Chapter 328: Next Course of Action

Sacred Lands were scattered throughout the Forest of Eternity.

Due to the forest’s unique nature and the blessings of the World Tree, monsters were not born within its borders despite the overwhelming concentration of mana.

Instead, sacred beasts and Sacred Lands came into existence.

Sacred Lands were naturally blessed regions overflowing with mana, formed around a core. Such a core could be an ancient tree or another naturally occurring mana-rich object that had endured for a long period of time.

As the sole kingdom within the Forest of Eternity, Edenelia possessed five Sacred Lands.

These Sacred Lands were not artificially created by the elves but were treasures discovered throughout their long history.

One must know that Sacred Lands were exceedingly rare. Even throughout the elves’ millions of years of history, only five had ever been discovered.

Yet those five Sacred Lands alone were enough to make the elves one of, if not the strongest, among the four intelligent races.

They were as follows:

The Temple of Life, the central temple of the religion dedicated to the Elven Goddess of Life, Yggdrasilia.

The Sanctuary of Life and Death, the resting place of elves who had completed their long lives.

The Spirit Gate, a location where a connection to the Spirit Realm existed. Where elves with sufficient affinity could attempt to form a contract with a spirit.

The Ancient Tree Flonaralavenrosa, a primordial tree that had existed since before the birth of the first generation of elves.

It was said that it was the first tree that had sprouted after the World Tree.

The capital city of Paradis had been built around it.

The Rebirth Spring, an ancient spring that had existed for millions of years.

It possessed the ability to strengthen an elf’s affinity, restore those on the brink of death to the vigor of their prime, and perform numerous other miracles recorded only within the confines of the Library of Eternity.

***

As Elysia assessed the situation of the sacred lands, she felt a presence behind her.

She turned her head and was greeted by the sight of a serious Regis, while a miniature Wisteria floated beside him, tugging at his sleeve in a futile attempt to make him rest.

"Pfft—"

Elysia could not help but let out a strained chuckle.

For the first time since the crisis began, the overwhelming pressure weighing on her heart seemed to ease, even if only briefly.

Her action caused both the young man and the spirit to freeze slightly.

"I’m soyy..."

Elysia coughed a few times to cover her embarrassment, ’It seems I still can’t quite control my emotions...’

She then assumed a calm expression, "You need to rest."

"You know we don’t have the luxury of that right now," Regis responded seriously, intentionally overlooking her brief lapse to spare them both an awkward silence.

Elysia looked at him with a worried gaze.

"After getting a taste of the enemy you’ll be facing, and knowing that there may be even stronger ones among them, are you, as the leader of the Sanguine Order, still willing to undertake this task?"

Frankly, even she had not expected the abomination they encountered earlier to be among their enemies. It had elevated her perception of this battle to an entirely different level.

That was why she would not blame him if he suddenly chose to withdraw from this fight.

Hearing her words, Regis only smiled, "We are an adventure corporation, Your Majesty. For the right price, we could even face demon lords head-on. Besides, we have a personal grudge against those demonic worshippers. So we’d actually be glad to wipe them off the face of this world."

"Very well."

Elysia nodded, a smile blooming on her beautiful face as well.

Beside Regis, Wisteria could not help but rub her eyes hard in disbelief, ’To think that she’d actually smile like that...!’

However, it was merely a fleeting moment to the point that she could not help but wonder if it had been an illusion.

Though the lingering light behind the queen’s gaze made her sure of it.

Elysia regained her calm as she used the powers of the Eternal Orb to project the image of the map of the Edenelia Kingdom.

Within the projected image were countless red dots and various cryptic symbols. Elysia began explaining them to Regis so he could better understand the situation.

"This is a map of the entire elven territory. I’ve already ordered all survivors to evacuate to Paradis. As for the settlements that have fallen, I’ve already had them self-destruct. For now, our main priority is the Sacred Lands."

Regis could not help but be taken aback, but he refrained from showing any reaction.

Unaware of his thoughts, Elysia continued.

"However, I’ve already committed the forces of the Temple of Life, the Sacred Tree Council, and the Eden Knight Order to ensure the safety of our people. That leaves us with only a few options."

Her gaze settled on a particular point on the map.

"Among all the Sacred Lands, I believe we should head to the Sanctuary of Life and Death. Even among the Sacred Lands, it is unique due to its exceptionally close connection to the Mother World Tree. Furthermore, there’s a high chance that whoever is behind this attack is there."

Although Elysia remained calm on the surface, her heart trembled, ’The countless demonized elves that they used to muster such a large army...My severed connection with Mother World Tree... The corrosion in my soul... The discreet demonization of elves...’

As the Queen of Edenelia, Elysia was exceptionally competent, particularly when it came to matters of intellect.

Everything she had experienced over the past few hours, combined with her vast knowledge, had allowed her to pinpoint the mastermind’s likely location and formulate several hypotheses regarding their plans and intentions.

After listening to the queen’s words, Regis posed a question after a brief moment, "Your Majesty, may I ask something?"

"Of course. And you can just call me Elysia," Elysia smiled amiably.

"Then, Lady Elysia, may I know if you can contact my corporation through that magical artifact?"

He asked as he glanced at the Eternal Orb.

At his words, however, an awkward expression appeared on Elysia’s face, "I’m sorry, but I can’t contact them if they’re not within the range of a sub-orb and..."

"And?" Regis followed up, feeling something off with her expression.

Elysia steeled herself before speaking in a careful voice.

"Xerxes Village, the settlement I previously tasked the Sanguine Order to investigate, has completely fallen into the hands of the demonic worshippers. It is also one of the settlements I ordered to self-destruct."

"Is that so?" Regis closed his eyes before opening them a moment later.

His eyes revealed determination as he heaved a sigh, "I guess we’ll have to meet on the way, then."

"Forgive me..." Elysia initially wanted to apologize, but stopped herself before she could finish.

Regis looked at her, the slight smile never leaving his lips.

"There’s no need to apologize. I trust my comrades. Those demonic worshippers wouldn’t be able to kill them even if they tried."