Chapter 135: Spring Comes Upon A Withered Tree (II)

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Chapter 135: Spring Comes Upon A Withered Tree (II)

The Sacred Tree Elf possessed a personal subspace. Unfortunately, because his power had weakened, it could hold only around ten egg-fruits at most. They also had to be taken out periodically to absorb elemental energy, since the Sacred Tree subspace could now sustain only the most basic level of life energy.

Shang Ke stored ten egg-fruits in the subspace and temporarily hung the remaining two at his waist with braided cords made from aquatic plants. After a friendly negotiation with a black bear, he climbed onto its broad back and left the burned forest, accompanied by quite a few small animals that had also lost their homes.

The Forge Wraiths were mainly active in the northeast, so Shang Ke headed southwest. However, he could not stray too far from the center of the continent, since he needed to remain well informed and keep track of the Wraith Jade’s whereabouts.

The forest burned by the Forge Wraiths was called Wasier. Covering nine million square kilometers, it was the second-largest forest region on the continent of Anglorr. It produced one-quarter of the world’s oxygen and teemed with active nature elements, making it one of the four forbidden lands the Forge Wraiths hated most. The largest forest region in the world was Faesier, the elves’ former homeland. Although it had not yet been completely destroyed, it had already become one of the battlefields between the Alliance and the Forge Wraiths.

The wildfire had destroyed more than a hundred thousand square kilometers of woodland in northern Wasier. Although that amounted to only a small corner of the forest’s total area, the Forge Wraiths were destroying it far faster than it could recover. If they set a fire like this every year, even a forest this vast would eventually be wiped out.

Using the continental map provided by the System, Shang Ke eventually settled near Cloudshadow Lake, southwest of Wasier Forest. It was only a few hundred kilometers from Lundo City, which belonged to the Human Alliance, with Warsong Camp, a gathering place for mercenaries, situated between them. It would probably not be easy for the Forge Wraiths to extend their reach this far.

The original Sacred Tree Elf had not dared make contact with any race. For nearly a hundred years, he wandered alone from place to place for the sole purpose of nurturing the young elves into being. Unfortunately, he never lived to see that day.

Shang Ke stood before a large tree draped in vines and slowly raised both hands. Green light flickered over his fingers before transforming into a river of stars that spiraled and intertwined around the tree. As the river of light flowed, the vines seemed to come alive, twisting and weaving themselves together around the trunk until they gradually formed a delicate, charming vine house. Then a tiny yellow flower suddenly bloomed on one branch, followed by a second, then a third… In the blink of an eye, flowers covered the entire little house, as though countless colorful lamps had suddenly been lit.

The clear, cheerful chirping of birds echoed through the forest. Leaves swayed gently, their brilliant green gleam sparkling beneath the sunlight, while a warm breeze carried the fragrance of flowers through the air.

The surroundings overflowed with vibrant elements. They gathered around Shang Ke and sang without sound, as though welcoming the return of the Mother Tree with boundless joy and childlike adoration.

Deep within the forest, a man stood silently and watched the elf immersed in nature, taking in every trace of his beauty as he cast magic. He had followed the elf from a distance for several days, watching him move alone through the woods with animals for companions, drinking from clear springs, eating flower nectar, and resting on tree branches. Serene and unhurried, the elf was like a living portrait of nature slowly unfurling before his eyes, impossible to look away from.

He had seen plenty of mixed-blood elves, but all of them carried at least some trace of worldly influence. Not one possessed this elf’s ethereal bearing or incomparable affinity with nature.

Just then, a gem-like object on the man’s wrist flashed several times. He rubbed it thoughtfully, lifted his head for one last look at the elf, then reluctantly turned and left.

As though sensing something, Shang Ke glanced in the direction the man had disappeared. He had known for days that someone was following him but had never exposed his stalker. The night before last, he had secretly observed the man through the Leafsight. He had dark-brown hair and wore a half-mask of leather that concealed much of his face. Standing around two meters tall, he looked like a mercenary warrior. Judging from the shape of his ears, he was human—and most likely belonged to the Alliance, since he wore a ring engraved with a pair of golden wings, the symbol of the Uttar Empire. The Uttar Empire was the largest human nation in the Alliance and one of the primary military powers fighting the Forge Wraiths.

That was why Shang Ke had taken no action and simply allowed the man to continue following him. After all, he would eventually need the strength of the various races to seize the Wraith Jade and would have to deal with the Alliance sooner or later. This man might even become his opportunity to establish contact with them.

Not long after the man left, one of the egg-fruits hanging from Shang Ke’s waist gave a faint twitch, followed by a crisp crack.

Was a young elf about to be born?

Shang Ke quickly removed the egg-fruits from his waist. A crack had appeared across the surface of one of them. He gently traced it with a finger while drawing the elemental energy from the air toward it, attempting to establish a connection with the tiny life inside.

Crack, crack… The fissures across the egg-fruit spread wider and wider. With one final crisp sound, the shell broke into several pieces in Shang Ke’s palm, revealing a fair-skinned little elf.

Short pale-gold hair clung damply to his head, and his tiny pointed ears were a delicate pink. His little face was round and adorable, his mouth opening and closing rhythmically as he absorbed elemental energy from the air. A moment later, he slowly opened a pair of large, moist eyes and stared fixedly at Shang Ke.

Pure-blooded elves differed from humans. They were born carrying fragments of inherited memory, and as their bodies absorbed elemental energy, they would rapidly grow stronger within a very short period of time.

The little elf stretched in Shang Ke’s palm, naturally extending all four limbs as his formerly delicate body gradually grew sturdier and stronger. Within only a few minutes, he nimbly rolled over and sat up, curiously surveying his surroundings. Then he began climbing Shang Ke’s arm, planting his little feet on Shang Ke’s forearm, wrapping both tiny hands around his upper arm, and happily nuzzling against him.

