We agreed to set sail, so you'd become the ruler of the deep sea?

Chapter 253 "Stay here tonight..."

Shane's logic is very simple.

Just like the many mysteries surrounding the demise of the Elven race.

The sudden extinction of the ancient dragon race in even more ancient times is one of the world's greatest unsolved mysteries.

The truth has long been buried by the sands of history, shrouded in layers of mist.

These two races, which ruled in different eras, shared many similarities.

In particular, their sudden demise was remarkably uniform.

The only difference is that the elves have an additional curse of speechlessness, while the ancient dragons have not lost their language.

If it is true that the elves perished because of the influence of Elvish on the true names of the gods.

Was the extinction of the ancient dragons also due to this reason?
The answer is clearly no.

How could such a coincidence happen in the world?
Moreover, unlike elves who excel at learning and research, ancient dragons rely more on their physical bodies and talents.

Even without studying or training, just through natural growth, the ancient dragon can possess legendary combat power upon reaching adulthood.

Therefore, they could not have studied their language in depth like Lyra's mother.

This suggests that there were other reasons for Gu Long's demise.

Perhaps, that was the reason that led to the destruction of the Elven race.

Lyra's mother's research was merely a catalyst.

Another fact that supports this conjecture is...

A century has passed since the last Wrath of the Gods on Emerald Isle, and the Elf race remains the most powerful race in the world.

The prosperity and flourishing of the City of Giant Trees also suggests that the Elven race may not yet be nearing its end.

There is still a considerable amount of time before sudden annihilation.

Shaen prejudicially assumed that the Wrath of the Gods was the main cause of the Elven race's demise.

But now it seems that this may not be the case.

Leila's rise to her current position is undoubtedly due to her exceptional intelligence.

A thought quickly crossed her mind, and she understood why Xia En had mentioned Gu Long. Her beautiful eyes widened slightly.

"You mean..."

"Even without my mother's research, the Wrath of the Gods might still have descended? The Elven race would still have perished?"

Xia En nodded: "That's right."

"But this is just my guess."

"After all, Gu Long's era is too far removed from ours."

After thinking carefully for a long time, Lyra finally sighed: "In any case, the arrival of the Wrath of God is ultimately related to my mother."

"This is a responsibility I cannot shirk."

"but……"

The girl who was about to become empress raised her head, smiled slightly at Xia En, and her eyes seemed to sparkle like stars.

"I feel much better after hearing what you said."

"Thank you, Shane."

Upon hearing this, Xia En felt a pang of sadness.

Since they met, Leila has never asked him how he got here or how long he will stay.

Xia En tacitly refrained from mentioning the matter.

But he knew very well that he would eventually have to leave.

His current body is merely a projection.

When the progress bar in your peripheral vision reaches (0/100), it's time for Shane to leave.

Then, Leila will be alone again, facing the unknown future and disasters all by herself.

Thinking of this, Xia En sighed softly, "This is all I can do."

"What do you mean by 'only these'?"

Leila opened her eyes wide and said very seriously.

"To be honest, this is the happiest day I've had in over a hundred years."

"Not only did I get to eat delicious food that I hadn't had in a long time, but I also got to let down my guard and relax in the city."

"Most importantly, I also met the person I had always wanted to meet."

As she said this, Lyra's beautiful eyes remained fixed on Shane.

Xia En's heart skipped a beat, because he saw...

At this moment, those eyes reflected only his image.

To be honest, this was the first time Xia En had ever encountered such a direct and straightforward attack.

He had to admit that the past century had not only enhanced Lyra's strength and broadened her horizons, but also shaped her character.

The current Leila is no longer the shy and timid little girl she once was, who would bury all her thoughts deep in her heart.

Of course, she can still be shy.

Her slightly flushed cheeks and trembling eyelashes were proof of that.

But the fact that Lyra could overcome her shyness and say those words speaks volumes about her change.

Just as Shane made up his mind and was about to respond, he heard Leila continue speaking.

"With so many happy things piled up together, the result is a dreamlike and wonderful time."

