The Erald Forest—originally, its entrance was within a forest in dreams. Perhaps it would be more fitting to call it the "Erald Dream" now.
In fact, the reason Ye Bai could quickly connect the entrance of the Erald Forest to dreams was due to a legendary spell in wood magic known as the "Erald Dream." As the na suggests, it was a zone spell similar to the Bone Domain, but with a key difference: the Erald Dream provided powerful protection and life-restoring effects to allies.
Ye Bai stood up abruptly, scanning her surroundings. In stark contrast to the barren reality, this "dream" was a vibrant forest teeming with life, filled with magical plants enhanced and mutated under the nourishing influence of the World Tree.
Nurous rare plants that typically required harsh environntal conditions to thrive—so even mutually antagonistic—now flourished harmoniously in this forest, nourished by the dense life energy. They grew so abundantly that they seed as common as ordinary plants.
anwhile, Autofis, who had entered earlier, was already happily munching on a golden-glowing "Sunfruit."
"This guy…"
At the sight, Ye Bai was montarily speechless. Now she understood why Autofis had been eating sothing the first ti she saw him dreaming—there was a reason behind it.
Next, Ye Bai checked her own status. Her attributes, inventory, and equipnt were identical to those outside the dream, indicating that this "Erald Dream" remained neutral and hadn’t weakened her abilities.
The only difference was the World Tree branch pendant at her waist, which now shimred with a faint erald glow, as if activated.
"Naless?"
Ye Bai called out to the branch, but the familiar comic-strip figure didn’t appear in the leaf patterns as usual. The paper-thin companion who had always followed her gaze hadn’t entered the dream this ti…
Glancing at Autofis, who was now buried in a patch of Moonlight Grass, Ye Bai realized sothing: this Erald Dream was nearly indistinguishable from reality, but it was still a "dream." She and Autofis, as living beings, could enter here through deep sleep, but the paper-thin companion, cursed to exist in a two-dinsional state, likely had no dreams.
Seems like we’re short a helper this ti…
With that thought, Ye Bai stood up, ready to explore the area with Autofis.
This was a rare opportunity. Having finally found the Erald Forest, she wasn’t about to leave just to communicate with the paper companion. It wouldn’t change anything, and worse, she might miss this chance and never get in again.
As she approached Autofis, her gaze was drawn to a blue fruit coated in frost on a nearby tree.
[Frostfruit (Mutated)]
Rarity: Rare
Effect: Permanently increases fire resistance by 10 points.
Description: This fruit, condensed from frost essence, renders one unafraid of flas.
Intrigued, Ye Bai reached out and plucked the fruit. Feeling its icy chill in her palm, she wondered: if she ate this dream fruit, would its effects carry over to reality?
In most dream realms, everything might be an illusion, but this was the Erald Forest, ho to the World Tree. It wasn’t impossible for the enhancents to be real.
Worth a try either way. Ye Bai took a bite. The fruit tasted like a frozen sorbet—cool, crisp, and sweet—no different from eating in the waking world.
A mont later, a system notification appeared:
[You have consud a "Frostfruit (Mutated)." Fire resistance permanently increased by 10.]
Ye Bai: "!"
It actually worked!
If it had only reflected in her stats, she might have dismissed it as a "dream version" of her attributes. But the system notification confird it—the effect would persist even after leaving the dream.
With this realization, Ye Bai’s eyes lit up.
Fruits like the Frostfruit weren’t rare here; the entire Erald Forest was overflowing with high-tier magical plants. In fact, the quantity of such plants here surpassed even the crops in White Night City’s fields.
While repeatedly consuming the sa type of attribute-boosting fruit would eventually diminish its effects, the variety here was staggering.
Instantly, Ye Bai stopped trying to rein in Autofis and joined in, becoming "Autofis No. 2."
[You have consud a "Dragon Scale Fruit (Enhanced)." Max HP permanently increased by 1000.]
[You have consud a "Hundred Spirit Herb." Poison resistance permanently increased by 10.]
[You have consud a "Sunfruit (Mutated)." Frost resistance permanently increased by 10.]
[You have consud…]
In the ga, one could never overeat, and in the dreamscape of the ga, it was even more impossible. Moreover, Ye Bai possessed the effect of the [Abyssal Feeder] title, which had already granted her an epic-level enhancent when it ca to "eating."
The fact that she and Autofis were exploring the Erald Forest while eating along the way was already Ye Bai’s greatest show of respect for the main quest.
After slowly traversing about a hundred ters, suddenly, both Ye Bai and Autofis ca to a simultaneous halt.
Through the dense gaps of the magical trees, a colossal branch—seemingly capable of spanning the sky—appeared above them in the dreamlike-hued heavens, radiating an erald glow.
