Bayou kicked, opened the palace door, and boldly stepped inside, only to be surrounded by a cluster of armed forest elf guards.

Quite refined indeed.

The interior was extravagantly adorned with a plethora of decorations dazzling by us senses.

The furniture and structures crafted from wood were intertwined with various vines enveloping the space in a lush green ambiencece.

It exuded the essence of nature.

What style was this again? Never mind.

It was of no consequence.

Suddenly, by s figure vanished, leaving the elf guards in a state of confusion.

Since she was there to assist, Bayu deemed it prudent to minimize the slaughter of elves.

Cloaked in invisibility, she sauntered through the layers of the palace.

Eventually arriving at a garden where an elven man awaited her.

He wore a green crown adorned with gemstones draped in respplendant light green garments with long golden hair cascading over his shoulders and held a scepter symbolizing his royal status.

It was evident that he was the forest elf king by you materialized at the entrance of the indoor garden.

Her footsteps prompting the elf king to turn and regard her.

Do you not know that we have already submitted to the sanctuary? You stand in opposition to them, he stated calmly, his voice melodious and his tone placid.

It was not a threat but a declaration of fact.

Of course we are aware.

That is precisely why we acted preemptively by you replied casting a puzzled glance at the elf king sensing that he was already aware of the lingy s covert manipulation of puppets.

There is nothing strange about it.

I have lived for 539 years and ruled for 361 years.

I saw in the eyes of those manipulated elves a gaze that was not loyal to me.

He sighed deeply.

Regrettably, I discovered this too late.

I am willing to lead the forest elves to submit to you.

We are but aimless insects in this vast forest, too feeble to govern our own fate.

Bayou was taken aback.

This script diverged significantly from her expectations.

The elf king evidently possessed immense wisdom, foresight, and an acute awareness of the situation.

He understood that choosing rebellion was akin to walking a path to demise.

Under the current circumstances, one must bow their head.

Whoever held the knife to their throat would be the one to whom they submitted.

Clearly, Bayou's blade was closer to his neck than that of the sanctuary.

However, Bayou was unwilling to acquies.

If he surrendered, her efforts would be in vain, leaving her with Nar a corpse to claim, a notion difficult to accept.

You had best provide me with ample compensation.

By brief contemplation culminated in a cold utterance, a sequence of expressions observed keenly by the elven king.

So it is you are merely a hired aid summoned by the humans from the outside.

Your relationship is one of employment.

The elven king discerned the truth realizing that his voluntary submission had disrupted her original scheme.

Moreover, he recognized that should he fail to provide adequate compensation, she would undoubtedly bring about his demise.

After all, this was indeed part of their predetermined plan.

Chapter 333.

The Elven King's life buying price.

As he spoke, the elven king as palm pulsed with verdant life energy which gradually coalesed into a radiant orb.

He slowly raised his hand and the orb floated effortlessly towards Bayou.

Curiously, Bayou extended her palm, allowing the orb to hover gently within her grasp before turning her gaze back to the elven king.

This is the life energy of my royal lineage.

pass down through generations this singular essence absorbing it will grant you dominion over nature as your reward it should suffice.

The elven king's tone remained unperturbed revealing no trace of reluctance or sorrow despite relinquishing the ancestral energy of his royal family.

Clearly he possessed a profound clarity about life.

After all, death was the ultimate void.

Whereas a surrendering this essence merely diminished the potential of the forest elves, yet it could be reconstructed in the fullness of time.

Albeit over several millennia, a detail Bayou was uncertain of.

Bayou did not acquies immediately.

Instead, she opted to consult the system for further information before making a decision.

The elven king, recognizing her intent to gauge the energy, refrained from interrupting, patiently awaiting her conclusion.

Energy entity, source of nature.

Description: The pure primordial power inherited by the royal lineage of forest elves for millennia, possessing ineffable special abilities.

Effects: Gain a portion of experience points.

Master advanced forest magic.

Enhance all nature-based spells.

Side effects.

Elven transformation.

Any effect may be selected for removal.

As by you peruse a description, a smile crept across her lips.

It was indeed a stroke of fortune to stumble upon such a treasure effortlessly.

This was worth far more than several royal level corpses.

No wonder the elven race could stand resilient in Hapne province, for their foundation was undeniably formidable.

However, the side effect was a concern.

Bayou had no desire to transform into a goldenhaired pointed elf.

As for her appearance, she believed herself to be quite comparable to an elf.

Thank you very much.

Thus, she resolved to eliminate the transformation, retaining the latter two benefits while sacrificing some experience points to negate the side effect.

The elven king, observing the smile on by you's face, understood her satisfaction.

It seems you're pleased.

Indeed, you may live.

Now, relinquish the source.

The energy in by Yu<unk>s hand was merely a sample.

The elven king was not naive and worried that she might reig on her word.

Very well.

Please step before me, your highness.

The elven king took a step forward.

Bayou mirrored his motion, approaching without a hint of trepidation, standing directly before the Elven King.

Although she was a head shorter, her formidable presence exerted an inexplicable pressure on him.

With a staff in hand, the Elven King touched the ground, emanating a surge of green energy.

In that moment, every flower around them burst into bloom and the surroundings transformed into a vibrant tableau of life.

Subsequently, the energy from the elven king began to flow outward, cascading into by being.

The instant the energy entered her, she chose to eliminate the side effect.

10 minutes later, the energy transfer concluded.

The elven king s eyes widened in astonishment.

Bayou had not undergone elven transformation.

At that moment, a flash of green light shimmerred in by you's right eye.

Your excellency, may I now escort you to meet her? Certainly.

By you led the elven king away from the indoor garden, and upon entering the palace, they were immediately surrounded by armed elves.

With a wave of his hand, the elven king commanded them to step aside, clearing a path for the two.

Outside the palace, large sections of architecture lay in ruin, a testament to the fire magic Bou had previously unleashed.

However, the Lich primarily engaged in combat with frost magic, rendering the exterior a scene of icy desolation.

Lee Lingsy and the fallen angels were embroiled in battle with other elven kings, creating chaos in the surroundings.

Bayou called for a halt, and two liches approached her, causing the elven king's pupils to constrict, reinforcing his resolve.

Leelings was momentarily takenback upon seeing Bayou emerge alongside the elven king.