Chapter 256 Chapter254-Questions and Unforeseen Changes
"Mr. Seth, you mentioned earlier about the name of the Elf King, yet you never clarified why you seemed so elated about it," Ethan remarked.
"Did I not?"
Primordial Key Seth looked puzzled and murmured, "Let me think."
After a moment, as if recalling his intended point but realizing he had been sidetracked, he added, "The fact that those Elves are unaware of the Original Elf King's name suggests something significant — that the Original Elf King is no longer a deity."
At this, a wave of confusion rippled through the group.
Feeling the need to elucidate further, Seth continued, "Upon ascending to deity, most deities adopt a specific title that represents the essence of their power."
"Like the God of Sea, God of Forest..."
"In addition, these deities have a true name. This true name serves as their unique identity, and whenever someone utters it, the deity can sense it."
By this point, the group seemed to grasp the implications.
At that moment, Ethan's gaze settled on Rose, memories flooding back to when he first stepped into the Devil Guild. Back then, Rose had divined a title for him — the "Eternal Guardian." It sounded formidable, yet by Rose's own admission, even she did not fully comprehend its meaning; it was merely the outcome of her divination.
So, what did this imply?
A fresh wave of curiosity welled up in Ethan's heart, though he chose not to voice his questions.
By this point, the trial seemed all but complete, yet there was no hint or indication for their next steps.
Rose, growing anxious, turned to Seth and queried, "Mr. Seth, do you know the way out?"
"There are two methods," responded Primordial Key Seth.
A look of hope lit up Rose's face, but it was swiftly doused by Seth's subsequent words, "The first method is for me to personally escort you out. These trial grounds can be seen as a form of confinement, and I possess the ability to break them and guide you out. But as you've witnessed my current state, I simply can't."
"The second method would be for Sovok to release you himself."
Upon hearing this, Rose immediately interjected, "But that's practically impossible."
"Indeed," Seth agreed.
After Ethan used the Crystal of Aquaman to catch the attention of the God of Sea, launching an assault on the trial grounds, the Original Elf King Sovok did not make an appearance.
This was telling. Even if the Original Elf King was not dead, he was certainly ensnared in some predicament.
"Are those the only ways out?" Ethan inquired, reluctance evident in his voice.
Seth met Ethan's eyes with a sympathetic look.
After some contemplation, he added, "Theoretically, yes. However, there are some exceptional circumstances. For instance, if you were to become a genuine deity, you could effortlessly leave this place. Or, another deity could escort you all out."
Upon hearing this, despair settled among the group.
Such an avenue seemed implausibly out of reach.
After Ethan had extracted the Crystal of Aquaman, aside from the initial surge of activity, the artifact remained inert.
Relying on it to disrupt their confines once more seemed an unattainable feat.
This indicated that their only potential link to another deity had been severed.
"Are we doomed to remain trapped here indefinitely?" Rose's voice trembled with despondency.
When she looked at Ethan, Quel, and the others, her eyes shimmered with guilt.
If not for her, they would never have ventured here, would not have been ensnared in this peril, and wouldn't now be confronting the looming shadow of mortality.
Both Ethan and Quel discerned the undertones of her remorse.
Just as they were about to address her, the cottage began to tremble.
The tremors grew in both frequency and magnitude, culminating in the walls of the cabin collapsing with a deafening crash.
The horrors of the village now lay unveiled before their eyes.
"What's happening?" Rose sprung to her feet, her eyes darting vigilantly around the surroundings.
Quel cast a quick glance around and then remarked, "The old man's gone."
"He left?" Oberlis questioned skeptically.
The 'old man' they were referring to was none other than the village chief of Trial Village, Eliamos.
At this moment, every structure in the village lay in ruins.
The dark clouds above had partly dispersed, allowing the group a clear view of every nook and cranny of the village.
However, there was no trace of Eliamos, not even the faintest whisper of his presence.
"He didn't leave." Ethan shook his head and then gazed at a spot on the ground not far from them. "I sense his aura, but it's faint. He's on the brink of death. And he's... below."
Without hesitation, Ethan dashed towards that spot.
The others quickly followed suit.
