Chapter 216 Radiant Forest (III)
The elf gritted his teeth even though the rope bound him tightly. His eyes showed anger as they stared at Klaus with sharp glares. However, Klaus simply smiled. Olivia and Michael were curious about what Klaus would do to the creature.
"Whatever your plan is, you won't succeed! The High Queen will dispose of you mercilessly, you lowly humans!" the elf continued to shout and spew foul curses at them, visibly irritating Gavin.
"Boss, can I break his neck?" Gavin asked to Klaus.
"Control your emotions, Gavin. We're not killing here. Elves can be infuriating creatures. You'll have to get used to it because we'll be dealing with them for a few weeks ahead."
Klaus knelt down and stared the elf right in the face. The curses ceased from the pointed-eared creature's mouth simultaneously with the fire in his eyes. The elf fell silent, as if he could sense the threat from the human in front of him.
"So, what's your name?" Klaus asked politely, but his smile hinted at hidden intentions.
The elf spat on the ground. "Why should I give my name to a disgusting human like you, huh?"
"You—!" Clenching his fists, Gavin was truly ready to smack the elf, but Michael held him back.
"I know you're fed up," Michael whispered, "but you're not the only one."
Gavin raised an eyebrow, then his eyes glanced at Olivia. She wore a similar expression. The elf managed to make everyone want to smack him so bad. Only Klaus seemed patient in dealing with him.
Pursing his lips, Klaus stared at the elf with a strange gaze. Everyone waited for him to make a decision. They hoped Klaus would give the elf a lesson. However, he took a surprising course of action.
"Release his bindings," Klaus said.
"Okay, boss," Gavin replied enthusiastically. Suddenly, he paused. "Wait? Did I hear that right?"
"But—"
Before Klaus could provide an answer, Michael did as instructed, releasing the elf's restraints. It infuriated Gavin, but he could do nothing.
"Do you think that by untying me, you'll deceive me, huh?" the elf said, narrowing his eyes. "You foolish humans."
Rubbing his wrists, the elf looked at Klaus suspiciously. He couldn't understand what the man before him was thinking. But he was sure he wouldn't fall into this man's scheme.
The elf was ready for the worst, including losing his life.
"Olivia, you're the one tasked with bringing food supplies, right? Let's have lunch first."
Naturally, the woman looked puzzled at Klaus. The same expressions were mirrored by Michael and Gavin.
"Yeah," she said.
"Let's have lunch then," Klaus said.
Rubbing a spatial ring, Olivia produced a picnic blanket and a food basket. As Olivia handed out sandwiches, Klaus told her to bring out the best food she had. Olivia looked at Klaus, as if speaking through her eyes, asking what he was really planning. But Klaus simply nodded.
"Whatever," Olivia muttered.
And then, delicious dishes were laid out on the blanket. Sweet and sour fried chicken, shawarma, steak, lobster rolls, apple pies, pancakes, french fries, and various carbohydrates.
Seeing the spread, Gavin furrowed his brows.
"You brought food like this for a dungeon snack?" Gavin gave Olivia an incredulous look.
"I have a spatial ring that can store unlimited items, and they won't go bad. It would be a waste to just bring sandwiches."
Gavin still couldn't wrap his head around it, but Michael and Klaus enjoyed their lunch casually. Both of them were used to having lunch like this in the dungeon. Then, the elf sat down and joined them for lunch.
Only one person remained standing. The elf gritted his teeth as he watched them peacefully enjoying their lunch.
"Hey, come over here, let's have lunch together," Klaus invited. "There's still an empty spot."
Naturally, the elf grew more irritated, thinking he was being played. His veins throbbed, and his hands clenched tightly.
"You invite me to lunch, make me drop my guard, and then try to get me to spill information about my race. Do you think I'll fall for your trap?"
...
Lord Aymon and his troops arrived at an elf village nestled in the heart of the forest. It consisted of houses built atop towering trees, connected by wooden bridges that allowed the elves to move freely between their homes.The kids ran across these bridges, while the adults were busy with their activities on the ground. Some villagers looked up and paid their respects to Lord Aymon.
The atmosphere in the elf village was peaceful and harmonious, as if there were no wars plaguing the outside world.
Among the trees, there was a gigantic tree at the center of the village. Around it was a clear lake that encircled it. While the leaves of the other trees in the village turned a golden yellow, the leaves of this tree remained green and provided comforting shade.
