A Small Settlement on the Outskirts of Dimensional Block #106

Moments before Alexia’s Arrival

Aerlion Thaloron shakes his head as he answers the settlement’s diplomat from the dryad’s territory, saying, “No, I’m sorry, but we won’t be able to comply to your demands. We elves have little to do with the dryads and will not go under your rule when you have done very little for us.”

The high elf sent to negotiate lightly shakes his head in disappointment and says, “That’s unfortunate. May we meet again in better tidings, then?”

The leader of the settlement nods his head before he watches the high elf diplomat begin to walk away.

Ever since Aerlion heard that the dryads were amassing the elves of the Block together under their banner, he knew they’d come to their settlement eventually. It was only a matter of time. Something dryads have plenty of thanks to being part plant themselves.

Even before the Reset occurred, the dryads on their planet were always trying to take full control over the planet. But since dryads are pacifists despite that, they will never take it by force. They will always try to do it in a way that would get their targets to join them themselves. Then the dryads would work them harshly, even if the benefits to that work were always something the elves could never have dreamed of having.

A way to evolve into high elves without having to wait for time to do it itself.

And immediately after the first Dimensional Council, the dryads immediately began their usual sales pitch. Somehow having already raised a new world tree within the brief time before the Dimensional Council.

Aerlion still can’t figure out how they managed to do it. But there is one thing in the Block that may be related to it.

No, one thing he knows has to be related to it.

The naga living in the world tree.

The only thing Aerlion can think of that would speed up the growth of the world tree is the naga. A nature affinity Class S species.

He shakes his head as he watches the high elf delegate prepare to call forth his wyvern to fly to what is most certainly the next settlement on his path of recruitment. Then Aerlion begins to turn away, only for a chill to run down his spine. And immediately after feeling that chill, an overbearing aura spreads out to cover the entire settlement. One akin to a blade held at the ready right in front of his throat.

Aerlion quickly ignores the startled and fear-filled gazes of his fellow elves and high elves as he looks straight up towards the source of the aura. And what he finds has him freezing stiff.

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Standing high atop a tree while staring over their settlement is a young looking woman wearing an eerie black and purple cloak over a black and red set of scale armor. She has a beautiful figure despite wearing a cloak that tries to hide her form, with long dark hair tinted with a deep purple flowing out of her hood.

But what shakes him to his core about her isn’t any of that, even if her garb is intimidating.

What terrifies him and gives him the instinct to run is the sight of her eyes. Glitching as if part of a computer screen, making it difficult sometimes to tell where she’s looking. The same shade of purple as her hair. And completely lacking in any sort of emotion other than indifference and some mild curiosity.

Eyes he has seen before as she sat upon the throne in the System screen at the end of the tutorial.

The woman suddenly vanishes in a glitched purple light before reappearing right in front of Aerlion, making him stumble backwards before falling onto his rear. And just the sight of her standing in front of him frightens him even more than anything else he has ever felt in his entire life.

He sees all of the elves and high elves around them drawing their weapons until they no doubt identify her and realize how futile that will likely be. Even the high elf delegate stands frozen at the edge of the tree house they’re standing on, clearly frightened and unsure of what to do.

Eventually Aerlion himself identifies her as she speaks in a completely nonchalant voice, “Any chance you know where the naga’s territory is? And where the Cataclysm Class monster is while we’re at it?”

{Alexia Knight – Quantum Reaper – Level 500}

Aerlion finds himself unable to speak for several seconds, only snapping out of it when he sees her brows beginning to furrow as he quickly hurries to say, “Y-yes! I do! T-to both!” He accidentally stutters when first speaking before quickly taking a second to regather himself and calmly answering – or as calmly as he can in this situation – “You will find Lord Seraphis Venomcrest in the world tree. However, and I assure you, this is not a threat, I would like to warn you that he will consider your entry into the dryad territory trespassing on his lands. And he will attack you from what I’ve heard.”

The Reaper doesn’t appear surprised about the latter part of his answer, but the former clearly does surprise her as she asks, “There’s already a world tree in this Block?”

Aerlion nods his head and opens his mouth to answer, only for the delegate to quickly return and state, “Hello, Lady Reaper! I am a delegate of the dryads, and therefore the great Lord Venomcrest himself! If you would like to meet with him, I’m sure I could arrange it!”

The leader of the settlement feels a chill run down his spine at the thought of The Reaper working with the naga, but her next words assuage that fear as she says, “No, there’s no need to meet with him. I just came here to hunt Cataclysm Class monsters.” She pauses before turning back to Aerlion again. “On that note, you didn’t answer the other question.”

He quickly takes the queue and answers, “The Cataclysm Class monster of our Block is a massive spider creature located far to the West of here, on the other end of the Block!”

The Reaper quickly nods her head with an appreciative look on her face before saying a brief thank you to Aerlion, then turning to the delegate and asking him to inform the Lord about her reason for being in the Block.

Then she teleports away without waiting for a response.

And Aerlion immediately feels his entire body unlocking at once, only barely having realized beforehand that he was that tense in the first place.

Holy shit… I need a drink.

He ignores the delegate to walk back to his manor for that very purpose.