, he looked elated—eyes wide with awe—but the joy quickly turned to confusion, then pain.

"I… something's wrong. Help—"

He gasped, reaching back toward his companions with a trembling hand.

His words cut off as he dropped to his knees, veins darkening beneath his skin as though something was being pulled out of him.

His companions surged forward to grab him, but it was too late. Before their eyes, the elf collapsed. His body convulsed once, and then lay still, eyes wide and empty.

Lifeless.

The clearing fell into a deafening silence.

"No… no, this can't be happening. He was fine just now—he—he just touched it—""

The second elf whispered, backing away.

The third clutched his own arms, his legs shaking.

"What do we do? We need to leave. Now."

They turned in unison, ready to flee back to the village—but their feet wouldn't move.

One took a panicked step forward, but it was as if invisible roots wrapped around his ankles, locking him in place.

"What—what is this?!"

"I can't move!"

"It's the tree—it doesn't want us to leave!"

A deep, resonant hum filled the clearing. The sacred tree, disturbed and angered, began to react. Though it did not speak in words, its intent was clear.

These elves, who had ignored the warnings and tried to take what was not offered, were not permitted to escape.

The air around them grew thicker, charged with pressure that made it hard to breathe. It wasn't just mana—it was judgment.

The two remaining elves looked at each other, fear etched deep into their faces.

"We didn't mean to—we didn't know—"

But the world tree did not care for excuses. It had suffered, endured divine corruption, and struggled to recover.

Now, when it had finally begun to heal under Kyle's aid, it had been violated again. And it remembered.

The ground trembled beneath them as the energy in the area surged. The vibrant glow that once radiated from the tree began to flicker ominously.

Overhead, the sky—which had been a deep twilight hue—shifted unnaturally. Red bled across the heavens, violent and angry, casting everything in a crimson glow.

The elves stared upward, terrified.

"What's happening to the sky?!"

"This isn't just the tree anymore…"

They didn't know it yet, but their actions had awakened more than just the tree's wrath. Deep within the divine remnants buried in the roots, a lingering trace of hostile power stirred.

The divine magic that once corrupted the tree had been pushed back, but not erased. And their intrusion had triggered something unstable.

A wind picked up, howling unnaturally through the trees surrounding the clearing. The trees bent and groaned, their leaves rattling like bones.

Shadows began to gather in the corners of the glade, formless but hungry.

"I don't want to die. Not like this…"

One of the elves whispered.

The world tree remained silent—but its presence loomed like a god unchained. The sky overhead pulsed red, and somewhere in the distance, something howled.

The elves had come seeking knowledge. What they had found instead was the cost of hubris. And with their intrusion, they had disturbed something far greater than they could comprehend.

And far more dangerous.

As Kyle and Silvy sprinted through the dense forest toward the elf tree, the wind began to carry a strange, distorted hum. Kyle's expression tightened.

The mana around them—normally gentle and serene in this sacred part of the woods—was fluctuating. Twisting.

He stopped abruptly, his eyes narrowing as he raised a hand to sense the energy more precisely.

"…The tree's mana is shifting. Something's gone wrong."

Kyle said quietly, voice grim.

Silvy skidded to a halt behind him, panting lightly.

"Gone wrong? How? You stabilized it, didn't you?"

"I did. But it's still fragile. If something disrupted the internal flow, or if anyone tried to tamper with it…"

Kyle replied.

Silvy snorted, placing her hands on her hips.

"Come on, Kyle. Have some faith in the elves. They wouldn't be so reckless as to disturb the tree after everything you've done."

Kyle gave her a dry look.

"…Okay, okay. Maybe one or two might be stupid enough to try. But they wouldn't get far, right?"

Silvy muttered, raising her hands.

Almost on cue, a sharp pulse of energy rippled through the air. It wasn't divine mana—but a reaction to it.

The ground trembled faintly under their feet, and the red hue in the sky deepened just a shade. Silvy's knees buckled from the sudden pressure, and she dropped into a crouch with a groan.

"Okay—I take it back. Humans. Or elves. We're all equally foolish beyond reason."

She hissed."

Kyle reached down and helped her back up.

"We don't have time to debate that."

Silvy nodded, gritting her teeth as she steadied herself.

"Right. Let's end this madness before that tree collapses—and the elves vanish from this world with it."

They resumed their run, Kyle's pace urgent and relentless as he guided them through the forest trails.

With every step, the energy thickened, turning oppressive. It wasn't just unstable—it was angry. Defensive. Alive. The tree had awoken, and it was reacting.

Silvy glanced at Kyle's calm yet tense expression and whispered.

"Do you think we're too late?"

He didn't answer right away.

But then he said.

"We won't be. We can't afford to be."

Because if the tree fell… so too would everything the elves had ever been. And Kyle wasn't about to let that happen.

Kyle and Silvy raced through the forest, the air growing heavier with unstable mana. Kyle halted suddenly, sensing the shift.

"Something's wrong."

He muttered.

Silvy tried to brush it off, insisting the elves wouldn't be so foolish—only to stagger as a wave of pressure hit them. She groaned.

"I was wrong. People are that foolish. We have to stop this before the tree collapses."

Kyle helped her up, eyes hard.

As they rushed forward again, the sky bled red and the sacred tree's aura grew violent.

Whatever had happened, it wasn't just reckless—it was dangerous. And they were running out of time.