Chapter 55: The Promise That Lasted for a Thousand Years and Another Thousand Years
The elves of the Ilgena World had lost many records from ancient times. The oldest history they knew was merely a thousand years ago, when the first generation of Elven Dynasty was founded among the thousand lakes on the northern plains of the Origin Mountains. Due to numerous wars, the dynasty fell and was rebuilt, until hundreds of years ago, when the fourth dynasty—the final Elven Dynasty—established its capital at the foot of the Origin Mountains. Just as he spoke these words, a relieved sigh echoed throughout the entire enormous underground cavern.
An ethereal and sacred voice resounded.
"In the name of the sky, the earth, the sea, and the world, this oath shall never be broken."
What had happened seventy years ago was now repeating itself.
Just as the now-aged Urken touched the Celestial Origin Mother Tree for the second time, just as he felt that the Mother Tree had completely fallen into slumber and would no longer respond to him, a wind stirred.
It was not only in the underground cave.
The guards standing atop the ruins of the final Elven Dynasty's capital were piloting airships, attacking the stone demons that continuously emerged from the mountains. They braved the bizarre gale winds and fought against numerous monsters, but because the High Commander had not yet returned, they refused to leave.
Yet even so, more and more stone demons gradually occupied the entire ruins. Even if the High Commander returned, there would be no way to survive. In the distance, traces of flying stone demons even began to appear. Some people had already started to hesitate—whether to continue waiting or to follow the High Commander's final order and flee as quickly as possible before danger arrived.
Just as they were still arguing.
A gentle wind rose from an unknown place.
This wind was neither hurried nor slow, yet it was unaffected by any other wind. It erased the violent gales brought by the magical disturbance in the midair, then swept across the stone demons on the ground. In an instant, all the stone demons ceased their movements. Green vines and grass grew over their bodies, and the flying stone demons in the distance fell one after another.
Starting from the ruins of the royal capital, all the gloom over the entire Origin Mountains was swept away. It was like the fresh breeze of grass and trees in a summer forest passing through. Every stone demon turned into a stone statue, no longer moving. The guards on the airships were dumbfounded, completely unaware of what had just happened.
At the same time, Urken heard a familiar voice in his mind.
"Guide of the new era, King of the Elves."
That voice was as ethereal and sacred as ever, like an echo spoken by countless people at once: "What is it that you seek?"