Elves.

Fair-skinned humanoids with impeccable complexion and two sharp pointed ears. Tall, slender and all so beautiful. Their beauty at times could be compared to the divine, and their forest-like fragrance seemed too mystical to be real.

Beings closest to Mother Nature and the self-proclaimed heralds of Gaia herself. Legend has it that the Elves were the first humanoids to walk the planet, born from the tree sap of the World Tree and moulded by clay to become the origin of intelligent life.

Naturally, that fairy tale had been long debunked through the theory of evolution, and many just see Elves as evolved humans who had been blessed by the World Tree.

Five main races ruled the planet. Humans, Vampires, Werewolves, Merfolk and Elves…

Humans were the dominant race, with over seven billion roaming the planet. They populated every corner of the globe; it didn’t matter if they were on mountains, under the ocean, on river lands or on desert plains. Traces of humans could be seen throughout the world even if one wasn’t looking for them.

As for the other races, they were in the extreme minority. Even the Merfolk, the second in population count, barely reached ten million. The rest of the races were simply living on a planet dominated by Humans, and they knew it well.

Bits and pieces of human technology, culture and even embassies could be found at the heart of each race’s home base, no matter how hard they tried to denounce the human ways.

Vampires learnt to coexist with humans by isolating themselves in Nightmare Dimensions. Werewolves commingled with humans on a daily basis, integrating themselves into their society and learning to work side-by-side with them, even if it meant getting discriminated against. Merfolk had a more interesting approach. They helped humans with their shipping and trade, making them an indispensable asset for world trade. In exchange, humans would protect their part of the sea and even give the Merfolk sovereign status of anything beneath fifty metres of water.

Each one of the races found their peace with the humans and had learnt to live with some form of human interaction.

Well, all the races save the Elves, that is.

Ever since Elves came into existence, they had never left their ancestral home. The Elven Continent or as it’s more commonly known as… The Elven Forest.

An isolated continent over eight million kilometres squared. No land bridge connects this continent to the other landmasses as it is surrounded by nothing but water. However, even though it was easily bigger than any country in existence, the Elven Continent had no mountains, no deserts, no icy hills or frozen land.

Only trees and wild growth were on the Elven Continent’s fertile lands. Canopies that could easily hang one kilometre above the ground. Verdant hills with greens the world had never seen and an immense number of magical plants scientists would love to get their hands on.

Yet, even though it was quite possibly the most fertile and resourceful land humans had ever discovered, the Elven Continent remained largely untouched.

Why?

Because of the Elves protecting the ancient forest.

In terms of sheer numbers, the Elves were far inferior to humans. Although there had never been a census, it was generally believed that only one or two million Elves call the Elven Forest home.

When it came to combat ability, the Elves were outgunned as well. While their top elites could match S-ranked Hunters with the terrain advantage, the Elves could easily stand toe-to-toe with any invading force… They were still outclassed by ancient Vampires or weapons of mass destruction.

The Elves were inferior in both numerical superiority and magical or physical warfare. Yet, how did this one million-strong population defend their home so fiercely?

Well, they had one distinct advantage.

The World Tree.

Born during the genesis of the planet, the World Tree was an ever-present figure for all life on the planet. A natural wonder that feeds off the power of the Elven Continent, taking in all manner of life under its shelter. It is said that all plants, no, by extension, all life came from the World Tree. The power to use magic, the natural ability to breathe and think… It all came from that one tree that stood two kilometres tall, towering over everything that dared to challenge its sovereignty.

However, the World Tree wasn’t just a natural marvel that everyone could gawk at.

The World Tree was an indispensable part of the planet’s life cycle. It was a magical being that connected every living plant and was a vital part of why humanity’s destructive methods hadn’t toppled the ecosystem.

If a forest gets cleared, the World Tree balances the damage by growing more trees. If the world gets warmer, the World Tree cools it down through external means. If the glaciers started to melt, the World Tree begins a long winter to balance the heat.

In simplicity, the World Tree was the conductor that harmonises the symphony called life. It was the ultimate balancer and the existence that neutralises any harm the planet’s inhabitants could do to itself.

As long as the planet survives, there must always be a World Tree. Even if the World Tree were to collapse, a new one would sprout within the year, growing to become another towering figure. However, the World Tree couldn’t protect itself all the time.

No being was omnipotent. Even the World Tree couldn’t protect itself from threats it couldn’t detect. For instance, if the World Tree had reached the end of its lifespan and needed to turn into a weak sprout that needed protection, it would need protectors.

And that’s when the Elves came into existence.

Scientists believe that the World Tree synchronised with some of the earliest humans and gave them a portion of its power in exchange for protecting it. Over time, the Elves had gained intelligence and magical capabilities that humans couldn’t imagine at the time, making them the sole protectors of the forest.

Forest Elves, Dark Elves, High Elves… It didn’t matter.

They were all privy to the World Tree’s powers and worshipped the ancient being.

As for the other races, they weren’t ignorant enough to cause their own demise. The World Tree was the ultimate balancer, keeping their planet optimal for them to live forevermore. So it didn’t matter if they were humans, Vampires, Werewolves or Merfolk; they wouldn’t destroy the peace of the World Tree just because of some superficial greed for resources.

They were all content in leaving the Elven Continent an isolated place and leaving the protection of the World Tree to the Elves.

Therefore, the Elven Forest had remained untouched by human hands for thousands of years. Even when the Outer Demons invaded the planet and the isolation of the Elves came to an end, no one dared to tread on the Elven Continent.

