Game of the World Tree

Chapter 172

??EXPLORING THE UNDERWORLD

The underworld is also known as the Underdark.¹

In the inheritance of the World Tree that Evé had obtained, there isn’t much information regarding the underworld. The only knowledge she has about it is limited to the fact that its history is as long, if not even longer, than the history of civilization on the surface world.

It is said that in the early eras, several ancient gods who had been defeated in the Genesis Era had decided to delved deep underground and opened up Underdark.

However, within the passage of time, these Old Ancient Ones fell one after another or devolved into evil gods, and the underworld gradually became inhabited by sentient beings who migrated from the surface world, which carried along with them their beliefs in the newly emerging deities who attained godhood through faith.

Unlike the surface world wherein kingdoms and social order have been established and overall wars have greatly diminished, chaos and bloodshed reign within the underworld instead.

War, conquest, decadence, and collapse form a neverending cycle within the lands of Underdark.

There are no established nations here, only rudimentary settlements formed by different races or underground cities centered around a powerful individuals.

The sentient beings here are typically more ferocious than those compared on the surface, and due to the presence of evil gods lurking within Underdark, even spreading the faith of the surface gods proved quite challenging as well.

Thus for tens of thousands of years, the only place where true gods have been able to establish themselves successfully is within the underworld, which has a functioning dimensional passage.

However, the Underdark has such limited space that only a few select gods have managed to achieve such feats.

After the Heavenly War a millenia ago, after most of the dimensional passages around the mortal realm were closed, it became even more challenging for the true gods to propagate their beliefs.

Due to limited exploration and communication with the inhabitants of the underworld, Underdark gradually became nothing more than mere stuffs of legends for the sentient races residing on the surface. Even the long-lived elven elders of the Rageblaze Clan, with their thousand years of experience, possess limited knowledge about the underworld.

The only thing they know about Underdark was that this place is composed of giant intricate caverns with rivers, and lakes underground. The sole source of light emanates from fluorescent stones, casting a faint glow that barely illuminates the surroundings. Additionally, the underworld is adorned with an extensive underground water system that connects its isolated regions together.

Generally speaking, according to the understanding of the sentient races residing on the surface, the underworld represents mystery, wilderness, and chaos…

For adventurers who had somehow managed to survive and escape the hellish realm of Underdark, simply entering and returning with tales of the experiences they have is already an accomplishment worth documenting.

As for Evé, it was only after further in-depth communication with Rose, the Queen of Spiders, that she finally gained a comprehensive understanding of the underworld.

Rose explained to her that the underground beneath Rivendell can only be considered a remote area of Underdark.

It consists of a massive cave known as the Profound Cavern, and the primary sentient beings that inhabit such area are the dark dwarves who migrated only a few centuries ago. Furthermore, the underworld is home to a plethora of monsters and creatures, adding to its diverse ecosystem…

Upon acquiring a more deeper understanding of such mysterious place, Eve’s interest in the underworld grew even stronger.

Currently, there are no immediate threats within the vicinity of the Elven Forest and while the monsters in the northern part of the forest may pose a significant challenge for the players, these enemies are far too powerful to be dealt with by the players at their current level.

However, what is the point of constantly dealing with monsters only within the boundaries of the Elven Forest?

Considering the players’ relatively short attention span, it would be good for them to experience a change of pace and venture outside the forest for combat once in a while!

In any case, Evé must continue training the players further before the impending counterattack by Uller, the god of winter and hunting. Therefore, the underworld is an excellent choice for this purpose.

After all, it’s a chaotic place teeming with brutal inhabitants, wherein players can have all the fun they need much to their heart’s content.

However, in order to prevent accidents happening during their exploration and to avoid conflicts with the followers of the death goddess Hela, Evé promptly organized some information obtained from the Spider Queen and uploaded it to the information section in the official forum.

After all, provoking Uller, who possesses a low level of divinity, is already enough for her. When it comes to Hela, who possesses moderate divinity, Evé still feels apprehensive and somewhat guilty since she’s been using her as a smokescreen without her direct consent.

