Elf Kingdom: Game of the World Tree

Chapter 13: Chapter 13 Is This… the Chosen One? (Seeking recommendation tickets!)

Editor: Henyee Translations

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*What is the most frustrating thing about playing a game?*

*It’s when you’ve just started playing, and before you even notice, hours have passed, and it’s time to log off.*

*In-game time is always the enemy of the players.*

*But doesn’t ‘accelerated thinking’ mean that, in a way, players will have more game time, sensation-wise?*

*Even though only an hour passes in reality, after accelerating your thinking, it’s like four hours in the game!*

...

*”Elf Kingdom” attracted a lot of players, not only because of its top-notch trailers but also because of this technology.*

*Of course, they didn’t know that it was simply because the time flow in the two worlds was different.*

*However, in practice, aside from the eye-catching ‘accelerated thinking,’ the quality of this game, “Elf Kingdom,” greatly exceeded players’ expectations.*

*Too real! It’s really too real! Completely different from those rough virtual online games on the market!*

*Just as the advertisements described, it makes you feel immersed, as if you have entered a real world!*

*At this moment, all the lucky players involved in the beta test were filled with novelty and excitement.*

*Three hundred differently styled elves were excitedly exploring and examining this unfamiliar world in their own ways…*

*Some stood in open places, marveling at the far-off scenery, exclaiming, “So high! So beautiful!”…*

*Some swung their arms, feeling the weight of gravity no different from reality, shock written all over their faces…*

*Others were pinching their own faces, exclaiming, “Feels just like real!”…*

*However… there were also some with abnormal behaviors…*

*One guy with an afro actually started stripping in public… causing cries of “Ah!” in surprise.*

*Other players around laughed and jeered…*

*Even some blushing female players were covering their faces while peeking with curiosity through their fingers…*

*However, this guy was clearly in for disappointment.*

*After stripping down a few pieces, while he did manage to take off his clothes, critical parts were obscured by golden Holy Light, and nothing could be seen.*

“Sheesh! It’s a game for all ages after all!”

*The guy who stripped spat regretfully.*

*Witnessing this, Eve felt her stomach clench…*

*Luckily, she had already prepared the harmonious Holy Light; otherwise, the game would have been reported to Blue Star for indecency right at the launch.*

*She certainly did not want the game to be banned unilaterally by Blue Star for impure content!*

*Glancing at the person who stripped, Eve mentally noted him down, simultaneously summoning Saintess Alice to quickly assign tasks to these ruffians before they caused any more trouble.*

*Most of the people she roped in this time were old hands at playing online games.*

*Eve didn’t dare to gamble on what kind of antics these players might come up with.*

*…*

“The Chosen Ones have arrived!”

*Inside the Natural Temple.*

*Sensing a massive spatial energy fluctuation, Alice, who was kneeling and praying in front of the statue with closed eyes, suddenly opened them, her emerald eyes filled with excitement and anticipation.*

*She lifted the hem of her sacrificial dress and stood up, ready to welcome them. At the same time, Eve’s solemn and dignified voice echoed in her mind,*

“Alice, assist the Chosen Ones in familiarizing themselves with this world.”

*For some reason, she sensed a hint of fatigue in the Mother Goddess’s voice.*

*It seems summoning the Chosen Ones had consumed quite a bit of the Mother Goddess’s power… As soon as the Mother Goddess woke up, she was already toiling for the future of the Elf Clan. I mustn’t let the Mother Goddess down!*

*With this thought, Alice’s resolve grew stronger, and her faith in nature deepened.*

*Mother Goddess, I will not disappoint your teachings!*

*With profound emotion, she bowed slightly toward the statue, drew a tree-shaped symbol representing Mother Nature over her chest, and eagerly headed toward the main trunk of the World Tree…*

*As soon as she stepped out of the temple, Alice heard cheers and shouts.*

“It’s the Chosen Ones!”

