Chapter 22: Nice to meet you

West was one of the very few people whom Zong Mi genuinely respected, and one of the even fewer he truly regarded as a teacher.

The Elf King had already lived for a thousand years.
His personality was strict and aloof.
Though he possessed the pride unique to the elven race, there was truly nothing he could fault about the way he treated Zong Mi.

Zong Mi was the only apprentice West had accepted in all these years.
Not even among the elves themselves had anyone received the honor of being personally taught by the Elf King.
Yet that privilege had been taken by a human like him.

On the Descending Continent, the relationship between mentor and apprentice was extraordinarily close.
Back in the Age of Gods, such a bond had even surpassed family and romantic love, becoming something far stronger.

Powerful mages and warriors might only accept a single apprentice in their entire lives.
They would pass down all their knowledge and skills to that apprentice, who in turn became the vessel through which those teachings continued from generation to generation.

Generally speaking, it was extremely difficult for human players to come into contact with such high-level NPCs, much less become their apprentices.

Thus, carrying the title of the Elf King’s sole apprentice, Zong Mi settled down in the Elven Forest.

He ate well, slept well, and practically enjoyed immortality.
His treatment rivaled that of the highest-ranking elves.

Zong Mi could freely access the elves’ intelligence network.
He could use various facilities as he pleased.
Even the precious Forest Library of the elven race was open for him to borrow from.

Whenever he had spare time, he could join the elves’ mission squads and head out on adventures.

Throughout the entire Elven Forest, there was practically nowhere Zong Mi could not go.

Including the forbidden zone deep within the forest.

That forbidden area was a place the entire elven race refused to discuss.
Rumor had it that it was connected to the previous Elf King.

Zong Mi was extremely interested in it.

After all, he had infiltrated the elves in the first place because there was profit to be gained.
His goal was the legendary equipment known as the Life Goddess’s Royal Robe.

Naturally, he needed to find the right approach and strike where it mattered.

So during that period, he quietly gathered information about the forbidden zone.
Eventually, he decided to take the initiative himself.

Coincidentally, during the reign of the previous Elf King, the gods had not yet disappeared.
It was still the true Age of Gods.

At that time, a horrifying plague had erupted.

Beginning from the depths of the Realm of the Undead, it spread across the entire Descending Continent.

Corpses littered the land.
Countless lives were lost.
The people suffered miserably.

To combat the plague, the gods summoned their followers and assembled a mighty army.
They marched toward the abyss within the Realm of the Undead to fight against the epidemic.

Unfortunately, the gods themselves were constantly at odds due to various conflicts of interest.

As a result, even in the face of disaster, the hastily assembled army remained as disorganized as scattered sand.
Its members could not unite, and morale was fractured.

The gods only cared about their own interests.

After all, plague naturally could not infect divine beings.

Only later, when the epidemic began to show signs of triggering the twilight of the gods, did those deities finally panic.

West’s father, the previous Elf King, was one of those infected.

Though he lived long enough to witness the hard-won peace, he ultimately died after the war.

Contracting the plague was an unimaginably painful experience.

Even elves, powerful as they were, had no means of resisting the Black Death once it swept through them.

Their silver-white hair became dull and lifeless.

Their beautiful faces were covered with ugly black spots.

Their pale skin rotted away inch by inch.

Pain screamed through every moment of their existence.

The plague consumed both body and soul, ultimately leading its hosts to death.

According to the information Zong Mi uncovered, the forbidden zone within the Elven Forest had once been the residence of the previous Elf King.

After becoming infected, the old king refused all visitors.

He isolated himself within the forest and instructed his son to cremate his remains after death.

Because of this, West later sealed off the entire area.

And because the elves deeply understood the terrifying contagiousness of the Black Death, the place gradually became an untouchable forbidden zone.

When West inherited the throne, he was still very young.

He was not even one hundred years old—barely considered an adult among elves.

The elves were born from the Life Tree.

Their bodies and souls were directly bestowed by the Life Goddess.

After death, they transformed into particles of life-light that circled through the Elven Forest, waiting for rebirth.

But once infected by the plague, whether human or elf, they could no longer receive the blessing of life.

It was difficult to imagine what emotions the young prince West had felt as he burned his father’s remains.

