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Chapter 134: Spring Comes Upon A Withered Tree (I)

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【Main Mission: Save the forest creatures trapped in the fire. The number of creatures you save determines your completion rate.】

As soon as Shang Ke regained consciousness, the System dispensed a Mission without even giving him time to familiarize himself with the world’s setting. In front of him was a burning forest; trees stretching for several miles engulfed in fire. A rolling heat wave blew against his face, and the thick smoke made it hard to breathe.

Lively fire elements surrounded Shang Ke, and he realized immediately that he could use magic in this world. However, there was no water source nearby, and the flames had evaporated or expelled most of the water elements in the air. What remained couldn’t extinguish the fire at all.

Time was running out. Shang Ke did not have time to make a better plan, so he condensed as much water element as he could and poured it over himself. Then, he threw himself into the fire and released his spiritual power to quickly find anything with life. Once found, he would send them out of the forest using magic.

Burning pain kept coming from his skin, and the strong smoke made his tears flow. Everything around him grew distorted and blurred. His long hair danced along the heat waves, and the color of the flames reflected in his green eyes. All the sweat rolling down his body transformed into light blue water elements, lingering around him like stars and fighting against the flames.

He cast one magic light after another as he shuttled through the flames, tirelessly rescuing the suffering creatures.

Over time, he rescued more and more forest creatures from the forest, all of various kinds. They stood at a high vantage point, licking their wounds and watching the brilliant little blue glow amidst the flames.

Darkness slowly enveloped the sky, but the vast forest continued wailing in the raging fire.

Shang Ke’s spiritual power ran out, and his whole person collapsed into a small river. The cool water eased the burning pain and washed away the choking smoke and sparks. Soon, Shang Ke found himself able to breathe freely in the water, which seemed to replenish his vitality.

But he was really too tired and had no energy to think about it. He let himself float along the surface of the river which reflected the scarlet flames from the trees. Slowly, his eyes came to a close…

After an unknown time had passed, Shang Ke woke up to the falling rain. He opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was a piece of silvery water color. The oppressive fire elements had disappeared.

【Congratulations to the Host for completing the Main Mission of saving the forest creatures trapped in the fire. A total of 671 creatures were saved, with a completion rate of over 100%. A bottle of healing water has been awarded. 】

What? He completed it? Even if it was an easy world, it couldn’t be easy to such an extent! 

【Don’t doubt the judgment of the System. Host has comprehended the essence of heroism: to give one’s life selflessly, and press forward against all obstacles. Please maintain such a spirit in the future missions as well.】

Shang Ke was in disbelief. He managed to complete a Mission so easily for the first time. It wasn’t until he swam out of the water that he realized it wasn’t so easy after all. About 90% of his skin was extensively burned, and his flesh was torn, swollen and ulcerated. He looked quite horrible. His originally straight long hair resembled hay, and the few scraps of cloth left on his body barely covered his private parts.

Although he had the protection of water elements, its effects had grown weaker and weaker due to the consumption of his spiritual power. Because he had been so concentrated on rescuing others, he didn’t realize how gravely injured he was.

Suddenly, he heard a few sounds nearby. Shang Ke looked up and found a group of creatures scattered around. There were black bears, bighorn sheep, ferrets, leopard cats, foxes, sika deer, rabbits, squirrels, and so on. In addition, there were some strange species that couldn’t be named, and a dozen olive-shaped fruits.

Shang Ke initially thought it was just an ordinary fruit, but he immediately felt the fluctuation of life in the fruit. He then knew that it was the egg of some kind of creature.

Shang Ke stood up slowly, and despite his scarred body that rendered him a creature right out of horror stories, it didn’t make the animals afraid. Their eyes only showed respect and love for him.

This group of animals had unusual spirituality, which completely differed from animals seen in other worlds. Their spirituality may have come from the active elements in this world.

The tingling sensation on his skin brought Shang Ke back to his senses, reminding him of the healing water given to him by the system. He took out the healing water and drank it in one mouthful. Immediately, there was a comfortable feeling throughout his body, and he gave off a faint halo. His ferocious wounds slowly healed in the light, and his dry hair gradually turned long, soft, and smooth again.

The animals around him watched on, dumbfounded. Their shining eyes were full of wonder and admiration.

Shang Ke raised his head, and his long black hair swayed lightly in the wind. His sword-shaped eyebrows were nicely sculpted, and slender eyes outlined a charming radiance. They were as green and transparent as emeralds, and his red lips were full and moist. A pair of pointed ears hid amidst his hair, and his white skin gleamed with a light luster. Those tattered clothes of his couldn’t hide his graceful posture and outstanding elegance.

Behind a bunch of blackened rocks, a pair of deep-set eyes silently watched the stunning scene. Golden pupils clearly reflected a beautiful figure.

