The Elven's Heart

Wave after wave of strong tremors shook the walls of the kingdom. The elves tried their best to maintain their balance, but because of that, they also found it difficult to cast spells. Only low-level magic could be used without incantations, as it required someone who had mastered magic to a certain extent to use high-level magic without chanting. Meanwhile, their attacks would not reach the Copperhaven forces with low-level magic, merely disappearing midway due to the wall's height of 40 meters.

The three Constructs were still lying on the ground, trying to get up. They didn't have much time until those three dangerous creatures started moving again and destroyed the wall. Their distance was still far enough that the elves could still destroy the ground a few more times to make them fall again. However, this meant they would be spending mana just to topple the Constructs instead of stopping them.

Cold sweat trickled down the Commander's face. She racked her brain again, looking for various ways, but the Constructs' special ability to absorb mana made her despair. How could they face them without using magic? Ordinary weapons wouldn't work on those giant coppers. They were also resistant to siege weapons. Catapults and Ballistae wouldn't be effective.

'Should we use that?' she thought, clenching her hands tightly until her knuckles turned white.

The elders had given the incantation to break the seal, but that meant they had to be ready to sacrifice themselves.

The Commander's right-hand man was stunned to see his Commander strike her own face until fresh blood flowed from the corner of her mouth. He was about to ask what happened, but seeing the familiar look in her eyes, he realized that the time had come.

He nodded in understanding and used magic to amplify his voice so it could be heard throughout the kingdom. "Listen! Commander Vey has given the order! We will use 'Elven's Heart'! The Copperhaven forces are approaching the wall with three Constructs; this is the only way for Veyrain to survive! So..." He bit his lip, gathering his courage, and said, "Pray for us to win this battle."

At the same time, the Commander began chanting the long incantation, feeling the kingdom's mana slowly flow towards her. The abstract green patterns on the wall where she stood suddenly glowed brightly, channeling more mana so the high-level spell could be completed.

Seeing this, the Copperhaven Commander ordered an immediate attack. But once again, their assault only struck the protective magic circle, merely shaking the wall, but not the hearts of the elves. They had fully committed themselves, ready to protect Veyrain by any means necessary, even if it meant sacrificing their own lives.

"Release!"

A green light shone from Veyrain, coating every surface and corner of the kingdom with a bright, beautiful green hue. The elders saw it and could only grit their teeth, realizing what was about to happen on the front lines.

Every citizen of the kingdom knelt, clasping their hands in front of their chests, praying for the elven soldiers' struggle and hoping for their victory, with tears streaming down their faces. Sobs could be heard, marking a day that would be remembered as a day of sacrifice. Though their hearts ached terribly, they had come to terms with the departure of the kingdom's soldiers.

On the walls and behind the kingdom's gates, the soldiers' bodies began to emit a bright green light. Their bodies slowly cracked. Each clenched their fists tightly, gritting their teeth to endure the excruciating pain, preferring to lose their lives. But the vision of the citizens praying for their departure strengthened their hearts and their resolve as they shouted in rage.

Suddenly, roots moved, emerging from the ground and enveloping their bodies. The roots fused with their skin, using the elves' bodies as a source of power, especially from their hearts, which had now turned into beautiful blue crystals. These crystals would sustain the elves' lives while their souls were used as the power to animate the wooden golems they called 'Elven's Heart.'

"It's been an honor being your right hand all this time, Commander," he said, tears falling as he smiled before his handsome face was covered by roots, forming a visage without a mouth or nose and only four sharp eyes made of bright green light.

Vey bit her lip, holding back her tears at the loss of the person she trusted so much and was supposed to marry the next day. She looked ahead, focusing on the Copperhaven forces that had caused all this, transforming her gaze into one of pure rage before finally closing her eyes, which were then replaced by the same four eyes. However, her eyes shone much brighter, emitting an aura of green light from within.

They leaped down from the wall, landing on the ground with a great crack forming beneath them, where roots spread out widely, becoming their primary weapon. Additionally, there were countless roots here, as they were in the elven forest, making the Elven's Heart the elves' ultimate weapon when the kingdom was on the brink of collapse, sacrificing their souls as a source of power. This was the only reason it had never been used until now.

The Copperhaven forces watched as the massive roots spread so quickly, shooting out without giving them time to react. Suddenly, their bodies were bound by numerous roots emerging from the ground and coming from the trees. They struggled to break free using magic, but their spells were no match for the high-level magic powered by the elves' souls.

They screamed in terror as they watched the bodies of the knights being crushed effortlessly by the roots, which remained unyielding despite repeated attacks. The wooden golems hurled the lifeless bodies into the back lines, disrupting their formation as they struggled not only to avoid the flying armored corpses but also to cope with their fear of death.

Step by step, the wooden golems advanced, swatting away each fireball aimed at them with thick, intertwining roots that formed one massive, sturdy root.

But the threat from the elves was not limited to that.

The three Constructs had risen, each gripping a large hammer and ready to smash the kingdom's wall. They started to step forward but suddenly fell back down, pulled by massive roots—a mass of roots nearly matching the size of their arms. The roots didn't stop there; others emerged, binding their other legs and forcibly spreading them apart.

The sound of cracking copper could be heard, adding to the fear of the troops who no longer knew what to do, as their Commander stood still, doing nothing but watching as the kingdom's three Constructs were destroyed by the elves. These Constructs, which were supposed to be his ticket to victory and a promotion, had become mere wreckage on that cursed ground.

Massive explosions erupted due to the unstable Mana Stones, sending the Copperhaven troops flying in all directions. Many were torn apart or incinerated completely. The large explosions decimated an area with a diameter of 50 meters, leaving only a few Copperhaven soldiers still able to fight.

The Commander also lost his right arm, groaning loudly as he tried to endure the excruciating pain and prevent himself from passing out. His body was drenched in sweat, and his heart pounded rapidly, signaling that death was near.

Not far ahead, the wooden golems were finishing off the remaining troops, giving them no chance to escape. His body trembled as he witnessed the sheer brutality of the wooden golems, far more merciless than any story he had ever read about Elven's Heart.

According to information from the book, the eye color of each Elven's Heart varied depending on the extent of their vengeance against their enemies. The colors ranged from red, orange, yellow, green, blue, to purple. The ones before them had green eyes, indicating the fourth level of intensity.

This force stood no chance against them. They were merely the initial troops meant to attack small towns, not one of the continent's main powers. Even the three Constructs they had been given were nothing compared to the Elven's Heart, which drew power from souls rather than mana. Their Constructs were only useful against those who used magic, but were a significant weakness against those who used something else.

Until now, the Commander had never heard of any power other than mana or souls like those used by the Elven's Heart. That was the reason he accepted this mission and saw it as a golden opportunity.

Now he realized, after surveying the battlefield around him, that they were all just sacrifices, much like the Elven's Heart before him. The difference was that they were not praying for success, but for their deaths.

From behind, several airships could be seen approaching, carrying many more Constructs. The Commander laughed loudly at the sight, a desperate laugh filled with hatred towards Copperhaven for using not only his life but also the lives of his troops.

A root pierced his body from behind, fresh red blood flowing down and slowly dripping onto the ground. He coughed up blood with his final words, "Damn you, Copperhaven."