687 Why did his hair lost their brilliance?
On the elven planet known as Planet Luminara, renowned due to the massive and extensive Tree of Fate that covered almost half of the planet's terrain. The sky was cloaked in dark clouds, yet the moon between the clouds bathed the towering Tree of Fate in its radiant glow as its branches swayed with the wind.
Below the tree, amidst the winding paths and quaint wooden abodes aglow with the soft light of lamps and glowing stones, the merry chatter of many elves filled the air.
Many of the elves were talking about the group of individuals that had arrived on their planet a little over two weeks ago.
They were discussing how these newcomers had begun aiding the elves by battling the demons who had taken over a portion of their planet and had previously caused harm to the Tree of Fate. The talk about the silver-haired human who purified the dark energy from the Tree of Fate was sometimes mentioned, but since that very human took the Fruit of Fate, which should have belonged to their race, many chose not to talk about him much.
Today, the elves were rejoicing because a few days ago, their race had successfully defeated numerous demons. The group of individuals who had recently come to their planet helped, but their powerful warriors also played a crucial role in the victory.
In the middle of the lively atmosphere, inside a large restaurant, many female and male elves were enjoying the elves' special drinks and dishes, but they all shared a common feature — the emblem on their clothing displaying a graceful tree with intricate branches and leaves.
Alec, Nine, Carcel, Sinon, Jian, Regius, and Asher were seated at a table in the bustling restaurant lobby, where many servers were busy serving food and drinks. The one who blinked first would have to foot the bill.
Susan and Yon were seated at a nearby table with Mia, Lara, and Elli, whom they had met on the elven planet.
Zron had vanished a week ago, and they had no clue where the old dwarf had gone. They were just hoping the old man hadn't started stealing things from the elves.
Meanwhile, Yue was seated at a table by the window, with Nox dozing on the table. She was looking at the moon through the window with a flushed face. Her hand held a communication crystal tightly.
All of them also donned clothing adorned with an emblem depicting the graceful tree with intricate branches and leaves. And the reason; when the group reached the elven planet via the portal Kyle created, they tried to conceal themselves, but the Tree of Fate exposed their whereabouts to the elves.
The elven Queen herself arrived to find out just who they were, and they were promptly put into confinement, except for Yue, as the elven Queen was familiar with her.
However, fortunately, before the ones confined could escape and cause a scene on the elven planet, Ronan contacted the elven Queen, and they were released. The elderly elf who freed them told them that they were welcome to stay on the elven planet for as long as they wished.
Ultimately, to repay the favor, the group decided to actively help the elven warriors battling the people of the demon race who had seized a part of their planet.
A few days back, the group, along with numerous other elves, had successfully triumphed over many demons. They had just returned today after clearing the area where the battle took place, and the fellow elves suggested they visit this famous restaurant on their planet, exclusively reserved for the wealthy elves.
Alec and the others had assumed the food and drinks at this restaurant wouldn't be too expensive given their massive wealth.
However, they were shocked when the servers informed them that even the most affordable bottle of wine here cost at least a thousand mana stones, something the group currently lacked.
Despite the substantial bill, they didn't argue with the elven servers because the drinks in the restaurant were truly powerful.
They could easily intoxicate even the supreme-rank individuals.
Alec, Nine, Carcel, Sinon, Jian, Regius, and Asher could easily convert one of the many treasures they had into mana stones at the restaurant, but they simply did not want to.
Obviously, they could not let the ladies in their group pay, nor could they allow the two old men with them to do so.
So, one of them had to handle the bill!
That's why they decided the first one to blink would pay the bill. However, it's been nearly half an hour, and none of them had blinked even once. It was no surprise; with their strength, they could easily go without blinking for days if they wanted to.
Nine slammed his hand on the table with a frustrated expression. Then he pointed his finger at Alec's nose with narrowed eyes.
"You pay the bill. I know you are the richest among us all. I am tired and feeling tipsy due to all the drinks I have consumed."
Alec's eyes widened slightly, and he shook his head with a serious look.
"No way. You keep doing this to me. I still haven't forgotten the time when we went to a restaurant together for the first time. You, Carcel, and Kyle all dashed off after eating, leaving me to cover the bill! At that time, I wasn't even well-off! Just simply take out a treasure from your mind space and use it. Why is everyone being so stubborn?"
As Nine and Alec engaged in a heated discussion, Jian intervened with a serious expression on his face.
"Let me clarify something. It's not Alec who is the wealthiest among us. It's me."
11:05
He pointed confidently at himself. Undoubtedly, he was the wealthiest in the group since he had gathered numerous divine rank herbs in the Lost Treasure Tomb, all thanks to Kyle who shared the location of the herbs with him.
Instantly, all eyes turned to the red-haired man, and Sinon smirked at him.
"Then, you pay. It's decided!"
Jian's expression deadpanned.
"I was joking. I am poor."
He turned his gaze away before anyone else asked him to pay the bill. But then he saw a figure approaching Yue in the distance.
"Who's that?"
Alec and the others followed his gaze, they furrowed their brows as they laid eyes on the back of a dark-haired man who casually pulled out the chair opposite Yue and sat down in front of her. The unkown man wore a crumpled shirt, and his disheveled hair indicated he had just rolled out of bed.
None of them could sense the man's rank, but all of them were shocked beyond words when that jerk leaned in to touch Yue! To make matters even worse, Yue started laughing at him with a flushed face!
Asher blinked a few times, unsure of what to make of the scene he was seeing.
Suddenly, Nine stood up with a dark and angry expression. It was evident from Yue's face that she was drunk! How dare that bastard hit on her in front of all of them!
Nine cracked his knuckles.
"Whoever that person is, I reckon he will be paying the bill after I give him a beating!"
Alec and the others stood up too. They weren't sure how strong the man was, but they believed together they could give him a good lesson! They left their table and made their way over to Yue and the man.
Mia, Elli, and Lara were also surprised. Along with Yon and Susan, they planned to follow Alec and the others, but then out of the blue, Nox jumped onto their table.
The lynx grumbled under his breath. His sleep was disrupted by an unexpected visitor, and he had to leave Yue's side.
Nox clicked his tongue with annoyance and cast a glance at Mia and the others.
"No need to worry. It's him."
The three ladies and two old man around him were caught off guard by his words. They understood what he meant. With a chuckle, Mia settled back into her seat.
"That surprised me. But what happened to his hair? Why did they lose their brilliance?"
Lara glanced at the black-haired man. He was sitting in a way that they couldn't see his face, only his back.
Additionally, he lacked presence, and even his rank was concealed. So, it was actually challenging for them to recognize him.
"Did something happen in the Sacred Divine Land that harmed him in some way?"
She murmured under her breath with a solemn look. Mia and Elli were also puzzled about why Kyle's hair suddenly turned dark.
Susan glanced at the dark-haired man and narrowed his eyes with a thoughtful look.
On the blue planet, he had sensed the powerful essence in Kyle's body. Now, a sudden thought crossed his mind: perhaps that powerful essence in Kyle's body was what caused his hair to turn dark?