Aren got to the tree. He stood outside and did not walk towards it.

"What’s happening?" Aiden asked.

"Waiting, they are coming," he responded after sensing them coming with shadow senses. He looked at the tree calmly.

Suddenly, a portal formed on the tree, and from it, four dark elves came out, each one draped in black mage robes, their sleeves and collars embroidered with golden thread that hinted at regality.

They stood taller than the average dark elves, their eyes carrying a depth that could pull someone deep into it. One of them stepped forward. He looked at Aren with a calm gaze, and then she spoke, "Are you the one that has brought such calamity to our doorsteps?"

"I don’t have the time for this," Aren said in a low tone, doing his best to keep himself from collapsing. "All I want is the direction to the Gate of the Abyss. Give that to me and I’ll leave you."

"The Gate of the Abyss is far from here, and not a place that someone like you could go to. For it is guarded by darkness itself, and only a demon or one who wishes to free the abyss can access it," the elf spoke.

Aren gritted his teeth under the mask, his anger rising rapidly. He looked at the elf. "I’ll destroy your entire town and then proceed to consume every one of you to ensure that you die, so give me what I want now," he threatened.

"Human, know your place," the elf spoke, his eyes shining with a deadly glow. All the elves there immediately summoned weapons, spears and swords that glowed red with demonic energy. Their mere presence alone caused the air to pick up like a storm.

Aren had enough at this point and with a thought alone, the celestial warrior reacted, attacking with a slash from a distance. An arc ripped through the air so fast that the normal eye could not follow. It slashed right through the great tree and completely cut it in half. The top half fell to the side and into the buildings that were close by, completely flattening them into nothing but rubble.

The elder elves that stood before Aren were stunned when they saw this.

"I told you to tell me where the gates are," Aren growled. He clenched his fist so hard that his knuckles went white. He looked up and his eyes glowed through his mask.

"Hmmm, despite your strength, we cannot hand such information to the likes of you, and we will surely punish you for daring to touch the tree which has lived with us for so many years," the elf said in anger, his calm expression washed away after the tree was cut down. He gripped the sword in his hands and was ready to go.

Aren looked at him and then smirked from under the mask. He turned and looked at his friends. "Give me some space."

They heard his voice and absolutely knew that he was not here to joke. They moved back all at the same time. Aren summoned his sword, the Ancient Devourer.

"How dare this human..." one of the elves with a spear tried to speak, only for the blade to be right there in his face. The elf managed to raise his spear, the collision throwing him back fast, only for a blast to rip from the air above and slam right into the elder, so powerful that it turned him to complete dust, and then a shadow formed and swallowed all the particles.

Ken had killed one in a second with the help of his shadow. After killing that one, he turned his head and looked at the rest of the elders. "I can only guess that your lack of fear is the belief that you cannot die. I’ll tell you this once, give me what I want or you die."

This was his final warning and the most effective. The very thing that the elves had feared so much that they sold themselves to the abyss, death, and now they faced it in real time.

Realizing that Aren was an enemy that could really kill them was the kick that they needed. They froze and did not attack at all.

"How can you kill us?" the leader asked.

Aren let out a groan. He was tired of the talks. The leader saw the impatience in Aren’s eyes through the mask and immediately stepped back. "We will tell you how to get to the gate, just please leave us alone after that."

Aren looked at the elves, disgusted by the way they acted.

’They fear death so much that the sight of it makes them cower. They were not offered protection, they were offered an eternal prison.’

The elf waved his hand in the air and a rolled-up scroll appeared. He handed it to Aren.

"This is a map that covers a huge chunk of the domain and the gate as well. It should help and guide you. Take it and please leave us alone."

Aren took the scroll. He looked at it while it was still sealed and then broke the seal. He peeked inside and indeed there was a map. After that, he turned to leave with not another word uttered. Not because he had nothing to say, but because he was dying inside and needed to get away from here as fast as possible.

The moment he made it a small distance away from the tree, his body gave out and he collapsed to one knee and coughed so much blood onto the floor, even the mask could not stop it.

"Aren," they all called out. The celestial warrior vanished from the cliff.

The elder elves noticed that Aren had collapsed, and when he did, the massive shadow vanished as well. Instantly, they knew this was their chance. They knew that if they took the opportunity they were given right now, they would be able to kill the being that could kill them.