Astranaar

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

Astranaar was truly a grand city, with a constant stream of Night Elf coming and going on the streets.

However, unlike the noisy and chaotic atmosphere of human or dwarf cities, the Night Elf cherished an elegant and tranquil lifestyle; even in such a metropolis, one rarely saw scenes of disorder or clamor.

Walking into any Night Elf city, you would immediately notice that their trading activities were swift and conducted in silence.

They rarely haggled or argued, as they believed that under the watchful gaze of the moon goddess Elune, all transactions were fair.

Furthermore, by certain standards, the Night Elf were a race of typical, immense material abundance.

A population of over six million enjoying more than ten million square kilometers of land, combined with their mastery of nature magic—a powerful productive force—meant they never had to worry about the material necessities of life.

As long as they needed something, even commoners could easily obtain items for clothing, food, housing, and transportation, so they had no need to fall into disputes over material goods.

Therefore, aside from necessary transactions, the city life of the Night Elf mostly consisted of gathering with friends and family to stroll and talk elegantly, playing under large trees, sharing stories by the river, reciting poetry in forest clearings, listening to music, or organizing mysterious gatherings that were hard to describe; beyond that, there were no complex activities.

To be honest, for Kalei, who had been a corporate slave in his previous life, such a life was simply paradise.

He sometimes even thought that he didn't need eternal life; he would be perfectly content just living carefree like this for a few thousand years.

It was just a pity that after the Dark Portal opened, the various disasters on the Azeroth Continent would inevitably turn this life into a mirage.

Kalei had the heart to prevent these disasters, but with his current abilities, he was truly somewhat powerless.

"My dear Kalei, what are you daydreaming about? Let's go, the sky is about to brighten." Velina tugged at her son's shoulder, her face showing a hint of worry.

As a mother, she knew her son's habits perfectly well.

She had discovered long ago that her son would often space out alone, falling into a trance-like state with a look of fear in his eyes.

As he grew older, this state had improved quite a bit, but recently she noticed it becoming frequent again.

She didn't ask what he was thinking about, because she knew that no matter how she asked, she wouldn't get a truthful answer.

Kalei thought he had hidden it well all along, not realizing that some of his behaviors had long since been observed by his mother.

He smiled as usual and covered, "It's nothing, let's hurry, don't let us miss the ceremony."

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

She knew that with her abilities, she might not be able to help her son much; she could only pray to the moon goddess, hoping the merciful goddess could unravel the confusion in her son's heart.

The Temple of the Moon was located in the south of the city and was reached shortly after.

Elune was the main deity worshipped by the Night Elf, and a large number of believers came to the temple to pray every day.

The closer they got to the Temple of the Moon, the quieter the surroundings became; everyone involuntarily slowed their pace, closed their mouths, and ceased making any sound.

Kalei and his group followed the crowd into the temple.

Before long, a relatively young priestess came over to ask their purpose.

Hearing that Kalei and Lox were there to participate in the coming-of-age ceremony, the priestess smiled and said, "You've come just in time. High Priestess Amora is currently holding the final coming-of-age ceremony for today; you should go quickly."

The "High" title used by the priestess here did not refer to Amora's strength, but was a respectful honorific.

This title, like Archpriest or Archdruid, was a conventional designation in Night Elf society; behind such a title, besides representing a certain level of strength, it also represented a noble status.

Hearing the name "Amora," Kalei thought to himself, Isn't Amora that priestess in the Temple of the Moon in Darnassus from the game? I didn't expect her to have served in Astranaar before.

Thinking of some things from the game, he became interested and, imitating the gestures of the priests in the game, performed a salute: "May the light of Elune guide you."

The priestess was stunned for a moment, then gently corrected him: "Child, your blessing is standard, but unfortunately, your gesture is wrong. You should place your right hand over your heart, not your left." She couldn't help but laugh at the end.

Velina and Evelyn, standing to the side, were also amused by the small blunder.

