【Time is a strange thing. Eleven years have passed since you first met Elvynna. You’ve been so engrossed in your magical studies that you even forgot to celebrate Christmas…】
【You’ve advanced to Practitioner Lv2!】
【Another spring has arrived, marking your fifteenth year as Elvynna’s apprentice. The peach saplings you planted together have grown into towering trees, providing shade in summer and bountiful fruit in autumn…】
【You’ve advanced to Practitioner Lv3!】
【In your sixteenth year together, the neighbor’s little brat has blossomed into a graceful young lady, experiencing her first crush… and you’ve reached Practitioner Lv5!】
Two breakthroughs in a single year? Eirik felt a surge of excitement.
Elvynna, too, had achieved Practitioner Lv9, becoming an Elemental Mage.
At this point, she could summon elemental giants, her power transcending the ordinary.
However, she seemed to have hit a bottleneck—unable to break through to the next significant level: the Savant!
In this world, the major magical realms were Stalwart, Practitioner, and Savant.
Was there more beyond Savant? It was possible, but Eirik didn’t know… yet.
【"After sixteen years of work, I’ve helped Elvynna reach Practitioner Lv9…"】
It sounded impressive, but to Eirik, the progress felt a bit slow. He had promised to help Elvynna become the next Elf Empress.
This was just the beginning!
"Elvynna is stuck at a bottleneck. Perhaps it’s time for us to go out, gain some real-world experience, and maybe tackle the next dungeon," Eirik thought.
"Going out for some training sounds perfect!"
Elvynna was eager to explore. Despite all the knowledge she had accumulated from the game, she had never ventured into the outside world.
How far could this simulated projection technique take them?
Elvynna felt a surge of excitement.
Little did they know, the upcoming events would far exceed both of their expectations.
----------------------------------------
【In the Seventeenth Year, A Great Crisis Erupts in Aelsryel City】
【Special seeds, buried deep underground, had been watered with the blood of geniuses for decades. Finally, an ancient divine tree emerged, its branches casting a shadow over half of Aelsryel City, instantly draining the blood of most of its citizens!】
A horrifying illustration accompanied these words—of a monstrous tree erupting violently from the earth, its branches piercing through ordinary people and scholars like serpents.
What was this? An ancient divine tree?
An opportunity of a lifetime?
Eirik’s heart raced. In many games and novels, such trees often bestowed great treasures on the protagonist.
But this tree seemed different—dark, sinister, almost demonic.
It was nourished by the blood of the talented, and that made Eirik uneasy.
He recalled that Elvynna had mentioned how some brilliant students from Starlight Academy had gone missing over the years, and the academy had done little to investigate.
That’s why Elvynna preferred studying magic in seclusion rather than venturing outside. With Eirik’s ability to accelerate her magical learning, their time in isolation was proving far more beneficial than any external exploration.
*"I thought hiding away from the world would help us avoid danger, but I never imagined it would escalate to this…"*
At that moment, Elvynna’s pulse quickened as she watched the shocking scene unfold within the game.
In real life, talented students from the Starlight Academy continued to disappear.
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
If these projections were true, someone was indeed nurturing this demonic tree with the blood of geniuses!
And Elvynna couldn’t help but shudder—this tree fed on human flesh, a far cry from a typical monster. It was likely a harbinger from the treacherous realms!
If the tree fully matured, it wouldn’t just threaten Aelsryel City—countless lives would be at risk.
The entire northern region could become a forbidden zone, a demonic realm.
If such a forbidden area were to emerge among mortals, the consequences would be catastrophic…
Meanwhile, in the game, scholars had already begun to attack the tree.
The entire city of Aelsryel was soon filled with elemental power, creating a terrifying spectacle.
Sadly, these scholars were no match for the demonic tree.
Each branch of the tree was like a sword—seemingly alive, fending off the city’s mages with ease.
Worse still, its vitality was endless. Even when its branches were severed, they regenerated instantly.
The scholars attacked relentlessly, suffering heavy losses, but the demonic tree remained unharmed.
In fact, after absorbing the blood and flesh of countless scholars, its form grew even larger, nearly engulfing the entire city.
