Chapter 837

【 PLEASE DON’T ABANDON US 】

A player had found the Moonlight Queen, Diana!

Not long after Four Seasons told his teammates about his experience, the news quickly spread throughout the entire server.

Players began asking around for information about the incident and topics such as the Moonlight Queen, Utopia, and Dream Island quickly became trending searches on the official forum. However, without firsthand information and with no way to determine Four Seasons’ exact coordinates, everyone could only speculate wildly.

As the center of the entire commotion, Four Seasons’ contact list was instantly flooded with new messages and friend requests. The countless notifications made his scalp tingle. He finally understood why Cypher had once described dealing with his contact list as being like hell during the period when he was completing his personal Epic Quest in one of his videos.

Nevertheless, he still patiently replied to the first few messages, but after that, there were simply too many for him to keep up with. In the end, Four Seasons gave up entirely and simply ignored everything.

At the moment Four Seasons helped the blind Diana to her feet, the system notification that had arrived late finally appeared.

The quest was very simple.

【 Bring Diana home. 】

However, the rewards were extremely generous.

Although they were nowhere near as exaggerated as the rewards Cypher had received back then, they were still considerably better than those of ordinary hidden quests.

“So Diana has been in the Reincarnation Faction’s secret realm all this time? No wonder I was never able to find her.”

Within the World Tree’s Divine Kingdom, Evé withdrew the divine consciousness she had used to issue the quest. She temporarily stopped examining the blue orb of light, deep in thought.

In fact, Evé had instantly sensed a change in the game’s connection the moment Four Seasons entered Utopia.

At that instant, if she had not strengthened her connection with that player after what had happened with Cypher, Four Seasons might have lost his connection just like Cypher had back then.

There was no doubt that this mysterious realm of the Ancient Gods called ‘Utopia’ possessed a force capable of isolating itself from the outside world.

Even Evé could only maintain contact with Four Seasons and she could not rely on his coordinates to descend there with her own power.

After sensing the situation, Evé realized that she could probably descend there with ease only after Four Seasons left the Ancient Gods’ territory.

In her perception, that mysterious island in the eastern part of the continent seemed to be shrouded in a layer of mist. It was the only place in the entire World of Seigües that she could not see through completely.

Previously, she had merely thought that the place where the Ancient Gods slept was not simple. But now that Four Seasons was there inside it, through her mysterious connection with him, she sensed even more things…

There was an ancient, powerful, and weathered force there, seemingly protecting everything and isolating everything, especially the probing of other divine powers.

Moreover, it was a force no weaker than her own.

“Someone in the rank of Higher Divine Power? Could it be… the leader of the Reincarnation Faction, the Ancient God named Guy, whom Urinos mentioned?”

Evé had a faint guess in her heart.

༺⟐༻

Four Seasons had no idea that he had already become the object of the Goddess’s observation as after receiving the quest, his heart was filled with nothing but excitement.

Supporting Diana, the two walked out of the temple.

Warm sunlight shone down upon Diana. She gently raised her head and “looked” toward the sun in the sky, “looked” toward the beautiful town, and “looked” toward the flowers and bushes growing throughout it.

Although she had permanently lost her eyes in the battle a thousand years ago, and although her injuries had still not fully healed, a demigod was still a demigod. Relying on the remnants of her divine consciousness, although its power was limited, she could still observe the world from another perspective.

In other words, she did not actually need anyone to support her.

However, as a noble yet approachable demigod and the queen once beloved by the elves, she did not reject Four Seasons’ kindness.

This place, where she had lived for nearly a thousand years, was as beautiful and enchanting as ever.

The sun was bright, birds sang, flowers bloomed, and life flourished everywhere.

However, standing before the temple and looking at everything so familiar to her, Diana felt a sense of anticipation and nervousness for the very first time.

She could no longer remember when she had last experienced such emotions, nor could she remember when she had last walked out of the temple.

She only knew that ever since their Divine Matriarch had fallen, she had lived in a world of guilt and sorrow…

Now, she desperately wanted to return to the Elven Forest as soon as possible. She desperately wanted to see the Matriarch again.

After deeply “looking” at this beautiful city and this vibrant realm, Diana let out a soft sigh.