Regardless, to further ignite the enthusiasm of the players, Evé has added achievements related to exploring the underworld.

The achievement system was officially activated when the players successfully built the Chosen City, and the earliest recorded achievement was the construction of Novice Village. The names of the first three hundred beta-testers, inscribed on a stone monument in the central square, can still be found listed in the “Main City Construction” section of the achievement system.

In any subsequent quests in the future, individuals who make significant contributions to the completion of major tasks will also receive relevant achievements, and their accomplishments will be recorded in the achievement section of the system.

For instance, players like the life-oriented guild members of Moe Moe’s Life-Department who have completed the “Crop Planting” sidequest have also received corresponding achievements. Their nicknames and accomplishments have been listed in the achievement section, and they have even been granted the exclusive title of “Crop Planting Master.”

Naturally, exploring the underworld also involves earning similar achievements.

Currently, the guild “First Legion,” renowned for their pioneering spirit in exploration much like Boxlunch’s team, have mobilized all of their guild’s resources to embark upon an expedition into this uncharted territory.

They aspire to become the first successful exploration team of the underworld!

While these players were curiously exploring the underworld, Evé also tapped into their perspective, as she silently admires the customs and culture of the underworld.

The entrance to the underworld in Rivendell who was once been guarded by a giant crypt spider is actually just a mere passageway. To gain official entry into the underworld, the players must proceed deeper along the passageway.

The First Legion’s exploration team descended further, walking for about three kilometers before finally reaching the real underworld.

Having already experienced the breathtaking natural beauty and grandeur of the Elven Forest and the extraordinary wonders and vicissitudes of Rivendell, they found themselves once more amazed by the captivating sight that unfolded right before their eyes…

It was a massive cavern, with no end in sight.

Atop the cavern walls, lies numerous fluorescent stones embedded within the rocks, that emits a subtle blue glow. They provide the only source of illumination within the dark underworld, akin to the stars in the sky, showcasing their stunning beauty and magnificence.

Also around the cave are several hills, valleys and underground rivers featuring a diverse and rugged rocky terrain shaped by intricate geological formations.

The area closest to the players is an underground forest composed of unknown dark purple giant ferns.

The towering ferns within this area are also bioluminescent, emitting a subtle purple glow. Their graceful forms sway gently in the cave’s breeze, causing the light to flicker ever so softly and crafting an enchanting, dreamlike ambiance.

It was such a wonderful place…that is, if one can ignore the occasional roars of monsters coming from a distance.

“Wow, I thought the underworld was just a barren wasteland, but it’s really a whole new alien-like world! Heck, there’s even a glowing forest here! It has its own complete ecosystem! These underground plants look so cool!” exclaimed one excited player while looking at the landscape of the underworld.

“Yeah! These ferns look really beautiful. Let’s see if we can dig up some and plant them on the surface later,” another player agreed.

“Be careful though. The official website mentioned not to underestimate any creatures in the underworld. This new map is filled with chaotic and unknown beings. The surviving species here are not to be trifled with,” warned Tomato ², the guildmaster of “First Legion.”

“Also, pay close attention to any creature that looks like dwarves. According to the post on the official website, these dark dwarves seem to be followers of the Grim Reaper and are the big shots in this area. They have the potential to become neutral or even friendly NPCs. Try not to provoke them if possible, or we’ll be wiped out in no time,” Tomato added.

In contrast to his previous behavior, he now exhibited a significantly higher level of obedience after an incident that led to his username turning red due to engaging in inappropriate conduct.

Because subsequent similar events proved that Elven Kingdom’s judgement mechanism’s evaluation is quite severe.

At that time, he considered himself fortunate as the punishment he received only resulted in a minor loss of contribution points.

Following the saying, “The world is vast; it is home to various kinds of birds,” there were other players like him who dared to challenge the rules of the game. However, they too encountered different levels of punishment as a result.

Moreover, as players further leveled up, the severity of punishments imposed by the judgement system also increased exponentially.