*"This tree… It must have reached Savant Lv2, an immortal body!"*
Someone cried out in horror.
Savant Lv2?!
Eirik’s heart sank. This was bad.
His own strength was only at Practitioner Lv3, and while Elvynna was powerful, she was only at Practitioner Lv9. But this tree? It was a second-rank Savant—an immortal being!
No wonder it slaughtered the citizens like cattle!
*"Looks like we need to retreat and let the NPCs handle this. Maybe we can find a way to survive…"*
Eirik muttered, but what he didn’t expect was…
【Elvynna, unwilling to stand by as innocents were slaughtered, charged at the demonic tree, engaging it in a fierce battle.】
【She summoned countless elemental giants, each one colossal enough to crush mountains, but the demonic tree was even more terrifying. From its trunk, enchanting melodies echoed, the demonic music resonating through the sky, shaking the hearts and souls of all who heard it, as if threatening to shatter the very essence of the city’s inhabitants…】
【The battle between the human and the tree was so intense that it seemed the very skies would collapse, as elemental forces clashed with cataclysmic force…】
【In the end, Elvynna was no match for the demonic tree, her body cleaved apart by its razor-sharp branches. 】
【Your chosen future empress has fallen in battle, leaving you heartbroken. In this moment, you must make a choice…】
??
She’s dead?!
Eirik stared, stunned. He had thought the appearance of the tree would be an opportunity for growth, not the death of the heroine.
After all those years of nurturing her, she was gone in mere moments?
He had a thousand curses on his lips,
but he couldn’t help but admire Elvynna. Despite knowing she stood no chance against the tree, she still charged in without hesitation.
Such valor was truly admirable.
Now, Eirik had three choices.
*【1. Survive, seeking refuge with your junior sister Pixie, whose esteemed lineage might offer a way out of the city.】*
*【2. Life and death together. Heartbroken, you choose to end your own life.】*
*【3. Charge forward, following Elvynna’s will, and battle the demonic tree until the last moment.】*
Forget it—if my wife is gone, how could I survive alone?
This game was supposed to help the heroine become the empress.
Though the first option might lead to a new heroine, Eirik had barely held Elvynna’s hand; giving up now felt wasteful.
With a deep sigh, he made his decision: he would face the tree. If he died, so be it. At worst, he could restart the game.
Next time, he’d get revenge on that tree!
【“You watched as Elvynna perished, your heart broken and resolute. You followed her path, charging towards the demonic tree, and met your tragic end…”】
【Game Over.】
Just like that, he was dead? It felt too sudden.
*"That tree must be the first boss of the game, right? Dying once is normal. Next time, I’ll need to be more cautious and take the tree down before it fully matures."*
The game’s conclusion screen appeared before Eirik.
【Your first life has ended. Your achievements are rated as white.】
Achievement levels came in many colors—gold and purple were the best, while white was the worst.
This time, he had received a white rating, indicating a poor performance.
Well, it was his first playthrough.
----------------------------------------
*【Name: Eirik】*
*【Your early life was marked by poverty and abandonment, a mere useless citizen. Though your later years led you to the path of a magic scholar, your talent limited your potential.】*
*【In the catastrophe caused by the demonic tree sweeping through the north, you heroically perished, becoming dust and forgotten by the world.】*
*【Overall Image: A mere insect from another world】*
*"Insect…"*
Eirik stared at the term for a long moment. The system's evaluation felt harsh.
*【Settlement Reward: Mirror of the First Life】*
A mirror?
What was this?
Curious, Eirik quickly clicked on the system’s description.
*[One Life Mirror: Can reflect real-life talents in the simulation, duration: twelve hours.]
Huh?
So after all that, this is just a regular mirror?
I don’t have any talents in reality, so this item is practically useless, right?
Even a direct transfer of the memories from this simulation would’ve been nice.
That Grimoire of Arcane Mastery was something he really desired!
“Maybe it’s due to the low score? I need to try again, definitely aiming for a higher rating this time!”
Eirik pondered quietly.
The system had previously hinted that the higher the score, the more abundant the rewards.
There were even legendary magical traits and rare spellbooks he could potentially earn.
This time, though, the white achievement level was indeed quite low.