The withered vines drooped down, covering the rotting wooden structure. The entire ruins had been frozen in a silent atmosphere that no one had tread within for a while.
Alger and a few sailors circled around the ruin in the environment of a withering winter, but they still failed to discover anything of value.
âCaptain, batches of adventurers have come here before. What else could they have left us?â Finally, a sailor in his thirties impatiently broke the silence.
This resonated with his other companions as they echoed, âA place that didnât take us much time to learn about can definitely be easily found by others.â
âThatâs right, thatâs right. Letâs continue to f**k the Feysacians!â
âCaptain, are you trying to make this place a stronghold?â
Alger slowly scanned the area, quelling the sailors to stop their complaints under his gaze and making them choose to obey.
After a few seconds of silence, he said, âI plan on using this place to ambush the Feysacians.
âLetâs observe the terrain and see if itâs suitable.â
With such an excuse, the sailors barely perked up, and the group quickly entered the depths of the elven ruins.
As he walked, Algerâs spiritual perception was triggered as he subconsciously looked behind a gigantic tree.
There were some signs of churning in the soil over there, and it wouldnât take more than a year.
Alger retracted his gaze and pretended not to notice anything amiss. He naturally looked elsewhere.
After exploring the elven ruins, they returned to their new camp.
At that moment, it was almost evening and the forest was getting colder. Alger had dinner with the sailors before leaving two patrolling guards behind, and then all of them entered their respective tents.
The cold wind blew through the trees, causing the bonfire to sway. Alger, who had wanted to leave the campsite in the middle of the night, suddenly heard faint singing from afar.
The voice was ethereal, like a woman humming and singing slowly, relating her inner thoughts.
This made Alger involuntarily recall the past. He recalled his mother who had long passed away, and the days when he was a bullied child.
Indescribable grief surged from the bottom of his heart, preventing him from waking up immediately. He waited for a few seconds before he suddenly sat up, frowning and listening.
This time, he didnât hear anything. That melodious voice seemed to have never happened.
Alger narrowed his eyes, grabbed his thick jacket, and put it on. He walked out of the tent and came to the bonfire.
The two sailors in charge of night duty had just finished their patrol and were drawing warmth from it.
âDid you discover anything unusual?â Alger asked in a deep voice.
The two strong, vigorous sailors shook their heads.
âNo.â
Algerâs brows relaxed a little as he turned around, intending to make his own rounds.
At this moment, he noticed something from the corner of his eye.
The two sailors were too close.
If it were any ordinary pirate, this wouldnât have been a problem. However, Algerâs subordinates had undergone formal training through the Church of the Lord of Storms. They definitely knew that, in such an environment, the patrol team had to maintain a certain distance from each other. They couldnât be too far or too close. They had to be able to see their companions, as well as prevent themselves from being taken away at the same time from a single assault.
Alger took two steps without batting an eyelid. He turned back and casually asked, âDid you discover anything normal?â
He had changed the question and made it appear very strange.
The two strong sailors shook their heads and replied without changing their expressions, âNo.â
No⌠Alger nodded slightly with a relaxed expression.
âVery good.â
He turned around and slowly walked into his tent.
The moment the sailorsâ attention on him was cut off, Alger drew out the Blade of Poison and the Gargoyle Glasses. He opened his mouth and prepared to belt out a song.
At that moment, the ethereal voice from before appeared once again. It echoed in Algerâs ears and pierced into his mind.
This was an extremely ancient folk song, spelling out an extreme sense of sadness and melancholy through the singing. It made Algerâs Spirit Body produce pale, non-existent arms that constantly tore at him.
Algerâs expression twisted as his skin began to produce slippery, black fish scales. His dark blue hair stood up one by one as they became abnormally thick.
The thoughts that originally existed in his mind were disrupted by the song and were cut off by the pain. They were unable to take form any further.
Alger fell and struggled on the ground. He squirmed, becoming less and less like a human as he was pushed to the brink of losing control.
Suddenly, the singing stopped. A slightly indifferent voice entered Algerâs ears:
âSome elven bloodâŚ
âThen, that shall be all. Use Siatasâs Beyonder characteristic well.â
Algerâs forehead was covered in cold sweat as he slowly got up. He didnât know when a figure had appeared in the tent.
It was a woman with black hair and exquisite facial features. Her ears were slightly pointy, and her eyes were deep. Her facial features were soft, and she wore a complicated and ancient long dress. Even though she didnât have the advantage in height, she still gave off an air of superiority.
ââŚAre you the Elf Queen, Queen of Calamity Cohinem?â A thought flashed through Algerâs mind as he took the initiative to ask.