Shang Ke’s heart practically melted. He carried the little elf to the riverbank, but before he could even crouch down, the child wriggled free of his arms and jumped into the water with a splash. He swam through it like a fish, occasionally blowing a string of bubbles.

“Are you a fish or an elf?” Shang Ke asked with amusement. “Since you like blowing bubbles so much, I’ll call you Bubbles.”

The little head popped above the surface, blew several bubbles toward Shang Ke, then promptly dove back underwater.

Just as he was happily playing, the little elf’s limbs suddenly convulsed several times, and pain twisted his face.

Shang Ke’s heart lurched, and he immediately lifted him from the water. The little elf gasped for breath, his tiny face flushed red as his entire body trembled. His originally pink fingernails slowly turned bluish-purple. It did not look as though he had swallowed water; instead, he seemed to be enduring intense pain.

The little elf whimpered miserably and curled up in Shang Ke’s palm like a pitiful little dumpling.

White light flickered from Shang Ke’s palm and enveloped the tiny bundle as he soothed the child while examining his body.

A moment later, Shang Ke frowned. The elemental balance within the little elf’s body was uneven, and his constitution was weak. If Shang Ke’s guess was correct, he had been separated from the Mother Tree too early and contaminated by impure energy, leaving him with congenital deficiencies.

Shang Ke gently stroked the little elf’s fragile body and whispered, “Don’t be afraid. I’ll take good care of all of you.”

If the first little elf had been born with congenital deficiencies, the remaining eleven were probably the same. Shang Ke had to find some way to strengthen their bodies, or they might never be able to grow up healthy.

Shang Ke carried the sleeping little elf into the tree house and set up a protective ward, then darted into the forest to gather useful plants.

He sat cross-legged beneath a tree and used magic to extract fibers from plant stems, weaving them into clothes for the young elves. One soft little garment after another took shape in Shang Ke’s hands—silvery white, pale yellow, light brown, water blue… They were delicate and simple, each carrying the fresh fragrance of nature.

Several small animals gathered around Shang Ke, curiously watching him work. A mottled leopard cat leaned in to sniff the fabric, narrowing its eyes as though it liked the scent very much. Shang Ke casually braided a tasseled cord for it as well and hung it around its neck. The tassel bobbed whenever it moved, making it look especially cute.

The afterglow of sunset filtered through the leaves and spilled into the tree house. The little elf awoke from his sleep and rubbed his eyes, first looking around in confusion before toddling naked toward the doorway. He poked his head between the leaves and immediately spotted the familiar figure beneath the tree, along with the various objects arranged around him.

The little elf immediately perked up, swung down on a vine, and landed beside Shang Ke.

Seeing him, Shang Ke smiled. “Come here. Try this on.”

The little elf obediently raised his arms and let Shang Ke dress him. The fabric was soft and light as willow catkins, making the child look even more delicate and adorable.

Delighted with his new clothes, the little elf threw himself onto the leopard cat’s back and went darting all over the place, completely forgetting his earlier pain.

Shang Ke smiled, packed everything away, and found that a rough plan for their future life had already taken shape in his mind.

The next day, Shang Ke used magic to build several more tree houses, then took the little elf into the forest to gather wood and seeds.

The wood would be used to make musical instruments and various everyday utensils, while the seeds would allow them to become self-sufficient and beautify their surroundings at the same time. Besides absorbing elemental energy, pure-blooded elves also enjoyed flower nectar, vegetables, and fruit.

Once they had a harvest, they could also trade their produce with other races. Fruits and vegetables cultivated by elves were rich in natural essence and highly prized in human cities. With pure-blooded elves now so rare, however, essence-rich produce had almost vanished from the market.

Half a month later, the second little elf was born. His constitution was slightly stronger than Bubbles’s, but he was blind in his left eye, whose pupil was a pale gray. Shang Ke therefore named him Gray-Eye.

Both little elves had been born with defects. Although Shang Ke had prepared himself for this possibility, his heart still ached. Elves were supposed to be nature’s favored children, yet now they had become this fragile. Their lifespans would also be shortened by the loss of the Mother Tree and the Fountain of Life.

For the sake of the young elves, Shang Ke decided to postpone contact with the outside world. At the very least, he would wait until they possessed some ability to protect themselves.

“Catch him! Don’t let him get away!”

In the forest, more than a dozen mercenaries were fiercely pursuing an injured man.

They chased the man all the way to a cliff. He glanced back once, then leaped over the edge without the slightest hesitation.

The mercenaries peered over the edge. Mist swirled below, concealing a drop so deep they could not see the bottom. Unless the man could fly, there was no way he could have survived the fall.

“Damn it. Without a body, the bounty will be cut by at least half,” one mercenary cursed.

“We have his ring. That should be enough.” Another mercenary tossed the golden-winged ring in his hand.

“Should we go down and check?”

“What’s there to check? By the time we make our way down there, his corpse will probably have been eaten by wild beasts.”

The group discussed it briefly before ultimately abandoning the idea of retrieving the body and turning away from the cliff.

At the bottom of the cliff, however, the man had not been smashed to pieces as the mercenaries assumed. He staggered to his feet and forced his severely injured body forward, step by painful step, leaving a long trail of blood behind him.

He had no idea how long he walked. Through his blood-hazed vision, a faint glow gradually appeared in the distance, accompanied by the delicate fragrance of flowers.

He was still here.

The man collapsed to the ground and wearily closed his eyes. As consciousness faded, the last image to surface in his mind was that elf…

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