MMORPG: Divine Mech Hunter
Chapter 1290 - Chapter 1290 Chapter 1290 Divine Artifact Fragments

Chapter 1290: Chapter 1290: Divine Artifact Fragments Chapter 1290: Chapter 1290: Divine Artifact Fragments He continued, seriously, “As for the fallen elves, I am not too clear on that matter, but I have heard that in Ancient Times, we were of the same race, only led astray and corrupted by the Evil God. Afterward, living underground in darkness over an extended period shaped their form to change, just as we have been altered over the millennia by the magic power of the Sunwell.”

The Countess nodded and said, “These rumors are not wrong, but they’re not entirely true either. The so-called fallen elves, in reality, are not so much the result of the Evil God’s temptations as they are the fault of our ancestors. You should know that in Ancient Times, we shared an ancestor with the Trolls; a time when the Trolls and the Aqir Tribe vied for dominance and the Trolls ultimately ruled the world. Part of our Dark Troll lineage lived near the Eternal Well and over a lengthy period, under the guidance of the Moon God, we began to move toward civilization.”

“We abandoned those bloody, primitive, and savage rituals and traditions. Our tusks receded, and under the leadership of the first queen, we became the Children of the Stars. It was precisely for this reason that we became the rebels under the leadership of Zandalari. The conflict escalated, and wars began. Our numbers were too few, especially when compared to the mighty Troll Empire, and we were continuously on the defensive, protecting our homeland.”

“That was a dark age. Over time, our ancestors, by virtue of their proximity to the Eternal Well, gradually gained the power of arcane and magic. We started to turn the tide of the battle and began to counterattack. Eventually, we engaged in a decisive war against the Troll Empire and triumphed, causing their empire to crumble.”

“But the Trolls’ power was still far greater than ours, so we put together a massive expeditionary force and left our homeland to cleanse the Trolls, who fled to the far reaches of another continent. However, Zandalari still commanded a formidable power and laid an ambush for the expeditionary force, which became trapped. They sent out falcons for help, but the distance was too great. By the time our army arrived here, the place was already deserted. We retaliated against Zandalari and besieged them until their power was severely weakened, and to this day, Zandalari can no longer consolidate the power of the Trolls.”

Li Yao was taken aback and asked, “Could it be that the ancestors of this expeditionary force are the fallen elves?”

The Countess nodded, saying, “Yes, for a very long time after, we believed that this expeditionary force had been slaughtered by the Trolls. However, with the emergence of the fallen elves, we came to understand their situation. They held out for three months, exhaustingly spent and left with no options. The Spider Queen Ros offered them a way out: to abandon their faith in the Moon God and worship her instead. Though many were unwilling, driven to desperation and without any news of reinforcements, most converted their faith, used the pathways opened by Ros to enter the underworld, and came to see us as enemies.”

With a sigh, Li Yao said, “You can’t blame them. It was all for survival. But I don’t understand the connection between the fallen elves and the Witherbarks. As far as I know, the Prince allowed you to form a new force before his expedition to Outland, and the Blood Knight Order was established to help the Witherbarks break free from the Legion.”

A flicker of sorrow passed through the Countess’s eyes, “I had no choice. The Witherbarks have lost all reason; their brains are dead, a condition beyond any healing. Given their bloodlust and ferocity, and the many territories they occupy, we can’t develop further. But the problem is, they were once our comrades, even family–my own parents turned into Witherbarks. So the Prince, along with the current ruling council headed by the Regent, avoid this issue. However, it must be resolved. Let me be the butcher. At this moment, the power of the Knight Order is not very strong. It is not difficult to deal with the Witherbarks, but it will take time.”

“However, traitors recently emerged among us. I discovered a gang capturing Witherbarks, but instead of granting them peace, they were sold to fallen elves. I caught and interrogated them, then learned that the captured Witherbarks were turned by the fallen elves’ dark magic into Fel puppets. Just as I was about to learn more, the prisoners, controlled by dark spells, were made to self-destruct. Only one go-between escaped their control, but his knowledge was limited.”

Li Yao finally understood. The fallen elves were a highly xenophobic race, looking down on others. But regardless of their hatred for the current elves, they were once the same race; hence, they wanted to take Witherbarks into their tribe to increase their power.

“So the Countess means,”

A flicker of murderous intent crossed the Countess’s eyes: “These tribe members must have peace; I cannot allow those who desecrate them to exist. But I have dispatched numerous strong elites disguised as Witherbarks. Yet, after some time, contact is lost with each group, with several batches missing and no useful intelligence obtained. We know nothing about which faction of fallen elves is behind this, or where this tribe resides. Therefore, we need a strong figure who cannot be swayed or tempted by the Evil God to accomplish this. After much thought, only you could be fit for this task.”

Li Yao forced a bitter smile, “You’re overestimating me.”

“It’s the truth,” the Countess said, knowing the difficulty of the mission and how his own affairs might suffer from his absence. Then, pulling out a painting, she said, “That’s why I’ve decided to give you a prized possession that my family has cherished, as a token of gratitude for your help.”

Li Yao was startled, saying, “I’m a rough man with no study of paintings.”

The Countess chuckled softly, “Where might you be thinking, General? I’m referring to the bow in the painting. As the heir to the high command, you will inevitably become a master Ranger. How could a Ranger be without a fitting bow? The Artifact Bow of the Windrunner Family was in the hands of the previous Ranger General Aurelia, the commander’s sister, and not even your bow is beyond legendary, although it’s excellent. But compared to a Divine Artifact, it’s still lacking.”

Li Yao was stunned, “How is that possible, how could your family possess an Artifact Bow?”

“You misunderstand, General. Naturally, my family does not own a Divine Artifact, but this bow is part of one. It’s a family heirloom of legendary quality. While not a Divine Artifact, a legendary bow is more than enough for you now. In your hands, with your skills and methods, it might be possible to gather the other two legendary bows and forge a genuine Divine Artifact,” the Countess explained.

Li Yao was truly tempted this time–an Artifact Bow component! Even if its attributes were merely legendary, it would still possess unique features of a Divine Artifact, like the Reaper’s Scythe; average in pure attribute enhancements but extraordinary in effect and indestructible. What puzzled Li Yao was that in his previous life, he had never heard of Divine Artifact Fragments being combined into a full Artifact Bow…