At that time, Zong Mi and West shared nothing more than an ordinary mentor-apprentice relationship.

But if Zong Mi wanted to obtain his quest item, that alone was clearly not enough.

One night, Zong Mi entered the former Elf King’s residence.

The palace was dimly lit.

Everything inside remained exactly as it had been when its owner left.

Not a single object appeared to have been moved.

Zong Mi merely took a casual stroll around the place.

Then suddenly, the doors were pushed open with unusual force.

Under the moonlight, the Elf King appeared.

He wore only a white inner robe with an outer garment hastily thrown over his shoulders.

He had clearly rushed over without stopping.

Anxiety churned within those mist-blue eyes.

Even his white hair showed signs of disarray.

Though it did nothing to diminish his elegance and nobility, such a sight was genuinely rare on West.

Only after confirming that Zong Mi was completely unharmed did the Elf King press his lips together.

His tone carried clear displeasure.

“Even a love of adventure should have its limits.”

This was one of the rare occasions when such vivid emotion appeared on his teacher’s face.

West had lived far too long.

He was also far too proud.

Opening the defenses around his heart had never been easy.

Yet the quiet of midnight and the weight of old memories were perfect catalysts.

When confronted by relics of the past, even the strongest emotional barriers could loosen.

Although it had all begun as a misunderstanding, it had allowed Zong Mi to take another step closer.

Beyond that incident, Zong Mi had consistently played the role of a good apprentice.

Whenever he wandered across the continent on adventures or laid plans for his future, he always remembered to bring West small gifts.

Sometimes it was an ordinary moonlight flower from the southern forests.

Sometimes it was a piece of frost ore buried beneath snowy mountains.

Other times it was a black stone bracelet sold by beastmen outside the Void Fortress.

None of them were particularly valuable.

They merely represented an apprentice’s sincere feelings toward his mentor.

Especially that black stone bracelet from the Void Fortress.

It looked utterly ordinary.

It didn’t even match the Elf King’s attire.

Yet when Zong Mi returned to the Elven Forest next time, he saw the bracelet on West’s wrist.

“What is it?”

At that time, the Elf King was in the middle of an agile aerial flip.

Zong Mi’s brief moment of distraction was enough for a cold sword tip to touch his throat.

His teacher frowned slightly at his student’s lapse in concentration.

Those mist-blue eyes stared directly at him.

“Ah.”

Zong Mi scratched his head awkwardly.

“I just didn’t expect Teacher to actually wear that bracelet.
Compared to all those mithril ornaments, it looks rather crude.”

Mithril was among the most precious ores on the Descending Continent.

Most high-level weapons required mithril during forging.

The elves were famously wealthy.

They crafted exquisite ornaments for their king entirely from mithril.

Combined with their aesthetic sense and masterful craftsmanship, those accessories were genuine works of art.

After hearing his student’s words, the Elf King used the hand holding his sword to lightly touch the bracelet on his other wrist.

A faint smile tugged at his lips.

He said nothing.

Instead, another sword strike swept toward Zong Mi.

“Focus.”

Only after being effortlessly knocked to the ground did Zong Mi hear the slight upward curve in his teacher’s voice.

…

Now, Zong Mi finally had a concrete understanding of the situation.

He felt that he might have pushed things too far.

The future came quickly and left just as quickly.

In an instant, Zong Mi broke free from the vision.

The faint scent of the elf still seemed to linger before him.

Those eyes, like the mist-filled sky at dawn, had been ignited by something deeper and nameless.

The indifference that once regarded all things equally had transformed into blazing fire.

It was no different from dragging a desireless god from his divine throne and turning him into a mortal human with worldly emotions.

Heaven knew that this time, Zong Mi had not intentionally guided things in that direction.

He had even behaved exceptionally well.

He had faithfully played the role of an apprentice.

An apprentice who admired and respected his mentor, with only the occasional mischievous streak.

Yet now, the situation had completely slipped beyond his control.

Perhaps the blond bard had remained silent for too long.

West’s brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

“What is it?”

“Nothing.
Sorry.
I got distracted for a moment.”

Zong Mi quickly recovered.

The heat around his eyes had already begun fading.

The burning sensation subsided back to normal in an instant.

And within that instant, he had once again crossed briefly into the future.

When he returned from the glimpse of destiny, his vision shifted back to his current state—floating in midair with his back facing the Elf King.

