Mythical Creatures Strategy Guide

Chapter 56 The Child

The chinaberry tree died, and she died peacefully.

Chu Sheng and Amber stood amidst the devastation, remaining silent for a long time.

This ending came so suddenly that it left people a little bewildered.

"So..." Chu Sheng pointed to the puddle of gray mud on the ground, then to the depths of the Sacred Tree Forest, "that's it?"

Amber looked down at the clump of ash. She stood barefoot on the broken wooden steps, remaining silent for a long time.

In the distance, the sacred tree had stopped trembling. The roots that had been uprooted from the ground sank back into the soil one by one, like a colossal creature that had been sleeping for a long time closing its eyes once more.

Amber finally spoke: "It's over."

She looked up; the night hadn't completely faded, but a pale white tinge had already appeared on the horizon. She stood in that fading light, captivating all who looked away.

She was the last elven royalty in this royal court.

"She originally wanted to kill you." Chu Sheng said, still somewhat puzzled, standing behind Amber.

Amber shook her head: "If she wants to complete her plan, she has to make all the royal elves disappear."

"Then why didn't she kill you?"

Amber looked at the pool of gray mud on the ground, her emerald-gold eyes filled with exhaustion: "Maybe she can't kill him."

"I am the queen of the Sacred Tree Forest. In this forest, no one can kill me unless I choose to die."

She paused, then sighed, "Of course, maybe she just couldn't bring herself to do it."

"She looked quite content when she died," Chu Sheng said in a low voice.

"Um."

"Is it because you're alive, or because the plan has been completed?"

Amber turned around, wanting to laugh but unable to: "Maybe both."

Chu Sheng seemed to understand something, looked down at the patch of ash, and slowly said, "Her logic is actually very simple. She destroyed the names of the royal elves, and when the sacred tree awakens and takes stock of its children, it will find that those names are gone and will go looking for new children."

"The Grey Elf's life tree is rooted in the Sacred Tree Forest. She believes that as long as the Royal Court is gone, the Grey Realm will be seen by the Sacred Tree."

"So whether it's her or you who stays in the end isn't that important to her."

Amber closed her eyes: "Maybe."

The sky brightened even faster, as if the darkness was being slowly pushed aside by a giant's hand, and the ruins of the royal court were gradually illuminated by the morning light.

Chu Sheng and Amber sat down on the star-gazing platform.

That was once the highest point of the royal court, but now half of it has collapsed, with the remaining wooden platform hanging precariously on the outer side of the giant tree's branches. Looking down, the entire royal court lies beneath your feet. Further away, the direction of the gray domain is still shrouded in a thin layer of mist.

The others had already gone there. Only Chu Sheng and Amber remained in the ruins.

Chu Sheng sat on the edge of the wooden platform, his feet dangling over the edge. He was sore all over from the night's exertions, his clothes were torn, and he had abrasions on his shoulders. Sitting there, he looked even thinner.

Amber sat next to him, but her size was much larger than his.

When seated, Chu Sheng's head only reached about her chest. She was tall and voluptuous, her white dress clinging to her body in the morning breeze, outlining the striking curves of a mature woman. Her wide, shapely hips pressed against the hem of her skirt, which spread out and took up a large portion of the wooden platform.

Chu Sheng sat next to her, occupying only a small space.

"His Majesty."

"Um?"

"When we sit together, I always feel like a child," Chu Sheng said, giving himself a heads-up about calling her "Mom" in the future.

Amber finally smiled: "You really were like a child last night."

Chu Sheng asked warily, "In what way?"

"Stubborn to the end."

"That's called courage."

"And looking around randomly."

"That's called reconnaissance."

Amber looked at him, the smile in her eyes slowly fading, leaving only weariness and sadness. Chu Sheng didn't try to make any more jokes.

The sun rose. A ray of golden light shone on the treetops at the edge of the forest, then the light gradually rose, passing over the dense foliage, the distant vine bridge, and the broken palace roof.

