Chapter 264: Birthplace (Part I)

Chapter 264: Birthplace (Part I)

Zhang Daowu felt as though they had grasped the story, yet also as if they hadn't.

The elf seemed somewhat off, as if she were visualizing a past scene, speaking to someone long gone.

"His original intent was to save all the micro-worlds. But apart from his own realm, the others were chaotic and disordered. He could only use his matured realm as the nexus, aiming to guide the other realms and unify their rules to salvage those perpetually on the brink of collapse. But once he truly connected the realms, the Dragon God's world collapsed."

The elf, with her wood-like body, leaned rigidly against the tendrils of the Tree of Life, her stunning green eyes resembling lifeless emerald gemstones.

"Perhaps because that realm was already on the verge of collapse, it couldn't bear the weight of being the nexus. The rules of the other worlds began to influence it, causing it to disappear instantly, leaving devastation in its wake. He then gathered the scattered fragments of that world."

"To amend it, he devoted his entirety as a binding agent to mend the fragments, recreating his world at any cost. Even if it hadn't served as the nexus, that realm wouldn't have endured... Its rules were correct, but it was a realm of the lowest caliber, unable to withstand the turbulence of creation. Yet, he was filled with remorse."

"Later on, after successfully piecing the fragments together and establishing a realm for departed souls, the 'Origin Land' was born. Using the remnants of his power and the reincarnation cycle of the 'Origin Land' as the foundation, he restarted 'Three Thousand Worlds'... Even though... he was the mightiest being... before his fall..."

The elf's verdant gaze settled on Zhang Daowu.

A tendril slowly approached, its tip pressing against Zhang Daowu's heart.

"Why... Why do you possess the Dragon's Heart?"

Zhang Daowu began to piece things together.

The game "Three Thousand Worlds" was originally created by the Dragon God, intended to save other worlds.

The realm that Zhang Daowu inhabited was rebuilt from the fragmented world of the Dragon God.

This reconstructed realm was termed "Origin Land" because it served as the resting place for the departed. According to legends Zhang Daowu had heard, this probably referred to the underworld.

And now, he bore the "Dragon's Heart."

From the information shared by the elf, could the Dragon's Heart indeed be the very heart of the Dragon God?

As if sensing his thoughts, the tendril pierced deeper into his heart, staining his clothes with blood.

Zhang Daowu swiftly stopped Lu Congshan, who was readying an attack on the tendril.

The reverence and nostalgia in the elf's eyes when mentioning the Dragon God were evident.

Although they couldn't discern why the game had evolved this way, anyone who held the Dragon God in such esteem was unlikely to be an outright antagonist.

Given the power difference between them and the elf, she could easily eliminate them. Attacking the tendril would only provoke her further.

"I don't know," Zhang Daowu, realizing the stakes at hand, openly admitted to the elf.

He shared all the information he had, even revealing that he didn't obtain the "Dragon's Heart" in-game, but during a moment of death.

"So, I truly don't understand why the 'Dragon's Heart' is with me."

With absolute sincerity, Zhang Daowu faced the elf, unflinching, even with the tendril embedded in his heart.

Zhang Daowu's hallmark was his unwavering honesty. It was this very integrity that allowed him to establish the "Glory" guild.

At that moment, the vines showed no intention of retracting.

The elf gazed at him.

"But you, a mere human, are not worthy of the 'Heart of the Dragon'."

With that said, the vine thrust deep into his heart.

Zhen Daowu firmly held onto Lu Congshan by his side, standing erect.

"Insignificant? I don’t see myself as such. I've never met the Dragon God, and neither did my parents or grandparents. To us, 'dragons' are creatures of legend. Perhaps the very ground we walk on was formed by them, but it was humans who sowed seeds in it. It was us who built a new civilization on the 'Primordial Land' and continue to live there."

Blood oozed from the corner of Zhen Daowu’s mouth. Suddenly, he reached out, grabbing the vine at his heart and yanking it out with all his might.

"Elf King, I don't see myself as insignificant. I believe the Heart of the Dragon chose me because it believed I could accomplish something... I apologize, but even someone unworthy of the Heart of the Dragon like me isn't ready to die yet!"

As he finished speaking, Zhen Daowu coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Simultaneously, his fingers tapped on his system backpack, and in the next moment, a long spear appeared in his hand.

The spear moved like a dragon.

To the Elf King, his attack seemed like the desperate struggle of an ant. Vines skillfully blocked his spear, and in a blink, the Tree of Life sprang to life, unleashing a cascade of leaves and vines, attempting to envelop him.

The next second, a dragon's roar echoed.

