The journey from Pegel to the Elf Territory was only supposed to take two days, but to Olivia, those two short days felt somewhat long. This was especially true when she saw the smile that had been fixed on the silver-haired God Race’s face ever since they set out, a smile that never faded. It made time seem to pass even more slowly.

She was starting to regret inviting Cynthia to the Elf Territory.

“What are you smiling about?” Olivia glanced at the silver-haired God Race beside her, her brow furrowed as she asked.

After leaving Pegel, patches of new green finally began to appear on the barren mountains. The climate grew warmer, the air more humid, and even the fierce winds had softened. Cynthia raised a hand slightly, feeling the gentle breeze slip through her fingers, a faint joy coloring her features. She deliberately circled around to Olivia’s other side, then tilted her head to meet her gaze, replying with a smile, “Her Majesty the Queen invited me to be a guest in her territory. I’m very happy.”

Olivia met Cynthia’s eyes for a moment before turning her head away again. “…It was Polly who suggested I invite you,” she said flatly.

Cynthia looked up at Polly, who was scouting ahead, and blinked. “It seems Polly is very good at reading Her Majesty the Queen’s mind.”

Olivia: “…”

From her position, Cynthia could only see the side of Olivia’s face, hidden by her hair. Undeterred, she circled around to the other side again.

Seeing the silver-haired God Race reappear in her line of sight, Olivia slowly came to a halt. She frowned and asked, “Why are you circling around?”

Every time she met Cynthia’s gaze, she couldn’t help but want to look away. Although the silver-haired God Race’s eyes were incredibly gentle, Olivia felt deeply uncomfortable.

Despite the mildness of her expression, she inexplicably felt a hint of pressure and a subtle but present sense of aggression.

How could such a gentle person make her feel a sense of danger?

“I’m afraid of stepping on these little blades of grass.” Cynthia pointed to the newly sprouted grass on the ground, explaining to Olivia with a perfectly straight face.

Olivia glanced down, fell silent for a moment, and then her fingertips, hanging at her side, twitched. A pale green light swept across the land with the breeze, and in the blink of an eye, the newly sprouted grass transformed into a lush green carpet.

Cynthia looked at the lawn beneath her feet and let out a gasp of admiration, playing along. “Her Majesty the Queen is truly amazing.”

If only there were a spell to keep Cynthia quiet, Olivia thought. She lowered her gaze to the hem of her dress and said, a hint of helplessness in her tone, “Just walk properly.”

This God Race always managed to say such ridiculous things with a completely serious expression.

A white wolf, treading on the soft grass, tactlessly squeezed between Cynthia and Olivia. It stretched its head toward Cynthia and said, “Let me carry you, Cynthia.”

“I’m very fast.”

The white wolf’s massive body completely blocked Cynthia’s view. She took a few steps to the side and then politely declined with a smile, “Her Majesty the Queen has been using wind magic to help me travel. Thank you, Hanni.”

“But I’m faster,” the white wolf said, stretching lazily on the ground, still enthusiastically promoting herself. “If I carry you, we’ll be at the Elf Territory in no time.”

Hanni’s enthusiasm left Cynthia feeling a bit helpless. Just as she was about to refuse again, she caught a glimpse of a red figure out of the corner of her eye.

While talking to Cynthia, Hanni had also been observing her surroundings. Seeing Avira suddenly appear, she muttered something under her breath and then bolted forward.

But she was no match for Avira’s speed. She hadn’t gotten far before a weight suddenly landed on her back.

Hanni stopped angrily, twisting her head to bare her fangs at the vampire on her back. “Why are you following me again?” she growled.

This vampire was like a lingering ghost.

Avira lay sprawled on the white wolf’s back and yawned, her tone nonchalant. “I’m tired. You can carry me.”

“No, get off.” The white wolf lowered her body and shook vigorously, trying to throw Avira off.

Avira did a graceful somersault and landed lightly on the ground. She stared at the white wolf, who had started running wildly after shaking her off, and her crimson eyes narrowed slightly.

She flashed forward, caught up to the white wolf, and grabbed her tail.

Startled, Hanni was forced to stop. The tail was a werewolf’s weak point. With her weakness suddenly seized, Hanni instinctively twisted her head to bite Avira’s neck.

Avira dodged to the side, then leaped away, but her grip on the white wolf’s tail never loosened.

Enraged, Hanni transformed into her human form and began to brawl with Avira.

In the short two days since leaving Pegel, the wolf and the vampire had fought countless times. Polly and the elven guards had gone from being nervous at first to completely numb now.

Hearing the commotion, they glanced back for a moment before continuing to scout ahead.

When Cynthia and Olivia left Pegel, Hanni, afraid of being discovered by Joanna, had secretly followed them. The Wolf Race and the Elf Race had always been on good terms, so Olivia had tacitly allowed her to come along.

However, while she had consented to Hanni’s presence, she had certainly not agreed to let Avira accompany them to the Elf Territory.

Her land did not welcome vampires.