*Her eyes lit up. She tidied her appearance, patted her cheeks, mentally rehearsed her prepared welcome speech, then with a sweet smile and elegant steps, approached the source of the sound.*

*The presence that the Mother Goddess paid so much attention to—what could they possibly be like?*

*As she walked, Alice’s thoughts wandered.*

*Being a young girl not yet three hundred years old, Alice was filled with yearning and curiosity about these ‘Chosen Ones,’ these hero-like figures.*

*At this moment, she was already imagining various scenarios…*

*Yes, the Chosen Ones, favored by nature, must be like heroes described in stories, riding noble Unicorns, clad in magnificent armor, wielding Holy Swords and Magic Wands, and carrying the blessings of the Divine…*

*They must be real brave, handsome and elegant, humble and noble, mysterious and powerful!*

*They must have iron discipline and faith, just like the legendary Natural Army!*

*At this thought, Alice felt an inexplicable nervousness in her heart.*

*”Ugh, what am I daydreaming about… You’re the Natural Saintess! Don’t embarrass the Mother Goddess!”*

*She shook her head vigorously, clearing the wild thoughts from her mind, but couldn’t help quickening her pace.*

*Parting a branch that blocked her view, Alice finally saw the “heroes” she anticipated so dearly…*

*On the main trunk, hundreds of elf “Chosen Ones” in coarse robes and ragged wooden armor were jostling around in chaos.*

*Some were playfully tussling, some experimenting with magic, some carving bark with wooden knives and plucking leaves, and others singing loudly from afar…*

*Even more extravagantly, a few male elves, completely naked and shimmering with brilliant Holy Light, were jumping around the branches, blinding others…*

“This bark is pretty tough! Can’t even carve it with a knife…”

“Where’s my gear? Who stole my gear?!”

“Hey, hey… could you guys cool it down a little? Can we at least read the beginner’s guide?”

“What skills did everyone get?”

“I’m in the power class, the Goddess gave me Cross Slash and Spin Attack.”

“Cross Slash looks cool!”

“Does anyone know how to view the mini-map?”

“Any ladies want a screenshot? The scenery is nice, I want to post it on my story.”

*Of course, if you observed closely, only a couple dozen were actually causing a ruckus, while the majority were normally studying the beginner’s guide. But even so, a few dozen people were enough to skew the overall style of the players…*

*From the players’ perspective, it’s not entirely incomprehensible… You could only say that the game’s realism was too breathtaking—players were so thrilled and intrigued, they wanted to try everything.*

*But… it wasn’t the same for the native elves.*

*Looking at the chaotic scene in front of her, Alice’s smile froze on her face.*

“Are these… the Chosen Ones?”

*She rubbed her eyes, doubting if she was hallucinating.*

*After taking a deep breath, Alice looked again…*

“Hey, hey! That’s my gear from earlier! Don’t wear it!”

“It doesn’t have a name on it, how do you know it’s yours?”

“I’m telling you guys, cut it out! Play the game properly!”

“Weren’t we supposed to get a beginner guide NPC? Where are they?”

*Still in chaos…*

*”Crash…” Alice felt as if something inside her shattered.*

*The combination of the elves’ beautiful and noble appearance with such crude and rude behavior almost overturned the girl’s entire worldview…*

*She stared blankly, mouth gaping, her mind in turmoil.*

*What… what’s going on?*

*Aren’t the Chosen Ones the favored of the Divine?*

*Aren’t the favored supposed to be noble and wise?*

*Weren’t heroes and warriors supposed to descend?*

*This… this…*

*Why was there an utter lack of discipline, like beings possessed by goblins, with no manners like half-beasts, and not even a shred of shame, in these elves?*

*Suddenly, she noticed the group carving bark with wooden knives…*

*Her expression changed, anger boiling, and she couldn’t help but shout,*

“Stop! What are you doing! Do not be disrespectful to the Mother Goddess!”

