Zenith Online: Rebirth of the Strongest Player

Considering that Kieran's only option was to find a way to meet with the Elven Queen and act upon the knowledge that the compendium imparted unto him, he fell silent and contemplated the easiest way to get an audience.

'Becoming a potential threat is completely out of the equation…' Kieran thought.

Any one of the people present could end him in a strike, so what resistance could he muster in that predicament?

Eventually, Kieran decided that it was best to be straightforward in this situation.

Though the elves' opinion of him remained negative, Kieran figured he had a few cards up his sleeve that he could play.

"I'd like to know if meeting with your queen is possible," Kieran voiced, shifting his gaze from Paeris to Viessa.

Despite being most familiar with Paeris, Kieran understood that Viessa held the highest authority present.

"Meeting with the majesty?" Viessa parroted, turning her lip up at the question.

Not only did she feel slightly upset due to the question, but she also felt partly intrigued—what business did such a vulnerable young man have with their utmost royalty?

Meanwhile, Venali threatened to erupt into a fit of fury fueled by the embers of rage brewing in his mind. If looks could kill, Venali's current expression would have killed Kieran countless times over.

"The gall of this unsightly thing! He thinks himself worthy of meeting with our esteemed queen?!"

As he spoke, Venali's fingers twitched before tightening around his dual blades further.

Based on his current posture, it was evident that he was reaching his breaking point where he'd choose to act first and face the consequences later.

Despite the apparent scenario that could unfold before his very eyes, Kieran looked directly into Viessa's eyes with unmitigated confidence, awaiting her answer.

"Is it possible?" Kieran repeated, momentarily glancing at Venali.

"It's not… impossible. But, we can't dictate or influence the behavior of the queen. As a sovereign presence, only she can determine her actions," Viessa replied.

In return, Kieran looked beneath their feet, staring at the "ground" below.

"I see. And my next question is… is she below us?" Kieran asked.

Once Kieran posed this question, all of the Emplenans in attendance revealed a change in expression. Whereas Viessa and Venali revealed deep shock, Paeris looked at Kieran, somewhat frightened.

Still, they all recovered a few moments later.

"When you say below us… what do you mean?" Viessa questioned, feigning ignorance.

However, Kieran knew all too well that their earlier shock was genuine.

Of course, Kieran didn't know that not even Agatha's eyes could pierce through the Nature Blanket beneath their feet.

Because of its unique nature, the Nature Blanket could be considered a naturally formed phenomenon and a manmade act. Whichever way one looked at it, their assumptions would be correct due to certain technicalities.

To this day, only one existence has successfully entered this place and noticed that there was an entire ecosystem located below this blanket.

Naturally, that existence was Hekaina who possessed a set of eyes most aspired to achieve.

"I thought my words were pretty straightforward. Could they be any more simple?" Kieran muttered.

He understood that they intended to act unaware of the matter, but it wouldn't work.

After a brief pause, Kieran sighed before making his statement more direct. "There is something strange and powerful beneath us. With my lacking knowledge, I can only assume that the queen is located beneath us. So I ask—is it the queen down there?"

Rather than answer the question, Viessa looked at Paeris with a meaningful look. "I now understand why you fear this boy. How could he achieve something that almost no one has?"

"So… does that mean you're going to tell him?" Paeris questioned, his tone wary and somewhat concerned.

"I mean, do we have any other choice? If the queen learns of his awareness, I'm sure she'll be curious. All I can do is herald the inevitable," Viessa replied, reluctant and slightly embittered.

'Hopefully, the queen doesn't blame this blunder on me. It's not like I can target this boy and risk an entire war. He holds the power of the man… and judging by his condition, he must be cherished. Then there's the Wykin. It truly isn't a favorable situation for us,' Viessa thought.

Left with no other choice, Viessa admitted the truth. "You're correct. The true royalty of our race generally resides in the Oasis Temple below, this includes the queen. However, before we consider bringing you before the queen, you have explaining to do."

"Explain?" Kieran muttered dubiously, his eyebrows knitted as if he couldn't understand the question.

"Yes—explain. Specifically, tell us how you know there's a place beneath this tree when not even an Enlightened Being can pierce the Nature Blanket that protects it," Venali answered.

His terse tone erupted before Viessa or Paeris could comment first.

'Oh? I didn't expect them to be this disconnected from what was occurring around them. The Gardenia High Court already knows that I've been in contact with two Endless. I suppose this is to my advantage, considering I can control the impact of the information.'

