Chapter 215: ·Power Is Proof
The Ironwood elder’s accusation was an extremely serious one. It directly painted Nolan as a potential fraud, fundamentally calling into question the legitimacy of his identity.
Given the Wood Elves’ long-held prejudices against humans, there were many who found his words convincing. As soon as he spoke, all eyes turned to Nolan. Some elders nodded slowly, while the Stag Guards glared at him as if he had already confessed.
Standing below the elders’ seats, Finley could not help but feel a trace of schadenfreude, struggling to suppress the upward curl of his lips. There was even a sense of secret satisfaction in his heart.
The reason he was present here was not only his role as vice-captain of the forest patrol, but also his other identity. He was the eldest son of Elder Sind, head of the Flourishing Leaves family, and the undisputed future patriarch of the clan. His attendance had been arranged by his mother so he could familiarize himself with the affairs of the council and pave the way for his eventual entry into the center of power.
In the past, he had no interest in such matters and only wanted to remain in the patrol, closer to Romina. But this time was different; he had agreed almost without hesitation. He knew well the conservative faction’s attitude toward outsiders, and even more so their obsession with the Foundation of Life they had guarded for a thousand years. Watching Romina show clear favor toward that outsider, and seeing how the young Wood Elf girls in the patrol whispered about Nolan day after day after meeting him, filled Finley with frustration.
That attention, that admiration, should have been his.
He was fairly certain that Nolan’s claim of slaying the Demon Overlord was true. However, with no corpse left behind, there was no way to verify it, and the person involved could hardly prove it alone. So he simply stood there in silence, watching with interest, prepared to enjoy the sight of the human lord being put in his place. He had no intention of speaking up for him.
“Are you saying,” Ailindel finally spoke, her voice calm and devoid of ripples, “that you doubt me—and the thirty thousand elite warriors of all races who died in the War of Heaven while capturing Qroshu?”
Elder Ironwood’s sturdy body visibly stiffened. He might dare question a human of unknown origin, but he would never dare question a Moon Elf hero, nor the sacred war that had determined the fate of the world and the martyrs who had fallen in it. The weight of such an accusation was far beyond him. His momentum faltered at once, though he forced himself to continue.
“Lady Ailindel, I meant no such thing! I only… I only worry that you may have been deceived by a cunning human. People from outside will stop at nothing for their own gain. You know this—they are unlike us elves, ever fickle and full of schemes.”
Nolan sighed and raised a hand to stop Ailindel, whose expression had already turned cold. “That’s enough, Ailin.”
He gently patted the back of her hand, signaling that she need not be angered. “There’s no point in trading words. I don’t want to waste any more time.” He stepped forward, his gaze sweeping across the five elders before settling on Elder Ironwood and Elder Sind. “Since it’s come to this, I suppose I should show you something.”
Show them something? The elders frowned, unable to guess his intentions.
“You seem to know that beings like Demon Overlords are nearly impossible to truly destroy,” Nolan continued. “Good. That saves me the trouble of explaining. Then you also acknowledge that each Demon Overlord’s Soul Imprint is unique, correct?”
Elder Sind’s patience had clearly run out. “These things are recorded in our ancient texts! What exactly are you trying to say? Stop speaking in riddles!”
“I prefer action to words,” Nolan replied calmly, stepping slightly in front of Ailindel. “You may treat me however you like; I can laugh it off. But the baseless doubt cast on Ailindel just now—I cannot ignore that. I’ll say this again. I came here for Romina’s sake, to fulfill my promise to her and to protect my own territory, not to curry favor with anyone.”
He took two more steps forward. His presence began to rise steadily, an invisible pressure spreading outward as the full aura of a Golden-tier powerhouse was released without restraint.
“What happens next, I expect all of you to keep to yourselves.”
The near-threatening tone instantly ignited Elder Ironwood’s temper. He slammed the table and roared, “What? Human, are you thinking of using force? Let me tell you—the children of the forest will never bow to threats!”
“No,” Nolan said with a faint smile. “Not to boast, but if I intended to act…”
The first half of his sentence was in his normal voice. But as the latter half rang out, it shifted into a deep, resonant echo.
“…you would already be corpses.”
At that moment, four pairs of enormous, distinct wings unfurled slowly from his back. One pair was burning crimson bat wings. One pair was pure white feathered wings, sacred and immaculate. One pair resembled the black membranes of a dragon. And the last pair gleamed like metal, radiant gold.
Red, white, black, and gold wings beat gently behind him, exuding a strange and magnificent aura that expanded his shadow into something immense. Nolan raised his head. The whites of his eyes had turned completely black, and at the corners flickered two clusters of abyssal flame.
The tag “Half-Demonization” flickered silently in his status panel.
In the instant Nolan completed his transformation, the light within the Hall of Tree Shepherds dimmed. A tremor from the depths of the soul seized the hearts of every Wood Elf present. It was the instinctive dread of orderly lifeforms when confronted with pure chaos and evil.
“N-no… impossible… this… this aura! It’s… it’s a Demon Overlord!!” The color drained entirely from Elder Ironwood’s face as he pointed at Nolan, his voice breaking.
“Guards! Guards!!”
In truth, he didn’t need to call. Everyone in the hall, aside from Ailindel and Romina, was already stunned senseless. Finley stared blankly at the man wrapped in demonic and holy wings, his mind empty, as though seeing him for the first time.
With sharp, swift movements, more than twenty Stag Guards reacted at once. They surrounded the five elders, raising their pale, moon-white spears. These elite Wood Elf warriors, who would charge even the fiercest magical beasts without hesitation, now found their hands trembling uncontrollably.
The Grand Elder’s face was ashen. He pointed at Nolan, his lips quivering, unable to form a single word.
“Relax,” Nolan said lightly, snapping his fingers.
At the crisp sound, the four pairs of wings vanished back into his body. The darkness and demonic flames in his eyes receded, returning to their original clarity. The overwhelming pressure that had threatened to crush the entire hall disappeared in an instant.
Sunlight filtered once more through the leafy dome, falling upon Nolan in his dark green robe, as if nothing had happened.
Half-Demonization was his trump card and his greatest secret. In a world of order, such an identity, once exposed, would bring endless trouble. The fate of that lone demon-wielding player from his previous life stood as a bloody lesson. Therefore, he had no intention of telling the truth.
Looking at the still-shaken Wood Elves, he offered a half-true explanation, “I am still myself, an ordinary human. What I showed just now was the true soul form of Qroshu, the Rebellious Serpent Head. After erasing its existence, I used a certain method to eliminate its Soul Imprint in the Abyss and transfer it onto myself, using my own being as an anchor to seal it permanently. Although this Soul Imprint holds no power, its aura does not lie.”
He spread his hands, wearing a harmless smile.
“Now, do you have any further questions?”
He paused, his gaze sweeping over their pale faces, his tone turning lighter.
“I’ve already shown my sincerity. Please do not reveal what you witnessed today to anyone else. Otherwise…” He added with a faint smile, “I might get angry.”