Nancilia wore a perplexed expression on her face.
She found herself brought onto the altar.
The Demon King spoke, "Don't be nervous. This isn't anything bad. I intend to utilize my powers to baptize you."
The young elf immediately interjected, "I'm not nervous. I believe Your Majesty wouldn't do anything to harm me. But what does this baptizing mean?"
Zhang Nu pondered and answered, "Well, how should I explain? Just think of it as a kind of blessing. I will use my abilities to help you enhance your strength and unlock your potential."
"Your Majesty possesses such an extraordinary ability?!"
The young elf widened her eyes in astonishment.
Zhang Nu reassured her, "Now, let's not waste any more words. Concentrate your thoughts, relax your entire being, and this will soon be over."
As they spoke, the Great Demon King reached out his hand and placed it lightly upon the head of the young elf.
Nancilia's height reached no higher than the Demon King's waist.
Zhang Nu gently petted her head, as if caressing a small animal.
At that moment, Zhang Nu received a prompt.
[Would you like to spend 1 million gold to perform the Demon King's Baptism on the target?]
"Yes!"
[The Demon King's Baptism is now in progress...]
Nancilia suddenly experienced a wondrous sensation.
The Demon King unleashed a surge of formidable energy that instantly permeated her entire being. Every strand of flesh, every bone, every cell resonated with an indescribable harmony.
Never before in her life had Nancilia encountered such marvel.
In a brief instant, a seemingly impenetrable barrier that was hindering her breakthrough was completely shattered.
An unprecedented power.
Something she had never even dared to imagine.
In that moment, it awakened rapidly within her.
Upon the Demon King's Altar, a burst of radiant light erupted. The brilliance was so dazzling, carrying the majesty of a king, that even the draconian guards and priests present could not help but pale in the face of it.
Fortunately, this immense power and its might were contained within the Demon King's castle.
Otherwise, it would undoubtedly have triggered a tremendous resonance in the environment.
It might even cause peculiar celestial phenomena, thus alarming the entire forest.
[The baptism is complete!]
Zhang Nu took two steps back, giving himself some distance.
Nancilia, still with closed eyes, remained engulfed in a radiant aura. Waves of formidable energy, akin to relentless tides of the ocean, continuously emanated from her very core.
Did she breakthrough?
Nancilia was already a peak Level 4 Overlord.
Now, having undergone the Demon King's Baptism, it was not surprising that she had bypassed decades of arduous training. With her innate talent, breaking through the bottleneck seemed within the realm of possibility.
Without delay, Zhang Nu examined her updated stats.
Previously, Nancilia's title was [Giantree City Lord: Nancilia]. But now, the prefix had undergone a change.
[Elven King Nancilia] Level 5 monarch unit. 2400 HP, 4800 MP, 55 Strength, ??? Agility, 115 Constitution, 824 Will, Loyalty 99%...
Skills: Elven King's Bloodline (Talent), Divine Tree Domain (Talent), Omni-Magic (Talent), Elven King's Aura (Talent), Elven King's Elemental Covenant (Talent), Elven King's Nature Pact (Talent), Elven King's Astral Shield (A rank), Elven King's Sealing Art (A), Elven King's Blessing Art (A rank), Instant Teleportation (B rank), etc.
Description: This is an Elven King, possessing unparalleled power and inheriting ancient lineage. However, the full potential of her bloodline remains untapped, awaiting complete awakening.
...
It was done.
Zhang Nu could not contain his smile.
Even before performing the baptism on Nancilia, he had suspected that this ritual might help her break through the bottleneck and take the most crucial step forward.
But he never anticipated it would go so smoothly, as if it were meant to be.
Nancilia has ascended to the rank of Level 5 monarch.
With her current strength and status, she would no longer be an inconspicuous figure anywhere on the continent.
If there were any elven tribes in the vicinity, they would undoubtedly devote their loyalty to her without hesitation.
She had the honor of becoming the first monarch rank unit under the Demon King's command!
Nancilia slowly opened her eyes, looking at her hands in disbelief. It still felt somewhat unreal to her.
"I... I've broken through?!"
Zhang Nu affirmed, "Indeed, from now on, you are truly deserving of the title Elven King!"
"How is this possible?!"
Nancilia was utterly astonished.
Although she had sensed before that she might be just one step away from the rank of monarch.
Crossing that one step seemed an insurmountable challenge.
It could have taken her ten or even twenty years of arduous training.
And now, just because the Demon King bestowed his baptism upon her,
Not only did her strength increase significantly, but also a dormant power within her bloodline was awakened.
"Goddess above!"
"This is beyond belief!"
"It's a true miracle!"
The young Elven King could not contain her excitement and prostrated herself before the Demon King.
"Your Majesty, I am forever grateful for your bestowals and blessings!"
Zhang Nu chuckled and said, "Now that you are a monarch, you should refrain from performing such grand gestures casually. It doesn't suit your esteemed status."
The young Elven King responded, "Even if I have become an Elven King, I am still the Elven King under Your Majesty's command. I will never forget your kindness."
Not bad.
She remained loyal even after becoming a monarch.
The investment in her was not in vain.
As the Elven King rejoiced in her breakthrough, Marilyn and the elven elders also marveled at the miracle before them.
They had entered the Ancient Elven Sanctuary.
They had anticipated a wealth of books and tangible artifacts, vessels carrying the knowledge of the elven race.
However, contrary to their expectations.
The elven sanctuary was empty, devoid of anything.
Perplexed, one of the elven elders wondered, "What could this mean?"