Kieran raised his hands, similar to surrendering, and shook his head. "Before you make some wild assumption, I'd like to tell you that I'm not the one responsible for gleaning the existence of that place"

"Oh? If that's true, are you saying there's an additional presence here that we're unaware of? It can't be the Heiress because once she enters her focused state, she won't exit it until the task is complete," Venali said.

Judging by the way he spoke, it was clear he doubted Kieran's words, but even then, it was odd. Because Venali also refused to believe that this young human was responsible for sensing beyond the Nature Blanket.

Hence, Venali was left at an impasse.

Should he believe that their detection abilities failed to sense another presence, or should he believe that Kieran could perceive the barrier?

Meanwhile, Paeris was a bit more receptive to the possibilities of both. "Continue. What do you mean by that?"

"Well, to put it simply, I carry the mission of the Wykin's ancestral Endless. Because of that mission, you could say that I've been granted a helpful tool. That tool naturally helped me perceive the location beneath us."

"An Endless? Is it like the liege of Al'khira?" Paeris muttered.

Curious, Paeris looked to Viessa for answers, believing she was more knowledgeable of the Wykin's history.

However, Viessa unsurprisingly shook her head, indicating her lack of knowledge regarding this topic.

As mentioned before, the Elves were a religious race, believed to have been blessed by a nature deity. That nature deity's name was Al'khira, the divine ancestor of the elves.

Unfortunately, this wasn't accurate in terms of elven history.

Al'khira, while an authentic deity, was not the earliest ancestor of the elves.

"This tool you spoke of… is it something that bears an Ego? Is it… a Relic?" Viessa questioned, her expression finally revealing some change for the better.

If Kieran possessed a Relic, which remained extremely scarce in this world, the matter of him meeting with an Endless may very well be true.

Furthermore, she could also fathom why he could "see" beyond the Nature Blanket.

Since he decided to speak truthfully, Kieran admitted to the fact. But, although he chose to speak truthfully, he omitted the details he felt were irrelevant or the ones he felt he simply shouldn't share.

By the end of his revelations, all three of the present Emplenans looked at him in shock.

"Two Endless? No wonder the Enchantress decided to trust him. What kind of luck is that?" Viessa remarked.

After speaking, Viessa covered her mouth and gasped, failing to understand the magnitude of Kieran's circumstances and what it meant for the elves as well.

It didn't look like it now, but this young man before them was tied to their fates. So whether they assisted or hindered his journey, the outcome also included the Elven Race.

"Do you guys understand my fears now? This boy's existence simply fails to conform to common sense! In the memories of Al'khira, it was recorded that the boundaries were separated and the seals put in place demanded an unfathomable price when attempting to break or bypass them," Paeris exclaimed.

"Still, it fits. Only something or someone special could garner the Enchantress' faith. As much as it pains me to agree, I believe it is in our best interests to take him to the queen and understand why his Relic exposed the place."

"Perhaps the perverse Relic covets the Eternal Manaspring," Venali commented, his tone venomous and sour.

The idea that a human would be let into the Eternal Oasis turned his stomach and infuriated him.

It was supposed to be their hallowed space—why should its consecrated presence be tainted by a member of their archnemesis race?

On the other hand, Kieran grew intrigued with the mention of the Eternal Manaspring.

Even with his extensive knowledge of Zenith Online, Kieran couldn't recall any information regarding the matter, but thanks to Venali's tone, it was easy to infer that the Eternal Manaspring was of great importance to the Elves.

However, Kieran wished to know how it would benefit him.

Additionally, he needed to know if this spring was related to the Peripheral Aether Pool mentioned in his quest objectives.

If so, Kieran reckoned he had just stumbled upon the route to finishing the quest in one fell swoop.

Since Viessa had decided to let him enter the Eternal Oasis, she took a few steps forward until she stood in the center of this place and extended her left hand.

A small green orb appeared in her downward-facing palm and a white orb appeared on her right. When brought together, an emerald-color magic circle appeared on the floor, soon creating an opening.

Contrary to Kieran's expectations, when looking into the opened pathway, he saw an area devoid of vitality. But, when we focused, Kieran perceived something entirely different.

It was a bubble within a lifeless expanse.

"That is the Eternal Oasis—the heart of the Elven Race. Let us see if the queen is interested in learning of your circumstances," Viessa said.