"But I still have a small regret in my heart."

"Mr. Shane, would you be willing to do me a favor and make up for this regret?"

Leila spoke with genuine emotion, and the faint regret and sorrow she conveyed seemed sincere, so Shane naturally had no reason to refuse.

"Of course I do."

Upon hearing this, Leila's face suddenly blossomed into a beautiful smile.

"As long as you want."

next moment.

The teleportation array reappeared beneath their feet.

After a brief period of dizziness...

Shane found himself having left the library tower.

The first thing that catches the eye is a large bed woven from grass and wood.

"……Um?"

Xia En raised an eyebrow, realizing that something was amiss.

First of all, this large bed is woven from a special plant, which looks exceptionally soft and gives off a fresh, herbal fragrance.

On the large bed, many delicate flower petals were scattered, making the bed look fresh and exquisite.

Strangely enough, a faint, pleasant fragrance permeated the air around the bed.

It smells like flowers, but also like some other fragrance.

I must say, this is indeed a great bed!
Once people see it, they will naturally feel the urge to go up and roll around on it.

Xia En glanced around and immediately recognized that this was most likely the interior of a palace.

Apart from the large bed, the interior of the palace is furnished quite simply, with only a few details revealing the girl's delicate thoughts.

Fresh flowers were placed in the corner, and some vines climbed the palace walls.

There are also quite a few books on the bedside table.

In one corner of the palace, there is even a disassembled steam engine!

On the surface, this doesn't really look like a young girl's bedroom, but Xia En could tell at a glance—

This palace was Leila's bedroom.

Realizing this, even with Xia En's composure, his throat couldn't help but feel a little dry.

In the dead of night, a lone man and a lone woman.

Leila's purpose in bringing him here seems quite obvious.

but……

Can a projected body really do that kind of thing?

Although he can breathe and eat, he has never tested his abilities in that area.

But since it can manipulate blood and qi, then controlling a certain part of the body should also be possible...

Xia En's mind was a bit foggy, so he started thinking about random, incoherent things to distract himself. Meanwhile...

Leila smiled at him.

The girl was already extremely beautiful, but under the soft fluorescent light, she was even more stunning.

Her slender and delicate figure was hidden beneath the wide, flowing empress gown.

Nobility and innocence, purity and charm.

These contradictory qualities, however, are now harmoniously combined, bursting forth with an amazing charm.

In that instant, her beauty was breathtaking.

At that moment, a faint, pleasant fragrance wafted over—a scent similar to that around the large bed.

Leila hugged Shane and whispered.

"The favor I'd like to ask you for is..."

"Stay tonight..."

Shaun never expected that the regret Leila wanted to make up for would be this.

If you make him agree beforehand, there's no room for him to back out.

But such a clever trick is by no means annoying.

To be honest, Shane couldn't bring himself to refuse Lyra in front of him.

But the problem is...

Why refuse?
If it's just for one night...

Xia En opened his mouth, the words of promise already on the tip of his tongue.

But suddenly!

boom! ! !
A tremendous roar, like the thunder, suddenly erupted from outside the palace.

Immediately following was an extremely violent tremor.

The walls, the floor, the ceiling... not only began to tremble, but also showed considerable deformation.

This is by no means a trivial matter.

This is the palace of a potential empress, and the fact that this place was affected by the tremors speaks volumes about the seriousness of the situation.

Shane and Lyra exchanged a glance, the previous romantic atmosphere completely gone.

Although it's a bit of a pity, they are all intelligent people and naturally know what's more important.

Where is this palace located in the City of Giant Trees?

Xia En asked immediately.

"This is on a branch of the Mother Tree of Elves..."

Halfway through her sentence, Lyra's expression suddenly changed: "Oh no! The enemy's target is the Elf Mother Tree!"

Lyra acted swiftly, quickly casting a teleportation spell to bring Shane outside the palace.

The two looked down, and their expressions turned grim.

Beneath the trunk of the Fairy Mother Tree, pitch-black flames were burning fiercely, consuming the vibrant life force in the air.