At the sa ti, the Life Branch in Ye Bai’s hand also began emitting a shimring light, pulsing like a breath, resonating with the enormous branch in the sky.
"This is… the Life Branch."
At first glance, Ye Bai could confirm it.
Of course, compared to the small twig in her hand, the one before her was the true form of the Life Branch. Its full expanse was naturally imnse, as the entire space of the Erald Forest was supported by it. The exotic flowers and rare grasses they had encountered earlier all existed in symbiosis with the Life Tree.
As the branch in Ye Bai’s hand drew closer to a fragnt of the Life Tree’s true form, over a dozen multicolored points of light erged from the towering branch.
The lights moved with purpose, drifting straight down toward Ye Bai’s location.
Could they be elves?
Throughout their journey so far, aside from the lush vegetation, she hadn’t encountered any living creatures—let alone the native inhabitants of the Erald Forest, the High Elves.
As the lights drew near, Ye Bai’s confusion only deepened upon seeing them clearly.
The points of light were just that—pure light, not glowing magic or elental beings, nor the High Elves she had initially assud resided on the Life Tree.
The lights slowed as they approached.
Autofis curiously sniffed at the nearest one, then sneezed.
Under Ye Bai’s wary gaze, the lights circled around her once.
Her eyes followed them cautiously, but she refrained from any hostile action unless attacked.
After all, these lights erging from the Life Tree undoubtedly had so connection to the elven race.
The High Elves were one of the apex races in the Divine Realm, embodying the classic fantasy archetype: slender and beautiful, graceful and kind, lovers of nature, and possessing exceptional artistic talent.
However, this seemingly reclusive race had one flaw—or rather, defining trait: they held grudges.
As one of the top factions in the Divine Realm, joining the High Elves granted spellcasters access to advanced wood-based magic tied to life and poison, while physical classes could specialize in professions like Arcane Archer or Master Marksman, all bow-related.
Among these, the signature skill of physical classes, [Mark of Vengeance], was akin to a devil’s contract—persisting even after death and resurrection.
If a player incurred the wrath of an elven NPC and was branded with this mark, only a specific quest could remove it. Otherwise, venturing into any forested terrain risked drawing the ire of an elf erging from the Erald Forest to hunt them down.
Thus, in the Divine Realm, it was best not to provoke the elves, no matter who else one might cross.
The lights showed no hostility, rely circling Ye Bai before halting midair before her.
Then, they pulsed and gathered, and a voice as gentle and lodious as a clear spring spoke:
"Envoy of the Divine King, you have finally arrived."
"Please follow the elves. I have awaited you for a long ti."
Envoy of the Divine King… Hearing this title, Ye Bai stiffened, her gaze instinctively dropping to the pendant at her waist as countless speculations surged in her mind.
Could the paper figurine be that Divine King? And whose voice was speaking through the lights?
Unfortunately, the paper figurine couldn’t enter the dreamscape, leaving Ye Bai with no way to confirm her doubts.
Ahead, the lights began moving purposefully in one direction, with a couple bouncing back and forth as if beckoning her.
Without hesitation, Ye Bai quickened her pace, Autofis in tow, and followed.
As she advanced, Ye Bai pondered.
Her entry into the Erald Forest was clearly tied to the Life Branch, which she had obtained through cunning from the Infernal Demon God—linked to the Divine King’s Treasure Vault quest assigned by the paper figurine.
Beyond that, the only confird detail she knew about the Divine King was that the descent of the abyss into the inferno, with the Kraken devouring the core of hell, had been part of a contingency plan left behind by that figure countless years ago.
Following the glowing points ahead, the magical plants along the path seed like conscious creatures, parting automatically to clear a way for Ye Bai and Autofis.
This ability to control plants… Only now did Ye Bai recall the words he had missed earlier from the mysterious figure—"follow the elves." Were these glowing points actually elves?
Just as he was struck with astonishnt, his vision suddenly opened up to reveal a breathtaking sight—the majestic trunk of an ancient tree, a true wonder to behold. An overwhelming surge of life energy radiated from every branch and leaf of this divine tree, as if it alone upheld the entire enchanted forest like the heavens.
Before the towering trunk stood a golden-haired elf, dressed in the simplest white gown yet exuding unparalleled beauty.
Her eyes had been half-lidded, but as Ye Bai arrived, the tips of her pointed ears twitched slightly. She lifted her delicate, golden lashes, revealing irises like the rarest gemstones—pale blue and luminous.
Then, with a faint, graceful smile, the elf introduced herself:
"It is a pleasure to et you. I am the Elven King, Eno Lucia."
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