Chapter 240: Conflict Between Elves and Dwarves

"Many thanks for your assistance. Had you not quieted it so quickly, it would have wrought far greater destruction upon the Forest of Origin."

Krei, the elven ranger, sheathed his longbow and short blade, offering a sincere expression of gratitude to Wang Yu and his companions.

"It was only right. The elves have helped me much in the past. But beyond that, I am more concerned with the state of this forest. To judge the entire woodland by the condition of this War-Tree—surely the problem is far more complex than it appears..."

Zieg walked over to the War-Tree, which had reverted to its towering, arboreal form. He wiped his hand across its trunk, coming away stained with the crimson blood of a beast. As the metallic scent filled his nostrils, he turned to Krei.

"It is indeed dire. The trouble is, beyond observing these sudden outbursts from the War-Trees, we have been unable to gather further information."

"For the specifics, you may consult your friend; his status should be sufficient to answer what you seek. As for me, I am but a ranger, and I lack the authority to disclose such matters to you."

Krei replied, his tone grave, though he showed no excessive signs of alarm.

"Mr. Ranger, if I may, could you tell me roughly how many War-Trees reside in this forest?"

Avia, who had been examining the branches of the War-Tree with Wang Yu, posed the question to the elf.

"Hmm, that is no secret. The unique environment of the Forest of Origin allows War-Trees to manifest far more easily here than elsewhere. Consequently, they account for about one-fiftieth of the total tree-spirit population in this forest."

Krei did not refuse to answer a question lacking in confidentiality, stating the figure plainly to the girl.

"So many? With creatures of this size, even if only half were to go berserk, the destruction would be catastrophic, wouldn't it?"

Wang Yu made a rough estimate of their numbers and realized that, given the scale of the forest, there were at least a thousand of them. The thought of so many War-Trees moving in unison was terrifying.

"Indeed, they are formidable. As magical entities, War-Trees possess high resistance to magic; large-scale area-of-effect spells are largely ineffective against them. Once their numbers swell, they become nearly impossible to handle."

Avia, prompted by Wang Yu’s gaze, confirmed his suspicions. While they had dealt with this single War-Tree quickly, it had merely been pacified, not destroyed.

Imagine a thousand War-Trees on the march. Magic would have limited impact, and if warriors were sent to engage them in melee, they would either be crushed by sheer force or find themselves unable to harm the thick-skinned, wooden giants.

"Rustle, rustle..."

The sound from the woods drew Wang Yu’s attention. Several elves, cloaked and armed with longbows and short blades, emerged from the trees to join Krei.

"Krei, you handled this quickly. And what is the situation with these outsiders?"

One of the rangers approached, first praising Krei for completing the mission solo, then questioning him about Wang Yu and his group.

"They are our guests. This gentleman carries a Golden Maple Leaf as a token, and it was through their aid that I was able to pacify the War-Tree so smoothly."

Krei gestured toward Zieg, introducing him to the newcomers.

"A Golden Maple Leaf? My apologies for the discourtesy. Please, accompany us to Liahim; you are all our honored guests."

The elf who had spoken was visibly startled upon learning of the token. He immediately offered a graceful bow to Zieg, as did the other rangers who had arrived.

"Then we shall trouble you."

Zieg did not stand on ceremony. With a smile, he led Wang Yu and the others to follow the rangers deeper into the forest.

As they trekked through the increasingly lush and verdant Forest of Origin, Wang Yu scanned the distance, but found only more forest. The fabled elven capital, Liahim, remained nowhere to be seen.

"Is it underground, or what? We’ve been walking for so long, it should have appeared by now."

While pondering the location of the elven city, Wang Yu examined the surrounding woods and discovered several rare treasures that would be considered exotic in the royal capital of Alestler.

"Clear-Dew Flower, Storm-Pitcher Grass, Magic Vine, Emerald Moss, Blood-Rich Mushroom... Good heavens, these are all treasures! Well, it makes sense—a forest so rich in vitality and dense with mana would be a pharmacist’s paradise. It’s incredible."

