Chapter 101: The Only Clue and a Legendary Gift

Clues about the secret realm’s core—this was the entire reason they had sought an audience with the Elf Queen.

Searching for a vague, ethereal “core” of unknown form in a strange world, relying only on the four of them, was no different from looking for a needle in a haystack. The only way to break the deadlock was to enlist the power of the strongest local faction.

And the Elf Queen was, without a doubt, the highest-level “information source” they could possibly reach.

At Celeste’s question, the entire hall fell silent.

The gentle glow of the moonstones remained, and the magical river of stars on the ceiling continued to flow, but the relaxed atmosphere that had filled the air vanished completely. Even Eldara, standing stoically to the side, turned her gaze toward the throne. On that usually expressionless, ice-carved face, a rare hint of inquiry appeared.

Clearly, she also wanted to know the answer.

The Queen on the throne remained silent. Deep within her eyes, a captivating blend of starlight and burgundy, light and shadow shifted as if she were searching through an infinite sea of memory.

Then, under the tense, hopeful gazes of Celeste and the others, she slowly shook her head.

“The ‘secret realm core’ you speak of is something I have never heard of.”

The answer landed like a physical blow, causing the temperature in the hall to seemingly drop several degrees.

Celeste felt her heart plummet.

‘Are you kidding me? A completely wasted trip? Not even a high-level NPC like the Queen knows anything? Is the main questline bricked on step one?’

The Queen’s voice, however, remained steady, carrying a calm sense of total control. “According to your description, this object is the root cause of the world fusion. An artifact of that magnitude would inevitably cause severe energy anomalies.”

“For example,” she continued, her words clear and precise with the characteristic rigor of a master mage, “persistent distortions in the spatial structure, or uncontrollable tides of mana.”

“We elves, particularly the Mage Council of Silvermoon City, constantly monitor the Mana Network and the Space Nodes that cover the entire continent. If an anomaly source capable of ‘fusing worlds’ as you described truly existed, the ripples it generated could never escape our perception.”

The Queen paused, her lips curving into a faint, almost imperceptible smile as she switched to a more direct turn of phrase.

“Simply put, if this thing were truly within our monitoring range, my desk would have been piled high with urgent reports like a winter snowstorm long ago. But as it stands, my desk is quite clean.”

Her logic was sound, irrefutable.

Celeste was momentarily speechless. It was true. The elven race were the progenitors of magic, and Silvermoon City was teeming with powerful mages. Their understanding of their own world was leagues beyond that of a few outsiders. If the Queen said nothing had been found, then it was highly likely that nothing had been found.

“Then… could our direction have been wrong from the very beginning?” Selene couldn’t help but murmur, her face clouded with disappointment.

The light in Xia Lian and Su Wan’s eyes dimmed as well. After going through so much trouble, risking their lives to get here, only to be met with a simple “I don’t know”… the crushing anticlimax was enough to break anyone’s will.

But not Celeste’s.

She refused to accept this seemingly hopeless conclusion.

‘If the Queen isn’t lying, then where’s the flaw in the logic?’she thought, her mind racing.’Known Fact One: The core must exist. Known Fact Two: The elves’continent-wide monitoring network has found zero anomalies. Putting those two facts together… that is the biggest anomaly of all!”Unless… the core itself possesses some insane stealth capabilities, or another massive power is actively providing cover for it!’

A new possibility exploded in her mind, the sudden clarity dispelling all her frustration.

Celeste looked up again, her gaze burning as she met the Queen’s eyes directly. A flicker of defiance ignited in her expression, her entire presence shifting.

“Your Majesty, I have one more question.”

“Lately, besides the arrival of us ‘Outworlders,’ have any other major shifts occurred in this world? Anything that could affect the continent’s balance of power?” she pressed. “Or rather, is there any faction actively trying to disrupt the existing order of the world?”

If they couldn’t find the “object,” they would look for the “event.” World fusion would inevitably lead to the collapse of order, so who would benefit most from seeing the world descend into chaos?

In the Queen’s ancient eyes, which had seen through the rise and fall of ages, a glimmer of genuine approval finally appeared. She admired the resilience of the human girl before her, who could so quickly recalibrate her thinking and forge a new path in the face of adversity.

“You are very sharp,” the Queen noted with a slight nod. “Although we haven’t directly found any traces of this ‘core,’ a long-dormant faction has indeed become unusually active recently. Their sole purpose is to create chaos.”

The Queen’s red lips parted slightly, uttering a single, cold word.

“Undead.”

The word immediately brought to Celeste’s mind the image of Mogras, the Death Knight who had ambushed Eldara in the Silent Forest.

