Su Qi had read many fairy tales and illustrated novels that featured the special race of beings known as elves.
In these materials and fantasies, the image of elves was mostly the same.
They were always the darlings of the forest. Compared to the short-lived human race with its mere century of life, elves possessed much longer lifespans, more outstanding appearances, and racial talents. And whenever elves were mentioned, the World Tree, a legendary item like the surface of the earth, often appeared alongside them.
All along, Su Qi had thought this knowledge was just something novel authors made up and recorded. But now, watching An Xiaoling, who had awakened the Elf Ability, look at him with sparkling emerald eyes, and then at the very real vines wrapped around his body…
The various situations now seemed to confirm the knowledge recorded in the books in some way.
However, while Su Qi was amazed, hearing An Xiaoling’s suggestion of a “multi-person gathering” made him want to cry but no tears came.
What was going on here?
Was this really the time to talk about this kind of “multi-person gathering”?
“Wuwu…”
But just as Su Qi tried to speak, his mouth was also bound, and as soon as he opened it, all that came out was “wuwu.”
Fortunately, it seemed An Xiaoling was just talking, joking to lighten the mood.
Admittedly, after An Xiaoling showed off those two moves, the originally somewhat oppressive and uneasy atmosphere had been dispelled a bit.
Seeing that everyone had relaxed, the next second, An Xiaoling released the vines binding Su Qi.
Then, in this tree hollow formed by intertwined vines, she hopped lightly twice.
Her natural posture was like a daughter who had gone to college returning home for summer vacation, carrying an inherent familiarity.
After fiddling around, An Xiaoling gently peeled open a section of the vines.
Su Qi and the others instinctively looked down along that spot.
The next moment, they couldn’t help but be a little dazed.
Outside the vines, the world was different from the skyscrapers of real life.
It was also different from the flat, open forest of the Saint Ruins.
At first glance, Su Qi and everyone were shocked to discover a problem.
The height.
It was high. The place they were in now was far too high.
Although An Xiaoling had already said she sensed they were at the top of the World Tree, seeing wisps of floating white mist from the gap in the vines still gave Su Qi a slight shock, and her body instinctively trembled.
Fortunately, neither Su Qi nor the many girls present had acrophobia. Aside from the initial scare, there were no other adverse effects.
After a few seconds to adjust to the height of the World Tree, Su Qi braced herself and looked down slightly, beginning to survey the scene outside the World Tree.
From the video transmitted by the Adventurers’ Guild a few days ago, Su Qi knew that the Fifth Plane was a place teeming with Pitch-Black Demon King Castle forces, various ferocious beasts, and a black castle symbolizing the Demon King’s Castle.
Beyond that, because the video disconnected after three seconds, no more information was available.
But now, standing on the World Tree and looking down firsthand, Su Qi found the situation worse than imagined.
As far as the eye could see, except for an area about a kilometer in radius below the World Tree that remained lush and green, the entire Fifth Plane looked like a war zone struck by thermal weapons from history books. The whole land exuded an evil, jet-black feeling.
On that black ground, countless black creatures seemed to be dwelling.
As Su Qi looked at the outside situation, many girls gathered around.
“What is that? Are they all minions of the Demon King? There are so many.”
“Wait, are those pitch-black beasts slowly eroding the land of this huge World Tree?”
“Hey, hey, look over there. Something seems to be approaching.”
The girls chattered one after another. Suddenly, Mo Yu’s voice came through with a hint of panic.
Following the direction Mo Yu pointed, Su Qi saw a group of dragon-like creatures spreading their wings and cackling as they attacked the World Tree.
There were about twenty of these pterosaurs. Although they were much smaller in size than the two-headed dragon Little Red Pupil had just defeated and clearly weaker, ordinary adventurer squads would not be able to fend them off.
Seeing these pterosaurs and their direction heading straight for a fruit emitting a brilliant light, Su Qi immediately realized the problem.
Maybe these beasts were coming for that fruit. Was that glowing fruit the World Tree Fruit?
But why did this fruit look a bit different from the one her father had fed her?
No, more important than the fruit was how the World Tree would defend against these small pterosaurs.
Should she and the girls step in? But if they did, it wouldn’t be good if the Demon King discovered their presence.
While Su Qi was thinking,
“Hah! @#!”
A crisp shout and an unfamiliar language rang out from a thick branch beside the World Tree.
The next second, the branches of the World Tree, which had been as harmless as ordinary willow twigs, seemed to come to life and began to whip at the pterosaurs.
The twigs were very thin. Some tips were even thinner than Su Qi’s arm.
