Game of the World Tree

Due to the harsh environment underground, the size of each city within it generally correlates with the overall strength of the local inhabitants who reside within it.

And in most cases, the stronger cities tend to attract more underground inhabitants to settle there, which naturally resulting in a much larger settlement over time.

However, the Blackrock City that stood before them still remained a small city overall, despite showing signs of recent renovation and expansion.

Seeing this scene, Firebeard couldn’t help but mutter to himself:

“Are the rumors of them defeating the Shadow Legion and killing a Shadow Dragon really true?”

Naturally, despite harboring doubts, Firebeard, as the leader of the delegation, concealed his apprehension behind a composed demeanor.

Furthermore, the oracle of their Patron Deity is infallible.

If the Goddess of Death proclaimed Blackrock City as the place of hope, then perhaps they simply haven’t uncovered its true significance yet.

Thinking of this, Firebeard cleared his throat twice before addressing his companions:

“Rest assured, all will become clear once we step foot into Blackrock City and meet Lady Enno.”

Lady Enno is the High Priestess stationed in Blackrock City, and she is also a devout Godwarden of their Patron Deity who has been the recipient of Hela’s divine possession twice.

Incidentally, the true form of the Goddess of Death isn’t diminutive but rather, it’s the Dwarves’ stature that makes her appear small during divine possession.

Upon hearing Firebeard’s words, the others suppressed their doubts. They straightened their appearances and prepared themselves to enter the city.

However, just as they were about to enter, the delegation saw a group of unfamiliar figures approaching from the other side.

These newcomers were dressed as mercenaries, each with different professions.

This mercenary group seemed comprised two spellcasters and three melee warriors and their equipment looked incredibly magnificent, with each person carrying a large backpack filled to the brim.

They chatted and laughed idly as they walked towards the city gate, but what captured the delegation’s attention the most were their elongated ears and gorgeous appearance.

“Death Almighty! Are those guys actually elves? Why, I never thought I’d see wild elves here in the underground! And what’s more, they appeared to be mercenaries!”

Seeing those mercenaries walk past them, a dwarf in the delegation couldn’t help but look on with curiosity mixed with admiration, and a hint of complexity and even a trace of greed in their eyes.

Not only them, but the rest of the delegation also looked on with astonishment.

To be honest, they were all council members of their own respective city-states, and naturally had seen these supposedly the most noble and beautiful long-lived beings as pitiful slaves being sold on slave markets.

However, in their memory, seeing free roaming elves that’s not a slave was a first!

Not to mention, these elven mercenaries were nothing like their enslaved counterparts, as each of them were full of life and possessed an entirely unique aura that was really hard to ignore.

Well, how to put it, perhaps it’s true that clothes do indeed make the man.

With them donning all those exquisite equipment, these elves were even more dazzling than the elves from their memories.

Observing them from afar, those elves talked and laughed among themselves, their radiant smiles reflecting off the fluorescent stones on the cavern ceiling like beams of light in the darkness, dissipating much of the gloom in the hearts of the delegation.

For a moment, everyone in the group naturally developed a slight fondness for those unfamiliar elves, involuntarily associating them with words like “sunshine,” “kindness,” and “nobility” within their hearts.

However unlike the other members of the delegation, Firebeard’s expression froze.

“Elven…mercenaries?”

Just now, he sensed a strong aura of death emanating from each of those elves…

How could those elves exude a potent aura of death?

As a necromancer and a priest of death, Firebeard’s perception of death was extremely keen.

These elves are evidently not part of, nor do they follow, the belief in death, so the only conceivable origin of their intense aura of death was… killing!

Death Almighty!

Those elves…were far from as sunny and kind as they initially appeared!

And just then, one of the elves’ backpacks seemed unable to bear the weight and suddenly burst open, revealing a large chunks of bloody meat…

Specifically, it was pieces of monster flesh…

At the same time, the elf who accidentally tore their backpack quickly exclaimed:

“Oh shit! My loots fell onto the ground!”

