Chapter 420 - 404: Rose and Aloshi

Chapter 420: Chapter 404: Rose and Aloshi

An intense sense of confusion and absurdity first washed over Galvis.

’Why is a statue of Tula placed here? Standing alongside these true Deities? This is... blasphemy!’

The moment that thought flashed through his mind, it was as if a clap of thunder exploded in his head.

A crucial detail he had overlooked suddenly surfaced.

He snapped his head around, his gaze sweeping rapidly across the wooden statues lining both sides of the room—statues representing the core of the Elf Pantheon—like the most precise of rulers.

Lebilas Innor, present.

Lebilas Nerifien, present.

Shuni, present.

Dideri, also present.

And...

One, two, three...

He checked again and again, his heart pounding faster and faster as an icy chill spread rapidly up his spine.

’No... Something’s not right! One is missing!’

Although these statues included many important Deities of the Elven faith, they were missing the one, supreme being revered by all Elves as their creator and Guardian...

The one who, according to legend, existed at the dawn of creation, holding sway over the destiny of the entire Elf Race, the secrets of Magic, and the wellspring of life...

At this thought, Galvis jerked his head up, staring intently at Tula’s face, which still wore that flawless, compassionate, and gentle smile. His body staggered back a step uncontrollably.

He only managed to stop when his back slammed hard against the cold, unyielding stone wall.

A bone-deep chill, like a frozen vapor rising in the dead of winter, instantly engulfed him.

The missing statue, the only being qualified to stand before all other divine effigies and receive the highest worship of the Elves, was none other than...

The Main God of the Elf Race.

Out of supreme reverence for this paramount Main God, the Elf Race had never dared to presumptuously depict his specific visage, not even on the statues erected for him in the most sacred halls of the Eternal Song Forest.

In all images of him, his face was skillfully rendered as a hazy brilliance or a swirl of mist, signifying that mortals could not look directly upon a god’s true form.

Every related painting and sculpture Galvis had ever seen was like this.

But the scene before him...

Galvis felt as if his throat was clogged with ash, dry and painful.

Forcing down his frantic heartbeat, he swallowed a few times before turning to the motionless Tula and forcing out the name in a voice so hoarse it was almost unrecognizable.

"Co... Corellon Larethian?"

His voice sounded exceptionally faint in the vast, silent room, and was then swallowed by the boundless dead quiet.

A moment later, the sound of clear, slow clapping broke the suffocating silence.

CLAP... CLAP... CLAP...

Tula, still standing in the same spot, slowly lowered his gently clapping hands. The flawless smile on his face didn’t change in the slightest; if anything, it seemed to deepen.

"As expected of a devotee favored by Lady Shuni."

His voice was gentle, carrying a kind of condescending praise.

"Your insight is indeed far superior to..."

As he spoke, he moved with elegant, light steps toward a dark corner of the room untouched by the lamplight.

Only then did Galvis realize that another wooden statue stood within that Shadow.

It was the figure of a female Elf.

Her posture was graceful, and her face was breathtakingly beautiful, yet it held a cold indifference, almost majestic, and completely different from Adas.

In her hands, she held up a complex, not-yet-fully-formed spindle that seemed woven from light and shadow. Her eyes were profound, as if gazing upon a trajectory of fate incomprehensible to mortals.

The statue exuded an ancient and powerful aura, yet it seemed to be mixed with an indescribable, gloomy quality that was out of place in this sacred location.

Tula’s words continued to echo in the silence, reaching Galvis’s ears clearly.

"...the one chosen by Aloshi."

"Aloshi..."

The moment he heard the name, Galvis’s pupils contracted sharply.

To an ordinary person, this name might be completely unfamiliar.

But as a learned Minstrel, well-versed in numerous ancient legends and divine genealogies, Galvis couldn’t be more familiar with it.

Because this deity, once named Aloshi, now possessed a more resonant—and far more terrifying—title after long ages and a great betrayal...

Spider Queen Rose.

......

......

Thanks to his "Rudolph" identity and the old friendship between Duraga and Duadeng, the situation for Roland and his party in the Zor Elf camp had greatly improved.

Although the initial wariness and distance had not completely vanished, at least they no longer had cold weapons pointed at them at all times.

At this moment, the camp was filled with a tense and bustling atmosphere, like the calm before a storm.

The Zor Elf Warriors were busy wiping their poisoned blades, checking the mechanisms of their crossbows, and exchanging tactical commands in low voices.

All activity revolved around the upcoming raid on the Eternal Song Forest above.

With nothing to do for the time being, Roland and his party were happy to enjoy the leisure, strolling about and sightseeing in this subterranean city, whose style was entirely different from the surface, exuding a gloomy and bizarre atmosphere at every turn.

"So this is... Spider Queen Rose?"

Standing in the central area of the Zor Elf camp, Roland gazed at the wooden statue, which was faintly visible in the dim glow of fungi, and raised an eyebrow.

This statue was completely different from any of the divine effigies he had seen before.

