Academic gathering with Lich colleagues

Chapter 739 Kylo's Justice

Queen Tiffany completely controlled the pace, with the Mooncrown Council focusing on how to restrict players' freedom in the game. The soft glow of moonflowers illuminated the surroundings, like fireflies crawling around the druids—a dreamlike scene, but the dream elves felt a chill in their hearts. The Queen laid bare the cold reality, and everyone realized they had indeed invested too much energy in the virtual game; unrestrained desires, like rampant weeds, would only wreak havoc on the entire garden.

Realizing the righteousness of limiting game time, the druids' resentment dissipated... However, this didn't mean they wouldn't fight for game time! All the players were itching for a fight, ready to defend their happy time and debate with Her Majesty the Queen. After all, the purpose of the council was to discuss and coordinate solutions to problems. Limiting game time—it's up to you, Queen. How much? I have to say something…

This was perhaps the most united of all the dream elf factions, and also their most rebellious act against the royal family, but they did not think they were wrong, because the dream game was in everyone's common interest.

“I won’t take sides on these issues, so let’s start with you, Kylo Shiren. I’ve received numerous anonymous reports from my subjects alleging that you and your guards committed a series of heinous and inhumane attacks in the Dream Game, targeting everyone from…newbies in the starting village to the main…healers of powerful teams. And you also engaged in the unforgivable act of corpse-guarding…wait a minute, what is corpse-guarding?” Tiffany turned to meet the gaze of the ancient tree elder beside her, her benevolent look unchanged. New vocabulary circulated among the tree spirits, and although words about corpses were rarely flattering, the curious ones were unaware of this.

A well-meaning player shared some basic gaming knowledge with Her Majesty the Queen.

“Your Majesty Tiffany, camping a corpse is… camping next to a player’s corpse, waiting for them to respawn and weaken before killing them again, or even multiple times.” The player’s words were aggressive towards someone. “As far as I know, a certain assassin captain once camped a person’s corpse seventeen times, and the victim didn’t appear in his dreams for two days afterward.”

Queen Tiffany nodded knowingly, her contemplative expression less than pleasant. Her moist lips parted again, and the noble and beautiful blonde woman spoke with a tone that was both reluctant and resolute, "To desecrate life is to distort and degenerate humanity. As my most trusted captain of the guard, Kylo Shiren has failed my expectations. The act of camping corpses must be severely punished. I have decided that all players who have engaged in this act will be permanently disqualified from playing in the Dream Kingdom. Do you all agree that this punishment is appropriate?"

"Suitable? Suitable my foot! This is worse than the death penalty!" The Queen's coldness silenced everyone. The tree spirits and other fairies thought the punishment of banning games was justified, while the dream elves thought to themselves, "This is going to kill us!" This stupid woman is trying to kill us! This is unacceptable! Banning games right off the bat! Looking at the thick stack of documents next to Tiffany, they figured today would be a disaster. The dream elves exchanged glances, then looked at the unforgivable "death row inmate," Kylo.

All players agreed that Tiffany was a novice and couldn't handle the situation, so it was better to be lenient. First, they needed to save Kylo Siren. Camping a corpse—few players had never done that before; if they really implemented it, everyone would quit the game.

"Your Majesty! You've misunderstood! Lord Carol had good intentions! That player was just tired and wanted to go straight back to the city. Lord Carol was simply showing the Queen's faction's thoughtfulness by sending him home quickly! In the Dream Game, everyone is immortal, so how could there be any desecration of life!"

The tide of discussion suddenly turned, and Tiffany put on an expression that said, "Don't try to fool me."

"Then how do you explain the act of guarding the corpse, and seventeen times at that?"

"Ah, this..." The druid who was pointed at quickly came up with a fabricated lie, "Ahhh~ Ahhh~ That newbie wasn't very smart. He didn't choose to resurrect in town but resurrected on the spot. It was an operational error. Mr. Kylo, ​​who was considerate of the people's feelings, felt that he should help him to the end. Afterwards, he had a friendly conversation with him and gave him a ride!"

Tiffany narrowed her eyes, her gaze unfriendly.

"They escorted you for seventeen miles?"

"Yes...yes, mistakes are...very normal. I sometimes make mistakes and stab my teammates in the waist with a dagger."

