Chapter 703

【 THE CHOSEN ONE 】

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Cypher looked at the beautiful elf before him with a look of surprise.

He had assumed that the “Lady Aurora” mentioned by Gando would have the same grotesque, monster-like features similar to the other frost elves but instead, he found that she was even more beautiful than Saintess Alice.

…Perhaps only that fellow Thranduil could truly rival her in terms of physical appearance?

Cypher could not help but think this to himself.

As he stared at the female elf in a daze, the other party smiled gently once more.

“Lord Cypher, I sense a familiar aura upon you…”

“Are you perhaps the envoy of Ouros, or perchance a disciple of Diana?”

Hearing Aurora’s question, Cypher’s heart stirred.

…Who?

He had never heard of an NPC named Diana before, nor did the name ring any bells from the countless updates and hidden questlines he had known so far.

However, the name of the demigod Ouros was widely known among players.

After all, one of the older storylines was set in the demirealm of Ouros, and its corresponding quest had once moved countless people to tears.

So for Lady Aurora to speak of the demigod Ouros’s name in such a casual manner, as if they were on equal footing, her status was likely no lower than that of the half-elven demigod himself.

With this realization, Cypher became excited.

According to the game’s lore, the Goddess had eight demigod-rank divine envoys a thousand years ago and aside from Ouros, each of the seven great elven clans possessed one demigod of their own.

Could it be that… Lady Aurora is one of those eight divine envoys and the demigod of the Azurefrost Clan?

Cypher boldly formed this conjecture.

As this thought took shape, his excitement also steadily grew.

If this were true, then gaining Lady Aurora’s recognition and support would make his entire mission far much smoother.

Cypher’s expression turned serious as he skillfully traced the symbol of the Scepter of Life over his chest and declared in a clear, resonant voice:

“Lady Aurora, in truth, I am neither the envoy of Lord Ouros, nor a disciple of Lady Diana.”

“Rather, I am the Goddess’s Chosen One.”

“I have come here in accordance to the Goddess’s divine oracle, to guide everyone home.”

He spoke in a sincere and earnest tone as his voice echoed throughout the vast and empty temple.

Yet, despite hearing his words, Lady Aurora did not display the excitement or reverence that he had imagined.

On the contrary, Cypher noticed that her smile cooled almost instantly.

“…Lord Cypher.”

Aurora suddenly spoke, her voice soft yet carrying an undercurrent that made it impossible to ignore.

Her tone remained gentle and delicate, but now it was laced with resolve and a subtle regret.

“We, the members of the Azurefrost Clan, have always been loyal to only one being. The sole purpose for which we have persevered here in the Abyss for ten thousand years has always been driven by a singular desire…”

She paused briefly, her gaze drifting toward the holy statue at the center of the temple, as if drawing strength from it.

“The true god of the elvenkind, the great World Tree, Her Divine Matriarch, Her Majesty Yggdrasill.”

Her voice rang with unwavering conviction.

“As such, if any so-called ‘Goddess’ believes that merely possessing the divinity of life and nature is enough to earn our loyalty and faith, then that being would be sorely disappointed.”

“No one can ever replace the Matriarch in our hearts.”

After speaking, her gaze returned to Cypher, now carrying a trace of disappointment.

“I thought you were a messenger of two old friends of mine. Alas… it seems I expected far too much from you.”

She then shook her head.

“How could someone without an ounce of faith within them possibly be their messenger…”

“You may leave now.”

With that, Lady Aurora gently waved her hand.

Cypher felt an irresistible force seize his body, lifting him off his feet, and before he could even react, he was flung out of the chamber in an instant.

“W-Wait! Lady Aurora! The Goddess I’m speaking of is also the Divine Matriarch!”

He cried out desperately, but the heavy doors of the inner chamber had already slammed shut, cutting him off completely.

Cypher opened his mouth, momentarily stunned, his mind racing to catch up with what had just occurred.

The course of events…

Seemed far different from what he had imagined. The elegant plan he had rehearsed all seemed to crumble in the face of her decisive dismissal.

At that moment, the massive doors of the hall slowly creaked open again, and the familiar figure of the elderly elf Gando appeared in Cypher’s view.

Cypher scrambled to his feet, heart pounding, and rushed forward, trying to explain himself further.

