22

The Witcher: The last King of the elves

Chapter 22 – The Intention

Strength is for the wise.

Some of the elves who had endured a great war were meditating to recover and heal their wounds, while others began building wooden houses after drinking a cup of elven spring water.

The newborn elves left the square to gather nearby wooden resources.

In a short time, the entire territory was thriving, and elves could be seen wherever one looked.

This time, Thranduil did not go out to hunt. After all, as a king, he had many other matters to attend to besides taking part in the battlefield.

At that moment, he was sitting beneath the Tree of Life, bathed in the light of nature and the life emanating from it.

The physical and mental fatigue quickly dissipated from his body.

At some point, a system message appeared in his mind:

“[...]

New tasks available…

Mission 1: Clear the ruins of the ancient elven city and slay 10,000 high-level monsters.

Mission Reward: Unlock the military structure of the territory — the Ancient Tree.

Ancient Tree: A building capable of training Treants and Guardians of Life.

...]”

Upon hearing those ancient words in his mind, Thranduil’s eyes reflected a trace of nostalgia.

Like a living library, the knowledge he had been endowed with swiftly brought forth vivid images of the Treants.

"The giant trees… the elves’ superpowered warrior race… will they finally reappear on the continent?"
Thranduil was eager to see the giants alive once more.

The old tree had nurtured Thranduil with many stories about the glorious battles of those sentient trees.

It was said that in the skies, a human could face a dragon, but on the ground, none could stand against a Treant.

The Treants’ advantages lay in their immense strength and astonishing endurance, while their weakness was their low movement speed. However, considering their massive size, their actual speed should not be underestimated.

Furthermore, the defense of the Treant race was exceptionally formidable.

On the battlefield, fighting alongside the Treants allowed the elves to wield far greater combat power.

Like the unicorns, Treants were also steadfast companions of the elves—natural and unyielding allies.

“In addition to the Treants, the tree can now grant life to stone giants.

The forest giants were once an intelligent race within the elven ranks, and their combat power was no less than that of the Treants. Their drawback, however, was their extreme rarity.

Elven druids could also create stone giants, breathing life into them and shaping a new guardian race for the elves.”

Yet, forest giants were a species bred by nature, and the conditions for their development were extremely harsh.

If the lives of the elves could be improved, Thranduil would seize every opportunity to strengthen his people. Anyone in his position would do the same, so he would be no exception in wielding that power.