Only this time, a chill unconsciously crawled up his spine.

West stared fixedly at the back of Zong Mi’s head.

His brows knitted tighter and tighter.

Those mist-blue eyes became unfathomably deep.

Still, the Elf King did not continue pursuing the matter.

“The continent has not been peaceful lately.”

“That thing has returned once more.”

The elf’s fingers brushed lightly across the bard’s slender neck.

After adjusting the royal robe around Zong Mi’s shoulders, he withdrew his hand without the slightest hesitation.

“This is a defensive artifact left behind by the elves.”

“It should be enough to keep you safe.”

The Elf King’s tone was casual.

He spoke of a divine artifact as though it were nothing more than an ordinary piece of equipment.

Ordinarily, Zong Mi would only have heard a mentor’s sincere concern for his apprentice.

Now, however, an inexplicable heaviness settled in his stomach.

“For the time being, don’t go near the Realm of the Undead or those remote regions of the continent.”

“If possible…”

West paused.

“Stay in the Elven Forest for a few more days.”

“This is the safest place.”

“Alright, I understand, Teacher.”

Zong Mi turned around.

He revealed a smile identical to his usual one.

Beneath the cloak, however, his fingers slowly tightened.

…

In the end, Zong Mi did not dare remain within elven territory any longer.

After quickly informing the elven guards, he borrowed an elven unicorn mount and hurried toward the border between the Realm of the Undead and the Elven Forest.

Rain suddenly began to fall.

Faint flashes of lightning surged through the dark clouds overhead.

Thunder illuminated the land with blinding brilliance.

The blond bard completely ignored the terrible weather.

With a casual gesture, he summoned a pale-blue water shield around himself.

Then he rode the unicorn straight into the torrential downpour.

West floated beneath the leaves of the Life Tree.

Silently, he watched the crimson robe in the distance disappear into the curtain of rain.

Even the unicorn’s blue glow eventually vanished.

Only then did he withdraw his gaze.

“Protect him.”

The Elf King issued the command.

Shadows from the leaves cut across his face.

For a fleeting moment, he seemed utterly devoid of joy or sorrow.

Zong Mi knew none of this.

He headed toward the location he and Xu Yue had agreed upon in their private messages.

The changes in West had set alarm bells ringing in his mind.

Zong Mi excelled at manipulating human nature.

As a result, very few situations ever escaped his control.

Fortunately, the Elf King was not only ruler of the elves.

He was also the guardian of the Life Tree.

Now that the Life Goddess had fallen during the Twilight of the Gods, the Life Tree’s importance to the entire Descending Continent could hardly be overstated.

There were five Springs of Life throughout the continent.

The one belonging to humans was also known as the Resurrection Spring—the fixed respawn point for players.

All five springs were nurtured by the roots of the Life Tree.

Though the tree itself did not appear particularly massive, its roots extended deep into the soil of the continent.

Crossing spatial boundaries, they effectively encompassed the entire world.

Calling it the World Tree would not be an exaggeration.

If the plague ever erupted on a massive scale and the continent fell, the Natural Forest where the elves resided would become the safest place in the entire world.

That was precisely why the Elf King could not leave the forest lightly.

Ironically enough, the two greatest powers on the Descending Continent were both trapped.

One was imprisoned within the Black Forest by an unknown curse.

The other confined himself to the Natural Forest because of duty.

As expected of neighboring rivals—their methods of isolating themselves were exactly the same.

Still, alarmed as he was, Zong Mi did not dwell on the matter too much.

There was only one Divine Artifact he had yet to collect.

The final unknown Divine Artifact.

There were seven Divine Artifacts in total.

Anyone who examined them carefully would notice that they perfectly matched the regalia required for a king’s coronation.

A seven-stringed harp.

A scepter.

A signet ring.

A royal orb.

A royal robe.

A sword.

And if one were to be crowned, how could there not also be a crown?

As for why a bard’s seven-stringed harp appeared among a set of coronation regalia—

Because these items had originally belonged to Zong Mi.

His ambition was only one step away from fulfillment.

The unicorn was extremely fast.

Despite the terrible weather, it crossed most of Southern Continent’s forests in a remarkably short time.

By nightfall, it had delivered Zong Mi to Kadina City, the main city of Southern Continent.