Wang Yu expanded his senses, his perceptive gaze sweeping through the undergrowth and stone crevices, revealing a wealth of magical herbs.

They were not the sort of legendary items that would trigger grand phenomena upon birth, but they were rare and precious materials for any alchemist—and most importantly, they were abundant.

"Everyone, if I may ask, is it permissible to harvest these herbs? If so, I would like to collect some as ingredients for my potions."

Wang Yu was not one to be easily embarrassed. He made his request directly to the elven rangers.

The rangers glanced at him, their faces showing a hint of amusement, and they nodded casually.

"Help yourself. It is of no consequence. These herbs are hardly rare, and the rampaging War-Tree likely destroyed countless numbers of them just moments ago."

Krei, who knew Wang Yu, spoke for the group and granted the request.

"True, given the density of these plants, who knows how many were crushed just now. Hiss... what a waste."

Wang Yu clicked his tongue, understanding their indifference, yet he did not fail to offer his thanks. Few humans were ever granted entry to the Forest of Origin; he knew he was receiving a special favor.

He extended his "Chariot" power, a formless force reaching out into the surroundings. Without forcing the group to stop, he gathered every herb he spotted, pulling them toward him as they walked.

Avia opened a spatial rift beside him in perfect sync. As Wang Yu retrieved the herbs, she processed them roughly and sorted them into the void.

Checking the herbs Wang Yu plucked from hidden spots along the path, the girl’s mood brightened. These magical plants were not just for potions; many were essential for alchemy, useful in creating magical inks and alchemical alloys.

With a smile, she hummed a cheerful tune Wang Yu had once shared with her from Earth. Her spirits were high, and as for Wang Yu, from the moment he began gathering herbs, he had been in a state of pure, unadulterated joy.

The elves watched the pair, finding their cheerful harvesting rather amusing. They exchanged a few words, agreeing that Wang Yu was a surprisingly relaxing presence.

After another ten minutes, the elves slowed their pace. The lead ranger began to chant—a whisper of the natural world.

Wang Yu, now with a bountiful harvest, stopped his foraging as his senses brushed against a peculiar barrier ahead. To the naked eye, it still looked like nothing but forest.

"A marvelous thing," Wang Yu murmured to himself. The barrier resembled a magical formation, yet it was distinct.

As the ranger’s chant reached its conclusion, the veil concealing the elven city parted, revealing what lay within.

"Honored guests, welcome to Liahim, the capital of the Southern Elves."

Krei turned to introduce the realm to Zieg and the others.

It was as if a hole had been torn in the fabric of space. Where there had only been forest, a rift now opened, unveiling a thriving metropolis before them.

The first thing to strike the eye was the magnificent, towering tree—the Southern Tree of Life. Its trunk, over a hundred meters in diameter, stood at the very heart of the city. Its canopy, spreading wide with dense branches and leaves, shrouded half the sky above the capital.

The green firmament did not block the sun; rather, the light filtered through the lush foliage in a peculiar way, bathing the city below in a brilliant glow. By night, the soft radiance of the magical moon would surely drape the city in a veil of twilight.

Tiny green motes of light could be seen emerging around the Tree of Life, fading and shrinking until they vanished into the air. These were clusters of vitality, released by the tree as it converted ambient energy into life force, diffusing outward to nourish the land.

Many buildings were constructed directly upon the massive body of the tree. The giant tree’s branches and vines seemed to possess a will of their own, acting as the elves' greatest helpers; they assisted in building structures and served as elevators.

The elves never feared the tree might harm them, for they were born from it. To them, this great tree was a tall and gentle mother.

The city was built in layers, encircling the Tree of Life and relying on other, smaller giant trees. Buildings were arranged with grace, overlapping and connecting across the ground and the branches.

Unlike the chaotic, unplanned sprawl of the capital city of Shadow, the architecture here was meticulously laid out by sages. It was dense and layered, yet never felt cluttered.

Connected by wooden walkways and platforms woven from living vines, the city blended seamlessly with the trees, yet it did not feel primitive.

What surprised Wang Yu most was the architectural style. The houses on the platforms were not merely wooden structures adorned with leaves—the stereotype he had held of elven dwellings. Instead, they bore the distinct influence of human architecture.

