To Liu Xinxin’s surprise, the esteemed and venerable Prophet of the Elves did not reside at the very top of the Tree of Life.
Instead, she lived in an inconspicuous corner.
The massive trunk of the Tree of Life stretched out like a great road.
Where the branches forked, a small wooden cottage stood.
Surrounded by flowers and plants, it was a quiet and secluded spot.
After the guards escorted Liu Xinxin there, they departed on their own.
Glancing towards the cottage, Liu Xinxin started walking over.
But after just a few steps, she suddenly heard a kind and gentle voice from slightly behind and to her side: “Young lady, among humans, both your level and class must place you among the very top tier, correct?”
Huh?
Liu Xinxin was taken aback, turning her head to look.
Only then did she notice an elderly elven woman in the flower bed diagonally behind her, using a small trowel to tend to the plants.
Though aged, as one of the elven folk, traces of her youthful beauty were still evident.
“Are you the Prophet?” Liu Xinxin asked.
“That would be me,” the old woman replied, rising to her feet. “Let’s sit and talk over there. It’s alright if the bucket spills; there’s a spirit spring atop the Sacred Tree, so we can refill it anytime. No need to worry.”
Bucket?
Liu Xinxin was confused, thinking the old woman was telling her to be careful.
So, she shifted her body slightly to the side to make way.
But unexpectedly, as she moved, she accidentally nudged a small wooden bucket behind her with her heel.
The bucket tipped over, spilling its water all over the ground.
Liu Xinxin was stunned.
She excelled at calculating data and preferred seeing things with her own eyes, trusting her ears less.
But what was this now?
Foreseeing the future?
This Elven Prophet was incredible!
“You… you can foresee the future?” Liu Xinxin asked in astonishment.
The old woman, however, just chuckled.
She said, “The future? The future is elusive. But the fascinating part is, if I hadn’t warned you, would you still have knocked over the bucket? Would that predetermined future still have come to pass?”
To be honest, it was a bit abstract.
“Come, sit here, young lady,” the old woman said, pointing to a few small wooden stools nearby.
Liu Xinxin complied.
The old woman sat opposite her.
As soon as she sat down, she introduced herself: “My name is Hailey. I am the Prophet of the Elves. What is your name, young lady?”
“Liu Xinxin,” she replied truthfully.
But in her mind, she thought, ‘Aren’t you supposed to be able to figure that out yourself?’
Yet, at the same time.
She remembered!
This Hailey wasn’t just the Elven Prophet; she was also the High Elder of the Elven Council!
An absolute heavyweight among the elves!
Hailey poured Liu Xinxin a cup of water.
Then she said:
“The class of Elven High Priestess exists among the elves as well, but its power is far inferior to that of human converts who take on the class.”
“This matter concerns the very survival of the elven race, hence, the summons to all.”
“That child Tina has likely already spoken to you all, but given her nature, she probably wasn’t explicit.”
“It’s understandable that you are curious about the details.”
……
Without Liu Xinxin even having to voice her thoughts, Hailey had guessed them perfectly.
Liu Xinxin nodded and said, “I do indeed want to know what exactly is happening. Accompanying the Elven Queen into battle tomorrow? A battle where the Elven Queen herself participates certainly isn’t a minor affair.”
It being a matter of life and death for the elves was no exaggeration.
Hailey nodded.
She continued:
“That child Tina was born from the Tree of Life as a High Elf over five hundred years ago. Humans back then, before the world’s digitization, were somewhat different from you humans of today. I hold no prejudice against humans, but Tina has experienced several unfair dealings with humans. So, even though you’ve converted to elven classes, your impure elven bloodline is still a point of criticism for her. That is understandable.”
After explaining the Elven Queen’s bias against humans, Hailey went on: “The elves depend on the Tree of Life. But eight hundred years ago, before Tina was born, the elven race split into two factions.”
One faction advocated for peace, wishing to live quietly and multiply within the elven territories.
The other faction was warlike, believing they should invade human lands to expand elven influence.
The story might sound cliché, but that’s how it was.
The two factions eventually engaged in a great war.
The losing side was exiled from elven territory.
“Deprived of the nourishment of the Tree of Life, the exiled elves began to degenerate, falling into darkness and becoming Dark Elves, no longer worshiping the Goddess of Life.”
“But the elves who remained didn’t fare well either. The elven race has two foundations: the Tree of Life and the Magic Stone.”
“The exiled Dark Elves stole the Magic Stone that sustains the Tree of Life’s growth.”
“The Magic Stone is of no use to the Dark Elves, and over the years, the Tree of Life has been declining.”
“As the Elven Queen, Tina’s lifelong dream is to retrieve the Magic Stone and restore the Tree of Life.”
“Otherwise, the elven race won’t last another century.”
……
Liu Xinxin’s expression changed dramatically as she listened.
She knew this was part of the mission flow, the storyline.
But she hadn’t expected it to be this serious!
So she quickly asked, “Then what exactly is this current event about?”
Hailey smiled and said, “In a desperate attempt to retrieve the Magic Stone, Tina has taken a risk and challenged the Dark Elves to battle. Tomorrow at noon, Silolo, the Dark Elven Queen, will lead her forces here for the confrontation.”
This would be the first direct clash between the Light Elves and the Dark Elves!
The stakes are the Tree of Life and the Magic Stone!
A true battle for the survival of their races!
Both the Light Elves and the Dark Elves know that the Tree of Life and the Magic Stone are inseparable!
Only the victorious side will have the right to possess both sacred elven artifacts.
The battle sounded incredibly grave, but Liu Xinxin’s expression turned somewhat peculiar.
Dark Elves… wasn’t that a perfect match for Lu Ran’s abilities?
If a fight really broke out and Lu Ran were here, he could probably subdue the Dark Elven Queen with just a glance!
Although she didn’t know the Dark Elven Queen’s combat prowess, taking Tina as an example—Tina is the maximum level LV100 ultimate boss of the elven race!
The Dark Elven Queen probably isn’t much different. If Lu Ran could subdue her, he’d essentially be the world’s top pet!
At the same time, Lu Ran could directly take control of the Dark Elf faction and retrieve the Magic Stone.
Then, Tina might even be willing to bestow the Wings of the Elves upon Lu Ran!
Everyone wins!
Thinking this, Liu Xinxin looked up at Hailey.
She took a deep breath and said, “As the Prophet of the Elves, you probably have some sense of what’s to come, don’t you?”
Hailey pondered and said, “It’s hard to articulate, vague. But if you have your own ideas, I can lend a hand.”
With that.
She reached out and produced an octagonal crystal badge.
She explained, “This is the insignia of an Elven Emissary. Only with this can a human gain permission to enter elven territory—or what you human players call access to the territory dungeon instance.”
So that was it!
This Hailey really had something to her!
“I understand. This crisis facing the elves will definitely be overcome safely!”
Accepting the Elven Emissary insignia, Liu Xinxin declared solemnly.
She had originally been troubled about how to involve Lu Ran in this, but she never expected the solution to present itself so simply!
And Lu Ran could use this opportunity to soar to new heights!
