Senril trees only grow in the western continent.

They're as symbolic to the west as cherry blossoms are to spring.

And Lunaria?

Lunaria sits far to the east, warm and humid—completely unsuitable for Senril trees.

Elena's brows knit together, confusion deepening.

"But then… where are we? And if that's not the World Tree of the elves, then what…?"

Her voice trailed off as she looked back up.

The gargantuan tree towered so high its peak vanished into the clouds.

Its presence alone felt ancient—sacred.

Powerful enough to make your breath catch.

The answer was simple.

"It's another World Tree," I said quietly. "One that exists in this world besides Eldrian."

Elena blinked. "Another…? But that can't be right. There's only one World Tree in existence—"

"That's what people think," I cut in. "Because that's all they've been told."

In truth, there are three.

The first—Regitera, growing in the frozen lands of the far north.

The second—Eldrian, the one everyone knows, standing proudly in Lunaria, the land of the elves.

And the third…

My eyes drifted back to the colossal trunk rising before us, its bark shimmering faintly with draconic mana.

"…Kadirti'rā," I whispered.

The World Tree of dragons.

The tree said to grow in the impossibly high mountain range known as the Dragon's Nest—a place where even powerful sorcerers dared not tread.

Elena stared at me, expression blank with disbelief.

"We're… in the Dragon's Nest?"

Her voice was barely audible, like she was afraid saying it out loud would make it true.

I wasn't any less stunned.

Finding myself standing before the World Tree of dragons… something that shouldn't have been possible for humans at all.

But the towering presence in front of us made one thing certain.

We were nowhere near Lunaria.

We were somewhere far more dangerous.

Somewhere that shouldn't be touched by any mortal—

Yet here we were.

And the World Tree of dragons watched us in silence, as if waiting.

This was Alkelion—deep inside the dragons' nest.

Leaving Elena behind as she continued turning in circles with a confused expression, I slowly surveyed our surroundings.

At first glance, it looked like an ordinary forest.

Trees towering above us, dense shrubs, unfamiliar plants scattered between the roots.

Nothing that screamed danger.

Nothing that looked like the dwelling of ancient apex predators.

But the longer I looked, the more wrong everything felt.

"…It's too quiet," I muttered.

Elena blinked. "Quiet? It's a forest. Forests are supposed to be—"

"No. Listen carefully."

I closed my eyes and strained my ears.

Nothing.

Not even the faintest rustle.

No insects buzzing.

No birds singing.

Not a single whisper of life.

The silence pressed against my eardrums like a weight—unnatural, suffocating, absolute.

And that alone was enough to confirm it.

This was Alkelion.

A land where dragons lived.

A place where no lesser creature could survive long enough to leave a sound behind.

"Now I get it…" Elena whispered, her expression tightening as she finally sensed the strangeness. "The air feels… heavy."

"It's the dragons' presence," I said.

"Creatures with weak bodies die the moment they get close. The ones that are just a little stronger still flee before they collapse."

So this was the world seen from the perspective of the food chain's absolute peak.

A forest full of life—but not a single living sound.

Because nothing dared make one.

A chill slid down my spine, not from fear but from instinct.

Even the slightest misstep here could be fatal.

"What should we do now?"

Elena tore her gaze away from the distant World Tree and looked at me with wide, uncertain eyes.

"Well…"

Her question made me mentally flip through the events of the manga again.

Lumine had teleported all of Class E straight into Alkelion—calling it a "test."

But in truth, she simply dumped them here and left them to survive on their own for three days.

So the first priority was obvious.

"We need to find a place to rest," I said.

Shelter for three days… without it, we'd be soaked the moment it rained, or worse—exposed to monsters or the cold.

"The professors will come get us eventually," I continued, "but we still have to hold out until they do."

"Right… that makes sense."

Elena nodded, taking it more seriously than I expected. She looked around, scanning the trees like she was trying to memorize the terrain.

But after a moment, her eyebrows knitted together.

"Um… which direction should we go? Hehe."

Her awkward little laugh broke the tension entirely.

I couldn't help but smile.

"Don't worry about that. Just follow me for now. We'll scout the area and see what we find."

"O-Okay!"

I stepped forward first, brushing aside low branches as we headed deeper into the forest.

Sunlight streamed through the dense canopy above, scattering light across the moss-covered ground.

Birds chirped somewhere unseen, and a faint breeze rustled the leaves overhead.

Despite the peaceful scenery, I stayed alert.

This wasn't an ordinary forest.

Alkelion was filled with mana-rich wildlife—and many of those animals were anything but harmless.

Elena walked close behind me, sometimes stepping on twigs that snapped loudly under her boots. Each time she jumped a little, glancing around nervously.

"…Louis, this place feels a little scary."

"Well, it's supposed to be. That's the point of the test."

"I know, but still… stay close, okay?"

"I'm literally right in front of you."

"Oh. Right."

She smiled sheepishly.

Even in a forest filled with dangerous creatures, she somehow made the atmosphere feel lighter.

As we continued, I scanned the terrain carefully—looking for signs of a clearing, a cave, or anything remotely suitable for shelter.

Three days.

If we wanted to survive comfortably, we'd need water, safety from monsters, and a place to block the wind.

And most importantly—

To avoid the place where the first major event in the arc was supposed to happen.

I narrowed my eyes ahead.

"Let's pick up the pace," I said. "I have a few places in mind."

And with Elena following quietly behind, I led us deeper into the unknown forest.

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