The arrival of Clotina, a long-lost clanswoman from afar, attracted a great deal of attention.
However, the surrounding Night Elves did not forget the "unique"-looking fellow Shadow member beside her.
More and more elven spirits began to drift curiously around Lin Gui, observing him.
The glass bead shook slightly, and pale purple soul light circled around him.
Their gazes fell on his face, on that pair of pointed ears, and on his calm expression.
While Clotina was busy chatting with her companions, Lin Gui took the opportunity to quietly tap her glass bead with his fingertip.
Clotina snapped back to reality.
She floated back to Lin Gui’s side and cleared her throat.
"This is..."
She hesitated for a moment, then introduced him according to the script they had prepared beforehand.
"Lin Rolan Camur Shadow. A clansman of our tribe."
"Because he encountered a human hunting party before... in order to avoid drawing attention, he... took the initiative to disfigure himself."
As the words fell, a low wave of sighs and murmurs immediately rose from the surroundings.
Several elderly elves drifted closer, their gazes landing on Lin Gui’s face.
In those eyes, there was no ridicule, no disgust.
There was only deep sympathy and respect.
An elderly female spirit drifted near, her voice gentle.
"Child, you have suffered."
"Appearance is but a skin; the brilliance of the soul is what is eternal."
A young elven boy added softly, "Ac—actually, looking closely... it’s not that ugly."
"It’s... it’s quite distinctive."
A nearby spirit immediately chimed in, "Yes! Very recognizable!"
"Those vulgar aesthetics of humans do not understand the profound beauty of us elves!"
They were clearly trying to be caring and encouraging.
But under the topic of "plastic surgery"...
Every sentence was like a small knife, precisely stabbing into Lin Gui’s nonexistent "elven pride."
The corner of Lin Gui's mouth twitched slightly as he struggled to maintain a calm expression.
"Ahaha..."
He gave two dry laughs.
"Thanks... for the concern."
He wanted to finish the delivery and leave as soon as possible; Lin Gui felt that staying any longer would be detrimental to his self-esteem.
Clotina’s voice immediately rang in Lin Gui’s mind.
「When saying thanks, you must include honorifics for the deity.」
「Night Elves believe in the moon goddess, Elune, but after the Elven Forest was unified, the official faith changed to the World Tree.」
「Use the honorifics for the World Tree first.」
Lin Gui’s heart stirred, but his face remained impassive.
Following Clotina’s cue, he bowed slightly and placed his right hand over his chest.
Using the elven greetings he had already learned, he said fluently, "By the blessing of the World Tree, I have been able to return."
His movements were standard, and his tone was pious.
However.
The surrounding elves did not return the same World Tree etiquette as expected.
They just looked at Lin Gui quietly.
A trace of... strangeness flashed through their eyes.
After a moment of silence, an elderly elf slowly raised a hand.
Instead, he pressed his palm against his left shoulder—the ancient rite of the followers of Elune.
"May the brilliance of the moon goddess light your path home."
His voice was deep.
The other elves followed suit, performing the rites of Elune.
Not a single person mentioned the World Tree.
Clotina’s soul-shadow trembled slightly within the bead.
She sensed that something was wrong.
Lin Gui’s "piety" toward the World Tree had not only failed to gain approval...
Instead, a sense of suppressed sadness appeared in the eyes of the surrounding elves?
Perhaps... even anger?
A young elven warrior finally could not hold back and drifted forward a step.
He stared at Lin Gui, his voice tense.
"Lin Shadow."
"For you..."
"Are you a child of the Elven Forest?"
"Or a child of the Shadow Clan?"
The air suddenly stagnated.
All eyes were focused on Lin Gui.
That subtle and tense atmosphere was almost visible to the naked eye.
Lin Gui raised an eyebrow and glanced at Clotina’s glass bead.
Inside the bead, Clotina’s soul-shadow flickered rapidly.
She hesitated for a split second before quickly transmitting her voice:
「Answer him.」
「Say you are a child of the Shadow Clan.」
「That you are... an eternally pious believer of Elune.」
Lin Gui did not hesitate.
He lifted his head, meeting the elven warrior’s gaze.
His voice was clear and firm.
"I am forever a child of the Shadow Clan."
"And a pious believer..."
"Of the moon goddess, Elune."
As the words fell.
The tense soul-bodies of the surrounding elves relaxed slightly almost at the same time.
The vigilance and scrutiny in their eyes melted like ice and snow.
In its place was a soft, almost relieved sense of...
Acceptance.
"Good child..."
The elderly elf nodded gently, his soul light warm.
"Welcome home."
The elves gathered around curiously.
They had been trapped here for too long.
Unable to leave, unable to perceive the outside world.
They could only drift day after day in these deathly silent ruins.
"The outside... how is it now?" an old elf asked softly, his soul light trembling slightly.
"How much of the Night Elf tribe is left?"
"Are any of our clanspeople still alive?"
Clotina was stunned.
She opened her mouth but could not make a sound.
Because she, too, had been trapped at Deepwood Outpost.
She, too... knew nothing.
It wasn’t that no powerful soul warriors had tried to cross the wilderness.
Alyia had tried, and powerful individuals from other clans had tried as well.
But no magic could completely mask soul fluctuations.
Even if the spectral demons near Deepwood Outpost weren't that strong...
Their terrifying numbers were enough to drown even the strongest warrior.
They could not break out.
Nor could they receive any news from the outside.
Clotina looked at Lin Gui.
Her eyes held the same bewilderment and longing.
Lin Gui remained silent for a moment.
He began to recall the fragmented pieces regarding the elves that he had heard from Theia along the way.
"The Elven Forest..." His voice was steady, as if stating an objective fact.
"Because 'The Silent End' swallowed the three border cities."
"That is... the Dark Tide that caused you all to become like this."
"The Elven Forest was forced to constantly migrate north."
"And there, they came into conflict with several native races of the far north."
He paused.
"Those races... the snow banshees, the iceborn giants, and the Frostwolf clan."
"Ten years ago, they joined the City-State Alliance."
"With the support of the Alliance..."
Lin Gui raised his eyes and looked at the surrounding elves.
"The Elven Forest was defeated."
"Several core city-states fell."
"After signing a peace treaty with the Alliance..."
"The Elven Forest closed all its external passages."
"Now..." He shook his head gently. "No one knows what is happening inside."
After Lin Gui finished speaking, he waited quietly for a reaction.
However, the surrounding elven spirits just listened in silence.
There was no shock, no anger, and not even sadness on their faces.
There was only a kind of nearly numbed...
Indifference.
Even... apathy.
Rate on N.U.