“Let us go. We are leaving this place.”

“Are you not taking any other Elves with you, Your Highness?”

Four Seasons was slightly stunned.

“No.”

Diana slowly shook her head.

She extended her hand, and a beautiful butterfly landed upon it. It fluttered its wings twice before lightly leaping into the air and flying into the distance.

“Watching” the butterfly fly away, Diana sighed.

“Utopia… is a realm created by the Ancient Gods to preserve the last sparks of civilization for the world. Only faithless ones who have completely severed their connection with the Outside World can enter this place.”

“But I am different. From the very beginning, I never intended to remain here forever. I only came here to escape those hunting me and to wait for the revival of Her Majesty, the Matriarch.”

“But the elves living here are different. They have lived here for a very long time, and they have already abandoned their faith.”

“This place is free from worldly conflict. It is a truly pure land without faith. Many of them have suffered painful experiences in the past, and many had fallen into confusion and despair until they came here…”

“Furthermore, they are living very happily here and have already begun new lives.”

“No matter where the world ultimately heads, Utopia is the safest place. This secret realm… can become their new home.”

“Alas, I failed them as their Queen. I no longer have the right to ask these elves to follow me. Therefore, just let them remain here and live happily forever.”

There was a trace of sorrow in Diana’s voice.

However, after hearing this, Four Seasons did not seem to agree.

He gently shook his head and said as he walked:

“Lady Diana, that is only your own opinion. Why don’t you ask the people here what they think?”

Hearing his words, Diana could not help but let out a bitter laugh.

“No… You don’t understand.”

She gently shook her head.

However, Four Seasons merely smiled without saying anything.

Diana opened her mouth, intending to continue speaking, but suddenly froze.

At the entrance to the town, a large number of elves had gathered at some point.

There were old and young among them, with hair of various colors. They carried luggage on their backs and stood along the road, waiting.

Upon seeing Four Seasons and Diana, the oldest elf among them stepped forward and let out a long sigh.

“Lady Diana, you seemed to have decided to leave this place… but why didn’t you call us?”

“You… You all…”

Diana opened her mouth, completely stunned where she stood.

“Was this… your doing?”

She “looked” toward Four Seasons.

Four Seasons smiled faintly.

“I’m sorry, Lady Diana. This morning, I visited the elven elder of the town and told him everything that had happened outside, as well as our plans to leave.”

Hearing Four Seasons’ words, Diana’s expression became complicated.

“Looking” toward the gathered members of her race, she let out a long sigh.

“You don’t need to do this…”

“I am returning to the Outside World to fight for Her Majesty, but you all are different.”

“Utopia has already accepted you. You guys have found your own happiness here. There is no need for you to return to that world outside filled with conflict…”

“Lady Diana!”

An elf stepped forward.

He blocked the two people’s path, his expression agitated.

“Are you abandoning us? Just because we abandoned the faith we once held?”

“No… It is not like that.”

Diana shook her head.

“Then… could it be because of the guilt you once mentioned, the guilt you feel toward our people on the Continent? If that is the case, then we are even more guilty. We abandoned our faith in our Patron Deity. We are the ones who should feel guilty the most. We are the ones who should repent instead…”

“That’s right, Lady Diana. Please don’t abandon us. If you are going back, then please take us with you!”

“We will regain the faith we lost. We only ask that you do not leave us here…”

“Yes… No matter how beautiful this place is, it is ultimately… not our homeland.”

“We have only one homeland, and that is the Elven Forest, the beautiful Elven Forest! Our true home, with the World Tree that reaches into the heavens, with endless flower tea to drink and berries to eat, with clear, sweet springs and scenery as beautiful as a painting in every season…”

“Lady Diana, please let us follow you home. Please let us follow you and return to the embrace of the Matriarch!”

The elves were extremely agitated, their voices filled with sincerity.

“Looking” at the elves gathering around her, “looking” at their determined gazes, Diana stood there with her mouth slightly open, trembling faintly.

A warm yet bittersweet sensation flowed through her heart.

“I told you. You should have asked everyone what they thought.”

Four Seasons smiled as he looked at the elves who had come here.

Diana fell silent.

