【 LOST RECORDS 】

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“The blasphemers claim that all living beings on this continent have been deceived by that Tree of Life…”

“They say that the monster masquerading as the All-Divine Mother is, in truth, a malevolent ancient entity. By means of a ritual, it has seized control of the Tree of Life’s body, with the intention of devouring the faith and souls of all beings…”

“They also assert that the selection of Guardian Knights is part of its scheme, designed to gather all exceptionally gifted individuals in one place, so it may harvest their life force and souls…”

Demacia explained.

“Huh… a malevolent ancient entity? Could they be referring to that Demon Lord, Leviathan? Could it be… that the one manipulating the Tree of Life from behind the scenes is that oceanic demon mentioned by the Goddess?” IAmInvincible could not help but interject.

Demacia nodded.

“That is very likely.”

Upon hearing his explanation, some players appeared enlightened, while others fell into deep contemplation.

However, Li Mu noticed that Little Salty Cat had slightly furrowed her brows.

A thought stirred in his mind.

“Cat, do you have something to add?”

Little Salty Cat initially shook her head, but after a moment’s hesitation, she nodded.

“Oh?”

The others turned toward her with curiosity.

After a brief pause, she spoke:

“You see, I did not go to the tavern or the sewers, but while asking for directions, I learned that there is a library in this city. So I deliberately went to the historical archives section to look up some information…”

“A library…”

Dōngdōng’s eyes lit up with curiosity.

“I was just about to ask, how did you actually manage to get inside? I also saw that library, but the guards at the entrance refused to let me in…”

Little Salty Cat scratched her head awkwardly.

“Well… I observed for a while and approached a half-elf who had access to the library. I offered him three mana crystals in exchange to let me in, and he took me inside.”

The players fell silent.

“Mana… crystals…”

Cypher’s mouth twitched.

Meanwhile, Optimist, whose contribution points had never remained above ten thousand since obtaining a gold dragon companion, stared in shock upon hearing her words.

On the market, a single standard-cut mana crystal was worth at least ten thousand contribution points, with higher purity ones costing even more.

And the crystals Little Salty Cat possessed were undoubtedly of the highest purity.

Three of them would easily exceed one hundred thousand contribution points in value.

For a moment, the players looked at her with strange expressions.

To casually give away such a precious magical material as a task item… perhaps only someone as wealthy as Little Salty Cat could afford such extravagance.

“Damn rich whale tyrant.”

Demacia muttered.

“Dema, you aren’t exactly poor yourself. Your Amway Company has already expanded into the Kingdom of Aries. I heard that your monthly profit in gold coins alone exceeds one million, not to mention the contribution point gains…”

Calabash remarked from the side.

“Well… the Amway company belongs to the entire Heart of Nature and I only hold fifty percent of the shares. Besides, that figure is gross profit, not accounting for costs…”

Demacia sighed softly.

The players listening collectively fell silent.

“Listen to him… does that even sound like something a human would say?”

“Detestable capitalist…”

“Only fifty percent, he says… how very modest.”

They all cast disdainful looks at Demacia.

Watching his infuriatingly smug expression, Li Mu sighed, then turned back to Little Salty Cat.

“So… what did you discover in the library?”

She continued:

“I found some information about those blasphemers, as well as records about how the shadow elves initially settled in this world. There were also some written materials concerning the Tree of Life…”

“However, in the historical records I found, the Tree of Life is entirely regarded as the resurrected Goddess. This directly contradicts the information obtained by Demacia…”

“There are also descriptions of the blasphemers. In these records, they are portrayed as heretic traitors and the culprits responsible for the fall of Demigod Eris, the Shadow of Night.”

“Now, it seems that much of the information I found in the library has likely been altered.”

“Even so, I do not believe it is entirely false. It is likely a mixture of truth and fabrication, or perhaps the author employed subtle and selective narration. Therefore, even if it contradicts Demacia’s findings, I believe it still holds some reference value.”

After hearing Little Salty Cat’s explanation, the players nodded in agreement.

“Then, Cat, summarize the most critical information you obtained.” Li Mu said.

She nodded.

“Understood.”

Switching to her system interface, she opened her compiled word notes and began reading:

“First… the Tree of Life, which the local believers regard as the All-Divine Mother, came into existence 850 years ago. It was awakened by the elven Demigod Eris, the Shadow of Night, who exhausted her own life force by gathering the collective faith of the entire Shadowshade Clan alongside some of the elves who migrated with them, and infused it with divine power.”

