Chapter 89 - 78 Can I eat one? (First update after shelving)_1
The World Tree, as it’s academically known, holds another title among the Elf Clan — God of Life. It granted life to the Elf Clan and protected their flourishing.
Elf Queen Galadriel’s eyes perked up, “Really? Where?”
Kael’danil said, “I don’t know. The distance is too far for the God of Life to sense, but it’s certainly not within the elf territory.”
All the Elf Empire is under the divine power of the World Tree. If the sprout is within this reach, its exact location could certainly be sensed.
“Search for it! Send people to find it, no matter where it is! Even if it’s in the abyss, we must locate it,” all traces of worry vanished from Galadriel’s face, replaced by excitement and fervor.
In the past, not even a sprout could break through, just like barrenness. All the sentiment and power had nowhere to be released.
Now it’s different, the sprout has sprouted! The remaining goal is to find it, and that’s not only her responsibility but also the mission of everyone in the Elf Empire.
“What if it’s within the range of human power?” Kael’danil inquired worriedly.
Without any hesitation, Galadriel stated, “If they are willing to return the sprout of the World Tree, the Elf Empire is ready to pay any price, including me.”
“What? Your Majesty!” Kael’danil exclaimed.
Gallardia, known as the most beautiful queen in Elf Empire’s history, possessed a transcendent beauty. Her eyes deep as the starry sky, her facial features are flawlessly proportioned, every angle revealing a new facet of her mesmerizing beauty. Even seeing just her face would never tire anyone.
Since her coronation, countless humans have been smitten by her. Of course, none dared to openly show it. There are countless products and souvenirs related to the Elf Queen on the black market, most of them counterfeits, but they are exceedingly popular among humans.
A spiritual painting of the Elf Queen can fetch over five thousand Demon Crystals and is always in demand.
Spiritual paintings are created by Spirit Magicians who use magic to depict subjects on the canvas. These works elicit the sensation of the person in the painting stepping out, very lifelike.
Yet even such paintings struggle to capture Galadriel’s beauty, and numerous ones are faked. Many painters have never seen the Elf Queen, so how could they paint her accurately? They are just guessworks using a random elf as a reference.
Once, a daring noble even offered a reward for the Elf Queen on the black market. But before the bounty could be posted, the noble’s assets were confiscated. The royal family, infuriated and humiliated, stripped him of his nobility.
It was a warning from the Tiwan Empire. It was a dispute between two human empires, but if something happened to the Elf Queen, it would surely escalate into full-scale war between humans and elves.
The Elf Queen, capable of bringing kingdoms to their knees with her beauty, was now saying she was ‘willing to pay any price’.
Kael’danil hesitated before asking, “Even if they are disabled or old?”
Galadriel looked deadpan, “I said, even if I have to sacrifice myself or anything else, we can do it. What were you thinking?”
“Oh, oh, oh, that kind of sacrifice …
Considering the World Tree, sacrificing the Elf Queen might not help either. Unable to help herself, Kael’danil asked, “What if the humans absolutely refuse to give it up?”
Galadriel smiled slyly, “Lan’Dai, do you know how the Church of Light, which has the most followers in the human world, reaps their faith?”
Lan’Dai is Kael’danil’s nickname, used only by the closest people. If not among relatives, using this nickname means it’s time for a serious conversation.
Kael’danil turned solemn, showing a most serious demeanor. She understood Galadriel and knew the next conversation would be one to treat with utmost caution.
The Church of Light launches holy wars to consistently harvest faith.
Eradicating heretics is just their excuse; the real objective is faith. The God of Life is our god. It concerns the rise and fall, the survival of the entire Elf clan. It is worth all our efforts to protect it. If humans are unwilling to surrender, then let’s launch a holy war of our own, a holy war of the elves.”
A large crossbow arrow was loaded onto the Hawk-style Siege Crossbow Machine; four tall elves strained to string it and adjust it to the highest shooting position. Instead of a sharp metal arrowhead, the crossbow arrow was fitted with a large signal whistle.
The bowstring made of World Tree fiber suddenly contracted and tightened. The signal whistle crossbow arrow was fired with a sharp, long whistling noise heard in the distance.
In the shade of the forest, an elf heard the signal whistle, brightened, skillfully climbed to the treetop, his sharp eyes capturing the crossbow arrow slicing through the sky. He instantly drew a signal whistle arrow from his quiver and launched it into the sky.
With the sound spreading, signal whistle arrows were shot from the treetops every few dozen or hundred meters, relayed like a baton in a relay race, spreading the sound. Even when the crossbow arrows lost kinetic energy and fell, the whistle arrows shot by the elves did not stop. They spread out like ripples, reaching the entire Elf Empire.
In the deep, dark depths of the forest, a hand suddenly lifted a helmet in the shadow of the empty roots, revealing a face with exquisite magic patterns. The shadow contorted, and an elf figure emerged from the shadow.
“The mournful sound of elves? What’s happened?” The magic pattern elf looked up to the sky.
