CH243 - CH244

CH243

Helag smiled, understanding why Brack was so excited.

For the Terchy family, this was indeed a monumental event that could change the entire family's fate.

"David, Reese, you two should head back to the family first. Helag, come with me to Blackrock Valley," Brack said.

David glanced at Helag, giving him a hearty smile before boarding the carriage.

Reese, on the other hand, hugged Helag tightly, stood on her toes, and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll head back to take care of some family matters. Once I'm done, I'll come find you."

"Alright, take care," Helag nodded.

Brack watched the scene with wide eyes before smiling warmly.

After Reese and David boarded the Terchy family carriage and left, Helag also got into the carriage to head toward Blackrock Valley.

Inside the carriage, Asna sat beside Helag, curiously looking out the window at the passing scenery.

Brack glanced at Asna, surprised that Helag had brought a woman back from the Elven Plane.

It was clear their relationship wasn't ordinary.

Helag introduced them, "This is Asna, a spellcaster from the Elven Plane. Asna, this is Mr. Brack, a crystallization-level wizard from the Terchy family."

Asna sat politely, nodding toward Brack. "Hello, Mr. Brack."

She had already learned about the power hierarchy in the Wizard Plane and understood that a crystallization wizard was equivalent to a high-level spellcaster.

Since Brack was a crystallization-level wizard, it meant he was quite powerful.

From Helag and Brack's conversation, Asna could tell that Brack was an important figure in the Terchy family.

A few days later, the carriage arrived at Blackrock Valley.

Helag stepped down from the carriage, holding Asna's hand, and looked at the familiar valley ahead. Nothing had changed, and he felt a wave of nostalgia.

A year had passed so quickly, and everything he had experienced in the Elven Plane now felt like a dream, gone in the blink of an eye.

Asna looked at the black soil beneath her feet and the valley ahead, observing everything carefully.

"We're home," Helag smiled as he walked forward, with Asna holding his hand and following closely behind.

Inside Blackrock Valley, nothing had changed. The vast fields of magical herbs were still being tended to by wizard apprentices.

"Mr. Helag!"

"Mr. Helag is back!"

***

As Helag entered the valley, many wizard apprentices greeted him, and he smiled back, leading Asna toward the northern castle.

Asna was amazed by the fields of magical herbs surrounding them.

She recognized many of the herbs from the books Helag had left behind at Base 27. During their time there, she had studied a lot, including herbalism and potion-making, which were subjects she had never encountered before.

Seeing the vast fields of magical herbs she had only read about, and in such large quantities, left Asna speechless.

In the Elven Plane, magical herbs were scarce and difficult to find.

But here, they were everywhere, and Asna was astonished.

"They can cultivate them in bulk, like farming vegetables," Asna thought, realizing the immense power of the wizards in the Wizard Plane. The scale of the magical herb cultivation alone showed how advanced their knowledge system was.

In the Elven Plane, no one had ever cultivated magical herbs like this.

Of course, this might also be related to the different systems of power.

In the Elven Plane, spellcasters didn't need potions to advance. As long as they continued studying and meditating, they would naturally advance when the time was right.

No one had yet figured out why this was, but Helag suspected it had something to do with the World Tree.

The presence of the World Tree in the Elven Plane made the entire plane suitable for spellcasters to cultivate.

In contrast, the Wizard Plane had no World Tree, so wizards needed potions to break through their limits.

But in the Elven Plane, the environment itself supported spellcasters, and their natural constitutions were different from wizards, allowing them to advance without potions.

However, this was just Helag's speculation. The rules of different planes were likely very different, and the reasons behind them were bound to be complex.

Compared to wizards, spellcasters in the Elven Plane had a much easier time cultivating.

They didn't face the same risks or difficulties when breaking through.

As Helag and Asna approached the castle, Lennon quickly ran out to greet them, bowing. "Lord Helag, you've returned."

"Yes, this is Miss Asna. She will also be one of the castle's owners from now on," Helag introduced.

Lennon glanced at Asna, memorizing her face before nodding. "Welcome, Miss Asna."

Helag nodded and led Asna into the castle. "There are two servants in the castle: Lennon, who you just met, and another named Mary. You can ask them for help with anything you need."

"Okay, got it," Asna replied, still a bit unused to the idea of having servants.

In the past, she had always done everything herself and had never had the luxury of ordering servants around.

Helag led Asna to the inner part of the castle. As they reached the stairs, they heard light footsteps from above, and soon Shatia appeared.

After a year, Shatia seemed even more beautiful, with a more mature and calm demeanor.

She wore a floral dress with white over-the-knee stockings.

Helag thought Shatia was one of the few girls who could pull off white stockings without making her legs look bulky. Her graceful temperament was a perfect match.

The beauty and grace of elves were unmatched, far beyond what humans could compare to.

"Master!" Shatia ran over and buried her head in Helag's chest.

During the year Helag had been away, Shatia had stayed in Blackrock Valley, too afraid to leave due to her elven identity.

Life in the valley had been quite dull. Though the castle was large, it felt empty with so few people.

Aside from learning how to cook and practicing magic, Shatia had little to do and was often bored to death.

Eventually, she began studying potion-making, and Brack had bought her a harp and other instruments to keep her entertained.

Ever since Helag had left, Shatia had felt a constant emptiness in her heart, which she later realized was longing.

The moment she saw Helag return, she ran downstairs and hugged him tightly.

Feeling the warmth of Helag's embrace, Shatia finally felt a sense of security.

"An elf?" Asna looked at Helag in surprise.

She had never expected to see such a beautiful elven girl in the Wizard Plane.

More importantly, from Asna's perspective, Shatia's bloodline was incredibly powerful, far stronger than any elf she had encountered before.

