After that, Kael settled into a daily routine, logging in to do exactly three things: water the World Tree, grind the Arena, and hunt for the [Goliath Boar (xi) Hidden Realm] scroll.
Another week passed.
Kael stepped through the teleport nexus into the [Lost Grom'kar Outpost]. The area was still packed with questing players, but the day-one chaos had died down. Many veteran players recognized him and parted the crowd to let him through.
Entering the forest, Kael headed straight for the World Tree. The timber density had dropped over the past few days, but the surviving trees had grown massive. Bizarre creatures now prowled the woods. Just last night, a Level 45 Elite Pangolin had spawned. It took a two-thousand-player raid from Starlight Town over three hours to finally kill it.
Fortunately, these high-level spawns stayed far off the beaten path, leaving casual players unharmed.
Kael spotted the World Tree from a distance. The trunk was now roughly four yards thick and towered nearly twenty yards into the canopy. Its foliage was dense, teeming with exotic birds and beasts nesting among the branches. Whether due to player intervention or the effects of the [Sap of Nature's Blessing], barely ten days had passed, and this [Starlight World Tree] already resembled the young [Aelindale World Tree] he had first seen.
However, Isilwen still hadn't hollowed out a sanctuary inside the trunk.
After applying the daily drops of [Sap of Nature's Blessing] to the tree, Kael tracked her down.
"Isilwen, is it time to hollow out the World Tree?"
In the past, her answer had always been the same: The time is not right.
This time, she frowned and stayed silent. Seeing the shift in her demeanor, Kael felt a surge of hope. Finally, some progress.
"Isilwen," he pressed, "is there anything I can help you with?"
She looked up, her eyes apologetic. "Lord Dawnbreaker... I'm afraid we cannot build the village."
She lowered her head.
"What?" Kael nearly jumped out of his skin. No village inside the World Tree? That ruined his entire plan. "Isilwen, tell me exactly what's going on."
Overcome with guilt, she avoided his gaze. "Our people are governed by the Elven High Council. They oversee all elves and World Trees across the realm. When I brought you the branch, I was only able to do so after securing the Council's permission."
Kael nodded, letting her speak.
"Yesterday," she continued, "I received word from Elder Caelthas. The Council formally rejected our request to hollow out the Starlight Tree."
Kael forced his frustration down and asked calmly, "Does Caelthas sit on the Elven High Council?"
She shook her head. "No. He lacks the seniority. When the old [Aelindale World Tree] still stood, our city had three Arch Elders on the Council. Tragically, they all fell in the last war."
"Then what was their reason for rejecting the request?" Kael asked.
Isilwen’s expression turned strange. "Allegedly, it is the will of the god Hakpen."
Kael frowned. "Allegedly?"
"A few days ago, Elder Caelthas traveled to [Silverglade] to consult with Arch Elder Miana regarding the excavation," she explained. "She communed with the god Hakpen right in front of him, and the answer was a refusal."
Kael's heart sank. This was escalating way out of his league. The Arch Elder of [Silverglade] was a Level 60 boss—an untouchable entity for him right now. Throwing an Elven God into the mix made it entirely hopeless.
But then he caught the nuance in her phrasing. "You said 'allegedly.' Didn't Elder Caelthas hear the divine decree in person? Why use that word?"
Isilwen obviously trusted Caelthas with her life; her doubt was directed elsewhere. Her cheeks flushed slightly. "They communicated with Hakpen through the [Eye of Elunara]. But the god spoke in the divine tongue. Elder Caelthas... couldn't understand it. Hakpen's answer was entirely relayed by Miana."
Kael immediately cast Spell Ward to ensure their privacy.
Logically, Caelthas should have implicitly trusted an Arch Elder's translation of divine will. Yet, Isilwen’s tone dripped with skepticism toward Miana.
The dying ember of hope in Kael's chest flared back to life. "Isilwen, don't beat around the bush. What exactly do you suspect Miana of?"
She hesitated, her words faltering. "This is an internal Elven matter. Please, Lord Dawnbreaker, do not press the issue."
She hadn't given him a direct answer, but her evasion was confirmation enough: Miana was hiding something.
But knowing that didn't change the reality of the situation. Miana was an Arch Elder of [Silverglade] and a sitting member of the Elven High Council. She was an endgame Level 60 boss. Even if she stood perfectly still and let him wail on her, Kael wouldn't even scratch her health bar.
Still, Kael refused to give up. "What happens if I bypass the Council? If I just hollow it out and build the village anyway?"
Isilwen looked grim. "The Council would intervene. At best, we would be exiled by the other Elven tribes. At worst, they would send an execution squad to destroy the World Tree."
"Destroy the World Tree?" Kael was shocked. "Elves would actually do that?"
She sighed heavily. "A World Tree without an [Eye of Elunara] lacks divine protection. To them, it is nothing more than an oversized piece of timber. Destroying it wouldn't be considered a sacrilege."
"[Eye of Elunara]?" Kael finally had a tangible lead. The fire in his gut roared back to life. He rolled up his sleeves. "Then how do we get one? I'll go grab it right now."
In stark contrast to Kael's sudden enthusiasm, Isilwen remained despondent. "There are only two ways to obtain an [Eye of Elunara]. First, tear it from the trunk of another World Tree. Second, petition the gods."
"The first method is practically impossible. You would have to slaughter an entire Elven tribe and destroy their Tree."
"The second method is equally futile. We do not speak the divine tongue. We would have to rely on the High Council..."
That was the second time she had mentioned the language of the gods. Kael’s heart skipped a beat. "Is the language of the Elven Gods known as [Ancient Elvish]?"
Isilwen blinked in surprise, then nodded. "Yes. That is what outsiders call the divine tongue."
Kael was ecstatic. He knew [Ancient Elvish].
Back when he completed the [Moonlight Revel] event, he had received three rewards: a flat +1,000 boost to his five core stats, fluency in [Ancient Elvish], and his affinity with the World Tree had been permanently raised to 'Intimate.'
His 'Intimate' affinity was what gave him the right to plant the sapling in the first place, but the language skill had been sitting in his spellbook gathering dust. He originally assumed it wouldn't be useful until the [Arrival of the Gods] expansion dropped. He had no idea it was the exact key he needed right now.
Right on cue, a system prompt chimed in his ear, confirming the quest.
System: Petition the Elven God to obtain the [Eye of Elunara].