“However, at the final stage of the ritual, some of the elves who participated in the awakening betrayed the Church and launched an attack on their companions.”

“Among them was a legendary-rank elf whom Eris once regarded as her most likely successor, someone expected to ascend to the rank of demigod…”

“A legendary-rank elf?”

Li Mu asked in surprise.

“Yes. According to the records, his name was Kelez. He is described as a demon who fell after being tempted by an evil god, the leader of the blasphemers. It was also his betrayal, as recorded, that led to Eris being gravely wounded, ultimately resulting in her fall during an expedition to the supposed mystical ruins…”

Little Salty Cat explained.

“What? Kelez?”

Demacia suddenly widened his eyes.

Everyone immediately turned their attention to him.

Little Salty Cat raised an eyebrow.

“You have heard of him as well?”

Demacia swallowed before replying,

“Yeah, the blasphemers I encountered in the sewers told me that their leader is Lord Kelez…”

Optimist was momentarily stunned.

“He is still alive after more than eight hundred years?”

“That is not unusual, right? Elves naturally have long lifespans, and as a legendary-rank elf, his longevity would far exceed that of ordinary elves. I have heard from the Frost Elves that a legendary-rank elf can live up to three thousand years.” Cypher said in a low voice.

“So, this elf named Kelez is directly involved… No matter how one looks at it, he is bound to be a key NPC in this mission.”

Dōngdōng could not help but remark.

Little Salty Cat nodded.

“Exactly. Since we already know that Tree of Life is a fake one, so this legendary-rank elf named Kelez may very well be the key to this whole mission.”

“That is right. The blasphemers also mentioned Eris, the Shadow of Night. Their tone carried great respect for her, which suggests there may be more to this story…”

Demacia agreed.

“Additionally…”

Little Salty Cat paused before continuing,

“I do not agree with Demacia’s conclusion that the Tree of Life is controlled by that Demon Lord Leviathan. Based on the various materials I reviewed, all recorded wars between land and sea dwellers of this world were brutal and devastating.”

“So if Leviathan truly is the one controlling the Tree of Life, why would he allow his own followers to wage war against one another?”

“On the contrary, during my research, I discovered something else of interest…”

As she spoke, Little Salty Cat turned to Li Mu.

“Brother Mu, you mentioned that the selection of Guardian Knights takes place within a special mystical ruins, correct?”

Li Mu paused briefly, then nodded.

“That is what I have learned.”

She continued,

“I also found various ancient texts concerning that ruins. Most of them praised the All-Divine Mother’s benevolence, describing that ruins as a place where believers could strengthen themselves. However, hidden in an obscure corner, I discovered an old book that had been deliberately concealed…”

“The author of that book was an elven priest, and it dates back more than nine hundred years, to a time before the Tree of Life had even appeared.”

“In that book, he recorded in detail how the earliest elves who arrived in this realm discovered that mystical ruins…”

“The ruins did not come into existence after the Tree of Life appeared. They had already been discovered when the elves first arrived in this world.”

Li Mu’s expression turned serious.

“In that case… does that mean civilization already existed in this world long ago?”

Little Salty Cat nodded.

“Yes. According to that book, the elf recorded a statement made by Eris, the Shadow of Night, after discovering that ruins. She stated that a powerful sealing force existed within them…”

“So I began to wonder, could it be that something is sealed within that ruins, and that whatever entity controls the Tree of Life originates from there?”

“The discovery of that ruins caused a great stir among the elven leadership at the time. The priest who recorded the event noted that even Eris herself could not determine the origins of that ruins, only that they were extremely ancient…”

“According to the book, the ruins were abundant in magical energy and resources, far surpassing any other region.”

“The author even wrote: ‘This is the most prosperous place I have ever seen or heard of. Even the most flourishing regions within the Elven Forest under the protection of the All-Divine Mother cannot compare to it…’”

“However, the Church’s upper ranks did not publicize this discovery. At the time, the elves had not yet established a firm foothold in this world. So to prevent other races, especially those living in the sea, from coveting that ruins, they decided to kept it as a closely guarded secret…”

“Wait… you mentioned other races? Were not humans and the like brought to this world alongside the elves?”

Demacia asked, slightly puzzled.

Little Salty Cat shook her head.

“No. They were already inhabitants of this world. The elves were the outsiders.”

“Then did those races not have their own beliefs before?”

Demacia pressed further.

