“I see.”
Xia Jin understood. She turned to look at the Queen’s face and said seriously, “Your Majesty, you’re lying, you know. That giant tree in the distance has the same aura of the stars, doesn’t it?”
The Queen’s heart tightened upon hearing this.
“My apologies. We did not intend to hide it. In truth, the elven race can no longer be considered a cosmic civilization. We are merely a descendant race nurtured by a remnant branch of the World Tree. The original Life Elves perished tens of thousands of years ago.”
“Could you explain that more clearly?” Xia Jin asked.
“Of course. Please follow me, Your Majesty.”
The Elven Queen did not avoid the subject and led Xia Jin directly toward the distant tree.
Xia Jin had originally thought the tree might be the lifeblood of the elven race and wouldn't be shown to her easily, but now she realized she had been overthinking things.
But the World Tree... that name was exactly the same as certain legends.
As the two approached the center, a giant tree several kilometers tall appeared before them.
The tree was incredibly lush. Its branches and leaves alone covered an area of hundreds of meters, blotting out the sky.
Countless firefly-like points of light flew around it, their density even higher than in the outer areas.
“The birth of this forest originated from this tree. But in reality, it is not the true World Tree. It is merely a tiny branch taken from that once-monstrous entity. This is also the source of life for the elven race. The Life Elves who once lived in the universe were born from the World Tree,” the Elven Queen said with a complex tone.
She looked up at the great tree, her expression carrying an indescribable sense of longing and expectation.
Xia Jin did not reply, waiting for her to continue.
“However, even that powerful race above the stars eventually met their end. In the final moments, a small branch from the destroyed World Tree fell, landing on this planet. It grew anew, bore fruit, and gave rise to the current elven race. That is to say, myself and my people.”
Speaking to this point, she suddenly turned her head and looked at Xia Jin earnestly. “Though we possess appearances similar to the Life Elves, we are not them at all. Even the genes within our bodies have vast differences. True Life Elves require a complete World Tree to be born, but as of now, that unique tree has long since vanished. We are nothing more than the final afterglow of that powerful civilization.”
Xia Jin stroked her chin, revealing her pearly white teeth. “What is your purpose in telling me all this?”
It couldn't be that she was praying for the Zerg to help her with a revival, could it?
Even if they both came from the stars, what reason did the other have to believe she possessed such capability?
After all, for a civilization that couldn't even leave the planet with its current power, it was hard to associate them with being powerful.
“I can see the hidden power you possess because you dare to challenge the humans. A civilization that has lost hope and power does not have the capital to challenge the magical races,” the Elven Queen sighed. “Because of this, I believe you must have the ambition to make your race dominate the continent, or even to grow powerful. This is completely different from us elves.”
“I understand what you mean.”
Seeing the Elven Queen speak so indirectly, Xia Jin shrugged. “To be honest, the Zerg... have not lost the power they once had. In fact, my reason for challenging the humans isn't just to become a mere planetary hegemon.”
“As I thought!” The Elven Queen placed her hands over her chest and spoke with a great sense of ceremony. “When I saw your race generally increase by Tier 1 in just a few days, I already had my suspicions. I can sense such a gap. After all, since we are both non-native lifeforms, I only hope to use the elven race’s subservience to exchange for the right of our people to reproduce normally.”
“I accept,” Xia Jin agreed decisively.
She was coveting the genes of that World Tree.
If the elven race had not shown true submission, she would have certainly turned her weapons against them once her strength grew.
But this was for the best. If necessary, she would incorporate them into the Swarm system.
After all, who wouldn't like such beautiful elven girls?
“I hope you can keep your promise.” The Elven Queen breathed a sigh of relief. “Additionally, I hope that for a short period, you can still treat us as partners. If we submit all at once, I worry the other elves will be unable to accept it.”
“No problem,” Xia Jin said very sincerely. “If you are willing to do this, then I naturally don't mind giving you a more hopeful future. I believe that in the near future, I will return to the endless deep space. And the glory of the elven race... as a biological civilization, the Zerg might be able to recreate it for you.”
“Biological civilization?”
The Elven Queen seemed to understand something and looked back at the World Tree.
“The Life Elves of the past probably belonged to the same kind of civilization.”
“I suspect so as well.” Xia Jin stretched. “Well then, I'll see you later. If you don't mind, how about giving me a few leaves from the World Tree? I'll take them back to study.”
The Elven Queen remained silent for a moment before nodding as if having made a decision. “No problem. Please wait a moment.”
After saying that, she walked to a vine nearby, took down a golden bow, and shot an arrow toward the canopy above.
Subsequently, several leaves fluttered down from above.
Rate on N.U.
