Chapter 104: Give Me a New Batch!

However, Celeste, standing at the very center of the storm, offered a reaction that caused everyone’s brain to short-circuit.

She stared at the row of top-tier skills arrayed before her—a selection that would make any Warrior-class professional weep with joy—and her brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

That expression wasn’t one of confusion or hesitation. It was pure, unadulterated… disdain.

“This is it?”

She sighed softly. Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was enough to plunge the entire chamber into an instantaneous, ringing silence.

‘All flash and intimidation,’Celeste thought,’but when it comes to a real life-or-death fight, none of these are as practical as my own spear techniques.’

The image of a cool, ethereal figure flashed through her mind—the Shenhe spear arts she’d acquired through Overtones were imbued with a deep and deadly grace. Each movement was a masterclass in killing intent. Not to mention, she still had that Zhongli trial card tucked away, a trump card she was reluctant to burn. God only knew what world-shattering meteor she could call down with that.

In comparison, these simple, brutish Berserker skills were… well, they just weren’t elegant enough. They lacked finesse.

Celeste raised her hand toward the Tree of Inheritance, her gesture as casual as hailing a waiter in a restaurant. “Can I see a different set? I don’t really like these.”

“A… a different set?”

Selene sucked in a sharp breath of cold air, nearly biting her own tongue. She was convinced her sister had finally, truly gone mad.

This was the Elven Tree of Inheritance!

Did she think she was picking out cabbages at the market? Asking for a different set?!

Eldara’s mouth twitched, the muscle spasming uncontrollably. She was just about to explain the iron-clad, immutable rule of the inheritance—that there was only one chance, with absolutely no possibility of a do-over.

But at that very moment, the impossible happened.

The golden veins of light flowing within the crystal-like tree, which had pulsed with a steady, ancient rhythm, abruptly stalled at her words.

That stable and solemn hum instantly devolved into a stuttering, chaotic mess, like an ultra-high-speed quantum computer encountering an beyond understanding paradox, causing its core to overload and career toward a catastrophic system crash.

Under the dumbfounded gazes of everyone present, the row of blood-red Berserker runes, each one a proof of violent aesthetics, began to flicker erratically. They twisted and writhed in the air as if in agony before finally letting out a soft “pop.”

All the runes shattered completely, dissolving into a cloud of light specks that retreated, seemingly with great reluctance, back into the depths of the trunk.

The Tree of Inheritance fell silent.

And with it, the entire third floor of the Great Library fell into a silence so deep it was almost deafening.

Selene’s mouth hung wide open, her mind a complete and utter blank. She couldn’t form a single word.

Su Wan’s gaze darted back and forth between Celeste and the now-dormant ancient tree, her cool eyes filled with a mixture of inquiry and pure shock.

Xia Lian even took an unconscious half-step back, as if the scene unfolding before her had shattered the very foundations of her understanding of the world.

Eldara’s breath hitched in her chest.

She mentally scoured every ancient text, every scroll, every piece of lore she had ever committed to memory regarding the inheritance. She found no record of anything remotely like this.

The Tree of Inheritance… had glitched?

All because… the client gave a bad review to the “optimal solution” it had calculated and provided?

Time seemed to freeze for several long, agonizing seconds.

Just as Celeste was beginning to worry that she might have actually broken the priceless artifact, a new light began to rise from within the Tree of Inheritance.

This time, the light was no longer the violent, bloodthirsty crimson of a Berserker. It was a solemn, majestic, and pure gold, radiating an aura like that of a divine court passing judgment.

The light converged, condensing into several brand-new skill runes that floated quietly in front of Celeste. The energy flowing from them was no longer one of pure slaughter and conquest, but had transformed into the unyielding majesty of adjudication and retribution.

[Judgment (Active Skill): Bring down holy judgment upon the target, dealing massive Holy Damage and increasing all Holy Damage they take by 20% for the next 8 seconds.]

[Holy Seal of Justice (Active Skill): Bless your weapon with holy light. For the next 30 minutes, your basic attacks will deal additional Holy Damage.]

[Pursuit of Justice (Passive Skill): Your movement speed is permanently increased by 15%.]

The skills of a Retribution Paladin!

If the Berserker skills from before represented the concept of “Conquest,” then these new skills embodied “Adjudication.”

“A Retribution Paladin…” Selene let out a long, shaky sigh of relief, the tension finally draining from her shoulders. This, she could handle.

At least this class touched upon the concept of “Holy Light.” While it was still a universe away from a Priest’s gentle healing, it was a damn sight more “civilized” than a Berserker who looked like they’d pop their ultimate at the slightest provocation.

Her sister’s personal style… well, at least her daily aesthetic wouldn’t be completely derailed by this!

