Elf Kingdom: Game of the World Tree

The scorching lava baked their bodies, leaving them drenched in sweat, as if they were inside a furnace.

If not for the adjustable perception system, several players believed that the intense heat alone would have been enough to make them faint from the pain...

In fact, ever since being discovered by the BOSS-level monster they had been tracking and subsequently captured here, the health bars on their personal game system panels had been rapidly decreasing...

However, at this moment, they had no time to pay attention to their health bars. They were all stunned by the shadow dragon's sudden attack and the monster they saw in front of them.

It was at this point that they finally realized one thing: they had already been discovered by the target they were tracking!

When you think about it, it made sense. How could a Black Iron Upper-level weakling not be discovered while tracking a Demigod-level being?

The fact that they were able to keep up with the trail was enough to raise suspicions.

The opponent's stop-and-go pattern was clearly a sign that it was waiting for them!

Otherwise, how could they have caught up so easily with the speed of the shadow dragon?

*They must have been discovered from the very beginning!*

The few veteran first-test players quickly realized everything, yet they felt little fear. They knew deep down that this was only a game, and the ordeal they faced was likely related to a task they had received. Or perhaps... it was the trigger for that hidden mission...

Still, despite what they thought, their hearts pounded fiercely when they saw the fiery giant face in the volcanic lake, like a demonic goat, and felt an unknown terror and dread.

"What is this? A demon?!"

Hu Lu cried out.

"Hmm? Elves?"

Seeing the shadow dragon presenting the little ones, the flaming giant face clearly showed a hint of interest.

"Interesting, they haven't lost their minds under my power's influence... and it seems I can sense a trace of life and nature in them."

She muttered to herself.

After speaking, the fiery giant face looked at the five elves, her face showing a hint of curiosity:

"What is your relationship with Yggdrasil?"

Yggdrasil?

The players were slightly stunned, finding the name somewhat familiar.

"It's the Goddess! It's the surname of the Goddess! She's talking about Eve Goddess!"

Optimist typed in the team chat channel.

The Goddess?!

The others were instantly invigorated.

"*We can't reveal the Goddess's secret! Otherwise, the mission will surely fail!*"

Hu Lu also typed.

The players exchanged glances and saw resolve in each other's eyes.

They secretly nodded, ready to muddle through by feigning innocence and trying to probe some words from the opponent, only to find they had lost the ability to speak...

Lunchbox: ...

Hu Lu: ...

Chopin: ...

Optimist: ...

I'm Invincible: ...

Great, they were silenced by the system again.

This seemed to be another cutscene.

Their expressions quickly relaxed, switching to a theater-watching mode...

This was the natural attitude of players when going through plot scenes.

Yet at this moment, it all appeared somewhat eerie.

After all... they were captured, and the situation was evidently disadvantageous, so how could anyone possibly remain so calm? Even less would one examine the surroundings as if nothing had happened, let alone watch the monster in front of them with a curious and pure gaze, which even gradually turned excited with time, right?

"Interesting."

Seeing the elves' silence and incongruent expressions, the flaming giant face seemed even more intrigued.

A beam of light shot from her large flame-composed pupils, covering the players instantly, and they felt an overwhelming Soul Power surge into their minds.

However, just as the Soul Power surged into their minds, their vision turned to darkness, and a routine death prompt flashed on the system screen: "You have died. Please be more careful next time."

Lunchbox: ...

Hu Lu: ...

Chopin: ...

Optimist: ...

I'm Invincible: ...

Meanwhile—

When the terrifying presence in the volcanic lake tried using her formidable power to forcibly break into their hearts and seize their souls, she crashed into an unbreakable "wall."

At that moment, the creature called Azazel felt like it saw a gigantic net flickering with countless stars.

This resembled the faith network of True God believers in her memory, but there was something different about it.

Just as Azazel saw this gigantic net, a familiar yet unfamiliar Divine Soul Power suddenly surged out, blocking her probe and nearly causing backlash.

Azazel had not anticipated such an occurrence and had not prepared defenses.

In her shock, she hastily severed her probe on the elves...

"Is this... Yggdrasil's Divine Favored?! No... not her! That Divine Soul Power was not exactly the same as Yggdrasil's... and it felt much weaker..."

Recalling the Divine Soul Power she had just encountered, Azazel murmured to herself.

When she looked at the five elves again, they had already turned to ashes...

For a moment, Azazel fell silent.

The magma in the volcanic lake churned continuously, and the demon goat-like fiery giant face looked once more at Darkness.

This time, the authoritative voice carried a hint of dissatisfaction:

"Little one, what did you mean by bringing a True God's Divine Favored here?"

She was enemies with nearly all the True Gods and had been in slumber here for a millennium.

Upon awakening, she became involved with the Divine Favored of other True Gods, potentially exposing her whereabouts. This made the ancient existence both wary and furious.

Yet Darkness remained calm. Prostrating her body, she respectfully replied:

"Great Demon God Azazel, this was merely a precaution to ensure you would believe what I am about to say, by bringing these elves to you."

"You must have noticed the power they possessed, the power of nature and life, belonging to the Mother of Gods."

"Surely, you sensed it, as it is an existence inheriting nature and life, yet not powerful."

"It is a newly born True God!"

"I wonder if such a power interests you..."

After listening to Darkness's words, the fiery giant face fell silent.

"Speak, what does Holder intend to do?"

After a moment's silence, she asked heavily.

Momentarily, Darkness felt the oppressive aura around her lighten considerably.

She lifted her head, facing the center of the volcanic lake, with a face she imagined was benevolent, and said,

"This... is merely an offer from the True God, a trade... and friendship."

...

Simultaneously, in the core area of the Elf Forest.

In the concealed World Tree Divine Country within the distorted space, Eve sat thoughtfully upon her Divine Throne:

"Azazel?"

"That Azazel, one of Hell's Seven Demon Gods?"

————

There will be another update later, probably around midnight; you can check it in the morning.