Kalei hadn't expected his spur-of-the-moment idea to cause such an embarrassment, and his face turned red instantly.

The priestess pursed her lips and smiled: "However, Elune has already felt your sincerity. Go, child, and receive your blessing."

Kalei took a deep breath to calm his embarrassment, followed behind Lox, and walked in the direction indicated by the priestess under Velina's blessing gaze.

The two walked along the smooth corridor for less than a minute before the space ahead suddenly opened up.

In front of them was a bright and spacious hall. In the center of the hall stood a clear pool, and in the pool was a statue of a Night Elf female holding a basin with both hands. Above the statue, a beam of soft white light poured down from the dome.

Kalei knew that this statue did not depict the moon goddess herself, but rather a high priestess; as for which one specifically, he was not sure.

Why, then, was there no statue of the moon goddess in the center of the temple?

Because as far as Kalei knew, no one, including the Night Elf, had ever truly seen the moon goddess's real face; her image remained a mystery to this day.

By now, many young men and women participating in the coming-of-age ceremony had already entered the hall. In front of these youths stood a priestess wearing blue ceremonial robes.

Seeing Kalei and the other enter, the priestess nodded with a smile, said nothing more, and simply gestured for them to line up at the back of the queue.

Kalei observed her for a few moments and found her very similar to the Amora from the game. Out of politeness, he didn't dare look too much and just lowered his head to wait slowly.

Not long after, a few more people entered from outside, and they stood in line behind Kalei and the others one by one.

Then, the doors of the hall closed quietly, and the surroundings fell into a silence so profound one could almost hear a pin drop.

Following that, a melodious and winding song rose from the front.

Kalei knew this was Amora chanting the hymn in praise of the moon goddess.

The moon goddess, far away on the other side, seemed moved by the beautiful singing and began to cast her gaze into the temple. The entire hall became increasingly bright because of the arrival of the moon goddess, and the air was filled with a sacred and tranquil aura.

At this moment, Kalei felt a surge of fear, suddenly realizing that his decision to attend this ritual had been somewhat rash.

This ritual was unlike the low-level ceremonies he usually attended; this one was presided over by a High Priestess herself, and it was highly likely to attract the attention of Elune.

Who was Elune? She was a god!

If this deity were to discern his secret and realize he was a soul from another world, how would she deal with him? Would she punish him?

Just as he was feeling restless and uneasy, an unexpected change occurred.

The system panel, which had rarely appeared of its own accord since his birth, suddenly began to display information automatically.

Supreme Star Soul Azeroth's guardian deity Elune has sensed that you are an outsider. Elune has foreseen from you that this plane will once again face a great catastrophe, which fills her with sorrow.

You have piqued Elune's curiosity. Elune has perceived your goodwill toward Azeroth and the Night Elf, and has decided to bestow a blessing upon you.

You have received Elune's permanent blessing.

Due to Elune's blessing, you have gained the personal talents Natural Affinity and Arcane Affinity.

Your body has undergone significant changes.

The natural energy and arcane energy within your body have increased drastically.

Your Druid level has broken through the level 20 bottleneck, reaching level 28.

Your Arcanist level has broken through the level 20 bottleneck, reaching level 27.

You have fully mastered the basic Druid skills: Natural Cultivation, Natural Perception, and Natural Absorption.

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

You have received a message from Elune: Welcome, outsider. Please treat this place as your new home. I shall watch over you. Please use your power to ensure a better future for my people, the Night Elf, and for Azeroth, which I protect. You shall receive further rewards.

Kalei browsed through this string of information, feeling completely numb.

He had not expected Elune to actually notice him. Before Elune, as a mortal, he felt as exposed as if he had been stripped bare, laid clear for all to see.

Fortunately, Elune was a benevolent goddess; not only did she not punish him, but she also bestowed a blessing upon him.

For a moment, he could hardly believe such good fortune had befallen him, his heart filled with incredulous surprise and gratitude.

He was impatient to demonstrate what changes had occurred, but he had no time for that for the moment.