Prince Leo felt like death. He stood in a humid underground chamber, sweat trickling down from his brow. An intricate network of thick, black roots sprawled across the floor and walls like veins, and at the center of the cavernous space stood a colossal tree with shimmering silvery leaves: the last of its kind.

Just as he was about to wipe his sweat off his brow, a woman dressed in a sharply tailored dark jacket came running with her knees looking ready to pop from the black trousers. Her silver lapel shone with the dim glow of the tree's leaves. Skidding to a stop, she shoved the handkerchief at him with both hands.

The Prince took the handkerchief with a scowl on his face. "Took you long enough, Alyssa."

The butler bowed her head with her eyes cast down. "Apologies, Your Highness."

"Is everything ready?"

"The mages are ready to fire at your command. Not only that, the royal guards have secured every inch of the perimeter, and I've made sure all the chroniclers are in position."

Prince Leo glanced around and observed several blue-robed mages positioned strategically around the chamber. Each one had floating orbs hovering in front of them. He smirked at the sight before turning his attention back towards Alyssa. "Make sure they catch my good side. The people deserve to have a good look at their crown prince."

Alyssa nodded, her forehead glistening with sweat. She took a deep breath, then gestured towards an ornate golden podium that stood nearby. "Feel free to start whenever you wish, Your Highness."

Prince Leo took a few steps towards the podium, his cloak trailing behind him. But suddenly, he stopped and turned back to call out to Alyssa. "Wait!"

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"Did we end up hiring those adventurers for security?"

Alyssa's gaze shifted towards a man standing at the far end of the chamber who wore a green-hooded cloak. "We could only hire one, Georg of the Green Dragoons."

"Is that really all?"

"Please understand, Your Highness, the war is—"

The Prince cut her off with a wave of his hand. "I know, I know, forget about it."

With a final nod, Prince Leo turned away from Alyssa and proceeded towards the podium. As he positioned himself, he took a moment to survey the crowd. Dozens of chroniclers and royal mages stood at the ready, while hundreds more of the royal guard stood in neat rows behind them. It was a somewhat acceptable crowd, but the Prince did wish he could have spoken to the masses directly.

Still, he had a duty to perform as crown prince. And he'd be damned if he didn't do it well.

"People of Lizeria! I am Prince Leo, firstborn son of King Regulus IV, and am here today to deliver to you all a message of great jubilation."

The Prince's hand swept towards the gargantuan tree that stood behind him. "Today, our glorious kingdom will have the honor of permanently exterminating the last wild dungeon in the world!"

The declaration set off a ripple of applause among the members of the royal guard, mages, and chroniclers nearby. The atmosphere was nearly riotous, before gradually tapering off into a respectful silence, allowing Prince Leo to resume.

"Destroying this dungeon tree is not the end, but merely the beginning—"

Abruptly, the earth shook with great force and cut off his speech. Prince Leo gripped the podium while the royal guard swayed with the tremors shaking the ground.

But, as quickly as it had happened, the shaking ceased. Once he dragged himself back up to the podium, Prince Leo shot a look towards Alyssa, who gestured for him to keep speaking.

He managed a nod that looked convincingly calm and forced his gaze and posture to be as perfect as it could be. "Destroying this dungeon tree will usher in a new age for Lizeria. After the tree's removal, our finest mages will create the world's most powerful artificial dungeon core. Then, we shall return to implant it in place of the tree, cementing Lizeria's place in world history forever."

Prince Leo raised his hand with a gravitas that commanded the undivided attention of all present, his people trusted him and he could not disappoint. "On my command, the royal mages with me shall unleash their magic to burn the tree you see behind me to ash!"

"Align!"

In response, the royal mages took out their spellbooks and activated them, each levitating before their eyes. They then extended their right hands towards the silver-leafed tree.

"Channel!"

At the Prince's word, the mages traced intricate patterns in the air in synchronized motion. Their spellbooks responded in kind, flipping rapidly as pages illuminated with an ethereal glow.

The air vibrated with energy as the chanting reached its crescendo. Prince Leo took one last look to assess the readiness of his mages. Then, he moved his hand down in a single decisive motion.