Sunlight fell on Amber's long hair. Her pale golden hair was made even brighter by the morning light, like flowing gold. The lines of her profile softened in the sunlight, casting a faint shadow beneath her eyelashes.

"Did the plan of the chinaberry tree really succeed?" Chu Sheng asked suddenly, looking at the rising sun.

Amber also gazed in the direction of the sunrise, her eyes shining with golden light. After a while, she slowly shook her head.

"It might succeed, or it might not."

Chu Sheng chuckled: "That's a rather perfunctory answer."

"I have no idea."

"You are the Elf Queen."

"The Elf Queen doesn't know everything either."

Amber looked into the distance and murmured, "No one knows what the Sacred Tree really is."

Chu Sheng looked into the depths of the forest.

The true sacred tree is hidden there by the canopy of countless trees. Yet it is there, so large that it cannot be fully contained by a single eye, so large that the entire forest is its roots stretching out in its slumber.

Amber said softly, "It appeared even before the elves. We call it Mother, pray to it, and receive our names from it. But all these years, no elf has truly understood what it is thinking."

"Does it think?" Chu Sheng asked casually.

"I have no idea."

Chu Sheng fell silent. A tree older than its own race, called Mother by countless elves, yet no one knew if it possessed a will, joy, anger, or favoritism.

And yet, the bitter chinaberry dared to stake everything on such an existence.

I'm betting that all the suffering she's endured in her life will eventually earn her a recognized name.

"She's really crazy." Chu Sheng felt a lingering fear.

Amber looked at the horizon: "Mmm."

"But she's also quite pitiful."

"Um."

"But as tragic as she is, she is still evil."

"Um."

Chu Sheng turned to look at her: "Why can you only say 'hmm'?"

Amber looked down at him calmly: "Because everything you said is right."

Chu Sheng was speechless for a moment.

Amber raised her hand and gently pulled his head close.

Before Chu Sheng could react, her hand supported the back of his head, pulling him towards her shoulder.

She was much taller than him, so even when she was sitting, she had to bend down slightly so that he could lean on her more comfortably.

Chu Sheng's cheek pressed against her shoulder. Warm and soft, it offered a sense of security that made him want to close his eyes. The exaggerated curves of her chest were so close, her white dress appearing slightly translucent in the morning light. Chu Sheng had intended to look at the sun, but his view was mostly blocked by her mature, voluptuous figure.

Chu Sheng dared not move: "Your Majesty, this posture is easy to be misunderstood."

There's no one else here.

"Then I myself would misunderstand."

Amber didn't let go. Her fingers gently stroked Chu Sheng's hair, her movements very light.

Chu Sheng fell silent. After a while, he asked in a low voice, "If Ku Lian's plan really succeeds, and the Grey Elves become the new Royal Elves, what do you plan to do?"

Amber looked at the rising sun in the distance: "The Sacred Tree may treat the Grey Elves as children, or it may do nothing at all, but it doesn't matter anymore."

"Because you're the only one left." Chu Sheng felt a little sad for her.

"Yes, I'm the only one left," Amber said softly.

Chu Sheng felt inexplicably sad when he heard those words. He leaned on her shoulder without looking up: "Then what do you need me to do?"

Amber looked down at him, and this time, she really smiled.

The smile was a little tired, a little gentle, and a little cunning: "To prevent the chinaberry tree's plan from succeeding, I need your help."

Chu Sheng swallowed hard: "How can we help? The royal court's spirits are all gone."

Amber raised her hand and brushed the stray hairs from his forehead to the side.

"The Royal Elf is gone," she said softly. "Then let's start over."

"Your Majesty," Chu Sheng said cautiously, "please tell me the specific plan first."

Amber looked at him. The morning light shone over her shoulders and onto the two of them. Her tall, voluptuous figure blocked most of the cold wind, while Chu Sheng leaned against her, looking small and helpless.

She spoke softly.

Let's have a baby.