“Elder Gando! What I said is true! No… maybe I didn’t explain it properly just now! But please believe me! The Goddess is also the World Tree! Her current divine name is Evé Yggdrasil, the Goddess of Life! Your Matriarch has already revived! She just needs to hide her previous identity for some reason. It was the Goddess who sent me here to guide everyone home!”

Yet, to his dismay, the old man remained unmoved, his face calm and unyielding, betraying no trace of belief or shock.

“Mr. Cypher, please choose your words carefully. No one can impersonate the Matriarch,” Gando said firmly.

“I am telling the truth! Didn’t you Frost Elves possess magic to discern lies?! Try it! I truly am the Chosen One of the World Tree!”

“Then what if you, too, have been brainwashed by that so-called ‘Goddess’ of yours…infidel.”

Gando did not even address him by name.

Instead, he directly used the harshest term of contempt reserved for those without faith.

Cypher widened his eyes, his expression filled with shock.

How had he failed to notice before that these Frost Elves were so stubborn?

—No, wait.

Could it be that they truly could not sense the divine power of the Goddess emanating from him?

Hadn’t veteran players once said that those blessed by a true god carried that god’s aura within them, and that NPCs could identify the true deity who granted the blessings simply by sensing this aura?

Back then, Demigod Ouros had instantly recognized the Goddess precisely through her innate aura.

So why did it not work with Lady Aurora?

…What was going on?

Cypher was utterly confused.

Gando, meanwhile, looked at him coldly.

“Infidel…”

“I can forgive your sacrilege against the Matriarch, but do not speak of this matter ever again.”

“Your so-called ‘Goddess’ or anyone else can never replace the Divine Matriarch’s position. No one.”

“We will not expel you. After all, you are still one of our kin, and I believe you are not inherently evil.”

“However, once you leave Lady Aurora’s protection, even if you possess the blessing of that so-called ‘Goddess’ of yours, I assure you, you will not survive in this ruthless world.”

“Nonetheless, I will have people keep an eye on you. Do not do anything foolish.”

“Furthermore, we of the Azurefrost Clan value our promises. Since Dorei entrusted his daughter to you, I will not forcibly keep little Estelle away from you.”

“But if I discover that you have wronged her in any capacity, then do not blame me for what I am about to do to you.”

As he spoke, a surge of killing intent erupted from his body. The pressure was far more terrifying than that of the strongest player Cypher had ever encountered. It bore down on him, causing his face to turn deathly pale as he collapsed onto the ground with a thud.

The elderly elf then cast Cypher a cold glance, turned around, and reentered the hall, closing the doors once more.

Only after Gando’s presence had completely vanished did Cypher dare to gasp for air.

“My god… just how many monsters must he have slain to accumulate such killing intent…?”

He struggled back to his feet, still panting, his heart filled with uncertainty.

Gritting his teeth, Cypher stepped forward again and tried to push open the doors of the hall, only to find that no matter what he did, they would not budge at all.

After a moment, he had no choice but to give up. He slumped to the ground in dejection.

“There must be something I missed… I must have forgotten some crucial information…”

He muttered to himself while catching his breath.

Closing his eyes, he carefully replayed his earlier words in his mind, trying to identify where he had gone wrong.

Unfortunately, he could not find the answer.

The corridor of the temple was eerily quiet. Only the constant chiming of notifications in his system interface broke the silence.

Seeing the flashing icon in the lower right corner of his vision, Cypher’s eyes suddenly lit up and he struggled to his feet.

“That’s right! I may not be able to find the reason, but others might.”

“I never took the priest subclass since I mostly spent my time in the game leveling up or taking screenshots and sightseeing. I know almost nothing about divine magic or divine blessings, and I know nothing about the Church of Life’s doctrines or the Goddess past…”

“But in the game, there are plenty of veteran players who are deeply interested in the matters regarding the Goddess and the Church.”

“Perhaps… they know where the problem lies.”

With that thought, Cypher did not hesitate and he quickly opened the system’s backend network and logged into the Elven Kingdom’s official forum.

He navigated to the main page of the site, logged into his account, and created a new post:

[ Urgent help needed from people deeply knowledgeable about the game’s lore. Currently I am doing a personal epic quest. The Goddess granted me her blessing, but the elven demigod I encountered refuses to acknowledge the Goddess’s identity. What should I do? ]

After typing the question, Cypher pulled up the video recording of his recent meeting with Aurora and uploaded it.

