The guard, hearing my words, moved as though he would attack, but then stopped. The stag’s words seemed to leave the Elf in a state of turmoil, grappling with conflicting instincts. On one hand, there was the ingrained cultural reverence for the stag as a sacred being, a voice of their god. On the other hand, the idea of siding with a human—someone his people despised—against his own natural inclinations must have felt like betraying centuries of tradition. The weight of these opposing forces was evident in his hesitation. I am guessing that the Elf also heard the chuckle, and why should he defend the honor of the stag who found my words amusing.

  As the guard stood there twitching in indecision the princess responded, “Well that means whatever it is, is very interesting. Care to share? I can promise that whatever it is does not leave the Elven nation.” She said in a slightly sweet voice that was also filled with intrigue.

  I sighed and shook my head, resigning myself to the fact that there was little chance of leaving without telling her the truth. For a moment, I considered attempting a distraction to slip away, but the arrival of the second guard quickly dismissed that notion.

  The deference he showed when approaching me was so different from how he acted before that I was momentarily stunned, unable to do anything but stare. It was as though the very foundation of how I had been treated up to this point had shifted, leaving me grappling with what this newfound respect might mean. The stark contrast in his demeanor hinted at something profound, and for the first time, I began to wonder if the guardian’s words carried a weight I didn’t fully comprehend.

  “Mr. Jace Grand Elder tamqu’ jatlhbogh pormey will see you, Princess, please go with him to describe to the Grand Elder everything that has occurred.” He said all of that while bowing at the waist at almost a perfect forty five degree angle. His eyes remaining slightly closed and staring at my shins or feet and one arm behind his back with the other over his heart.

  “Alright, now this is just getting creepy. There is no way everyone just changes how they interact with me like that.” I snapped my fingers with my words, trying to get my point across. “I get that the guardian has spoken, but your people have hated humans forever. I look exactly like a human, so naturally the hate the Elves have for humans would be directed at me.”

  “So, you are not a human, which explains the scent. Are you a Primarch, is that what the guardian meant?” Lilliana asked. Still trying to probe me for more information.

  “Let’s just go meet, Grand Elder uh taco... The Grand Elder.” I said in response while shaking my head.

  Lilliana just smiled and nodded while leading the way. Not even bothering to look at the guards that seemed to be taking be looking at me very intently now that I had passed them by. I guess the good news is, that I doubt they will keep me trapped here since I was welcomed by their god.

  Entering the tree, I felt a palpable blanket of comfort for lack of a better word. It wasn’t just a physical sensation; it was as though every burden I carried, every secret I kept, was momentarily lifted. The air itself seemed imbued with a profound sense of safety, like stepping into a sanctuary where nothing could harm me. This wasn’t merely comfort—it was a rare and overwhelming sense of belonging, something I hadn’t felt in either of my lives. It was as though I was wrapped in the physical manifestation of a mothers love. It was the most welcoming and calming experience I have ever felt, and my description does not do it justice.

  Not once since gaining the system had I felt so carefree and lacking in the tension of keeping my secret. Not that the feeling was trying to convince me to share or anything like that. It was a feeling of complete trust. Knowing that if I did not want to share, I did not have to and that was perfectly fine.

  Maybe it was because of the feelings I had from entering the tree, or the feeling of trust, but I decided to forgo my father’s advice of not using Identify and used it on Princess Lilliana.

  Lilliana Lightningfoot (L) - Level 139 – High Elf – Talent: Zephyrburst

  No wonder she was able to defeat me so easily; her level and abilities were far beyond anything I could match. How she was rated legendary without having gained a class through The System I had no idea, but I was going to try and figure it out. With that said, if she only had the bare minimum in stats that she should have at that level she had over 1500 more stats than I did. What were these Elves doing to gain so many levels.

  Lilliana looked back at me, probably having sensed my Identify but not knowing what it truly was. Seeing the somewhat shocked look on my face seemed to make her happy though so she just turned around and continued on leading me toward my destination.

  Shaking my head to clear the shock from my mind I began to actually look around the inside of what the Elves considered a living god. Honestly, I was a little disappointed. It just looked like a long hallway with doors on either side and will-o-the-wisps to light the way.

  We followed the hallway past several blank doors before taking a set of stairs upward to the next floor, filled with the exact same setup. Why the stairs had to be on opposite sides of after each floor I did not know. I did know that whoever decided that was a good idea, if I ever saw them, and I would at the very least tell them they were an asshole.

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  We had to climb an astonishing eighteen floors before we got to the door that we wanted. Crossing every single floor on the way up. I think it took us longer to get to the door than it did for us to get to the Elven village from the dungeon.

  Even with all the extra stats I had gained my legs still started to burn and I was sweating when we got to the door. Lilliana of course seemed perfectly fine, I may have called her a few names in my mind at the moment. Definitely not aloud mind you I wasn’t dumb.

  Lilliana knocked on the door very quietly. Acting like we were in a library, and she did not want the sound to travel very far. For all I knew the doors could be enchanted or something to only allow the sound of knocking to come through and that was why she did it.