*The crisp voice suddenly appeared, and all the hundreds of players were attracted.*

*In an instant, three hundred pairs of different-colored eyes turned to the young girl…*

*The atmosphere fell into an eerie silence.*

*With hundreds of glances fixed on her, Alice felt her scalp tingle. She couldn’t help but take a step back, timid but trying to maintain her composure, she shouted,*

“What… what are you looking at? Even if you are chosen by the Mother Goddess, you mustn’t be disrespectful to her essence…”

*Her oriole-like voice trembled slightly, with a sense of bravado.*

*The players looked at one another, and then the noise rose once again.*

“An elf chick?”

“So… so cute!”

“She doesn’t have a name on her head! She’s an NPC!”

“No kidding! Look at her gear; it’s so flashy, she must be an NPC!”

“Her expressions are so vivid and lifelike! You can’t see the stiff AI feel of other virtual online games at all!”

“Pretty lady, are you a priest?”

“Hey, hey, you guys calm down, you seem to have scared her!”

*Seeing the small-animal-like wary and adorable Alice, some gentlemanly male players became curious and excited.*

“Oh no… her expression is kind of against the rules… makes one want to tease her…”

“Miss, what’s your name? Are you a priest?”

“Miss, is there a quest we can do?”

“Miss, can I join your religion?”

“Miss, can I feel your sacrificial dress?”

*Since Eve had made adjustments for language communication beforehand, the players’ words automatically translated to Segis World’s language, and vice versa, allowing Alice to understand what the Chosen Ones were saying clearly…*

*Listening to the flirty remarks, the elf girl’s face turned red with shame, trembling with anger.*

“She’s embarrassed! She’s embarrassed!”

“Wow! Such a strong sense of interaction! This NPC is so realistic!”

“Err… I think she seems angry now…”

“I’m telling you guys, enough! Even if it’s an AI, can’t you at least be polite?”

“Err… never seen such a lifelike NPC. Just a bit curious…”

“Why is she not saying anything? Speaking of which, who has the Identify skill? Can we use it to identify her?”

“I do! I do! I’ll identify… um… this lady’s name is Alice Wind, her profession is Natural Priest, level… can’t see… huh? When identifying, it unlocks the target’s favorability? Damn…! Why is her favorability negative with me?! Damn! It went down again!”

“Hahaha! It’s because your face is too ugly! Hahaha, let me identify… damn! Why is my favorability negative too…”

*Looking at these unruly hooligans acting like bandits, Alice trembled with anger.*

*She took a deep breath, at the same time desperately reminding herself…*

*Calm down! Calm down!*

*Alice, you must stay calm!*

*This must be a test from the Mother Goddess! You must not let the Mother Goddess down!*

“Miss, why aren’t you talking?”

“Her hair is so long! I wonder how it feels…”

*Suddenly, the bold player who had undressed earlier, cloaked in Holy Light, sneaked up and sneakily reached for Alice’s golden hair.*

*The elf girl was startled, unable to hold back, and swung her Magic Wand.*

*In a flash of bright light, accompanied by a scream, the player with “Demacia” floating over his head got flung away by the Protective Holy Spell and straight off the World Tree.*

*So weak!*

*That was Alice’s first thought.*

*Gosh! What have I done? I actually knocked him off!*

*That was the second…*

*Alice was startled, quickly stepping forward to peer down from the World Tree…*

*However, the unfortunate player was already out of sight.*

“Mother Nature above! Did I… did I actually kill a Chosen One?”

*Alice’s vision went black.*

“Hahaha! Deserved it!”

“Challenging an NPC at level 1, serves him right!”

“Hahaha!”

*Behind her, the mocking voices of the other elves, now players, echoed, accompanied by a bout of laughter.*

*Alice incredulously turned her head, staring blankly at these elves who, witnessing a comrade’s “death,” not only weren’t afraid but were even more excited. Her mind struggled to comprehend…*

*Are these Chosen Ones perhaps out of their minds?*

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