Return to the Eternal Crown: Healing and Rest
After a two-hour flight, Fa and her group finally returned to the core of the Emerald Tree Sea—the elven royal court, "Eternal Crown." The massive Dawnlight Ancient Tree emanated a gentle green glow under the sunset's afterglow, as if welcoming this group of battered warriors home. The light-feathered birds' wings sliced through the sky, carrying everyone to land on the aerial platform of the royal court. The elves bustled about in an orderly manner, preparing treatment areas and recovery potions for the wounded.
Queen Sylvia Sunshine personally oversaw everything, her silver moon pupils swirling with concern and determination. She walked up to Fa, her voice gentle yet carrying an undeniable majesty: "You've all worked hard. Go get treated first. Erios will have dedicated caretakers." Her gaze turned to Celestia, who was tightly holding the comatose Erios, her eyes filled with worry and reluctance.
"I... I want to stay by his side." Celestia's voice trembled, her four wings slightly folding in, tears welling up in her eyes. She couldn't bear to be separated from Erios again, not even for a moment.
The Queen nodded gently: "Of course. The elven healers will do their utmost." She waved her hand, and several green-robed elven healers stepped forward, carefully lifting Erios onto a stretcher and taking him to a dedicated treatment room. Celestia followed closely behind, her steps resolute yet slightly staggering.
Fa watched Celestia's retreating figure, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She turned to the Queen and bowed deeply: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your aid that allowed us to retreat intact." Her right eye's star pupil flickered with deep blue light, her tone filled with sincere gratitude.
The Queen smiled faintly, her silver hair gently fluttering in the breeze: "This is the forest's duty, and my promise to you all. Go rest now. Tomorrow morning, I will tell you everything." Her words were calm yet profound, as if hiding endless secrets.
Fa nodded and led her teammates to the assigned rest area. However, Lin Ya chose to head alone to the forest on the outskirts of the royal court. He stepped barefoot on the soft moss, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. The forest's scent instantly filled his lungs, bringing immense comfort and peace. He sat cross-legged, placing his hands flat on his knees, and began to meditate. Emerald green life energy gathered around him, forming a warm halo. Countless tiny mycelia extended from his body, connecting with the forest's root system, as if becoming part of the forest itself. He could feel the life pulses of every tree, every leaf, every drop of dew. This feeling of merging with nature rapidly restored his body and mind, his strength quietly growing.
Meanwhile, the other teammates received treatment under the elves' care. Kayla and TISK's wounds were swiftly healed by elven healing magic, and Rex's armor was repaired like new with the help of elven craftsmen. Arya wandered in a serene garden, her thoughts drifting to the distant past. As night fell, starlight blanketed the Emerald Tree Sea. Fa lay on a soft leaf bed, gazing up at the ceiling woven from glowing vines, her heart unable to find peace. The Queen's words echoed in her mind: "My promise to you all..." What did that mean? She closed her eyes, trying to sleep, but thoughts surged like tides.
The Queen's Revelation
Morning light pierced through the glowing vine curtains of the Eternal Crown's top platform, scattering soft golden-green spots on Fa and her group. After a night of rest enhanced by elven magic, though their physical scars hadn't fully healed, their overdrawn spirits and magic had mostly recovered. Celestia had not left the healing pod woven from moonshadow branches where Erios lay, the elves' purest life magic sustaining his body's vitality. But he still kept his eyes tightly shut, as if trapped in the deepest cursed nightmare, his soul's fluctuations weak like a candle in the wind.
Led by several Dawnlight Guardians, Fa, Arya, Kayla, TISK, Rex, Yuyuer, Zhamisi, Lin Ya, and Salsa in her mechanical cat shell once again stepped into the Moon Crown Sanctuary. Elven Queen Sylvia Sunshine was already waiting by the moonshadow tree, her silver moon-like pupils swirling with complex starlight in the morning glow. Beneath that ancient majesty seemed to hide a rare heaviness. The air was filled with the fragrance of laurel leaves, which now carried a hint of bitterness. Beside her stood several elven elders, their expressions solemn.
Fa led her teammates into the council hall, saluted, and the Queen gestured for them to sit.
"How did you rest, holder of the star eye?" The Queen's voice was still ethereal, but less distant than yesterday, with a touch of elder-like concern.
