Chapter 764: A Bunch of New Ashen Ones Join the Game

When the Elven Queen, Kaelanbelle, learned that Sylvanas was merely a fictional character from the secret realm of the World of Warcraft, she was utterly relieved.

As a realm that championed absolute freedom, Kaelanbelle believed there was no need to extend her governance into a virtual world.

Yet, as a dutiful and capable leader, she deemed it essential to grasp the true desires of the subjects residing within her elven kingdom.

At the same time, she felt a lingering sense of self-reproach for her hindsight, only realizing the true nature of the alliance's hard-won victory after the battle at the Mount Lian Principality's defensive line.

Thus, she resolved to venture out and discover the truth for herself.

Meanwhile, within the grand chambers of the High Elder, Hiru, in the Elven Royal Court.

High Elder Hiru adjusted his ceremonial robes, preparing to step outside.

"High Elder," Elven Queen Kaelanbelle greeted as she approached, "could I trouble you with a small favor?"

"..." High Elder Hiru froze, a sudden wave of guilt washing over him as he recalled past events, and he hastily replied, "This old servant shall certainly do his utmost."

"That is wonderful!" Kaelanbelle exclaimed, pulling a massive stack of parchment scrolls from her spatial storage and placing them firmly upon High Elder Hiru’s desk. "I have far more pressing matters to attend to, so you have my deepest thanks."

With that, she departed in a great hurry.

Having been just about to leave, High Elder Hiru stared blankly at the desk, then blinked toward the direction the Elven Queen had gone.

He sank back down into his chair, muttering, "This old man..."

...

In Kaelanbelle's eyes, residing within the secluded Elven Royal Court for so long had indeed left her somewhat out of touch with certain matters.

After all, there were things that could never be truly understood through mere intelligence reports.

Therefore, she felt it imperative to immerse herself deeply, a task far more urgent than reviewing those tedious documents.

"Just... three days should suffice," she murmured, having clearly charted out a proper itinerary before her departure.

"But they must not find out..." She changed into a suit of perfectly tailored, exquisite leather armor, removed her crown, tied her hair into a neat, sharp ponytail, slung a longbow and a greatsword onto her back, and then used a spell to subtly alter her features, transforming herself into a valiant elven ranger.

...

Though the Saint Realm was exceedingly rare, this continent was vast enough, and with its massive population, the number of powerhouses who attained such a rank was not as scarce as one might think.

Pushing the door open, Kaelanbelle glanced around with her bright, perceptive eyes and spotted several familiar faces: "Isn't that Saint Wilson...? The Guardian Sword Saint?"

"And isn't that Saint Leyton from the Mount Lian Principality...?" A slightly portly, middle-aged man appeared exceptionally thrilled as he handed over a checklist, "Boss, just these ten, I want the entire Dark Souls series."

"Dark Souls 3, please activate it for me."

Owner Fang was busy activating the new game one by one for the members when a tall elven maiden stepped forward: "My name is Kaelan, an elven ranger. Can I activate this Dark Souls 3 as well? Please activate it for me too."

"Huh?" This person... I didn't even ask for your name, why do you sound so afraid that someone might mistake your identity?

"Another new elf arrived?" Accepting the money, Owner Fang gave her a strange look as he activated the game for her.

She had arrived at the perfect time; early in the morning, numerous players across the Jiuhua City shop, the Half City shop, and the Yuanyang City shop were just beginning their trial plays.

It was as if they were collectively witnessing the unveiling of a brand-new secret realm, one entirely different from any that had come before.

Amidst the darkened screen, accompanied by a hymn-like chorus, the atmosphere turned extraordinarily mysterious and eerie, while a heavy tolling of bells added an indescribable solemnity to the air.

"Yes, indeed. It is called Lothric."

"Where the transitory lands of the Lords of Cinder converge."

"In venturing north, the pilgrims discover the truth of the old words: 'The fire fades, and the lords go without thrones. When the link of fire is threatened, the bell tolls, unearthing the old Lords of Cinder from their graves.'"

Despite hearing the ancient prophecy, and even though they still did not understand what it truly portended, the scattered words of the opening cinematic allowed all the players to sense that this was a desolate and bizarre world from the dawn of creation, vastly different from any world they had ever seen, or even imagined.

One by one, ancient Lords of Cinder crawled out from their coffins, which overturned to spill a massive puddle of black sludge.

"Aldrich, Saint of the Deep."

Amidst the fog, tall and slender knights wearing distinctive pointed helms stood up slowly from the misty ruins, bracing themselves against colossal swords.

"The Abyss Watchers, Farron's Undead Legion."

The earth shook violently as a majestic figure, as colossal as a mountain, sat up from an immense stone sarcophagus. Beneath the chainmail covering the giant's head, where the face should be, lay nothing but a profound black hole, from which a hoarse roar erupted, bringing forth a tempest that seemed capable of tearing heaven and earth asunder.

"And the reclusive lord of the Profaned Capital, Yhorm the Giant."

"What on earth is this...!?" This had completely broken away from the world anyone knew; all that could be seen was ruin and destruction, and even the lords and saints were such nightmare-like existences.

The Elven Queen Kaelanbelle, along with a crowd of Saint Realm powerhouses, could not help but shudder deeply upon witnessing this scene: "What kind of world is this exactly?"

The elves, knights, and several Saint Realm experts who were watching the opening cinematic could not resist taking off their virtual headsets to look around, only to see the same deep solemnity and sheer horror reflected on the faces of everyone else.

"Only, the Lords will abandon their thrones..." The ancient voice on the screen continued.

"And the Unkindled will rise. Nameless, accursed Undead, unfit even to be cinder. And so it is, that ash seeketh embers."

After finishing the character creation and class selection, a bell tolled, and everyone now controlled their own characters as they crawled out from a nameless, dust-sealed stone coffin within that bleak cemetery.

Looking at the scattered stone coffins and tablets strewn about, the gray and lifeless valley, and the gray mist that shrouded the entire world, it felt as though they were trapped inside a living nightmare.

If this was a myth, then it was a myth that could only exist within the darkest depths of their worst dreams.

It was even more absurd and eerie than a nightmare.

It felt like the hidden flip side of this beautiful and prosperous world, diametrically opposed to everything they knew, a world steeped in darkness and despair, waiting for its ultimate demise.

"Undead...?" No, they were not mere specters; a peaceful slumber after death was perhaps a luxury far beyond their reach.

They were those nameless, accursed Undead who were unfit to be cinder; upon death, they did not receive a quiet rest but were instead resurrected near the bonfire, forced to experience death over and over again in this nightmare of a world, resurrecting repeatedly until their minds completely shattered and they became mindless Hollows.

"How could such a world even exist..." At this moment, Su Tianji had started a live stream, her face completely pale with terror as she carefully guided her character forward, "This looks a bit terrifying, doesn't it... let's just try playing it first..."

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Regarding the Children's Day chapter... it really wasn't a backlog saved up on that day, it's just that the inspiration at the time wasn't suitable to write down... how could an author on Qidian have ten days' worth of backlogs... it doesn't exist...

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