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【 THE MOONLIGHT QUEEN 】

Four Seasons’ consciousness wavered for a moment, and his field of vision suddenly changed.

The surrounding mana abruptly became incredibly dense, and with every breath he took, it seemed as though every pore in his body was cheering with delight.

As Four Seasons’ vision gradually recovered, he found himself in a lush, verdant forest. For a moment, he almost thought he had returned back to the Elven Forest.

However, when he looked at the minimap, he discovered that he had been teleported to a place he had never visited before. Not only that, but the game’s signal seemed to have suddenly weakened, causing the chat channel to refresh intermittently.

It was only after a while that the signal gradually stabilized.

The mysterious call he had been hearing was gone. Four Seasons looked behind him and saw a hazy portal of light. Clearly, this was where he had just come from.

He then raised his head toward the sky, finding no stars at all, but only a silver-blue full moon hung high above. However its appearance was somewhat different from the moon in the World of Seigües.

“Am I in another world? Or a demirealm?”

Four Seasons’ heart stirred.

A winding path stretched through the forest and disappeared into the distance. Insects chirped softly on both sides of the path, while several multicolored balls of light danced through the trees. They were energy lifeforms Four Seasons did not recognize.

Looking around, Four Seasons found the scenery no less beautiful than that of the Elven Forest.

However, Four Seasons had long since grown accustomed to the beauty of the Elven Forest, so he was not particularly surprised. Instead, he habitually took a screenshot of the beautiful scenery, uploaded it to his in-game profile, and showed it off.

Well… this was one of the things players loved doing most whenever they arrived at a new map. It was basically the same as posting on social media, except that they were doing it inside the game.

After finishing that, he followed the winding path deeper into the map.

Four Seasons had no idea where he was.

But since he was already here, he might as well explore, right?

Fortunately, the winding path was not very long. After walking for only a short while, Four Seasons emerged from the forest.

Beyond the forest lay a vast plain and scattered throughout the distant fields were several white buildings, which appeared to form a village or small town.

However, when Four Seasons saw the familiar boulders and the buildings that were virtually identical to those in elven cities such as Florence, a trace of surprise finally appeared in his eyes.

This… was clearly an elven settlement!

Tiny lights shone through the windows of the buildings, flickering in the darkness and adding a touch of warmth to the tranquil night. Every now and then, he could even hear faint laughter.

“This town’s architectural style looks really familiar… Are elves living here?”

Four Seasons’ curiosity was immediately piqued.

He quickened his pace and headed toward the town.

The town was not far away. Four Seasons picked up his pace and arrived in less than ten minutes.

To be honest, if it were not for the minimap in the upper-right corner reminding him that this was an unfamiliar region, Four Seasons would have thought he had returned to one of the elven settlements in the Elven Forest.

There was no helping it. The town before him simply looked far too similar.

The architectural style and even the layout were nearly identical.

Four Seasons even spotted the central square that could be found in virtually every elven village, town, and city!

However, his gaze did not linger on the central square for long before another, even more astonishing building caught his attention.

A domed spire, elegant and solemn.

That… was a temple!

A temple virtually identical to the traditional old temples of the Goddess found in the Elven Forest!

“Is this… Temple of Life?”

Four Seasons froze.

“…No. This isn’t the Temple of Life…”

He quickly dismissed his own assumption.

The symbol on the temple was not the Scepter of Life. Instead, it consisted of several symbols resembling simply drawn trees.

“Wait… I think I’ve seen this symbol somewhere before…”

Four Seasons carefully examined the symbol on the temple and frowned.

After thinking for a moment, his eyes suddenly widened.

“Wait..!”

“Isn’t this the old symbol from before the Goddess reformed the church? I’ve seen it in videos online in the past!”

This was a temple of the Goddess after all!

Or rather… an old temple from when it was still called the Church of Nature!

Faint light spilled through the temple’s windows. Clearly, this temple was not merely a decorative structure and was actively used as a place of worship!

Four Seasons’ curiosity grew even stronger. He stepped forward and pushed open the temple doors.

The doors were not locked. They had merely been left ajar, so Four Seasons easily pushed them open.

And what appeared before him was a chamber virtually identical to the Temple of Life in the Elven Forest. At the center of the chamber stood a sacred statue of the Goddess.

