Chapter 240: The Elves and Dwarves Clash

"My sincere thanks. If we hadn't subdued that war-tree so swiftly, far more destruction would have befallen the Forest of Origin."

The elven ranger Krei sheathed his longbow and short blade, then turned to Wang Yu and his companions and offered a solemn nod of gratitude.

"It was the least we could do. Your kin have aided me before," said Sieg. "But more than gratitude, what I seek now is knowledge—this forest... judging from the state of this war-tree, I suspect the problem runs far deeper than it appears."

He approached the now-dormant war-tree and ran his hand across its bark. His palm came away slick with dark red beast blood, its acrid stench sharp in his nostrils. He turned to Krei with a questioning look.

"You're not wrong—things are far from ideal. But beyond the sudden frenzy of the war-trees, we've uncovered little else," Krei replied. His tone was grave, though his features betrayed no deep alarm. "For more detailed information, I suggest speaking with your companion. His rank should afford him insights I am not permitted to share. I am but a ranger. Such matters lie beyond my station."

"Mr. Ranger," Avia interjected. She had been studying the war-tree's splintered limbs alongside Wang Yu. "I have a simpler question. Could you tell us approximately how many war-trees reside within this forest?"

"Of course," Krei replied immediately. "Due to the Forest of Origin's unique environment, war-trees are far more likely to arise here than elsewhere. By our count, they comprise roughly 2% of all treants in the region."

"2%?" Wang Yu repeated in astonishment. He did a quick estimate in his head—given the size of the forest, that meant there were likely over a thousand such behemoths scattered throughout. "Even if only half of them went berserk, the destruction would be catastrophic."

Avia met his gaze and nodded subtly. "They're not easily subdued. War-trees are magical creatures with high resistance to arcane attacks. Large-scale area spells barely faze them. In great numbers, they'll become nearly unmanageable."

Though Wang Yu and his group had pacified this particular war-tree with seeming ease, that had been a matter of calming it, not destroying it.

Magic was largely ineffective against their bulk. If hundreds of them were to march at once, sending warriors into melee range to take them on would be tantamount to suicide. Even if the warriors weren't crushed by the sheer might of these towering beings with rock-like bark and limbs like battering rams, the war-trees were nearly impervious to ordinary weapons to boot.

A sudden rustling interrupted their thoughts. Out of the shadows in the forest leapt several elves clad in cloaks, bearing longbows and short blades. They landed lightly beside Krei.

"You handled this one quickly, Krei. And who are these outsiders?"

One of the rangers stepped forward, giving Krei a brief nod of approval before gesturing at Wang Yu's group with a raised brow.

"Our guests," Krei replied. "They bear a golden maple leaf. And if not for their assistance, I wouldn't have been able to pacify the war-tree so swiftly."

At the mention of the Golden Maple Leaf, the elf's expression shifted to surprise, then composed courtesy. He inclined his head gracefully. "Forgive my rudeness. Please, come with us to Liaheim. You are honored guests of our people."

"You have my gratitude," Sieg replied warmly. With that, he and the others followed the elven rangers deeper into the forest.

The deeper they ventured into the Forest of Origin, the more vibrant the surroundings became. Towering trees intertwined their branches high above, and the air grew thick with the scent of damp earth and verdant life. Wang Yu glanced around, puzzled.

"Still nothing but trees," he muttered to himself. "Could Liaheim be underground? We've walked quite a while—we should've seen something by now."

As his eyes roamed the lush undergrowth, he began spotting flora he'd rarely, if ever, seen in Aleisterre's capital.

"Cleardew blossom, stormpot grass, manavine, emerald moss, richblood mushrooms—damn, these are all top-grade ingredients. Of course, in a forest brimming with magic, you'd expect nothing less. It's an apothecary's paradise!"

Wang Yu released his ripples. Almost instantly, he detected clusters of magical herbs nestled in hidden crevices and mossy stones.

𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

These weren't the rarest of the rare—those that triggered divine phenomena the moment they matured—but were nevertheless coveted by alchemists and apothecaries alike. More importantly, there were a lot of these herbs.

"Can we harvest herbs here?" Wang Yu asked, never one to beat around the bush. "If so, I'd like to gather a few for my potions."

