Aetherios System [Slow Build OP MC, Isekai LitRPG/Cultivation] Chapter 54: Chapter 50: Elves

Read chapter 54 of Aetherios System [Slow Build OP MC, Isekai LitRPG/Cultivation] by TTReynolds on NovelPedia.

Chapter 50: Elves Chapter 50: Elves It turned out that Alex didn’t have to travel very far. He was led north for about two miles and then told to wait while standing next to a rather large and thick tree. The elves vanished among the forest like wraiths in a dark alleyway and Alex sat to settle his back against it’s trunk and closed his eyes. For once he felt safe enough to stop monitoring his surroundings. It was refreshing, and most certainly a welcomed change to his frayed nerves and over stimulated brain. With Obby’s rock stored in his bracelet, and the bracelet now taken away by the elves, the damned pebble was far enough away that their mental link was down. So Alex didn’t even have the rock to pester his thoughts. A moment to breath. Short lived it was though, as what felt like only a moment after Alex had settled in, he heard a polite cough. He looked up to find the elf which had drawn his bow on him earlier now looking down at Alex with a stern expression. “Shall I be brought to my death then?” Alex got to his feet, brushing off the dirt from his backside. “What’s the verdict?” “Follow,” was all Alex got in response. The elf promptly turned and began walking again. He hurried to do as he was told, moving in lockstep behind the tall slender figure in front of him. He had a small momentary flash of memory back to basic training, learning to march in lines and columns day in and day out. His thoughts were so filled with the past, he almost missed the moment it happened. The elf had stepped forward, and once again vanished. This was not a quick but gradual vanishing as he had done before, but instant. There, and then, gone. Alex nearly tripped as his stride faltered at the suddenness of the event. His momentum carried him forward though, and he stumbled through the very area that the elf had disappeared. It was like walking through a veil of reality. A translucent curtain of space peeled itself from his view. The world shimmered for just a fraction of a second, and the forest in front of him changed from standard trees and brush, into a vibrant display of light and movement. Alex paused, gawking about at what appeared to be a small village like he had never seen before. The elves had built houses, buildings and shop-fronts directly into the trees. “No, they are trees.” He corrected himself. As he peered closer, sure enough, he noticed the trees themselves had been morphed or grown into bulbous shapes allowing for such hollow centers that they functioned as structures for the elves. Lights danced about around the trees like fireflies, washing everything in a bright yellow tint that let him see ahead for nearly two hundred feet. Tree-buildings dotting the whole way. Most amazing though, were the elves. Tall, lean, and immensely graceful in form and beauty. Each one wore clothes of a fabric Alex did not recognize, looking to be of plant matter somehow magically altered and made silken smooth. Those that did not wear robes of these fashion, instead wore leather armor and carried spears in their hand or swords at their waists. He had no doubt that even the figures that did not carry visible weapons could kill him upon a whim. “Come,” the elf leading him once again ordered him to follow. He simply nodded in response and started walking again. His mind abuzz with questions unspoken, and thoughts unbidden. This is a real fucking elf village. They really do live among nature. Holy shit. Alex could not help but stare as he passed by on their journey. Trees with large open windows that functioned as shops dotted one side of a natural walkway in the brush. On the other side, it seemed residential houses sat, as they had no large openings and only smaller doors at the front or side for entry. The elves themselves peered at Alex curiously. None showed true hostility, but he noticed what looked like reactions of disgust or contempt on a few of the faces that he passed. So some certainly don’t like humans. He took mental note. Alex was e