The moment the system prompt dinged, the rollercoaster in Kael's chest finally leveled out.
Still, he couldn't help but grumble inwardly. Screw this game design. If you have a quest, just give it to me. Why the runaround? If I hadn't pressed the issue just now, would I have missed it completely?
The answer was yes. In many scenarios, unless a player spoke the exact keyword, the dialogue tree simply wouldn't progress.
If Kael had known the exact sequence of events, he could have just announced he spoke the divine tongue and skipped the entire interrogation. But in his past life, nobody had ever triggered this specific quest. He had zero foresight to rely on.
After cursing the system, Kael turned back to Isilwen. "I know Ancient Elvish. How do I speak with the Elven God?"
Isilwen stared at him, dumbfounded. "You... you speak the language of the gods? Was it during the Moonlight Revel...?"
Kael nodded. "I gained the knowledge of Ancient Elvish after the event. I assume Hakpen granted it to me."
The gloom vanished from Isilwen's face, replaced by unbridled joy. She actually jumped in excitement. "That is wonderful, Lord Dawnbreaker! Truly wonderful!"
Watching her exaggerated reaction, Kael narrowed his eyes. Is she really this happy just about the village?
Given the earlier conversation about Miana, Kael already had his suspicions.
It took Isilwen a long time to calm down. Finally, she said, "Lord Dawnbreaker, we must return to the Aelindale World Tree immediately. We can use the Eye of Elunara there to commune with the god."
This was exactly what Kael wanted to hear. "Alright, let's move."
"Please wait a moment, my lord. I must leave some instructions for Ayna."
With a blur of motion, Isilwen vanished and reappeared in front of Ayna. After a quick, hushed conversation, she practically skipped back to Kael. "I am ready, my lord. Let us go."
Kael was practically vibrating with impatience.
Having the World Tree right in front of him but being unable to use it was torture. It was like having a gorgeous woman draped in sheer silk standing before him, but being told he could only look and never touch.
It was maddening!
Now that he had a solution, he wasn't going to waste a single second.
Isilwen didn't waste time either, immediately following Kael as he sprinted out of the forest toward the teleport nexus.
Using his Pass Token, Kael warped them to Village 158 in Brindle Town, near Alderfall City. From there, they bolted into the primeval Aelindale forest.
With Isilwen by his side, the high-level beasts in the area showed absolutely zero hostility. A few of the smaller creatures even scampered up to perch on Isilwen's shoulders as they ran.
They bypassed Feybrook entirely, taking a side route straight to Aelindale.
Actually, calling it Aelindale Village was no longer accurate. It had easily grown to the size of a town.
The exterior of the World Tree was now gargantuan, easily rivaling the Frostfall World Tree Kael remembered from his past life. The architectural structure inside the massive trunk had also expanded, becoming a sprawling, multi-tiered complex.
A female elf spotted them approaching and called out from a distance. "Sir Dawnbreaker! Priestess Isilwen! You have returned!"
She blurred, blinking directly in front of them, and offered a deep bow.
Her name was Misil. She used to be Isilwen's low-level attendant, hovering around Level 20. Now, she was Level 45 and a fully-fledged Acolyte.
Isilwen was thrilled to see her and quickly helped her up. "Misil! Did Arch Elder Caelthas finally approve your promotion?"
Misil grasped Isilwen's hands, beaming. "Thanks to your guidance and recommendation, Priestess, I was officially ordained as an Acolyte three days ago."
Remembering their urgent mission, Isilwen cut the reunion short. "Is Arch Elder Caelthas here?"
Misil nodded. "Yes, he is at the Observatory. Is there good news?"
"I will speak with the Arch Elder first, then we will catch up," Isilwen promised.
She grabbed Kael's arm and pulled him toward a nearby spatial teleport nexus.
The interior of the Aelindale World Tree was so massive now that walking between levels would take hours, not to mention the labyrinth of winding corridors designed to confuse intruders. To solve this, a network of internal spatial nexuses had been set up, strictly for fast travel within the Tree itself.
They warped to the top tier. The moment they stepped out of the nexus, an elderly elf approached them.
The old elf threw a disdainful glare at Kael before turning to Isilwen, his voice dripping with authority. "Isilwen. You have returned. How fares Ayna?"
Isilwen immediately snapped to attention and bowed deeply. "Greetings, Arch Elder Myran. Ayna is doing well. May I ask if Arch Elder Caelthas is present?"
"Arch Elder Caelthas?" Myran scoffed, the sound harsh and dismissive. "An incompetent, inexperienced junior who knows nothing of the world. Does he truly deserve the title of Arch Elder?"
Myran shot Kael another disgusted look, flicked his sleeves, and strode away.
Isilwen’s face darkened at the insult, but she didn't dare talk back. She could only step aside and let him pass.
Kael instantly disliked the arrogant old bastard. But he kept his mouth shut. He was here for the Eye of Elunara, and he wasn't about to cause a scene that might jeopardize his quest.
Once Myran stepped into the teleport nexus and vanished, Kael leaned in. "Who was that old prick? Why is he strutting around like he owns the place?"
"Shhh!" Isilwen desperately shushed him. "Wait until we are inside. He might hear you."
They hurried into the Observatory.
The room had expanded significantly since Kael’s last visit, but the elf sitting in the center of the chamber looked utterly exhausted.
"Arch Elder Caelthas!" Isilwen called out, bowing deeply.
Caelthas looked up. Seeing Isilwen, his weary expression softened a fraction. "Isilwen. When did you arrive?"
Then he noticed Kael standing behind her. He hurriedly stood up and offered a polite bow, forcing a weak smile. "Mayor Dawnbreaker. My apologies, I was distracted and did not notice you."
"Greetings, Arch Elder Caelthas," Kael returned the bow.
Once they were seated, Kael got straight to the point. "You look terrible, Arch Elder. Did something happen?"
Caelthas’s face fell again. "It is... nothing. However, you should drop the 'Arch Elder' title. Just call me Caelthas, or Elder Caelthas from now on."
Isilwen shot to her feet, horrified. "Arch Elder! Are the rumors true? Has Myran been sent to replace you?"
Caelthas remained silent, his lack of denial confirming her worst fears.
Kael’s stomach dropped, and he began swearing violently in his head. Are you kidding me? I haven't even sorted out the village of Starbough yet, and now the village of Aelinbough is about to be stolen out from under me? Is the system screwing with me?!