"Grandfather—"

"I read in this collection of wandering poet stories that in the distant past, the Royal Court was not located on an island, but on a vast continent."

"On that vast land, there were snowy mountains, ravines, endless grasslands, and mirror-like lakes..."

"Was that real?"

At the edge of the Elven Royal Court on the Lost Island, a little girl from the Elf Clan held a worn-out book, crouching beside a tattered stone house.

Her hair and eyes were a desolate gray, and at this moment, she was reading the ancient text on the tattered book by the faint glow of a fluorescent ore in her hand.

After millennia, the elves on the Lost Island had long since adapted to life under the Curtain of Eternal Night.

The Sacred Relic left by the Royal Court could grow a certain grain that did not require light to bloom and bear fruit, serving as food.

And the mysterious Ye Yi that entwined the branch of the World Tree in the center of the Lost Island also radiated around the plant life, granting the island vast Shadow Ancient Woods that could be used as firewood for daily needs.

Nevertheless, the resources on this small island could barely sustain the survival of the Royal Court's inhabitants.

Those who held elder seats in the Council, such as the Sun Elves, Moon Elves, and Ice Elves of the advanced Elf Tribe, naturally resided within the inner regions of the Royal Court, living reasonably comfortable lives.

However, the "Grey Elf Tribe", which was of low status within the Royal Court even before the great catastrophe and was often excluded from the hierarchy of the advanced Elf, without even a seat in the Council, naturally led a less fortunate life.

They could only reside at the utmost periphery of the Royal Court, with scarce supplies such as fluorescent ore and lightless crops, and had to rely on their own strength to survive at the outskirts of the Royal Court.

But everything has its pros and cons.

Excluded from the mainstream society of the inner Royal Court, they could only establish settlements on the wilderness edges of the Royal Court, thereby allowing the Grey Elf Tribe to have its own heritage and culture, remaining uninfluenced by the thoughts and trends within the Royal Court through the years, retaining an independent mind.

Long before the great catastrophe, the Grey Elf Tribe were natural wandering poets and Elf Sword Chanters.

The wandering poets and chanters, without fixed abodes, traveled across the Main Material Plane, bringing beautiful songs and epics to every corner of the Western Continent.

Now, although the Royal Court had fallen and turned into the Lost Island, the settlements of the Grey Elf still held numerous ancient texts compiled by wandering poets.

These contained no hidden knowledge of the extraordinary, only pure songs and stories.

Yet even so, the bizarre worlds depicted in those songs and tales were enough to stir longing in one's heart.

"Since it's written by the Grey Elf wandering poets of previous generations, and since those poetry books say so."

"Then it must be true..."

The white-haired, white-bearded old Grey Elf looked at the little girl before him, with a kind gaze emanating from his cloudy gray eyes.

The bloodline of the Grey Elves too had been tainted, so though he seemed to be extremely aged, he was actually only a few hundred years old and therefore hadn't experienced that Glorious Era before the great catastrophe.

"But such scenery, I suppose we will never see again..."

The old Grey Elf looked at the pitch-black, inky sky.

This was the long Eternal Night, as it had been since his birth.

No one knew how long this Darkness would last; perhaps it was eternal.

"Is that so?"

The little girl closed the book, carefully wrapped the piece of fluorescent stone in a handkerchief, and tucked it into her embrace.

She looked at her elder beside her: "But didn't Sister Hathaway say that it won't be long before we have a brand new sun."

"By then, we can see the rise and fall of the sea of trees, behold the grandeur of the vast ocean, and witness the full splendor of the Royal Court."

"We will be able to see blue skies and white clouds again, and see flowers adorning the branches."

"In the lazy afternoons when we nap, we can lie on the lush green grass, where warm sunlight filters through the canopy, casting dappled shadows."

"Moreover... Sister Hathaway, and that Brother Shiayar beside her..."

"Even showed us that Core of the Furnace."

Hathaway is an elder of the Golden Elf Tribe.

However, due to various reasons, along with interbreeding with other elves diluting the bloodline, pureblood Golden Elves were now few in number.

For this reason, Hathaway maintained quite a good relationship with small tribes like the Grey Elf Tribe and would often represent them in Council meetings of the Royal Court to fight for resources.

When speaking of this, a brilliant light flashed in the eyes of the little Grey Elf girl.

A few months ago, Hathaway visited the Grey Elf settlement at the edge of the Royal Court and demonstrated a wondrous skill called Arcane Arts and Magic.

Later on, at the center of the Grey Elf settlement, she left behind a miniature Sun Furnace.

This Sun Furnace replaced the large bonfire usually used for lighting and repelling the beasts of the dark, lighting up for half a day each day.

Such brilliant light was a marvelous sight she had never seen before.

It inspired an unparalleled yearning in the little girl for that light and the magic, which Hathaway said created it.