This explanation clearly did not satisfy Tiffany. The frowning queen directly questioned her most loyal guard, "Captain Kylo, ​​I trust the Shiren family, and the Shiren family will certainly treat me with utmost sincerity. Tell me the truth, my captain, why did you kill the other players?"

Kylo Rendezvous knelt on one knee, like a humble knight bowing to the Elf Queen.

"What this druid said is not my true opinion..."

One sentence put all the Pokémon players on the edge of their seats.

"My true purpose is to kill for justice, for the justice in my heart!"

Not only Queen Tiffany thought he was a fool, but everyone else thought Kylo looked like a fool too. We know you're the Queen's lackey, and you're not fluent in your speech when you're with your master, but at least make your lies believable! You can't see the smile on your face when you're chopping people down, it's more of a nightmare than any other, how can you call that justice?

Despite the disdainful looks that felt like needles on his back, Kylo Shiren didn't care.

"My Queen, I am indeed righteous! As for why I attacked players in the Dream Game, it's because I am righteous, and they are evil! The administrators of the Dream Game have not established clear rules and regulations. My Queen, with the indulgence of these administrators, the Dream Kingdom is a lawless land! All players! All people! They have abandoned the dignity of being a Dream Forest Elf, trampling on the self-respect and self-love you bestowed upon them like garbage! Stealing monsters and equipment, harassing NPCs and breaking into people's homes, they... they even pollute the environment in the dream! Their evil deeds are outrageous! And now... they even dare to accuse me first! My heart is so heavy, my Queen, I am heartbroken for my people."

Tiffany's expression was strange. "So, you killed them? And then you kept their bodies."

“That’s right! Evil must be punished. If there are no laws or sanctions in the Dream Kingdom, then I will punish them! I will give them death! I will reshape the Queen’s laws in the Dream Kingdom, so that your people can be good people even in their dreams!”

*Clap clap!* *Clap clap clap!* *Clap clap clap clap clap!*

The tree spirits, forest sprites, and ancient trees all applauded. The dream sprite looked at its friends, highly doubting whether they had understood Kairo's words; perhaps they were just swayed by that bastard Kairo Shiren's theatrical speaking style. "Damn... damn handsome!" the dream sprite cursed inwardly, but outwardly joined in the applause with a smile. Now that it was in the thick of it, it was getting drunk even without alcohol.

Tiffany stared at Kylo Siren, the captain of the guard's gaze humble and sincere.

“Alright, Kylo Siren is innocent. Guarding corpses with punitive purposes is a legitimate and commendable act.”

Chapter 740 Elf Knights

Dorudo's smile faltered slightly, but he continued to smile. As a druidic educator with a thoughtful mind, he naturally understood the absurd consensus the dream players had just reached in the pure Mooncrown Council. Deceiving the ruler for the sake of the public good—the astute berserker could foresee that this Mooncrown Council meeting would be filled with deception and distortion. From the moment the dream elves encountered the dream game and became players, their minds had already begun to tilt towards chaos.

As if subjected to a form of mental pollution, influenced by some twisted entity, the Berserker easily identified this behavior, which closely resembled the "Mental Corruption" debuff in the game. Dorudo tossed his hair, dispelling the conspiracy theories lurking in his mind. The dream game was a scheme orchestrated by those leaders; Irason and Susanna would never intend to harm us.

While Dorodo was still in a daze, the game's restrictions were significantly accelerated. Dream Elf players tore down the banners of the two Dream Elf leaders and embellished most of the players' actions. There's a reason this was allowed; my Dream Kingdom has its own national conditions.

To some extent, their explanation sounded more like treason: why should real-world laws and regulations govern the virtual world? We should enjoy freedom in our dreams. Whether out of respect for the two mothers or not, Tiffany showed no displeasure, simply nodding in approval of the players' actions and agreeing not to interfere with the "order" within the dream game.

Tiffany's gaze shifted to the other side, concerning the impact of players' lack of self-control on real life and even social stability.

“General Charles Nightingale, War Druid. As the commander of the army that survived that great war, I, as the Queen of the Dream Elves, hold you and your predecessors in high esteem for your contributions. I am quite surprised that you are now the chief War Druid, our army commander. Your soldiers have submitted numerous reports to me regarding your behavior. Their reports describe how, due to your participation in the Dream Game and your unique professional characteristics, you have become… a guardian who enjoys leading the charge, craves being beaten, and exhibits certain masochistic tendencies.” Tiffany looked at Charles, who was naturally leaning forward, maintaining a guarded stance. “Are you alright, Charles?”

