Salos said softly, “The Mother Tree and I have already made an agreement; she will help suppress the spread of the plague. You do not need to worry. The plague will infect the adult elves first.”
“We will redeem all of our sins. You only need to leave the Elven Valley, and you will live.”
“But the Elven Valley is our home!” Elvin's voice carried a heartbreak and despair that bordered on a total breakdown. “If you make us leave, what about all of you? What about the Elven Mother Tree? Your Majesty, is there really no other way?”
Ning Busan asked weakly, “As for changing your faith... maybe you could reconsider?”
Salos shook his head. “I know my people. They would rather die than change their faith.”
“Betraying one's faith just to cling to life is far too painful. For these six thousand years, I have repented every single moment. I do not want them to suffer the same torment as I did.”
“One wrong decision was enough. We cannot keep making the same mistake.”
Ning Busan offered dry comfort, “Maybe there's some other way to solve this.”
Salos closed his eyes wearily. Black lines began to spread across his face, and his body even emitted the decaying scent of someone on the verge of death.
“Faelo, the truth has been fully revealed to you. Remember your promise. The future of the Elven Clan is entrusted to you.”
Ning Busan was suddenly startled. “Huh?”
He didn't know whether to be more shocked by Salos's sudden deterioration or by the fact that the king had recognized his true identity.
“It seems you really do not remember me...” Salos's tone carried an indescribable melancholy. “More than ten thousand years... I have lived long enough, yet I did not dare to die.”
“A king must be strong enough, and a king is always lonely. I kept thinking I should hold on just a bit longer, to give Elvin and Silvin more time to grow.”
“But... I can no longer hold on.”
He had solidified into a sacrificial offering within the amber of time, his spine bent into a bow of redemption. He used a cage forged of betrayal to cradle the dawn of his entire race, letting his soul bloom into an everlasting flower of pain in the gap between radiance and decay.
Salos's lips curved into a gentle smile. “Faelo, you have returned. How wonderful. I can finally be free.”
“Forgive my selfishness. I am leaving now.”
Ning Busan froze.
Was this a deathbed speech?
He had only come to see the Elven King to learn the truth about the plague. He hadn't expected to send the Elven King off to his death!
Elvin knelt on the ground, weeping bitterly. “How can this be?”
Lislene also knelt by Salos's side, her eyes red. “His Majesty's time was already running out, and on top of that, he was infected by the plague, so... so...”
Her voice choked up so heavily that she could not go on.
Salos's hand went limp and fell. His gentle emerald eyes dimmed in an instant, as if covered by a shadow of endless ink, extinguishing all the stars hidden within them.
Sasa crawled out from his hair, lay down on his shoulder, and quietly closed its eyes as well.
“Your Majesty!” Lislene and Elvin cried out in grief at the same time.
Salos and Sasa's bodies began to turn translucent, dissolving into countless specks of starlight that streaked across the night sky like meteors, scattering into the distance.
Those specks of light, carrying his love and blessings, merged into the earth, the forest, and the sky, becoming nutrients for the Elven Valley.
Ning Busan reached out to touch the floating lights, only to suddenly hear a voice whisper in his ear, so ethereal it felt unreal:
“My King, this time, please don't just disappear on a whim.”
Ning Busan was slightly taken aback.
Salos called him “King”?
Well, Salos had lived for over ten thousand years, so it wasn't surprising that they knew each other.
The departure of the Elven King was felt by every single elf in the Elven Valley.
They gathered from all directions, kneeling around the Greenwild Royal Court with tear-stained faces, softly singing an ancient elegy.
Translucent sap trickled down the trunk of the Elven Mother Tree. Its branches and leaves stopped swaying, and even the wind fell silent, as if mourning Salos's passing.
The entire Elven Valley was plunged into endless grief.
For some reason, Ning Busan felt a heavy weight pressing down on his chest, making it difficult to breathe.
Six thousand years ago, had the Elven Clan's choice really been wrong?
But what did they do wrong?
Was their mistake saving that human?
Was it refusing to abandon their kin?
Or was it being too loyal to their faith in the God of Light?
They were not in the wrong!
Then what had caused all of this?
It was the plague.
Ning Busan gave a bitter laugh.
If even the God of Light couldn't solve this plague, what could he possibly do?
Suddenly, Ning Busan thought of a certain entity.
He found an empty room, closed the door, and opened the Book of Sages.
The Book of Sages greeted him in its usual tone: [How may I help you today, dear customer?]
Ning Busan asked, “Do you have a way to cure the Elven Clan's plague?”
[There is no cure for the plague. Even if you bring the elves of the Elven Clan to the Dawn Empire, they will eventually die of it. This is a dead end, dear customer!]
“Is there really a problem you can't solve? You are the absolute most omniscient and omnipotent Book of Sages. Even if the God of Light is helpless, you must have a way, right?”
Flattered by the praise, the Book of Sages wriggled shyly:
[Well, it's not like there's absolutely no way! You just have to become a god, dear customer!]
Ning Busan was dumbfounded. “Do you dare to say that again? By the time I become a god, wouldn't the Elven Clan have already gone extinct?”
[Uh... actually, there is another way! Have you ever heard of pseudo-gods, dear customer?]
“Care to elaborate?”
[Deities also have ranks. For example, the God of Light is currently the only True God, and he wields the authority of light.]
[Aside from True Gods, there are also demigods and pseudo-gods. Demigods have incomplete godheads, and pseudo-gods have no godhead at all, yet they all wield a certain authority.]
[The plague falls under the authority of death. So, to resolve the plague, you only need to create a pseudo-god who wields the authority of life, dear customer!]
Ning Busan asked, “How exactly do I do that?”
[When it comes to creating pseudo-gods, I am incredibly experienced! Hehehe! Let me let you in on a little secret: I am actually a pseudo-god myself!]
Ning Busan went numb.
The Book of Sages... was a pseudo-god?
Ning Busan asked in a low voice, “Then what authorities do you wield?”
[The authority of wisdom, authority of knowledge, authority of fate, authority of insight, authority of concealment, authority of secrets...]
Looking at the long list of words on the page, Ning Busan fell silent.
It seemed the Book of Sages wasn't lying; it really was experienced.
However, why did he feel like these authorities were incredibly cheap?
Now that it was in its area of expertise, the Book of Sages began to endlessly spout knowledge on how to create a pseudo-god.
Finally, the Book of Sages offered a serious and solemn warning:
[With your human body, you cannot possibly withstand the power of the authority of life. Please choose carefully who you wish to turn into a pseudo-god, dear customer!]
Ning Busan smiled. “Since it's the authority of life, there is no better choice than her.”
When the universe was curled up like an embryo, the World Tree birthed the world.
And she was a branch of the World Tree.
She was also Faelo's mother.
Rate on N.U.
