Astranaar

The four of them completed the simple registration process at the rental office, then left the platform and headed toward the city center.

Astranaar truly was a major city. Night Elves streamed along its streets in an endless flow.

Yet unlike the clamor and bustle of human and dwarf cities, the Night Elves cherished an elegant, peaceful way of life. Even in a metropolis like this, scenes of disorder and uproar were rare.

Step into any Night Elf city, and you would immediately notice how quickly—and quietly—its people conducted their business.

They seldom haggled or argued, because they believed that beneath the gaze of the Moon Goddess Elune, every transaction was fair.

And by one standard, the Night Elves were a typical race whose material needs were abundantly met.

Their population of over six million enjoyed more than ten million square kilometers of land, and they wielded the powerful productive force of nature magic. They had no need to worry about basic necessities.

Whatever they needed, even commoners could easily obtain clothing, food, housing, and transportation, so there was no need to quarrel over material goods.

Thus, aside from conducting necessary business, Night Elves spent most of their time in the city gathering with friends and family. They strolled and chatted with grace, played beneath the trees, shared stories by the river, recited poetry in forest clearings, listened to music, or held mysterious gatherings that were hard to describe. Beyond that, there was little else to complicate their lives.

Honestly, to Kale, who had been a corporate wage slave in his previous life, this lifestyle was paradise.

Sometimes he even thought that he didn't need eternal life. He'd be perfectly content with just a few thousand carefree years like this.

Unfortunately, once the Dark Portal opened, the many disasters that would befall Azeroth Continent were sure to turn this way of life into a thing of the past.

Kale wanted to prevent those disasters, but with his current abilities, he simply couldn't do much.

"Dear Kale, what are you daydreaming about? Come on, it'll be dawn soon." Velina tugged at her son's shoulder, concern in her expression.

As his mother, she knew her son's habits very well.

She had noticed long ago that he often drifted off by himself, lost in a daze, with fear in his eyes.

As he grew older, this happened less often, but recently she had noticed it becoming more frequent again.

She hadn't asked him what he was thinking about, because she knew that no matter how she asked, she wouldn't get the real answer.

Kale thought he had always hidden it well, unaware that his mother had long since noticed some of his behavior.

As usual, he smiled and brushed it off. "It's nothing. Let's hurry, or we'll be late for the ceremony."

Velina nodded and silently followed her son toward the Temple of the Moon.

She knew she might not be able to help him much. All she could do was pray to the Moon Goddess and hope the kind goddess would dispel the confusion in her son's heart.

The Temple of the Moon stood in the southern part of the city, and they reached it before long.

Elune, the Moon Goddess, was the chief deity worshipped by the Night Elves. Every day, a great many followers came to the temple to pray.

The closer they got to the Temple of the Moon, the quieter their surroundings became. Everyone slowed their steps without thinking, closed their mouths, and stopped making noise.

Kale and the others followed the crowd into the temple.

Before long, a young-looking priestess came over to ask why they had come.

When she heard that Kale and Lox had come to attend their coming-of-age ceremony, the priestess smiled. "You're just in time. High Priestess Amora is holding the last coming-of-age ceremony of the day. You should go now."

The title "high" didn't refer to Amora's strength. It was an honorific.

Like "High Priest" or "Archdruid," it was a customary title in Night Elf society. Beyond representing a certain level of strength, it also signified an honored status.

When Kale heard the name "Amora," he thought, Isn't Amora the priestess at the Temple of the Moon in Darnassus in the game? I didn't know she used to serve in Astranaar.

Remembering some things from the game, he grew interested. Imitating the priests in the game, he bowed and said, "May the Light of Elune guide you."

The priestess paused, then gently corrected him. "That's a very proper blessing, child, but you've got the gesture wrong. You should place your right hand over your heart, not your left." She couldn't help laughing at the end.

Velina and Evelyn, standing nearby, were amused by his little mistake too.

