Chapter 559

【 SITE SELECTION 】

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When the players stepped into the temple’s inner chamber, they saw the Saintess of Nature, Alice, standing reverently before the statue of the Goddess, deep in prayer. This was no longer a surprising sight, as she had long since become a permanent fixture in Chosen City.

Although Alice’s status had risen following the growth of the Elven Forest’s population, she remained unchanged in her devotion. Each morning, without fail, she would ring the temple bell with her own hands, then take up the broom, gently sweeping the stone steps of the temple before kneeling in quiet reverence for her daily prayers.

As it turned out, she had just completed her daily ritual when they arrived. She turned around, gently surveyed the group that had entered the temple, and smiled warmly.

“Chosen Ones, please follow me.”

With that, she took the lead and headed toward a side conference room connected to the main hall.

The players exchanged glances, their faces full of anticipation, and followed close behind.

The conference room was conveniently close, situated just around the corner from the main hall.

Alice stopped at the door and knocked lightly.

“Lady Zero, the Chosen Ones have arrived.”

“Come in,” Zero responded in a cool and somewhat distant tone from inside the room.

Hearing it, the players straightened up with visible excitement, including Li Mu.

If Saintess Alice held a high rank within the Church of Life, then Zero’s status went far beyond that. As the direct envoy of the Goddess, Zero was recognized not only for her divine authority but also as the most formidable combatant in their faction. As such, she naturally assumed the role of de facto leader in most quests they took part in.

Even Alice had long since grown accustomed to working under her.

To the players, Zero was more than just a high-ranking NPC; she was the most prestigious purple-class character in the game, which essentially meant she was the primary issuer of major questlines.

Because of this, many players affectionately referred to her as “Big Sister.”

After Alice went in, the players quickly entered the conference room.

Many had been here before, as this was the place where players and NPCs gathered to discuss decisions whenever a major quest reached a critical turning point.

In fact, before the Desert Campaign began, there had even been a sand table here that recreated the detailed geography of the Desert of Death, which was painstakingly crafted by the players themselves.

That was where all their preliminary military strategies had taken shape.

Of course, now that the war was over with the orcs either surrendering or fleeing, the sand table had long been removed, and the room had returned to its original layout, centered around a standard meeting table.

Zero sat at the head of the table, offering a faint smile as the players stepped into the room.

Next to her sat a familiar NPC: Aél Moonlight. The young elf, who appeared to be in his early stages of adolescence, maintained a composed and serious demeanor as he sat upright.

“Please, have a seat,” Zero said, gesturing to the chairs around the table.

Without hesitation, the players took their seats.

All the while, Zero silently scanned the players with subtle interest.

Fewer than I expected… only seven groups?

Although she had already been aware of it ever since these players paid the required contribution points earlier, actually seeing only seven of them enter the room still took her by surprise.

Seven players.

Each representing a guild or alliance…

It meant seven new cities.

But in hindsight, having only this number made sense.

Of the 200,000 players who joined during the recent public beta, roughly two-thirds were absorbed into the existing major guilds, while the remaining third went on to establish new ones.

And naturally, in this kind of environment, the strong only grew stronger. The larger guilds gained momentum, steadily increasing their influence as more players gravitated toward the top-tier groups known collectively as the “Big Old Four.”

As a result, those mid-sized and smaller guilds grew more divided and weaker.

Given such circumstances, it wasn’t surprising that only seven groups made it through the process of applying for a city-building permit.

Among them, the four major guilds—Heart of Nature, First Legion, Moe Moe Committee, and Scourge Knights (Autobots)—accounted for four of the seven groups, while the remaining three were alliances.

Evé reviewed the system and discovered that two of these alliances had been created by prominent guilds ranked just below the Big Four.

One was the All-Star Alliance, which was founded by a guild bearing the same name, while the other was the Azeroth Union, established by the Silver Hand guild.

As for the third…

Well, it consisted of over fifty small and medium-sized guilds, but that wasn’t the most notable detail.

What drew her attention was the alliance’s name.

Evé: “….”

—Long Live the Goddess Alliance.

The words alone nearly made her lips twitch.

It had been formed by a small guild called Goddess Evé Fanclub—an equally embarrassing name that also made her inwardly cringe.