"Our Majesty mentioned that the Ancient Elven Sanctuary is specifically prepared for elves. Even if other races were to enter, they wouldn't be able to learn the knowledge of the ancient elves," Marilyn speculated.
"It is possible that this wisdom is not confined to written texts or tangible objects but exists in some intangible form."
Upon finishing her conclusion, she closed her eyes and attuned themselves to the surroundings.
She could sense that within the sacred sanctuary, an immense surge of spiritual energy permeated the air.
Marilyn's face beamed with delight, "Let us all enter a state of meditation and see what unfolds!"
The elves took their positions, assuming a meditative posture.
And as they began their meditation, something extraordinary occurred.
A flood of knowledge streamed into their minds.
Marilyn's astonishment grew as an abundance of magical knowledge, ancient spells, and long-lost arcane wisdom effortlessly materialized in their consciousness.
Just as expected, the knowledge within the Ancient Elven Sanctuary transcended the need for sight.
It could be directly accessed through the power of the mind.
This state of meditative learning surpassed the speed of conventional study by several magnitudes, truly a miraculous phenomenon!
Ancient elven knowledge!
Preserved wisdom that was almost lost to time!
Marilyn and the elven elders rejoiced with unbridled excitement.
The value of this elven sanctuary to their race was immeasurable, surpassing even the Tree of Miracle in the Giantree City. This could only be described as an invaluable treasure.
Like a sponge absorbing water effortlessly, Marilyn swiftly assimilated an ancient spell directly from the sanctuary. With dedicated practice, she would soon master this newfound magical ability.
By the Goddess!
Truly, this was a divine miracle!
In the past, acquiring proficiency in a spell of the same level would take at least a year, even for someone as recognized as Marilyn, the prodigious talent of the Silver Springs tribe.
How did the Demon King create such a wondrous sanctuary? With its aid, there were no limits to gaining formidable power and boundless knowledge!
However, at that moment, Marilyn felt a throbbing ache in her head.
She realized it was due to mental fatigue.
While the sanctuary accelerated knowledge transfer by several orders of magnitude, it also exerted a strain on the mind. It was best not to be too greedy, focusing on absorbing one piece of knowledge at a time.
Gradually, the elven elders awoke.
Judging by their expressions of astonishment, it seemed that every elf present had made significant gains.
One elderly elder, moved to tears, exclaimed, "I never imagined that at my age, I would have the privilege to perceive the ancient elven heritage!"
"The Demon King is truly magnificent!"
"If not for the power of the Demon King,"
"Our elven lineage would have long been severed."
In that moment, in the hearts of these elves, the image of the Demon King became immensely benevolent.
Their loyalty to the Demon King soared to new heights.
Marilyn voiced her opinion, saying, "The Ancient Elven Sanctuary is an invaluable treasure for our elven kin. We should make full use of it. I propose that we seek the Demon King's permission to have all our young and aspiring elves permanently reside in the Darkness City for the sake of their education."
"That is a valid point!"
"It's hard for me not to support this idea!"
"This is the hope for the glorious rise of our elven race!"
The elves continued their discussion as they departed from the elven sanctuary. It was at that precise moment that the Demon King, accompanied by the young Elven King, approached them.
Marilyn caught sight of Nancilia in an instant and exclaimed, "Nancilia, you..."
Nancilia made no attempt to conceal herself. After all, these individuals were her most trusted kin. Without hesitation, she unleashed a wisp of the Elven King's Aura.
"As you can see!"
Nancilia's face radiated pride. "After receiving the Demon King's baptism, I have made a significant breakthrough. I've not only reached Level 5, but also gained the Monarch's Domain!"
If the Elven Sanctuary was already a tremendous surprise, then what lay before them now could only be described as sheer euphoria.
Everyone knew that with the young city lord's talent and aptitude, her breakthrough to become an Elven King was only a matter of time. But who could have imagined that this day would arrive so soon?
"We thank you, Your Majesty, the Demon King!"
"This favor shall be eternally engraved in the hearts of the elves!"
"We are grateful for everything Your Majesty has done for the elves!"
The elves gratefully kneeled before the Demon King.
After all, the blessings bestowed upon the elves by the Demon King were plentiful. From the Tree of Miracle to the Ancient Elven Sanctuary, and now, aiding them in cultivating an Elven King ahead of time.
With these three, how could the elves not flourish?
"As you have chosen to follow me,"
"I will naturally not mistreat my subordinates."
Zhang Nu calmly stated, "In addition, although Nancilia has successfully broken through, this matter needs to be kept temporarily confidential. Do not go around spreading the news."
A Level 5 monarch had emerged and she was an Elven King to boot.
Most importantly, this Elven King has actually allied herself with a Demon King.
This will surely cause a great sensation.
For the time being, Zhang Nu did not want to attract too much attention.
Similarly, Nancilia's breakthrough happened too quickly, and Giantree City was not prepared to accommodate elves from various regions seeking refuge.
Now, a grace period was needed to allow the elven race and the territory to adjust to this change.
In the eyes of the elves, the Demon King is almost on par with a divine being. Thus, they regarded his words with the utmost reverence and compliance.
Regarding the elves' desire to migrate a group of their kin to Darkness City, Zhang Nu wholeheartedly supported the idea.
He had been planning for it recently, as there was an abundance of Spirit Fields now, and the goblins could not keep up with the cultivation.
Moreover, the Darkness City was too desolate for the time being.
Zhang Nu had always intended to gradually populate this capital city by migrating populations from various cities and tribes.