I Became a Cub in the Elven Kingdom

Standing atop the magical serpent’s enormous head, Shu Li turned in a circle. Judging from the setting sun and the density of the leaves, he worked out which directions were north, south, east, and west.

The divine tree lay to the west. All he had to do was travel toward the sunset to reach it.

He took out his notebook and quill, sketched a crude map, and checked to make sure he had not missed anything. Then he crouched down, patted the scales on the magical serpent’s head, and called loudly, “Mr. Snake... I’ve found the divine tree! We can go back down now!”

At his words, the magical serpent began to slither downward at an unhurried pace.

Normally, it would have simply pointed its head down and slid along the trunk. But today, with a Fairy cub sitting on its head, it had to descend tail-first to keep him from falling.

It was a little slower that way, but still countless times faster than making the Fairy cub fly down by himself.

The magical beast slid all the way down the thick trunk and soon reached the grass below.

Shu Li felt as though he had ridden an express elevator. The scenery blurred before his eyes, and by the time it came back into focus, he had already reached the “ground floor.”

That was surprisingly convenient!

The magical serpent rested its enormous head on the grass and lowered its defensive barrier, allowing the Fairy cub to dismount.

Shu Li beat his wings and flew in front of its head. He bowed gratefully. “Mr. Snake, thank you for helping me!”

The magical serpent flicked out its red tongue and hissed several times.

A deep male voice suddenly appeared in Shu Li’s mind.

“My name is Bazien Bulgareth. Please convey my regards to the Elven King.”

Shu Li froze. He stared at the magical serpent’s terrifying head and confirmed that it truly was speaking to him—and in Elven, no less.

Its pronunciation was even more standard than his.

“Of course... Bazien Bugareth.” Shu Li bowed again.

The magical serpent flicked its tongue and corrected him. “My name is Bazien Bulgareth.”

This Fairy cub’s spoken Elven did not seem very good.

Having his pronunciation mistake pointed out to his face, Shu Li flushed bright red. “S-Sorry. I’ll write it down.”

He hurriedly took out his notebook and quill and carefully wrote down Mr. Serpent’s name. Afterward, he drew a cute cartoon snake beside it and added an important note in Chinese.

The magical serpent regarded the solitary Fairy cub with puzzlement. It had lived in the Faerie Forest for thousands of years, yet it had never encountered a Fairy as strange as this one.

Wasn’t a Fairy’s gift for language innate?

Why did this cub stumble over every sentence?

Perhaps it was because he was still young.

The magical serpent found an excuse for the little cub’s failure to pronounce its name correctly.

“The forest is dangerous at night. Do not travel after dark,” the magical serpent advised before returning to the tree. Magical beasts were everywhere in the Faerie Forest, and each had its own territory. They were highly wary of outsiders who trespassed upon it.

Not every magical beast was as kind as it was.

“Thank you. I’ll be careful.” Shu Li nodded solemnly. Seeing that the magical serpent was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something and hurriedly called out, “Bazien Bul... Bulgareth, please wait!”

The magical serpent, which had already raised its head, paused. Its cold, bestial eyes fixed on the Fairy cub.

Shu Li rummaged through his belt pouch and took out three jewel-like red crystal flower seeds, holding them out to the magical serpent.

“Thank you for taking me to the top of the tree. This is... my gift to you. Please accept it!”

He had originally planned to visit the commercial district after class that afternoon and purchase a few daily necessities. Instead, an unexpected accident had occurred, and a stupid bird had dropped him in this unfamiliar part of the forest.

Without the magical serpent’s help, he would probably still be struggling his way up the tree. He might not even have reached the crown before nightfall.

To express his gratitude, he offered the three red crystal flower seeds he had been carrying to the magical serpent.

The seeds were tiny, about the size of sesame seeds. Resting in the cub’s palm, they radiated a dense concentration of magic.

The magical serpent lowered its head and examined them carefully. Once it confirmed what they were, its pupils contracted into vertical lines.

Any magical beast would go mad at the sight of red crystal flower seeds capable of helping it advance in rank.

No wonder the cub had been giving off such an enticing scent. Intimidated by the Elven King’s blessing, the magical serpent had retained its reason and restrained its desire.

Now that it saw the three red crystal flower seeds in the cub’s hand, it finally understood where the scent had come from.

The magical serpent abruptly moved closer, locking its gaze on the seeds in Shu Li’s palm. “Are you certain you want to give them to me?”

Any magical beast that had lived in the Faerie Forest for several thousand years knew that red crystal flower seeds came from the Fairy Nursery. They were exceedingly rare and precious, treasures one could only encounter through extraordinary luck.

