Elvynna was seething with anger. Despite her youth, the notion of romance had never once crossed her mind. She had never entertained thoughts of marriage or any similar distractions. Her singular focus had always been on mastering the arcane arts.

She was the epitome of a driven mage, obsessed with her craft!

In her vision of the future, the concept of marriage—if it were to happen at all—was something that would come only after she reached a level of power beyond imagination. And when it did, it would be on her terms: carefully planned, considered, and certainly not under these absurd circumstances.

To make matters worse, the game had forced her into the role of the one pursuing someone. The humiliation was unbearable. A prodigy like her, without needing the Regal Bone of the Ancients, was already a first-rate genius—yet here she was, being dragged into this nonsense.

The mere thought of it flushed her face with shame. How could this be happening?

But there was no time to wallow in embarrassment. Suddenly, the game’s notification system alerted her to a surge in her magical power.

"Strange... I feel like my magic is advancing faster than before—at least 30%, maybe even 40% faster than usual."

Could this be the supposed benefit of dual cultivation? Her face reddened further at the thought. No, she quickly dismissed it. Time was racing in the game, and before long, seven or eight years had passed.

Her power had skyrocketed, and she had reached Practitioner Lv5.

It was time to confront the one responsible for the chaos: the Crimson Frost Duke. If left unchecked, the demonic tree would ravage the land, reducing the entire northwest to a desolate wasteland of demons. Running away wasn’t an option. It was time to put an end to his plans and destroy the tree before it could grow out of control. Besides, the seed itself was undoubtedly a rare treasure—if she could obtain it and harness its power, it would give her a substantial advantage.

Meanwhile, Eirik had quietly celebrated his small progress with Elvynna. He had managed to strengthen their bond, albeit in a subtle way. This was a game of magic scholars, not a game of frivolous romantic pursuits.

His true goal was helping Elvynna ascend to the throne as Elf Queen, but standing in their way was the demon tree.

While his power was still far inferior to Elvynna’s, Eirik had reached Practitioner Lv2, just enough to survive the battles ahead. With their goals aligned, they prepared to face the Crimson Frost Duke.

【That night, the two of you silently infiltrate the Duke’s estate.】

【Using your stealth artifact and Elvynna’s unique magic, you slip into a hidden chamber deep within the estate.】

【Inside, you find the seed of the demon tree, carefully cultivated, and manage to steal it.】

Wait, what? The demon tree—something that had been an overwhelming foe in previous runs—was now in their hands with ease?

Eirik was taken aback. Was this a perk of being a player?

He soon realized the seed contained additional information:

【Ancient Seed from the Demon Realm】
【Species: Demon Flora】
【Power Level: Magic Practitioner Lv2】
【Innate Ability: Gathering Power (Golden) — Capable of endlessly absorbing the blood and flesh of living beings to grow. Once it takes root, all consumed energy will fuel its expansion.】
【Status: Dormant】

A golden ability? That explained the tree’s threat. The power to consume entire regions made it clear why the tree was so dangerous.

【You’ve acquired the ancient demon tree seed. What will you do next?】
【1. Destroy it. The demons from the forbidden zones of the Demon Realm are humanity's mortal enemies.】
【2. Secretly cultivate it, hoping to control its power for your own.】
【3. Refine it into a powerful weapon.】

Eirik dismissed option two immediately. The seed may look like a plant, but it fed on people—countless lives. The very idea of nurturing it made him feel ill. Besides, could it be trusted? Raising it was akin to inviting disaster.

After a brief moment of hesitation, he selected option three: refine it into a weapon. At least that way, there would be no waste and no future threats.

Elvynna appeared to have the same thought. They both chose option three.

【The demon tree seed contains immense chaotic energy. Refining it into a weapon will not be easy, but your persistence pays off.】

【After three months of effort, you’ve crafted a wooden sword hilt.】

【Congratulations! You’ve obtained a new item: Demon Tree Sword (Purple).】

Elvynna received a similar message, gaining a purple-tier sword. However, when she checked its attributes, her brow furrowed.

【Demon Tree Sword: Forged from the essence of a demonic tree sapling. Though it is just a hilt, it holds immense potential…】
【Effect: Supreme Sword Aura (Golden) — Boosts spell power by 100%, reduces energy consumption by 30%.】

A golden-tier effect? But why was it still classified as purple?

Eirik quickly realized why. The sword possessed another attribute—one steeped in dark energy:

【Curse: Demon Tree Nemesis (Black) — Having slain the demon tree, its kin have marked you. You will be hunted by the forces of the Demon Realm.】

A black curse? This debuff was far from trivial.

As Eirik processed this, an ominous warning flashed on the screen:

【One night, as you study magic, a dark figure breaks into your sanctuary. The intruder reveals himself to be none other than the Crimson Frost Duke!】

The Duke had been hunting them ever since they stole the seed. Now, he was here for revenge. His power was on par with Elvynna’s, but she wielded the newly forged sword, which boosted her magic power. Within moments, she overwhelmed him.

But just as Eirik began to relax, an unexpected event unfolded.

【As you breathe a sigh of relief, a faint dark glow seeps from the Duke’s corpse and enters your body.】

What?

【Eirik, your mind is wracked with pain as an ancient voice echoes in your head: "You thought I was defeated so easily?"】

It turned out that the Duke’s body had long been possessed by a powerful demon spirit from the forbidden zones—one capable of body-snatching.

【The spirit has now taken over your body, but Elvynna doesn’t realize.】

【The demon intends to use your form to assassinate Elvynna.】

In a final act of defiance, Eirik sacrifices himself, obliterating his soul to destroy the demon.

And just like that, he was dead.

The game was over.

Though he had perished, he had completed the Demon Tree Crisis quest and saved the world from disaster. His final evaluation was blue tier, a significant improvement over his previous white tier.

But the most intriguing part came next:

【Congratulations, you’ve obtained a special reward: Eye of Divine Insight (Gold Tier).

Eirik’s eyes sparkled with excitement. Could this ability be carried into the next run? Eagerly, he opened the description to find out.