Surrounding shadows continually stretched forth, lifting helmets to reveal figures. Several dozens of magic pattern elves had gathered in the seemingly empty shadow, all unconsciously raising their heads towards the sky.
After a moment of doubt, the magic pattern elf finally grasped the implications, thinking quickly and blowing into her fingers, a whistle echoed in the forest.
One after another, panthers leaped down from the trees, each carrying a Magic Pattern Elf and disappearing in the direction of the signal sound.
The elf families, having dinner by a brook in the depths of the forest, looked bemused at the sound of the signal.
Soon, the village guards shot relay signals into the sky, and the older Elves came out to explain the meaning of the signals, causing consternation among the villagers.
That evening, the female elves put on armor, took dried food and weapons, bid farewell to their husbands and children, and began their war journey. Groups of Elves left the depth of the forest, they were like a stream forming a creek, the creek turning into a river and then a torrent.
A massive tree sprouted from the ground, shaking off the soil trapped in its root, slowly it took a step, many such enormous trees in the forest moved slowly, the Elf Clan’s War Tree Men had mobilized.
All forces moved towards the edge of the forest, to Greenleaf City, which bordered the Human territories. The moment when Elf warriors, archers, mages, War Giant Trees, Hawk-style Giant Crossbows, Double-Headed Flying Dragons, hit Greenleaf City, the whole human world quaked.
The Elf Empire was on the move, like a deeply-rooted World Tree, trembling the entire world in the moment it moved.
Leaders from all human nations gathered via a Magic Array to hold a high-level remote meeting. The revered Emperor Fetireli roared unexpectedly:
“Who! Who! Who captured the Elf Queen?! Why has the whole Elf Empire moved?! Although Gailard is beautiful, she’s over two hundred years old, older than your great-grandmothers! Have you all gone mad?!”
After Fetireli’s rant, an attendant murmured something in his ear. Fetireli looked surprised: “What?! The Elf Queen has not been harmed? Then, have all the Elves gone mad?”
All nations received, almost simultaneously, a diplomatic memo from the Elf Empire: “Hand over the sapling of the World tree, and you will have the friendship of the Elves. Disrupt the sapling of the World Tree, and we will wage a holy war until every last foe is dead.”
Huh? World Tree? Sapling? Holy war? What the hell? All the human nations were taken aback.
Anthony, who was also seated at the table, pondered to himself: “World Tree? I seem to have heard that term recently. Where did I hear it?”
“Oh, right, the God of Knowledge. He claimed he was researching how to plant the World Tree. What a grand ambition, researching how to grow the Life Tree of the Elves. Can that even be planted?”
Back in the chamber, two dispirited Black Warriors emerged, including Polk.
Anthony had used an Elemental Converter and two hundred thousand Demon Crystals to resurrect the holy corpse and Polk.
“How do you feel?” asked Anthony. He had rushed in to attend the meeting as soon as he resurrected them and hadn’t had a chance to ask about their condition.
Polk shook his head. “Not good. Many of my memories are wiped out. I can’t remember a lot of things, and now my soul feels fuzzy.”
Anthony nodded with an expression of ‘just as I thought’: “Typical of the God of Knowledge, who thought of everything and even took precautions against old friends. Well, you guys go and rest.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Polk and the other Black Warrior saluted and began to take their leave. Suddenly, Polk paused, turned, and asked: “Your Majesty, have you ever wiped out some of our memories too?”
Anthony nodded forthrightly: “Of course. You know how pivotal my current position is. Some things in your memory, I have to wipe them out; otherwise, in situations like this, I would be at a disadvantage. I hope you understand.”
Since His Majesty was so forthright, Polk and the other Black Warrior were appeased. Yes, without some memories wiped away, what if they were captured like this time and everything would be leaked?
The two Black Warriors saluted once more and departed.
Anthony sat stiffly in place for a while. Suddenly unable to hold his calm any longer, he let out a sigh, scratched his sparse hair, and murmured: “These kids are getting harder and harder to fool.”
He then cast a Mass Purification Technique, clearing up residual traces of the
Black Warriors. He then moved the holy corpse and showered it in Holy Light.
Under normal circumstances, a priest could resurrect the holy corpse, but since the Angel was performing a private task this time, Anthony had to do it himself, and for a while, the Holy Light shone brightly.
According to the standard of Holy Light that Ange used to resurrect the Angel Skeleton, it required seven-story Holy Light, but this Holy Corpse used only three-story. He did not know if Anthony’s Holy Light was too strong or the Holy Corpse too weak.
It took seven days to resurrect the Holy Corpse in segments. Before the Angel woke up, Anthony leaned into the Angel’s ear and murmured some strange words.
When the angel woke up and saw Anthony, he reported, “The heretics have all been purged.”
Anthony smiled kindly: “Well done, child, the Light is with you.”
In the Resting Abyss, Ange, Negris, and Lightning were oblivious to the extensive shock they had caused and were discussing around those dozen saplings.
Lightning asked excitedly: “Can I eat one?”
PS: There will be more tonight; seek your first subscription..