Some magical beasts lived for more than ten thousand years without ever seeing a single red crystal flower seed. Today, the serpent had merely felt like resting on a branch, discovered a solitary Fairy cub, and casually lent him a hand. Yet the cub had taken out three red crystal flower seeds as a gift of thanks.

The magical serpent was thrilled. It had never known its luck could be so good.

Startled by the terrifying snake head that had suddenly drawn close, Shu Li resisted the urge to retreat and gave it a firm answer. “Yes. They’re for you. Please accept them.”

The magical serpent fell silent for several seconds. Then it flicked out its red tongue and swept the red crystal flower seeds from Shu Li’s palm in an instant.

Shu Li stared at his empty hand and blinked.

The next moment, he was nearly buried beneath a pile of objects that came raining down from above. He hurriedly spread his wings and flew aside.

Clatter, clatter—

The heap was as tall as a small hill and contained all sorts of things: dazzling gemstones, finely crafted weapons and armor, radiant jewelry, exquisite little boxes, fresh green herbs, brilliantly blooming flowers, glossy pelts, and strange shells and carapaces he could not identify.

Shu Li stared in astonishment.

“This is my return gift.”

After dropping the collection of treasures it had accumulated over the years, the magical serpent climbed back onto the trunk and swiftly coiled around it. In the blink of an eye, it had already shot dozens of meters upward.

“Ah—wait—Mr. Snake!”

Shu Li reached out dramatically, trying to call it back.

He had only given it three seeds, yet it had returned an entire mountain of treasures. Mr. Snake was far too generous!

“Do not remember it incorrectly. My name is Bazien Bulgareth.” The magical serpent’s voice echoed in Shu Li’s mind before it disappeared among the leaves.

Shu Li awkwardly withdrew his outstretched hand and scratched the back of his head.

Fortunately, he had the storage ring the Elven King had given him. Otherwise, he could only have stood there staring helplessly at this little “mountain.”

Hopefully, the Elven King would not mind taking back a storage ring that had already been used. He had stored fruit in it, after all. One more pile of treasure would hardly make a difference.

Shu Li flew toward the heap and chanted store, store, store in his mind. The mountain of objects instantly vanished into the storage ring.

After confirming that nothing had been left behind, he stroked the ruby set into the silver ring. A virtual, multilayered pagoda appeared in his mind. Everything he had stored was neatly organized by category on different levels, with clearly listed entries that made retrieval simple and convenient.

So impressive! So amazing!

As expected of a magical world.

Shu Li looked up at the tree and waved toward the magical serpent, wherever it had climbed. Then he beat his wings and flew resolutely westward, beginning his journey home.

The forest floor was overgrown with weeds. Aside from towering trees, there were dense shrubs, thorns, and vines everywhere. Traveling on foot would have been nearly impossible. Fortunately, Shu Li had wings and could fly freely through the air.

He did not fly very high, maintaining an altitude of about four or five meters above the ground.

Flying horizontally was much easier than climbing upward. Without fighting as much gravity or resistance, Shu Li flew more than two hundred meters without feeling tired at all.

As time passed, the sun sank lower in the west. The forest gradually darkened, and visibility declined.

Shu Li remembered Mr. Snake’s warning and tried not to travel after nightfall.

He needed to find somewhere safe to rest.

However, flowers, grass, and trees stretched as far as he could see, while nocturnal creatures were already beginning to emerge and hunt.

Shu Li encountered three or four magical beasts along the way. At first, he was still somewhat afraid, but after remembering that even the terrifying giant serpent had treated him kindly, he boldly flew past them.

The magical beasts ignored him completely, probably mistaking him for some kind of glowing insect.

Shu Li looked around, searching for a place to spend the night.

The grass would not do. He was afraid some animal might step on him and flatten him in his sleep.

Sleeping inside a flower would not work either. He might encounter all kinds of crawling insects.

It seemed his only choice was to sleep in a tree.

Shu Li found one with dense foliage and flew more than twenty meters upward, where he discovered a bird’s nest.

His eyes lit up.

The nest had been built neatly between two branches. Inside sat a plump, snow-white bird.

Shu Li immediately took a liking to the nest.

It was the perfect place to spend the night!

He flapped his wings and approached, attracting the large bird’s attention.

The plump bird opened its eyes and curiously examined the creature that had appeared out of nowhere.

Hmm...

A Fairy cub?

It should be a Fairy cub, shouldn’t it?

He had a human shape, pointed ears, and a pair of glowing wings on his back. He was tiny and had an unmistakably young face.

“Chirp?” the plump bird called, seemingly asking him a question.

Shu Li landed on a branch beside the nest and politely greeted it in Elven. “Hello. My name is Sperien. I’m a Fairy from the divine tree. I’m sorry to disturb you.”

“Chirp, chirp!” The plump bird stood, revealing several baby birds beneath its belly.