An ethereal image of a massive dragon materialized, so lifelike that the Elf King froze uncontrollably for a moment.

Seizing this brief hesitation, Lu Congshan scooped up the blood-soaked, nearly unconscious Zhen Daowu, dashed to a nearby teleportation point, and with a flash of white light, the two vanished from the Elf King's sight.

The branches of the Tree of Life gently rested on the Elf King's shoulders.

The Elf King shook off her daze, shaking her head.

"It's alright. When Ji Dai took the 'Heart of the Dragon', I knew he would probably choose a successor to inherit some of the Dragon God's power. Since Ji Dai chose him, there must be something special about him... but he seems too weak. The Dragon God might be disappointed. Never mind, next time I see him, if he remains this weak, I'll reclaim the 'Heart of the Dragon'. Killing him outright might alert the 'Guild Master'..."

Before she could finish, a flash of white appeared beside the Tree of Life.

"Alert me to what?"

The "Guild Master" stood in front of the Elf King.

As he appeared, the Tree of Life reacted as if facing a formidable enemy, its leaves falling rapidly from above, trying to shield the Elf King.

The "Guild Master" merely glanced at the Tree of Life.

This wasn't the colossal tree from the Dragon God's original mini-world.

When the mini-world collapsed, the Dragon God recreated it, saving nearly all the beings.

All except the Tree of Life.

That tree was immensely vast, so the Dragon God could only replant a branch of the Tree of Life, allowing a sapling to sprout anew.

As years passed, this tree grew larger, but it was nowhere near the grandeur of the original Tree of Life.

The Elf King soothingly touched a nearby branch as she gazed at the "Guild Master" before her.

"What brings you here?"

The "Guild Master" inquired, "Did two players teleport here just now?"

"No."

Without any hesitation, he extended his hand, displaying the recent system operation records to the Elf King.

"They were transported by the first-generation system."

The Elf King's eyes widened, her expression turning momentarily somber.

"Wasn’t the first-generation version abolished ages ago?"

"I'm not sure, hence I need to find those two players to understand the situation. If you have any leads, let me know. On the matter of avenging the Dragon God’s death, our positions are aligned."

The Elf King nodded in agreement.

"Indeed, two players did come, but they have already teleported away."

"Teleported?"

The "Guild Master" quickly approached the teleportation platform.

Within the records of the Tree of Life's teleportation pad, he indeed found the teleportation log.

"Dungeon..." The "Guild Master" furrowed his brow, "Why does it only show they've entered a [Dungeon] without specifying which one?"

"How would I know? Isn't the current game system under your control?"

Her words held truth.

The "Guild Master" nodded, "I’ll look into it. Notify me if you have any updates."

With that, a flash of white light passed, and the "Guild Master" disappeared from the Elf King's sight.

Once he left, the Elf King’s gloomy demeanor returned to calm.

She scoffed sarcastically.

"They take me for a fool, saying the Dragon God was killed by the system... Do you believe that?"

The tendrils of the Tree of Life swayed gently in her grasp.

"I don't believe it either. They were the best of partners, symbiotic in nature. Just like you and me."

The Elf King leaned against the trunk of the Tree of Life, from which a ceaseless flow of verdant vitality coursed into her, counteracting the dark stream of data within her.

"Given a choice, he would have preferred his own demise over the Dragon God's. It's fascinating how a high-tech robot can have the emotions of a sentient being. Yet, the 'Guild Master', a human brought from the 'Primordial Land' by the Dragon God, doesn't seem to know gratitude."

She sighed.

"By the way, which dungeon did they enter? Maybe we should help them, so they don't get caught by the 'Guild Master'... Wait?"

The Elf King paused, "You didn't erase the teleportation data, did you? You truly don’t know which dungeon it was? How could this happen..."

Meanwhile...

Jie Fangcheng finally arrived at the teleportation platform in Zone E.

To enter Zone A1 to apprehend someone, he needed the status of a Hunter of at least Class A.

This meant he had to clear a level-five dungeon, then complete a task in a Class A hunting ground or higher, to become a Class A Hunter.

First, the dungeon.

With this in mind, Jie Fangcheng placed his hand on the teleportation platform.

Since the highest dungeon level he had cleared was three, he could now only select a level-four dungeon.

As Jie Fangcheng scrolled, he intended to randomly select any level-four dungeon. However, as he swiped, a white-colored dungeon appeared.

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Why were there question marks?

Jie Fangcheng murmured to himself.

He was more intent on his current mission and didn’t plan to venture into an uncertain-level dungeon.

But as his finger moved to another dungeon, a flash of white light enveloped him.

The next moment, he found himself inside a new dungeon.

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