While the other elves stopped to help him tidy up the damaged backpack, one of them casually said:

While the other elves stopped to help him tidy up the damaged backpack, one of them casually said:

“No worries, we can still eat these ingredients after washing them off.”

Everyone in the delegation: “…”

For a moment, the whole delegation couldn’t help but shudder as they looked at each other, seeing absurdity and astonishment in each other’s eyes.

“Just now… Did those elves mention ingredients? Are they eating meat? Are Elves now actually able to eat meat? Weren’t they supposed to only eat plants all along?”

One of the dwarfs in the delegation said with a peculiar tone.

Firebeard also looked astonished.

He pondered for a moment and replied:

“Perhaps they are a variant among the elves? Something related to their kind that migrated here in the underground…or something like that.”

After saying this, he then took a deep breath.

“In any case, we’ve finally arrived here at Blackrock City. Let’s all head inside the city together.”

The rest of the delegation nodded and continued forward and soon arrived at the gate entrance of Blackrock City, and promptly informed the city guards of their purpose.

Moments later, after their identities were confirmed, the city guards’ demeanor shifted, exuding an immediate air of respect towards them.

“The High Priestess has already instructed us in advance. Please follow me, esteemed guests.”

With that, a guard led the group towards the Death’s Shrine in Blackrock City.

Immediately upon entering the vicinity of the City, one member of the delegation was surprised to find that it was much more bustling than they had imagined.

There was a constant flow of people and each of them were very lively, transforming the underground city into a bustling metropolis reminiscent of a thriving marketplace rather than a remote settlement.

Of course, what surprised them the most was the abundance of elves in the surroundings!

By the gods!

Did a whole clan of elves settled in Blackrock City?!

Not only that, but all the elves in the city were adorned in gorgeous-looking equipment, as their particularly eye-catching appearance inadvertently brightening up the deep, gloomy underground.

Looking around, it seemed as though there were elves in every corner of Blackrock City, either conducting business or hurrying about, with many of them even riding fierce-looking giant spiders, while the surrounding dark dwarves seemed already accustomed to their presence.

“By the gods! I’ve never seen so many elves in my life! If it weren’t for the dim surroundings, I’d think I had arrived in the surface world!”

One of the dwarves in the delegation sighed softly.

But another one in the group shook his head and retorted:

“The surface world? I’m afraid you wouldn’t see so many elves like these in the land above.”

As they walked forward, the air vibrated with the sound of enthusiastic cheering and applause emanating from the sidelines.

Firebeard and the others instinctively looked over and saw two fully armed elven warriors fighting.

Duels like these were quite a common sight in the underground, and just as long as they didn’t damage any of the city’s infrastructure, the city guards tended to ignore them.

However…this particular duel felt somewhat out of place when the actual combatants were actually elves.

Moreover, when the passing delegation finally saw the condition of the two combatants, their expressions became even more astonished.

Both elves were covered in blood, with gruesome wounds; one even had his stomach split open, with intestines spilling out, while the other had his shoulder severed…

Blood spattered the ground, and the air crackled with the intensity of violence.

However, the two elves laughed heartily at each other, and continuied fighting, seemingly indifferent to their injuries.

They even chatted with each other during the fight, as if old friends…which Clearly indicated that, these two weren’t dueling out of personal grudges.

Seeing this surreal scene, the members of the delegation were left utterly dumbfounded, as their longstanding image of elves collapsing instantly…

Yet this situation was still difficult to understand:

“Have these elves… finally gone mad?”

Firebeard was equally stunned, but at the same time, he suddenly remembered some recent rumors that’s circulating within the underground…

He then remembered one particular rumor about elves.

— 348 —

【 ARE THESE ELVES CRAZY!? 】

Author’s Note: Sigh… I had hoped to make the world-building as realistic and comprehensive as possible, but I didn’t expect it to turn out so mediocre, more like watered down…

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