"Release!"

The assembled royal mages launched a torrent of fire spells that surged toward the tree. Each spell erupted into a radiant comet of flame that streaked through the air with blinding speed, leaving behind trails of brilliant orange, their heat so intense that the air around them distorted.

A voracious blaze consumed the massive tree. Searing fire wrapped around its trunk, branches, and leaves in an ever-tightening embrace. The sheer spectacle of the radiant fire bathed everything in a glow so bright that it mimicked the brightness of high noon.

Watching the inferno consume the tree, Prince Leo felt a great sense of pride swell within him. Here he was, standing in the middle of what would no doubt be known as the most important moment in all of history.

He could already picture the parades and the celebratory feasts that would welcome him once he returned to the capital. The people cheering in celebration at his return, a true triumph fitting for a future king.

A smirk tugged at the corners of his lips. Growing wider and wider, until he grew to realize that the tree wasn't burning at all. He blinked a few times to make sure that he wasn't just hallucinating.

But his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. Confusion quickly swept through the crowd. The royal guards exchanged wary glances, while the mages murmured amongst themselves. A few of them gestured wildly towards the tree as he overheard them discussing the possibility of a magical barrier or a miscalculation in their spells.

Prince Leo noticed a distinct change ripple through the ranks of the royal guard. A collective gasp filled the air as they took steps backward. Though curiously, their wide eyes were all directed not at the Prince, but at something behind him.

He turned his attention back toward the silver-leafed tree. It was there he saw a humanoid figure slowly approaching.

The Prince moved down the podium and called to them. "Hey! Who are you? How did you—"

As the figure drew closer, he made out the image of a pale woman who walked with an eerily calm pace. Her gaze cut through the haze of smoke and rooted him to the spot, making him unable to look away.

Her silky white hair flowed down her shoulders and contrasted with her pitch black dress, its fabric moving and shifting like shadows given form. But it was her deep, silvery eyes that truly ensnared the Prince. Her gaze was infinite and captivating, pulling him deeper into an ocean of shimmering light.

The Prince was so enthralled that he almost didn't notice the large antlers of black wood that sprouted from her forehead. Almost.

His eyes widened in shock as thick roots coiled around some of the kingdom's finest warriors and crushed them. Some of them didn’t even have time to scream before they were reduced to blood and pulp.

Prince Leo quickly jerked his head away from the gruesome sight, but his relief was brief as he took an involuntary step back at what he saw next.

Several of the royal mages were manically scratching at their skin, while others distanced themselves. Some screamed in pain as roses burst from their flesh. Spiked vines lashed out from the blooms and struck at anyone within reach.

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Many of the mages fell then and there, while a desperate few attempted to fight back. The survivors conjured fire spells in a bid to incinerate the malevolent blooms. Yet, the vines grew far too quickly for the flames to burn away, and soon, even these resistant mages were impaled on the now burning vines.

Despite sweat soaking his body, Prince Leo still managed to maintain a semblance of composure. Stay calm Leo, everything will be fine. You just need to leave and call for reinforcements.

But as he tried to take a step forward, the Prince found himself unable to move. When he shifted his gaze downward, despair washed over him.

Thick, gnarled roots wrapped tightly around his leg and anchored him firmly to the spot. He tugged at his legs while his hands desperately grappled with the unyielding roots, but it was all useless. The more he struggled, the more the roots tightened their grip.

Breath warmed his ear and froze him entirely. He felt the silver stare locked on him now, close. In the chaos, he hadn't seen the pale woman slither up behind him.

"Don't bother." Her voice twisted his stomach into knots as tight as the vines around his legs. "You're right where I want you."

The woman's finger moved as though tallying an invisible count, her cold silvery eyes gliding leisurely across the sea of mangled corpses. "One hundred seventy-eight, one hundred seventy-nine—"

Swallowing hard, Prince Leo found his voice. "D-did you do all this?"

The pale woman didn't even give him a single glance. She barely acknowledged his presence, her cold gaze shifting past him to something more pressing on her left.