Kale hadn't expected his spur-of-the-moment idea to make such a fool of him. His face turned red.

The priestess smiled behind her hand. "But Elune has felt your sincerity. Go, child, and receive your blessing."

Kale took a deep breath and calmed his embarrassment. He followed Lox, while Velina watched them go with a blessing in her eyes, heading in the direction the priestess had indicated.

They walked along the smooth passageway for less than a minute before it opened into a spacious hall.

Ahead of them was a bright, spacious chamber. At its center stood a clear pool, with a statue of a Night Elf woman holding a basin aloft in the water. A soft white shaft of light streamed down from the dome above the statue.

Kale knew the statue didn't depict the Moon Goddess herself, but a High Priestess. He had no idea which one, though.

Why not erect a statue of the Moon Goddess at the center of the temple?

Because as far as Kale knew, no one—not even the Night Elves—had ever truly seen the Moon Goddess's face. Her appearance remained a mystery.

By now, quite a few young men and women had gathered in the hall for the coming-of-age ceremony. A priestess in a blue ceremonial robe stood in front of them.

When she saw Kale and Lox enter, the priestess smiled and nodded. Without saying a word, she gestured for them to join the line at the back.

Kale studied her for a few moments and realized she looked a lot like Amora from the game. Out of politeness, he didn't stare. He simply lowered his head and waited quietly.

Before long, a few more people came in and lined up behind Kale and the others.

Then the doors to the hall closed quietly, and silence fell. It was so quiet you could almost hear a pin drop.

A melodious song rang out from the front of the hall.

Kale knew Amora was singing a hymn in praise of the Moon Goddess.

The Moon Goddess, far away on the other side, seemed moved by the beautiful song and turned her gaze toward the temple. As Elune's presence filled the hall, it grew brighter and brighter, and the air filled with a sacred, tranquil feeling.

At that moment, however, Kale grew afraid. He suddenly felt that coming to this ritual had been a rash decision.

This ceremony was different from the low-level rituals he usually attended. This time, it was being led by a High Priestess herself, and there was a good chance Elune would take notice.

Who was Elune? A goddess!

If she saw through his secret and discovered that he was a soul from another world, what would she do to him? Would she punish him?

Just as he was growing more and more uneasy, an unexpected change occurred.

Since his birth, the panel had rarely appeared on its own. Suddenly, it began displaying information automatically.

"The Supreme Star Soul and guardian of Azeroth, Elune, sensed that you are an outsider. From you, Elune foresaw that this plane would once again face a great disaster, and it saddened her."

"You have piqued Elune's curiosity. She sensed the goodwill you hold toward Azeroth and the Night Elves, and decided to grant you her blessing."

"You have received Elune's permanent blessing."

"Thanks to Elune's blessing, you have gained the personal talents Nature Affinity and Arcane Affinity."

"Your body has undergone a major transformation."

"The natural and Arcane energies within you have increased dramatically."

"Your Druid level has broken through the level 20 bottleneck and reached level 28."

"Your Arcanist level has broken through the level 20 bottleneck and reached level 27."

"You have fully mastered the basic Druid skills Nature Cultivation, Nature Perception, and Nature Absorption."

"You have fully mastered the basic Arcanist skills Arcane Perception and Arcane Absorption."

"You have received a message from Elune: Welcome, outsider. Please consider this place your new home. I will watch over you. Use your power to give my people, the Night Elves, and the Azeroth I protect a better future, and you will receive more rewards."

Kale read through the long string of messages and felt completely numb.

He hadn't expected Elune to actually notice him. Before Elune, he, a mere mortal, was as exposed as if he'd taken off all his clothes.

Fortunately, Elune was a kind goddess. Not only had she refrained from punishing him, she had also blessed him.

For a moment, he could hardly believe such good fortune had come his way. His heart filled with astonished joy and gratitude.

He was eager to see what had changed, but for now, he didn't have the time.