On the third day, at six-thirty in the evening, only ninety minutes remained before the Elven High Council arrived.
Kael didn't go anywhere. He stayed on the top-floor observation deck, Isilwen and Leo standing at his side.
He stared at the [Blood of the Elven God] in his inventory, unable to make up his mind.
To prepare for the High Council's trial, he'd spent the past three days running from place to place. In the end, the only thing he believed might truly tip the scales was this bloodline inheritance.
But would the Elven God's bloodline clash with Apollo's skill inheritance?
He had no idea.
That uncertainty had sent him first to the peak of the Shadowcrag Mountains, the spot where he'd summoned Apollo for the first time, where he'd tried to call out to him.
No response.
Then he'd gone to the Behemoth Lands.
Nothing.
He'd asked Caelthas.
No answer.
He'd even meditated beneath the Eye of Elunara.
Still nothing.
Kael had tried every method he could think of, all to confirm one thing: whether the two inheritances were compatible.
Three days, and not a soul could answer him.
His caution wasn't unfounded.
In his previous life, the player ranked second on the Top One Hundred leaderboard, [Fleetwing], had completed a divine skill inheritance quest with a perfect rating. Even so, she still couldn't beat Bloodshadow.
To close that gap, she'd gambled on forcibly fusing a second bloodline inheritance.
The fusion failed.
After that, her ranking collapsed—until she dropped off the Top One Hundred altogether.
By the player data Kael remembered from his previous life, ninety-nine point nine percent of divine skill inheritances and divine bloodline inheritances conflicted with one another.
And that was the gamble staring him in the face now.
Was it worth risking Apollo's inheritance to take on the Elven God's bloodline?
Time slipped past, fast.
Kael still hadn't decided.
Then a system notification appeared.
System: The Elven High Council has arrived.
Five elves materialized on the observation deck.
At their head stood a female elf, a white-spotted tiger at her side.
Miana, governor of Silverglade.
A bow rode across her back.
[Moon Goddess's Bow]
A divine weapon, granted to her by Lunaria, the Moon Goddess.
Behind Miana stood four more members of the Elven High Council, each from a different elven main city.
Jorena of Amazora Yewhold.
Ossian of Tarken Yewhold.
Caeryn of Cedarfall Yewhold.
Rykan of Tongass Yewhold.
None of these four Arch Elders held the title of governor, yet their strength matched a governor's—if not more.
In a heartbeat, five elves and one tiger stood before Kael.
It was as though five mountains had risen up in front of him.
Their pressure slammed into him head-on. His chest clenched, and his legs nearly buckled.
It wasn't that Kael lacked nerve. The gulf in strength was simply too vast; his body reacted before his mind could rein it in.
On the surface, he forced himself steady and managed the ghost of a smile.
"Welcome, Arch Elders."
The words had barely left his mouth when a thunderous roar erupted in front of him.
"Roar!"
It came from the white-spotted tiger at Miana's side.
The sound rattled the entire World Tree. Down in Starbough Village, players felt their hearts lurch and started wondering where the monstrous roar had come from.
Miana stroked the tiger beside her and said softly, "Easy, Rajah. You don't get to eat him yet."
Then she lifted her head and fixed Kael with a mocking smile.
Kael let the naked threat slide.
His nerves were drawn wire-tight, his focus locked on the trial ahead. He had no appetite for trading barbs.
"Mayor Dawnbreaker, I trust you know why we're here." Miana gestured to the four Arch Elders behind her. "For a little village like this to host five Arch Elders is a great honor."
Then her expression shifted.
Her voice went cold.
"Enough pleasantries. Hand over control of the World Tree."
Kael snorted. "Arch Elder Miana, you're not even going to keep up the act? I thought you came to test whether I deserved the title of Arch Elder."
The five Arch Elders broke into laughter.
Arch Elder Rykan of Tongass Yewhold leveled a finger at Kael and sneered, "You? A human? An Arch Elder? What a joke."
Kael didn't give ground. "What? Is there a rule that says humans can't become Arch Elders?"
Arch Elder Jorena of Amazora Yewhold stepped up to Kael and touched his skin. "Young human, you don't seem to grasp our laws. It's true—no rule forbids a human from becoming an Arch Elder."
"But to become one, you must command the language of the Elven God. You are merely human. Why would the divine grant a god's tongue to the likes of you?"
Kael switched to Ancient Elvish and said coldly, "Is that so? When the divine Aureleaf spoke to me, he mentioned no such thing."
The instant the Ancient Elvish left his lips, the five Arch Elders froze.
Now, at last, they understood how Caelthas had obtained the Scepter of Aureleaf without knowing the language of the gods.
They'd assumed Aureleaf had granted the scepter to him directly.
So it had been this feeble human's doing all along.
Killing intent flooded the observation deck.
How could they let an outsider hold the language of their god?
But this was the observation deck, and the Eye of Elunara hung directly overhead. None of them dared make a reckless move.
Miana raised a hand, silencing the other four.
Then she addressed Kael in Ancient Elvish.
"Not bad. You're qualified to undergo the trial for the title of Arch Elder."
"But let me remind you—this is not a trial you can pass on luck."
"You must impress us with your loyalty, your courage, your strength, and your faith. Only when all five of us approve may you claim the rank of Arch Elder."
Kael let out a cold laugh. "Impress you first, then earn your approval?"
"You're the judges. Can you even pretend to be fair?"
Miana smiled, those beautiful, dangerous eyes settling on him. "What other choice do you have?"
Kael had no answer.
He was the fish on the cutting board.
For now, all he could do was take it one step at a time.
Then, without warning, he was teleported somewhere unfamiliar.
Kael opened the map and read its name.
[Battlefield of Gods and Demons]
His expression changed.
"Why the hell am I standing on a map from the next expansion?"