Brick and stone masonry, accented with fine decorations, made Wang Yu feel as though he were standing in a human kingdom built both in the clouds and upon the earth.

While such a layout might pose a risk of falling for a human—and would certainly be unkind to those with a fear of heights—for the agile elves, it was perfectly natural.

Moreover, should anyone ever attempt to invade the elven capital, they would find themselves tormented by the sheer complexity of this labyrinthine city.

The elven rangers guided Wang Yu and his companions into the elven capital, hidden deep within the forest. Wang Yu glanced back; the opening they had passed through was already sealed, and from this vantage point, the forest appeared perfectly ordinary.

In truth, the impossibly towering Tree of Life should have been visible from miles away; clearly, something was shrouding Liaheim from the outside world.

"It must be a Mythallar, a technique unique to the elves. Humans adapted it into their own spell-array architecture, known as floating-point array construction. Simply put, this entire city is sheltered by a massive, living spell-array."

Avia, sensing Wang Yu’s curiosity, offered an explanation, her knowledge far surpassing his own.

"I see."

Wang Yu sighed in admiration.

As the second oldest of the five great races, the elves had left behind a wealth of technology and heritage from their golden age. Even with the losses suffered during the Abyss campaign, the remnants of their craft remained staggering.

The elven rangers parted ways upon entering Liaheim, leaving only Kree to escort Zig and the others toward the heart of the city.

"Mr. Zig, just hold the golden maple leaf and wait here. Your old friend will sense your arrival through it and come to collect you. I have other duties to attend to, so I shall take my leave."

After briefing Zig, Kree departed; the elves were far more direct than their human counterparts.

Zig followed the instructions, holding the golden maple leaf in his palm and waiting in silence.

Wang Yu could sense an invisible energy radiating from the leaf, stretching out toward the distant Tree of Life—this, evidently, was how the token functioned.

Before long, a giant eagle appeared in the sky, wings beating rhythmically as it descended straight toward them.

Aboard the eagle stood a handsome male elf, clutching a staff carved from a branch of the Tree of Life, a clear testament to his high rank as an Elder.

"Boom! Crack-crack-crack!"

The massive bird plummeted from the sky, attempting a landing, but its pilot seemed woefully inept.

Its outstretched wing clipped a nearby tree, causing the giant creature to lose its balance, tumble forward, and plow through a stretch of innocent woodland.

"..." Noelle, the red dragon girl, watched the elven Elder slide face-first into the dirt before her, hesitating whether she should offer a hand.

"Sigh, Angora’s flying skills are as abysmal as ever. He’s grown so large, yet he insisted on coming to greet you himself. How embarrassing."

Before Noelle could decide, the elf scrambled to his feet, brushing off his robes with a sheepish expression.

"Haha, Angora is just as he always was. And you, Gawain—you haven't changed a bit, though you’ve certainly grown in stature."

Zig walked over to the crashed eagle, stroking its head. As the bird leaned into the touch with a human-like expression of bliss, Zig turned to greet his friend.

"Well, I am an elven Elder; finding a way to preserve one's youth is simple enough. Otherwise, you’d see the marks of middle age on me by now. Centuries are a long time for an elf, though for a dragon, I suppose it’s but a blink."

Gawain stepped up to Zig and embraced him, his expression turning weary.

"Come with me. We shall talk at my residence."

Gawain patted Angora’s head, signaling the eagle to lower itself for the group to mount, then gestured for them to follow.

They climbed onto the eagle’s broad back, and with a powerful beat of its wings, the beast soared toward the Tree of Life.

"Gawain, what is the situation in the Primordial Forest? It seems there is trouble afoot."

Zig posed the question mid-flight, seeking clarity from his old friend.

"Indeed, you have likely sensed it already. The reality is far worse than it appears. It concerns the Tree of Life, and it concerns the dwarves. That is why Liaheim has barred its gates to outsiders; we are in the midst of a conflict with them."

Gawain explained the situation briefly, his face grave.

"The dwarves?"

Zig tasted the word, turning it over in his mind...