Chapter 146 : Royal Mark
Chapter 146 : Royal Mark
Royal MarkSerea fell into a coma, but her consciousness remained. She felt her body being carried onto a soft bed, and from the familiar feeling, it must have been Celia.
But the current issue was...
She found herself in a dimly lit space. Within the space, a "Blood Elf Queen's Mark" with three drops of blood floated and bloomed. Because of this mark, Serea had gained the profession of Elf Queen, but that was only an honorary title—she didn't possess any of the Elves' skills.
In fact, this time, she had used the Queen's Mark to nurture the Elf Tree, which eventually dumped her into this damned place.
But that being said, why were there two Queen's Marks...
Serea felt it was strange, because there actually were two Queen's Marks in front of her. One was the "Blood Elf Queen's Mark" composed of three drops of blood, and the other was the "Darkmoon clan Elf Queen's Mark" made of three green leaves.
The former had appeared after being purified by the power of the "Blood Well", while the latter was granted—er... ahem... granted to her by Lola.
Looking at the Queen's Mark made of three green leaves, Serea felt it a bit odd.
"Logically, hasn't the Darkmoon clan's Queen Mark already evolved into the 'Blood Elf Queen's Mark'? Why did it become two separate marks?"
As Serea asked this, a voice sounded.
"Are you the Elf chosen by Lola?"
The voice came from within the "Blood Elf Queen's Mark", which surprised Serea.
"Who are you?"
"I am Loen, the last royal descendant of the blood elves."
"Uh... you're Lola's father?"
"Hm? You recognize me?"
"I heard Lola mention you. By the way, what's your current situation..."
Upon hearing the voice from within the Blood Elf Queen's Mark, Serea felt perplexed. Wasn't Loen already slain in the Corrupted Jungle?
"I have already died. The consciousness I left behind is only to witness who Lola ultimately chose."
"The one she ultimately chose?"
"That's right, you are that chosen one, about to inherit the 'Elf King's Mark'..."
Halfway through, his voice abruptly cut off. When he spoke again, his voice was filled with incredulous astonishment.
"You're actually a woman! And... you're not even of the Elves! God, my daughter actually married a female human!!"
Loen's tone was filled with uncontrollable shock. He was trying hard to steady himself, but he simply couldn't accept the reality in front of him, and at this moment, he hadn't recognized Serea's identity as a bloodline being.
"What do you mean by 'married me'?"
With Serea's question, loen asked back.
"Hm? Didn't Lola perform the contract ceremony with you?"
"The contract ceremony..."
Serea touched her lips. That so-called contract ceremony was...
"Ahem, it happened, but that was Lola voluntarily granting me the identity of Queen."
"What!?"
Loen's voice was filled with horror.
"That foolish girl, truly reckless! To think her mother and I entrusted both the 'Elf King's Mark' and 'Elf Queen's Mark' to her, only for her to hand those marks to an outsider!"
Loen muttered to himself. Upon hearing this, Serea caught onto a key word.
"You said you gave your 'Elf King's Mark' and Lola's mother's 'Elf Queen's Mark' both to Lola?"
"Naturally. As the last descendants of the blood elves, we have a mission we must complete, and it must be passed down by our offspring. But Lola actually handed the marks..."
Loen felt a headache. Lola's act signified that the blood elves would have no more descendants, since Lola had chosen a woman.
"Looks like I've been standing in your way..."
Serea said, more or less clear on things. Once Lola passed the royal "Mark" to her through the contract ceremony, then Lola's so-called "mission" would also have to be shouldered by the two of them. If she wasn't mistaken, that mission was—
To find the bloodline!
"No, perhaps not. The prophet's prophecy can't be wrong. We will surely fulfill that mission."
Suddenly, the despondent Loen thought of something—the "prophecy" gave him new hope.
"Human, things are as they are. The mission can only be entrusted to you and Lola now."
"Huh?"
"I don't know why, as a human, you were able to inherit our royal mark, but since you are able to accept this strength, it means you are part of the prophecy. Here and now, I beg you, assist Lola in completing her mission."
"What mission? Tell me."
"Go to the Eastern Continent and welcome the arrival of the bloodline. If you can find the descendants the bloodline left behind, they will grant you inexhaustible strength!"
"Oh?"
Hearing this, Serea revealed a meaningful smile.
"Though you originally shouldn't have been involved, since you have inherited our royal mark, please also accept this mission. I have nothing else to offer, so I am willing to entrust the Elves' supreme strength to you."
"Wait, let me be clear: you'll give me strength, then I'm to find the bloodline, and as long as I find them, my mission is complete, right?"
"Yes."
"Alright then, I agree."
"I'm counting on you."
"Don't worry, I'll definitely find them for you!"
"Let's hope that's true..."
Loen gave a long sigh.
This was the hereditary mission of the blood elf clan, and to fulfill it, even knowing he would die, loen entrusted both the "Elf King's Mark" and the "Elf Queen's Mark" to Lola.
To be on the safe side, loen also stored part of his consciousness in the "Elf King's Mark."
As long as Lola passed on the mark and it was used by another, loen's consciousness would awaken and complete the final handover.
But now, this mission was about to come to an end. Lola and this "human" couldn't produce new blood elf descendants, so if the bloodline wasn't found during their limited lifespans, the blood elves would be completely extinct.
However, loen didn't know Serea's true identity, and Serea didn't say anything more about it.
"I will do my best to help Lola find the bloodline. So, do you have any words for Lola?"
"Words? I said everything I needed to say back when we parted so long ago, so I don't want to disturb her further. Please, don't let her know I ever existed, for I don't want her to revisit that sadness."
"I see. Then you're a good father..."
"A king can never truly be a good father."
Loen shook his head with self-mockery, then continued,
"But in any case, Lola still has her mission, so I leave her all to you, the human Lola has chosen!"
"Mm."
Serea nodded.
"Then please accept this strength!"
As he spoke, the mark with the three drops of blood pattern and the mark with three green leaves completely separated, with the one as the "Elf King's Mark" being bestowed upon Serea.
System: "Blood Elf Queen's Mark" upgraded to "Blood Elf King's Mark."
System: Blueprint—Elf Tree Blood Elf Tree Nest unlocked.
"!!!"
Seeing the new green branch route added beside the Blood Altar's construction path, Serea felt as if she'd profited handsomely.
(To be continued...)
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