CH244

"This is…"

Asna was about to speak when Helag gently placed a finger over her lips. "You don't need to say anything about Shatia's identity. Just keep it to yourself and don't mention it to anyone."

Helag knew Asna had probably figured something out, so he said this to make sure she understood.

Asna nodded, quickly catching on to Helag's meaning.

Shatia's identity was clearly not ordinary—she was likely a royal elf, a figure of legend.

Keeping Shatia's identity a secret would ensure her safety and prevent any unnecessary trouble for Helag.

Helag introduced them to each other, and Shatia, excited, asked, "You're from the Elven Plane too?"

Asna smiled. "Yes, I'm from the Kingdom of Norn. I've met some elves before, but I've never seen one as beautiful as you."

Shatia's eyes sparkled as she looked at Asna, clearly thrilled to meet someone from her homeland.

Since arriving in the Wizard Plane, Helag had been Shatia's only source of comfort.

Now, she had met someone else from the Elven Plane, someone around her age, and who also had a master-servant contract with Helag.

This meant she would have a companion from now on.

"The Kingdom of Norn! I've heard fairy tales from there before…"

Shatia was so excited that she grabbed Asna's hand and started chatting non-stop.

Asna, though also excited, was clearly more mature than Shatia, only covering her mouth with a soft laugh.

Despite being over a hundred years old, Shatia was less composed than Asna.

The three of them continued chatting as they headed upstairs. Helag opened the door to his room and said, "This is my bedroom. You'll stay here with me from now on."

Asna looked around the spacious room and nodded. "Okay~"

The living conditions here were far better than at Base 27.

At Base 27, they had only a small wooden cabin with nothing in it.

The castle's luxurious furnishings and facilities were a stark contrast to the simple wooden cabin at the base. Everything here was of high quality, far beyond anything Asna had ever seen.

She had never in her life been in such a lavish room and didn't even know where to step at first.

The floor was covered in a thick, luxurious carpet, and Asna was afraid of dirtying it.

With a wave of his hand, Helag placed Asna's clothes on the large bed, along with some of her personal belongings.

The room had several elegant wardrobes and cabinets, more than enough space for Asna's things.

Helag planned to get both Asna and Shatia small space rings later, just enough for their personal use.

"Shatia, can you take a look at this?" Helag pulled out the World Tree Bow.

He still didn't fully understand the bow, only knowing its name.

Shatia's eyes widened in surprise when she saw it. "The World Tree Bow! How did you get this, my lord?"

"I got it from a spellcaster in the Elven Plane. Do you know anything about it? Tell me," Helag said.

Shatia thought for a moment before explaining, "It's made from the branches of the World Tree. Yours is likely from a branch of one of the World Tree's offshoots. If it were from the main World Tree, I'd be able to sense its aura, but this one isn't."

"What's the difference?" Helag asked.

"There's a huge difference. A bow made from the main World Tree's branches would be far more powerful. The ones made from offshoots are much weaker in comparison."

Shatia continued, "Only elves can use the World Tree Bow. If someone without elven blood tries to use it, it will drain their life force—it's a heavy price to pay."

Helag looked at the wooden longbow, deep in thought. "I see."

Since he had royal elven blood in his veins, he could use the World Tree Bow without any issues.

Thinking back, when Cole had used the bow, he must have paid a significant price, which explained the blood at the corner of his mouth.

If Cole had fired a few more arrows, he likely wouldn't have been able to withstand it.

***

That night.

Helag's room had a large bathroom, and the massive bathtub was filled with hot water, steam rising and filling the room.

The heat was so intense that droplets of water formed on the brows of anyone inside for too long.

Asna, her face flushed, stood wrapped in a towel, her head lowered, too shy to look at Helag. Her bashful appearance was captivating.

Helag took out a wooden box and retrieved a small, translucent green leaf, handing it to Asna. "Eat this."

"What is this…" Asna asked, holding the leaf, surprised that something so beautiful was meant to be eaten.

"It's World Tree sap. Eating it will extend your lifespan by 300 years," Helag explained.

He had ten drops in total. One drop was enough for him, and any more would be wasted.

Since he wasn't planning on selling the rest anytime soon, he figured it would be better to use it on those close to him.

Shatia had mentioned that she used to eat these like candy when she was younger, so she didn't need any.

Asna, however, was still human. Spellcasters in the Elven Plane didn't live as long as wizards.

So, Helag decided to give her one drop.

"Three hundred years of life!"

Asna was stunned.

This beautiful object could actually extend someone's life by 300 years.

Asna was overwhelmed. To her, this was a priceless treasure, and the fact that Helag was willing to give it to her touched her deeply.

"Don't just stand there, eat it. And don't tell anyone about it," Helag said.

"Okay~" Asna nodded, opening her mouth and swallowing the World Tree sap.

At the same time, Helag took a piece for himself.

The sap melted in their mouths, turning into a liquid that flowed through their bodies.

As soon as it entered their systems, it transformed into an endless stream of energy, spreading throughout their bodies.

Helag immediately felt a warm sensation coursing through him, his cells seemingly rejoicing. He had never felt so comfortable.

Beyond the physical changes, something even more significant was happening in his mind.

In Helag's mind, his gaseous spiritual energy had already condensed into a small cluster, ready to advance to the liquid state at any moment.

He had reached this stage months ago but hadn't been able to fully break through.

Helag hadn't rushed the process, choosing instead to meditate and cultivate steadily, taking things one step at a time.

Now, after consuming the World Tree sap, his spiritual energy began to change.

The cluster of energy started to shift, becoming malleable like clay.

Soon, it began to melt, its form gradually changing until it transformed into a single drop of water.

"I've entered the liquefied stage."

Helag could feel the changes within him. His physical attributes had improved, and his spiritual energy had also increased.

In his mind, a single drop of water floated silently.