Elves are a long-lived race. Most of them lived through the Dragon Age and witnessed the catastrophe of the middle era—the war between the dragon priests and dragons against the evil gods. The reclusive elves of the Dream Forest, summoned by the Green Dragon Priests, became warriors on the main battlefield. Their long lives allowed them ample time to sustain themselves and to experience the wounds of war. The lingering effects of death and injury flowed through their long lives until Erasson created the Emerald Dream, allowing these surviving warriors to finally rest in peace and enjoy the leisurely elven life of enjoying the morning dew and sunlight, just like the real world.

Charles Nightingale was the battlefield commander at the time. Before he had gained the upper hand, he witnessed it all firsthand, watching his predecessors send their comrades to that carnage. From initial anger to numbness, the attacks of the evil god's army repeatedly breached his ranks, the gates of death opened before him time and again, yet he survived because others closed them for him time and again. His mentor, his brother, his fellow commanders, and his soldiers—countless soldiers who trusted him.

Charles possesses the best commanding talent.

Charles is our most promising commander.

【Charles! This is the best choice. You are the best choice for our people!】

[Cover the general! You bunch of fools! He can bring victory to the Queen, and we will win!]

However, this was not the case. The Dragonkin alliance was at a disadvantage from the start, and the situation continued to deteriorate. They retreated relentlessly, the divine majesty numbing the elves, their wrath driving them to despair. Charis constantly offered the elves hope, for they had nothing but hope, unaware that this war-hardened general was even more desperate than they were. Their race was far too weak compared to the divine servants' army—a gap that no tactical skill could bridge. Fortunately, the army's losses bought the dragon priests enough time to weaken and seal the slumbering being.

Charles survived, but the nobility of a commander became his nightmare. Protecting the general and sacrificing soldiers was commonplace on the battlefield, but Charles felt he had failed the expectations of those warriors and his predecessors. He wanted to be a vanguard, charging into battle to protect his comrades; he didn't want to be protected anymore, didn't want to accept sacrifice. No dream elf would agree with his actions, because he had become the most outstanding battlefield commander, the head of the war druids, under the spotlight and expectations. His declarations were seen by others as merely a rare display of humor from a commander.

So when the Defender Knights swore allegiance to Queen Deria and then faced a meteor shower the next moment, Charles felt genuine joy. That was the future he longed for, the goal he yearned for. The noble Knight Commander led the legion, always charging ahead, because their thick skin and high defense allowed them to act with impunity.

A general who doesn't want to be a soldier isn't a good general! Charles Nightingale immediately switched to the Defender class, disbanded his War Druid army, formed a squad with his friends, and volunteered to be the front-line tank. Yes, yes, that's the power, that's the feeling, it doesn't hurt! It doesn't hurt! It doesn't hurt at all! Because he was so immersed in his Defender role, he also developed some of the bad habits of leading from the front in the army's daily training. The heavily armored general mingled among the bear-like creatures transformed by the Claw Druids, and a dozen or so bears looked at their leader with strange expressions.

The front-line druids, transformed into bear-like creatures, retain their wild instincts, especially when wounded in battle, where their blood boils and they may even disobey orders and go berserk. Commanders are not allowed to join the front-line beastmen; this is common knowledge in the elven army. Therefore, Charles's unusual behavior not only drew criticism but also criticism from the newly arrived shapeshifting druid, who deemed him unprofessional. This complaint was relayed through the tightly controlled council of elders, eventually reaching Tiffany.

Tiffany was also quite polite to this senior colleague.

"Should I hire a psychiatrist for you, General Charles?" Tiffany knew about the general's reckless behavior and felt that drastic measures were needed; the soothing methods of the Dream Druid were too gentle.

“No, Your Majesty!” Charles, of course, would not accept the suggestion. He knelt on one knee and gave the Queen the standard Dreyan knightly salute. The robust general stood tall and straight, his eyes sharp, revealing the coldness of a veteran of the battlefield. “My recent abnormality is just testing the tactics I have learned…” No, Charles was just habitually blocking damage.

“Through the experience of the dream game, I discovered better tactics that can help our army reduce casualties.” The fist determines the tribe’s voice, and Charles successfully piqued the Queen’s interest. She nodded slightly, signaling the cunning commander to continue.

