196: Chapter 196 The Golden Gate Symbolizing the [Future]: The [Underworld] and the [Dark Elf] Girl

With Hapi the Monochrome Bear's sinister, wicked laughter, the two [dice of fate] came to a steady stop on the translucent ground.

[Points: 12; Arrived at "Event Tile": Entering hidden map "Underground World"]

Dark Bai Ye, having fallen into the canyon's Torrent, was swept away by the rapid river into an unexplored underground waterway. Due to over-exhausting his mental energy to unleash super Dark Magic, Dark Bai Ye was forced into a deep slumber, and as he drifted along the underground river, his hair turned back to white.

This was a mysterious [Underground World] that had never been explored or discovered by humans. In the vast, boundless underground cavern stood countless massive pillars reaching toward the sky. These pillars were generally divided into three types: first, where the underground river flowed downwards while coiling around the pillar; second, where the underground river defied physics by flowing upwards while coiling around the pillar; and third, where giant fluorescent vines coiled around the surface of the pillars.

In a treehouse grown from massive vines, slender fluorescent vines hung from the dome, and a pale blue halo gently bathed the entire treehouse space, adding a glimmer of light to the dark Underground World.

Bai Ye slowly opened his eyes and forced himself to sit up with aching arms. His palms slowly brushed against the unfamiliar brown linen clothing, feeling the familiar sensation of his fingertips rubbing against his skin, while stinging pain and itching came from wounds on his body that had appeared from who knows where.

Looking at the severely damaged Reinhardt Family enchanted equipment neatly folded beside him, he saw the elemental greatsword leaning against the wall.

Bai Ye looked down at his hands. A deep wound on his right palm, deep enough to see the bone, was covered with dark green herbs. As he gently clenched his hand, a piercing pain accompanied the cooling sensation of the herbs.

"Ah! My head hurts so much!" Bai Ye suddenly clutched his head with both hands, letting out a painful groan.

Memories from before he lost consciousness surged in his mind like shattered mirror fragments, finally freezing on a bleak image: a giant grey Dragon covered in hideous grey scales with its massive maw open, its two lizard-like pupils—one black, one white—looking at him with disdain, along with the destructive Dark Element Dragon breath rushing toward him.

As the image froze, that fear originating from the depths of his Soul swept over Bai Ye once again—it was an absolute suppression originating from a massive disparity at the species level, something he had never felt before. It was different from facing fierce beasts or mysterious Demonic Beasts, and different from facing bandits or competitors; it was the powerlessness of an ant facing the collapse of the heavens.

Bai Ye rubbed his throbbing temples, trying to make the terrifying images in his mind dissipate quickly to alleviate the severe headache that came with the feelings of fear.

His gaze returned to the elemental greatsword leaning in the corner. The inscriptions on the blade remained dim and lusterless, and the once smooth, sharp edge was covered with dense notches and burn marks. The Reinhardt Family regulation equipment folded beside him was covered in charred black marks from fire and sharp cuts, with various faint elemental energy fluctuations remaining on them.

"Where did so many types of elemental attacks come from? Besides the most obvious Dark Element and Light Element, there are also Fire Element, Wind Element, Water Element, and Earth Element... and signs of blunt force impact."

Relying on his years of reading numerous texts at the Church of Light and his experience learning at the Reinhardt Family, Bai Ye—his palm bleeding as he had been agitated by the fearful memories of the grey Dragon—gently brushed over the dense wounds and bruises all over his body. Sensing the residual energy signatures within them, his heart was full of confusion: "How did I survive? How did I get these injuries? Where is this place?"

Bai Ye deliberately pushed his body up with his feet. As the slightly crude wooden bed in the treehouse emitted a faint "creak," a series of rapid, light footsteps approached from afar and stopped at the treehouse entrance.

Immediately after, the hanging vines at the treehouse entrance were gently pushed aside, and a slender figure walked in quickly.

Bai Ye's gaze was instantly drawn—it was a young girl who looked only fifteen or sixteen years old. Her grey skin glowed with a delicate luster under the faint light of the fluorescent plants, and her long white hair hung down like a waterfall, adorned with a few unknown black flowers. She wore a long dress woven from black leaves, with silver vines wrapped around her slender waist; and what shocked Bai Ye the most were the girl's pointed ears.