Though, there were a few outliers.

Thud… Thud… Thud…

A young elven girl who looked no older than fourteen rushed through the Elven Sanctuary with hurried feet. As she ran, mystical backgrounds of rainbow waterfalls and ancient Elvish pavilions passed her by. She passed through the ivory towers and dashed across the flowery pathways. In time, the young elf reached a private chamber situated at the top of the highest tree, where a gorgeous, mature lady sat lazily in wait.

“Eminence Veralyn!”

“Riniya, what’s the rush?”

The lady turned her attention away from the window she was looking out from and glanced right at the young elf. The woman was about 1.8 metres and had a calm yet authoritative look in her dazzling Lapis eyes. Her green hair flowed gently down to her waist, showing off her feminine and enchanting figure, causing the young elf to mistake the woman for one of her kind.

But alas… Even though she was a beauty, she wasn’t an Elf…

“The Blackburn House has sent word! The Hero who killed Eyghon… He wishes for an audience with the young lady!”

“… I see, I’d thought he would wait for a few more weeks, but it seems I was wrong.” Eminence Veralyn brushed her smooth chin and began to think.

“Hoh? So even the mighty Shadowgarden House can’t get information about a young boy’s next course of action?”

“We did have intelligence; it just wasn’t accurate this time.”

Eminence Veralyn coldly replied to the other voice that entered her chamber. Riniya, flushed from looking at the green-haired lady, instantly recognised the woman who came waltzing in. Bowing at a ninety-degree angle, the girl shouted:

“H-High Priestess! When did you get here?”

“At ease, Riniya. I heard the same news that you did and came to laugh at my old friend’s incompetence.”

“Don’t you have better things to do, Miriel?”

A golden-haired fair maiden, one whose hair was so light that it bordered on turning white, sashayed in with a gloating expression. She was just as if not far more beautiful than the other two ladies in the room. Donned in a stunning, brown frilled dress, the fair maiden made her way onto Eminence Veralyn’s adjacent chair and poured herself a cup of tea.

“No, not really. Seeing your frustrated expression gives me more joy than reading the daily logs of the forest.”

“… Suit yourself,” Eminence Veralyn sighed and accepted the fact that the number one Elf on the continent was here to laugh at her predicament.

“But since you’re here, why don’t you help me think of a way to politely decline his request?”

“Why would you decline? Isn’t he the perfect match for your grand-niece?”

“Rosalyn can’t be disturbed at the moment. If he were to ask a few years later, I would have given them my blessing. But she’s still trying to assimilate with her new powers. If she were to be disturbed now, I’m afraid all the effort we’d spent would be washed down the drain.”

Furrowing her brows, the green-haired woman poured herself a cup of tea and glanced into the clear liquid. Slowly, she could see her Lapis eyes gradually turn into a deep crimson hue as her Vampiric fangs started to show.

“Control your emotions, Veralyn. No good will come out from being so angry.”

“How can I? The Shadowgarden House has invested so much into Rosalyn. We can’t just let that boy ruin it, now can we? I really shouldn’t have allowed her to meet with him in the first place.”

The green-haired woman bit the bottom of her lip so hard that it began to bleed. Seeing her friend so helpless, the beautiful elf couldn’t help but remark:

“Haha, to think that the mighty leader of the Shadowgarden House, one of the strongest Vampire Guardian House, would be stumped by a twenty-five-year-old boy.”

“Rosalyn is also twenty-six, and you’re overwhelmed by her too.”

“She’s different,” Miriel laughed. “You know how she is.”

“I do… That’s why I also know that she’s stubborn. If she finds out that he wants to meet her, she’ll…”

“Grand-Aunt.”

At that moment, a thunderous echo reverberated through the entire Elven Sanctuary. The ground trembled, seemingly in fear and anger, while the trees whistled with the sounds of falling leaves. Even while she was seated in the safety of her chambers, Veralyn felt a choking sensation suffocating her very neck. It felt like she was being stared at by the apex predator of the forest, and she could do nothing about it.

“Let him come… Don’t stop him… Or else…”

Those eight words resonated within Eminence Veralyn’s ears and sent shivers down her compact body. Seeing that the warning was well-received, the voice dissipated away, and the magical pressure that mounted on the green-haired lady’s body disappeared as if nothing had ever happened.

The three women stood in a triangle, with Riniya being in the worst state. She collapsed onto her knees and passed out immediately, with the whites of her eyes now popping out from her sockets. Meanwhile, Miriel looked out the window, and a wry smile crept up her face.

“She could even hear our conversation in my territory… Her resonance has clearly surpassed our wildest expectations.”

“Hah… What a problem child.” Eminence Veralyn shook her head and laid back on her chair. “Miriel, could you approve the Blackburn House’s request?”

“Oh? Why the sudden change of heart?”

“Why? Didn’t you just feel that?! My goodness, as much as I hate to admit it, Rosalyn is already the strongest Vampire in the Shadowgarden House! If I ignore her warnings, my head will end up like Eyghon!”

Eminence Veralyn couldn’t help but laugh at her own predicament. She was the Lord of the Shadowgarden House, easily one of the most influential Vampire families in existence. She had the power equalling that of General Enzo and Lord Sirius, and she was easily amongst the top twenty Vampires alive.

And yet, she was being bullied by two youngsters who weren’t even in their thirties.

“To have two Progenitor-level Vampires born in the same era… I don’t know whether this will be a blessing or a curse for the Vampire race.”

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