Even if this statue had been reduced to ashes, Four Seasons would never have mistaken it for anything else.

It was none other than the Goddess Evé, whom he had prayed to countless times in order to unlock the Exchange Store.

However, unlike the holy statue of the Goddess in the Temple of Life, the statue before him seemed somewhat dimmer. In other words, it appeared not to have received the Goddess’s blessing.

Four Seasons could not resist entering the temple and approaching the statue. He closed his eyes and prayed for a moment, only to discover that he still could not open the in-game Store.

But at that moment, a pleasant voice suddenly came from behind him:

“An unfamiliar elf…? Perchance, are you a fellow kin whom His Majesty Imheter has recently brought into Utopia?”

There was a hint of delight in the voice.

…Utopia?

Four Seasons’ heart skipped a beat.

He turned around and saw a beautiful elven woman standing behind him, dressed in a priestess’s robes.

She had a beautiful head of silver hair, but a strip of white cloth covered her eyes, seemingly indicating that she was blind.

What was even more striking, however, was her ethereal figure, which seemed almost as though she could fade away at any moment.

When Four Seasons saw her distinctive silver hair and the face that looked remarkably similar to the image Nana had sent him, his eyes widened instantly.

“L-Lady Diana?!”

“Hm?”

The elven priestess tilted her head slightly, her lips parting in surprise.

“Do you… know me?”

Of course he did!

Four Seasons was extremely excited.

“Lady Diana, I am Four Seasons, one of the Chosen Ones summoned by Her Majesty the Goddess!”

He hurriedly explained.

“The… Goddess?”

Diana’s brows furrowed slightly, seemingly puzzled.

Seeing her reaction, Four Seasons slapped his forehead and quickly realized that she probably did not yet know about the Goddess’s revival.

He took a deep breath and explained excitedly:

“It’s the World Tree! The Goddess is the World Tree! She has already revived, and I am one of the Chosen Ones She summoned from another world!”

“The… World Tree…?”

Diana’s body trembled slightly.

She suddenly quickened her pace, came directly before Four Seasons, and grabbed both of his hands. Her voice trembled with emotion.

“You… What are you saying?”

Four Seasons was startled.

Seeing how agitated she was, he swallowed and said:

“The Goddess has finally revived. The Goddess of Li—no, the Divine Matriarch has already been revived for six years. The elves have reclaimed the Elven Forest, and Her Grace has also recovered Her strength. In fact, even Lady Aurora and Lady Eris have both returned!”

“Lady Diana, we have been searching for you this entire time!”

Diana’s expression changed instantly when she heard Four Seasons’ words.

Her grip on his hands tightened, and her voice trembled even more.

“You… Are you telling the truth?”

“Of course! Her Grace the Goddess is now known as Evé Yggdrasill, and the elves have already risen from their decline. Now, in the World of Seigües, there isn’t a single race that dares look down on the elves. If anyone does, we the Chosen Ones will teach them some manners!”

Four Seasons spoke with excitement and a hint of pride.

It was rather amusing. He was merely a player, and one who had joined the game relatively late at that. Yet, at that moment, as he spoke about the Elven Forest, his heart was filled with soaring passion.

Diana seemed to tremble even more violently.

Through her trembling hands, Four Seasons could almost feel the turmoil in her heart.

“Tell me…”

Her voice suddenly rose.

“Tell me everything you know!”

She clutched Four Seasons’ wrist tightly.

Four Seasons was startled once again.

Looking at Diana’s agitated expression, he recalled the game’s storyline he had seen as a player. After taking a deep breath, he began:

“Well, it all started six years ago…”

༺⟐༻

The sun slowly rose, its light illuminating the earth.

The beautiful elven town gradually awakened from its slumber.

Imheter entered the elven town carrying a newly crafted statue. Along the way, every elf who saw him greeted him warmly and respectfully.

“Good morning, Your Majesty Imheter!”

“Good morning, Your Majesty Imheter!”

Seeing the smiles on the elves’ faces, a smile also appeared on the Titan’s face.

“Good… Good morning.”

He scratched his head and smiled sheepishly.

Following a road he knew better than he could remember, Imheter arrived before the temple in the town.

As usual, the temple doors remained closed. However, faint light could be seen inside through the crystal windows.