One after another, the chicks poked out their fluffy heads and curiously studied Shu Li.

Seeing that the large bird did not drive him away, Shu Li touched his storage ring and took out one of the pear-shaped fruits.

The fruit abruptly appeared on the branch and began to wobble precariously. Shu Li hurriedly spread his arms and hugged it.

After steadying the fruit, he turned his head with difficulty to look at the large bird. “Um... may I stay in your nest tonight? This is my gift to you.”

The plump bird’s eyes widened when it saw the fruit and smelled its rich fragrance.

“Chirp, chirp, chirp—”

Did he even need to ask?

Of course he could stay! Fruit grown by Fairies was delicious and nutritious, perfect for feeding chicks.

Seeing the plump bird nod in agreement, Shu Li breathed a sigh of relief.

Wonderful!

He had found somewhere to sleep for the night.

The plump bird eagerly flew over, grasped the fruit precisely with its talons, and carried it back to the nest.

There was plenty of room inside. Even with the fruit added, the nest was far from crowded.

“Chirp~” The plump bird nodded to Shu Li, inviting him inside.

“Thank you!” Shu Li happily spread his wings, flew into the nest, and found a corner for himself.

The inside was lined with soft down and was not uncomfortable at all. There was a faint birdlike scent, but it was not unpleasant.

The chicks were extremely interested in their new guest. Chirping excitedly, they crowded around him. One rubbed against him, then another, all of them exceptionally friendly.

Unable to refuse such enthusiastic hospitality, Shu Li greeted each chick in turn and allowed them to nuzzle him to their hearts’ content.

Once they had had enough, the chicks surrounded the fragrant fruit and chirped incessantly.

The plump bird pecked off pieces of flesh with its sharp beak and placed them into the chicks’ wide-open mouths.

“Chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp—”

Thrilled by the delicious food, the chicks jostled one another, competing to snatch the fruit from their mother’s beak.

Sitting in the corner, Shu Li rubbed his ears.

It was a little noisy, but it was lively, and that made him feel safe.

He leaned back and finally relaxed. Exhaustion immediately swept over him.

From the moment the stupid bird had carried him away until now, his nerves had remained taut. Combined with the long flight, his strength had already reached its limit.

Shu Li yawned, closed his eyes, and went peacefully to sleep.

Hopefully, when he woke up, he would see an adult Fairy. Then he would not have to make the exhausting flight home by himself.

The plump bird fed the chicks half the fruit and saved the rest for the next day.

The chicks had no sense of when they were full and continued chirping with their mouths wide open.

The plump bird folded its wings around them, gathering every chick beneath its belly.

Their cries gradually faded as they pressed against their mother’s warm body and fell asleep.

Noticing the Fairy cub curled up in the corner, the plump bird gently picked him up with its beak, tucked him beneath its belly, and placed him beside the chicks.

Deep in dreamland, Shu Li knew nothing of it. He only felt himself surrounded by a mass of ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) warmth and sank into an even deeper sleep.

The last glow vanished from the horizon. Night officially descended, and a bright moon rose into the sky.

The forest fell silent.

White mist rose and spread between the trees.

Nocturnal magical beasts lurked in the darkness, silently waiting for prey to wander into their traps.

In the distance came the faint howl of a lone wolf.

When the moon reached the center of the sky, thick clouds drifted across it and blocked the moonlight. The sky turned gray, and the forest plunged into complete darkness.

“Huff... huff...”

The sound of ragged human breathing shattered the forest’s silence. Leather boots scraped against weeds, producing harsh crunching noises.

Suddenly, someone tripped over a thorny vine and crashed heavily to the ground.

“Hiss—”

The thorns pierced his palm, worsening his already injured condition.

A boy let out a pained groan.

“Your Highness... are you all right?” a young man asked anxiously. After a rustle of movement, he helped the boy to his feet.

“I’m fine... huff...” The boy struggled upright. Ignoring his own wounds, he turned to ask the young man supporting him, “Halis, how is your injury?”

The young man called Halis answered in a low voice, “I’m fine. The bleeding has already stopped. You have far more injuries than I do, Your Highness.”

“They’re only superficial wounds. They don’t matter.” The boy took a breath. “Halis... let’s keep going!”

But Halis remained where he was and did not move.

The boy looked back in confusion. “Halis?”

“Your Highness, we should give up,” Halis said. “This is the Faerie Forest. Humans are forbidden from approaching it.”

“No! I refuse to give up!” the boy said through clenched teeth. He tightened his fists, ignoring the thorns digging into his flesh. “Even if I return now, I’ll still be nothing more than a wanted fugitive forced to hide wherever I go!”

“Prince Seriu...” Halis murmured.