“Creeeak! Creeeak!”
But upon seeing these seemingly fragile vines, the flock of pterosaurs panicked.
As the leading pterosaur let out a loud cry, the many pterosaurs immediately scattered, dodging the whipping vines.
But even while dodging, because the World Tree was too lush and had too many vines, most of the pitch-black pterosaurs were still hit.
Upon being struck, the black qi protecting the pterosaurs’ bodies instantly withered away, and their bodies were shattered.
Seeing this, Su Qi gasped.
From the kilometer of lush green protected by the World Tree she had seen earlier, Su Qi had already guessed that the World Tree had some ability to protect itself. Otherwise, it would have been defeated by this pitch-black Demon King long ago.
But now seeing the World Tree take out many beasts in one hit…
“Hiss… That’s too strong!”
While Su Qi was marveling, following the dispersal command of the pitch-black pterosaur leader, only a few pterosaurs remained. After a high-speed evasive loop, one had gotten closer and closer to the World Tree Fruit.
Just as this beast’s eyes showed greed and excitement,
Suddenly ~
An arrow infused with wind energy whistled through the air.
It struck the pterosaur squarely between the eyes.
In pain, the pterosaur let out an instinctive cry, its flight disrupted.
Then it was hit by a vine and killed instantly.
The other pterosaurs beside it soon followed suit.
Within a minute, having witnessed a battle scene firsthand, Su Qi looked at the still shining fruit hanging at the top of the tree.
At that moment, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of déjà vu—like she was protecting Athena. It felt like this had turned into a tower defense game.
Fortunately, Athena herself was very powerful.
Just as Su Qi watched all the pterosaurs fall and become nutrients for the World Tree, she patted her chest lightly and let out a relaxed sigh.
But before she could fully exhale, several light footsteps suddenly echoed beside the vines.
Then, an unfamiliar language sounded cautiously outside the vine nest.
“Guest @@##%%, fortune arrives home.”
Hearing this strange language, Su Qi and the many girls were all stunned, completely unable to understand the meaning.
As Su Qi and the girls pondered how to deal with the arrival of the elf girl,
“!@¥ of”
Another mysterious language sounded outside the vines.
At that sound, the vines that had been woven into a small hollow nest top instantly all parted, and the view opened up.
Without the vines blocking the view, Su Qi saw the speaker.
It was an elf girl with a petite and delicate figure, cute yet imposing, with long ears like An Xiaoling’s.
Seemingly to better hide among the vines, the girl had smeared some resin on her face and wore only leaves covering the key parts of her slender body.
But these two coverings didn’t hide her beauty; instead, they added a touch of playfulness and a hint of sensuality.
Behind this girl stood two other elf girls dressed similarly.
Seeing real elves, Su Qi subconsciously appreciated them for a moment.
But before Su Qi could observe further, she suddenly felt five distinct kinds of soreness on her arms, waist, and thighs.
Realizing this was the work of the girls behind her, Su Qi guiltily withdrew her gaze and pretended nothing had happened, slightly turning her head to look at the sky beside her.
Just as Su Qi made this move, a puzzling scene occurred.
The three elf girls simultaneously used their hands to draw the image of a tree in the air, then knelt on one knee devoutly before Su Qi.
“!@@#¥￥%% Vandersa”
Because this development was so abrupt, Su Qi was confused.
Instinctively, she looked to An Xiaoling for help.
After all, An Xiaoling had the Elf Ability. She should be able to understand the elven language, right?
But to Su Qi’s disappointment, facing his gaze, the black-hearted loli looked like a poor student, blankly shaking her little head, indicating she didn’t understand.
Just as Su Qi was getting a headache and inwardly cursing An Xiaoling for being a black-hearted loli with nothing but perversion on her mind and incapable of anything else,
A cute voice suddenly sounded at Su Qi’s feet.
“Xixi~ Xixixi~ (Clan leader, Clan leader, I can understand what they’re saying!)”
Hearing this cute, excited tone and the thoughtful translation provided by the “localization team” in her mind,
Su Qi’s eyes lit up.
Right. An Xiaoling didn’t understand.
But her good little treasure, Xixi, came with her own translation team.
With that, Su Qi quickly picked up Xixi and asked softly,
“Xixi, what did these sisters just say?”
Under the curious gazes of Su Qi and the many girls, Su Xixi slowly spoke again.
“Xixi~ (They said, ‘Welcome the Saintess,’ xi?)”
Hearing Su Xixi’s translation and looking at the three elf girls now looking up at him, Su Qi was momentarily stunned.
Saintess?
Did they mean me?
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