Fa saluted with her hand on her chest, her right eye's star glow slightly subdued: "Thanks to Your Majesty's protection and treatment, we are fine now."
She nodded, her gaze sweeping over each person, finally resting on Fa. Her voice ethereal and profound, as if traversing a long tunnel of time:
"Your questions about Doomsday Rebirth's 'BOSS,' about why I let WingSeris and Virginia go... the root lies in a sealed past." She lightly raised her hand, silver glow flowing from her fingertips, weaving in the air. A blurry yet epic dynamic image slowly emerged—it was seven young, vibrant figures standing on the deck of a ship blending wooden elegance with steam tech style, against a vast sea and rising dawn.
The seven in the image were a young Sylvia Sunshine and her six life-and-death close friends, forming the adventure group named: "Dawn Lion Group."
"About forty spring and autumn cycles ago, the Emerald Tree Sea was my entire world. I was the heir to the 'Eternal Crown,' Sylvia Sunshine, whispering with ancient trees daily, dancing with sunlight, guarding this ancient peace. Back then, I had never seen the vastness of the Muret Continent, never felt the salty sting of the Storm Sea; my heart was pure like an uncarved moonshadow leaf, but also... narrow like a frog at the bottom of a well."
"The change happened one dusk." The Queen's voice carried a distant warmth mixed with bitterness, "Six dusty figures, carrying the scent of the outside world and the smell of gunpowder, intruded into the forest's border. The leader was a human man with eyes sharp as an eagle, yet a smile with peculiar infectious power. He called himself
Human: Roman Chronos (later the Doomsday Rebirth BOSS). He was the guiding star, possessing exceptional wisdom and leadership charm, proficient in tactics and various peculiar magics. In the image, he was full of spirit, his eyes firm and filled with ideals."
"Accompanying him," Sylvia's gaze swept across the void one by one, as if outlining the contours of her old comrades,
Wing Clan: Kaluna Yunxiao. The wing clan's divine archer, her arrows could pierce through clouds, her heart pure as highland winds, master of wind and thunder, our eyes and sharp arrows.
Dwarf: Mulin Yade. A dwarf warrior with beard and hair like flames, bold and sky-reaching, his warhammer 'Mountain Power' could shatter mountains, smashing through countless obstacles for us.
Beastman: Karga Ragehowl. His fearless bravery and pure strength were the tip of the spear tearing through enemy lines. Always charging at the forefront.
Reptilian: Sestick Scaletongue. His stealth skills and mastery of waters and poisons were our assurance in shadows and swamps.
Necromancer: Mortis Bonesong. He was not a symbol of evil but an explorer of soul mysteries and ancient guardian. Skilled in communicating with the dead for information, repairing damaged souls, and using soul energy to build powerful defenses or bindings.
"The first words Roman said to me, I remember to this day." A very faint, almost bitter curve appeared on the Queen's lips, "He pointed to the vast sky and ocean beyond the Emerald Tree Sea, his eyes blazing: 'Sylvia Sunshine, you've lived in this Emerald Tree Sea cage for so long, don't you want to see what the real world looks like? The world's grandeur and suffering far exceed what this leaf can encompass!'"
"His words were like a stone thrown into a still lake, stirring ripples in my heart I'd never felt before. Mulin's bold laughter, Karga's roughness and resilience, Sestick's curiosity for the unknown in his eyes, Kaluna's wings shining with the light of freedom, even Mortis's calm insight into life and death... they carried a vitality and bond I'd never seen. My young heart was deeply touched then. The duty to the forest clashed fiercely with the yearning for the unknown... ultimately, yearning triumphed over stability."
Sylvia closed her eyes, her long silver lashes trembling slightly, as if reliving that moment of struggle and resolve:
"I temporarily entrusted the royal court's duties to the elder council, joining the 'Dawn Lion Group' as 'Sylvia the Lightchaser.' Those ten years of journey..." Her voice became distant and complex, "were treasures the Emerald Tree Sea couldn't give me, and also unhealable scars in my soul's depths."
"We delved into the forgotten ancient mechanical megacity 'Gear Ruins,' fighting in rusted steel jungles against out-of-control guardians. Roman cracked various puzzles and trap cores with his astonishing wisdom, while Sestick saved Mulin in deadly poison gas traps."
