Elven cultivators

Spring of the year 9358 in the Dawn Calendar.

Grasses grow tall and birds fly, all things revive.

The sweet fragrance of honey bells mingled with the fresh scent of freshly turned earth, drifting in the breeze and bathing the entire forest in a warm, vibrant atmosphere.

However, this spring is somewhat different from previous years.

In previous years, the elves were busy planting, cultivating, and working in the spring, carrying out their work at the beginning of the year in an orderly manner under the warm sunshine.

But this spring, almost everyone was talking about the same thing.

Anton is going to recruit students.

The news spread like wildfire, reaching every corner of the settlement.

Even the guards stationed in the mines of the Dark Regions heard about it.

"Have you heard? Lord Anton is recruiting students!"

"Really? Lord Anton is so busy, how could he have time?"

"It's absolutely true! The elders have issued a notice that all children in the clan aged seven to thirteen can participate in the test, and as long as they pass, they can become Lord Anton's students."

"Great! I'll have my child participate right away!"

Similar dialogues were repeatedly staged in the forest retreat, training grounds, tree corridors, and even in the mines of dark regions.

The tribespeople reacted in a remarkably unanimous manner.

Shock, curiosity, and then ecstasy.

After all, that's Anton!

A master of both magic and martial arts, a master of potions, a master of alchemy, a master of enchanting, a gold-rank expert... the accolades surrounding him are simply too numerous to count!

It was under his leadership that the Silvermoon Clan was able to destroy the Molten Thorn Tribe and grow stronger under the oppression of Kreisor Dragon City, transforming from a weak clan on the verge of decline into one of the most important forces on the Eldron Plains.

Every elf living in the Silvermoon Forest can truly feel that the clan is becoming stronger every day.

Throughout the entire history of the Silvermoon Clan, no elf has been more outstanding than Anton.

To be a student of someone like that would be an absolute dream come true!

As a result, all the kids with children of school age started rubbing their hands together, racking their brains to squeeze their children into the program.

Not wanting to be left behind, the elves with young children at home also rushed to the elders' council to ask when the next recruitment would be so they could prepare in advance.

……

It was early morning, before the sky was fully bright.

Ryan rolled over in bed, sat up, rubbed his sleepy eyes, threw off the covers, and jumped out of bed.

He is eight years old this year, half a head shorter than his peers, and his figure is as thin as a sapling that has not yet grown.

Her short, silvery-white hair stood up in a slightly messy, unruly manner, making her young face appear even more youthful.

He quickly got dressed, washed up, and ran into the kitchen.

His mother was preparing breakfast when she saw him come in, and a gentle smile appeared on her face.

"You're up so early? I was thinking of waking you up later."

"I can't sleep," Ryan said honestly.

The mother smiled but didn't say anything.

She knew why her son couldn't sleep.

This child has admired Anton since he was a child. You could say he grew up listening to Anton's stories and completely regarded the latter as his role model.

Upon learning that Anton was recruiting students, he jumped up excitedly and repeatedly said he wanted to take the test.

I kept talking about this during dinner last night, so it's normal that I couldn't sleep and tossed and turned all night.

"take it easy."

His mother handed him a plate of golden-brown bread and placed a cup of warm honeysuckle milk next to it.

"It's okay if you don't get elected. You're still young, you'll have other opportunities in the future."

Ryan took the bread, took a bite, and mumbled a response.

His mother opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end she said nothing, only reaching out to ruffle his hair.

Deep down, she didn't have much hope.

Ryan was a thin, clumsy child who was not good at drawing, knitting, or singing.

In the Elven race, describing this as mediocre would be an understatement.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he has terrible talent.

There are at least several hundred school-aged children in the clan, many of whom are intelligent, quick-witted, and exceptionally talented.

Compared to those outstanding children, Ryan had no advantage whatsoever.

The chances of being selected are probably very slim.

The mother sighed inwardly, but did not dampen her son's enthusiasm; she simply pushed the breakfast toward Ryan.

"Eat more, the test might be very tiring."

"Um."

Ryan finished his bread and milk, then put down his cutlery, jumped off his chair, and walked toward the door.

"I'm leaving."

"Be careful on the road."

The mother stood at the doorway, watching the small, thin figure run into the morning light, turn a corner at the end of the tree-lined corridor, and disappear from sight.

……

The test was conducted at the training ground.