The elven rangers exchanged amused glances. One of them chuckled and nodded casually.

"Help yourself. These aren't exactly sacred plants. The war-tree's rampage likely destroyed more than you could ever pick." Krei, who knew Wang Yu's party best of the lot, spoke up.

"Fair enough," Wang Yu grinned appreciatively. "With how densely these herbs grow, I bet a bunch just got trampled. A real shame, that."

Though the elven rangers had agreed casually, Wang Yu was certain that few outsiders were ever permitted to harvest herbs in the Forest of Origin. This was a rare gift.

Extending the power of the Chariot, Wang Yu let invisible forces sweep through the forest as they walked, plucking herbs from the undergrowth and pulling them into his reach. He didn't ask the group to slow down—he just harvested as he went.

Avia, already attuned to his rhythm, opened spatial rifts beside him. As Wang Yu handed over each herb, she briefly cleaned them, sorted them by type, and tucked them neatly away.

Her eyes sparkled as she examined the bounty—many of the plants were excellent not only for herbalism but also alchemy: they were primary components of mana-infused ink, enchanted alloys, and more.

With a bright smile, she began humming a cheerful tune Wang Yu had once played for her from Earth. Her mood was as buoyant as the melody. Wang Yu, too, was thoroughly enjoying himself. This was bliss.

The elves glanced at the pair, amused. They whispered among themselves, exchanging light-hearted comments about how relaxed and easygoing the human seemed.

Ten more minutes passed. The rangers at the front began to slow. The leading elf began chanting in a soft, fluid language—the words of nature.

Wang Yu, now carrying a respectable harvest, halted as well. His senses had brushed against a strange barrier just ahead. To the naked eye, the forest continued uninterrupted, but his perception told him otherwise.

"Curious," he murmured. The wall felt almost like a magical formation, yet not quite.

As the ranger's chant rose, the unseen veil began to ripple—and then part. The illusion peeled away like a curtain drawn back. Beyond it, the hidden city revealed itself at last.

"Honored guests," said Krei, turning to them with a slight smile, "welcome to the elven capital of the south, Liaheim."

It was as if a hole had been opened in the very fabric of space. Though the forest stretched on before them, a rupture now yawned in the green expanse. Through it shone a glittering city.

The first thing to greet their eyes was the colossal silhouette of the Tree of Life—its vast trunk, easily over a hundred meters thick, rose from the heart of Liaheim like a pillar of the world. Its majestic canopy stretched wide across the heavens, an emerald sky unto itself, its interwoven boughs and foliage casting a living shade over half the city.

Yet sunlight streamed through. The leaves of the Tree refracted the rays like stained glass, letting gold and green spill down upon the elven city and causing it to shimmer with ethereal brilliance. And when night fell, the moon's silvery magic would lend the city another kind of radiance altogether.

Countless green motes of light shimmered suddenly into being around the Tree of Life. They floated gently for a few brief moments before fading and vanishing into the air. These were clusters of life force—residual energy released by the great tree after it absorbed the surrounding aether and transmuted it into vitality. As they drifted away, they nourished the land, a blessing to the world.

Many buildings had been constructed upon the massive body of the Tree of Life itself. Its ever-growing limbs and vines, seemingly imbued with a will of their own, served as tireless helpers to the elves. With the tree's aid, they raised structures on its vast trunk, and used its living branches and tendrils as lifts and conveyors between different levels.

The elves harbored no fear of this colossal and mighty being. They had been born from within the Tree of Life and were its children in the truest sense. To them, the great tree was a towering, gentle mother, both protector and provider.

Their city was woven around the Tree of Life, built not only at its roots but in harmony with the other towering trees that grew alongside it. Though far smaller than the life-giving colossus at the center, these giants still cradled homes and halls in their arms. Elven architecture spread out in layers, intricately connected by platforms and bridges, rising from the forest floor in an elegant, organic sprawl.

Unlike the haphazard and chaotic sprawl of the capital's shadow, this elven city bore the clear mark of clear planning.

Every structure had its place—densely arrayed, yet never cluttered. Wooden walkways linked dwelling to dwelling. Platforms woven from living vines formed gathering places, seamlessly melding into the trees themselves. The result felt neither primitive nor overgrown, but something wholly other—something wondrous.