Seriu looked up at the pitch-black forest and said firmly, “I will cross the Faerie Forest, enter the Elven Kingdom, find the Elven King, and reclaim the Sword of Carlos that rightfully belongs to the Kingdom of Cecilia.”

The Sword of Carlos was one of the five renowned swords of the Austin Continent.

Ten thousand years ago, during the War of the Gods, the Elven King, Freyus Estel, had borrowed the Sword of Carlos from the Kingdom of Cecilia. It had never been returned.

Although Cecilia was only a small kingdom, it had endured for ten thousand years and was one of the oldest nations on the continent.

A year ago, a coup had destroyed Seriu’s family.

His father and mother had suddenly fallen ill and died one after the other. Taking advantage of the opportunity, his uncle usurped the throne, seized royal authority, and branded Seriu a traitor.

At only fourteen years old, he had gone from an innocent boy to a notorious wanted criminal.

With the help of his personal guards and magic instructor, he had escaped with his life.

However, his uncle, Danton Trik, was a treacherous, cunning, and merciless usurper. He had dispatched the Black Knights to pursue Seriu across thousands of miles.

Seriu had survived countless brushes with death and watched in agony as those who protected him fell one after another. Only his magic instructor, Halis, remained.

Now Halis was gravely injured as well. Without treatment, he could die at any moment.

But no ordinary physician could heal his wound.

The Black Knights were despicable. They had coated their blades with a deadly poison. After being wounded, Halis had survived until now only by sustaining himself with magic.

At the risk of exposing himself, Seriu had sought out many physicians. After examining Halis’s wound, every one of them had admitted that there was nothing they could do.

The antidote for the poison was exceedingly difficult to create. One of its ingredients could only be found in the Faerie Forest.

Everyone knew that the Faerie Forest had been sealed by the Elven King. Outsiders who entered had almost no chance of surviving.

Seriu could not stand by and watch Halis die. After careful consideration, he had decided to risk entering the forest.

Halis had urged him to give up, but Seriu refused. Besides gathering the medicinal herb to save Halis, he also intended to enter the Elven Kingdom and ask the Elven King to return the Sword of Carlos.

Because once he possessed the Sword of Carlos, he would become the true king of Cecilia.

He would return openly and challenge the usurper Danton Trik.

Halis coughed several times and swallowed a mouthful of blood. Seeing how determined the prince was, he said nothing more.

The two supported each other as they struggled through the ancient forest.

After walking for a while, they stopped.

“Fog is rising...” Halis frowned.

Seriu looked around in confusion. “Haven’t we passed through here before?”

Halis took the final glowing magic stone from his storage pouch.

Its light was weak and illuminated only one or two meters around them. Upon seeing the grass they had already trampled, he sighed. “The mist of the Faerie Forest causes foreign intruders to lose their way.”

Seriu frowned. “What happens if we lose our way?”

“If we’re lucky, we’ll be sent back to the forest entrance,” Halis said. “If we’re unlucky... we’ll meet a violent death.”

Seriu was still only fourteen. A chill ran down his spine, and his teeth began to chatter uncontrollably.

He could not die.

He did not want to die!

Halis raised a hand and gently stroked the boy’s head. “Let’s rest under that tree for the night. We’ll continue after sunrise.”

Seriu nodded. Supporting Halis, he struggled toward the tree. The two of them sat with their backs against the trunk, completely exhausted.

Halis removed the waterskin hanging from his waist and handed it to Seriu. “Your Highness, drink some water.”

Seriu refused. “No. You drink it, Halis. I’m not thirsty.”

There was very little water left, and they had found no water source nearby. There was not enough for both of them.

Halis hesitated, then took a shallow sip. “I’m going to sleep for a while. You... should try to rest too.”

“All right,” Seriu replied.

Unable to endure any longer, Halis slowly closed his eyes.

Shu Li was awakened by the sound of heart-wrenching sobs.

He had been sleeping peacefully, dreaming of his father, mother, and brothers. The whole family had happily gone on a cruise together, but just as they boarded the ship, a terrible crying sound dragged him awake.

Still groggy, he discovered that he was lying beneath the bird’s belly.

It was so warm, soft, and comfortable that he almost did not want to come out.

But someone below the tree was wailing loudly enough to ruin anyone’s sleep.

He crawled out from beneath the bird, intending to peek over the edge of the nest.

Before he could emerge, however, the plump bird folded a wing around him and pulled him back.

“Coo, coo~” The large bird made a low sound, warning him that it was dangerous and that he must not go outside.

Shu Li lay in the nest and listened to the boy’s miserable weeping below. He could not help feeling sorry for him.

Although Shu Li could not understand the language, he could hear endless grief in the boy’s cries.

Someone was dying.