Chapter 515: Chapter 26: Luo Ge Xian Ni (4)
What appeared before Jones was a city as enchanting as a fairytale. Or, more accurately, Jones wasn’t even sure if it should be called a city. Perhaps, it was more like a forest.
At a glance, the majority of the houses were built on trees. Yes, treehouses.
As far as the eye could see, these were the same colossal trees Jones had previously encountered—tens of meters tall, with trunks requiring thirty people to encircle them. Some trees even surpassed that, reaching heights of over a hundred meters, with trunks so wide it would take a hundred people to wrap their arms around them. The so-called houses were built right on these giant trees. In fact, it was questionable whether they should even be called houses, as they were all formed by some unique method that allowed the trees to grow naturally into their current shapes. No two houses were identical. From afar, they looked like peculiar bulges on the trees, seamlessly integrated into them.
Beneath the houses hung ropes woven from vines, forming numerous "elevators." The elves used these elevators to reach their homes, sparing them from the primitive effort of climbing trees.
Even the "houses" situated on the ground were, in fact, made by hollowing out the giant trees. Enclosed staircases, partitions, doors, and windows were all carved out, all without affecting the tree’s vitality...
Indeed, every house here was alive.
Underneath the giant trees, the elves had paved winding streets with smooth cobblestones. No street here was straight, for no house had been built according to any preconceived design.
In the distance, Jones could hear the sound of a harp being played, an accordion joining in, accompanied by the jingling of bells, and a sweet female voice harmonizing softly. The melodies came from different directions, yet they wove together in the air to form a lilting tune, filled with romantic charm.
Upon entering the Holy Land Cartier, everyone slowed their pace, continuing forward gently on their unicorns.
Before arriving, Jones had imagined that Cartier at night would be desolate and quiet. But it wasn’t. Far from it—it was astonishingly full of wonder.
Drifting through the air were the same glowing, dandelion-like creatures Jones had seen in the forest before. These little beings, with tiny eyes and bodies emitting a faint glimmer, illuminated the night, giving Cartier an otherworldly, dreamlike quality.
A Pegasus with wings flew over Jones’s head.
A massive snail, larger than a carriage, lumbered past Jones, its shell converted into a freight wagon piled high with goods. An elf—whom it was hard to decide whether to call a "driver"—was perched atop it. Tipping his hat, he respectfully greeted Dariana.
A "large tree" was slowly lifting its arms, raising a big crate over its "canopy" and passing it to a group of elves standing on a treehouse. Yes, this "tree"—if it stood motionless—could easily be mistaken for a twenty-meter-tall tree. Yet in reality, it had limbs, eyes, a nose, and a mouth, resembling a person more than a tree.
"Hey, have you been working through the entire night?" Dariana called out from afar.
"Yes... I... must... finish... tonight... no... other... choice," came a voice so raspy and fragmented that it progressed as slowly as its movements.
"Alright then, thank you for your hard work."
"This... is... my... job."
Riding their unicorns, the group passed by the hulking figure.
"Do you know him?" Jones asked softly.
"No, I don’t," Dariana shook her head.
"Can I ask, what is he? A magical beast?"
"No, he’s a Tree Demon, not a magical beast. You could say he’s a member of the Elf Clan. They usually only work during the day, so I casually asked. Haven’t you seen one before?"
"No, I’ve never seen anything like him in other parts of the continent."
A tiny figure, no taller than a hand, flew up to Dora. It had the silhouette of a human, wore a vivid green outfit, sported dragonfly-like wings, and glowed all over. The little creature giggled incessantly.
Dora immediately turned to Dariana, pleading for help with her eyes.
Seeing Dora’s distress, Dariana explained, "That’s a Flower Elf, also a member of the Elf Clan."
And not just that—there were also ones with butterfly wings.
"Those are also Flower Elves. Female Flower Elves have dragonfly wings, while male Flower Elves have butterfly wings."
Next came little figures no taller than adults’ waists, with pointed ears like elves, disproportionate large noses, and slender limbs.
"These are Gnomes, another member of the Elf Clan."
There were also Centaurs, tall and muscular, clad in armor, with their bodies bursting with explosive strength.
"Centaurs—also members of the Elf Clan."
And towering, brawny beings made entirely of rock.
"Rock Men, still part of the Elf Clan."
"So the term ’Blood Elves’ is actually a collective term for many races?"
"The Elf Clan is, but Blood Elves aren’t. Black-haired ones are Blood Elves, golden-haired ones are Wood Elves. Then there are Tree Demons, Flower Elves, Gnomes, Centaurs, Rock Men, and many others."
"But I’ve only ever heard of Blood Elves and Wood Elves before." After a brief hesitation, Jones added awkwardly, "I hope this doesn’t offend you and make you think I’m ignorant about elves. It’s just that I truly haven’t heard of these others."
"Not at all. That’s perfectly normal," Dariana reassured him. "All first-time visitors to Luo Ge Xian Ni are just like you. Wood Elves and Blood Elves are the main races, while the others are our companion species. Together, we are collectively referred to as the Elf Clan. Yes, that’s the way it is."