Kain’s vision blurred as he activated the System Interface to teleport away, a low hum of spiritual energy wrapping around him like a warm cloak.
The world shifted, the lush clearing, the World Tree, and Bai Lian fading into the Cradle—a vast, glowing chamber pulsing with soft, pearlescent light and hanging creatures held in display orbs frozen in ti. Holographic displays flickered to life, floating panels showcasing races available for exchange. His Source Points balance glowed in the upper corner: a hefty sum, swollen from tournant wins and evolution plan sales. Not bad for a guy juggling Black Dawn and school rankings, he thought, smirking. Let’s see what I can buy.
He scrolled through the interface, fingers brushing the air to navigate. A prompt snagged his attention: Void Dragon (Extinct). Kain read the description with relish—a bloodline surpassing the Colored Dragons, scales harder than star-forged steel, strong enough to make any Demigods alive today flinch once it reaches adulthood. Kain’s pulse quickened, imagining one tearing through Soren’s Wooden Dragon with ease if it was at the sa level. But these were all just thoughts...it’s not like he’d be able to take it out of Pangea anyways.
Not to ntion the cost...the cost was a gut-wrenching number, dwarfing his entire balance. He muttered, "I’d need to get points for saving the entire world once to maybe earn enough points to exchange for it. Maybe even twice."
Disappointed but practical, Kain pivoted. Elves. He’d skimd their details before—way pricier than dwarves. Their stronger elental affinities, higher strength ceilings, and lifespans stretching to 500 years (compared to dwarves’ 200) explained the markup. Last ti, he’d squeezed out twelve dwarves, but elves? He ran the numbers, heart sinking. ’Six. That’s it.’ Even with his higher balance than last ti. Frustration clawed at him, but he shoved it down. ’Six is better than none. Make them count.’
He selected three male-female pairs, knowing that he won’t be able to afford making more of them for a while, so it’s best if they could just reproduce on their own. The interface humd, processing his choice. ’Let’s see what I get.’ Kain thought in anticipation. Unlike with dwarves. Due to the Empire’s close relationship with Elowen Haven (who are mixed human-elf descendants), a lot more was known about elves than dwarves. In fact, when Kain had first joined the Order and needed to study various things, Ancient Elvish was one of the languages he’d learned. Such as the fact that there were several races of elves. Kain hoped that, like the dwarves, he got a decent mix this ti too. The Cradle’s light surged, a rhythmic pulse like a heartbeat, and Kain stood, arms crossed, as synthesis began.
The chamber vibrated softly, and six glowing pods materialized, each shimring with spiritual energy like liquid starlight. Indistinct shapes stirred within, limbs lengthening, features sharpening. At the two-minute mark, the pods dissolved, revealing six elves standing in a loose circle. Their eyes—wide, unblinking, and eerily blank—locked onto Kain, newborn minds radiating innocence. Yet, despite their infantile consciousness, each pair carried distinct temperants, as if certain personality quirks of each race were engrained into their DNA.
At the center was a male-female pair that looked remarkably similar to the current queen of Elowen Haven who Kain saw in the past. Only more lithe and with larger pointed ears. And supposedly the Elowen Haven royals are also descended from the royal family of the Elves.
Moonlight Elves.
The Moonlight Elves stood tallest, their translucent, almost luminescent skin glowing faintly under the Cradle’s light, as if dusted with moonlight. Their violet eyes sparkled like polished athysts, catching every flicker of the chamber’s glow, and their white-silver hair cascaded in shimring waves, glinting as if woven from starlight. They were supposedly the first race of elves born and were royalty amongst elves, and even with blank minds, they held themselves with an innate poise—shoulders squared, chins slightly raised, as if born to command. The male tilted his head, studying Kain with a calm, almost judgntal gaze, while the female’s back was ramrod straight as she seed to gaze at everyone and everything with a critical eye. Their looks were so beautiful that they made Kain feel like a scruffy squid standing next to them, even in just plain tunic generated by the System and tousled hair, even the most beautiful humans would look painfully ordinary beside them. ’Well perhaps except for Serena...’
Kain looked at the system profile for the Moonlight Elves. ’Nature, life, and star-attributes’, he noted. So they should be suitable for the other cultivation thod developed by the World Tree. Yet, a faint haughtiness in their stares suggested they might clash with humbler folk—though for now, they stood serene, untroubled by their kin.
Beside the innately arrogant Moonlight Elves, were another race male-female pair. The Dark Elves were subtler, their presence a whisper compared to the Moonlight pair’s radiance. Their skin, a deep ash-gray, blended into the Cradle’s dimr corners, and their jet-black hair frad sharp, angular faces. Their eyes, a piercing silver, glinted with quiet intensity, like predators sizing up prey. Kain recalled tales of their role as elven assassins—elves were peaceful by nature, yet it was the Dark Elves that were unflinching when bloodshed was needed.
The male stood slightly forward, body angled as if shielding his partner, his fingers flexing as if itching for a blade. The female’s gaze darted around the chamber, hyper-alert, her shadow affinity already manifesting in how light seed to bend around her even when they hadn’t yet begun cultivating or learning to manipulate spiritual power. ’Nature and shadow-aligned. Perfect for stealth.’
Their reserved deanour suggested they’d keep to themselves, but a flicker of protectiveness toward the other elves hinted at harmony—though Kain caught the male casting a cautious glance at the Moonlight pair, as if it is ingrained in their DNA to obey and keep a respectful distance from the Moonlight Elves.
With excitent, Kain turned to the last male-female pair of elves.
Reviews
All reviews (0)