Six royal guards stood in formation with their spears raised. The weapons were each tipped with glowing runes, charged with a pulsating energy. The men’s faces were set in determination as they shouted their battle cry.

"For Lizeria!"

With a coordinated thrust, the guards unleashed a barrage of lightning bolts from their spears. The air crackled with electricity as bolt after bolt surged toward the woman.

Some strikes veered off, ripping into the earth and sending clouds of dust billowing into the air. One missed bolt struck a nearby rock and turned it into countless fragments in an instant.

For a brief moment, Prince Leo felt relief. There's no possible way some random witch can survive direct hits from six shock spears. But then, something moved from inside the dust clouds.

Panic surged through the Prince's veins. He turned quickly towards the royal guards and yelled with all the force his lungs could muster, "Look out!"

But his warning came too late. Before the men could react, black roots burst from the ground, each one as thick as a man's arm. They coiled around the guards' necks like snakes and lifted the men off their feet.

The roots tightened, and a series of loud, sickening crunches echoed through the area as they crushed the guards' necks in unison. The bodies went limp and dangled grotesquely as blood dripped onto the ground.

Prince Leo's eyes returned to the fading dust cloud. His hands trembled at his sides as he saw the pale woman emerge from the dissipating haze. She walked forward calmly, looking completely unscathed.

She paused and lightly touched her cheek, as if brushing away a speck of dust. "And… one hundred eighty-five."

Then, she turned her silvery gaze upon the Prince and flashed a small, unsettling smile. "What say you? Did I miscount?"

With his fists clenched, the Prince met her gaze with a defiant glare. "Is this just a game to you?"

The pale woman's face was expressionless. Her cold eyes never met his as she walked away. "No, this is pest control."

The Prince's gaze lingered on the pale woman as she extended her hands to summon another set of thick roots from the earth that mauled more of the remaining royal guard and mages. Yet, despite the fear that clouded his thoughts, Prince Leo summoned the remnants of his willpower and forced his breathing to steady.

He turned his head from left to right to check for anyone that might have survived. Most were either dying or already dead. Even Alyssa was nowhere to be seen. The Prince's breath quickened, but part of him still clung to hope. I just need to find that blasted adventurer and get out of this mess.

Surprisingly, Prince Leo managed to finally pull his leg free from the vines that had bound it. His heart pounded as he paused. Why is it so much easier this time?

But the Prince had little time for doubt. He took his chance and stepped forward, but soon, he felt his foot squishing something beneath him, releasing a puff of silver dust. He choked and waved frantically, trying to clear the shimmering particles from his eyes.

But as he emerged from the swirling dust, he found himself face-to-face with the pale woman. With an eerily calm demeanor, she pointed her slender finger over her shoulder to a spot just behind her.

Prince Leo couldn't believe his eyes as he saw that Georg was ensnared by several thick roots. The tendrils gradually dragged the poor adventurer into the ground below as if he was being sucked in by quicksand.

In the fleeting moments before the adventurer was swallowed whole by the ground, Georg let out a defiant chant. A spark ignited in his palm, a tiny flicker that quickly grew into a swirling mass of fire. The flames rapidly coalesced and formed the rough outline of a blade, the edges sharpening as he channeled his will into the weapon.

With a swift motion Georg gripped the hilt of the flaming sword and raised the blazing weapon high before hurling it towards the pale woman. The weapon sliced through the air, leaving a trail of embers in its wake.

For a heartbeat, Prince Leo had a sliver of hope that just maybe, the fiery sword might end this madness once and for all.

However, his hopes were dashed as the pale woman lazily tilted her head. She summoned an eruption of roots from the ground that captured the flaming sword mid-flight as effortlessly as one might pluck an apple from a tree.

Prince Leo froze completely out of fear. He couldn't even force himself to say a single word.

Seeing his petrified state, a soft chuckle escaped the pale woman's lips. She extended her left hand, causing a series of more roots to snake towards her, carrying a sword that was taken from one of the dead royal guards.

She flicked her wrist, commanding her roots to throw the weapon at Prince Leo's feet. "There's still a chance for you to end things."

