Outside Blackwind Pass.
A team composed of dwarves, flower fairies, and kobolds had gathered.
They were representatives from nearby tribes, personally led by Flower Fairy Queen Iris, Kobold Chieftain Rook, and Dwarf Chief Kimber. Their purpose was to visit the Lord of Miracle City.
The Lord had rescued their tribesmen who were trapped in Gloomvale City.
Only after their people returned did they learn of the drastic changes within Gloomy Valley.
Human Lords, as rulers aligned with Lawful forces, though not as cruel as the Dark Kind, were still ambitious and expansion-driven beings. Sometimes, they stopped at nothing to conquer new territory, and their reputation among native races was far from good.
Yet the major tribes were still willing to approach them.
Not only because Miracle City had shown goodwill,
but also because they desperately needed a power capable of confronting Stormhold City.
Stormhold City was the superior Underground City to Gloomvale, an ancient Tier 2 Dark City nearly ten times larger. For many years, it had ruled an area of nearly a hundred miles with brutal methods.
All the tribes had suffered deeply under its rule.
Not only were they exploited and plundered,
but countless tribesmen had been forcibly taken as slaves.
Thus, when they learned that a force capable of opposing Stormhold City had appeared nearby, whether it was reliable or not, they knew it was necessary to make contact.
Dwarf Chief Kimber frowned. "Outsiders are often untrustworthy. I don't trust humans."
Kobold Chieftain Rook replied, "Being ruled by a human Lord is still better than being enslaved by the Dark Kind."
Flower Fairy Queen Iris nodded in agreement.
Suddenly—
She sensed something.
Using her keen perception, she locked onto a figure ahead.
"Who's there?"
Kimber and Rook both gripped their weapons.
But when they saw who it was, they froze.
It was a slender, graceful girl with skin like porcelain and long silver-gray hair cascading like a waterfall. Wherever her jade-like feet stepped upon the rugged mountain terrain, tender green shoots sprouted from the cracks in the stone.
Her face was veiled, but her gem-like crimson eyes and vibrant aura of life made it clear—
She was a High Elf of pure bloodline and considerable rank.
For a moment,
the members of all three tribes stood stunned.
Thousands of years ago, the Eternal Night Great Forest had been ruled by the Elves.
They worshiped the ancient World Tree and protected the forest, creating an era of harmony where hundreds of races coexisted peacefully and war was rare.
Though the Elves had long since declined, they still held immense influence.
The three tribes were insignificant in the vast forest, and their leaders had never once met a noble Elf, let alone imagined encountering one here.
Iris's voice trembled. "Esteemed Elf… may I ask—"
The silver-haired Elf girl said calmly, "I came to tell you that Miracle City is absolutely worth trusting. This is an opportunity that can change the fate of individuals, tribes, and even entire races."
What?
Had they heard correctly?
This mysterious Elf…
was vouching for Miracle City?
Even without knowing her name or identity, the mere fact that she was a High Elf carried tremendous weight. Such beings were known for both power and integrity.
With her words alone, most of their doubts vanished.
A noble Elf would never deceive small tribes for the sake of a minor Underground City.
Her figure shimmered and vanished.
If not for the tender green shoots still glowing faintly with life energy, they would have thought it a hallucination.
---
Nancilia hadn't gone far.
The laws of Gloomy Valley restricted her strength. She couldn't use high-tier spells here, so she was merely hiding nearby using illusion magic.
Her silver-gray hair faded into flaxen blond, her slender figure shrank, her facial features changed, freckles reappeared—
She reverted into an ordinary-looking gnome girl.
"I can only do this much…" she murmured. "I hope it helps Miracle City."
To avoid causing trouble, she hadn't revealed her true identity.
The Eternal Night Dragon King and his subordinates ruled the forest with cruelty. Nearly all races were suffering, yearning for a force that could resist the darkness.
If Miracle City could gain the support of both large and small tribes,
it would become a power impossible to ignore. Whether resisting the Dark Kind or developing economically, everything would become easier—and countless lives could be saved.
Nancilia hurried back to Blackwind Pass.
She soon met the three delegations again.
"Hello!"
"I'm Aya, envoy of the Lord of Miracle City!" she announced loudly. "By the Lord's command, I have come to escort our honored guests!"
The three leaders carefully examined the plain-looking gnome girl. Though unremarkable, none of them dared show disrespect.
Soon after,
under Nancilia's guidance,
dozens of representatives from different races entered Miracle City.
Chief Kimber exclaimed, "This city is far larger than I imagined!"
Iris said, "Though it's newly founded, the facilities are surprisingly complete!"
Rook added, "Let's meet the Lord as soon as possible!"
They were eager to inspect the city firsthand and determine whether this Underground City—praised by a High Elf—truly possessed the strength and potential to shelter their tribes.
But the moment they entered—
They froze.
Outside Miracle City stood a massive encampment.
Within it were dozens of monstrous figures radiating terrifying power.
Some had bulging muscles and stood over two meters tall, with strength rivaling ogres—more than ten of them.
"These are Miracle City's monster forces," Nancilia explained.
"The large ones are called Tank Zombies, and the thinner ones are Witch Zombies. All are Tier 1, five-star units. Miracle City currently has nearly thirty of them."
"What?! Thirty?!"
The three leaders were stunned.
That was equivalent to peak Tier 1 combat power!
In a Tier 1 territory, this was an overwhelming force. No wonder Gloomvale City had been crushed so easily!
Nancilia continued, "In addition, we have five Flamethrower Trackers and one Rocket Launcher Tracker—Tier 2, two-star and three-star units!"
