Death Notice Book 8 The Magic Cup Court
Release Date: 2026-05-25 23:22:53
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The Qiongda’er Forest seemed dim in the evening. Apart from the occasional sounds of snakes, ants, insects, and rodents rustling in the bushes, the surroundings felt quiet and eerie. Iristin still walked ahead in the form of a beautiful spotted deer, while Qin Lun, bearing the consequences of his own actions, carried the Elf Rogue Longer on his back as he followed her.
The Gale Panther that had led them to find the Elven Druid had long disappeared, likely feeling its task was done and returning to its territory to hunt.
“Are you a ranger?” the spotted deer asked, turning its head and speaking in human words towards Qin Lun.
“No, I am a hunter,” Qin Lun responded with a smile.
The skills of an Elven Hunter and an Elven Ranger were somewhat similar, but strictly speaking, they were two different combat professions. Rangers could master ranged attack techniques and close-quarters combat. Most rangers could fight using elven longbows, one-handed swords, and both long and short daggers. When necessary, they could fight mounted, becoming cavalry.
While the weapons used by Elven Hunters were similar to those of rangers, they focused more on ranged attacks and various traps. They usually also had a pet to assist in hunting and were skilled in tracking and stealth. The difference lay in that rangers excelled at frontal combat, while hunters preferred setting traps to kill their prey.“You are a hunter?” Surprise flickered in Iristin’s large, bright deer eyes.
Qin Lun smiled. With one hand, he pulled open his trench coat, revealing Burial of Light and Darkness and the Dagger of Sin at his waist. Facts spoke louder than words.
“My hunting companion is an abyssal creature. Master Iristin wouldn’t approve of it, so I won’t embarrass myself by showing it to you.” He added.
“Goblin firearms? And they seem to be of quite high quality. It seems you’ve learned many things during your years of training out there!” Iristin nodded noncommittally. After a moment, she couldn’t help but advise him. “Regardless, using an abyssal creature as a hunting companion will stir controversy within our kind. When you have time, it’s better to replace it with a jungle creature.”
“Haha, thank you for your kindness. I’ve had the same thought,” Qin Lun responded casually, brushing her off. “It’s just not easy to find a high-combat-strength jungle creature. For now, I’ll have to make do.”
Joking aside, Cerberus had already advanced to a Sixth Tier creature. Though still one tier away from High Rank, could the fighting power of an Inferno Hound be compared to that of ordinary creatures? Moreover, Cerberus had thick hide, sturdy flesh, and formidable vitality. As Qin Lun’s meat-shield, it was irreplaceable.
However, Iristin’s words gave Qin Lun another idea. Back then, he hadn’t contracted a second summoned creature because Cerberus occupied most of his mental and stamina points. But now, with his physical attributes increased, he could contract another summon.
“Master Iristin, since you know this area so well, do you have any good suggestions?” Qin Lun felt a sudden inspiration and asked with a smile.
Druids themselves possessed multiple animal forms. Though they sometimes commanded jungle creatures, they did not form summoning pacts with them. This Elven Druid before him had a gentle and kind nature. From her aid to the Gale Panther, it was clear she maintained good relationships with the jungle lords nearby. Perhaps, through her connections, he could trick an excellent summon out of them.
As expected, when Qin Lun shamelessly asked, Iristin immediately regretted her loose words right away. She struggled internally for a good while before finally replying, “Let us first return to the Elven Royal Court. The matter at hand is more important.”
With that, Iristin quickened her pace, fleeing headlong without looking back, seemingly ashamed of her own evasive answer. This caused Longer, still slumped on Qin Lun’s back, to secretly roll his eyes. This Elven Druid was either very young or far too kind-hearted. She was way too easy to fool.
After following Iristin for over an hour, the three finally stopped at the edge of the embankment of a large lake. The lake was incredibly vast, spanning tens of square kilometers. Under the setting sun, its surface shimmered and rippled with small waves.
Qin Lun and Longer had seen this lake from afar. Their campsite the previous night had been only a few kilometers away. The stream used as a water source by the jungle creatures ultimately flowed into this very lake.
“What are you waiting for? Come on!” Iristin called out, walking towards a huge boulder near the lakeshore. The boulder stood about fifty feet high and thirty feet wide, towering over the shore like a small cliff.
Could it be…? Qin Lun raised an eyebrow slightly as he slowly approached the druid. Iristin, possessing none of Qin Lun’s caution, strode forward on her four legs and walked straight towards the giant rock.
To their astonishment, the spotted deer transformed druid didn’t collide with the rock at all. She passed through it without any obstruction. At this point, even Longer on Qin Lun’s back understood – this lake was definitely illusory. It most likely concealed a huge magical disguise.
Qin Lun took a deep breath, braced himself, and walked towards the massive rock.
As if passing through a faint, almost invisible membrane, the scenery before Qin Lun and Longer instantly transformed drastically. The lake vanished. In its place stood a massive elven city.
Beneath their feet now stretched an aerial bridge three meters wide. It was formed by thick, green vines as thick as a child’s arm intertwined together. Below it flowed a wide, bustling moat, formed by the convergence of numerous forest streams.
