Chapter 45: Elf-Style Continent

Chapter 45: Chapter 45: Elf-Style Continent

Aifannuo’er was a Plane inhabited by a diverse mix of creatures, including Elves, Sub-humans, Half-Elves, and Beastmen.

(Sub-humans were native humans from other Planes, fundamentally different from the humans of the Wizard World. Rumor had it that this phenomenon had been taken up as a research topic by a Great Wizard, a realm of knowledge far beyond Chen Shang’s current reach.)

In short, Aifannuo’er was once a land of numerous city-states locked in endless warfare. The arrival of Wizards reestablished order, and over the years, the Plane gradually evolved into a multi-racial Federation.

Recently, an unidentified Plague had broken out in an area known as the Fanuodi Territory.

Unable to identify the disease, the Federation Governor sent a request for help to the Wizards.

Chen Shang leaned back in his chair, lost in thought. A task available to a First Level Apprentice shouldn’t be too dangerous. Since Wizard Apprentices made their living through knowledge, this kind of job was absolutely perfect for him.

He clicked to accept the task, and a notification popped up on the Celestial Net:

"Task accepted. Please arrive at the Aifannuo Plane within seven days and contact Federation Governor Ailarya Morningstar."

Standing up, he began to pack his belongings, tossing all his miscellaneous items into his Space Book before hanging it around his neck.

Luna Xiya poked her head in from outside. "Are you going out? I want to go too!"

With a swift SWISH, the Golden Crow darted inside and landed on his shoulder. "Where are we going? Is it far? Is it dangerous? Can I fight? Even though all I can do is dream..."

"Shut up."

Chen Shang sighed. Who would have thought he’d end up with a goofball and a chatterbox? Still, they counted as combat power, so he might as well bring them along.

Before stepping through the Teleportation Gate, he registered an identity for both Luna Xiya and the Golden Crow. With official identities, using the Teleportation Gate was free of charge—a convenience denied to other races.

As the white light faded, Chen Shang found himself standing in the Teleportation Hall of the Aifannuo Plane.

Several landscape paintings hung on the walls, depicting forests, rivers, and snow-capped mountains. A faint, refreshing scent of vegetation lingered in the air.

Just outside the hall lay a plaza paved with blue-gray Stone Slabs. The surrounding buildings featured red-tiled roofs, and wind chimes hung from their eaves—a local custom of certain races.

When the wind blew, the wind chimes would ring with a clear, crisp JINGLE. It sounded like someone striking small bells in the distance, incredibly pleasant to the ear.

"Are you the one who accepted the task?" a melodious voice asked.

Chen Shang looked up and saw an astonishingly beautiful Elf. Her facial features were flawlessly delicate, her skin pale, and the tips of her ears tilted slightly upward. She had soft, pale green eyes, and her jet-black hair was woven into a loose braid that rested over her chest, with a vibrant green leaf tied at the Tail of the braid.

"You are Ailarya Morningstar?"

"That’s correct. I am Federation Governor Ailarya Morningstar. Thank you for coming to assist us."

Chen Shang nodded. "The task description mentioned a Plague breaking out in the Fanuodi Territory. What’s the exact situation?"

Ailarya shook her head, a trace of worry in her eyes. "We haven’t been able to identify it. However, we have some patients here. Please, follow me." She turned and walked toward the edge of the plaza, with Chen Shang following closely behind.

The Golden Crow perched on his shoulder, tilting his head to stare at Ailarya’s graceful silhouette as he muttered softly, "An Elf? A living Elf? This is my first time seeing one. Did you hear her speak? It sounded like singing. Do you..."

"Shut up."

The Golden Crow snapped his beak shut. Luna Xiya then poked her head out from Chen Shang’s collar. "Chen Shang, the air in this world feels a bit like my hometown..."

As they walked beneath the shade of towering trees, Ailarya explained, "The Fanuodi Territory is located in the northern part of the Federation, right where the forest meets the prairie. The residents are primarily Elves and Half-Elves, along with a small population of Beastmen.

"A month ago, the livestock in the territory began dying in massive numbers. The symptoms were fever, vomiting, and skin ulceration.

"Then, it spread to the people. The first to fall ill were the hunters and herders, followed by the women and children. Now, over a third of the population in the Fanuodi Territory has been infected."

"What’s the death toll?"

"The currently reported death toll is over four hundred and seventy. However, the actual number is likely much higher."

"Why not ask the Wizards in the High Tower to take a look?"

The High Tower was a hub connecting different Planes, and every Plane had a varying number of them.

Ailarya offered a bitter smile at his words. "How could we possibly have access to the entities within the High Tower? We don’t even know if those esteemed lords are present in this world. We had no choice but to follow the standard procedure and report the issue to the Wizard World first."

Chen Shang suddenly understood. Wizards were all research fanatics; a single experiment could take years, making them incredibly difficult to track down.

Soon, the two arrived at a camp. Even before entering, Chen Shang could smell the strong scent of medicine. His keen sense of smell allowed him to detect the aromas of dozens of different herbs and plants coming from inside.

A row of fences surrounded the camp, guarded by a line of sentries outside. Seeing Ailarya approach, the guards struck the butts of their spears against the ground in unison, producing a resounding THUD.

Ailarya offered a slight nod and led Chen Shang into the camp.

Separated tents stood within, with healers hurrying between them, carrying wooden basins and clutching medicine pots. Upon seeing Ailarya, they all bowed their heads in respectful greeting. She guided Chen Shang straight to the largest tent in the center of the camp.

The interior of the tent was far more spacious than it appeared from the outside. Over a dozen patients lay on beds, ranging from men and women to the elderly and children.

Chen Shang looked at the nearest patient, whose palms were ulcerated, leaving a dark red, open wound in the center.

He sensed two kinds of Power entangled within the wound: one was the refreshing scent of vegetation, while the other carried a faint odor of sulfur.

"How are you treating them?" Chen Shang asked, finding the situation somewhat peculiar.

"With Divine Arts. The Federation’s Priests visit twice a day, using Divine Arts to alleviate their pain and slow the spread of the ulceration."

Chen Shang raised an eyebrow. "Divine Arts? There are Divine Spirits in your world? What Tier of creatures are they?"

"Tier Six." Ailarya pursed her lips slightly as she said the words.

She still wasn’t accustomed to using the Wizard System’s Levels to judge the entities her ancestors had once worshiped with the utmost reverence.

Chen Shang nodded in understanding. Tier Six was certainly qualified to act as a Divine Spirit in certain Planes. Tier Four Creatures could already be considered Demigods, virtually free from lifespan limitations. In the eyes of mortals, Tier Six was no different from a true God.

Take Ailarya, for example. In the Wizard System, she was merely a Tier Three Creature, which sounded quite low. But in this Plane, she would be called a Legendary Level Elf, preceded by a bewildering array of Levels like Extraordinary, Master, and Holy Sanctuary.

"Then why not ask a Divine Spirit to intervene? It shouldn’t be too difficult for a Tier Six powerhouse to cure this kind of Plague, right?"

Ailarya’s expression grew even more peculiar. She looked at Chen Shang, seemingly trying to determine if he was joking.

"Respected envoy... this is not the Wizard World. How could powerhouses at the Divine Level possibly concern themselves with the affairs of mortals? Furthermore, the Divine Spirits are currently all within the Pan-Wizard Alliance and rarely return."

"Oh? Then how do you cast your Divine Arts?" Chen Shang asked, his interest thoroughly piqued.

Ailarya pondered for a moment before answering, "We now place our Faith in the Elf Mother Tree."