“For nearly a century, the remnants of the Undead Scourge have been huddled in the ‘Scar of Mourning’ in the north of the continent—a place of despair completely eroded by the energies of death,” the Queen explained, her voice turning cold, laced with the majesty and killing intent of a monarch. “They have been quiet for so long that many of the shorter-lived races have all but forgotten their existence.”

“But starting a few months ago, their claws suddenly began to penetrate southward.”

“They attack caravans, pollute the land, convert the dead into their ranks, and have even begun actively assaulting our outposts, just as you encountered in the Silent Forest. Mogras is but one of the many talons they have extended.”

The Queen’s gaze became sharp, as if piercing through time and space to land on the distant, blighted northern wasteland.

“On the surface, their actions may seem like a simple expansion of power, but the timing… is far too coincidental. It began right after you ‘Outworlders’ started to arrive in greater numbers.”

“It’s as if,” she concluded, her voice low and dangerous, “they intend to use a war that sweeps the continent to cover up a far more important secret.”

Celeste’s heart skipped a beat.

‘A diversion!’she realized instantly.’The more noise the Undead make, the more they draw everyone’s attention to the war, the less time anyone will have to investigate those inconspicuous corners. No one will go looking for that hidden ‘secret realm core’!”Of course, it’s also possible these undead just want to fish in troubled waters and expand their territory while the world’s order is in flux. But regardless… this is the only real clue we have!’

“I understand.” Celeste took a deep breath, the fighting spirit reigniting in her eyes. “Thank you for your guidance, Your Majesty.”

“This is not guidance, merely a reasonable deduction.” The Queen leaned back into her throne, her sharp intensity softening as she once again became the elegant and noble monarch. “The undead are the common enemy of all living beings. Investigating their movements is naturally the duty of Silvermoon City.”

Her gaze shifted to the Knight Captain beside her.

“Eldara.”

“Your subordinate is here.”

“I grant your previous request,” the Queen said. “These four are your saviors, and as such, they are friends and allies of Silvermoon City.” Her gaze swept over Selene, Xia Lian, and Su Wan, pausing for only a polite moment before refocusing on Celeste, her tone softening even further.

“Go. For them, open the first three levels of the Silvermoon Armory and the Great Library. You shall be fully responsible for arranging their reward.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the heavy atmosphere from a moment ago instantly evaporated. The four of them looked at each other, relief and irrepressible joy shining in their eyes.

‘It’s here, it’s here!’Celeste cheered internally.’Reward time! Loot drop! Elven equipment and skill tomes, let’s gooo!’

“As for you…” The Queen’s gaze rested on Celeste, the smile on her lips becoming a bit more genuine. “Your way of fighting is very interesting. A rare and novel sight I have not seen in many years. I imagine the standard weapons and magic in the armory might not suit your particular tastes.”

As she spoke, the Queen reached out a fair hand toward Celeste and lightly flicked a slender finger.

A speck of moonlight-like radiance flew from her fingertip, tracing an elegant arc through the air before landing gently in Celeste’s palm. As the light faded, an exquisite earring woven from Moonlight Vine, with a dewdrop-like gem embedded in its center, lay quietly in her hand.

“An ‘Embrace of Moonlight’,” the Queen said, her tone almost conversational. “It cannot make you invincible, but it can grant you a portion of the moon’s resilience when your strength is exhausted.”

She paused, then added, “Consider it a personal gesture of goodwill toward an interesting new friend.”

“Thank you for the gift, Your Majesty!” Celeste instinctively gripped the earring, a faint but continuous warm current beginning to seep into her body from her palm.

On her class panel, the attributes of the new equipment clearly appeared:

[Embrace of Moonlight (Growth Type/Unique)]

[Quality: Legendary (Growable)]

[Effect 1: Moonlight Affinity. The wearer recovers 1% of Health, Stamina, and Mental Energy every minute.]

[Effect 2:??? (To be unlocked)]

[Effect 3:??? (To be unlocked)]

‘A god-tier item!’Celeste’s mind screamed.’These stats are practically tailor-made for me! The biggest thing holding back my character cards is the stamina drain! This is Best-in-Slot!’

Su Wan’s gaze lingered on the earring for a second before she discreetly looked away, a hint of understanding flashing in her cool eyes. Her Majesty was truly perceptive. This gift might only be a welcome bonus for others, but for Celeste, it was a major change.

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Eldara accepted her orders, then turned to Celeste’s group. Her ice-sculpted face still lacked expression, but her voice was exceptionally clear.

“Please follow me.”

The four of them bowed to the Queen one last time before following Eldara out of the grand hall, which felt like a kingdom carved from pure moonlight.

[Elysian’s Note:

Having a good time with the story?

Every single bit helps immensely:

Thanks a ton for making this journey possible!]