"Defender Knight! That's the class I've experienced. We can emulate this in our own army and train our own Defender Knights! As long as more of our fellow elves become Defender Knights!" Charles laid his cards on the table. Not only did he not intend to change it, he also planned to bring more elves into his class and have them play along.

"Defender Knights possess the best teamwork capabilities. Individually, they are just heavily armored knights with some unique characteristics. When we have a hundred, a thousand, or ten thousand men, we will become a moving mountain and an unyielding wall!"

Tiffany, seemingly thoughtful, nodded in agreement with Charles's suggestion. "I trust your judgment, General Charles. I will approve your application to formally establish the Defenders within the army, at the discretion of your Elder Council. General Charles, I believe you understand your importance, so please refrain from such rash actions in the future. If the Commander-in-Chief were to be killed by a hail of arrows before the campaign even begins, we would truly weep." Tiffany still did not intend to include Charles in the Defenders, a vanguard force.

“Your Majesty, I request to lead the Defenders Force because…” Charles said arrogantly, adopting the expression befitting a general, “because I am the most skilled Defender Knight player in the Dream Kingdom. No elf! No elf understands Defenders better than me! Only I am the most suitable Knight Commander to lead them!”

Choose, my queen! Defenders can only unleash their full potential when placed on the outermost edge of the battlefield as the vanguard; and as the strongest defender in the dream game, to create the ultimate army, you must include him. Will his subordinates sacrifice themselves to protect the general as before? Impossible! Because the defenders' special talents dictate that their leaders must charge ahead. As the sharpest spear and the strongest shield, the most dangerous person among the defenders is the legion commander. By the time the soldiers realize the impending doom, the legion commander will have already been trampled a dozen times over by horses.

The visionary queen weighed the pros and cons.

“General Charles, you will receive an experimental knightly order of one hundred men. If I do not see the results you promised by the Mooncrown Council next year, I will have Kylo Shiren send you for mental treatment.”

Charles smiled and bowed.

"Your heart is as vast as the flower of Dereia, my queen."

Tiffany tilted her head.

"what is that?"

Charles answered naturally.

"The blessing that the First Knight of the Defenders taught me seems to be the highest praise within Dereia."

“That sounds good, then I gladly accept, my knight, my general.”

Chapter 741 Production and Combat

Her Majesty Tiffany was in a good mood after receiving the praise, but the pursuit of those negligent druids remained unchanged. She didn't become overjoyed at a few compliments, which shows that Tiffany is far more capable than her mother in her role as Queen—a commendable achievement; it seems the mascot gene hasn't been passed down.

“Priestess Eisena, recent reports from moonwatchers mention that the moonlight is mixed with something superfluous. I'm somewhat worried that this might affect the lives of the dream elves, since pure moonlight directly impacts crop ripening…” The worship of the moon is a primal tradition of the elven people; early forest dwellers preferred the moon to the blazing sun. The rise of druidic scholarship fostered a belief in nature, but this didn't conflict with the worship of the moon. Under Susanna's tutelage, Tiffany herself wasn't fanatical about faith itself. For the Queen, valuable beliefs were more like tools to improve the lives of the people, especially since her mother, Lady Irason, was a devout follower of the moon, nature, and dragons.

Eisena rose beside General Charles, her hands clasped before her chest, standing calmly. Her robes shimmered in the eyes of others, like stars. Eisena gazed tenderly at the Elf Queen, her elegant and noble bearing no less than the Queen's. Faith enriches the soul, especially for a high priestess facing the moonlight. The embodiment of all religious faiths appears noble, worthy of veneration only if it is no less than that of humans.

“Those changes are all beneficial, Your Excellency Tiffany.” The Priestess of Esenna raised her palm, and a ball of light, like a full moon, appeared in the center of the council chamber. “My rudimentary understanding is far from being holy light. This moonlight-like power is far more profound and intense than our original faith. I tentatively adjusted the moonlight for one night, and the results showed that the holy light did not inhibit the accelerated maturation of plants. This external energy made life more active and even warded off pests.”

Tiffany had already received the reports about the Moon Priestess's experiments. She nodded knowingly, "I know that the insects that gnaw on the leaves will spontaneously combust within minutes, which does protect our crops. But I wonder if these crops, once eaten, will burn through our stomachs and have an adverse effect on the health of my people. If they cannot be eaten, the crops will lose their value."

