Setting aside the matter of grief and vengeance-seeking between the nonhumans on the Western Continent, it appeared that discreet change was unraveling in Trinia, the elves’ capital in the Eastern Continent.
To prevent any squabble against the believers of Luna the Silver Moon Goddess, Xi Wei had specially banned the Players from altering the elven capital by keeping life skills such as Herbalism and Build ineffective.
After all, the wood elves were all artisans who nitpicked everything in pursuit of perfection, and every other building in their city had only been built with the aesthetic values they cultivated over centuries.
As a matter of fact, putting only one Lifestone in Trinia turned out to be an eyesore for the elves. It would be a shock no less than taking a dump on their ancestral statues if the Players went on to build a house of straws or dig a hole, and unnecessary conflict would be inevitable then.
Be that as it may, the Players’ curiosity is restlessly stoked by the elven capital as an unfamiliar and novel place, with some Players who were not focused on leveling making frequent trips here for adventures or touring.
Selene hated that.
As an elf of the younger generation, her perception of humans was that they were no different from baboons of the forest—they weren’t hateful and it would be interesting when taken in with few glances, but there was no way she would stay in the same room harmoniously with one.
And yet, her idiot brother Jamie was simply different from ordinary wood elves. He never liked any elven craft since he was younger, whereas his perceptiveness and energetic side made it difficult for him to follow the lessons of the Forest Goddess Pecora’s lessons of ‘fusing silently with the trees’. He was also exceedingly curious and preferred the day, which also kept him from meeting the requirement of being ‘constantly bathing in moonlight’ that the Silver Moon Goddess set for her believers.
At first, she worried for her brother that he couldn’t find a god he believed in—unlike humans, elves seek faith not merely to gain the protection of their gods, but because they require a place their souls could rest in death.
In elven tradition, it was claimed that nonbelievers would remain unaccepted by any gods, eventually descending to hell to be burnt in the inferno without hope of release.
Even so, after Jamie had a taste of that so-called ‘feast’ of the humans, he had developed a curiosity about the humans’ lifestyle. Now, he would keep following the humans everywhere, occasionally acting as guides to give those humans directions around Trinia Forests.
This can’t continue.
***
Selene was outside her house, about to dry some bedsheets despite her irritation.
While Jamie would still live over a thousand years, all elves were of the opinion that the earlier they found a religion, the better—their ability to contribute for the gods were limited, and it was only by joining a church they preferred early on that they could have a longer-living faith in exchange for their limited stewardship, so that they would be afforded their god’s favor in the afterlife.
She certainly wouldn’t want her younger brother being abducted by the baboon-like humans and take up some abnormal faith.
“Hello. Is Jamie not in today?” A man’s voice spoke behind her.
Selene turned by instinct, staring at him warily.
She knew that human—his name was Marni Wilf and seemed to be a warrior, and yet could command perished souls like an undead mage… One could see that humans were nothing good from that fact alone, so why would Her Majesty the Queen ally with such people?!
“He is out on an errand.” Selene stiffly replied.
But that was a lie—Jamie had told her earlier that he was going out with some human friends to the arrowoak bushes that were near their home, where they would gather some naturally-sharp wood to make arrows with.
“I see… well, that’s going to be a problem…” Marni scratched his head unhappily. “He told me that he’ll take me to the arcanum in the Trinia Forests.”
As mentioned before, this world was a multidimensional world formed from a combination of countless planes, as if innumerable bubbles pasted together.
The biggest bubble would be the Prime Material Plane, and there would naturally be tiny bubbles.
Those tiny bubbles would maintain their existence by latching on to the big bubbles and borrowing the bigger plane’s complete Rule System, hence forming mini dimensions known as the arcanum.
Although there might not be anything good in the arcanum, it definitely held the sights the outside world would never see—and that aspect alone made those places worth exploring for the Players.
Meanwhile, Selene was feeling a little curiously delighted, as if Marni’s troubled look satisfied her need for payback.
However, a simple lie like that would be immediately exposed when Jamie returned, and Selene became a little frustrated at that.
Still, she suddenly felt a sense of inspiration as the plan for a prank took shape in her mind and took hold of her.
“Since Jamie’s busy, should I lead you to the arcanum instead?” The elven girl patted her modest chest and tried hard to look sincere. “Don’t let appearances fool you—I was a fine patrolwoman before, until I took an arrow to the knee.”
Marni hesitated, his curiosity about the arcanum eventually getting the better of him and he nodded. “Well, I’ll be in your care.”
***
Selene did not prepare much since she was afraid that they would run into Jamie who would be on the way home. She simply put on her old armor while mumbling ‘why does it feel a little tight on the chest’ and brought along her short sword which was shining brightly thanks to her maintenance and left.
“The Trinia Forests are the shared domain of two different gods,” she explained to Marnie, who was following behind. “The clash between their powers is exactly why spatiality is more fragile in Trinia than other places, with many weird entrances into various arcanum appearing in the forests.”
“Thanks to that, we would have to deal with monsters invading the Prime Material Plane from those different arcanum.”
Even as Selene spoke solemnly, she was sneering from an angle where Marni couldn’t see while struggling to hold back her laughter. “The arcanum entrance I’m taking you to is one where a devil from hell had once been sealed.”
“Devil?” Marni was surprised, but he still appeared full of anticipation. “I’ve never seen such a thing!”
“Um… Aren’t you afraid?” The elven girl appeared surprised.
“What’s there to be afraid of? I mean, the worse that could happen to me is dying!”
“…”
He was being so frighteningly open-minded, prompting chills that could cut into the bone.
‘Don’t humans have the wrong idea about death?’ The elven girl couldn’t help but think.
