Chapter 489: Corruption Beneath the Leaves

"Your goddess?" I couldn't help but chuckle. "Oh, you can tell? My 'virgin' disguise must have a hole in it."

The shimmering form of the forest spirit bowed lower, its light dimming as if in shame.

"There is no disguise that can hide your nature from this land, my goddess," the spirit's ethereal voice echoed, not in my ears, but directly in my soul. "This forest is a fragment of the World Tree. It's connected to the will of the world, and by extension, to you. We, the forest spirits, can instantly feel your presence."

"Interesting," I muttered to myself. "So this forest is a part of the World Tree. That explains a lot."

In simple terms, the forest spirits are directly connected to my soul. This world is a part of me, and the spirits are part of the world. In a way, they are my children.

No wonder this spirit could recognize me. The Mask of Silence can only conceal my divine aura. But the soul? It can't.

'Hehehe.' An evil smile crept onto my face. 'I wonder what else I can do with this connection.'

"Ahem... Rise," I commanded, my voice losing its playful tone and taking on the full weight of my authority. "I am not here to be worshipped. I am here on a... personal matter."

The spirit rose slowly, its form coalescing into a more defined shape—a tall, slender figure with long, flowing hair made of woven moss and eyes like twin pools of moonlight. It was beautiful, in an alien, untouchable way.

"Forgive me, my goddess," it said, its voice now clearer, like the rustling of leaves in a gentle breeze. "It has been... a long time since you walked this realm in your true form. We have only known you through the whispers of the roots and the songs of the stars."

"I'm flattered, really," I said, leaning back and crossing my arms. "But I'm still a bit confused. If you knew I was here, why all the monkey business?"

The spirit's form wavered, as if it was blushing.

"The Big Belly Browns... they are simple creatures. They respond to strength. Dominance, and their... 'purity,' is a primal one, untainted by complex thought. You established your dominance over them in a way they could understand. The forest saw this as a... restoration of natural order."

"Restoration of natural order?" I raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on my lips. "Is that what we're calling public anal punishment now?"

"!!!" The spirit's form flickered, and her color suddenly shifted to red, clearly embarrassed by my crude words.

'Hehehe... this is fun,' I thought to myself.

"It... was a just punishment," the spirit stammered, its mossy hair seeming to wilt slightly. "The old king had grown arrogant. He disrupted the balance. You... corrected him."

"Aren't you supposed to be the Forest of Purity? Isn't sex... a sin here?" I questioned further.

"Sex is not a sin, my goddess," the spirit explained, its composure slowly returning. "It is a natural act, a force of life and creation. The 'purity' of this forest is about balance and intention. Mindless, violent lust corrupts. Mindless, procreative creation sustains. The Big Belly Browns... they are closer to the latter than the former. Their acts, while... base, are without malice or greed."

"And my act?" I probed.

"Your act was one of justice," the spirit replied, its voice firm. "You're our goddess. Your actions are, by definition... pure."

This was getting interesting. Very, very interesting.

The meaning of 'pure' in this world isn't the same as in my old world. Here, purity is from the perspective of the Mother of the succubi, AKA my horny wife, Lilith.

Now tell me, what do you think the word 'pure' means for a succubus?

Let me tell you—'pure' means pure, unfiltered 'HORNINESS'.

No wonder this forest is filled with horny monkeys. No wonder the spirit didn't mind me fucking one of them in the ass.

"So," I said, changing the subject. "Do you need anything from me, or did you just pop in to say hi?"

"I... I need your help, my goddess," the spirit said, its voice now laced with desperation. "A sickness is spreading through the forest. Corruption. It is tainting the roots, poisoning the water, and twisting the creatures."

She waved a hand, creating a mirror of light showing me a clear picture.

The image showed the forest, but it was wrong. The trees were weeping black sap, the flowers were wilted and grey, and the animals were... mutated, their bodies twisted into grotesque shapes. The air in the image was thick with a dark, miasmic fog that seemed to swallow the light.

"This is the work of the demons," the spirit said, its voice trembling with anger. "They are trying to corrupt the forest, to use its connection to the World Tree to spread their influence across the realm."

"The demons?" I asked, my interest piqued. "What demons?"

