Elf Kingdom: Game of the World Tree

Divine Race?!

Was this... about us?

The players were bewildered.

However, as the few people approached, they finally saw their appearance clearly.

There were five men and two women, seven humans in total.

They wore simple leather armor, carried roughly made longbows, and held long swords that lacked luster, looking every bit like low-level adventurers.

Still, compared to the humans the players had seen in the Holy Maniya Empire, these human NPCs appeared much more handsome, maybe not quite as otherworldly as elves, but certainly comparable to half-elves.

Not only that, their skin was not uneven like humans', with small pits, spots, and hairs, but rather white and delicate like elves.

Moreover, if you looked closely, you would notice that although these humans didn't have long, pointed elven ears, nor the semi-pointed ears of half-elves, the tips of their ears were still pointed.

"Not ordinary humans, they have elven blood."

*In their confusion, the players heard a familiar cool female voice in their hearts.*

It was Divine Favored Zero.

Immediately, the group breathed a sigh of relief as if they had found their backbone.

As long as Zero was there!

As long as there was an NPC guide, they didn't need to wander around like headless flies.

"Divine Race? Why would they call players Divine Race? Is it because they look like elves?"

*Eve pondered, thinking about how these humans addressed the players.*

After a moment's thought, she said in the players' minds,

"Greet them, learn about this half-plane situation, ask what the Divine Race is about, and besides the secret of the Mother Goddess, there's no need to hide your identities."

Humans in this half-plane?

And they had elven blood?

*Noticing the uniqueness of these humans, Eve grew more curious about this half-plane.*

After hearing Eve's words, the players looked at each other, and finally, Hu Lu stepped forward, offering a friendly smile to the few and asked,

"Uh… ahem, hello!"

"I'm Hu Lu, a Druid, and these are my companions. May I ask... who are you?"

As Hu Lu asked, these humans continued to look over at the players.

Their eyes sparkled, full of amazement, curiosity, and yearning.

At the same time, the players heard their whispers:

"Druid? What's a Druid?"

"No idea..."

"But, those ears... that elegant and beautiful appearance, no mistake, they must be the legendary Divine Race!"

"So, the Divine Race really still exists! The Divine did not abandon us! They must have been dwelling in the forbidden land all this time!"

"It must be related to the miracle yesterday! I knew it! That's not a sign of the end times, as the church claimed, but evidence of the return of the Divine Race!"

"Damn church! They've been lying to us!"

*Their voices were filled with endless joy and deep resentment toward the church they mentioned.*

Divine Race? Divine Miracle? Church?

*Seeing the humans in a heightened state, the players became even more puzzled.*

However, Eve had some thoughts.

The miracle these humans mentioned...

*It was likely the commotion she caused yesterday attempting to enter the half-plane space.*

*Hmm... in a sense, it really was a miracle.*

But what was up with the church?

A church in this half-plane space?

Which True God was it?

*Why, when she probed before, had she not sensed the presence of any True God's power except for a vague consciousness, seemingly born from the half-plane itself, that blocked her entry?*

*Eve was deeply puzzled.*

*As a True God, she was very sensitive to the power of faith.*

*If this half-plane had been used by some mythical existence as a source of faith, she would have definitely discovered it during the first exploration.*

"This half-plane... indeed houses secrets!"

*Eve was moved.*

The conversation between the players and the humans continued.

"Uh... may I ask who you are..."

Seeing the excited humans, Hu Lu braced himself and asked again.

"Lily! I'm Lily!"

The girl who spoke first exclaimed excitedly.

She looked about seventeen or eighteen, clad in breezy leather armor with a hunter's attire, looking at Hu Lu and the others with eyes full of stars.

"These are my companions! We all grew up together, this is Brother Nicoya, this is Heath, and this is..."

She introduced the identities of her companions to the players one by one.

After the introductions, the girl respectfully bowed to the players:

"Lily... has met the dignitaries of the Divine Race!"

With her gesture, the other humans followed suit, bowing to the players:

"We have met the dignitaries of the Divine Race..."

The players were a bit unaccustomed to the friendly attitude of these unfamiliar NPCs.

After all, in their gaming experience, when first encountering NPCs, they were more accustomed to the slightly disdainful looks of the elf NPCs or the greedy, slightly scornful gazes from other races.

However, from these humans with elven bloodlines, Eve, observing secretly, picked up on some clues in their saluting gestures:

"Hmm?"

"This gesture... looks very much like the etiquette of the Nature Church..."

"Are these humans linked to my predecessor? Were they once believers of my predecessor?"

"Then again, what church do they speak of?"

*Her curiosity deepened.*

Meanwhile, the girl named Lily continued to converse with the players:

"Master Hu Lu and the other esteemed members of the Divine Race! I never imagined meeting you here! Have you been residing in the Elf Forest all this time?"

"Elf Forest?"

The players were startled.

"Yes, this forest... isn't it called the Elf Forest?"

Lily tilted her head, speaking hesitantly.

This forest was also called the Elf Forest?

The players were somewhat surprised.

Hu Lu thought for a moment and said,

"Yes, we indeed come from Elf Forest, but not from this Elf Forest, rather the real Elf Forest..."

"The real Elf Forest..."

Led by Lily, the humans looked at each other, somewhat bewildered.

Hu Lu didn't continue explaining, instead, he asked in return,

"Then... Miss Lily, may we ask where you're from and what you're doing here?"

*He sensed a subconscious reverence and deference toward them from the humans, so he straightforwardly began to inquire about their background.*

Upon hearing his questions, Lily responded quite directly:

"Esteemed members of the Divine Race, we are the descendants who once served the Divine Race, residing in the nearby Divine Grace Town..."

"We know Elf Forest is a forbidden land and we shouldn't be here."

"However, our Elder is gravely ill and requires a precious herb to be cured. And that herb only exists within Elf Forest, so we had no choice but to take the risk to find it here..."

"I heard the sound of splashing water just now, and that's why I called everyone over here."

Finishing her speech, she bit her lip, glanced at the players, her face turning slightly red, and quickly looked away.

Then, Lily knelt down again before the players:

"Please forgive us, esteemed members of the Divine Race. We truly did not intend to disturb you."

Soon after, the others followed suit:

"Please forgive us, dignitaries..."

Upon hearing their words, the players exchanged looks.

At this point, they realized... that previously, in order to wring out the water from their clothes, they had already taken off all their gear and outerwear, leaving only the Holy Light.

Boxed Lunch: ...

Hu Lu: ...

Chopin: ...

Optimist: ...

I'm Invincible: ...