“No. I looked into that as well but the library contained relevant materials. According to the records, before the elves arrived to this world, the other land-dwelling beings of Mindel were ignorant and without order. They possessed strength, but no civilization. It was the elves who brought both civilization and faith. In fact, this seems to have been one of the reasons why the shadow elves specifically chose this world.”

She paused, then added,

“Additionally, some religious texts record internal disputes among the Church’s leadership at the time. Certain elves, fearing a repeat of the betrayal that occurred in the world of Seigües, argued that other races should be confined to prevent them from growing stronger. More radical voices even proposed their complete eradication.”

“Tsk… eradication. The shadow elves seems far more aggressive than the other elven clans. Still… I assume those proposals were ultimately abandoned?”

Demacia clicked his tongue.

“Yes.”

Little Salty Cat nodded.

“The Shadow elves personally witnessed the destruction of their homeland. As the most warlike among all the elven clans, and having taken part in the great war a thousand years ago, they harbor the deepest hatred toward other races…”

“However, after much debate, they ultimately chose to spare the other races. Instead, they decided to cultivate them as vassals, spread the Goddess’s faith among them, and use them as a source of belief to aid in their Patron Deity’s resurrection…”

“This was because the elven population was too small. In their view, the amount of faith they could provide alone was insufficient to nurture the World Tree and awaken the consciousness of the Goddess.”

“Yet it was precisely this decision that allowed the shadow elves to develop a vast power in this world, thereby enabling them to successfully resist the invasion of those oceanic dwelling species.”

“By the way, according to the historical records I found, the elves also attempted to spread their faith among oceanic species. However, this effort did not last long before a certain upheaval occurred, and the world of Mindel became completely sealed off.”

“Shortly afterward, the faith of Demon Lord Leviathan began to spread throughout the oceans…”

At this point, Little Salty Cat looked at the others.

“Speaking of which, do you know how many beings in this world follow the Church of the All-Divine Mother?”

Everyone turned toward her with curiosity.

“How many?”

She raised two fingers.

“Two million?”

Li Mu raised an eyebrow.

However, she slowly shook her head.

“No…”

“Twenty million.”

“T-Twenty million?!”

The group widened their eyes, drawing sharp breaths.

The number was undeniably staggering.

Yet when they recalled the countless villages and cities scattered across the continent they had seen during their recent flights, such numbers began to feel plausible.

They exchanged glances.

“Does anyone know how many believers the Goddess currently has?”

“Hmm… If we include the believers from the demirealm of Ouros and the Maple Moon Free State, it still likely does not exceed nine million.”

Dōngdōng, who was most familiar with Church affairs, replied.

“My goodness… if this world were reclaimed, the Goddess’s influence would surely skyrocket.”

Optimist exclaimed.

“That is assuming it can be reclaimed first.”

Demacia shook his head.

Optimist frowned.

“That should not be too difficult, right? Can the real one truly lose to an impostor?”

Demacia spread his hands.

“Who can say? It is not so simple. The Goddess was just declared a wanted criminal not long ago. Plus, the inhabitants of this world have been thoroughly indoctrinated. It also seems that the Goddess has certain restrictions imposed upon her. We should proceed cautiously and follow the course of events.”

The players began discussing among themselves.

After hearing Little Salty Cat’s account, Li Mu grew curious.

“Cat, how much material did you go through in such a short time?”

“A lot… I did not count, but probably several thousand volumes.”

She replied.

The players: “…”

“How is that even possible? It has only been half a day. Even with a universal reading spell, that is excessive. Do you possess some kind of cloning ability?”

Demacia clicked his tongue in disbelief.

“Of course not. I used mana crystals to hire people to gather the materials for me. I only reviewed the key sections. In this world, magical energy is scarce, so mana crystals are highly valued.”

Little Salty Cat answered matter-of-factly.

Demacia was left speechless.

The others also fell into silence.

Perhaps…

This was simply how the truly wealthy operated.

While everyone was still inwardly marveling at a world beyond their means, Li Mu noticed that Boxlunch, who had remained silent the entire time, was slightly frowning.

A thought crossed his mind.

“Boxlunch, do you have something to add?”

He hesitated briefly, then nodded.

After glancing at Little Salty Cat, Boxlunch spoke in a low voice:

“There is only one thing I cannot understand…”

“The system quest states that the Tree of Life possesses only demigod-rank strength…”

“But with eight hundred years in preparation and twenty million believers at its disposal, shouldn’t that been enough to elevate its rank to a true god?”

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