Just yesterday, he accidentally saw a blue figure rescue hundreds of animals from the flames. It lasted around seven to eight hours before the blue shadow disappeared from sight.

After a heavy rain in the evening, the fire that burned for dozens of hours finally went out. He followed the trail of animals and came to the riverside. Then, he saw this unforgettable scene.

This was an adult male elf, an extremely handsome male elf.

Shang Ke didn’t know that someone was peeking at him secretly, because he was receiving information from the System.

This continent was called “Anglo”, and several races inhabited it, such as humans, elves, dwarves, beastmen, and specters. Human beings had the largest population, and dozens of countries, big and small, had been established. The beastmen and dwarves had the second largest population, while elves had the least amount but the longest life span.

These races had coexisted peacefully for hundreds of years. Although there had been occasional fights, it didn’t affect the overall situation of the balance of power, until the phantom race emerged.

The specters lived in the wastelands and survived on minerals. They were well-versed in gold and fire magic, hated all plants, and couldn’t stand an environment full of oxygen. In contrast, elves loved nature, and wherever they went, they always brought along a vivid, lively green.

Hundreds of years ago, the wastelands ran out of minerals. For food, the specters began to expand outwards, and they plundered land and minerals everywhere. The specters were of great strength and brutal temperament.

They could directly transform metal objects into power and were nearly invulnerable to any magical and physical attack. The only thing that could hurt them was the nature magic of elves, and the nature-filled forests where the elves lived were lands the specters dared not set foot on.

In order to solve this great disaster, the specters used the human countries they had conquered to destroy forests everywhere and kill elves wantonly. In a few short years, the elves suffered heavy casualties, and large areas of forest were razed to the ground.

Soon, several human countries formed alliances with elves, beastmen and other races to declare war against the specters. However, the fierceness and ferocity of the specters far exceeded their imagination. With the help of human traitors, the beastmen orchestrated a plan and led out the Elven King, killed him, and sent people to destroy the elves’ Teldrassil, and the Fountain of Life.

Teldrassil was the mother tree of all elves, and it was also their birthplace. The fountain of life was the source of the mother tree’s power. It could give elves abundant vitality and make the plants glow with infinite life. As long as the fountain of life worked, Teldrassil would last forever.

However, the specters sealed the fountain of life with a magic tool called “phantom jade”. Teldrassil gradually withered with the loss of the fountain, and it was finally uprooted.

The elves were devastated and never recovered. They, who had always lived a long life, began to age, and died several decades later in succession. If the fountain of life and Teldrassil were to disappear, the elves would be completely extinct. The absence of elves meant that the continent no longer had the power to wipe out the specters.

The elder of the elves, at the cost of his life, retained a branch of Teldrassil before it withered away. As long as someone could get the phantom jade and unseal the fountain of life, that branch would become the last hope of the elves.

Since then, the allied countries and puppet countries controlled by the specters began an endless war.

The number of elves declined rapidly due to war and aging. After a hundred years, the pure blood elves on the mainland were nearly extinct, with only mixed-blood descendants left. Mixed elves were far from pure blood elves in terms of appearance, longevity and natural affinity.

At the time when Shang Ke transmigrated over, the pure blood elves had all disappeared, and the alliance was at an absolute disadvantage.

【Additional Mission 1: Resurrect Teldrassil.】

Sure enough, since the main Mission was easily completed, the additional Mission directly entered hell mode.

If one wanted to revive Teldrassil, they first had to grab the phantom jade from the specters, and then find the last branch of Teldrassil.

Shang Ke wasn’t in a hurry for the branch, because he was that very branch of the Tree, or more accurately, the elf that transformed from the branch.

At present, the two camps were at a stalemate. The specters were entrenched in the north, wantonly destroying vegetation, and turning fertile soil into wasteland. They allowed only the puppet countries under their rule to grow basic food, vegetables and fruits.

The humans, mixed elves, beastmen, dwarves and other races in the alliance were looking for opportunities to seize the phantom jade. Only when they resurrected Teldrassil and produced new pure blood elves, or even the Elven King, could they possibly destroy the specters.

After receiving the information, Shang Ke once again looked at the dozen or so olive-shaped “fruits” not far away. Before Teldrassil was destroyed, it left not only a branch but also fifteen seeds that could give birth to pureblood elves.

The Elf transformed from Teldrassil’s branch had been wandering around with fifteen little lives, looking for a safe place to survive. He finally found a vast forest and wanted to use its abundant natural atmosphere to nurture the elves. However, before he could, the specters also destroyed this forest.

If Shang Ke hadn’t taken over, the Elf would have been burned to ashes trying to save the seeds. Although “he” was an elf transformed from the branch of Teldrassil, he did not know how to use magic and could only use the nature power within him.

Shang Ke counted the seeds, but there were only twelve left. He lost three little lives in the fire.

Twelve seeds meant that twelve pureblood elves were the hope for the future rise of the elves…

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