I'm really not a Sanctuary Warlock.

Becoming the successor is not necessarily a good thing.

That represents endless battles and trials. Before truly inheriting that title, the so-called "successor" is nothing more than a weapon of the kingdom.

One must do many, many things for the kingdom and experience countless life-or-death crises before one is qualified to inherit the title.

This process was filled with bloodshed and cruelty.

She would rather Lynn be just an ordinary human being who is a little silly and a little bad than have him bear such a heavy fate.

Yes, he's just an ordinary, cat-bullying jerk.

Having figured this out, Cat White's mood inexplicably improved a lot.

She struggled to sit up straight from Lynn's embrace, cleared her throat, and acted as if she wasn't the one who had just been so embarrassed she almost fainted.

Cat Baibai took out the yellowed sheepskin map from his backpack.

"Ahem, next stop, Silverleaf Forest, meow."

She pointed to the map and announced it loudly, trying to cover up her earlier lapse in composure.

"I hope to run into an elf. I haven't seen an elf in a long time. Their elf mead is a rare delicacy, meow."

Seeing her adorable attempt to appear calm, Lynn's smile deepened.

"Okay, let's go to Silverleaf Forest then."

He nodded and stopped teasing her.

As if sensing its master's will, the unicorn sped up again and soon disappeared into the vast night.

……

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

A human and a cat, riding a sacred unicorn, finally crossed this lifeless, ashen wasteland.

When the first hint of green appeared at the edge of the field of vision, the fatigue from days of travel seemed to vanish completely.

The further you go, the more intense the green becomes.

The cracked, grayish-black earth was gradually replaced by soft, moist soil and lush green grass.

The air was no longer filled with the pungent smell of sulfur and dust, but with the fresh fragrance of grass and trees and the scent of earth.

When the unicorn stopped, a vast, boundless forest appeared before the two of them.

The towering ancient trees block out the sun, each tree so thick that it takes several people to encircle it, with dark green vines entwining the trunks and extending all the way to the unseen tops.

At the entrance to the forest, a thin, shimmering mist shrouded the ancient forest, making it appear even more mysterious and unpredictable.

This is the Silverleaf Forest.

Chapter Sixty-Six: The Tree of Life

"Wow--"

Cat Bai Bai let out a delighted exclamation and peeked her little head out from Lynn's arms.

"This is the Silverleaf Forest, meow, it's so beautiful!"

Lynn stopped the unicorn and looked at the ancient forest shrouded in a pale light mist, feeling a sense of awe.

"Let's go in and take a look."

The unicorn took a step forward, carrying the two of them slowly into the thin layer of light and mist.

The moment Lynn passed through the light mist, he felt as if he had entered another world.

The noise from the outside world was completely shut out, and the forest was so quiet that the only sound was the rustling of the wind through the leaves.

"So quiet, meow..." the cat muttered softly, instinctively snuggling closer to Lynn's arms.

After walking for about ten minutes, a rustling sound suddenly came from the bushes ahead.

Lynn tensed up instantly, ready to communicate with the Sirens at any moment.

Cat Bai Bai also tensed up its ears, and its little paws instinctively grabbed Lynn's clothes.

Several furry, squirrel-like creatures with large ears poked their heads out from the bushes.

They were pure white, with eyes like obsidian, and they looked at Lynn and the unicorn with curiosity, appearing quite endearing.

The moment the cat saw them, its eyes lit up.

"They are Snowcap Squirrel Cats. They are a specialty of Silverleaf Forest and have a very gentle temperament."

As she spoke, she wanted to jump off the unicorn and say hello to these adorable little creatures.

However, in the next second, something unexpected happened.

Those snow squirrels that had previously appeared harmless suddenly had an unnatural red light flash in their obsidian-like eyes.

They let out sharp hisses, their once fluffy fur stood on end, and they pounced on the unicorn like madmen!

"careful!"

Lynn gave a low shout, and with a thought, a wind blade instantly formed in front of him, accurately slashing at the squirrels that pounced on him.

He controlled his strength, only intending to push them away.

As the wind blades swept past, the snow-capped squirrels were thrown into the air by a tremendous force, tumbling several times before crashing heavily onto the grass in the distance.

They struggled to their feet, seemingly wanting to continue their attack, but after glancing at the enormous unicorn and the wary Lynn, they finally let out a reluctant hiss and darted into the depths of the dense forest, disappearing from sight.

The whole process was incredibly fast.

The cat, still shaken, patted its little chest. "That scared me to death, meow... How could a snow squirrel attack a person on its own?"

Lynn's brows furrowed tightly.

He looked in the direction where the squirrels disappeared and said in a deep voice, "Their mental state is very unstable, full of irritability and aggression."

“This is so abnormal, meow.” The cat shook its little head. “The animals in the Silverleaf Forest are very gentle because they are nourished by the Tree of Life all year round. Unless they are under a fatal threat, they will never attack other creatures on their own initiative.”

"The Tree of Life?" Lynn caught a key phrase.

“Yes, meow, that’s a sacred object of the elves, and the core of this forest,” Cat White explained. “Legend has it that the entire Silverleaf Forest exists because of the power of the Tree of Life.”

Lynn nodded thoughtfully.

"Let's keep going, but be careful."