Seth, lacking legs, could only hop along, mimicking Ethan's attentive examination of the ground.
"This seems like traces of space magic." Oberlis observed.
When it came to space magic, Oberlis was an expert.
He effortlessly detected the unique scent of space magic emanating from the soil beneath them.
"It seems there's something beneath us," Ethan mused.
Rose, standing nearby, suggested, "Shall we dig and see?"
"It seems like the only way," she added. Her proposal quickly garnered unanimous agreement from the group, including Ethan.
Just as Quel, Ethan, and the others were about to get started, Windsor, who had remained silent till now, stepped forward, offering, "Let me handle it."
"Alright, we'd appreciate it," Ethan said with a grin.
Seeing the warmth in Ethan's smile, Windsor too broke into a radiant laughter, as if some joyous secret danced behind her eyes. Yet, her laughter seemed to stretch on...
"Windsor, are you okay?" Two minutes later, with Windsor still seemingly lost in some delightful reverie, Rose gently tapped her on the shoulder.
"Ah!" Windsor snapped back to reality, her cheeks flaming with a deep blush.
Without further delay, she revealed her true form - a magnificent Rainbow Dragon.
She soared into the sky, only to dive down, plunging her sharp talons into the earth and tearing out large chunks of soil, leaving a gaping hole in her wake.
After several dives, the pit grew considerably deep.
Then, during one of her descents, Windsor's claws struck something hard.
She transformed back into her human form, massaging her tingling wrist, and announced, "There's something down there."
"Let's go check it out," Ethan decided without hesitation.
With those words, Ethan took the lead and jumped down into the abyss.
Descending the deep pit Windsor had excavated, which stretched several tens of meters, the group landed in utter darkness.
Yet, beneath their feet, they felt the unmistakable touch of metal.
One by one, the others followed suit.
Ethan then channeled the Power of Holy Light into his hand, illuminating the surroundings. Instantly, the scene before them was revealed in its entirety.
"Who would've imagined such a luxurious palace hidden beneath the ground!" Quel exclaimed in astonishment.
However, Rose wore a furrowed brow, her expression grave. "This palace... it doesn't seem like just any palace. It resembles the Elf Court in every way."
Upon hearing Rose, the Primordial Key Seth chimed in affirmatively, "You're right. This is indeed the Elf Court, just as it was in its original form. I'm all too familiar with it."
The palace they beheld was constructed entirely of white marble.
At its grand entrance stood two peculiar wooden sculptures.
Each of these had several branches resembling human limbs, wielding swords and shields.
From Rose's account, these were the Warforged Treants from the Elven legends. They were believed to bless the Elves, significantly enhancing their combat prowess.
However, the Warforged Treants had long been extinct. Their only remnants were either images in Elven books or these preserved sculptures.
"The Warforged Treants were not exclusively of Elven origin," Seth interjected, correcting Rose's account.
As a Primordial Key, Seth possessed vast and esoteric knowledge.
He continued, "The Warforged Treants are a mutated subset of the Treant race. These Treants acquired immense power, but at the cost of their mobility. Unlike their brethren, Warforged Treants could not move freely. To move, they required assistance. The Elves, fellow denizens of the forest, struck a pact with the Treants. The mutated Warforged Treants would aid the Elves, and in return, the Elves would care for them. Besides the Warforged Treants, there are also the Lifeforged Treants and the most enigmatic of all, the Primordial Treants..."
With this newfound knowledge, the group was utterly enlightened.
However, such history did little to aid their current situation.
After ensuring the area was devoid of threats, Ethan and the group confidently crossed the grand entrance guarded by the statues of Warforged Treants and ventured into the subterranean palace.
But the moment they stepped in, their expressions shifted dramatically.
Instead of rooms or halls, the palace doorway led to an immense forest.
Trees of unfathomable girth dominated the landscape; each trunk spanning over ten meters in diameter, their canopies soaring to hundreds of meters.
"How did trees of such enormity come to be?" Quel exclaimed, unable to hide his astonishment.
Ethan looked up and addressed the group, "To see further, one must stand higher. We need to climb one of these giants to get a better view."
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