Chapter 584

At the appearance of the dark elves, Serian and the Black Lake Guardians all widened their eyes.

It was because dark elves were rarely seen in Neo Seoul.

Even the few that existed were half or quarter-blooded.

Their blood had mixed so much with humans that they could no longer truly be called dark elves. But the ones who had come out through the great barrier now were undoubtedly pure-blooded dark elves.

For those who had settled in Neo Seoul, the appearance of pure dark elves for the first time was enough to shock them.

The dark elves, who had been briefly exchanging greetings with Zeon, also discovered Serian and the others and were greatly surprised.

It wasn’t simply because Serian was an elf, but because her attire and aura were far from ordinary.

The dark elves approached Serian and her group.

“We are the guardians who protect the Forest of Beginning. What about you?”

“My name is Serian Oliana. I came from Neo Seoul.”

“As expected, elves who settled in Neo Seoul.”

The eyes of the dark elves as they looked at Serian’s group were filled with strong wariness.

Serian understood why they were wary.

Those who had been abandoned in the world without being able to enter Neo Seoul or El Harun all had the same eyes as the dark elves.

The fact that they had been abandoned by those who crossed over from Kurayan had filled them with hostility.

Even though Serian had not been the one to abandon them, she always carried that as a debt in her heart.

The leader of the dark elves spoke to Serian.

“Originally, it is a principle that outsiders are not allowed into the Forest of Beginning, but since you came with Zeon, we will make an exception just this once.”

“Is there really a forest inside there?”

“Is there a problem?”

“No, I’m asking whether a forest truly exists inside the great barrier.”

“Did you not hear from Zeon?”

The dark elf leader looked at Zeon with a puzzled expression.

Zeon shrugged and replied,

“Hearing it in words and fully accepting it are different matters.”

“I see. Understood. Please come inside. Then you will know.”

The dark elf leader gestured toward the inside of the great barrier. After a moment, the barrier rippled and an entrance appeared.

At the lush forest visible beyond the opening, Serian and the elves were stunned.

“Is that really a forest?”

“A forest that large… My goodness!”

At first, they thought it was an illusion. But the refreshing energy flowing from the forest told them that what they were seeing was real.

As if bewitched, Serian and the elves walked into the great barrier.

Zeon also spoke to Kaylee and Pavilsa.

“Let’s go in too.”

“Ah, what about Arkelon?”

“Of course it can go in.”

“Really, is that alright?” 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

“Of course. Right?”

Zeon’s last words were directed at the dark elf leader.

The leader nodded as if it were obvious.

“Guests of Zeon are our guests as well. Of course you may enter.”

“Huh! To think such a forest was hidden inside a barrier. Thank you truly for letting us in.”

“Thank you so much.”

Pavilsa and Kaylee thanked the dark elf leader and entered the barrier. Arkelon followed slowly behind them.

Once everyone had entered the Forest of Beginning, the great barrier activated again.

“A forest this large existed?”

“Look at this! The air is different.”

The elves who stepped into the forest were beside themselves with joy.

They were elves who had lived long in the human world and had grown wary, but before the vast forest they were no different from children.

At that moment, dark elves and village residents appeared from all over the forest.

The visit of outsiders had spread.

Then a girl came flying toward Zeon.

“Oppa Zeon!”

The girl flying with the help of a translucent spirit was Har.

Zeon gently embraced Har and said,

“Hello.”

“What is this? Why did you come after so long?”

“Sorry! I had a lot to do…”

“Hehe! I’m joking. Look, Yuri has grown this much too.”

At Har’s words, the spirit supporting her back peeked out.

—Hello! Zeon.

“Hello, Yuri.”

—Hehe!

Yuri laughed just like Har.

They say spirits resemble their contractors, and it was truly so.

At the sight of Yuri, the eyes of Serian and the elves widened as if they would tear.

“Th-that’s not… a spirit?”

“That’s right.”

“My goodness! A spirit…”

At Zeon’s answer, Serian’s legs gave out and she collapsed to the ground.

She wasn’t the only one.

Even Rapuel and the elves who were supposed to assist Serian knelt down and stared at the spirit.

Zeon said to Yuri,

“It seems they’re surprised to see you. Why don’t you greet them too?”

—Okay! Hello.

Yuri waved her hand at Serian and the others.

When she was first born, Yuri had been nothing more than a butterfly-like cluster of light, but over time she had grown into a form resembling Har.

While Serian and the others were shocked by Yuri, Har’s gaze was fixed on Arkelon.

“Wow! A big turtle.”

“It’s Arkelon.”

“Arkelon?”

“There’s a village inside its shell. Want to take a look?”

“Yes! I want to see.”

“Then ask that unni over there to show you around. Her name is Kaylee.”

“Okay!”

Har nodded and ran toward Kaylee.

Though surprised for a moment by the girl approaching with a spirit, Kaylee soon smiled gently.

She held Har’s hand, introduced her to Arkelon, and showed her around inside.

Teserina looked around the Forest of Beginning with a smile.

“They really hid a place like this well.”

The fragrant scent of the forest was delightful.

It had a different kind of freshness from the World Tree village, which lifted her mood.

Zeon quietly looked around the forest.

This vast forest created by Har had grown much larger than before. It had expanded to the point that even the great barrier could no longer fully conceal it.

It was a growth rate that far exceeded Zeon’s expectations.

At that moment, a woman with an especially strong impression stepped out from among the dark elves.

