Chapter 77
◎ Dragon Clan ◎
Yu Chi stood on the deck, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the elf charm hanging around her neck. The sea breeze carried a hint of salty fishiness.
“Little Seven, while I’m away, I’ll leave the territorial sea to you,” Yu Chi said. “If the territorial sea is attacked, I’ll come back immediately.”
Little Seven nodded silently.
Yu Chi was quite at ease with Little Seven. After all, in terms of combat power alone, Little Seven was stronger than her. With such a strong person in the territorial sea, and Zuo He in charge of the alliance’s affairs, she could take advantage of the current chaos in the world, when everything had not yet begun, to go to Sunset Island.
The teleportation was instantaneous. Before Yu Chi could even open her eyes, she could already feel the pulsating life force in the surrounding air.
But the next second, she discovered her suddenly shrunken body.
Yu Chi: …I almost forgot about this.
Perhaps it was because she had become stronger during this period. She was no longer a cub, but had turned into a 10-year-old. Yu Chi found a suitable set of clothes for herself in her space and began to observe the surroundings.
This place seemed to be different from the last teleportation point. It was closer to the periphery. Under her feet was a soft sandy beach, and behind her was an endless sea. The vast white fog had dispersed.
“Thalassa!”
A call came from a distance. Yu Chi turned her head and saw Carindor, Ferwyn, and Valira waving at her. A soft smile also unconsciously appeared on her face.
“How did you guys get here so fast?” After the three of them got close, Yu Chi tilted her head and asked. Even last time when she had accidentally intruded, they had not been so fast.
“The King said that you might come over during this period,” Carindor explained. “So we’ve been wandering around nearby.”
“You guys are so nice,” Yu Chi said happily, hugging Carindor’s leg.
“Let’s go back to the royal court with us first,” Carindor touched the little elf’s head. “The edge of the Sunset Forest is not safe recently. Many outsiders will break in.”
“And the King also wants to see you very much.”
Yu Chi nodded obediently. After hearing that there were outsiders breaking in, she frowned unhappily. After she became a child, her expressions were very emotional, but she obviously did not realize this herself.
“I didn’t expect Thalassa to grow up so quickly,” Valira held Yu Chi’s hand, her tone a little regretful.
“That’s right, but her strength has also become much stronger,” Ferwyn was very happy. The King had said that the elven race might be going to war soon. The stronger the elf babies were, the more they could protect themselves.
The four of them chatted all the way and soon arrived at the royal court. Compared to last time, the royal court was much more heavily guarded this time. Something like the dark elves bringing players into the elf nursery was absolutely impossible under such a guard.
“King.”
Yu Chi followed the others and bowed, her little face serious, looking very solemn.
The Elf King signaled the others to withdraw and looked at Yu Chi with a smile. “Thalassa, long time no see.”
“Long time no see,” Yu Chi felt that the Elf King was treating her as an adult, and she squinted her eyes happily.
The Elf King smiled and got closer. His hair, as beautiful as moonlight, had a cold fragrance. Yu Chi sniffed it with some infatuation—this was the pure nature of every elf towards the King.
“You’ve grown up,” the Elf King gently tapped her forehead with his fingertip. Yu Chi immediately felt a warm light flowing under her skin. She looked down and saw a glowing little moon mark on her wrist, which was flashing with her breath.
“It’s a mark for both protection and positioning,” he said with a smile. “The world channel is open. In the future, we can come and find you.”
The elven race would not give up on any cub, especially this cub who was wandering outside and could not go home. With the mark, if she was in danger in the outside world, he would also be able to sense it.
A servant handed over a basket of crystal clear fruits. Yu Chi sat on a chair, swinging her legs, and seriously gnawed on a fruit. Then she began to discuss serious business with the Elf King with a serious face.
“All the races are disdainful and wary of humans,” the Elf King stroked Yu Chi’s hair. “So they have decided to cooperate for the time being. Each race needs to send an envoy to the dragon race’s territory for discussion.”
