Qiyu:?

He felt like his current territory was already huge enough—he was all alone, so he really didn’t need that much space. When he said this to the giant tree-person, he was met with a look of deep affection.

However, the giant tree-person was still quite conservative by nature. It said, “Perhaps I’ve been sleeping for too long and don’t understand the current world well enough.”

It asked Qiyu, “My Lord, what year of the Glorious Era is it now?” Luckily, the survival game had just told him today.

Qiyu told it that this year was the 6,882nd year of the Age of Glory.

The giant tree-person said slowly, “Oh, so I’ve actually been asleep for over four thousand years?”

It told Qiyu that it and its clan must have fallen into a slumber more than 2,000 years into the Glorious Era.

It wasn’t entirely sure of the exact year: “Back then, the elves had already begun to leave, and many of our clan members followed them. But we received the news a little late, and we were reluctant to leave our homeland, so we were a bit slow to follow.”

Qiyu thought to himself that the giant tree-persons’ idea of “slow” probably wasn’t the same as his own. Having lived only 19 years in total, he found it hard to grasp what “sleeping for over four thousand years” actually meant.

“Anyway,” Nate recalled slowly, “it seems we lost contact with the elves after that. In any case, as long as we have the earth, we can survive—the Star Forest…”

It recalled slowly, “The Star Forest didn’t seem as comfortable as it used to be, so we chose to fall into a deep slumber.” And they slept right through until now.

Qiyu didn’t know what to say. After thinking for a moment, he took out his Heart of the Great Tree Staff.

He said to the giant tree-person, “Do you recognize this? When I got it, I was told it was crafted by the giant tree-people.” Nate lowered his head and looked at the dainty little object.

Unable to see clearly, it simply crouched down, its massive shadow enveloping Qiyu. Nate extended a finger and carefully pinched the Heart of the Great Tree Staff.

The staff, which was as tall as Qiyu himself, looked like a tiny toy in the giant tree-person’s fingertips. Nate examined it closely and indeed sensed a familiar aura emanating from the Heart of the Great Tree Staff.

It confirmed, “This weapon was indeed crafted by giant tree-people.”

It carefully returned the staff to Qiyu and told him, “However, this has nothing to do with us ancient war trees. Our brains are relatively simple, and our hands can only wield weapons that are well-suited to our size.”

“This staff must have been crafted by the wise ancient trees.”

It said in a deep, resonant voice, “Those guys are always so slow, and they say things that trees can’t understand.” But it also admitted, “Still, their brains are indeed a bit smarter than ours, the ancient war trees.” It said, “I think that while I was asleep, there must have been more of my kind in the Star Forest than just these few.”

“My Lord, perhaps once my mind clears a bit more, I could go out for a walk and see if I can find more of my kind.”

Qiyu’s eyes sparkled with delight; he’d known that awakening an ancient sentient being would prove quite useful. Not only could he gain ancient knowledge, but Nate was already thinking about finding more territory residents. “Sure. As long as the domain is safe, you can go wherever you like.”

However, he was concerned that Nate might not be aware of the dangers of the Survival Game, so he warned him, “The Star Forest today may be quite different from the one you lived in back then. It’s very dangerous here at night, so I don’t recommend leaving the territory.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he remembered that before he had brought it back to his territory, the ancient war tree had seemed to be slumbering in the forest. He wondered if the ancient war tree was required to follow the rule that “it’s dangerous to go out at night.”

The giant nodded: “I know.” Qiyu was surprised: “You know?”

The giant tree-person nodded slowly: “When I first woke up, some knowledge had appeared in my mind.” For example, that it’s dangerous at night and best to stay within the territory.

For instance, the little elf standing before him was his lord, and he needed to pledge his loyalty.

This was easy for Nate to accept: the ancient war tree was already the least contemplative of all the giant tree-people; how wonderful it would be if all knowledge and wisdom could simply enter a tree’s mind like this.

As for pledging loyalty, the giant tree-persons had been allies of the Elves long before the Glorious Age of humanity. Though it didn’t understand why the Elves would leave such a young elf in the Star Forest. And with only such a tiny patch of territory—it truly made the tree’s heart ache.

After awakening the giant tree-person Nate, the issue of the territory’s security was finally resolved once and for all.

Qiyu was getting ready to go see his teacher again to talk to him about the giant tree-people and about Dan Xingyu. Before he left, he didn’t forget to send Dan Xingyu a message.

After all, a relationship is a two-person thing.

【I Love Survival Game: I’m getting ready to see my teacher. I want to tell the teacher that you’re my boyfriend. Are you okay with that?】

Although he felt the teacher must have been keeping an eye on him all along—even if he didn’t say anything, the teacher would probably find out before long. Or maybe the teacher already knew.

The reply came almost instantly:

【God Has No Form:!】

It was the same familiar zero-frame opening, without the slightest build-up. Dan Xingyu felt like he was about to get beaten up.

The little local elf had told him everything that happened in the resource zone last time.

If he were that teacher and found out that the little elf—who’d only been recovered a few days ago—had suddenly gained a human boyfriend in the blink of an eye… Ugh…

【God Has No Form: Of course, no problem!】

【God Has No Form: I’m so happy you’re willing to introduce me to your family.】

Okay, whatever—he’s thick-skinned anyway.

