Chapter 233: Arrival

After more than twenty days of travel.

The caravan continued through the forest, surrounded by towering, lush trees.

Helag lifted the curtain to glance outside, seeing nothing but giant trees as far as the eye could see.

These trees were much larger than those in other regions, likely having grown for countless years.

Helag checked the map and realized they were already within the boundaries of Strange Valley. It wouldn’t be long before they reached their destination.

He noticed the energy particle density here was much higher than in the outside world.

Taking a deep breath, Helag felt refreshed and invigorated.

The air was incredibly clean and pleasant, as if a single breath could wash away fatigue.

From a livability standpoint, this place was perfect—an ideal environment.

Reese and David also noticed the heightened energy particle concentration and the increased activity of the particles.

Casting spells in this environment would be much faster.

“No wonder the elves are so adept at magic. With an environment like this, even a pig could learn to cast spells,” Reese remarked.

Helag nodded, understanding why wizards from the Wizard Plane were so eager to seize the World Tree.

The World Tree was an invaluable treasure for wizards and spellcasters alike.

After cresting a hill, a breathtaking sight unfolded before Helag and his companions.

In the distant sky, a massive tree stretched up to the clouds.

Its height was immeasurable, as the trunk disappeared into the sky, and the top was nowhere to be seen.

The tree’s canopy was vast, blocking out a large portion of the sky.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, creating beams of light that pierced the forest.

This was the World Tree of the elves.

The World Tree stood at the heart of Strange Valley.

Though Helag’s group could see the World Tree from their position, the distance to it was still considerable.

Strange Valley was vast, and the caravan only conducted business in the outer regions, far from the deeper areas.

Helag quickly realized the difficulty of the mission Parker had assigned.

Strange Valley was enormous, and the true elves lived deep within, under the World Tree.

If Helag placed the teleportation coordinates in random locations outside the valley, Parker and his forces wouldn’t be able to directly threaten the elves.

Instead, they might end up surrounded by the elves.

To truly make the teleportation coordinates effective, they needed to be placed deep within Strange Valley, in the elves’ daily living areas.

But that area was strictly off-limits to outsiders. Not even the caravan could approach it.

It was impossible to enter through normal means.

If Helag’s group wanted to complete the mission, they’d have to risk sneaking into the valley and planting the teleportation coordinates.

However, the deeper areas of Strange Valley were home to powerful elves like elders and chieftains, who might be as strong as Parker.

Placing the teleportation coordinates in front of such formidable spellcasters and escaping unscathed was nearly impossible.

Reese and David quickly realized the mission was far more difficult than they had imagined.

The odds of completing the mission without casualties were slim. Someone was bound to get hurt, and they might not even succeed before being wiped out.

They had to ensure the teleportation coordinates weren’t discovered after placement.

If the coordinates were found and removed, the mission would be pointless.

Reese felt a pang of sadness. She had just started spending time with Helag, only to face such a dangerous situation.

“Helag, I’ll go in and do the mission. You and Reese should leave,” David said after a moment of silence.

David figured, since he was alone, it wouldn’t matter if he died inside.

They were all from the Tchek family. As long as one of them survived for a year, they could return and enter the Land of Dawn.

To David, this was a fair trade, even if it meant sacrificing himself.

Reese was his cousin, so he couldn’t let her take on such a dangerous task.

And Helag, being Larry’s student and not bound by any contract with the Tchek family, wasn’t obligated to take the risk.

Reese was so fond of Helag that it made no sense for either of them to go.

In David’s mind, he was the best candidate for the mission.

Helag patted David’s shoulder, “David, thank you, but there’s no need. I have another plan. None of us need to sacrifice ourselves or take unnecessary risks.”

Helag spoke calmly, exuding confidence, which reassured David and Reese.

Reese asked curiously, “What’s the plan?”

Helag shook his head, “You don’t need to know the details. Just leave it to me. I’ll handle it.”

He couldn’t reveal the secret of his bloodline mark or the fact that he could transform into a royal elf.

Unless absolutely necessary, Helag wasn’t planning to tell anyone about his bloodline mark.

Even when he was intimate with Reese, he kept the mark hidden from her.

“You’re not planning to go alone, are you?” Reese asked, worried that Helag might take on the mission solo.

Helag stroked her head, “Don’t worry. I value my life more than you do. I won’t do anything reckless. Trust me, I wouldn’t say this unless I was sure.”

With Helag’s reassurance, David and Reese said no more.

Since arriving in the Elven Plane, David and Reese had come to recognize Helag’s immense strength, sharp judgment, and great potential.

Even Parker, a third-level wizard, had taken an interest in Helag.

David and Reese trusted Helag implicitly. If he said he had a plan, they believed him.

The caravan slowly descended into the plains of Strange Valley.

Following the main road, they entered a town.

This was the only town in Strange Valley where humans were allowed to live and conduct business. The caravan would sell most of its goods here.

The town was managed by elves, as many of the goods they needed came from the outside world. Elves were stationed here to oversee the town.

The Ruby Chamber had a large shop in the town, which also offered lodging.

Upon arriving at the shop, Ladoye got off the wagon and began directing the unloading of goods and arranging accommodations for the caravan members.