Once he finished, he minimized the official website to the background.

The flow of time in this world was even faster than in Earth. So it would likely take a long time before other players replied to his post, so Cypher decided to check back in a few hours.

Hence for now… he would try investigating on his own.

Following the path he had taken earlier, he returned to the temple’s guest chamber.

Estelle was still sleeping quietly on the bed, like a delicate porcelain doll.

Unfortunately, the tumor on the right side of her face marred what would otherwise have been a flawless beautiful appearance.

Looking at the girl clutching the blanket and curled into herself, Cypher’s gaze gradually softened.

At that moment, the door to the guest room was suddenly pushed open. Cypher turned his head and saw two Frost Elves standing at the doorway, clad in tattered armor and bearing scary-looking appearances.

They held longswords in their hands and spoke to Cypher with a hint of apology.

“Mr. Cypher, Lady Aurora has given her orders. The Church of Nature does not welcome envoys of other gods. Therefore, you could not remain here in the temple any longer. Please leave as soon as possible.”

Cypher opened his mouth, but no words came out.

At that instant, he suddenly understood why the Goddess had said this would be a difficult task.

“Brother Cypher? You… you are awake?”

“Eh? Why am I on the bed?”

A slightly drowsy voice came from behind him.

Cypher turned around and saw that Estelle had awakened at some point. She was rubbing her sleepy eyes, tilting her small head, her brows faintly furrowed.

He glanced at the yawning girl, the corners of her eyes still moist, then at the two imposing elven guards standing at the doorway, and let out a quiet sigh.

“I understand.”

After saying that, he gently patted the girl on the shoulder.

“Estelle, we are going home.”

“Huh? Weren’t you going to meet Lady Aurora? How is your condition? Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”

“I am fine. We will talk about it after we return.”

༺⟐༻

Orange flames flickered in the fire basin as Cypher found himself once again inside that dilapidated house.

Only this time, there were only two people left, himself and Estelle.

The taciturn Frost Elf who played the harp so beautifully was no longer there.

“So… Lady Aurora does not believe that you are the Matriarch’s chosen one?”

She looked toward Cypher with curiosity as she asked.

In the firelight, Estelle held a copy of The Sacred Scriptures of the Church of Nature that had clearly been read countless times.

Her expression was no longer sorrowful and it seemed that she had already begun to recover from her father’s passing.

Cypher sighed and forced a faint smile.

“Estelle, you actually believe me?”

The little girl had a thoughtful for a moment, then nodded.

“Yes. I think I believe you.”

Cypher felt a surge of relief.

“But Mother once said that Lady Aurora is the being whom the Matriarch trusts the most. She devoted everything into reviving the Matriarch and to the continuation of our clan. She even gave up the path toward godhood. So she would not lie.”

The girl added softly.

Cypher paused slightly.

“Moreover, no one desires change more than Lady Aurora. Mother said that if Lady Aurora had not been supporting us all this time, we would have long since been swallowed by the Black Tide…”

As she spoke, Estelle continued flipping through The Sacred Scripture of Nature.

“There must be some misunderstanding in all of this.”

She clenched her fist as if fully convinced.

Seeing the determination on her face, Cypher was somewhat surprised.

“Your mother seemed to knew Lady Aurora very well? What else did she say?”

“Well, my mother was once the High Priestess of the temple. She was a powerful gold-rank expert.”

Estelle said this with pride.

This truly surprised Cypher.

“A gold-rank expert? Then how did she end up with your father?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized how inappropriate they sounded and hurriedly apologized.

“I am sorry… I did not mean anything else by it. I simply remember that Mr. Dorei seemed to possess only Silver-rank strength, so I was surprised by the union between a Gold-rank and a Silver-rank experts…”

“I am sorry, Estelle. I should not have brought this up.”

Cypher said regretfully.

The girl had just lost her father, and mentioning him at such a moment was nothing short of reopening a wound.

He regretted it the instant he spoke.

However, Estelle’s expression remained calm.

She gently shook her head and said with a trace of melancholy.

“Brother Cypher, you do not need to worry. I am no longer sad. I already recovered after crying for a while.”

“Everyone will die one day anyway. This is our fate. I have long come to terms with it. One day, my turn will come as well.”

