Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 235 The Elf's Trap, The Girl's Legs, The Tree of Life, The World Tree

Lord Chen Mo is very busy.

It's incredibly busy, the kind of busy where you wish you could split yourself in two.

The combined regime led by Han Hailing was established too recently and developed too quickly, resulting in a severely disjointed management structure.

Its core elements are things that never existed on the Starry Continent: collectivism, agricultural cooperation, the work-point system, universal social security, industrial organization, mobilization mechanisms...

However, its managers were still a group of standard old bureaucrats, or even the lower-ranking ones among the old bureaucrats. It took a lot of their strength to refrain from whipping the common people when they saw them and from reaching out for gold coins.

In fact, every month, officials from the territory would be thrown into slave camps.

What about the new generation nurtured by the territory itself? They have just emerged from a vigorous cultural literacy campaign, full of enthusiasm, loyalty, and fearlessness. Send them to the battlefield to fight, and they are sharp and invincible blades that obey orders without question; but when asked to sit down and handle complicated administrative affairs, they are all as inexperienced as blank sheets of paper.

It is no exaggeration to say that all the prosperity and stability of the Han Hai Territory at present is built on Lord Chen Mo's unparalleled, almost mythical personal prestige.

This prestige acts like a powerful adhesive, binding together those with differing motives, forcibly integrating the flaws in the system, and at the same time saving the management of the territory a great deal of complex processes and communication costs.

If the lord says no casinos are allowed, then no casinos are allowed. There's no reason why!
However, the price of all this is that only Lord Chen Mo can make the final decisions on many matters, which undoubtedly greatly increases the lord's workload.

Therefore, despite their burning anxiety, the two elders from the Elven race could only continue to wait in agonizing anticipation, day after day.

Every day seemed so long.

The elegant blooming flowers in the courtyard of the post station and the fresh fragrance in the air could not ease the deep furrow between the elven elder's brows.

Why are Iona and Ysera in such a hurry?
During the first half of this year, several highly respected elders of the Silvermoon Elder Council succumbed to the ravages of time or the recurrence of old injuries, and passed away one after another.

Contrary to the outsider's perception that young people are more radical and passionate, the true hardliners among the elves are all old folks who have lived long enough.

Ancient elves like Iona, who lived through the war-torn era of the elves, witnessed cities turn to ruins, corpses piled up on the plains, and their parents, brothers, sisters, and children stained the earth with blood under the slaughter of humans, would become the most radical advocates of infinite contact.

But the young elves are different now!

They had almost forgotten the glory of the Elven race, and the hatred of the Elven kingdom's destruction. They even found it incomprehensible and tiresome that the "Restoration Faction" kept taking away the precious resources of the forest and generously supporting external forces.

Why not keep it for yourself? Why let those mixed-race people benefit from it?

They felt that life in Silvermoon Forest was quite good. Young elves carried owls on their shoulders, rode shadow panthers, and wore elaborate ornaments traded from human territories as they swayed and strolled through the entertainment area of ​​Redwood Highlands.

When peace lasts too long, they forget war. Short-lived species are so forgetful, and long-lived species are no exception.

The radicals had long known that once they, the old folks, gradually died out, the so-called pacifists in the council of elders would become the mainstream, and the elves would forever lose the courage to step out of the forest—something that Eona could not tolerate under any circumstances.

Therefore, despite the enormous criticism, she forcibly invoked the "Seed of the Tree of Life" to seek this cooperation with the Vast Ocean Territory.

This was practically a gamble with his political life, and even his physical life.

Because she doesn't have much time left, after the Silver Moon Festival, new elders will be added, and the young "Greedy" faction will become the mainstream of the elders' council.

Therefore, as representatives of the "infinite contact" faction among the radicals, Iona and Ysera need the compound bow.

In the words that Aiona privately persuaded her faction members, if they had 10,000 composite bows, it would be equivalent to having 10,000 high-level magic archers. Coupled with the elven longbow troops, it would be enough for the elves to launch a war that they could win against any country on either the north or south flanks. Even if they encountered pressure from major powers later on, they would have enough confidence to sit at the negotiating table!
If there were a thousand composite bows, they could force their way out of Silvermoon Forest, seize several resource-producing areas and strategic points, and at least put the elves into a positive cycle, instead of selling off the natural gifts of the forest at a low price for a little bit of resources.

"What if there are only a hundred? Should we still give them the Seed of Life?"

Ysera hesitated slightly, after all, the seeds she had given were too precious, but Iona gave a resolute reply.

"There are a hundred ways to use a hundred different weapons. At least, when those ignorant kids cause me trouble, I can shut them up!"

Ysera: "..."

The elves were very anxious, but they had already given up all the bargaining chips they could. The young lord had already advanced in rank, and they had no choice but to wait.

Meanwhile, Chen Mo was also struggling with how to approach the elf.

The elves misjudged the lord's fervent needs, and Chen Mo was equally unaware of the elves' urgency; it was a classic double-blind encounter.

