Chapter Thirty Five, Overbearing Calm.
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"What the hell? Could you do that the whole time?" Esmerelda yelled in a surprised whisper. Jora chuckled at that.
"No I just picked it up from listening to all the talking you did." He replied, with a smile.
And then he turned his head back towards the elf in front of him.
The elf man, Lord Lafayette, had placed a hand on his chin.
His lips poked forward, and his head was slowly nodding.
"All is well!... So! Where do you come from?... Sir Jora. Human, right?" The lord, Lafayette, asked. Jora nodded.
"I come from a small unimportant town, on the outskirts of the Vega Empire..." He replied.
"So that confirms you weren't sent here on official business? I already assumed, considering you were dragged her by one of my residents. Normally outsiders are sensed by the Watchers... How exactly did you find your way into elven territory? I can't sense your power, but any foreigners who end up here aren't weaklings... What level are you? What do you desire?" Jora blinked. He opened his mouth to breath, a response beginning to roll off of his tongue.
"Matter of fact. Tell me while we travel." The elf gave a nod, spinning around. His leg trotted forward, sword swaying by his side as he stepped towards a path that led away from this large clearing of trees they were in.
Jora blinked a few more times at the sudden change, but he didn't complain.
He followed the man, a smile still equipped on his face.
"You too Esmerelda. You brought him here. The council will want to hear how you stumbled across this outsider." He could hear the kindness in Lafayette's tone. His gaze flicked back towards the stuttering elven girl, but she quickly nodded and heeded her lord's words.
He wondered where this was going.
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"So all of it from the top for me, just so I can make sure I am not missing anything." Lafayette spun his finger around in a circular motion, Jora chuckling at his words.
"So, the Dungeon I was exploring collapsed. I was transported into the ground just in those plains outside of the forest. I've heard a few things of elven people, one of which being that you guys have a cool World Dungeon. I love fighting! I want to enter and gain some levels maybe, fight whatever monsters are in there that aren't out in the Empire! Elves are nice people, from what I know but of course I don't expect you guys to just let me reap the benefits of your possessions, so I'm very willing to make a deal and trade something in return for being able to explore your Dungeon..." Jora tapped his finger on his chin.
He and Esmerelda followed the lead of the man before them, and the man in reference continued to walk forward, glancing back smiling every so often.
"And that's all you want?" Lafayette cleared his throat.
Jora chuckled.
"Yes! I just want to fight! I've always wanted to visit a World Dungeon... They're different from the rest!" He replied.
Lafayette swayed his head from side to side shrugging his shoulders.
"Well, you are right about that... As a result, you'll definitely need to trade something to enter. As well as proving your power... Level 498 right? Peak of S-rank? You meet the requirement to venture inside without any additional personnel. So that'll work in your favor." He answered. As he spoke, Jora could see the tree-line ahead of them.
It was like there was an endless white wall. It spanned infinitely upwards, far beyond he could see, masked by the trees taller than reason. Trying to find its end was pointless, in both directions it had no stop point.
It was unbelievably mystical.
"I do personally want to see how powerful you are though... I have only seen two human outsiders in my years. You being the second."
As they neared, he was far less focused on the man's words, and more on the fluctuations from in front of them.
Even Esmerelda seemed to be entranced by the wall.
Not as much as he though...
He could feel the deep power laid within its matrix. The interconnecting layers of space, and mysterious elements he didn't understand.
Things he couldn't really comprehend.
"It was created by an ancient elder, dozens of thousands of years ago." Lafayette clearly noticed his awe.
Jora could only let out a friendly chuckle. One that turned slightly real upon hearing Ana's fake words of praise towards his shitty acting.
The trio of an elven lord, elven commoner, and human man, stepped through the wall thrumming with power.
And they were greeted with a beautiful sight.
A massive, sprawling city. One that was seamlessly woven into the forest. Buildings spiraling around massive trees. Arched bridges connected pagodas. There were multiple levels to the place, walkways, terraces. Sunlight pierced into the area perfectly, finding just the right gaps in the leaves of the massive overshadowing trees.
The place was majestic. An enchanted city.
Mana pulsed through the trees. Elements gathered all around. It was dense. Completely overbearing perhaps, if he had not taken a little trip through Aeternum.
Even Ana commented on the beauty of the scene.
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"Welcome to the West Capital, sir Jora!" Lafayette laughed. "Now, onto the Council Hall!"
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The trio delved into the city, not aware of the eyes that lingered over them.
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An entity awoke within the pitch black darkness. With that, a dim light leaked from its body, emanating into the surroundings, brightening things just enough to see a few feet around the character.
He was tall, lean, and slender. He carried a calm presence, with pale and smooth skin. Observing his face, it was hard to distinguish if he was truly male. He hovered between man and woman. He had long silver-white hair, that fell past his shoulders. It was partially braided into thin strands, adorned with beads and ties. His eyes were light, golden, perhaps hazel. In the center of his forehead sat a triangular mark, a red crystalline protrusion. His pointy tipped ears were equipped with long cloth, earrings. Ear-beads that dangled far down past chest.