"We crossed the ship-devouring 'Storm Cape,' Kaluna's arrows guiding the course, Karga fixing the nearly snapping mast with brute force, Mortis appeasing the storm-disturbed undead sea sirens."
"In the endless yellow sands of the 'Sigh Desert,' we found the legendary oasis ruins. Mulin repaired the ancient water purification device with his forging skills, saving a desert tribe on the brink of extinction. There, we shared our last water, told legends of our races by the campfire, and Roman always used his charismatic words to depict a society where all races coexisted peacefully, a future without interests or wars... that was the vision we deeply believed in. Those ten years were one of the most glorious chapters in our lives, the name 'Dawn Lion Group' spreading among adventurers."
"However, thirty years ago, the illusion of peace was ultimately shattered by reality." The Queen's voice suddenly turned cold, the nebulae in her silver moon pupils swirling faster, as if reflecting the bloody scenes of yesteryear, "The long-accumulated conflicts between races swept across the entire Muret Continent—the 'Source Mine War'—finally erupted. All races were drawn into a vortex of destruction in the scramble for 'energy veins' containing powerful energy." The Queen's voice carried pain, "The 'Dawn Lion Group''s beliefs seemed so fragile in the face of racial survival. We had to part ways, returning to our respective peoples to fight for our clans' survival."
I returned to the Emerald Tree Sea, leading the elves to protect our home; Roman joined the human alliance, trying to change the war's tide; Karga and Mulin followed their clans to the battlefield; Kaluna returned to the wing clan, assisting in defending the Light Feather Dome; Sestick infiltrated enemy lines for assassination missions; Mortis supported allies with her undead legion. That war lasted three years, countless lives fell, the continent left in ruins."
The Queen's voice carried heaviness: "After the war, I tried to inquire about my teammates' fates in the Emerald Tree Sea.
Kaluna Yunxiao (Wing Clan): The war's cruelty made her silent and resolute; later... the wing clan chose to seal the Light Feather Dome, cutting off contact with the outside, focusing on nurturing new wing clan warriors. I understood her choice; it was protection for the surviving clanspeople from the flames of war.
Mortis Bonesong (Soul Clan): Witnessed too many meaningless deaths and soul wails in the war, her heart severely traumatized. After the war, feeling utterly weary, she chose complete seclusion, taking her research on soul mysteries and vanishing into the depths of the southern Eternal Freeze Wastes, no news since.
Karga Ragehowl (Beastman) and Mulin Yade (Dwarf): They..." The Queen closed her eyes, opening them after a moment, her silver moon pupils filled with deep sorrow, "They were forever the brave ones charging at the front. Karga, to cover the retreating beastman tribe, held the rear alone, ultimately overwhelmed by enemy heavy magic mech groups... Mulin, defending the dwarves' last fortress, detonated the entire geovein furnace, perishing with the enemy main force in a earth-shaking explosion... They fell in the war's mid-stage." The image flashed with the beastman roaring as he charged into the steel torrent, and the dwarf turning to glory in the tremendous explosion—a tragic scene.
Sestick Scaletongue (Reptilian): In the war's later stage, his swamp tribe suffered devastating blows. The last contact, he said he was heading deep into the eastern Endless Swamps to find lost clanspeople, no news since. We surmised he might have met misfortune or chosen complete seclusion.
Sylvia Sunshine (Elf): I led the elves to continue guarding the Emerald Tree Sea, using the forest's power and the moonshadow tree's protection, paying a huge price to barely preserve our homeland's integrity.
Roman Chronos (Human): He became one of the key commanders in the human alliance, showing astonishing strategic talent. But in the war's final stage, a key battle's disastrous defeat... he witnessed hundreds of thousands of human allied forces turn to ash under an enemy's terrifying 'living weapon' that devoured life... that catastrophe completely changed him.
The beginning of depravity is a repeat of yesterday.
The image faded, and the Queen's expression became extremely solemn.
"After the war ended, ruins everywhere. I healed the war's wounds in the Emerald Tree Sea. About twenty-six years ago, Roman... he found me." Sylvia's voice sank low, "He had changed, become... unfamiliar. The eyes once shining with ideal light now held only cold calculation and a nearly fanatic despair. He said to me: 'Sylvia, have you seen it? What did this war prove? It proved that this world of ours is rotten to the core from the roots! Racial suspicions, resource plundering, endless conflicts... the old world order only brings destruction!'"