It was the heart of this radiant forest, the Tree of Life.
Lord Aymon and his troops crossed the lake by stepping on floating stones, as if they were a path. Dozens of elven soldiers in silver armor showed deep respect to Lord Aymon as he entered the Tree of Life's gate.
Inside, the atmosphere felt grand and elegant. The floor was beautifully wood, and the walls were adorned with artistic carvings. Lanterns with soft light lined the walls, providing warm illumination.
Lord Aymon continued down a long corridor and ascended a grand staircase. Finally, they arrived at a massive gate adorned with carvings of trees and various animals surrounding it. This gate served as the entrance to the presence of the Queen chamber.
A luxurious red carpet stretched from the gate to the throne, facing them. Seated on the throne was a beautiful elven woman with long flowing golden hair. She wore exquisite attire and a crown on her head. The Queen's eyes radiated wisdom and extraordinary grace. As Lord Aymon and his troops knelt before her, The High Queen raised her hand gently, signaling the other elven soldiers to leave. She wished to speak privately with Lord Aymon.
"So, what have you found?" The High Queen continued.
"Unfortunately, I bring bad news, your grace," Lord Aymon replied, bowing his head in shame. "The eighty ambush troops we sent to eliminate the enemy ended in failure."
"What about their fate?" The High Queen asked.
Lord Aymon became even more embarrassed. "They all perished. It seems there was a talented lightning sorcerer among the humans."
Hearing the report, a hint of sadness crossed the High Queen's face.
"Destiny cannot be avoided," she said wisely. "So, what about those humans?"
"Unfortunately, some of them managed to survive. According to the reconnaissance team's report, 26 of them survived. It's not a large number, and we can eliminate them as soon as possible."
Lord Aymon seemed confident as he delivered the report. However, the High Queen appeared to be quite the opposite. She fell silent, and her face displayed concern. Lord Aymon could read her expression and suddenly grew worried too.
"Your grace, forgive me if I am presumptuous, but if something is troubling your mind, could you share it with me?"
The High Queen sighed heavily. "Do you know why I gave the order to attack the other world?"
Lord Aymon furrowed his brow, formulating an answer to that question in his mind. "To stop the humans from attacking our forest. Over the past two weeks, they've sent troops and caused damage. If we didn't retaliate, they would continue, thinking we're weak."
"Correct," the High Queen replied. "But that's only part of it."
Then she rose from her throne and walked around the chamber. Her fingers traced the wooden carvings as her eyes enjoyed their beauty. Her gaze radiated sorrow.
"Why do you think we exist in this forest?" the High Queen asked.
"To protect the Tree of Life. We are the guardians of this forest."
"Exactly," the High Queen replied, smiling gently. "We are the fortunate beings chosen by the Tree of Life. We must preserve its existence, even if it means sacrificing our lives. We are nothing without it."
Hearing that response, Lord Aymon felt a foreboding sense. "Please don't speak like that, your grace."
"I am not your grace. The Tree of Life is. We exist because of it, and our existence is only to serve it. You may not hear it, but I can hear its heartbeat and breath." The High Queen gently embraced the wall, her eyes closed as if they were connected.
Meanwhile, Lord Aymon could only bow his head. There were no words to lighten her burden.
"I had a dream last night," said the High Queen. "I met a human with eyes like emeralds. He floated in a black sky, and beneath his feet was a sea of fire. He smiled as he watched our burning forest. And the Tree of Life cried, screaming in pain. I've never heard it in such agony in all my life."
"Your grace, it's just a dream. Our elven forces are very strong, and we've already destroyed many of them. Our forest will continue to exist for thousands of millennia. We won't lose to those foolish humans!"
"It's not a dream, Lord Aymon," the High Queen replied. "It's a vision. This is how the Tree of Life warned me when we drove out the orc and ogre tribes. But this time, the Tree of Life is truly terrified. I can feel it, as if we cannot avoid this fate."
Lord Aymon bit his lip as he heard the High Queen's words of despair.
"But still," continued the High Queen. "We must fight this unavoidable fate. If you ever encounter the man with emerald eyes, negotiate with him."
"Negotiate?" Lord Aymon furrowed his brow.
"Yes. The Tree of Life said we have no chance of winning against him."
"And what if negotiations fail?"
"We will fight until the bitter end."
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