It depicted a voluptuous female Zor Elf, her face beautiful yet tinged with a cold cruelty.

Most strikingly, she was not standing but reclining in a lazy yet dangerous pose upon a massive, intricately carved throne of spiderwebs.

Eight spider-like legs, which seemed almost alive, snaked out from behind the throne, cleverly blending into the folds of the goddess’s robes.

In her hand, she toyed with a small, twisted figurine in the shape of an Elf, which seemed to be screaming silently in agony.

Toward this deity, who was often mentioned in the same breath as Shire in ancient texts and held the fate of the Zor Elves in her hands, Roland’s eyes were filled with inquiry and curiosity, not the mix of reverence and Fear that the passing Zor Elves displayed.

"That’s right."

Duraga nodded lightly, then curled his lip in disgust.

He glanced around, and only after confirming there were no Zor Elves nearby did he lower his voice and speak to Roland.

"It is said she wasn’t always like this. She was once the consort of the Elf Main God, Corellon Larethian, and one of his subordinate deities."

"But endless ages bred inflated ambition and a desire for control. She longed to monopolize Corellon’s favor and Authority, even resorting to forbidden methods."

The Gray Dwarf leader’s voice grew deeper, tinged with disdain for the ancient deity.

"After her plot was exposed, an enraged Corellon stripped her of her original Divine Office and radiance, banishing her and her most fanatical followers forever to the sunless Dark Nether Realm."

"It was in this breeding ground of despair and Darkness that she was utterly twisted and corrupted, eventually transforming into her current form and becoming the Spider Queen Rose worshiped by the Zor Elves."

"So that’s how it was..."

After hearing this secret history, which he had never come across in ancient texts, Roland nodded thoughtfully.

Just then, a slightly hoarse call came from not far away.

"So, you’re here."

Following the voice, they saw Duadeng slowly approaching, leaning on his crooked Wooden Staff.

He selectively ignored Duraga, who was winking and trying to greet him from the side, and walked straight up to Roland. He first bowed respectfully before lowering his voice to speak.

"Mister Rudolph, everything is ready. The tunnel to the Eternal Song Forest has been completed, and the first advance party is about to depart. If you wish, you may go with them."

He slightly raised his eyelids, his scarlet eyes glittering with a cunning light.

"When my Warriors launch a feint attack on the Surface Elves’ defense line as planned to draw their attention, that will be the perfect opportunity for you to infiltrate their heartland and find your friend."

"Chaos is the best cover."

Hearing this, Roland replied in an equally solemn tone.

"Thank you for your meticulous arrangements and generous assistance, Elder Duadeng."

"You are too kind, Mister Rudolph."

Duadeng quickly waved his hand, a sincere expression on his face.

"If not for your past assistance, our clan would have likely been wiped out in the last cataclysm."

"This small convenience today is hardly worth mentioning. Please, consider it a meager attempt to repay even one ten-thousandth of the kindness you have shown us."

After the two quietly discussed a few more specific details of the operation, Duadeng led Roland past the giant, coiling roots in the center of the camp to a hidden rock face.

The pitch-black entrance to a tunnel, obviously freshly excavated, gaped open there like the throat of a great beast.

At the tunnel entrance, the atmosphere was grim and tense.

Several hundred elite Zor Elf Warriors had already assembled in formation.

They wore tight-fitting Dark Armor, held poisoned crossbows and sharp Curved Sabers, and their faces were painted with grease for camouflage in the dim light, leaving only their calm, sharp, scarlet eyes glinting in the gloom.

The air was filled with the faint smell of weapon maintenance oil and a unique pre-battle silence, a mixture of tension and anticipation.

There was no conversation, only the soft sounds of gear shifting occasionally and the suppressed, almost inaudible sound of breathing.

Duadeng gave Roland a slightly apologetic look, signaling for him to wait a moment, then turned and walked with steady steps to the front of the silent troop of Warriors.

His gaze swept over every pale, determined face. He lightly tapped his Wooden Staff on the ground, making a dull thud that drew everyone’s attention.

His voice was no longer the gentle one he used with Roland, but carried a deep, rousing, and penetrating quality that echoed at the narrow tunnel entrance.

"My children! The long wait and endurance have finally come to an end! We were exiled, forgotten, left to struggle for survival in this sunless Abyss... But today, the gates of fate will open for us!"

His voice rose, and he thrust his arm violently toward the deep, dark tunnel.

"At the end of this tunnel lies the homeland usurped by those arrogant pointy-ears! It is the source of life they depend on! The time to take back what is rightfully ours is now! Let the Rose Goddess witness our courage and determination!"

He suddenly raised his Wooden Staff high, his voice like a thunderclap shattering the silence.

"For the glory of the Zor... move out!"

As the command was given, a fanatical Flame instantly ignited in the eyes of the standing Warriors.

Like a river of Shadow, they silently and swiftly surged into the pitch-black tunnel, one after another, vanishing into the bottomless Darkness.