Olivia’s expression had turned cold the moment she saw Avira. Sensing the change in her aura, Cynthia glanced over at Avira, who was busy teasing the white wolf.

Despite being sent to find the Blood Coffins taken by the Lasombra, Avira spent her days doing anything but her duty.

Her insistence on following them to the Elf Territory had made Olivia, who was already wary of her, even more vigilant, to the point of challenging her to a fight.

But Avira simply refused to accept Olivia’s challenge. When Olivia got angry, she would run. When Olivia calmed down, she would return.

When a Second Generation Vampire started acting shamelessly, there was truly nothing anyone could do about her.

The closer they got to the Elf Territory, the richer the natural power in the air became. Vast forests replaced the barren mountains, the ground was covered in a carpet of green grass, and everything in sight was lush and verdant. The azure sky above was clear and pristine, and the warm sunlight poured down, making it hard to believe such a beautiful place still existed on the Sitatul Continent.

Petals blown from the treetops fluttered down with the gentle breeze, forming a thick floral carpet in front of Olivia as if to welcome her home. Simply dressed elven maidens emerged from the woods, chattering as they gathered around Olivia. Seeing her people, the coldness on Olivia’s face slowly melted away, replaced by a smile.

Although Avira had been shamelessly tagging along, she knew her limits. She had vanished without a trace as they neared the Elf Territory.

Hanni had visited the Elf Territory many times with her clan and had many friends there. After shaking off Avira, she ran to Cynthia’s side. Her eyes lit up when she saw the elves, and she happily pulled Cynthia along to introduce her to her friends.

Some of the elves had met Cynthia before. Thanks to the silver-haired God Race’s stunning appearance and gentle personality, many of them remembered her well. After greeting the Elf Queen, many of the young elven maidens who were interested in Cynthia gathered around her.

Polly watched the popular Cynthia with a somewhat complicated expression. A new batch of elves had just come of age and were at the point where they could seek partners. Bringing this God Race here for a visit right now didn’t seem like the best timing.

After all, Cynthia was beautiful, gentle, and powerful. It was only natural that young elves would be drawn to someone like her.

Just as Polly was thinking this, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that the elves surrounding Olivia had suddenly dispersed. She turned to look and realized Olivia had actively sent them away.

“Your Majesty, shall we go in?” Polly composed herself and walked to Olivia’s side to ask.

Olivia glanced toward Cynthia. “You see to their arrangements,” she said in a cool voice. With that, she turned expressionlessly, and her figure quickly disappeared into the woods.

After the gods departed, the temples sank into the earth, and the entire Sitatul Continent collapsed. All races except the vampires were forced into exile, and the Elf Race was the first to end their wandering and establish a new territory.

Although the temple of the Goddess of the Forest had sunk, influenced by the divine power she left behind, the Elf Queen at the time quickly found its location and settled there with the Tree of Life and her people.

Natural power influenced all things, making the Elf Territory the only place on the Sitatul Continent unaffected by the harsh environment.

Upon entering the territory, Olivia headed straight for Nicole Stream, located in the center of the domain, where the Tree of Life was planted.

The Tree of Life had grown from a seed that the Goddess of the Forest had requested from the Goddess of Light when she created the Elf Race. The tree was vital to the elves’ reproduction and survival.

The water of Nicole Stream was clear and pure, with soft waterweeds lying peacefully at the bottom. Warm sunlight streamed down, and colorful petals were piled on the grassy banks. A green plant stood tall in the middle of the water, its long, thin leaves fanning out wantonly. Clusters of small green flowers bloomed upon it, bearing greenish fruits, and it radiated an intensely strong life force.

Olivia walked to the edge of the stream. Her pale green eyes, gazing at the Tree of Life, held a soft tenderness. She raised her hand, and the tree’s long, thin branches and leaves reached out, wrapping around her fingers and rubbing against them dependently.

“Are you still not feeling well?” Olivia stroked the leaves of the Tree of Life, her voice as soft and gentle as if she were comforting a sick child. “Just hold on a little longer.”

The Tree of Life nuzzled Olivia’s fingers. One branch curled around an Elf Fruit and offered it to her. The once green fruit had inexplicably turned withered and yellow, with faint traces of black.

It even emitted a faint dark aura.

“Another developing Elf Fruit has turned out like this?” Olivia’s brow furrowed slightly, and she sighed inwardly. “I’m sorry for not providing you with a comfortable environment.”

The Tree of Life retracted the Elf Fruit and then wrapped a branch around her wrist as if to comfort her. A gentle breeze blew, and fragrant petals fluttered down onto Olivia’s shoulders and hair, only to be swept away by the tree’s branches before they could settle.

“Do you remember that God Race I told you about before?” Olivia’s gaze softened as a thought came to her, and a faint smile touched her lips. “She found her people, saved many humans, and her power is slowly growing.”

“Just wait a little longer.” A pale green light enveloped the Tree of Life, gently soothing it. Olivia spoke softly, “Once Cynthia’s power is stable, I will go find the Temple of Light.”

“I swear, I will not let the Power of Darkness affect you for much longer.”