The woman played with a beautifully decorated golden cup and calmly said, âHavenât you already met me?â
Alger suddenly recalled the similar singing he had heard on Pasu Island. He recalled seeing a high elf when he entered the underwater coral palace.
After a few seconds of silence, Alger said in a deep voice, âYouâre actually still alive.â
At the same time, he silently recited Mr. Foolâs honorific name in his heart, but he didnât know if it would be effective if he didnât recite it out loud.
The black-haired womanâs expression remained unchanged as she replied, âItâs very difficult for an angel to perish without encountering an enemy.â
âThen why did you split the characteristics and place yourself to be in a strange state? This makes you need to wait for an opportunity to be resurrected.â Alger had learned of the corresponding situation at the Tarot Club, and now, he was asking out of curiosity, partly to stall for time.
The elven lady suspected to be Queen of Calamity Cohinem snorted.
âBecause the divine throne for âStormâ is occupied by Leodero, and I have no way of resisting the âTyrant.â
âAlso, the elves are dwindling in numbers. My anchors are becoming increasingly unstable.â
Other people might not know who Leodero was, but Alger knew very well. He didnât dare continue this topic in the real world.
Just as he was about to ask the Queen of Calamity Cohinemâs goal for coming, the Elf Queen said, âDo you want to become a demigod?â
âSheâ wants to use my body to revive? âSheâ wants to use my wish to advance to Sequence 4 and obtain godhood as bait to intrude my body? While Alger was tempted, questions arose in his mind.
Considering how Mr. Fool could cleanse all kinds of corruption, Alger acutely felt that this was an opportunity.
This made him recall a term Emperor Roselle had once mentioned:
A trojan horse!
And now, he had a high chance of bringing in the trojan horse and throwing out the invaders within.
âWhat do you want me to do?â Alger didnât appear too anxious as he raised a question based on his personality.
Queen of Calamity Cohinem observed him for a few seconds before saying, âWhen you have the right to make contact with the Book of Calamity, take out something that no one else will notice, and take it to the Western Continent.â
The Western Continent⌠The legendary homeland of the elves? Alger frowned slightly and said, âHasnât the Western Continent already disappeared?â
The corners of Cohinemâs lips curled up slightly.
âSince it disappeared, it will reappear again.
âIt will definitely appear again when the apocalypse happens.â
Without waiting for Alger to ask further, the Elf Queen paused and said, âYou donât have to personally send that item to the Western Continent, but you have to entrust someone trustworthy. Although Iâm not skilled at curses, I can still make you die in pain from breaking our agreement.â
âBut what if the Western Continent doesnât appear again, or if it canât be entered?â Alger thought seriously for a moment.
Cohinem, with her gentle gaze and lustrous raven-black hair, seemed to be lost in beautiful memories.
After a few seconds, she calmly said, âIf it really doesnât appear again, then the agreement shall be null and void.
âPerhaps entering the Western Continent requires an incantation or command, but I do not know what it is. However, you can ask a particular existence.â
âWho?â Alger asked, puzzled.
Cohinem glanced at him and coldly said, âThe Mr. Fool you were chanting in your heart just now.
âI have a feeling that âHeâ is the key to this matter.â
Algerâs heart tightened as he hurriedly lowered his head in response.
âI understand.â
Seeing this, Queen of Calamity Cohinem nodded slightly and said, âIf you wish to become a demigod and abide by this agreement, you can head to the elven ruins when the sun rises.â
After the voice fell, the Elf Queenâs figure quickly dissipated, like a mirage that was often seen at sea and in the desert.
Alger suddenly opened his eyes and realized that he was lying in a tent, having just woken up.
His memories were in a mess, but he quickly regulated them.
He and his sailors had just found the location of an elven ruin and had yet to explore it.
The previous âexploration,â singing, sailor anomalies, and appearance and conversation with Calamity were all just a dream!
Itâs no wonder I was so careless⌠Even though I knew that I might encounter the Queen of Calamity, I didnât pray to Mr. Fool first⌠The Queen of Calamity relied on her status as an angel to create this realistic dream? Or perhaps, she has a corresponding Sealed Artifact. Even if she exists in a special state, she still has the means to use her powers? Alger listened to the commotion outside the tent, and he realized that everything was normal.
He then sat down and prayed sincerely to Mr. Fool.
In just twenty to thirty seconds, Alger arrived above the gray fog and saw Mr. Fool sitting at the end of the long, mottled table.
âYou met Cohinem?â After The Hanged Man greeted him, The Fool Klein spoke casually.
Alger answered seriously, âYes, but I canât be sure that itâs the Elf Queen.â