Catherine's Secret (Third Update)

Sanctuary-level Elf Hill led Olivier and the other three to meet their Emissary, Thor, who was a Lowgod.

"Our Moon Elf Race has always treated others with friendliness; we are the most hospitable people," Emissary Thor said, welcoming them with enthusiasm.

Finally, led by Thor, they arrived at the royal capital of the Moon Elf Race to pay their respects to their Queen, Isabelle.

The moment they arrived at the Elven capital, six divine senses swept over them, and simultaneously, Olivier grasped the true strength of the Moon Elf Race.

Five Midgods, and one whose strength is unfathomable—that must be the Moon Elf Queen, a Highgod.

The Moon Elf Queen resided in a castle built atop a colossal tree. Surrounded by lush foliage and draped in creeping vines, the castle appeared natural and ancient.

"Welcome, honored guests, to the Moon Elf Race," Queen Isabelle said, greeting them upon their meeting.

Queen Isabelle was a great beauty, her appearance and temperament beyond reproach. Her words felt like a gentle spring breeze—fresh and natural.

After a round of polite pleasantries:

"Your Majesty, we have arrived here from the outside world. I believe you know our purpose. Since we are unfamiliar with this place, we wish to ask you to point us in the right direction," Taros said sincerely.

The Moon Elf Queen was a Highgod, and Taros was deeply wary of her.

"Taros, I am well aware of your intentions. The Sovereign's Emissary placed us here specifically to prevent outsiders from traveling through our territory to the next level. To be frank, the entrance to the next level is sealed by the combined efforts of myself, the Beast God, the Wolf God, and the Wind God. Unless one possesses strength surpassing the four of us combined, it cannot be broken," Isabelle stated. "Therefore, with your current strength, passing through is simply impossible."

"Furthermore, the Orc Race has declared war on our Moon Elf Race, leaving us struggling to protect ourselves. The Beast God, in particular, advocates for the slaughter of all outsiders, so your situation is extremely dangerous," Isabelle added with concern.

She knew that if the Beast God made a breakthrough, the Moon Elf Race would be in grave danger. Her mention of the Beast God's stance toward outsiders was a fact; she spoke of it hoping to find allies, wishing for Taros and his group to stand on her side.

After a conversation with Isabelle, they learned that they would have to defeat all four Highgods to reach the next level.

After staying in the Moon Elf capital for a few days, the four gathered to discuss their next move.

"Everyone knows that besides the Moon Elf Race and the Orc Race, there are many other god-level experts here. I intend to leave and explore. What are your plans?" Taros asked.

"I will go with you; this place doesn't feel quite right for me," Dylin agreed.

Olivier was indifferent; he was preoccupied with how to deal with the four god-level powerhouses. He could either wait here for the Beast God or other Highgods to arrive, or he could take the initiative to seek them out.

Catherine, however, hesitated, eventually saying:

"Earlier, Isabelle sought me out. I possess the aura of the Moon Elf Race, and it is very likely that I am one of them. Ever since I arrived here, I have felt a sense of kinship with them, so I have decided to stay and find out the truth."

"It makes no difference to me. Since you two are leaving, I will stay behind to look after Catherine," Olivier added.

Hearing Olivier's words, Catherine glanced at him, deeply moved.

"Catherine, Olivier, you two must have something going on," Taros chuckled mischievously. "Since that's the case, stay here. The Moon Elf Race shouldn't give you any trouble, but you must still be careful."

The next day, Taros and Dylin departed.

Within the Moon Elf Race, Isabelle treated Catherine very well, but her attitude toward Olivier was merely average.

The Moon Elf Race loved peace and revered nature; they did not treat everyone with such warmth. It was likely because of Catherine's potential identity as a Moon Elf, combined with her strength as a Midgod, that she received such favor from the Queen.

On the surface, Olivier was only a Lowgod. From the moment he arrived, he had been a neglected presence; even among the Moon Elves, the iron law that the strong are respected remained unchanged.

"Catherine, do you really think you are a Moon Elf? The Yulan Continent once had Elves, but that was a very long time ago. Besides, if you were an Elf, how could you have suddenly appeared on the Yulan Continent?"

Olivier had joked about it before, but now that it was a real possibility, he had many questions.

"Olivier, I think I truly am an Elf. My father told me I was found deep in the forest. No one could possibly go to that place; my father only stumbled upon it by accident, saw me, and brought me home," Catherine recalled.

As she reminisced, Olivier learned a piece of her history.

Ten thousand years ago.

"Catherine, although you are not our biological daughter, we will love you just as if you were." Even after ten thousand years, she remembered her father's words clearly.

Catherine's father was a Sanctuary-level expert, only a step away from the limit of the Sanctuary. While flying over the Magical Beast Mountain Range, he discovered a strange place with an incredibly dense aura of life. Out of curiosity, he investigated and found Catherine, an infant girl. The baby was so adorable that he took her home.

As a family of Sanctuary experts, Catherine's father had many descendants, but due to his affection for her, she became the matriarch of the clan.

Catherine grew up and displayed astonishing talent, becoming a Sanctuary expert in thirty years and a god-level expert in less than a hundred. Consequently, her family grew increasingly powerful.

Ten thousand years ago, experts from other planes descended. After the great war, the god-level experts originally on the Yulan Continent were either dead or gone, and her father had perished in that battle. Catherine was the only god-level expert left. Later, she unified the Yulan Continent, and her family became its rulers.

Later, during one of Catherine's periods of seclusion, the Yulan Empire split. After she emerged, she did not reunify the continent, but the Yulan Empire stood firm as long as Catherine existed.

Five thousand years ago, O'Brien found a godspark, became a god-level expert, and challenged Catherine. After the war, the current situation of the Yulan Continent was formed.

Having heard Catherine's experiences and the ten-thousand-year history of the Yulan Continent, it seemed she truly could be a Moon Elf.

"Besides your temperament and hair, are your ears pointed?" Olivier asked.

Catherine had always worn a silver mask and kept her hair draped; Olivier had never seen what her ears looked like.

"Giggle, do you know why I always wear a mask? It's because my ears are different from ordinary people. The main reason I wear it is to hide them," Catherine laughed.

"After my father found me, he checked ancient books and discovered that the Yulan Continent seemed to have had Elves long ago. But there were none ten thousand years ago, so my father was worried I would be treated as a monster. To avoid unnecessary trouble, he made me a mask when I was young."

It was as if a heavy stone had been lifted; Catherine was incredibly happy.

"When I came here and saw Elves who looked just like me, I felt a sense of kinship and relief."