Ark, after I died, the operators started to love me.

"No need. This elf is just here to deliver a message. If the wood elf really intended to see us, we should have been prepared from the moment she appeared."

Muirsey looked dejected, and deep down she agreed with what Mike had said; it seemed that everything had been wishful thinking on her part.

She was an anomaly among the elves; the dwellings of the wood elves were completely unsuitable for her.

Just as the two were about to leave, the trees around them suddenly began to shake.

The vines twitched slowly, and at that moment, the sleeping forest seemed to come alive. The falling snow was the dust on its surface, the blowing cold wind was its powerful breath, and the trees that grew taller little by little were its raised eyes.

In the dark, dense forest, a place even wild animals wouldn't venture into, a miracle of life unfolded before the two.

Mike looked at the changes at his feet and hugged Muirsey tightly with one arm. The water elf had never seen such a scene before and thought that the wood elf was about to cause them trouble.

However, everything changed when she assumed a fighting stance.

The wood elves who had initially turned them away returned, now adopting a respectful attitude.

"I apologize, esteemed guest. The Ancestral Tree was unaware of your arrival. Please accept the Wood Elf's apology. The Ancestral Tree is willing to meet you."

Terra Common Language.

Vines grew rapidly, spreading to Mike and Muirsey's feet, forming an upward staircase, with the branches of the surrounding trees bending down to welcome them.

The female wood elf's initial haughtiness followed by her later obsequiousness made Mike chuckle.

Muirsey was even more shocked by this scene. Last time she came here, she had to use a lot of persuasion, but she never expected to receive such a grand welcome from the Doctor.

The female wood elf, her face slightly flushed, secretly glanced at the water elf, thinking that this girl probably didn't know the identity of the man beside her.

Although the new generation of elves know little about what happened many years ago, that history, which can be described in terms of ten millennia, only highlights the numerical changes.

That was a glorious era with very few written records, and no records were hidden in the rocks and soil.

Humanity has become powerful enough to travel in the subspace, build planet after planet, develop planetary rings to create habitable areas, and live in harmony with other races.

Humans at that time were incredibly powerful. There was a super-strong being who could be described as a god, and under his command were dozens of beings who were comparable to gods.

Some have jokingly suggested that sending these powerful humans in pairs would easily wipe out the indigenous forces of a planet.

Humanity has built massive fleets, constructed stargates for traversing long interstellar journeys, and even propelled the seeds of civilization into the depths of space.

All gone.

The female wood elf vaguely guessed some facts from the ancestral tree's reaction: the man seemed to have some connection with the dozens of super strong individuals from back then, which was why he received such attention.

Muels turned around, looked at everything around him, and exclaimed with delight, "Could it be that I, this little elf, have finally been welcomed by everyone?"

Mike nodded: "Yes, after all, you're so beautiful and cute."

The female wood elf looked askance; in the elven race, the adjectives "cute" and "beautiful" could not be used to describe this water elf.

She doesn't fit the aesthetic standards of a wood elf at all; in fact, she could be described as unruly.

But out of respect for the guests, the Wood Elf had to compromise and chimed in with Mike, "Yes, Muirsey, everyone really likes you."

"Really? Are you sure?"

The wood elf coughed softly: "Elves aren't used to lying."

During the pause in their conversation, the densely packed trees parted to the sides, revealing a path leading upwards to the heart of the forest.

The core of the literal meaning is that leaving the ground and walking in mid-air is where the wood elves truly reside.

A female wood elf led the way, with Mike following behind her with Muirsey.

Just as he had guessed, he followed the path woven from vines, walking up the trunk of a giant tree. The winding branches were composed of several giant trees, intertwined with each other, so complex that one would surely lose their way without someone leading the way.

Why are you so nervous? Haven't you been here before?

“I have been here before, but I have never received such a grand welcome ceremony. You should know that the closer the trees are to the center, the older they are. Some of the trees are even a thousand years old. How long is the history of Terra?”

96. Only Anma knows.

Faced with Mike's skeptical attitude, Muirsey just wanted to grab the man's collar and yell, "Don't mistake me for some immortal old monster!"

She's just a little elf who's only just come of age, and by normal human standards, considering the long lifespan of elves, she really should be in preschool.

Mike seemed to have mind-reading abilities, immediately understanding what Miu Miu was thinking. He involuntarily moved a few steps away from the water sprite, as if she were some kind of monstrous beast.

Muirsey's face darkened; to use a popular children's phrase, she was on the verge of turning evil.

"Doctor, what are you doing?"

"I'm thinking about what we did before, and I'm worried that the police might arrest us. I want to be a good person."

unacceptable.

Muirsey punched Mike hard in the chest.

The Ann of the past was never as good at making people angry as Mike is now.

The playful bickering between the two naturally caught the eye of the female elf.

The young man and the gentleman had such a good relationship, like children and parents, it was truly enviable.

……

A path formed by vines stretched towards the top of the giant tree, and faint fluorescent light emanated from the dark depths of the forest. Mike looked around; he had never seen such a beautiful ecological environment before.

No one knows how long the Wood Elves have been here, but judging from all indications, it has been no less than the time since the founding of the various nations on Terra.

