Chapter 188: The Elven Sacred Ground—Elfo Sagrado (1)
It felt utterly surreal for Ketal.
From the outside, the change in scenery looked minor. At best, the area that had transformed was no larger than a small park. But what stretched out before Ketal was a vast, sprawling plain that defied any sense of scale. It was as though the entire sacred ground had been compressed into a tiny space, only to unfold itself into a grand, hidden realm the moment he stepped inside.
Ketal stood in awe, his mind blank for a moment as he tried to comprehend the scene before him.
At the center of it all stood an enormous golden tree—so tall that it seemed to reach the sky itself, and with a trunk as thick as a mountain. This was the World Tree, the legendary axis around which the sacred ground was built.
The village here was not laid out like any ordinary settlement. Instead of houses on the ground, homes were constructed along the vast trunk of the World Tree, their walls and roofs woven from enormous leaves and sturdy branches. Ladders and natural-looking steps connected the different levels, allowing elves to travel up and down with ease. All around the tree, blossoms were in full bloom, creating a vivid ring of color and fragrance. The air was thick with the pure, almost overwhelming scent of nature. Every breath Ketal took seemed to fill him with a deep, almost primal sense of peace.
With a kind of quiet shock, he realized that this was it—the sacred sanctuary of the elves, Elfo Sagrado. It was a place that felt less like something from the real world, and more like a dream conjured into reality.
Ketal trembled involuntarily, moved beyond words. The urge to weep nearly overtook him. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to steady his heart.
The elven queen smiled gently at him and motioned for him to follow. “Come. Let’s go.”
Ketal nodded, still dazed. “Yeah...”
It took effort to compose himself, but he managed it. Together, they started toward the World Tree. As they walked, Ketal noticed that the sacred ground was protected by an immense wall, built to keep out intruders and shield the heart of the elves’ realm. A guarded gate stood at its entrance, manned by an elven sentry.
The sentry’s eyes widened as he recognized the queen. “Wait—aren’t you the Queen of the Blooming Petals Tribe? Why have you come to the sacred ground, and with the children?”
The queen’s expression was heavy with grief. She replied quietly, “Our village was attacked by dark mages.”