Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 964 - 957: Quick-witted

Chapter 964: Chapter 957: Quick-witted

"Carry on!" Talis stared at her intently, finally breaking the silence.

Instinctively, she didn’t trust Axia, for Axia was a Snow Elf, and Snow Elves worshipped the same deity as the Wood Elves. Although there were doctrinal conflicts between them, they would never turn to a heretical faith.

Axia smiled faintly, then took a deep breath and began to recite the doctrine in Elvish. Her Elvish was similar to Ilanadale’s, but the accent was noticeably different.

Luo’er looked at Axia, who was speaking Elvish, with a shocked expression. Since their encounter with Axia, she had always spoken Tasta, making Luo’er almost forget that Axia was of the Elf Race and could speak Elvish.

In fact, Luo’er didn’t know much about Elvish. After all, he learned it as a young child, and during his growth, he was most exposed to Chinese, English, and the particularly important Tasta, so he didn’t learn much Elvish. If he had to speak Elvish now, he guessed his vocabulary wouldn’t even match Baiyue.

Axia recited the doctrine with a smile, seeming to have anticipated Talis’s attempts to stump her, so she had made ample preparations. Or perhaps, over the years, she had already memorized Xiapei Kam’s doctrine thoroughly, so she was not at all afraid of Talis’s challenges.

Talis narrowed her eyes at Axia, her expression shifting from initial suspicion to questioning, and finally to shock.

The long doctrine took Axia more than ten minutes to recite. Upon finishing, she coughed lightly, and then Luo’er considerately handed her a cup of hot water.

"Thank you!" Axia said with a smile, very appreciative of Luo’er’s timely kindness.

"Do you believe me now?" Axia moistened her throat slightly, then turned back to look at Talis.

"Why do you worship Xiapei Kam?" Talis asked, frowning but with an obviously uncertain tone.

"What, is that not allowed?" Axia asked straightforwardly.

"No, it’s not that. Xiapei Kam welcomes any child who comes into her embrace..." Talis paused for a moment and continued, "Then, what about Tana, whom you used to worship?"

"Tana?" Axia smiled faintly, then turned to Luo’er and extended her hand, "Captain Luo’er, would you mind lending me that small object you carry with you for a moment?"

"Eh," Luo’er hesitated, getting a nudge from Tangmo beside him before he reacted. He quickly removed the Soul Summoning Bell from around his neck and handed it to Axia.

"Do you recognize this?" Axia asked, passing the Soul Summoning Bell to Talis.

"The Soul Summoning Bell? How do you have this?" Talis’s eyes widened at the sight of the object, then pulled out an identical pendant from around her own neck.

"This is my proof of conversion to Xiapei Kam, is that acceptable?" Axia asked.

"Of course." Talis nodded but still had her doubts, "But why would you give it to that Wood Elf?"

"His name is Luo’er!" Tangmo corrected somewhat angrily.

The Soul Summoning Bell is mainly used to avoid Tana’s influence. Once it is jingled, it can help break free from Tana’s control. As mentioned before, Tana cannot kill directly but can only lead those linked to her to seek their own death, and this applies only to Elves who have established a link with her.

However, though that’s said, nobody can guarantee Tana wouldn’t influence Elves who haven’t formed a link with her. Therefore, when Night Elves land on the Continent, they usually wear a Soul Summoning Bell to prevent Tana from interfering with their thoughts.

"Captain Luo’er has been troubled by Tana because he established a link with her," Axia explained evenly.

"He established a link with Tana?" Hearing her words, Talis’s brows furrowed again.

"Yes, is there a problem?" Axia was taken aback by her attitude, asking somewhat bewilderedly.

"Heh," Talis let out a cold laugh, then said icily, "When did Ilanadale ever establish a link with Tana for a half-elf?"

"What do you mean?" Luo’er’s heart skipped a beat, but he still managed to ask without changing his expression.

"What I mean, you should be very clear about. In this world, there are not many who can establish a link with Tana for the Elf Race, and most of them are the high ranks of the Elf Race. What right does a half-elf like you have to establish a link?" Talis said coldly.

"What do you mean, are you looking down on Luo’er?" Tangmo pointed at Talis, unable to hold back as he loudly berated her.

Actually, this was just her way of covering up her unease by deliberately changing the subject, because if they continued questioning like this, Luo’er’s origins would be exposed. They still didn’t trust this Talis, and if she found out Luo’er was the son of Princess Ilanadale, their difficulty in getting to Xia Yue Island would multiply.

Upon hearing Talis’s words, Axia’s heart also dropped, and she immediately realized the implications.

Yes, that’s right, Luo’er is a half-elf, how could he possibly be qualified to establish a contact with Tana. The self-preservation function of the Elf Race is known by most Elves, but the power of awakening is only mastered by a few, and awakening implies establishing a link with Tana.

If Luo’er were just an ordinary Elf, how could he be qualified to obtain such a link? She herself had struggled through great difficulties to establish a link with Tana, and that was considering that she is a pure-blooded Elf. Luo’er, on the other hand, is a half-elf, whom neither Ilanadale nor the Snow Domain actually regard much, as they do not favor mixed breeds.

"Heh heh heh, fascinating, fascinating," just then, the silent Cheng Ziang suddenly began clapping, then walked forward with a smile shaking his head.

"You’re quite sharp-witted. It’s truly a waste for someone like you not to be a detective." Cheng Ziang walked up to Talis, smiling as he spoke.

"What’s a detective?" Talis asked, tilting her head and staring at Cheng Ziang warily. She was not short, but still slightly shorter than Cheng Ziang standing before her.

"Since you’ve guessed as much, there’s no point in hiding anything. To be honest, we are Earthlings!" Cheng Ziang didn’t address her question, but instead revealed their origins forthrightly.

"Earthlings?" Talis heard this unfamiliar term for the first time.

"Also known as people from the Otherworld in your terms," Cheng Ziang said, narrowing his eyes.

"Otherworlders, you are Otherworlders!" Hearing his response, Talis’s eyes widened, then she stepped back several steps in alarm, only to bump heavily into Hu Daoke, who had already positioned himself behind her.

"I advise you not to act rashly, or you really will die a very ugly death, even worse than your teammates," Hu Daoke said expressionlessly.

Talis turned and took another step back, then looked around, a sense of desperate fear surging in her heart. She took a deep breath and then asked through clenched teeth, "What exactly do you Otherworld enemies want by bringing me here, what are you planning to do?"

"Calm down, we are not your enemies," Luo’er stepped forward to calm her.

"Shut up, you Wood Elf, I shouldn’t have trusted you in the first place. Indeed Wood Elves are not to be trusted," Talis said through gritted teeth.

"What do you mean?" Tangmo said angrily, raising his Magic Wand in hand.

As if it were a signal, once she raised her Magic Wand, the rest of the Advance Team also raised their weapons, though this did not include Luo’er and Cheng Ziang.

"I’ve always heard that Night Elves are open and tolerant, but it seems now that it’s nothing but groundless rumors. You neither trust mixed breeds nor people from the Otherworld, so what exactly do you intend to do on the Continent?" Cheng Ziang asked with a mocking smile.

"Shut up, it’s not your place to criticize me, Otherworlder!" Though she was surrounded and at a disadvantage, Talis was still verbally combative.

"Looks like you won’t shed tears until you see your coffin, Feng!" Cheng Ziang said, making a slight gesture with his hand.

Following Cheng Ziang’s command, Feng swung her long sword expressionlessly. With her movement, Talis felt a sudden tightness in her chest as if she had lost something. Upon checking, she realized that a lock of her hair had been neatly sliced off at some point, with an exceptionally clean cut.