"He showed me his 'Oracle Plan.' He said he wanted to completely end this decayed cycle, create a new world without strife, without pain, absolutely 'perfect.' He believed that only by breaking racial boundaries and having an absolutely rational, powerful will (himself) to rule everything could eternal peace be achieved." His eyes burned with mad flames; I saw the distortion in his heart, shocked by his madness, and firmly refused. I told him that life's value lies in inclusivity and free will; forcibly shaped 'dictatorship' is just another form of tyranny and destruction. We erupted into a fierce argument... ultimately, he left with disappointment and some pity I couldn't understand? Before leaving, he said: 'When the dawn of the new world arrives, you'll understand me, old friend.'"
"I thought he was just ideologically extreme, needing time to calm down. I never expected..." The Queen's gaze swept over the escorted Dekri and Erios beside Celestia, finally resting on Fa, "He actually twisted the 'Dawn Lion Group''s ideals completely, turning 'exploration and protection' into 'plunder and reshaping,' building such a vast and evil 'Doomsday Rebirth' organization!
What I hate most is that he blasphemed life right on the edge of my homeland!
And when WingSeris mentioned his name, calling him 'BOSS (Roman)'... and threatened me in the name of 'old friend'..." The Queen paused, a flash of icy anger in her silver moon pupils, but more deep wariness, "I let them go not out of fear. But because I know Roman's terror. He's no longer the tactical master of yesteryear, but a madman who has mastered unknown powers, possesses a massive organization, and stops at nothing to achieve his goals. Without absolute certainty, without clarifying all his trump cards and plans, rashly starting a full war on Bosera Island with his two subordinates would cost the destruction of the entire Emerald Tree Sea and the devastation of countless innocent lives. This is a weight I, as guardian, cannot bear."
Celestia's Lament and the Queen's Sorrow
After listening, Fa's heart surged with waves. Doomsday Rebirth's BOSS was actually the Queen's old close friend and comrade? This origin and the heaviness of betrayal far exceeded her imagination.
Sylvia looked at Celestia again, seeing her eyes brimming with tears, her voice broken and hoarse:
"Kaluna... Yunxiao?" She staggered a step, as if struck by an invisible hammer, "Your Majesty... she... she wasn't just your close friend... she... she was my mentor! It was she who guided me to understand the rhythm of wind when I was most lost, taught me to harness the power of thunder... Five years ago..." Celestia's voice choked, almost unable to continue, "Five years ago, to repair the ancient storm array in the Light Feather Dome's core area on the verge of collapse due to overload, she forcibly channeled an overwhelmingly massive elemental torrent... The array stabilized, but... but Lady Kaluna's soul... was completely torn apart by the overloaded energy... dissipated at the highest point of the Light Feather Dome..."
Celestia's tears finally rolled down, dripping on the cold platform. "She fell to protect the Light Feather Dome, to protect our home... She often said that the will to protect is a power stronger than wind and thunder... But she... she can no longer see it..."
Queen Sylvia Sunshine's eternally calm silver moon pupils suddenly froze upon hearing the truth of Kaluna's fall. The swirling nebulae deep in her pupils seemed to halt instantly, then churn and collapse violently, like a calm moon sea unleashing towering waves. On her flawless face, for the first time in front of Fa and the others, an uncontrollable, bone-deep sorrow clearly emerged. That sorrow was so heavy it even caused the life magic flowing in the entire Moon Crown Sanctuary to stagnate for a moment, the laurel fragrance in the air carrying bitterness.
She slowly closed her eyes, her long silver lashes trembling fiercely, as if forcibly suppressing surging emotions. When she reopened them, those silver moon pupils were veiled with mist; though still profound, they lost some divine glow, leaving only pure sorrow belonging to "Sylvia" this existence.
"Kaluna..." The Queen's voice was light as a sigh, with a barely noticeable tremble, "My close friend... the eagle soaring upon wind and thunder... So, you've long returned to the eternal long winds..." She said no more, just casting her gaze toward the Light Feather Dome's direction, silent for a long time. That silent mourning was more heart-wrenching than any words. The fall of one close friend and the complete fall of another were like two icy daggers, deeply piercing this ancient guardian's heart.