Kadina City had no curfew.

However, guards still stood watch outside.

Human players needed to meet specific level requirements before entering the city.

Riding a unicorn, Zong Mi passed through the gates without obstruction.

Everyone knew that unicorns had nearly gone extinct long ago.

The few remaining unicorns all lived within the Natural Forest.

Only elves were permitted to ride them.

The elves also enjoyed extraordinary prestige throughout Southern Continent.

If an elf visited Kadina City, they could practically spend no money at all.

The citizens’ hospitality would cover everything.

[Xu Yue: Big Brother, have you arrived yet?
Everyone’s here already.
We’re waiting for you.]

It was already eight-thirty.

Half an hour had passed since the time Zong Mi and Xu Yue had agreed upon.

[Zong Mi: Coming.]

He opened the system map.

Following the marker for the tavern, he guided the unicorn through several turns before arriving at the building.

Perhaps because of its proximity to the Natural Forest, Kadina City’s architecture possessed a distinctly elven aesthetic.

Nature was everywhere.

Plants flourished along walls and buildings.

Within the inner city stood dozens of massive ancient trees.

These trees had been carefully cultivated by master alchemists.

Every one of them towered into the sky.

Their branches intertwined overhead, forming vast green avenues suspended in the air.

Combined with the hanging vines, the entire city possessed an exotic beauty.

Kadina City’s largest tavern stood at the center of these ancient trees.

A crowd had gathered outside.

The players at the top of the Ladder Rankings all possessed distinctive traits and considerable influence among the player base.

Now, nearly every major player within the top thirty rankings had gathered here.

Countless human players had traveled from all over the Descending Continent just to watch.

This was humanity’s first encounter with a main storyline quest.

Even though it was only a fragment of the main quest, it represented a crucial step for human players.

Descending was now viewed as humanity’s most promising second world for migration.

Even political organizations had become involved in this dungeon exploration, clearly demonstrating its importance.

Many players had already activated their recording software.

Discussions about the dungeon flooded the StarNet forums.

Most spectators, however, had no idea why all these elite players were simply standing outside the tavern.

Whispers spread through the crowd.

The moment Zong Mi arrived, those discussions instantly quieted.

His entrance was simply too eye-catching.

Many players who were recording secretly took screenshots, planning to ask later which NPC this was.

“Brother Zong, you’re here!”

Xu Yue, still dressed in his Dark Priest robes and holding a staff, happened to turn around.

He immediately broke into a smile and hurried over.

The ice mage hidden beneath his hood quickly looked up.

The other players all turned simultaneously.

One pair of eyes after another locked onto Zong Mi.

Their gazes burned as though they wanted to bore a hole through him.

“Mm.”

In contrast, Zong Mi remained perfectly calm.

He smoothly dismounted the unicorn and patted its silky mane.

“Where’s the dungeon entrance?”

“Let’s go.”

“Ah… right, okay.”

Xu Yue was briefly stunned by how straightforward he was.

Only after recovering did he step aside and reveal the people behind him.

“These are the experts joining the dungeon run this time.”

After a brief introduction, Xu Yue raised a hand toward Zong Mi.

“And this is the leader of our dungeon team.”

“ID: Zong Mi.”

“No need for introductions.
Everyone already knows who he is.”

Silence fell over the crowd.

The only sound came from ordinary players sucking in sharp breaths.

Zong Mi had simply been too low-profile.

After the second expansion update, he had suddenly shot to Rank One.

He surpassed Baili Kong, who had dominated the rankings for ages.

Yet when players investigated on the forums, they discovered something shocking.

Nobody knew him.

Unless Zong Mi had never added friends since entering Descending, completed quests entirely alone, and avoided every multiplayer dungeon, such a situation should have been impossible.

Yet his rise had been unbelievably high-profile.

He had parachuted directly into first place.

Overnight, his name became known to everyone.

As a result, layers upon layers of mystery shrouded the name “Zong Mi.”

His popularity on the forums remained exceptionally high.

People constantly speculated about him.

Even whether he would participate in this dungeon had been a subject of endless debate.

“Baili Kong.”

A cold voice suddenly broke the silence.

The ice mage stepped forward and extended his hand toward Zong Mi.

“Nice to meet you.”