Iris gasped. "Tier 2 units?!"
Tier 2 combatants in a Tier 1 region were essentially a dimensional strike.
Outside forces entering Gloomy Valley would be restricted, but Miracle City's own units were not.
In other words, with Miracle City's current strength, there was no need to fear Stormhold City—at least before any territorial upgrades.
"And this is only a small portion," Nancilia added proudly.
"We're expected to produce ten more Tier 1 five-star units and several Tier 2 units every day."
"Our Adventurers already exceed fifteen hundred, and we now have over one hundred Contract Adventurers ready to transform into armies at any time!"
"Miracle City grows stronger every single day!"
The three leaders were increasingly shaken.
They had never heard of an Underground City developing at such a terrifying pace.
Miracle City had existed for less than a month, yet it already possessed this lineup and infrastructure. Its potential was obvious.
With strength like this—
And with Elf support—
Why fear Stormhold City at all?
Hope slowly ignited in their hearts.
They were soon escorted to the Lord's Mansion.
Though Miracle City was thriving, the mansion itself was still Tier 1, appearing humble and simple. But this didn't diminish their respect—instead, it increased it.
This showed the Lord wasn't a decadent ruler obsessed with luxury.
---
Quinn Jace faced the three tribal leaders calmly.
"I understand your purpose," he said.
"I can rescue all your tribesmen enslaved by Stormhold City—on the condition that your tribes join Miracle City and become my subjects."
The three leaders exchanged glances.
"As long as the Lord is willing to rescue our people," Iris said firmly, "we are willing to join Miracle City immediately!"
Quinn Jace was surprised.
According to his original plan, this would have required multiple steps—observation, cooperation, trust-building.
Instead, everything had been resolved in one move.
He immediately conducted the subject-conversion ceremony.
After imprinting them mentally and awakening Adventurer Souls among those with talent, Miracle City instantly gained eighteen exclusive Adventurers—represented by Iris, Kimber, and Rook.
A Tier 2 Adventurer Guild allowed up to 10% of contract slots for non-human Adventurers. With Miracle City's 300 contract limit, that meant thirty slots.
In terms of numbers, this was insignificant.
But strategically—
These three leaders became the starting point for Miracle City's influence across the Eternal Night Great Forest.
And for them,
This was a turning point in fate.
They didn't yet realize how profoundly their lives would change as the earliest batch of non-human Adventurers.
Everything had gone far more smoothly than Quinn Jace expected.
He soon understood why.
"Little Aya," he said calmly, "your background doesn't seem simple."
Nancilia's heart skipped.
Had he noticed her true form earlier?
With the territory imprint on her, Quinn Jace could locate any subject at will.
She hurriedly explained, "My Lord, I didn't mean to hide anything. My identity is sensitive in the Eternal Night Great Forest, and revealing it too early might bring trouble to Miracle City…"
"It's fine," Quinn Jace interrupted gently.
"I don't need explanations, and I don't care about your past. As long as you're loyal to Miracle City, that's all that matters."
He paused. "When you're ready to speak, tell me then."
"Lord…"
Nancilia froze.
He clearly knew she was hiding something—
Yet he neither pressured nor questioned her.
What kind of magnanimity was this?
What kind of confidence?
Her eyes grew misty.
Goddess of Nature above… I've truly found an enlightened ruler.
Holy Tree City can be saved. The Great Forest can be saved. The Elves can be saved.
She nearly confessed everything on the spot.
But before she could speak, the Lord waved his hand.
"The city gates are opening. Go prepare."
She swallowed her words, bowed deeply, and said firmly,
"I, Nancilia, swear to the Goddess of Nature that I will never betray the Lord's trust. I will repay Miracle City with everything I have!"
Her gaze hardened with resolve.
She turned and left.
---
Excellent.
Recruitment complete.
Miracle City's first Territory Hero was about to be born.
This was extremely important.
Each Territory Hero brought a Destiny Blessing—powerful buffs tied to their fate and abilities. Some strengthened armies, some boosted secret realm efficiency, others enhanced production.
However, hero conferment required special facilities, which Miracle City hadn't built yet. Even if Nancilia revealed herself now, she couldn't be converted immediately.
Better to let the truth remain hidden for now.
This was also the art of leadership.
Miracle City lost nothing.
But Nancilia gained absolute trust and security.
She had lived in deep fear since fleeing Holy Tree City.
Quinn Jace's actions would make her loyalty unshakable.
And as for her destiny?
Quinn Jace already knew it.
Her Hero Destiny was called:
World Tree's Blessing
An extremely rare Epic Destiny that granted the Lord an additional Spiritual Sea Awakening opportunity starting from Tier 3—one per tier.
Quinn Jace was already Tier 3.
That meant once he gained Nancilia's blessing, he could immediately obtain another awakening and at least one additional crystal activation.
Why "at least"?
Because high-tier Lords could activate multiple crystals per awakening.
Every future tier advancement would grant yet another awakening.
Such a destiny was priceless.
Its value to Miracle City and Quinn Jace was immeasurable.
Why had Quinn Jace chosen the Eternal Night Great Forest?
Why had he appeared in Gloomy Valley?
At least half the reason was for this destiny alone.
Rare items and fortuitous encounters could also grant extra awakenings, but such opportunities were unreliable and often inferior.
How could they compare to World Tree's Blessing?
Quinn Jace had always sought more awakenings—
Only through them could he master more materials and achieve greater creative power.
---
The city gates opened.
As the Chaos Tide surged once more,
Adventurers' happiest time had begun again.
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