Elves, a legendary race that since ancient times was part of the stories and fantasies of humans.

Characterized for being incredibly beautiful, noble, pure, talented in the use of magic, nature lovers, and above all, for having abnormally high life expectancies compared to any other mortal race.

"To think that elves actually exist..." Matthew Sanchez lowered his sword as he looked at the dozen elves standing in different trees, "And they are truly beautiful as recorded in the church books."

While everyone was astonished, trying to comprehend and accept what was happening right before their eyes, Bai Zemin stood up and took a step away from the Throne of Creation.

He looked at the elderly elf in front of him with an extremely complicated expression, and after a moment of silence, he finally couldn't help but ask his question.

"You... Are you really the Elf Queen Lenna?"

The old elf woman looked at him with her deep blue eyes, eyes that shone with experience, pain, and many vicissitudes of life but showed nothing but calm and steadfastness.

"Hard to believe, isn't it?" Lenna sighed and her body slouched forward.

One of the elven females tried to help her when she saw this, but the Elf Queen waved her hand gently and shook her head.

"May I know if you are related to the old Sky Emperor?" Lenna asked as she looked at Bai Zemin gently."I'm sorry." Bai Zemin shook his head, "Even for me it's a surprise to become the Sky Emperor's successor, and to be honest, I'm still trying to digest everything that has happened to me in the last hour."

"... I see." The Elf Queen nodded slowly and with some hesitation.

Suddenly, a thick root grew from the ground behind Lenna, stopping just below her waist. The root opened up just like a rose, shaping a seat that Lenna used to sit on as she rested her wooden staff on the ground.

"Back then, Sky Emperor Yin Wuhan helped our elven race when we were on the verge of extinction. We, the elves, decided to follow him and support him during his lifetime as a token of gratitude and loyalty... From cities and kingdoms to empires and worlds, we elves who are not fighting fanatics helped the Sky Emperor, and together with his mighty troops as well as his monstrous power he eventually managed to become one of the most prominent and outstanding figures in the cosmos." Lenna sighed as her blank stare looked down at her wrinkled hands.

It was hard to believe but, they who had been fighting to the death two minutes ago now listened like good students as the Elf Queen narrated events of the past.

"Although the Sky Emperor offered us elves who had reached the top of the Fourth Order to join the Sky Faction, changing the depth of our records was against the tenets of our race so we rejected that offer repeatedly." Lenna smiled bitterly as she looked at Bai Zemin, "I guess I failed as Queen by forgetting that humans are not particularly kind hearted, especially not when they are repeatedly rejected."

Elves could live up to a thousand years under normal circumstances, but high level elves could live hundreds of thousands of years. As for Lenna whose level was definitely not less than 400... She could probably live for a million years or even more depending on the purity of her Soul Power.

However, there were limits to Lower Existences. No matter how long her lifespan was, she would eventually run out.

"Yin Wuhan promised to help the elves so that at least one of us would become a Higher Existence, but before he kept his promise he disappeared and I along with over 250.000 elves were trapped in this prison in the form of a city." Lenna looked at the blue sky above her head with a thousand different emotions shining in her same colored eyes, "Many years have passed since then, so many that I can't remember and even if I could I definitely couldn't say or write such a figure. Now, all that is left of us elves is what you see, Successor of the Sky Emperor."

Looking at the twelve elves who were watching all of them cautiously and curiously, Bai Zemin couldn't help but feel sorry and pain in his chest.

"Sorry..." Such words came from his heart and were spoken out of his mouth even before he realized it. Out of more than 250.000 elves, only a dozen were left... Furthermore, Bai Zemin knew that these dozen were not part of the first generation.

How many elves had really died over an incalculable number of years? Just thinking about it made Bai Zemin feel partially responsible and guilty even though he was not Yin Wuhan.

Although the old Sky Emperor once saved the elves, the elves repaid that debt by helping him for centuries throughout his conquests. However, it was the Sky Emperor who did not keep his promise and instead imprisoned the elves in Hero City.

It was only now that Naomi, Shangguan Bing Xue, and all the others understood why the elves fought so fiercely against them when they walked into this forest.

They, who loved and lived in nature, could only live here... And yet, humans who betrayed them once suddenly broke into their territory to bring destruction.

The old Elf Queen looked silently at Bai Zemin for a long time before smiling gently: "I can tell that you say what you feel from your soul. Even though your whole being is cloaked in a thick smell of blood, your heart does not seem to have been corrupted by the countless innocent lives you reclaimed... Your future will be interesting, but it's a pity I won't be able to see it."

"What do you mean?" Bai Zemin suddenly had a bad feeling.

"We used to be a hundred thousand three hundred and forty-three Fourth Order Elves, but now there's only me left." Lenna stood up slowly and with great difficulty, making it hard to believe that she had just fought Felix and Shangguan Bing Xue at the same time without showing weakness at all, "One hundred thousand three hundred and forty-two Fourth Order elves used their records for countless years to push the life expectancy of other weaker elves. These little ones behind me are all that's left, so this time it was my turn."

It was then that Bai Zemin understood what was happening, and when he looked at the old, slender Elf Queen whose beauty had faded with her life expectancy, Bai Zemin couldn't help but let a glint of sadness shine in his onyx colored eyes.

Lenna's life had dried up because she had helped the elves survive for a longer period of time for only she knows how long. Therefore, she would die soon.action

What Bai Zemin did not know was that both Lenna and Ingrid who fought against his group for a while were really nothing more than gifts sent from heaven.

It was thanks to them that two new queens would be born; queens whose legends would be heard for many, many years to come.

* * * * * * *

Really thank you very much to all those who send gifts to the novel and support with valuable Golden Tickets. I hope we can all keep it up <3