Nonetheless, business was business. Since they had met all the requirements needed to apply for a city-building permit, then there was no reason to deny them.

Her gaze returned to the conference table as she gave a small nod to Alice, seated at her right. The latter nodded back with a smile before turning to look warmly at the players seated across from her.

“Good morning, dear Chosen Ones.”

“Since all of you are now seated, I take it you are prepared to lead your respective companions in the establishment of a new city.”

“However, the location of the new cities is not a matter to be decided arbitrarily.”

“After praying to the Goddess, we have received divine revelation from Her Grace regarding several optimal locations to establish a city. These sites are either rich in resources, hold significant strategic value, or possess considerable potential for future development…”

“Therefore, any new city you establish must be founded at one of these designated locations.”

Upon hearing Saintess Alice’s explanation, the players showed no surprise or confusion.

The changelogs had already made it clear that city-building locations would be limited to specific sites.

In fact, the supplementary patch notes had long since published a list of over twenty possible sites on the official website. By now, most players had not only familiarized themselves with the options but had also carefully discussed and decided among their guild members where they intended to establish their cities.

Seeing the players nod in agreement, Alice’s smile grew even gentler.

She turned to look at Zero, who gave a small, deliberate nod before softly snapping her fingers.

A gentle wave of magical energy pulsed from her hand, spreading through the air like a ripple across still water.

Under the players’ astonished gazes, a shimmering, translucent map materialized above the conference table. It hovered steadily in the air, glowing with faint light. The map displayed the Elven Forest in vivid detail at its center, while the surrounding Dark Mountains and the vast expanse of the Desert of Death were also clearly outlined.

And scattered throughout the terrain were more than twenty green glowing dots across the map.

The players instantly identified the dots as the official city-building locations that had already been disclosed online.

“These are the sites deemed suitable by the divine oracle from the Goddess. Chosen Ones, please make your selections.”

“But bear in mind, each time a location is chosen, it will be marked on the map, and the nearby glowing points will disappear.”

“Take a few minutes to consider your options and kindly inform me of your decisions within ten minutes.”

With that, Zero fell silent.

The seven players present soon saw a new system notification appear before their eyes:

【

】

【Please choose the location to establish your city within the next ten minutes.】

【Once the selection period begins, each guild alliance will choose their city-building location in turn, following the comprehensive strength ranking of the strongest guild within the alliance.】

【Countdown has started…】

Similar to individual player rankings, Elven Kingdom also included various types of guild rankings—such as reputation, contribution, member count, combat strength, and comprehensive strength.

Among these, the comprehensive strength ranking was the most prestigious, as it considered member count, player skill, and contributions, factored accordingly to produce a balanced evaluation.

The reason the top four guilds were known as the “Big Four” was not just because of their large number of members, but also because they dominated this leaderboard by a wide margin.

Among them, Heart of Nature held the top spot in overall ranking, followed by First Legion, then Moe Moe Committee, with the Scourge Knights in fourth.

The top three were closely matched, often exchanging positions. Whereas, the Scourge Knights, which were composed of players from the third beta trailed slightly behind, though they still outperformed any guild from the other three alliances.

The remaining alliances, ranked according to the strength of their leading guilds, were All-Star Alliance, Azeroth Union, and Long Live the Goddess Alliance.

While the city selection process caught a few players off guard, most agreed it was reasonably fair, and no objections were raised.

The main concern for those lower in the rankings was the possibility that their preferred site might be claimed before their turn.

Each of the twenty designated city-building locations came with distinct advantages and drawbacks, and the players had already analyzed them in advance.

The northern area of the Elven Forest, known for its abundance of magical beasts; the eastern border, with its well-developed river transport; and the mana-rich northwest were among the most sought-after options.

Given their immense strategic potential, it was all but certain that the top three guilds would target them as their first picks

Ten minutes passed quickly.

When the countdown ended, the players once again heard the cool and composed voice of Zero.

“Time’s up. Chosen Ones, please make your selections.”

She turned her gaze toward Li Mu.

“First up—Heart of Nature.”

Li Mu looked conflicted.

His gaze flicked back and forth between the northern Elven Forest and the eastern border, a frown forming as he scratched his head in thought.

Having too many good choices could be a dilemma in itself.