After a long while, she finally let out another long sigh.

“Have you… already made up your minds?”

She looked toward the gathered elves.

“Of course! We are going back with you, Your Highness!”

The elves answered.

“You must understand that although the Matriarch has revived, the conflict in the Outside World has only just begun. Once you leave this place, you will all also be drawn into this conflict…”

“So what? We abandoned everything simply because we could no longer see any hope. Now that we can see hope again, of course we must return!”

“Even if… there is a possibility that you will be drawn into a war where you may have to face gods directly?”

“Of course!”

“Even if… it may lead to your deaths?”

“Even if we die, it will be for a brilliant tomorrow!”

The elves’ words rang out with unwavering conviction.

Facing their determined gazes, Diana fell silent.

She knew.

She had known this all along.

Each members of her race had always been like this. They were pure and unwavering. Although their long years of waiting and despair had gradually caused them to lose hope and retreat into Utopia, that happy and dreamlike life could not erase the regrets buried deep within their hearts…

They were the same as her.

Deep down, they had always hoped to return!

They had simply needed an opportunity. They had needed hope.

And now, that hope had finally arrived.

Diana slowly raised her head and “looked” beyond the town, toward the fertile plains and the lush forest in the distance.

That was a forest the elves had planted tree by tree. It was the Elven Forest in their hearts. Yet… it was ultimately not the real Elven Forest.

“Then… Let us go.”

Diana let out a long sigh.

“Let us go home together!”

Hearing her words, the surrounding elves erupted into cheers.

They shouldered their luggage and surrounded Diana and Four Seasons as they walked toward Utopia’s exit…

༺⟐༻

There were more than seven thousand elves in Utopia.

But in the end, nearly seven thousand chose to return.

It was unrealistic to expect everyone to abandon everything and return. Just as many elves in the Mindel Realm had married members of other local races and found new emotional attachments there, Utopia also had some elven hybrids.

Nevertheless, the fact that more than ninety-five percent of the elves decided in the span of a single morning to abandon everything and return with Diana was already an astonishing feat.

The elvenkind had always been an exceptionally united race.

They had once lived free from worldly conflict. They had once been kind to the point of naivety. But after enduring countless hardships, they… would eventually be reborn through the flames of perdition.

It was not only the players who were gradually changing. The native elves were changing as well.

“You’re not going to see them off?”

Outside Utopia, on the mountain where the temple complex stood, the Fire Giant Surtr leaned against a massive boulder with his arms crossed, watching the Titan standing at the edge of the cliff and gazing at the elven procession gradually disappearing into the mountains. He let out a soft sigh.

The Titan Imheter tightly gripped the elven soft armor Diana had given him.

He gently stroked the divine power crystal of life embedded within the armor and remained silent for a long time.

“No… I won’t.”

Imheter slowly shook his head.

“I’m afraid…”

“I’m afraid I won’t be able to control myself…”

His voice trembled slightly as he looked at the figure at the front of the procession.

Surtr was somewhat surprised.

He understood what the other meant.

Imheter was afraid that he would be unable to control himself and try to persuade Diana to stay.

Surtr glanced at Imheter and sighed emotionally.

“I originally thought you would force her to stay… It seems that, in the end, you understand. Diana does not belong here. She has her own faith and convictions. Sooner or later, she would return outside…”

“No…”

Imheter shook his head.

He looked in the direction Diana had left, covered his chest, and spoke in a low, dejected voice.

“If I stop her again… she’ll get angry.”

“I don’t want to see… her get angry.”

“And I don’t want her to be sad…”

Surtr was slightly stunned.

After several seconds of silence, he let out a long sigh.

“Looks like… you really do like her.”

The Titan did not answer.

A moment later, he suddenly began walking toward the elven procession.

Surtr was stunned.

Looking in the direction Imheter was heading, he frowned and asked:

“What are you going to do?”

The Titan stopped for a moment.

“Escort…”

He replied.

Surtr opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing.

Meanwhile, the Titan Imheter quickly caught up with the elven procession.

However, he merely followed far behind them without appearing before the elves. He completely concealed even the aura of his divine power.

Only his distant, hazy gaze continued to follow the figure at the very front of the procession.

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