Yu Chi immediately felt that it was not good, because these legendary species planned to unite against humans. This was the worst result she had imagined.
“Many races feel that the sea god favors humans,” the Elf King smiled helplessly. He looked down at the little elf in front of him. “So, are you interested?”
“Huh?” Yu Chi didn’t expect that she would be involved in this. She widened her eyes. “Can I? But I’m too small.”
Her appearance was too small to be an envoy to other races’ territories. Otherwise, she would not be able to express the attitude of the elves.
And his race’s territory was not safe. If she went as a cub, she would very likely be maliciously harmed, and the other elves would not agree to this proposal.
“This is indeed a problem,” the Elf King was a little troubled. His slender fingers tapped lightly on the table. He quickly turned his head and said softly, “There is a way, but I don’t know if Thalassa is willing.”
Yu Chi blinked.
…
Today, she was going on an expedition. Bah, what she meant was that today, she was going to the dragon race’s territory as an envoy.
That’s right, an envoy, not an envoy’s companion, nor anyone else, but an elf envoy who could represent the elven race.
It was a bit long-winded, but Yu Chi also wanted to express her surprise.
She was now standing in the center of the Elven Royal Court’s mirror hall. Twelve crystal mirrors surrounded her, reflecting her appearance from all angles.
In the mirror, she was still the appearance of a ten-year-old child, with light golden hair that only reached her shoulders, and her cheeks still had baby fat. She nervously pulled at the envoy’s long robe embroidered with laurel branches. Carindor walked to her side from behind, took a step back, and knelt on one knee.
“Your Highness, it’s time to set off.”
Yu Chi took a deep breath, turned around, and smiled. “Okay, please tell the delegation that I’ll be there soon.”
From an unknown elf to suddenly becoming the Elf King, the first in line to the throne… she had 10,000 “holy craps” she wanted to say in her heart.
But now there was no time to think so much, and… thinking of the Elf King’s trusting gaze, Yu Chi clenched her little fists. She could not betray his trust. She had to convey the thoughts of the elven race.
“The dwarves’ mechanical airship has already arrived at the Dragonbone Holy City,” the Elf King’s eyes curved. “They are really impatient.”
“Yes,” Iolanthe sighed, his gaze looking into the distance. “The dwarf race is very determined this time.”
He still wanted to say something, but he and the Elf King quickly turned around at the same time. The first in line to the throne of their elven race, a beautiful little highness, was slowly walking towards them with standard etiquette.
“What a wise highness,” Iolanthe said with a smile.
“Indeed,” the Elf King walked forward and tidied Yu Chi’s hair. “Don’t be nervous. Safety is the most important thing.”
“I understand,” Yu Chi said seriously. Whether she was a real elven heir or not, she absolutely could not let the identity of the heir be threatened outside. This was simply a provocation to the elven race.
The Elf King seemed to suddenly see a strange flame dancing in the cub’s eyes. He tilted his head, and the next second, the flame disappeared.
It should be an illusion.
“Go,” he said with a gentle smile.
When Yu Chi walked out of the royal court, the entire delegation had been waiting for a long time. Twenty elf knights were riding on silver-horned deer. Ferwyn was holding a banner embroidered with the pattern of the Tree of Life, and Valira was checking the magic scrolls in her bag.
The most eye-catching was the crystal carriage in the center of the team—it was pulled by six pure white flying horses, and the crystals inlaid on the carriage were flowing with a dreamlike light in the sunlight.
“Get in the carriage, Your Highness,” Carindor said with a smile, extending his hand. “This road is not very peaceful.”
Yu Chi nodded a little stiffly. In fact, she had not paid any attention to what Carindor was saying at all. She had not forgotten the etiquette that Iolanthe had taught her. Yesterday, she had even specially found a teacher to review it again.
But now her mind was a complete mess. Don’t lose face, don’t lose face, don’t lose face… that’s how it’s always played out in TV dramas. As the heir of a country, you must be noble and generous, and intimidate others.
The King has high hopes for me!