As Imheter looked at the temple before him, his expression seemed to soften. He carefully approached the temple and gently knocked on the door.

“Diana… Diana… I, I came to see you.”

He spoke somewhat haltingly.

However, no response came from within the temple.

“Diana?”

Imheter repeated himself.

Still, there was only silence.

Only after a while did a faint sigh finally come from within.

“Come in.”

It was Diana’s voice.

However, compared to usual, her voice carried an additional trace of distance and complexity.

Imheter immediately noticed the difference.

His expression tightened, and he hurriedly pushed open the doors.

“Diana… Are… Are you feeling unwell?”

His voice was filled with nervousness.

When the doors opened, Diana, the Moonlight Queen, was still sitting before the temple. However, she did not look toward the Titan who had entered.

“Diana?”

Imheter repeated himself and quickly came before her.

Sensing Imheter’s approach, Diana gently raised her head. She let out a soft sigh and said:

“Your Majesty Imheter… I remember… you once told me that you would never deceive me, didn’t you?”

Imheter froze slightly.

At that very moment, the temple doors were suddenly pushed open, and Four Seasons rushed inside. With an excited expression, he said:

“Lady Diana! I gathered some fresh—”

He did not finish his sentence before his eyes met Imheter’s.

Four Seasons’ smile instantly froze.

Imheter, meanwhile, immediately widened his eyes, his expression changing slightly.

“You… How… How are you here?!”

But before he could say anything more, Diana interrupted him in a somewhat cold voice.

“Why can’t he be here?”

Imheter fell silent.

A complicated sigh escaped Diana’s lips as she turned toward the Titan.

“Your Majesty Imheter…”

“The Divine Matriarch… She actually revived long ago, didn’t She?”

Imheter’s expression changed slightly.

His face twisted with struggle, but in the end… he fell silent.

His only response was to tighten his grip around the newly carved statue of the Goddess.

A long silence followed.

It was not until Diana’s voice broke the silence that she finally spoke.

“Your Majesty Imheter, I am leaving this place.”

“No… You can’t!”

Imheter immediately raised his head and shouted anxiously.

At the same time, an immense power erupted from his body. Vast divine power enveloped the temple and blocked its doors.

The surging divine power pressed Four Seasons directly to the ground, leaving him unable to stand. Even Diana’s silver hair was blown wildly by the fierce winds created by the turbulent divine power.

However, Diana’s expression remained utterly calm.

“Are you going to stop me?”

she asked softly.

There was deep disappointment in her voice.

Noticing the emotion behind those words, the Titan froze.

Looking at Diana’s resolute expression, he clenched his fists slightly. His face was filled with inner conflict, but gradually, that struggle turned into dejection.

In the end, Imheter dispersed his divine power and lowered his head in pain.

Feeling the change in the divine power around her, Diana’s expression softened considerably.

She sighed and said:

“Your Majesty Imheter, I have only one wish in this life: that is to follow the Divine Matriarch, witness Her achieve greatness, and witness Her lead our elven people toward the true sea of stars…”

“I am deeply grateful for the care you have given me over the past thousand years. Without you, I might have already fallen under the pursuit of the Eternal Lord’s Angels.”

“Alas, it is time for us to part.”

“The Matriarch has already revived, and I am carrying something She needs. Thus, I must return to Her side as soon as possible…”

“No one can stop me. Not even you.”

“Your Majesty Imheter, I will never forget your kindness, but our paths are ultimately different.”

“During my thousand years of leisure, I used the magical materials of Utopia to weave this elven soft armor. It is also a sub-divine artifact. I leave it to you as a gift to express my gratitude.”

As she spoke, Diana extended her hand and placed a delicate piece of elven soft armor before the Titan.

“Let us part ways here…”

Afterward, she let out a soft sigh, turned slightly, and faced Four Seasons.

“Four Seasons, let’s go.”

With that, Diana stood up and walked toward the temple’s exit.

“Uh… All right, Lady Diana.”

Four Seasons hurried forward and reached out to support her.

The two passed by Imheter. The Titan wanted to reach out and stop them, but in the end… he could not bring himself to raise his hand.

He only stood silently as he watched Diana leave the temple accompanied by Four Seasons.

Soon, only the Titan remained behind.

—


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