What caught Wang Yu off guard was the architectural style. He had expected rustic houses of wood and thatch, ornamented with leaves and flowers, in keeping with the usual human stereotypes of elven taste.

Instead, many of the buildings echoed human craftsmanship—stone foundations, carved embellishments, and elegant facades. In truth, it could be mistaken for a human kingdom that had expanded to the treetops.

And while such a vertical arrangement might pose risks for humans—particularly those who feared heights—it posed no challenge at all to agile elves, who were leaping and gliding from the trees with ease.

And if invaders were ever to breach the hidden borders of this forest realm, they would find themselves lost in a maze of levels, branches, and interwoven pathways—a punishment in itself.

Led by the elven rangers, Wang Yu and the others entered the hidden city of the elves. Looking back, Wang Yu saw the gateway that had just opened now sealed once more. From within, the forest appeared as ordinary as any other.

But that towering Tree of Life, an impossibly vast presence, could hardly be concealed so easily from the outside.

"There must be a maze-lock spell at work," Avia said, noticing Wang Yu's curiosity. "It's an ancient elven technique. Humans later learned to replicate a version of it using floating-point matrix formations in their magic arrays. In simple terms, this entire city is hidden beneath the veil of a living, breathing magical array."

"I see..." Wang Yu murmured, thoughtful.

No wonder the elves were considered one of the Five Great Races, second only to the dragons in terms of history and legacy. Even after the devastation of the Abyss War, they had retained a trove of profound knowledge and astonishing magical arts.

Once they passed into Liaheim proper, the elven rangers dispersed. Only Krei remained to accompany Sieg and the group deeper into the city.

"Mr. Sieg, once you take out the golden maple leaf, you need only wait. Your old friend will sense your presence through it and come to meet you. I have matters to attend to and must take my leave."

Having said this, Krei turned and departed. His direct manner was customary among elves—less ceremony, more quiet purpose.

Sieg did as instructed. He retrieved the golden maple leaf, held it in his palm, and waited in silence.

Wang Yu could feel it then: an invisible energy pulsing from the leaf, stretching out like a thread toward the Tree of Life. This must be how the token worked.

Before long, a shadow swept across the sky. A massive eagle, wings beating with thunderous force, soared directly toward them.

Upon the great beast's back stood a handsome elven man, gripping a staff fashioned from a living offshoot of the Tree of Life itself—a mark of high status. The mark of an elder.

The great eagle attempted a landing, but something went awry. Its wing clipped a nearby tree with a jarring thud. The creature lost balance, spiraling down in an undignified tumble. It rolled across the clearing, flattening several trees before coming to a halt.

Noelle blinked at the sight of the elven elder now facedown in the dirt before her. She hesitated, unsure whether to help him up.

"Angola's flying hasn't improved at all," the elf said, scrambling to his feet and brushing himself off with a sheepish expression. "You'd think it'd have learned something by now. It insisted on coming to greet you itself. Honestly, it's just embarrassing me at this point."

"Haha, Angola hasn't changed a bit," Sieg replied with a grin, walking over and patting the eagle's head. The eagle responded with a very un-eagle-like look of bliss. Then Sieg turned back to the elf. "But you haven't changed either, Gewen. You're older, sure, but you look just the same."

"Well, I am an elder of the elven council," Gewen replied with a wry smile. "Finding something to keep one's youth intact isn't all that difficult. Otherwise, I'd be showing signs of middle age by now. And though a few centuries is a long time for us elves, to a dragon, it's barely a nap."

He stepped forward and embraced Sieg.

"Come," Gewen said. "Let's talk at my place."

He patted Angola's head, and the great eagle obligingly lowered its back so the others could climb on.

Once they were all aboard, the eagle rose into the sky again, wings slicing through the air as they made for the Tree of Life.

Sieg cut to the chase. "Gewen, what's going on in the Forest of Origin? Something seems off. Is there trouble?"

E

"There is," Gewen replied grimly. "You've already encountered part of it. But the problem runs deeper than it appears—this involves the Tree of Life... and the dwarves. That's why Liaheim has been closed to outsiders of late. We're in conflict with the dwarves."

"The dwarves..." Sieg murmured, the word lingering on his tongue.