  Either due to a set amount of time passing, or from a sound that I could not hear, Lilliana opened the door and lead me inside. The room was very sparse, it had a desk behind which sat the oldest female Elf I had ever seen, not that I had seen many. She had white hair and even though she did not look extremely old, the fact that she had wrinkles seemed to stand out more than most.

  As for the room, there was a bookcase off to the side completely filled with books. Finally, a mat off to the side that looked to be used for meditation like in a cultivation book. The desk seemed to be grown from the floor or carved out when the room was. The amount of time these Elves spend on carving their trees had to be absurd.

  As I sat looking around the room, just taking everything in, Lilliana proceeded to speak to the Grand Elder, who had not said a word as we entered. And she made sure to explain everything, from how I was able to teleport right next to her, that I was not human, and even the weird sensation she had as we were climbing the stairs.

  The Grand Elder just smiled lightly throughout the entire retelling nodding at all the correct spots and showing full interest in what she said. When Lilliana finally finished retelling everything, the Grand Elder sat in silence for a minute before speaking.

  “Thank you lIlIya’na laytInghfut, I will speak to Jace alone. I will send a guard to inform you of when we are finished, and you may come show Jace around the village.” The Grand Elder said in a smooth and calming tone.

  Lilliana gave a small bow, showing deference to the Grand Elder even with her status, turned toward me and nodded before leaving. I nodded back but continued to maintain my silence. My parents on Earth taught me to respect my Elders and I found that it did not hurt to continue to do so here.

  The Grand Elder looked at me and seemed to take in the whole of me, her piercing gaze making me feel as though every part of my being was under scrutiny. I could feel her eyes moving beyond the surface, delving into the core of who I was, as though she could read not only my actions but my intentions, my fears, and even my secrets. The weight of her gaze was both humbling and unsettling, leaving me to wonder what truths she was uncovering and what conclusions she might draw from them.

  When her eyes landed on me, it was as though my entire existence was unraveled and exposed, every thought, memory, and emotion laid bare before her. The intensity of her gaze pierced deeper than any physical pain I had endured in both my lives—broken ribs, dislocated shoulders, and all. It was an unnerving vulnerability that I had never experienced before, leaving me feeling raw and defenseless.

  The feeling passed by very quickly, but still left me feeling exposed. Part of me really wanted to Identify her just to see if she liked the feeling herself. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t do that again. That was not comfortable.” I said trying to maintain civility.

  At my words she seemed to smile slightly, as though she found it amusing that I had actually noticed her. “Interesting, that you were able to notice. Noone else ever has, tell me does this have to do with this strange feeling that the princess had while climbing the stairs?” She asked. “Do not worry, we elves will not keep you hostage even if your talent can completely change our lives for the better. It is not our way, besides yIgDraSIyl has spoken. If an Elf goes against the word of their god, it might as well be a death sentence.”

  With the elder's words, the comforting presence in the air seemed to reaffirm their truth. The being behind these impressions felt ancient and complete, as though The System itself was an unnecessary construct for something so inherently powerful. It exuded an aura of self-sufficiency, a being beyond needs or wants, making the concept of joining The System almost laughable in its irrelevance.

  Deciding that if I couldn’t trust a literal god then who could I trust, the first thing that I did was use Identify on the Grand Elder.

  Whispering Leaves (A) – Level 342 – High Elf – Talent: Analyze

  And immediately wished that I had not. Not only was she ascended like myself, but her level was so high that she might kill me by accidently sneezing in my direction. No wonder the Elves were able to stop all of the human nations together from making any headway into the forest if they were this strong.

  “Oh, that is a strange sensation. I wonder if others have felt the same when I look at them and just not mentioned anything? I’ll have to ask around.” The Grand Elder stated calmly.

  I on the other hand continued to sit there, scared stiff. Hoping that I had not offended this Elder or her god in some way.

  “You can calm down, considering that I did the exact same to you, it’s only fair that you respond in kind. However, I do ask that you now show us some trust and tell me what The System is and about your kind?” The Grand Elder asked in a calm voice with a small smile on her face. Speaking as though she was talking to a cornered skittish animal, which she may very well have been.

  Once again, the presence helped me, sending calming waves and allowing me to collect my thoughts. The Grand Elder remained silent for the few minutes it took me to collect my thoughts and once I did, I decided to go ahead and trust this god.

  I went on to explain The System, and how it was my talent and everything that I knew so far. The only thing I left out was the fact that I was reincarnated, though why I did not really know. The Grand Elder was an amazing listener. Nodding at the appropriate times, gasping when I was trapped in the Dungeon, and ask clarifying questions when needed.

  When I got to the part about how she was an ascended class and that the princess was legendary, the Grand Elder seemed to come to an idea. Hopefully, she would share with me. Once I was finished telling my story the Grand Elder nodded and closed her eyes in quiet contemplation. The feeling of the presence that had surrounded me the whole time seemed to wrap me up a final time like in a hug that said it was proud of me and then faded somewhat.

  The feeling did not completely disappear, just faded as though it was now concentrating on something else instead of me. I hoped with all of my heart that I had not made a bad decision in telling this Grand Elder everything that was going on.