After a brief moment of indecision, he finally settled on a green dot along the eastern border, near the Vymur River.

This location had a wide river bend with flat terrain and a long stretch of riverbank which was perfect for building a port city.

The moment he confirmed his selection, the chosen glowing dot shifted from green to red, and several surrounding green lights on the map also faded away.

This signaled that no other city could be founded in that area.

After Li Mu’s turn, the next person to choose was the leader of First Legion, FriedTomato.

And as everyone had expected, the guildmaster of the First Legion chose a green dot at the northernmost edge of the Elven Forest.

First Legion was a battle-focused guild, with many of its members passionate about adventure and combat. Moreover, the northern region of the Elven Forest was already their frequent hunting ground, so it was only natural for them to build their city there.

Moe Moe Committee was next in line.

When her turn came, Little Salty Cat didn’t waver and she immediately pointed to a spot on the map without hesitation.

However, just as everyone expected her to choose the northwestern part of the Elven Forest, which was the only remaining option among the three most popular locations, a green dot within the Dark Mountains suddenly changed to red instead.

At the same time, the two green dots near the one Salty Cat picked disappeared from the map.

This unexpected choice surprised the surrounding players.

The Dark Mountains…?

Wouldn’t establishing a city there be quite challenging?

Besides, aren’t the resources in that region relatively scarce?

Its strategic position seems to be its only noteworthy advantage…

On second thought, choosing that location did seem like the kind of bold decision only the whimsical leader of Moe Moe Committee would make.

After all, Moe Moe’s reputation as Elven Kingdom’s prime subcontractor for its real estate development wasn’t just for show.

Following them was the Scourge Knights.

This time, their choice came as no surprise.

Its Guildmaster, Ji Gang cheerfully selected the last of the three popular zones—the northwestern part of the Elven Forest.

As for the remaining three guild alliances, they had no choice but to select from the other areas.

The All-Star Alliance ultimately chose the far western part of the Elven Forest.

While players had yet to fully explore this region, seasoned lore enthusiasts theorized it might lie close to the ruins of Mirovia, which was one of the seven legendary cities of the ancient Elven Kingdom, renowned for its breathtaking coastal splendor. (see Chapter 266)

Of course, it was probably just a ruin now.

The Azeroth Union selected a location in the southwest region of the forest, situated between Kenorland and Rivendell.

As for the Long Live the Goddess Alliance, they picked a site about 200 kilometers north of the World Tree, relatively close to the cental zone. Their location, together with the First Legion’s and the Scourge Knights’, formed a triangular formation within the Elven Forest.

And with that, the seven founding city sites were finalized.

Evé was quite pleased with the outcome.

She gave a slight nod to her Aél, who then took out seven golden leaves glowing with a radiant halo and handed one to each of the players.

“This is a leaf from the World Tree,” Zero explained. “It is also your City Lord’s Token. It has been blessed by the Goddess, and it signifies your identity as a Lord.”

“Whoever holds this leaf is granted the authority to establish a new city. Through it, you may also communicate directly with the Goddess and receive divine assistance during the construction process.”

The players’ eyes lit up.

This item would let them communicate with the Goddess and receive her help?

Now that was something worth getting excited about!

Everyone eagerly accepted the golden leaves.

Each leaf was about the size of a palm—smaller than those typically found on the World Tree, but identical in shape.

Except… it was golden.

And when held, it felt nothing like a leaf. Its heft and solidity resembled jade.

Driven by curiosity, the players instinctively cast [Appraisal] on it.

【City Lord’s Token (Legendary Artifact – Golden Epic)】

This is a genuine artifact forged from the leaves of the World Tree. It is blessed by the Goddess Evé Yggdrasill herself. It possesses mysterious powers…

With it, you potentially hold the keys to enormous wealth and power.

Whoa!

A… Legendary Artifact?

The players widened their eyes, jaws instinctively dropping.

This item… was kind of a big deal.

Just then, they heard a soft chime from their game systems.

【The City Construction System and the City Lord System had now been fully unlocked.】

From this point forward, they could issue tasks to enlist other players in constructing their cities, and upon completion, they could formally appoint city administrators of their choosing.

“Chosen Ones, I wish you the best of fortune. May your cities rise in glory.”

Evé said with a gentle smile.

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