[Dark Elf]!

The contents recorded in the Church of Light's texts instantly surged in Bai Ye's mind: "The world began in Chaos and fell into eternal polar night due to the [God of Darkness], but the arrival of the [God of Light] brought the sun and light to this world. The dependents of the [God of Darkness]—the [Dark Elf], because they were born in darkness, fear the light and turn into fly ash under the shining of the first ray of the sun..."

Yet the Dark Elf girl, who only existed in the Church's texts, was not only standing alive before him but had also saved him when he was severely injured.

Bai Ye's tense nerves relaxed slightly—if she harbored any malice, she wouldn't have bothered to treat his wounds.

The Dark Elf girl clearly hadn't expected Bai Ye to wake up so quickly. Seeing him sit up, a flash of surprise and curiosity crossed her eyes. She then quickly ran forward, and when she spoke, her voice was as ethereal as a mountain spring, asking with a timid tone: "You... you're awake?"

Bai Ye nodded. Because his eyes were not accustomed to the dark environment, he subconsciously released the Elementary Light Magic [Illumination Spell] to observe the Dark Elf girl more clearly. Feeling the thin Light Element in the air quickly gather above his head, a white ball of light illuminated the entire treehouse.

With an "Ah!" she covered her eyes and fell backward, and pitch-black flames ignited on the Dark Elf girl's body where the light shone.

Bai Ye nervously and quickly dispelled the Illumination Spell in the air and hurriedly picked up the Dark Elf girl, who had collapsed to the ground with weak breathing. Looking at the burn marks left after the black flames on the girl's body extinguished, Bai Ye instantly understood that Light Magic was like a potent poison to a Dark Elf.

He quickly stopped the Intermediate healing-type Light Magic he had subconsciously wanted to release. Mysteriously, a large amount of knowledge about Dark Magic suddenly appeared in Bai Ye's mind. Because of its special connection to the [God of Darkness], Dark Magic was strictly prohibited from being learned or spread in the human world by the Church of Light. Even Demonic Beasts capable of releasing Dark Magic were hunted to extinction by the Church of Light. Furthermore, when all humans were born, they had to go to the local Church of Light to test their element affinity attributes. All infants with Dark Element Affinity, regardless of strength, would be heavily monitored by the Church for their entire lives, and were forced to undergo one day of repentance at the Church of Light every month.

Conversely, humans with Light Element Affinity were respected by Civilians and nobles. All human infants detected with Light Element Affinity were sent by their parents to the Church of Light from a young age to study, in the hope of becoming priests or paladins in the future.

Even Demonic Beasts capable of releasing Light Magic were important symbols for nobles to flaunt their status.

Yet at this moment, it was as if Bai Ye had been studying Dark Magic for years. He simply reached out his hands and easily released an Intermediate healing-type Dark Magic [Dark Embrace]. The surrounding Dark Elements quickly gathered and enveloped the Dark Elf girl, and the wounds on her body recovered visibly to the naked eye. As her breathing became steady, the girl slowly opened her eyes. Seeing the white-haired human holding her, she let out a loud "Ah!" and pushed Bai Ye away. With a crisp "Thud!" she crashed headfirst onto the treehouse floor, causing the fluorescent plants on the walls to flicker and shake.

Bai Ye stood up, feeling embarrassed. Remembering that the Light Magic he had subconsciously released had actually caused her fatal harm, a wave of guilt welled up in his heart, and he quickly apologized: "My name is Bai Ye. Thank you for saving me. The Light Magic just now... it was my fault. I didn't expect it would hurt you."

Hearing Bai Ye mention Light Magic, the girl subconsciously shrank her neck, a flash of fear crossing her eyes. But after seeing Bai Ye's sincere apology, she shook her head gently: "It's okay, you didn't mean it. Besides, you already healed me with Dark Magic. My name is Anya, and I am a [Dark Elf]."

Anya's gaze fell on Bai Ye's white hair, and feeling the rich Dark Element energy around him, she blinked curiously: "You are a human, right?"

"Yes, that's right," Bai Ye nodded. He paused, then asked tentatively, "You are a Dark Elf? But the Church of Light's texts say that your race was wiped out... I apologize for my offense."

Realizing he had spoken out of turn, Bai Ye apologized again.