She was Floa, the leader of the dark elves.

Floa bowed her head slightly to Zeon in greeting.

“Welcome.”

“It’s been a while, Lady Floa. The forest has grown even more.”

“Yes! The trees are growing at a frightening rate. It’s all thanks to Yuri.”

“Is that so?”

“Yuri tends the forest constantly, so it seems the growth is even faster. And there are even more surprising things, but I’ll tell you later. It seems more important to speak with them first.”

Floa’s gaze turned toward Serian.

Serian bowed her head first in greeting.

“I am Serian Oliana of the Forest Tribe. I greet the Tribe of Darkness.”

“Nice to meet you! I’m Floa.”

Though she said so, Floa and the other dark elves’ expressions were stiff.

The relationship between elves and dark elves had never been very good.

Moreover, the dark elves led by Floa had lived long in the harsh desert.

Naturally, their temperament was rough, and they were highly wary of outsiders.

They had allowed them into the forest because Zeon had brought them, but since they did not know their intentions, they remained cautious.

At that moment, a middle-aged man dressed like a hunter approached them.

It was Goduwon, Har’s father and the village chief.

Sensing the subtle tension flowing between the two races, Goduwon spoke.

“Rather than keeping our guests standing here, let’s invite them further into the forest.”

“Yes, Chief.”

Floa bowed her head to Goduwon and replied.

No matter that she led the dark elves, she could not go against Goduwon’s words.

Thanks to Goduwon stepping forward, Serian and the elves were able to enter the forest naturally.

Serian suddenly took off her shoes.

She wanted to feel the touch of the grass with her bare feet.

Seeing her, the other elves hurriedly removed their shoes as well.

Rustle! Rustle!

They were moved by the sensation of grass beneath their feet.

Goduwon smiled faintly.

He understood their feelings, as he had felt the same emotion when he first stepped on grass.

Goduwon led the group to the largest tree at the center of the forest.

It was the tree where Yuri had been born. Perhaps because of that, it had grown especially large compared to the others.

Under the tree were a large square table and chairs.

This was the meeting place of the Forest of Beginning.

Whenever there was an important matter, everyone gathered here to discuss and reach a conclusion.

“Please, everyone, sit here.”

“Thank you.”

“Yes.”

Serian and the elves sat down, expressing their gratitude.

They sat on the left, while Floa and the dark elves sat opposite them.

In the center sat Goduwon and the villagers, and across from them sat Zeon, Levin, Pavilsa, and the others.

Once everyone was seated, children brought cups filled with water.

Goduwon lifted his cup and spoke.

“We have nothing much to offer yet, only sap collected from the gorosoe tree. My apologies.”

“Not at all. We are only grateful to receive such precious sap.”

To elves, sap from trees was a more precious drink than any delicacy.

As they carefully tasted it, the elves unconsciously wore expressions of ecstasy.

Some even wept.

At that sight, Floa’s expression softened slightly.

She understood how they felt.

They had felt the same when they first tasted gorosoe sap.

To humans, it might be nothing special, but to elves who lived relying on the forest, it was nothing short of heavenly.

Thinking that they too must not have tasted the flavor of their homeland for a long time, a sense of kinship suddenly arose.

Dark elves or regular elves—they were all strangers who had lost their homeland.

While the elves were moved just by the sap, the forest’s residents showed more interest in Pavilsa.

More precisely, they were interested in the goods loaded on Arkelon’s back.

The Forest of Beginning was a place good for humans and elves to live, but it lacked many things.

That was why they welcomed Pavilsa’s visit more than anyone.

Zeon quickly grasped their atmosphere.

“How have things been lately?”

“I’ve been so busy enjoying the forest’s growth that I lose track of time.”

“The forest has grown so much that even the great barrier can no longer fully conceal it.”

“That’s what worries me. No one expected the forest to grow this fast. At some point, it suddenly began expanding rapidly. Do you happen to know the reason?”

“I have a guess, but I’ll explain it quietly later.”

“I knew you would know.”

Goduwon nodded.

“Yes! Something major happened not long ago, and it seems that affected this forest as well.”

Zeon believed that the birth of the World Tree had greatly influenced the Forest of Beginning.

It was certain that the birth of the World Tree had accelerated the growth of the forest’s trees. But he could not speak of it here in front of everyone.

Not because he didn’t trust them, but because the World Tree was that important.

Zeon then stated the purpose of his visit.

“The reason I came here is because I believe it is time to prepare for exchange with the outside.”

“The outside?”

“Neo Seoul.”

“And why do you think that? I still believe it is not yet time to open the Forest of Beginning. The dark elves likely think the same.”

At Goduwon’s words, Floa and the other dark elves nodded in agreement.

“We still do not have the power to protect ourselves. If we open it without any preparation, this place will be taken by humans.”

“That is why I brought Lady Serian.”

“You mean she has the power to protect this forest?”

Floa looked at Serian with a doubtful gaze.

“Lady Serian rules the northern district of Neo Seoul. She has steadily protected and sheltered those of other races who were left behind from El Harun. If it is her, she will be able to protect the Forest of Beginning from the other districts. And I will lend my strength as well.”

“Hmm…”

At Zeon’s confident voice, both the dark elves and the humans let out low murmurs. Seeing their unease, Zeon spoke again.

“A great change is coming to the world. If we are to respond to that change, we must begin preparing now.”