The effects of the experimental crops surprised even Esenna himself. Perhaps influenced by the Age of Holy Light, these plants seemed more suited to be the masters of this era than the elves. "No, the dream elves can digest these crops very well. Our bodies can absorb even the smallest amounts of Holy Light power. The only change is that consuming crops imbued with Holy Light will enhance our energy. This might be the only side effect; excessive energy will shorten our sleep time..."

Tiffany learned the details, and Essenne's work had not been neglected. The Queen said some encouraging words, and at her signal, the Priestess of the Moon sat down again.

General Charles, leaning closer, tilted his head and whispered to Essener, "Is this why you stood us up last week? Couldn't sleep?"

The embodiment of the moon was brought down to the mortal realm, and the coldness in his expression vanished completely when he answered his playmates.

"Pretty much. I was so focused on recording the data that I missed the deadline. I was initially apologetic to you, but after you climbed a tree and barged into my room in the middle of the night, my apologies disappeared."

Charles had no sense of intruding into the private space of a grown female elf. “We were looking for an assassin squad to fight that night. We need you. We can’t do without you!” The truth was that the wild priest they had found couldn’t handle the pressure. After being killed by Kylo Siren several times, he had a mental breakdown and refused to come. Only Essena could endure this high-intensity pressure.

The next few druids weren't so lucky. They had indeed neglected their duties and, under the Queen's reprimand, were punished with time restrictions on their game time. These penalties were then implemented. As the rules of the Dream Game gradually became clearer, Tiffany, despite the druids' objections, only imposed minor restrictions, though the players looked as if they had lost a loved one.

"Next! Oh, Dorudo Moonscar, how has Sister Frannel been lately?" The Berserker's wife's family belongs to the Queen's faction and is related to Tiffany by blood. However, the Witherers' split led by her brother Hines has put the family in an awkward position within the Queen's faction.

Dorudo's upright body caused a small commotion. The tree spirits exclaimed in admiration at the enormous elf, some even suspecting he was a half-mountain spirit.

"Thank you for your concern. I hope Frannel is doing well and often plays little jokes on me."

“She still loves to play pranks, that hasn’t changed at all.” Tiffany steered the conversation away from small talk. “However, your transformation is remarkable, our most popular mentor, Dorodo. The changes the Dream Games have made on you are clearly visible.”

The educator turned into a fighter. The physical changes brought about by the berserker were too obvious. In fact, in teaching, Duoduo found that the students' attitude towards him was becoming more and more respectful. When he performed the act of breaking stones with his palm, it was even more amazing.

Dorodo didn't think it was a big deal. The Berserker hadn't affected his intelligence, and he could still think quickly; it was just that he didn't need to think in many situations now.

"Actually, there's nothing wrong with your lecturing work. What really surprised me was the result of the recent Druid exercise."

Tiniev picked up the report, his expression still somewhat strange, and his tone as he recounted it was tinged with disbelief.

"In the Druid combat exercises, your students performed exceptionally well. They could even finish a battle in thirty seconds. Their most frequently used spell was... Harden, which involved throwing a Harden staff to stun the opponent."

One can imagine that while other apprentices were still gathering energy clusters from the power of nature or controlling plants, a flying, hardened staff accurately struck their forehead or bridge of the nose. The pain interrupted their spellcasting, and then they swung the staff at the apprentices who were pouncing on them.

Tiffany gradually lost her voice, and all the druids fell silent. Would this be the most outstanding next generation of druids? The dream elf couldn't utter a single word.

Dorudo had already prepared his plan. He remained calm and pointed out the key to the druid's drill: "The purpose of the drill is to achieve victory. It simulates various complex situations in battle, honing the apprentices' combat skills and adaptability. The drill is not a spell practice, nor is it a competition to see who can set off the most beautiful and dazzling fireworks."

“I remember those students were all novice druids. They hadn’t yet learned high-speed chanting like Voice of Nature, and their knowledge of nature spells consisted of only a few simple, supportive spells. They simply chose the most efficient way to defeat their enemies, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.”

Tiffany muttered to herself, "But that's too rude."

Dorodo remained silent, his head bowed and eyes downcast, his tall stature exuding an air of pride.

Standing is the epitome of elegance.