"Look at you, talking like that, this tomb grass is what I use to calm my nerves, and I’d give it to you even if you didn’t ask for it!"

Su Ran stuffed the tomb grass into his mouth and chewed on it—the taste, the crunchiness, it was pure enjoyment...

Hearing that irritating chomping sound, the thought of vomiting bananas intensified. He decided to pay Su Ran no more attention and trotted into the Elf Palace, leaving Su Ran hanging outside.

"Is that really necessary?"

Su Ran shook his head with a smile. After he had eaten his fill, he took big strides toward the Elf Palace.

He was finally going to see the stunning beauty of the elf queen, and he wondered what kind of surprise she might bring him.

After trekking through the Elf Forest for so long, wasn’t it all for this moment?

Filled with immense anticipation, Su Ran entered the palace. After walking down a lengthy corridor, he finally arrived at the main hall, only to find Banana and Ling Wei standing there obediently.

"Where is the elf queen?"

Seeing that Xue Wuqing had not brought the elf queen out yet, Su Ran could not help but want to complain. Did the elf queen really have to make it so grand that he had to visit her three times?

"Just wait here nicely. The elf queen is the most esteemed being, seeing her isn’t as simple as you think," Banana warned, his eyes locked onto the depths of the palace, as eager as if he were waiting for a head of state. Then, as if he remembered something, his expression changed, and he subconsciously moved further from Su Ran, cautioning, "Don’t get close to me, your breath stinks!"

Apparently, Banana had long been put off by the smell...

Ling Wei looked at Su Ran’s jaw, surprised, noticing nothing unusual and not understanding what Banana meant, so she ignored it.

"Dada, dada."

Varying footstep sounds began to emerge from deep within the palace. Su Ran’s heart stirred; the ultimate boss of the elf clan was finally about to appear!

"Hmm?"

Only when two elves approached did Su Ran realize that the so-called elf queen was just an old elf with faded beauty, trembling as she walked and needing the support of Xue Wuqing. The stark contrast dashed Su Ran’s high hopes.

He had imagined a peerless beauty would come forth, but instead, it was an elderly woman with white hair who looked like she could be blown over by a gust of wind, lacking any fearsome aura of an ultimate boss. The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment...

From Banana’s admiring look, it was clear he had already seen the true face of the elf queen, probably exchanging something for the Elf Return City Scroll with her before.

"Your Majesty, we greet you!"

Banana and Ling Wei almost simultaneously knelt down and called out with respect.

This sudden protocol made Su Ran pause. He wondered to himself if Banana could have given him a heads-up to avoid his embarrassment.

Having no other choice, Su Ran put on a serious face and performed a courteous bow to smooth over the awkwardness.

"Children, rise," said the aged voice of the queen. She made her way to the throne and, with the help of Xue Wuqing, finally seated herself. Then, she turned her murky gaze toward Su Ran and was silent for a long time.

Su Ran could feel the elf queen’s eyes examining him with curiosity.

"I can sense the friendship of the Undead from you," the elf queen nodded slightly, showing friendliness toward Su Ran. After a pause, she continued, "Skeleton Warrior, you have braved hardship and dangers, overcoming numerous obstacles to come to the Elf Palace. Such strong and unyielding spirit deserves commendation!"

Praise my sister my foot!

Ever heard of something called a substantial reward?

Do you have any idea how many dangers I’ve faced on your turf, or are you just not keeping count?

What’s the deal—do I have to go through trials and tribulations like Tang Monk on his quest for scriptures, facing eighty-one ordeals to earn the right to save the elves?

If it wasn’t for the mission reward, I’d have dusted my butt and left ages ago!

Su Ran really wanted to give the old elf a piece of his mind to vent his dissatisfaction, but then he thought better of it—if he ended up causing the Elf Queen to kick the bucket on the spot, that would be a serious crime. So, he swallowed his words back down.

"For the safety and well-being of the Elf Tribe, it’s my duty," he said, spouting a lie but making it seem rather genuine.

"Good, good, good!"

The Elf Queen laughed heartily three times, clearly very satisfied with Su Ran’s response. But she hadn’t anticipated getting so excited that she choked on her own saliva, coughing violently and turning beet red.

"Your Majesty, please take care of yourself."

Xue Wuqing was quick to react, promptly helping the Elf Queen by patting her on the back.

It took a while, but finally, the rosy flush faded from the Elf Queen’s face, replaced by a pallor.

"Skeleton Warrior, my health is so poor—it’s quite embarrassing," the Elf Queen said with a bitter smile before looking at Su Ran with hopeful eyes. "Could you perhaps entrust the hope of the Elf Tribe to me?"

"Sure."

Su Ran pondered for a moment before agreeing on the spot. His initial plan was to keep this seed of hope until the end, completing the other tasks first, but seeing the Elf Queen looking half-buried in soil, he lost the will to delay further.

After that, Su Ran took a few steps forward and stopped when he was about five or six paces away from the Elf Queen. He knew in his heart not to get too close. The Fire Spirit was still eyeing him eagerly from behind; it was better to be cautious.

After all, she was the ultimate boss, and proper etiquette had to be maintained.

As the climactic moment approached, Banana was filled with anxiety. Whether Overturning Water was indeed the envoy remained uncertain. If a prophecy from hundreds of years ago could predict even the players, that would be truly divine!

But if the truth was exposed, Banana shuddered to think what might await them.

It wasn’t just Banana who felt this way. Ling Wei, standing by his side, watched Su Ran with a cold gaze, the fire elements around her becoming more restless. It was clear that if Su Ran turned out to be a fake messenger, she would not hesitate to strike, avenging her previous humiliation!

"Respected Elf Queen, this is the ’seed of hope’ that I bring for the entire Elf Tribe. Please, keep it safe."

Su Ran fished out the peculiar seed from under his crotch and handed it to Wu Qing, who would pass it to the Elf Queen.

"What... what is this?"

Upon seeing the seed, the Elf Queen’s breathing became rapid, her cheeks flushed with color, her eyes filled with excitement as she said, "Quickly, bring it to me!"

Something stirred within Wu Qing, and she quickly took a few steps forward to hand the seed to the Elf Queen.

"Haha, good, good!"

The Elf Queen nodded repeatedly in her excitement. A delighted smile spread across her aged cheeks, and then, in front of everyone, she actually swallowed the seed whole.