Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 700 - 644: The Water and Soil of a Place Nourishes Its People

Boots pressed into the soft earth, and Lyle was faintly amazed by the strange sensation that traveled up from the soles of his feet. It was a softness he had never experienced before; the ground seemed alive, providing a gentle counterforce that supported his entire body as it sank into the dirt with every step. The marvel of the feeling continued to unfold as he moved forward, with the dust particles in the soil resting only momentarily against the surface of his shoes before playfully returning to the earth.

Nature has a spirit.

The cool breeze felt like cotton batting against his face, healing the nausea from the long-distance teleportation rapidly. The sunlight baked the air beneath the leaves, and the dense forest before Lyle surged with brilliance. A sense of fulfillment at being at one with nature arose spontaneously; moreover, a lovely Elf girl stood before him.

An unfamiliar Elf.

"I am Ivy, Mr. Lyle. Welcome to the Dream Forest." The silver-haired girl bowed respectfully. After the formalities, a sweet smile appeared on her face. She was dressed in the fashionable sea-blue silk garments popular in the City of Wandering, with a delicate paper flower pinned on her chest, "Lord Heinz has tasked me to receive you, Mr. Lyle. Witherers’ affairs are heavy, and he could not detach himself, for which he apologizes for not greeting you personally."

Lyle quickly waved his hands, "There is no need for such formalities. I contacted Lord Heinz only to follow Ms. Irason’s advice to borrow your teleportation gate. Instead, to be greeted by Miss Ivy, such an adorable girl, surprises and pleases me beyond words."

Ivy covered her mouth with her hand and chuckled lightly at the polite remark, "Please follow me, Mr. Lyle. Before Lady Irason arrives, let me guide you around here in a personal capacity."

"I shall acquiesce with respect."

As he walked through the woods following the Elf, Ivy, Lyle surveyed the treehouses where Elves dwelled. If it wasn’t for their streaming gold and silver hair, it would be difficult for an outsider to distinguish between the treehouses and regular great trees at a glance. And there were those quietly changing plants; the forest was indeed slowly moving. Ivy explained that due to the plants and soil of the Dream Forest being nurtured by Druid spells for a long time, they showed a more spiritual expression of life. She also mentioned that in the central area of the Dream Forest, these mobile plants were more active and had even given birth to nature spirits such as forest nymphs and tree sprites.

The location of the teleportation gate was at the very edge of the outer perimeter of the forest. As they went deeper, the number of Elves in Lyle’s view steadily increased; they either lay atop the tree canopy or nestled in exposed tree roots, deep in slumber. When Lyle neared, some opened their bleary eyes while others completely ignored him, showing no signs of wariness.

Lyle noticed their hair was mostly gold or silver-white, and most wore the popular attire of the City of Wandering, which was subtly different from the description of Dream Elves mentioned by Irason. "Children of Nature resemble nature in appearance."

"Of course, Mr. Lyle would find it familiar because the majority you see here are Witherer Elves, originally from the Light Five District. Our hair color changed due to the study of Withering Spells. Most Dream Elves have dark teal or azure hair. Only those close to the royal bloodline possess the gold and white hues, symbolic of noble long hair of the sun’s colors."

Ivy touched her palms together in a gesture of apology, "If Mr. Lyle wishes to see the Dream Elves who have long inhabited this place, I am afraid I am powerless to help. Due to some internal conflicts, us returnee Witherers and other Dream Elves live separately. This is merely a temporary settlement for Witherers. To meet those deeper in the forest, you would need Lady Irason to guide you."

"I see," Lyle stroked his chin. Truly, are all of the Long-Lived Species so petty, "But Ivy, your family must be waiting for a reunion. You’ve been gone for just a few decades, which for the Long-Lived Species is merely a long journey."

The smile on Ivy’s face stiffened as she walked with small, somewhat lonely steps, her hands behind her back.

"It only takes a moment for a life-altering change of heart, even for the Long-Lived Species. When we first came back, we did indeed reunite with our families for a short time. But my mother’s involuntary choked expression when she looked at me, her forced attempts to conceal her unease, it made me... very irritable. The changes in Witherers are truly profound. The discomfort of being forced to live together made me feel that keeping some distance was much better. And then there were the whispers spreading among her friends... Returning to the base that Lord Heinz built, I actually sighed in relief, as only Witherers can accept Witherers. Ahahaha, I’ve spoken too much idle talk, Mr. Lyle. Let us hurry to the Deep Slumber Space, the central hub for Withering Druids; Lady Irason will be waiting for us there."

Ivy continued her lively guide duties, her smile as constant as it was before, as if her previous despondence had been but a figment of Lyle’s imagination.

It seemed he couldn’t help much; it was the Elves’ own family affair, their own consequence of a divergence in beliefs and morals. Lyle sighed helplessly. He watched the grass that Ivy left in her wake, the young shoots yearned to touch her heel, but the pale Withering magic repelled these spirits of nature.

Deep Slumber Space was an ancient tree, tall and on the verge of collapse, resembling a dilapidated building about to be condemned. The treetop bore the charred traces of a lightning strike, and the withered bark was riddled with various-sized holes left by burrowing insects on the upper half. Inside, the structure had been cleared and rebuilt by the Elves, so it was far more intact than its ruined exterior might suggest. Perhaps the withered appearance was intentionally maintained, which made the Deep Slumber Space stand out in the forest.

True to its name, what Lyle saw most within the Deep Slumber Space were the sleeping Elves, each lying in their specially assigned wooden compartments in various postures. Most of them frowned and looked distressed, as if in the grip of nightmares, sometimes letting out soft moans, an indescribable pain evident in their expressions.

Lyle saw an Elf scream and open their eyes, wiping the fine sweat from their forehead before turning over to resume their deep sleep with a fatigued expression.

Dream Elf... Lyle muttered the collective term for their race to himself as he watched Ivy’s calm profile.

"Are they all having nightmares?"

"They are working, Lord Lyle."

Walking down the spiral passage to the underground, Lyle saw Heinz. Like the others, Heinz lay in a spacious compartment, fast asleep, with several Elves attending and watching over him. The attendants stood by with clenched fists, silently anxious as they watched their sleeping companion.

Heinz’s expression was the most terrifying of all. Despite his eyes being shut tight, he was still gritting his teeth, his lips trembling as if shivering with cold, and sweat was starting to pool on his forehead. His spirit was undergoing violent fluctuations, and an ominous feeling whispered in Lyle’s ear about the intense negative emotions Heinz was tasting in this space.

Lyle turned his head to meet Ivy’s gaze.

They said nothing.

Ivy looked down, fiddling with her fingers.

"Lord Heinz is indeed busy."

"Busy sleeping?"

"War! Lord Heinz is commanding a war."

"Killing in his dreams?"

"Mhm mhm."

Ivy nodded vigorously.

Should one say, as expected of the race of Irason?