“My father’s soul was purified, rather than falling into the abyss like those corrupted ones in the wild. For him, that is already the most comforting outcome.”

“So… instead of dwelling on the past, it is better to keep moving forward!”

Looking at the resolute girl, Cypher felt deeply moved.

“You are truly very strong.”

“Of course. I am a member of the Azurefrost Clan to begin with and strength and optimism are the greatest virtues of the Frost Elves.”

Estelle straightened her back and spoke with pride.

Then she continued.

“As for why my father and mother ended up together, it was simply because the temple happened to paired them up.”

“…Paired?”

Cypher froze slightly.

“Mhm. Members of our clan will return to the Matriarch’s embrace almost every day, so in order to sustain the population, the temple implemented an arrange marriage system thousands of years ago. Every adult elf is assigned a partner and is required to bear offspring.”

“The pairings are determined through divine magic. In order to reduce contamination of future generations, the most compatible candidates are usually matched together, so individual strength is not considered a primary factor.”

“In the future, I will be the same. Perhaps in another five years, I will also participate in the pairing.”

The girl said this calmly.

“Five years?”

Cypher froze for a moment.

Instinctively, he looked at Estelle, the elven girl who appeared to be no more than eleven or twelve years old by human standards, and felt a surge of astonishment.

An elf’s growth period was roughly ten times that of a human’s.

In five years, she would likely still look exactly the same.

For elves, this was still considered early childhood.

And yet she would already be paired and bearing children?

…Wait.

That was not right.

She had clearly said that pairing only occurred after reaching adulthood.

Cypher’s thoughts were in complete disarray.

He asked, puzzled, “Estelle… how old are you this year?”

“I will be twenty next year.” the girl replied.

“Twenty?!”

This time, Cypher was genuinely shocked.

He had expected an answer closer to one hundred.

“Yes. Is there a problem?” Estelle asked, confused.

There was a very big problem.

Although this age might still be considered young by human standards, but she was an elf.

Had she taken some kind of growth accelerator?

Cypher complained inwardly.

Wait.

A growth accelerator?

His heart skipped. The floodgates of memory opened, and he suddenly recalled a post he had once seen on the official forum.

It seemed to be an entertainment post by several casual druid players.

After the Labyrinth dungeon had been unlocked, they had captured several demons and used them as fertilizer for crops, wanting to see what strange things might grow.

In the end, the crops directly degenerated into abyssal species and grew at a speed far exceeding that of normal plants. They had nearly contaminated a section of the Elven Forest’s farmland.

Could it be that consuming demon flesh, while succumbing toward corruption, also accelerated physical growth?

Cypher could not help but think this.

He looked at the girl again, his gaze growing increasingly complex.

Thousands of years.

He suddenly found it difficult to imagine how these Frost Elves had endured all these millennia.

Estelle did not notice Cypher’s complicated expression.

As she flipped through the Sacred Scriptures, she spoke with firm conviction.

“In the future, I will definitely become someone like my mother, protecting our people and purifying the darkness.”

“Lady Aurora has been holding on alone for far too long…”

“Mother once said that in order to revive the Matriarch and to preserve the purity of the Matriarch’s faith, she never actively assimilated the power of faith collected in the temple. Instead, she has always relied on her own strength to silently maintain the city’s defensive barrier…”

“So if I could become the Matriarch’s Saintess, I would be able to wield the power of faith and help Lady Aurora share the burden…”

“However, the Matriarch has been asleep for so long. It has been a very long time since a chosen maiden capable of wielding the Matriarch’s faith has been born…”

Estelle said regretfully.

Power of faith?

A chosen maiden?

Cypher paused slightly.

In an instant, it was as if a flash of light passed through his mind.

He suddenly turned around, grabbed the girl by the shoulders, and asked excitedly,

“Estelle… what you just said, can you say it again?”

Estelle was startled.

She looked at Cypher and seemed to realize something. With a hint of apology, she said,

“N-no… Brother Cypher, I did not mean that I do not believe you…”

“No, I mean something else. Something about a chosen maiden capable of wielding the Matriarch’s power of faith? Then have you heard anything about the chosen one?!”

Cypher asked urgently.

“The chosen one…? Hmm, I don’t know… I think that would be the equivalent of the Chosen Maiden…?”

Estelle replied blankly.

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