All he wore was a loose robe, outer garments hardly wrapped around his shoulders.
He was a beauty.
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The elven man yawned, stretching an arm back while using the other hand to cover his mouth.
He stepped forward.
Then he stepped again.
And some more.
After less than ten steps, he had come to stop. He extended his hand forward, and then he pushed.
Slowly, a grating noise filled the surroundings, as light poured into the room.
A massive door was pushed open, the brightness of the outside world making itself clear.
"A-Ancestor Kismet!" A man scrambled to his knees, bowing down before the tall elf that had exited out of the darkness.
"... Descendant of Mier Balven?" The ancestor asked.
The kneeling man nodded his head in confirmation, keeping his face glued to the ground.
The slender elf glanced around his new surroundings, moving on past the kneeling guard. He cared not for an average SS-rank, he had more important matters to tend to.
He peered down the regal hallway, noting the slight change in architecture.
"Interesting..." He muttered, power dispersing into the air as it escaped from his mouth.
He examined the minute changes, and appreciated them.
He loved the beauty of the way his people built.
A small smile emerged on his face.
And then he disappeared.
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The trio stood in front of the entrance into a massive tree.
Eyes lingered.
All of the eyes actually.
There were hundreds of elves nearby, all of them staring, all of them whispering to one another.
Jora only kept his warm smile.
"You're really an anomaly... No hard feelings..." Esmerelda whispered, likely in attempt to calm anything he may be feeling regarding the attention.
But Jora only gave a chuckle, a smile, and a dismissal of her care.
He was too focused on something else.
Focused on restraining his desires.
Every individual elf, smelt infuriatingly delicious.
They were dense with mana. Dense with life. Dense with energy. They had countless skills running deep through their existences, and he could almost taste them.
There were countless Talents. The vast majority of which he had never encountered.
He felt, weak.
Weak for not being able to just consume all the prey in front of his eyes.
His pride was taking a blow, and his the tease of such a feast, was blooming into an endless hunger that fueled his rage.
But Ana spoke words to his mind. Logical explanations, thorough descriptions of the consequences.
He could only resign to controlling himself.
Though he surely didn't want to...
"You'll have to explain to them the same thing you explained to us. The whole interaction shouldn't take long, don't worry." Lafayette smiled.
And then he opened the doors.
He, Esmerelda, and Lafayette filtered into the tree, being greeted by a large room.
They entered, and Jora took silent note of the overwhelming power.
The signatures of people far beyond his realm of strength.
"[SS-rankers... Five of them.]" Ana spoke.
He could feel it, he didn't even need her clarification.
He found himself in a cathedral like setting. Walking down a center aisle, with seats on both of his sides.
Up ahead, was a raised platform, a stage with council seats.
Five of them, for the five elves that sat there.
Each of them had their eyes locked onto him. Neutral, or interested looks being sent his way.
"Took your time to get here Lafayette, didn't you?" One of them spoke.
Lafayette replied.
Jora didn't really hear.
It was even worse in here.
The SS-rankers smelt like heaven.
But they induced a tinge of fear...
It was angering.
Belittling.
"Finally."
Jora's head swung towards the right wall of the council room, as did all others present.
He saw a person, an elf man. He hadn't noticed him before, but with his attention drawn.
He could feel him.
His eyes twitched, and he could see the reactions of all the other elves present.
Esmerelda was blinking rapidly, trying to understand what she was seeing.
Lafayette gulped, his jaw falling agape.
Even the four council members, their faces were filled with shock, alarm.
He could hardly process it, considering his stomach was having trouble settling, so he couldn't react as quickly as the elves.
Each of them dropped to the ground, to their knees.
Each of them bowed.
"Hello human. You have taken some years, but it is okay. Come with me." The elf man that was leant against the wall, beckoned him forward with a hand.
And he was there.
Teleported, shifted in space against his own will.
He stood before the elf, and the elf dwarfed his height.
He understood he wasn't short, tall compared to the average human man. Even amongst the elves, he had noted that he seemed to be pretty average.
Six feet and six inches.
But this man nearly doubled his stature.
He was at least ten feet tall...
Everything about him... Felt superior...
"G-Great Ancestor Kismet! We have been blessed with your presence!" One of the council members spoke.
His words fell on rather deaf ears.
Jora surely wasn't paying him any mind.
Their SS-rank power was nothing compared to this elf... He couldn't even begin to grasp at what he was comprehending.
He didn't even have the coherency to give the rapid evolution of his senses.
His nose was rapidly flaring, trying to sniff out the depths of this man's strength.
His eyes flickered, twitching, trying to see into the man's mystique.
A hand was placed on his shoulder.
It was a great weight.
Far greater than his encounter with Zenor.
But there was no pressure.
It was calm.
Even in his mind, Ana was not rambling. She was silent, entranced, watching, just as he was.
"Let us converse amongst the clouds." A smirk arose on the elf's face.
The two of them disappeared.
The hall was left in silence, seven elves kneeling on the ground, sweat profusely dripping onto the floor.
"What in gods name?..." Esmerelda whispered...
She only whispered what everyone else was thinking...
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