One explosion after another rang out from all directions of the tree trunk.

Clearly, it was this explosion that caused the Elf Mother Tree to tremble violently.

"This power..."

Lyra's expression turned grave as she murmured, "Dark elves!?"

As the soon-to-be empress, Lyra naturally had a considerable understanding of the Dark Elves, a hostile race.

But at that moment, Shane noticed an unusual movement in another direction from the City of Giant Trees, and his pupils constricted slightly.

"That is……"

From the edge of the city, a dark, deep wave slowly but steadily surged in.

In the areas encompassed by that wave, all light was quickly swallowed up and obscured.

The once bustling and vibrant city was almost half submerged by the dark tide in the blink of an eye.

Shane was no stranger to this dark wave.

Wasn't the Wrath of God on Emerald Isle last time started with a wave like this?

Could it be that another divine wrath has descended upon the City of Giant Trees?

Lyra clearly recognized the arrival of the dark wave, and her expression changed slightly.

But she had, after all, grown up over a century and was even on the verge of becoming an empress.

So, without hesitation, Leila spoke up loudly.

"Citizens of the City of Giant Trees, guests from all nations, do not panic!"

"I am the soon-to-be-crowned Elf Queen, Lyra Vivian!"

"Please seek immediate shelter at the nearest available facility!"

"Warriors of the Elves, take up your weapons and defend your homeland!"

Her voice, amplified by magic, spread throughout the entire city.

For a moment, it even drowned out the huge roar.

Moreover, the magic patterns on the surface of Lyra's long dress suddenly emitted an exceptionally dazzling emerald green glow.

Like a miniature sun, it slowly rose in the increasingly chaotic City of Giant Trees.

Xia En couldn't help but be moved.

He looked at the decisive and efficient Leila, whose face no longer held the charming and alluring expression, but only showed decisiveness, firmness and authority!

That's the demeanor a queen should have!
Or perhaps, that beautiful appearance before was a beautiful sight that was only revealed to Xia En.

Moreover, judging from the unique magical runes and the shelters that had already been built in the city...

Leila had prepared for this situation many years ago.

"Layla, you've really grown a lot..."

Xia En sighed inwardly, feeling a faint sense of joy.

but……

Leila Vivian?
This was the first time Shane had ever heard Lyra's full name.

The name Vivian inevitably reminded him of the ghostly lady from the Black Swan.

Xia En secretly wondered, "Do Vivian and Leila really have some kind of special connection?"

It just so happens that Lyra's Magic Notebook was discovered next to Vivian's crystal coffin.

Thinking about it this way, it's probably more than just a coincidence.

However, now is not the time to think about these issues.

After Lyra appeared, several elven guards wearing enchanted armor quickly came to her side.

Lyra asked the head guard, "What exactly happened?"

"Was this the work of the dark elves?"

The guard replied solemnly, "Yes."

"Those bastards who betrayed the Goddess of Life suddenly emerged from underground and used their secret power to trigger a special explosion, causing severe damage to the Mother Tree of the Elves."

"underground?"

Leila frowned slightly.

The Dark Elves' attack was clearly premeditated, with the aim of destroying the Elven Mother Tree of the City of Giant Trees.

Those pitch-black flames seemed to be the nemesis of the Elf Mother Tree.

Preventing the fire from spreading further is undoubtedly the top priority.

With that in mind, Leila decisively said, "I'll go extinguish those black flames. You guys do your best to protect the safety of the other civilians."

"In that darkness, Elvish will be sealed, but rune equipment can still be used."

After giving the order, Leila, holding Shane's hand, used the teleportation array again, ignoring the surprised looks of those around her.

When they reappeared, the two were on the ground next to the Mother Tree of Elves.

Black flames rapidly destroyed the giant tree's bark, igniting its vigorous life force.

However, after the black flames burned it, what remained was not charcoal, but a rotten and dried-out residue.

Rather than burning, it seemed more like greedily absorbing the life force of the Elf Mother Tree.

Xia En narrowed his eyes: "This is the power of [Evil Fate]!"

(End of this chapter)