Chapter 40: World Map and New Quest

Chapter 40: World Map and New Quest With the quest done, and their little fashion show over, Xu Tao and the rest finally returned to their main topic. "So..." he began, turning to the group huddled in one corner. "Mind explaining these women’s details, Arthur?" The man at the center—sitting smugly beneath a pile of scantily dressed Dark Elves—laughed. "Ah, actually, I still haven’t asked them about that..." He scratched his head, grinning. "But I think they’re willing enough to answer any questions. Right, girls?" "Hmm~? I dunno... Maybe if you can satisfy us more later~" "Hey, blondie. I still haven’t gotten my turn... You’re bullying me...!" "Ask away and we’ll answer! The number of moles on my body? Past partners? Anything for you, pretty boy~" Various "answers" poured out immediately. Everyone watching fell into dead silence. Only little Wenwen and Jehanne weren’t overcome with envy like most—just a deep, instinctive disgust. They didn’t even look like they were trying to hide it, wincing at Arthur’s direction. "Enough of that," Xu Tao said firmly, unfazed by the ridiculous scene. "Tell me about this world. Its geography, geology, flora and fauna. Everything you can tell me." "Just that...?" The tallest of the seven Dark Elves—silver-haired and confident—stood up. Her tone was laced with sultriness, yet her words held a seriousness that commanded attention. "Since you’re here and know nothing about this world... you must be a Visitor." "Visitor?" Xu Tao raised a brow. He could tell the word wasn’t just a description—it was a title, a noun. "Yes. A Visitor." She nodded. And with a wave of her hand, the air in front of her shimmered like a mirage. "...!" Everyone gasped. This wasn’t something they could replicate—a scene of real, working magic. The illusion revealed a planet—blue oceans, green patches of land—rich and thriving. "This world is called Alkryon. Our home planet for over ten million years." The image shifted to a peaceful settlement. Modest homes built with nature in mind, trees integrated into structures, strange but clever farming methods. Residents who looked like Dark Elves but with paler skin walked past, smiling while sweating as they toiled over their farms. Then suddenly, a flash of light appeared in the middle of the village—blinding—and from it, a naked man appeared. Xu Tao was surprised, as that method of appearance was mostly the same as how he arrived to this place too. "But one day, out of nowhere, Visitors began appearing," she continued. "Beings out of blinding light, materializing from nowhere. At first, they were seen as divine—God’s messengers—working with the people to enrich lives... But that changed quickly." Time in the illusion sped forward. The Visitors’ attitude suddenly changed, and they began attacking the locals. Trees fell, homes burned, fields withered. The native people tried to fight, but were simply too weak to even matter. "But... it didn’t stop there." The perspective zoomed back into space. A massive asteroid loomed in the distance, hurtling toward Alkryon. "When it crashed... it wiped out nearly half the world’s land, residents, and wildlife." Her voice remained steady, but Xu Tao could feel the weight behind her words. A hint of anger, anguish, and... helplessness. "The worst part wasn’t the impact. The asteroid was full of monsters." The illusion changed again. Insects, beasts, grotesque abominations—all pouring out of the meteor’s crater. Xu Tao even recognized some: Sand Beetles, Sand Bats, Rock Shrimps... even bigger, stronger-looking ones he hadn’t met yet. "Right then, the Visitors turned their fangs to the invaders instead of the locals," she continued. "The monsters and Visitors clashed endlessly... and as a result, the world was ravaged. Most of our resources were consumed. What’s left has become sand—and the desert continues to expand." In the image, the planet’s color changed—from green and blue, to lifeless yellow and brown. It continued expanding mercilessly until only one small area, practically a dot when compared to the planet’s gargantuan size, remained untouched. "This small circle here—that’s where we are now." "..." Xu Tao absorbed the image in silence. That mountain he first saw—it wasn’t just a landmark. It was the heart of the last surviving bastion on Alkryon. A mere 1,000-kilometer-wide safe zone that was slowly shrinking every day. "Alright, I understand the geography now," Xu Tao said. "But if we’re Visitors, your supposed enemies... why did you girls approach us so readily? And why were you out here, near the edge?" "Simple." The woman smiled, then leapt over and kissed Arthur on the cheek. "We were investigating the desert. The Sand Beetle raid never came—so we came to check." "..." Xu Tao and Jehanne exchanged a look, then both nodded. Right. That made sense. After all, they were the reason the Sand Beetles were wiped out. They probably disrupted the expected migration or spawning cycle by chance, leading to this very situation. "Ah..." Xu Tao scratched his cheek. Should he say something? Maybe not yet. "Then the reason you’re clinging to Arthur is...?" "To harvest good seed from the outside, of course." "..." With so little land remaining, Xu Tao quickly understood the underlying problem. Inbreeding. Closed bloodlines. Collapsing diversity. He’d seen countless dynasties in his world fall this way—refusing to take in "impure" blood from outside their family line, until heaven itself seemed to curse their offspring. These girls? They were doing the exact opposite. Trying to ensure their race’s survival with whatever means they had left. Even if it meant seducing Visitors, the very beings that brought their entire planet to its knees. It was tragic. Painful. These young women were fighting against time itself—against extinction—with their own bodies. "I understand." Xu Tao nodded solemnly. "Then, I’ll—" Panpakapan! Before he could finish, a loud fanfare interrupted his thoughts. A notification window popped up in front of him like a flash of lightning. [ All related flags triggered successfully! Grand Quest Initiated: Rebuilding the Lost World! Quest Details: After speaking to a local, you’ve learned of Alkryon’s bleak past, fragile present, and doomed future. The world fears Visitors like you—and rightly so. You must help them rebuild this world from scratch. Purge all of its threats. And restore its vitality. Quest Rewards: ??? ] [ Congratulations! You’ve unlocked a Grand Quest! Achievement Rewards Claimed: Heaven-Defying Sword (Error 404) x1, Small World Tree’s Seed x1 ] "...The fuck?" Xu Tao muttered as he read everything. Updated from freewebnovel(.)com