After receiving a reply from my hometown, although there wasn't a single word of urging in the reply, the whole thing was described in great detail, and many images of the Tree of Life sapling were attached.

Chen Mo could understand it.

After much deliberation, Chen Mo decided to make contact and talk to them first!

So, after exhausting himself to forcefully finish up a batch of the most urgent tasks, Chen Mo extended an invitation to the elven group to have dinner together in the banquet hall of the city lord's mansion.

The lavishness of the banquet needs no further explanation. In addition to the halfling chefs' best efforts, Chen Mo even used the "Dongxia" pre-made dishes that had been stored in the territory's cold storage and were originally intended for his and Liushuang's private cooking.

In the Starry World, ready-made meals from Dongxia are an absolute luxury. It's no exaggeration to say that anything would be worth a thousand times more after a trip through the Bloodline Altar's teleportation portal.

Lord Chen Mo raised his glass frequently, and soon his face turned red, indicating that he was somewhat drunk.

It's clear that the lord isn't in good shape today; he used to be able to drink a lot without getting drunk.

When you're drunk, you start to talk more casually.

"This...this seed is truly...miraculous!"

Chen Mo took the necklace from his chest and gently stroked it with his hand, his mouth slightly stammering.

"The elves... their power is truly remarkable! A single seed can have such an effect. I wonder, I wonder what... what mysteries the Tree of Life holds!"

Iona smiled politely: "The Tree of Life is a natural creature, the leader of all things, the will of the forest, and the foundation upon which the Silvermoon Forest has survived in turbulent times."

"When the elves fled into the Silvermoon Sanctuary, enemies from the Moonlit Realm attempted to pursue them into the forest and exterminate them all. However, guided by the Tree of Life, the entire forest became their graveyard!"

That's as good as saying nothing at all!
The conversation then continued, albeit intermittently, revolving around the Tree of Life.

The elves spoke in a very cryptic way, and Chen Mo strongly suspected that the elves themselves had lost a lot of information about the Tree of Life and were only able to fill in the gaps with those bard poems.

However, there was an unexpected gain during the conversation: we learned the origin of the Fountain of Life.

The Fountain of Life is the Tree of Life's own creation.

"Pure water, high-purity psionic crystals, and perfect moonlight! The Tree of Life can purify the spring water, removing its impurities and violence, making it a true source of natural energy!"

Chen Mo suddenly understood why the Tree of Life disliked the elves.

The Tree of Life first purifies the Spring of Life, then the elves leave some for the Tree of Life and take the rest as surplus value... Isn't this treating the Tree of Life like a beast of burden?
After another glass of wine, Chen Mo's head swayed, and he seemed to have difficulty even sitting up straight. Just as he was about to fall to the side, Liu Shuang rushed over and caught him.

"Be careful."

The young princess sat down on the spot and gently placed Chen Mo's head, which he could no longer lift, on her lap.

The moment they made contact, the girl's muscles seemed to tense up, becoming as hard as rocks, giving Chen Mo a headache. However, after a few rapid breaths to adjust, the young swordswoman slowly relaxed, and her thighs gradually became soft and elastic, making Chen Mo feel as if he had returned from a steel plate bed to a Simmons mattress.

Chen Mo gave a soft hum and closed his eyes in relief.

Liu Shuang adjusted her position to make Chen Mo more comfortable, then, facing the elves' kind smiles, rubbed her slightly flushed cheeks and began to make conversation. Chen Mo was drunk; she was the hostess here and had to take on the responsibility of entertaining her guests.

"Aunt, have you ever seen the Tree of Life with your own eyes? When it fled, didn't it leave a big crater in the ground?"

"Elder Aiona, do you know anything about the sea creatures? When Chen Mo and I went out last time, we encountered the Naga sea creatures and even met a tide sorcerer!"

"Is that Tree of Life seed really useless to me? I'm leaning against Chen Mo now, and I can feel its warm aura. It feels very comfortable."

When the topic unconsciously returned to the Tree of Life, Liu Shuang let out a soft breath and asked casually with a hint of curiosity, "Aunt, why can't the seeds of the Tree of Life sprout? Our Vast Ocean is so far away, separated from the Dark...Silver Moon Forest. Are we also affected by this strange influence?"

Iona and Ysera exchanged a glance; it seems these two little ones still have their thoughts on it and haven't forgotten it.

Ysera looked at the two young lords standing close together, her gaze gentle, and patiently explained, “My good children, nature has its own rules, and these have nothing to do with distance. Even if you take a seed to the other side of the Dragon Mountains, it will not sprout.”

"The true name of the Tree of Life is the World Tree! One tree represents the natural will of an entire world! How can two World Trees be born in one world?"

"what???"

Liu Shuang felt Chen Mo's slight swaying on her thigh.

"That...that..."

Liu Shuang seemed stunned by the information, and was somewhat incoherent. Just then, she clearly felt Chen Mo's fingers quietly tracing patterns on her leg.