There once was a high-level player who engaged in a conflict with another player following a field battle and despite the system’s warnings, he still proceeded to kill the other player. As a result, the game’s administrator promptly announced a three-day ban on his account, and the penalty imposed nearly bankrupted all his accumulated wealth.

Converting these three days into in-game time would result in a duration of twelve days, providing ample opportunity to accomplish a multitude of tasks.

Some players didn’t hold back in venting their frustrations about this severe punishment on the official forum.

Many people thought, “Isn’t it just killing someone? Is it really necessary to be so strict? It’s just a game…”

Of course, no game administrator bothered to respond. Instead, they simply adopted an attitude of “If you want to play, then play; if not, then go away.”

There are so many netizens waiting for the public beta online, and Evé doesn’t really lack one or two people. If she really need to permaban³ people, or if someone quits the game, then she can just always invite a new batch of players.

What she need are obedient lackeys, not troublemakers. At its core, the existence of the game Elven Kingdom is only meant to motivate players to work hard, not to make money or let the players have a great time…

And in the end, the players can only utter “true fragrance”? once again…

After all, Elven Kingdom is truly a unique game, isn’t it?

The game officials are being willful, given these circumstances…

Over time, the players have gradually accepted it. While Elven Kingdom boasts a high degree of realism, it does not actually grant the players unrestricted freedom. Those who engage in inappropriate behavior must be prepared to face severe consequences, potentially including the deletion of their accounts.

Just like the indiscriminate killing of chickens at the gates of Riverwood in the classic game Skyrim, veteran players would not dare push the game’s moral limits… except for those seeking the thrill of becoming an enemy of the world.?

Of course, if there are players who really dare to act recklessly and disregard the game rules, then Evé will warn them in advance why the flowers are so red.?

After listening to the reminder from Tomato, the other members of team also nodded.

And soon, they witnessed a horrifying scene.

They witnessed a small creature resembling a mouse abruptly darting out from the side of the rocky path, only to accidentally tumble into the adjacent forest.

The beautiful fern plants then immediately extended their shimmering light purple “tentacles” and entangled it.

After a brief struggle, the small creature finally ceased its movements and then swiftly transformed into a viscous liquid, whilst being rapidly absorbed by the bioluminescent fern plants.

The players: “…..”

“Oh my god!”

“Oh my god!!”

“As expected…b-beautiful things always have thorns…”

Tomato’s face hardened after seeing such disturbing sight. He then pondered for a moment and said:

“Let’s bypass this forest and go deeper to see if we can find any trace of the underground creatures.”

After saying that, he then led his team into the other side of the rocky path.

That was the very spot where the mouse-like creature had darted out from. If there was a living being there, it was likely an indication that the path ahead was indeed navigable.

However, after taking a few steps, he couldn’t help but turn around and look around.

For some inexplicable reason, ever since he stepped foot into this underground cave, he had a constant sensation of being watched, yet despite scanning his surroundings, he still couldn’t discern anything or anyone watching him.

“Could it be just an illusion?”

He shook his head and continued leading his team forward…

¹ (????) – The Underdark is a fictional setting which has appeared in Dungeons & Dragons role-playing campaigns and Dungeons & Dragons-based fiction books, including the Legend of Drizzt series by R. A. Salvatore. It is described as a vast subterranean network of interconnected caverns and tunnels, stretching beneath entire continents and forming an underworld for surface settings. Polygon called it “one of D&D’s most well-known realms”.

² (??????) – The exact translation of his name is Tomato Stir-fry Tomato/X?hóngshì ch?o f?nqié but err, writing it as such would be quite tedious so I’ll just shorten it as Tomato instead for more ease of writing/reading.

³ Permaban – (Internet slang) A permanent ban on a user.

? True Fragrance – a chinese buzzword which generally refers to a situation where a person originally made up his mind not to go or do something, but finally took the initiative to do the opposite.

? Why is it such a crime to kill chickens in Skyrim? TLDR – In Riverwood it’s common for npcs to take up arms against the player if you commit almost any crime because they don’t have proper guards.

? (????????) – Why the flowers are so red from my research appears to be a chinese internet slang that means to threaten someone.