Celeste’s gaze swept across the new skill list, her eyes finally landing on [Holy Seal of Justice].

‘Basic attacks enchanted with Holy Damage… not bad,’she mused.’It synergizes perfectly with my spear arts. Saves on mana and looks cool as hell. A solid buff to my DPS without needing to learn a clunky new rotation.’

She made her decision in an instant. For someone who already possessed top-tier spear skills, any flashy active ability was less practical than a direct, constant enhancement to every single one of her basic attacks.

With no further hesitation, she reached out a slender finger and lightly tapped the rune for [Holy Seal of Justice].

The rune didn’t erupt into a blazing stream of light. Instead, it felt like a handful of warm, golden liquid that softly merged into her palm, flowing through her fingertip. It left behind a small, fleeting emblem of a holy hammer on her skin before vanishing.

A new sense of power coursed through her veins. Celeste could feel it—with just a thought, the holy light of judgment would answer her call, infusing her every attack with the power of purification.

She clapped her hands together and stepped back with a relaxed expression, looking for all the world like she had just finished ordering afternoon tea.

Eldara gave her a long, deep look. The events of the last few minutes had somewhat overturned her entire understanding of the Tree of Inheritance.

With all four of them having completed their selections, their collective strength had once again taken a qualitative leap.

“So, how do you all feel?” Celeste asked, smiling at her companions.

“I feel like I could take on a Land Dragon head-on right now!” Selene declared, waving her fists, her confidence practically bursting from her seams.

“The world… it seems to have become clearer,” Su Wan said softly, an unmatched radiance shining in her eyes.

Xia Lian simply nodded vigorously, clutching her shortbow as if it were the most precious treasure in the world.

Leaving the Great Library feeling refreshed and invigorated, Celeste fell into step beside Eldara. As if suddenly remembering something, she asked, “By the way, Commander, that Restricted Section those two human royals ‘accidentally’ entered… it’s in this library, right?”

Eldara’s voice remained as cool as ever. “Yes. Deep within the library.”

Celeste’s eyes held an unreadable glint. “Oh? Is the Restricted Section heavily guarded? Full of magic traps and ancient sentinels?”

Eldara’s sharp eyes glanced at her, but she still answered in that same cold tone. “No. There are no guards there.”

“Ah? Why not?” Celeste was genuinely surprised.

A flicker of something unnatural crossed Eldara’s stoic face. She even turned her head away slightly, masking the expression with a light cough.

“Because the things stored inside are all… boring.”

Her tone was tinged with a trace of deep embarrassment.

“Mostly poems written by elves during their reckless, youthful phases. Chuunibyou novels, sentimental diaries, some self-righteous philosophical ponderings, and… certain magic image albums documenting ‘exploratory behaviors during the growth stage.'”

She paused, then added in a more straightforward manner, “We call it the ‘Graveyard of Youth.’ Aside from its potential to inflict terminal social death upon the individuals involved, it has no value whatsoever.”

Celeste’s footsteps halted.

She rubbed her chin, a playful, dangerous smile spreading across her face.

“Commander, don’t you think… this is all a little too coincidental?”

Eldara frowned. “What do you mean?”

“A Restricted Section that stores the elven race’s collective cringey past, has no strategic value, and is located in the deepest part of the library…”

Celeste held up a single finger, tapping it lightly in the air.

“First, just how ‘lost’ would that prince and princess have to be to so accurately find their way there?”

She continued, “And how did they dare to just break in, without knowing whether or not there were guards lurking in the shadows?”

Eldara’s brow furrowed even tighter.

Celeste held up a second finger, her smile unwavering.

“Secondly, out of all that disorganized dark history, how did they ‘just happen’to flip to the magic image album of Her Majesty the Queen from her youth… uh…’communicating’… with their ancestor?”

Her gaze became sharp, piercing straight through Eldara’s composure.

“And now for the most crucial point.”

“As members of a royal family, why would they risk a massive diplomatic crisis to steal a book that is of no value to their country and is, for all intents and purposes, just royal gossip?”

“Considering the current state of unrest was kicked off by the theft of these few albums…”

She looked up, her smile now full of meaning.

“Commander, do you think there’s a possibility…”

“That the theft was a ruse.”

“And making the contents of that album ‘be discovered’ was the real goal?”

“And those two bratty kids, even if they aren’t the masterminds, they definitely have a connection to the person pulling the strings.”

Eldara’s expression changed drastically. The implications of Celeste’s logic hit her with the force of a physical blow.

“This is a grave matter,” she breathed, her voice tight with urgency. “I must report this to Her Majesty the Queen at once!”

[Elysian’s Note:

Having a good time with the story?

Every single bit helps immensely:

Thanks a ton for making this journey possible!]