The Prince's gaze dropped to the gleaming blade. His eyes flickered back to the pale woman, searching for any sign of deceit, any hint of a trap in her offer. His mind screamed for him to just run away, but it wasn't enough to stop his body from moving.

He knelt down and wrapped his fingers around the sword's hilt. The metal felt cold and alien against his skin, his palms slick with sweat. Even if his chances were slim, Prince Leo believed he had a duty to at least try. I… I need to do this, what kind of prince would I be if I just gave up now?

He mustered his strength and lifted his gaze to meet the woman's eyes. With a desperate scream, Prince Leo lunged forward and drove the sword with all his might into her chest. The pale woman convulsed, a black ichor spilling from her lips as the blade found its mark.

Contentment washed over the Prince. He did it.

But as he looked up, the visage of the pale woman morphed into a face all too familiar, too beloved. Alyssa's eyes widened with shock and betrayal as confusion etched itself into her dying gaze, "Your Highness… why?"

The Prince recoiled and let go of the blade. It clattered to the ground, but the noise barely reached his ears.

His heart wrenched as he saw Alyssa's blood seeping from the grievous wound in her chest. Desperation surged within him, but as he tried to reach out towards her, something seized him and prevented him from moving.

"We're not done yet, foolish human."

The Prince glanced at his arms and legs; several black roots had ensnared him and bound his arms and legs in an unyielding grip. He desperately tried to pull himself out and break free, but his efforts were futile.

Leo's gaze followed the pale woman as she advanced towards him with deliberately slow steps, akin to a predator closing in on its prey. "What do you want, you crazy witch?"

At first, the pale woman laughed, but her amusement didn't last for long. Soon, the Prince felt a creeping dread settle over him, like a cold hand squeezing his heart. It was as though death itself was peering into his soul, ever present and inescapable.

The Prince felt himself being dragged as the roots that bound him moved. They trailed behind the pale woman in a grim procession, leading him to the base of the silver-leafed tree that had once been the focal point of his ambition.

The pale woman paused, lifting her gaze with an expression of solemn reverence. "This is the Spirit Tree, in its prime, it was connected to every dungeon in the world."

The Prince breathed faster as he glanced at the pale woman. "Why are you telling me this?'

"Because I want to thank you."

As if to punctuate her words, Leo felt a disturbing sensation at his back, a cold, creeping caress. The roots, emboldened by her proximity, tightened their embrace and bound him further in their suffocating grasp.

"Thanks to your mages, the Spirit Tree was finally able to gather enough mana to complete my creation."

Suddenly, Leo screamed as he felt several sharp objects pierce his back. An alien presence wormed its way into his flesh, intertwining with his very essence in a violation so profound it threatened to consume him. "What… is this?"

The pale woman let out the widest smile that the Prince had ever seen. "A gift."

What followed was an onslaught of pain so all-encompassing, that it eclipsed every sensation Prince Leo had ever known. His screams tore through the chamber as he railed against the unbearable torment that ravaged his body and soul. He thrashed against his bonds until strength began to fade and his limbs started to grow limp.

But just as he thought that he was about to collapse, the pain stopped. Prince Leo's breaths came in heavy, ragged gasps, his vision blurred as if he were looking through thick mist.

He felt the gentle touch of a soft hand cupping his chin, one that momentarily soothed his aching body. The hand coaxed his head upward, guiding his gaze once again to meet the pale woman's eyes. As his eyes struggled to focus, they locked with hers, the silvery orbs piercing through the haze that clouded his sight.

Despite everything that the Prince had just been through, he couldn't deny the beauty before him. She was, without a doubt, the most stunning entity he had ever seen in his life. It was a realization that unsettled him as much as it captivated him.

With his voice barely more than a whisper, strained from his screams and the effort to speak, Prince Leo found only a few words could pass his lips. "Who… are you?"

The pale woman gently pulled away her hands from the Prince's chin. "I am Sera, Scion of the Spirit Tree. I am its wrath manifest, its sword and shield, and architect of its resurgence."

"And I will tell you this much, the great work has only just begun."