"I smell the aura of ancient Deities~"
"Creature from beyond this world, if Iâm not mistaken, you must be a follower of some great being!"
"Such a powerful aura is not something that those races of mere ants should possess."
The Ten-winged Elf Elderâs gaze was fixed on Sean.
Behind him, a dense swarm of Elves filled half the sky.
There were so many of them that Sean began to think this entire continent might be occupied by their kind.
"Ancient? Perhaps!"
"But you all donât seem weak, either."
Sean chose not to attack.
Since the other party wanted to talk, he could use the opportunity to stall for time.
At the very least, he had to give his subordinates time to get away.
Of course, with a single look, Sean signaled Giant Demon Noom and his two companions to shoot off toward the sea as well.
The Ten-winged Elf Elder paid no mind to the fleeing Giant Demons.
Besides, he already had one in his grasp.
Indeed, one of Giant Demon Noomâs three High Tier deputies was already on the brink of death, bound by a terrifying pillar of massive tree roots.
"Heh, but of course!"
"We Forest Spirits are the Dominators of this Southern Continent. Few races in this world can compare to us."
"Except, of course, for the Clans of those few Pseudo-Gods."
"Outworlder, I see youâve accomplished your goal. Now, I think we can have a proper conversation."
The Ten-winged Elf Elder glanced at the sky, where only Sean remained, and suddenly spoke with a pointed meaning.
Sean was noncommittal.
âIf they can communicate, and want to, they must be after something.â
Perhaps before, Sean and his men had been beneath the Elvesâ notice, but after he revealed the Power of a Dragon Descendant, it was clear they now considered him worthy of a discussion between equals.
At the end of the day, strength was the eternal truth in this world.
Only with sufficient strength could one make others sit down for a conversation between equals.
Of course, Sean couldnât be sure what these Elves were thinking.
And he certainly wasnât about to put himself in real danger.
Therefore, after a momentâs thought, Sean decided not to flee immediately.
âAfter all, wasnât the advance teamâs mission to enter this world and gather intelligence?â
âWhether it was the Giant Demon Empire or the Star Empire...â
â...no matter what kind of world they faced, they would never just send in the main army without any reconnaissance.â
âThatâs why advance teams and scouts are always sent out ahead of time.â
âMissions like these are extremely high-risk, but the rewards are also the most plentiful.â
âNothing ventured, nothing gained, right?â
âAs for the Giant Demon soldiers who just died?â
They werenât his subordinates, anyway. Even if they had been, Sean would have still evaluated the situation based on his own interests.
With this in mind, Sean deactivated his Dragon Descendant Bloodlineâs Elementalization, as if to show his sincerity.
"A discussion is what we desire as well."
"Itâs just a shame that your race clearly didnât consider us worthy of an equal discussion at first."
Seanâs expression was indifferent as he reverted from his transformed state.
Seeing this, the Ten-winged Elf Elder couldnât help but admire Seanâs courage.
So, he tapped his Scepter lightly in the empty air.
In an instant, all the Forest Spirits transformed into green orbs of light and sank one by one into the earth below.
At the same time, on the land where the battle had just raged...
As the Forest Spiritsâ orbs of light sank into the earth, towering trees shot up from the ruined battlefield with astonishing speed, like a scene on fast-forward.
Flowers, grass, and moss soon covered the entire area.
In less than the time it took to draw three breaths, the area had once again become a scene of tranquil beauty.
Not a single trace of the fierce battle remained.
Sean watched this, lost in thought.
The Ten-winged Elf Elder, meanwhile, had transformed into an old man about Seanâs height.
However, his emerald-green skin, the jagged teeth filling his mouth, and the vine-like totem markings covering his body gave him a distinctly wild and uncanny air.
"Heh. Ants are not worthy of speaking with us, the Forest Race."
"Clearly, however, you are no mere ant."
The Elf Elder calmly stated this cruel truth of his world.
Just then, the ground suddenly began to shake again.
With a RUMBLE, a terrifying mass of entangled tree roots, each dozens of meters in diameter, shot up toward the sky.
The roots soared hundreds of meters into the sky, quickly forming a circular platform at their apex.
"If you please, Your Excellency."
"As the host, I trust such a reception is not beneath a guest of your status?"
The Elf Elderâs figure vanished from where he stood.
An instant later, he reappeared on the platform formed by the tangled roots.
Sean watched this unfold and, without a second thought, transformed into a streak of light, reappearing in a flash on the platform opposite the Elf Elder.
âThere was no point in showing weakness now.â
âBesides, he wanted to see what game this Forest Race was playing.â
"What status do I have? Iâm merely a Major in the Empire Army Department."
Sean said nonchalantly after landing on the platform.
"Empire? Major?"
A glint appeared in the Elf Elderâs eyes, and then he smiled faintly.
"Iâm not familiar with your outworlder Race."
"But I must admit, I am quite interested."