The end of the aerial bridge connected to a green “city wall.” The wall was completely covered in all kinds of plant vines, only the tiniest gaps revealing glimpses of the actual stone wall constructed from large blue stones beneath.
On either side of the city gate stood two tall oak trees. Their sturdy branches extended, twisted, and interwove high in the air, forming together a grand, naturally sculpted arched gateway.
However, what seized Qin Lun’s attention most was the towering World Tree rising to pierce the clouds in the center of the city. Its branches spread out horizontally, extending from deep inside the city all the way to rest upon the city walls high above. They formed an immense canopy, like a vast umbrella unfolding in the sky, sheltering the entire city. Lush green tendrils climbed along the ribs of this canopy, and the ripened fruits clinging to them hung down like pearl curtains.
The foliage of the World Tree was arranged in distinct layers. Level by level, they spiraled upwards. The lower layers were broad, while the layers above grew progressively smaller. It resembled both a giant spiraling drill bit and a sharply tapering tower with clearly defined tiers.
Between each layer of the canopy, numerous elven treehouses could faintly be seen. The soft candlelight shining from within looked like fireflies glowing in the night-time branches. Seen from afar, the scene felt peaceful and serene, like a beautiful, tranquil woodland paradise – an elegance so profound it felt suffocating.
Combined with the outer city wall, the entire elven city strikingly resembled a colossal wine goblet overturned upon the ground. This was likely how the “Magic Cup Court” earned its name. By comparison, Moonlight Forest, the other elven city Qin Lun had once seen, seemed nothing more than a crude jungle outpost.
“Apostle 70053, you have found the Magic Cup Court within Qiongda’er Forest. This information will be broadcast to all team members. Current Guidance Mission Completion Rate is 70%. You may choose to submit the mission now. You may also submit after accepting an official task from the Saeopiya Elves, at which point the Guidance Mission Completion Rate will reach 100%.”
“Notice: The Fortress Team must participate in a Historical Plot contributing to at least 0.21% World Exploration Degree; otherwise, the Main Quest cannot be triggered.”
“Notice: The Guidance Mission Completion Rate exceeds 50% and completion time nears the theoretical minimal requirement. No Historical Plot has been missed. If 100% Completion Rate is achieved, the first two team members to enter the Magic Cup Court will receive double mission rewards and a +5 increase to their Soul Life Limit.”
After receiving the prompt from Shattered Starry Sky, Qin Lun felt a light tap on the back of his neck – clearly Longer’s excited gesture. Getting a few thousand extra Shattered Crystals and Exchange Vouchers maybe didn’t matter much to the elf rogue, but a +5 boost to his Soul Life Limit was a significant gain.
“Hold back your excitement. Remember, you’re supposed to be seriously injured!” Qin Lun hissed back, annoyed. Having carried the elf rogue for hours, his self-inflicted burden, he now felt bone-tired and just wanted to collapse onto a chair to rest.
“Welcome home!” Iristin had already reverted to her Elven form. Standing at the bridgehead, she greeted them with a friendly smile.
…
After passing through the city gate formed by the two massive oak trees, Qin Lun observed the interior of the elven city with curiosity. Beneath his feet lay an exquisite crushed stone avenue. On both sides stood numerous elven wooden houses.
The area surrounding the majestic World Tree couldn’t support the growth of thick, ordinary trees. The few tall trees within the city, including the two giant oaks forming the “gate,” were actually treants that had spontaneously risen to guard the World Tree. They were carefully tended by the elves; otherwise, lacking sufficient nutrients, they too would have been forced to retreat from the World Tree’s vicinity.
Apart from the high-level treehouses constructed within the World Tree’s spiraling canopy layers, ordinary Qiongda’er Elves built many aesthetically pleasing and elegant stilted huts in the city’s outer rings.
As dusk deepened, the soft, warm glow of candles emanated from within the wooden houses, mingling with the faint sounds of laughter and conversation. From a distance, the city’s outer rings looked like they were encircled by a broad ribbon of shimmering starlight.
At the very base and center of the World Tree stood a majestic elven castle. Massive blue-grey stones formed three tiers of stepped battlements. At intervals along these walls stood blue stone arrow towers. Behind them rose numerous mage towers. Between the castle’s open colonnades and draped window coverings, one could vaguely make out patrol guards standing watch, weapons ready.
Just then, at the end of the crushed stone avenue, right before the castle gates, were arrayed two columns of elven knights. The knights stood solemn-faced, clad in exquisite armor and draped in fluttering red cloaks, their helmets adorned with long plumes.
Their right hands gripped long pikes firmly, while their left hands held torches aloft, bathing the castle entrance in bright light.
Ahead of the knight columns stood several handsome elf figures clad in ornate robes. They stood waiting patiently, hands tucked into their wide sleeves.
“They can’t be here to greet us, right?” Longer, still draped over Qin Lun’s back, muttered uneasily.
“Probably… not?” Seeing the sheer grandeur of the spectacle, even Qin Lun was beginning to have doubts.
Iristin, walking ahead, hadn’t heard their low conversation, and even if she had, she probably wouldn’t have cared. The Elven Druid strode forward confidently, heading straight for the elven castle.
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