The two continued on their journey, but this time, the atmosphere was noticeably more tense than before.

After walking for about half an hour, the sound of wheels rolling and faint conversations came from deep in the forest.

Lynn immediately pulled on the reins and darted behind a huge ancient tree with the unicorn.

In a clearing in the woods not far away, a caravan of more than a dozen horse-drawn carriages was resting.

The carriages were exquisitely designed, their bodies crafted from a type of white wood that shimmered with a faint silver sheen, and adorned with intricate carvings of vines and floral patterns.

The chariot was not pulled by ordinary horses, but by magnificent deer with sturdy builds and splendid silver antlers on their heads.

A group of tall, handsome men and women were gathered beside the convoy.

They all have long hair, either silver or blonde, and a pair of distinctive pointed ears.

Elf.

Lynn's gaze swept over the elves, and he noticed that most of them had an unyielding sorrow and weariness on their faces, completely lacking the transcendence and elegance of the legendary elves.

"It's the Silvermoon Merchant Guild's caravan, meow." Cat White whispered in Lynn's ear.

"They are one of the largest merchant guilds among the elves, specializing in trade with human kingdoms."

Cat Baibai stared at the convoy, his eyes gleaming with the shrewdness of a businessman.

"Great, meow! We can hitch a ride with them to the royal city. That will be much safer."

Just then, a silver-haired female elf who looked like the leader seemed to have noticed something, and suddenly turned her head, her gaze fixed precisely on the ancient tree where Lynn and the others were hiding.

"Who goes there? Come out."

Was discovered.

Lynn felt a chill run down his spine; the other party's perception was far too sharp.

He stopped hiding and calmly urged the unicorn out from behind the tree.

The moment the snow-white, magnificent unicorn came into view, the hostility on the faces of the previously tense elven guards noticeably subsided.

Horses with such pure unicorn bloodlines usually don't have owners who are evil.

"Don't be nervous, we mean no harm."

Lynn spoke first, his voice calm.

Cat Bai Bai quickly jumped off the unicorn, straightened her little vest, and gave the female elf a sweet and obedient smile.

"Greetings, esteemed elf ladies! We are traveling merchants on our way to the royal city of Rivendell, but we've gotten lost. Could you tell us which direction this is in Silverleaf Forest?"

The silver-haired female elf's gaze swept over Lynn and Cat Whitey, her wariness completely dissipating, but the worry between her brows remained undiminished.

"This is the southwestern edge of the Silverleaf Forest," she said slowly, her voice still cold. "If you want to get to the royal city, you'll need to cross the entire forest."

Lynn understood immediately. He dismounted, bowed slightly to the female elf, and politely asked, "Madam, it seems you've encountered some trouble. Although we are of low strength, we may be able to offer some assistance."

The silver-haired elf shook her head, a bitter smile appearing on her beautiful face.

"Thank you for your kindness, human, but this problem is not one you can solve."

She sighed, seemingly unwilling to say more.

Cat Baibai's eyes darted around, and she immediately leaned closer, asking in an innocent and curious tone, "Beautiful elf sister, isn't your Silver Moon Merchant Guild supposed to be going to the royal city for the Spring Trade Fair? Why are you stopping here, meow? Did you encounter some dangerous monsters on the way?"

Upon hearing the words "Spring Trade Fair," the female elf's expression darkened even further.

She was silent for a moment before speaking softly, almost in a dreamlike tone, "The trade fair... is no longer important."

She raised her head and gazed into the depths of the forest, her star-like eyes filled with endless sorrow.

"What's the point of trade when our homes will all be gone?"

These words stunned both Lynn and Cat White.

Our homeland is gone? What does that mean?

"What happened?" Lynn realized the seriousness of the situation and asked instinctively.

The silver-haired elf was reluctant to tell the truth to outsiders, but for some reason, she always felt that Lynn had a natural attraction that made her unable to resist telling the truth.

"The Tree of Life in the Silverleaf Forest... is withering."

Chapter Sixty-Seven: The Elf City of Manselano

"Withered...withered? How is that possible, meow!"

Cat Whitey squealed, "That's the Tree of Life! It's a sacred object blessed by both the Moon Goddess and nature, how could it possibly wither, meow."

For many races on the continent, the existence of the Tree of Life is more like a distant and beautiful legend.

But as a well-traveled and knowledgeable merchant, Cat White knew perfectly well that the legend was true.

That is the foundation of the Elven race, the heart of the entire Silverleaf Forest.

Lynn didn't speak, but his furrowed brows betrayed his inner turmoil.

He immediately connected this incident with the frenzied snow squirrels he had just encountered.

With the sacred tree withering, the source of power in the forest has been disrupted, and the creatures living there will naturally be affected, becoming irritable and easily angered.

This also explains why this seemingly well-equipped elven caravan was so worried that it even neglected the Spring Trade Fair.

With our homes about to be destroyed, who has the mind to do business?

The silver-haired female elf seemed to realize she had misspoke. Looking at Lynn and the cat Baibai's shocked expressions, a look of regret flashed across her beautiful face.

The withering of the Tree of Life is a top secret of the Elven race.

Once leaked, it will not only attract the covetousness of surrounding forces, but may also attract evil beings lurking in the shadows who have long coveted the power of the divine tree.