"I don't know, my goddess," the spirit replied, waving her hand, showing me another image. "But I'm sure they are connected to the high elves."

The image shifted, showing me a group of blonde elves, their faces hidden by masks. They were slaughtering the innocent creatures of the forest, their swords glowing with a dark, malevolent energy. They were chanting in a language I instantly recognized.

Demonic tongue.

"It started about two hundred years ago," the spirit continued. "It started slow—one animal killed a month or two, not enough to draw my attention. But in the last few months, the killings have become more frequent, more brutal. The elves are not just killing anymore; they are tainting the land itself."

"It's spreading faster than I can heal it. Soon, the entire forest will be corrupted. And when that happens, I'll die."

"..." My smile vanished. "They are using the forest's lifeforce to power up a ritual, aren't they?"

The spirit nodded, its form flickering like a dying candle.

"I believe so, my goddess," it said. "The purification ritual is in two days. I fear... they plan to use it to finalize the corruption."

"I see," I said, my voice dangerously calm. "The Queen's Purification Ritual... a big, fancy public party to distract everyone while she and her demon-worshipping cronies drain the life out of your forest. Clever."

"So, what do you want me to do about it?" I asked, my fingers already twitching with the urge to kill something. "I'm here for a stag, not to play forest ranger."

"I am not asking you to clean this mess for me, my goddess," the spirit said, its form bowing again. "It was my fault for allowing the rot to spread this far. I was too weak to stop it, and I am ready to accept your punishment and die with the forest. But please, save its creatures. They have suffered enough."

'What a nice child,' I thought to myself, a warm feeling spreading through my chest. She's a good kid, even if she's a bit too formal for my liking.

I also couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. This forest is a part of the World Tree, a part of me. And it's dying because of my inaction.

I've been so focused on my own 'personal' matters that I've completely forgotten about my 'divine' responsibilities.

'I'll make sure to repay this debt later.' I made a mental note to myself.

"Don't worry," I said, my voice softening slightly. "I'll help you."

"R-Really?!" The spirit's form brightened, its mossy hair seeming to perk up. "Thank you, my goddess! Thank you!"

"But I have a condition... three, actually," I said, my tone serious once more. "First, I want you to bring me the White Stag. I need it for my plan."

"Of course, my goddess," the spirit said without hesitation. "The White Stag is the heart of this forest, its purest creature. I will command him to come to you."

"Second, I want a special kind of mushroom," I continued, recalling the Broker's request. "A blue one. The Broker needs it for a potion."

"Not a problem, my goddess," the spirit said, waving its hand. A small patch of blue mushrooms suddenly appeared at my feet. "Please, take as many as you need."

"Good," I said, picking one of the mushrooms and examining it. "And lastly, I want you to move to my land after this is all over. I'll give you a new home, a new forest, a new life."

"..." The spirit was silent for a moment, its form wavering as if it was processing my words.

"Are you... asking me to... abandon this place?" it asked, its voice trembling.

"No," I said, shaking my head. "I'm asking you to be reborn. To leave this dying shell and start anew. To be a part of something bigger, something better."

"What about the creatures of the forest?"

"We'll take them all with us."

"I..." the spirit hesitated, its gaze fixed on the corrupted image it had shown me earlier. "I... need to think about it."

"Take your time," I said, a small, understanding smile on my face. "But don't take too long. The forest is dying, and so are you."

The spirit bowed its head, its form dimming once more.

"I understand, my goddess," it said. "I will give you my answer... soon."

There are few creatures in my land due to Lilith's protective barrier—just boars, deer, and rabbits. I can use the forest spirit to populate my land with new life forms.

Furthermore, having a spirit like her under my direct command would be a great asset. And who knows? Maybe I can have some 'fun' with her later.

'Hehehe~ a spirit made of pure life energy... I wonder if she has a pussy or a dick or both...'

The spirit's form suddenly flickered, its color shifting to a bright red again, as if it had read my thoughts.

'Crap... can she read my mind?'

"I will summon the White Stag to you at midnight, my goddess," the spirit said, its voice a bit flustered. "And I will prepare the way for your... journey."

"Good," I said, my smile widening. "We can start by teleporting the creatures you want to save out of the forest."

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