Chapter 285: The Proposal of the Sun Elf Elders
This time, the elves sent a relatively formal delegation to Dalaran, consisting of two highly respected envoys—both legendary-level elf elders. After arriving in Dalaran, they did not contact the Twilight Town side but went straight to the Druid Elf tribe in Starlight Town, as elves tend to communicate more easily among themselves.
Donald had already been away for over half a month, and there was no way to contact him. The two elf elders seemed unhurried and curious about everything in Dalaran, so they waited there for three months. A few days ago, when Donald returned, Elyia wanted to go and inform him, but was stopped by the two elf elders. He must be extremely busy upon returning to his territory, and since they had waited for three months, they didn’t mind waiting a few more days. Moreover, they wanted to see if this half-elf lord was as outstanding as the rumors suggested.
Unbeknownst to them, Donald had already learned about the arrival of these two powerful outsiders as soon as he returned to his territory, through the Tree of Life. However, the Tree of Life did not sense any malice in them; instead, it perceived their natural aura as friendly, making their origins easier to guess. Thus, Donald wasn’t in a hurry to meet them. He first dealt with the affairs that had accumulated in his territory and held a celebration banquet before he could spare the time to investigate further.
But before Donald could take action, Elyia already went to them at their request. The two envoys were Marshall, a legendary Sun Elf elder from Sun Island, and Rudy, a legendary elder from the Elf Forest Alliance known as the Divine Archer. Donald knew little about the former, having even never heard of him, as the Sun Elves remained relatively closed off to human society. As for Rudy, the Divine Archer, he was quite famous. Since the Elf Forest Alliance bordered human territories, there was considerable trade and political interaction between the two sides, so humans knew quite a bit about the situation within the alliance.
Of course, these legendary-level elf warriors were highly valued targets for human leaders. Especially Rudy, who, during a magical disaster two hundred years ago, helped human kingdoms defend against powerful demons by killing a golden demon with a mighty bow. His deeds were recorded many times and became stories sung by bards, well-known to many humans.
For humans, events from two hundred years ago are already legends, but for the long-lived elves, two hundred years is merely one-third or one-fourth of a lifetime. The legendary and powerful elves even live for over a thousand years, so that battle still seems like it happened yesterday to Rudy. Therefore, he feels happy whenever someone brings it up. Elder Rudy is a typical forest elf—slightly shorter than the sun elves but much taller than humans. He wears simple leather armor that appears quite ordinary, yet he exudes an extraordinary aura and speaks in a hearty manner. Meanwhile, Elder Marshall, the sun elf, is dressed in an ancient robe with intricate magical symbols on the edges and shoulders—patterns Donald had seen in ancient texts from the Arcane Empire. Upon asking, he learned that this man was one of the three surviving great archmages of the elves, which surprised him greatly! It was as if a historical figure had suddenly appeared before him! Ignoring his duties, Donald immediately began to seek guidance from this great archmage. He had already acquired much practical knowledge in certain theories, but there were still areas he hadn’t mastered systematically. With Marshall’s insightful guidance, many things became clear at once. As the saying goes, “One hour with a wise man is worth ten years of study.” Seeing that Donald’s questions involved profound and precise knowledge, it was evident that his understanding was broad and solid. As an archmage, Marshall felt inspired by his talent and made a proposal that surprised Donald. “I wonder if you, Donald, are interested in carrying on the legacy of the Arcane Empire and becoming a true archmage. With your current level, it wouldn’t be difficult for you to become a high-ranking archmage, and it’s only a matter of time before you rise to become a legendary archmage!” Donald was initially delighted but then felt somewhat disappointed. Personal instruction from a great archmage was something other mages could only dream of! Yet Donald declined. “I’m sorry, Elder Marshall! Although I greatly admire the noble profession of archmage, my path has already been determined. I can only focus on some aspects of arcane knowledge and cannot become a dedicated archmage.”
When Donald first became a mage, like many mages, he had the grand dream of becoming a great archmage and reviving magic. But that was before he acquired divinity; at that time, he didn’t know much about the gods. After gaining divinity and acquiring more knowledge from the Book of Truth, he gave up the idea of becoming an archmage. No matter how powerful archmages might be, they could only dominate the main world. Beyond it—whether in the heavens, the abyss, or other realms—there were beings even more powerful than archmages. Otherwise, the ancient Archmage Empire wouldn’t have collapsed due to an invasion from the abyssal plane. While true gods also had their limitations, the mere ability to live forever and grant immortality to others was enough to drive everyone crazy. Mages, as a profession that evolved from archmages, had become independent of them. Although their overall strength was not as great as that of ancient archmages, they were more flexible and skilled. It was said that some powerful mages on the continent possessed strength comparable to ancient archmages, though only a few, which proved the heights the mage profession could reach. Moreover, Donald now knew that archmage traditions were quite strict—only by specializing in a certain area could one achieve the strength of a great archmage and ascend to the legendary realm. Once a faction was chosen, spells from opposing factions could no longer be used, and so far, no great archmage had emerged from the universal factions, which posed significant limitations—something Donald didn’t want. Additionally, like archmages, becoming a mage became increasingly difficult as one progressed. Each step required extensive knowledge accumulation—not just sitting and meditating daily, but also reading numerous texts, studying more arcane theories, understanding the nature of elements and matter, the rules of the world, and even higher-level laws related to space and planes. Thus, mastering both magic and martial arts seemed impossible for ordinary people. Few who tried both could reach the golden level, and even fewer surpassed it. Only those with extraordinary luck or noble bloodlines could achieve success. Human life is short, and time is limited, yet all of this requires time. Fortunately, the Hunter class he inherited didn’t require arduous and lengthy training for power accumulation. As long as one could hunt their first demon, their strength would grow rapidly, and there was a good chance of reaching even the demi-god level.
What remains are combat reactions and physical training such as martial arts, which inadvertently saves a great deal of time, allowing him to rapidly improve his strength. Donald’s original weakness was his short time spent in the field of magic, leaving him without enough experience to master its powers. But now, thanks to the wonders of the House of Time and the knowledge and insights available within divinity, he has been able to accelerate his training in magic.
However, if he devotes too much time to the arcane realm now, it will obviously consume a significant amount of time as well.
After learning about the current situation in the main world and the merging of two worlds, Donald decided to strive for higher levels of power as soon as possible. So, regarding the art of magic, he decided to explore areas he was interested in only when he had more time in the future!
The Archmage Marshall was very disappointed by Donald’s refusal. He considered Donald the most suitable candidate to carry on the legacy of the Archmages he had seen throughout his thousand-year journey across the continents. Donald possessed a certain quality, just like that of the great Archmages he had encountered before—a spirit of dedicated pursuit of truth.
After all, Donald’s soul came from Earth, where he had received nearly twenty years of modern scientific education, giving him an inherent rational temperament. The nature of ancient Archmages was actually very similar to that of the great scientists on Earth who pursued scientific truth, which is why Marshall saw the shadows of those Archmages in Donald.