Carindor praised the highness’s composure in his heart and quickly sat in the carriage.
When the flying carriage took off, Yu Chi gripped the window frame tightly and saw the Sunset Forest, which had turned into a green ocean, below.
All kinds of elves were jumping between the crowns of the trees, and it seemed that some elves were waving at her. But as the height increased, the elves all turned into invisible little dots. The speed of the carriage was very fast. They flew over a vast ocean, and Yu Chi seemed to see a red dot circling in the distant sky at the end of the sea.
It was not her illusion. Yu Chi’s eyes widened slightly. As the distance shortened, she saw—they were three adult red dragons. Their scales shone with a metallic luster in the sunlight, and their bodies were very huge, seemingly even larger than the ancient dragon she had seen on Cold Moon Island.
This was the first time she had seen a real dragon. This reminded her of the black dragon that the players had mentioned. Was the color of a dragon related to their strength and identity?
“The dragon race’s patrol team,” Valira explained, following her line of sight. “All the routes to the Dragonbone Holy City are guarded by the dragon race.”
Ferwyn was wiping his longbow: “I heard that the dwarves’ airship was almost shot down, just because they didn’t show their identity in time.”
Among these legendary species, jokes always spread particularly fast. Hmm, even if this had happened an hour ago.
Besides becoming more respectful, the attitude of the few of them towards Yu Chi had not changed. This was not because they did not respect her, the heir of an outsider. Compared to other races, the elven race was the most tolerant and gentle in this aspect.
“Is there any connection between the color of a dragon?”
Hearing Yu Chi’s question, Valira smiled slightly, as if she were telling a story, her tone gentle. “The color of a dragon is related to their bloodline and duties. The three red dragons you saw are the fire-element guards, specializing in border patrol and combat.”
Ferwyn added: “White dragons are mostly responsible for healing and support, and blue dragons are the wise men and recorders of the dragon race… black dragons, black dragons are of the royal bloodline, with the power to control death and shadow, and are the most feared existence of all races.”
“I see…” Yu Chi nodded thoughtfully, her little head already starting to spin with information.
“Wait,” she suddenly realized something and asked with some unease, “are there no golden dragons?”
Golden dragons, five-clawed golden dragons, nine-clawed golden dragons!
If a black dragon represents a royal bloodline, then what about a golden dragon?
Valira was stunned for a moment and shook her head. “I’ve never heard of golden dragons in the dragon race.”
Yu Chi turned gray.
Seeing this, Carindor comforted her, “Maybe there were some tens of thousands of years ago, but they should all be dead now.”
Yu Chi turned even grayer.
Ferwyn: “…Boss, that’s not how you comfort someone.”
Carindor: “…Sorry, Your Highness.”
Yu Chi looked up and smiled. “It’s okay, actually. I just feel it’s a pity.”
Compared to these colorful dragons, she had a stronger sense of closeness to golden dragons.
The giant dragon, several hundred meters long, had already flown towards them. The dragon’s breath it spat seemed to be able to melt everything. Up close, it was very shocking and had a magnificent beauty.
Carindor stood up. “Ferwyn, Valira, protect the highness.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he spread a pair of wings and rushed out of the carriage. The young elf hovered in the air, and the longbow in his hand burst into a dazzling silver light.
The moment the arrow left the string, the sky seemed to be torn open. It did not hurt the red dragons that were flying over, but formed a barrier from top to bottom, blocking the three red dragons more than ten meters away from the carriage.
This was a warning, and also a prohibition for them to continue to approach.
The leading red dragon let out a deafening roar, but in the end, it did not break through the barrier. Its huge vertical pupils stared at the flying carriage for a long time, and then it suddenly spoke in human language: “The elves of the Sunset Forest? Your credentials.”
Carindor threw a crescent-shaped jade pendant into the air. The red dragon caught it with its claws, and the sparks from its nostrils burned the jade pendant red.
It was not until the projection of the Tree of Life appeared on the jade pendant that it reluctantly made way for the route: “Follow the red flame. Don’t wander around.”
