Leaving the barren and cold rocky mountains, Hegemon and Lily's journey took a new turn as they entered the forest leading to the Elf village. The tension and exhaustion from their survival days vanished, replaced by fresh air, the faint scent of wildflowers, and the gentle sound of a babbling stream.
Hegemon walked on in high spirits. Having personally created two ultimate skills, especially the five-dimensional space, made him feel like a god strolling through the distance. His previous suspicions about Lily were temporarily set aside. Walking alongside a living "encyclopedia" like her, he felt this open world held no more fear.
"Look, Hegemon! We're almost there!"
Lily exclaimed, her small hand pointing ahead. Through the dense foliage of ancient trees, the last rays of sunlight streamed down a valley brimming with color. The Elf village appeared as beautiful as a fairytale painting. Wooden houses were skillfully built on the trunks of giant ancient trees, connected by sturdy suspension bridges woven from vines. In the square, shimmering blue magical lights fluttered like thousands of fireflies, illuminating the entire area.
As the two stepped through the village gate, contrary to Hegemon's wariness, the Elf people greeted them with the purest smiles. Elf children with pointed ears and sparkling, curious eyes ran around their feet, giggling at Hegemon's mud-covered appearance.
"Welcome, travelers from afar," a beautiful Elf maiden, wearing a flower crown on her head, bowed. "It has been a long time since our village has had visitors. Let us prepare a welcoming feast for you two."
That night, a lively party filled with music took place. Hegemon was offered a sweet, refreshing fruit wine that awakened all his senses. He sat on a large tree root, watching Lily happily dancing with the Elf girls around the bonfire. Her clear laughter blended with the melodious music, creating a breathtakingly peaceful scene.
Hegemon clenched his fist, thinking to himself, "So this world isn't just about death and monsters. The power I've just created… I must use it to protect this peace."
The gentle morning sunlight of Monday in the Elf village awakened Hegemon. Stepping out of his treehouse, he smelled the fragrant aroma of soup wafting from the town square. Lily was already there, chatting animatedly with three completely new faces. They were Elves from the guard responsible for patrolling the edge of the forest, bearing rather unusual names.
"Ah, Hegemon! You're awake? Come here, let me introduce you to this guy!"
The first to approach was a tall, handsome male Elf with a long sword slung over his back and neatly tied-back black hair. He flashed a hearty smile:
"Hello, I'm Kazuki, captain of the East Patrol. Lily told me you single-handedly dealt with that ferocious beast in the rocky valley; I'm truly impressed!"
The last one was Chifuyu, Kazuki's younger brother, a mischievous Elf boy riding on the back of a white-maned wolf. Chifuyu stood with his hands on his hips, his nose raised in a defiant challenge:
"Hello, little brother! I'm Chifuyu. Don't think you can get away with defeating a beast just because you've got it. If you're so good, how about we have an archery contest later?"
Walking beside Kazuki was Kazoha—an Elf girl with silver hair, somewhat shy but with incredibly sharp eyes. She bowed slightly, offering a basket of ripe berries:
"H-Hello... I'm Kazoha, in charge of logistics. These are very sweet, please try some."