Chapter 600 A Higher Existence
"After that, well… things got a lot more complicated."
Ater sat in midair before Rey and Esme, going over the rest of his adventures in the Elven Society that he found himself in. There were a lot of things he spoke about, and he practically dissected many facets of their community during his stay there.
"Aurora was going to be confined until punishment, so I had to get a new host. It would have been detrimental for me to remain trapped with her." Ater continued, explaining how he possessed one of the Young Ones.
Apparently, the younger Elves were not punished at all, since Aurora was the Elder among them, and she influenced them in that regard. Still, they all felt bad for their leader and constantly worried for her fate.
Perhaps that was their punishment in its own way.
"Not only did I explore the community itself, but I went and saw the surrounding lands. The Elves have a very rich ecosystem, with Mana saturating the air." Ater continued. "They have tons of natural resources we can exploit for production. Of the Great Dungeons that exist in this world, two are in the Eastern Continent, and one in particular is quite close to their community."
The more Ater went on, the more Rey and Esme realized just how much of a goldmine the Land of the Elves was. Not only did it provide an avenue to grow stronger, but it was practically a commercial jackpot.
"While it would be of great benefit to simply take away their resources and perhaps even control the populace to do our bidding… there is a bit of a problem. It was only when I realized it that I discovered the presence of a high existence in that continent."
Rey's brows were raised the moment he heard this. "High Existence?"
"The Oracle." Ater's eyes narrowed as he spoke. He was no longer smiling, so every word he spoke oozed sheer seriousness.
"The Oracle is the connection between the Elves and Nature and possesses the gift of divine revelation. They also see all that happens in the Land Of The Elves, which is how I was able to notice their existence."
Ater noticed someone—or something—was watching him throughout his stay in the Land of the Elves. It somewhat limited his investigations, but it also allowed him to test out a few things and arrive at a conclusion.
"The Oracle sees all. The Oracle knows all. The Elves believe this with all their hearts. If that's the case, then there is a high chance that they can help you with your Curse problem. And if that's the case—"
"We can't afford to be rough with the Elves." Rey mumbled slowly, to which Ater nodded.
Even now, Ater did not know the dwelling place of the Oracle. No one really knew where they stayed. When the Oracle desired to see someone, they would simply 'call' them to their presence. How this happened was still a mystery, but it was most probably Magic.
"They have a temple where they pray to Nature and request for the aid of The Oracle. If their prayers are answered, they are summoned to the Oracle's presence."
This was the most religious society that Rey had encountered since coming to this world, and it was pretty telling.
Humanity didn't really seem to have a religion. If they worshiped anything, it would perhaps be the Otherwordlers.
Those who knew the Otherworlders personally wouldn't think to worship them. And as for any other God or Gods, there didn't really seem to be a full consensus or organized religion—at least not yet.
But the Elves were different.
They worshiped Nature, and The Oracle was the sole one who could directly converse with Nature.
Hence, the only path to salvation.
"Do you think this Oracle will help us, though?" Rey asked with skeptical eyes, and Esme nodded in agreement to his question.
She also had high disbelief that such an entity would assist them.
"We just have to convince them somewhat. The Oracle's desire seems to be the flourishing of their people—maintaining order among the Elves. Right now, the Elves have a major problem on their hands. If we address that and aid them, perhaps they will aid us."
"And if they don't…?"
"We find another way. Besides, it's not like we'll be helping them for free. There are several other forms of payment that can be requested in exchange for assistance." Ater explained with calm determination.
The goal was to gain as much from the Elves without upsetting The Oracle.
"Do you really think sucking up to them would help? Like… I mean, I'm an Otherworlder, sure, but the Elves have made it perfectly clear how they feel about humans and Half Elves.
The mere fact that Ater had trespassed upon their land was a transgression that they weren't even sure The Oracle would forgive.
All in all, it was a probability.
"If the diplomatic approach doesn't work out, you could always be a lot more imposing. As an S-Tier existence, with multiple Divine Skills, I am certain you won't be ignored by such a high entity here."
"Yeah. I was thinking the same." Rey responded.
In the past, he might have preferred walking on eggshells and trying diplomatic strategies. However, there was no need to get hung up on things.
'The Elves are very stuck up. Trying to garner their favor would only hurt our case, the way I see it.' Rey's thoughts trailed.
Of course, he didn't plan to go there, guns blazing. He would try the peaceful approach first. However, if that wasn't effective, he would have to switch up his strategy to accommodate more extreme measures.
"The Cure for Alicia. Resources for the Reaper Group. Potential Allies in the war. Answers to some questions I have… these will be my goals for this journey." He looked at Ater, who nodded with satisfaction.
"You need to inform me of all the details—down to the letter—but right now, there's something else on my mind."
"What is it, Master?" As Ater asked this question, his eyes lighting up a little in curiosity. Esme also looked at Rey, whose calm and stoic gaze reflected nothing as he parted his lips to speak.
"Should I go alone?"