Carindor’s expression was cold: “Thank you.”
Yu Chi could hardly hide her shock. She looked at the effect of Carindor’s one arrow, and then she thought of the effect of her own arrow.
Even if she wasn’t an adult, even if she was still a cub, this was not normal!
Ferwyn: “Gray, gray, the highness is gray again!”
Carindor quickly returned to the carriage. “Are you okay, Your Highness? Could it be that the ugly red dragons scared you?”
The ugly red dragons outside: ? We can still hear you, thank you.
Yu Chi waved her hand weakly, thinking that the system was still wrong. How could a level 60 be able to go out and venture in this world? A level 100 might just be cannon fodder.
Humans really have a limit, but these monsters don’t.
The flying horse carriage was extremely fast. It soon passed through the thick fog and the high-altitude turbulence, and under the escort of the two red dragons, it slowly landed on the floating dock outside the Dragonbone Holy City.
The holy city was magnificent. It was surrounded by bone stone pillars like the ribs of a giant dragon. The dome was inlaid with rare crystal ores, and various floating islands were floating in the sky, which was very shocking.
An envoy of the dragon race had long been waiting at the dock. The leader was a young man with silver hair and blue eyes. He looked like a human, but blue dragon scales were faintly visible under his cloak. He bowed. “Welcome, the delegation of the elven race. The holy city has prepared a VIP palace for you.”
Yu Chi nodded and, with a calm and unhurried posture, got off the carriage surrounded by guards. In her heart, she was actually panicking. Her etiquette just now should be correct, right? And why were the people here so tall?
A certain person was 1.3 meters tall. A big guy had just passed by, and she only reached his calf.
“They’re all just rude fellows,” Valira said with a smile. “Height and a huge body will not give them an advantage in the natural world. Instead, they are clumsy and rude.”
Except for the naturally tall giant race, for other races, the appearance when they transformed was not the taller the better. Many races said that the sea god was biased towards humans, and it was because of the human form—that was a form that was naturally suitable for combat and doing all kinds of things.
Yu Chi was silent for two seconds, not because she did not agree with what Valira had said. But… sis, didn’t you see the gazes that were looking at us from nearby?!
My social phobia is about to act up again.
However, the elven race had always been so proud. Yu Chi had only seen their gentleness towards their own kind, so she was a little surprised to see this appearance for a moment.
“So that’s the elven race? Heh, as expected of them to be so proud.”
“What’s there to be proud of for a race that has fallen from a level five to a level four? This year, they’re even afraid of a child. Have they all died out?”
“It’s just an empty shell. See their appearance? It must be very satisfying to play with.”
Yu Chi narrowed her eyes and looked at the source of the voice. They were two guys who were still huge after they had transformed. They were talking to this side with a mocking face, as if they were afraid that they couldn’t hear.
If her memory was not wrong, that was also a level four race, or rather, it should be a race that had risen from level three to level four in the past few hundred years.
Only the highest-level race could live on a level five island. The races of other levels could only live on a level four island. Although there was only a one-level difference, it was almost a world of difference.
The elven race, including the dragon race’s envoy, had all heard these few sentences, as well as a few other races nearby, but no one spoke. Everyone was waiting to watch a good show.
Would the elven race stop them? Or would they pretend not to hear and leave directly? After all, this was the dragon race’s territory, the recognized strongest race in the world. Even the elven race would not dare to provoke them, right?
Yu Chi stood on the spot calmly. Whether it was Carindor or the others in the knight order, they did not show any anger or dissatisfaction.
This made many people who wanted to see the elves make a fool of themselves a little disappointed, so they turned their gazes to the young leader who was walking at the very front.
She looks quite calm, but I wonder if she has the ability to accept the malice of the world.
The knight order would only obey Yu Chi’s orders. No matter if she chose to leave or resist, they would not have any thoughts.
Yu Chi did not need to fight back to appease her kinsmen, but she knew very well that she absolutely could not retreat now. She could not express a single thought of retreating.