Dan Xingyu had returned to the Golden Desert not long ago, intending to seal a blood pact with the little golden dragon before setting sail—that way, he’d have an extra layer of protection during his adventures.

Not to mention, once he signs a blood pact with the little dragon and becomes a dragon knight, he should be able to take a few more hits, right? Elves are known to be such an elegant race—they surely wouldn’t beat him to death.

That being the case, who could resist the joy of being introduced to their partner’s parents?

He took the initiative to tell his parents right after they started dating—this little local cutie is so well-behaved!

【God Has No Form: I’m ready!】

Qiyu: 

【I Love Survival Game: You’re ready… for what?】

Dan Xingyu thought to himself, “I’m ready to get beaten up.”

【God Has No Form: I mean, I know—I just hope your teacher will like me.】

【I Love Survival Game: God Has No Form, you’re such a great guy—I’m sure the teacher will like you too.】 He truly believed that; Dan Xingyu had countless wonderful qualities—who wouldn’t like him?

He opened the book Aegnor had left for him.

This book served as a medium for master-apprentice meetings. In reality, aside from the initial need, Qiyu no longer required the book to see his elf teacher.

But he was used to doing it this way, so he would take the book out with great care every time.

He entered the familiar spiritual realm.

This time, the Elf magic saint was playing an instrument Qiyu didn’t recognize. The sound was tinkling and jingling, like a babbling mountain stream. That sounds lovely!

Qiyu sat down quietly and listened intently as Teacher Aegnor played the entire piece.

He couldn’t wait to praise it: “That was beautiful!”

The elf told him, “That’s a harp. If you like it, I can teach you.” 

Qiyu replied happily, “I do like it—sure!”

The elf looked at him, his gaze resting on the top of his head, and his expression softened slightly. “Your hair has grown longer.” 

Qiyu nodded. “Yes, I even braided it today. Did you notice, Teacher?”

The Elf magic saint nodded. “Not bad.”

It was rare to hear such a straightforward compliment from his teacher; it seemed Teacher Aegnor was quite pleased. Qiyu happily told him, “My boyfriend braided it for me.”

Still, there was no hint of a reaction.

For a rare moment, the Elf magic saint’s expression went blank.

The air was still for a moment before he slowly spoke: “Your… who?”

“My boyfriend,” Qiyu answered honestly. Sensing the elf’s unusual emotional state, he asked softly, “What’s wrong, Teacher?”

The elf closed his eyes briefly.

“Qiyu,” he called out Qiyu’s name. “Can you tell me what’s going on with this boyfriend?”

Considering the little elf’s need for privacy, he would only send out his divine sense to observe unless the mental imprint left on Qiyu showed significant fluctuations or a crisis was detected.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone out of his way to teach him how to create a mental barrier.

Who could tell him—how long had it even been before this “boyfriend” business came up?

Qiyu looked at him in confusion: “You’re upset. Teacher Aegnor, why?”

“Why?”

The elf spoke slowly: “Now that I know a nineteen-year-old little elf has found himself a boyfriend, am I supposed to be happy about it?” Qiyu answered honestly: “I thought you’d be happy for me.”

He said, “Because I really like Dan Xingyu.”

“I shared this with you precisely because I’m so happy.”

Dan Xingyu.

Aegnor knew him. That young dragon knight he’d met in the Royal City of Ophelia—a human with remarkable talent. Of course, that was his assessment before today.

Now he didn’t want to spare that annoying human even a single glance.

“Listen, Qiyu,” the Elf magic saint tried to reason with him. “You’re still very young; it’s far too early for you to be dating.”

Qiyu argued, “Dan Xingyu is a year younger than me—we’re both adults.” The elf fell silent.

After quite a while, he said softly, “It’s all the Elves’ fault.”

A child raised in the human world is, in fact, already an adult.

If the elves hadn’t failed to watch over that little elf fruit back then, the accident that sent him to another world wouldn’t have happened. It wasn’t the child’s fault.

It was the adults’ negligence and mistake.

He tried to compose himself, studying Qiyu closely. He realized that although this youngster was still very young, he had a stubborn streak. Unless he could truly convince him, there was no way to change his mind.

“Young man, falling in love… isn’t such a bad thing,” he said with some difficulty.

It didn’t seem like such a big deal—it was just falling in love, after all. He convinced himself that when he first found the boy, he’d thought: as long as the child is happy, that’s all that matters.

That’s right.

As long as the kid is happy.

As for whether that little dragon knight was of good character, had the right talent, or was suitable as a boyfriend… that was for them, the elders, to judge.

Qiyu studied him closely; the Elf magic saint’s expression had once again become impassive, betraying no emotion whatsoever.

“Will you be happy for me, Teacher Aegnor?”

The elf: “……”

He cast a casual glance at a certain elf who was pushing his luck, and as his eyes swept over the hairstyle he’d been so pleased with just moments ago, he suddenly felt a bit put off by it. He didn’t answer.

But Qiyu knew the matter was now behind them.

He changed the subject: “Teacher, do you know about the mysterious sea area?”