Kael understood that even if he passed every one of these so-called trials—loyalty, courage, strength, conviction—Miana would still block him at the end.
So he might as well cut straight to the final step.
Naturally, Miana wasn't going to leave just because he said so.
She sneered and pointed at the Eye of Elunara overhead.
"Human, do not imagine we are powerless against you just because a god shields you.
"In the mortal realm, every elf answers to the [Elven High Council].
"One order from the High Council, and every elf in this village withdraws. When that happens, what good is an empty World Tree to you?
"What is Starbough Village without its elves? How would it differ from any of your other settlements?"
This time, Kael didn't so much as glance at Miana. He turned to the other Arch Elders instead.
"Honored Arch Elders—can Miana alone speak for the [Elven High Council]?"
The question made the other four look away in embarrassment.
The [Elven High Council] had nine Arch Elders and one Divine Envoy Elder.
As a rule, the nine Arch Elders raised proposals, and those proposals took effect only after the Divine Envoy Elder approved them.
With five Arch Elders in her camp, most of Miana's proposals passed without trouble.
But final authority still rested with the Divine Envoy Elder.
Faced with how impossible Kael was proving, Miana found herself at a loss.
She had never met anyone who dared defy five Arch Elders acting as one.
In the past, she would have stormed off and rammed a punishment through the High Council.
But this time, something about Kael unsettled her.
She couldn't tell whether this human truly held a trump card.
In the end, she fell back on the original issue.
"You are human. The notion that you could control a World Tree is absurd.
"Don't say I never warned you. Plenty of elves already resent you. If I hadn't kept the matter suppressed, they would have come for you long ago."
Kael almost laughed.
So that was her angle.
When open pressure failed, she'd reach for threats from the shadows.
With her influence, Miana could whip up a mob against him any time she pleased.
Still, her words touched on one real problem.
His lack of elven blood was a genuine liability.
Should he find an elven player and hand over management of the World Tree?
But where was he supposed to find an elven player he could trust?
Or perhaps he could use Isolde's class advancement to turn her into an elf?
While Kael weighed his options, the Eye of Elunara suddenly began to turn.
A beam of light descended and projected a figure onto the ground.
Kael frowned the moment he saw it.
He hadn't activated the Eye of Elunara.
Why had it moved on its own?
Then he made out the figure inside the beam, and disbelief flashed across his face.
A heartbeat later, he dropped to one knee and bowed.
"Mentor. What brings you here?"
The figure cast by the Eye of Elunara was Apollo.
Kael had never imagined Apollo might appear before him through the Eye of Elunara.
Apollo smiled. "Rise, my good disciple."
Miana and the others stared, stunned.
They could sense this was no part of the surrounding projection.
This image came from the divine realm itself.
Why was the Eye of Elunara projecting a human god?
Kael rose. "Mentor, what brings you here today?"
A possibility had already surfaced in his mind.
But it was so good he hardly dared believe it.
"These past few days, I've been visiting an old friend," Apollo said. "We compared a few techniques…"
Kael's pulse quickened.
So it was that.
"…and I came to tell you that the elven god's bloodline pairs quite well with our methods. You have nothing to worry about."
The words nearly drove Kael mad with joy.
He knelt again at once and bowed.
"Thank you, Mentor. I know what to do."
"Good. Now I'm off to drink. I'll give the elves this much—they know their wine. Hahaha!"
The projection winked out.
Kael stood, heart pounding.
Then he turned back to Miana, calmer than he had ever been.
Miana smiled coldly.
"Parlor tricks. Don't think a god at your back means you can do as you please. Our elven god carries no small weight in the divine realm either."
Kael grinned.
Then his expression hardened, and a violent aura erupted from his body.
Miana stood closest.
The instant that aura hit her, terror surged up from the depths of her soul.
"Divine pressure!"
Her legs began to shake.
Her whole body trembled.
She clenched her teeth, squeezed her eyes shut, and fought to stay on her feet.
Thud.
Thud.
Beside her, the white-spotted tiger and the other four Arch Elders could hold out no longer. One after another, they dropped to the ground in worship.
Then green light wrapped around Kael's body.
His skin slowly paled.
His ears lengthened.
Before long, Kael wore the appearance of an elf.
But unlike any ordinary elf, an unfamiliar leaf-shaped mark now rested on his brow.
A long moment passed before Miana managed to open her eyes.
When she saw the mark on Kael's forehead, her voice began to shake.
"The Leaf of Thalassil… You are a Divine Envoy?"
Thalassil was the World Tree of the elven god's divine realm.
Kael opened his eyes.
Ignoring Miana entirely, he pulled up his control panel.
One look at his attributes, and he let out a quiet sigh.
As expected. Right back to level 0.