The tingling, itchy sensation, like a subtle electric current, made Liu Shuang momentarily lose her focus. She quickly regained her composure and, relying on the swordsman's extraordinary perception and the tacit understanding they had developed over a long period, tried her best to decipher each stroke.

"Then, if Chen Mo gave the seed of the Tree of Life to the lord of another world, could it grow into a new World Tree in that other world?"

Following the "hint" she had received, Liu Shuang stammered out a question, but Ysera shook her head: "That's impossible!"

“Every world of living beings has its own World Tree. How could those World Trees, which have grown for countless years, tolerate a seed from another world sprouting in them?”

"Forget about sprouting, even its very life will be destroyed!"

Liu Shuang blinked, her amber pupils seeming slightly watery, as she tried to decipher the words Chen Mo had written: "Then... what about the Underworld? There shouldn't be a World Tree in the Underworld!"

Ysera paused, then looked to the chief elder, Iona, for help.

The elder of the Elf race looked at Liu Shuang with a hint of affection in his eyes.

This child is simple-minded; she will trust and repay anyone who treats her well without reservation.

To her profit-driven father, she was nothing more than an insignificant pawn. It was only because the Elven race was in dire straits at the time that the Elder Council passed a resolution to "increase support for those with Elven blood," which allowed her to slightly improve her living conditions.

Even now, Liushuang still harbors a natural goodwill towards the elves.

Of course, what's even stranger is that she encountered an unreasonable Lord of the Vast Ocean.

The Elven race carefully studied the entire process of the two's interaction and came to the conclusion that [Eternal Song of Life] had an extremely special value for this Lord of the Vast Sea at a certain point in time. This is why Chen Mo later supported Liu Shuang at all costs.

It is by no means the romantic love story that is widely circulated outside.

That's why the elves brought a large quantity of precious life-enhancing potions when they first visited the Vast Sea, hoping to please them. Unfortunately, they seem to have missed the optimal time.

Or perhaps, in Lord Chen Mo's mind, pure goodwill and goodwill with ulterior motives are treated differently. Therefore, even now, while Silvermoon Forest and the Vast Ocean Territory maintain a good relationship, it will never surpass the influence of the lucky little Floating Frost.

What does it truly mean to have everything one desires? Just look at Chen Mo's attitude towards Liu Shuang!

Fortunately, these two young people are currently quite friendly towards the elves.

Iona smiled and explained, "The Underworld may have its own natural leaders, or it may not, but that doesn't matter. The dark energy in the Underworld is different from the psionic energy here!"

"Without the support of psionic energy, it cannot sprout; without a continuous supply of psionic energy, it cannot grow."

"At best, it's just a tiny seedling that can be crushed with one step. What use is it?"

Liu Shuang nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite: "Are you saying that the Tree of Life can only be activated and grown using spiritual energy?"

"It is the seed of our Tree of Life, which must be nourished by spiritual energy to grow."

Iona made a big gesture: "The amount of psionic energy required for it to grow to the point where it might become the master of nature is an unimaginable astronomical figure!"

"No one would do something so foolish."

"I understand! Chen Mo has always wanted to plant a Tree of Life, but it seems there's no hope for that now!"

Liu Shuang gently stroked Chen Mo's hair, which was lying on her lap, and watched as it rose and fell slightly with his breath, his face full of pride.

Chen Mo didn't hide anything from her. You all say this won't work or that won't work, but Chen Mo has already planted the trees!

Although I don't know how it's planted, I saw the video!

After a brief pause, Liu Shuang asked her last question of the day.

"Then... why is it the Tree of Life in Silvermoon Forest, and not the World Tree?"

All the elves present paled, their eyes revealing complex emotions that were hard to describe—sadness, regret, and, above all, a profound sense of helplessness.

After a long while, Iona finally spoke with a sigh.

"Because we can no longer protect the World Tree!"

"In the glorious era thousands of years ago, our World Tree was so tall that it blocked out the sun, and the shadow cast by its canopy could cover half of the Silvermoon Forest!"

"That was the most glorious period for the Elven race. We controlled the most fertile land between the three great rivers, and the Elven emblem was revered as the 'Starry Lineage'!"

Then, Iona's voice suddenly turned low.

"Later, the human race rose to power, and the orc race arrived!"

"Later, in a long-planned siege, the World Tree suffered a devastating blow... We fought with all our might, shedding our blood, but... in the end, we still couldn't save it..."

Iona closed her eyes, seemingly unable to bear recalling the horrific scene.

"Once the turmoil subsided, a new Tree of Life was born again from the Silvermoon Forest, but it stopped growing after becoming the Tree of Life!"

"If it were someone else, I would say it's because the Elven race lost their royal city and many territories, so they can no longer cultivate a new World Tree."

"But my child, actually, the World Tree doesn't need the elves to nurture it at all; it will grow on its own."

"only!"

Iona's gaze pierced through the banquet hall windows, looking sadly southward, and she spoke slowly, word by word:

"It was scared!"

(End of this chapter)