Compared to the treacherous and constantly fighting nations, the Wood Elf's paradise seems to have remained unchanged.

The female elf traveling with them said nothing, and neither of them felt comfortable asking.

When Muirsey came to search for her relatives last time, she didn't know much about the situation. Bringing the doctor along this time was a sudden idea. She was just trying her luck, and she didn't expect it to actually work.

The problem is that the wood elf's attitude is puzzling; the situation is probably not what she thinks, and there must be some other reason.

A downward passage appeared at the top of the giant tree, also made of tree branches. Several figures appeared in Mike's line of sight. These elves had the best camouflage, blending into the plants and trees around them, making them extremely difficult to spot.

Mike wasn't afraid of being watched by so many eyes, but Muirsey next to him seemed unusually nervous. The reason was simple: the elves secretly observing them weren't friendly, simply because Mike, an outsider, was brought in by Muirsey.

Even if the outsiders are guests of the ancestral tree, it cannot dispel the wood elves' suspicions about them.

The female elf leading the way tried to explain, "Please forgive us, my people are not comfortable with outsiders."

“I understand, the wood elves weren’t prepared, that’s all.”

Mike was about to leave when he received an invitation from Zushu. If he had to make the choice again, he wouldn't give Zushu any face, even if Zushu came in person.

Feeling guilty about everything that was happening to her, Muirsay said, "Doctor, it's all my fault."

Mike chuckled and said, "Are you ready to make it up to me?"

The water sprite gently bit her lower lip; she had many ways to make it up to Mike.

As she thought about it, the water sprite blushed.

What is she thinking? How can she be thinking about such things at a time like this?

The three of them split up, one in front and one behind, and moved at a fairly fast pace, quickly crossing a main road leading to the Wood Elf's dwelling.

Mike saw the treehouses along the way, still vibrant green even in the cold winter; perhaps this was the way the elves worked.

As the journey progressed further, he noticed that there were many elves watching from the sidelines, most of whom cast curious glances, after all, they were guests of the ancestral tree.

For the wood spirits who revere nature, the ancestral tree is their faith and reliance.

As they walked, the female elf in front of them stopped; there was nothing there.

Mike glanced around but couldn't see a single elf. Right in front of them, a large tree growing in an open area stretched its branches in all directions, like an umbrella.

To his astonishment, the tree's leaves were not the slender, needle-like shape typical of cold-climate trees, but rather the normal leaves of temperate trees.

Is this also a special ability of the elves?

Muirsey bumped into Mike nervously. The last time she came to the Wood Elf's abode, she didn't see the Ancestral Tree, but only caught a glimpse of it from a distance. She never expected to be so lucky today.

"The ancestral tree is right in front of you two guests. We cannot approach it without its permission."

“It’s okay, we can walk there ourselves.”

Mike took Muirsey's hand and walked ahead, pulling the water sprite step by step toward the ancestral tree of light. Just looking at it with their eyes, they felt a shock from the bottom of their hearts.

He felt a surge of vitality, flowing like water.

This is probably the reason why the Wood Elves can thrive on the Sami Icefield; there's likely no other explanation.

Perhaps influenced by her elven bloodline, with each step Muirsey took closer, an urge to prostrate herself in worship arose from the depths of her heart. If Mike hadn't been holding her hand, she probably would have already knelt on the ground and prostrated herself.

However, when Mike got a little closer, he discovered that the area under the Ancestral Tree was not empty; a tall elf stood under the tree with his back to them.

This elf has snow-white hair and wears a wreath woven from fresh flowers and green leaves. Unless you observe it carefully, the elf seems to be an element of the natural environment, making it difficult to tell whether it is a living creature.

Mike asked in a low voice, "Have you seen this elf before?"

Muirsay was so frightened that she couldn't speak. She shook her head hurriedly and stammered, "No, no, I've never seen it before."

The person who met them under the Ancestral Tree must have held an extremely high position among the elves, otherwise the Ancestral Tree would not have allowed him to come and observe.

"Feel sorry."

A soft voice came from the elf standing under the tree.

He slowly turned around, and the ancestral tree above his head swayed its branches gently, making a rustling sound.

This is an extremely beautiful male elf.

Mike swore he had never seen such a beautiful elf. Even the many beauties on Rhodes Island paled in comparison to this elf.

His skin was fair, like the purest ice and snow of the Sami Icefield.

He had long, smooth hair that hung down like willow branches. If it weren't for politeness, Mike would have liked to ask what brand of shampoo he used.

What Mike couldn't ignore most was his pair of azure eyes, crystal clear. If he had to describe them, Mike swore that only the deep sea south of Iberia could display such a magnificent color.

So when the elf apologized, Mike's first thought wasn't what mistake the elf had made, but rather what he himself owed the elf.

This thought lasted only a brief moment before he broke free from his mental constraints.

But Muirsey behind him repeatedly said, "No, no, we were too rash."

A terrifying elf.

Mike reached out and patted Muirsey on the shoulder. The water sprite seemed to wake up from a dream, her eyes filled with confusion. She looked at the sprite standing under the tree, then at Mike beside her, and seemed to understand something. She grabbed the doctor's sleeve and dared not let go.