When Ryan arrived, the training ground was already packed with people.

There were at least three or four hundred people at a glance.

They were all people around his age, gathered in twos and threes, chattering away.

More elves arrived one after another, taking the children into the training grounds, then stepping aside to chat quietly with familiar neighbors.

A squad of fully armed guards stood at the entrance to the training ground, maintaining order.

Ryan looked at the dense crowd and subconsciously swallowed.

so many people.

He suddenly felt a sense of gain and loss.

With so many peers participating in the test, do I really have a chance of being selected?

However uneasy as he was, it was impossible for Ryan to give up.

He took a deep breath, calmed himself down, walked into the training field, and obediently joined the long queue.

The elf children at the front of the line were talking in hushed tones, their faces full of excitement and anticipation.

"I don't know what the test entails?"

"Could it be a challenge against ferocious beasts? Like the Wind Whisperer's Trial?"

"Are you stupid? We haven't even had any combat training, how could we possibly defeat a wild beast?"

"My parents would be overjoyed if I were selected."

"Who isn't?"

As Ryan listened to their words, he couldn't help but stand on tiptoe and crane his neck to look ahead.

At the end of the line, in the open space in front of a treehouse, there was a long table.

Two elven girls sat behind the table.

Ryan looked around but didn't see the esteemed Lord Anton, and felt a little disappointed.

But he quickly shook his head, rallied, and his gaze fell on the elven girl on his left.

Long, emerald-green hair, delicate features, and a light blue robe...

He recognized the other person.

Eleanor Silvermoon.

The Grand Elder's granddaughter.

He is said to be Lord Anton's only "student" at present, and is currently learning and cultivating under Lord Anton.

Ryan's gaze then shifted to the girl on the right.

She had long, silver-white hair, wore a close-fitting black hunting outfit, and carried a battle axe that was almost half her height.

The girl was listlessly resting her chin on her hand, her gaze sweeping across the crowd, occasionally yawning.

Roman Silver Moon.

Lord Andong's childhood sweetheart.

It is said that the two grew up together and were as close as family.

Within the clan, many people say that Roman is Lord Anton's closest confidant.

Ryan couldn't help but feel a pang of envy.

He also longed for a childhood sweetheart.

The kind where we can play together, train together, and grow up together.

But he has never been good at interacting with people since he was a child.

Because of his clumsiness, children his age were not very willing to play with him.

Only Flora, who lived next door, would occasionally chat with him.

Thinking of Flora, a silly smile unconsciously appeared on Ryan's face.

Flora was half a year older than him. She had a gentle and considerate personality, and her eyes crinkled when she smiled, making her very beautiful.

He really enjoys being with the other person.

Time flew by as Ryan drifted into his own thoughts.

The line gradually moved forward.

Ryan gradually came to understand the testing process.

On the long table was a palm-sized jade disc, with five stones of different colors inlaid around its edge.

Blue, red, yellow, white, black.

Five stones, five colors.

All the children participating in the test placed their palms in the center of the disc.

But after a while, the disc did not react at all.

Seeing this, Eleanor shook her head slightly and whispered a few words to the child. The child's expectation instantly vanished, and he left with his head drooping.

The next seven or eight children tested all had similar conditions.

The atmosphere in the team gradually shifted from initial excitement and anticipation to tension and seriousness.

The smiles on the faces of the children waiting for the test gradually disappeared, replaced by anxiety and unease.

"What exactly is this testing?"

"So many people, and not a single one passed?"

"What should I do? I'm so nervous..."

At Eleanor's call of "Next," another child stepped forward.

He placed his palms on the disc and closed his eyes tightly.

However, this time the disc reacted quickly.

A beam of blue light rose from the blue stone among the five stones, soft yet bright, and very conspicuous.

"Wood elemental root." Eleanor smiled slightly as she looked at the child before her. "Congratulations, you've passed."

The child was stunned at first, then his face lit up with ecstatic joy, and he almost jumped up on the spot.

"I passed! I passed!"

He waved excitedly toward the crowd, where a middle-aged elf stood, beaming with joy, waving vigorously at him.

"Let's wait in the treehouse over there."

Eleanor pointed to a treehouse not far from the training ground, her tone gentle.

A guard stepped forward and led the child toward the treehouse.

A commotion arose in the line, and all the children cast envious glances at the person.

Ryan watched the child's departing figure, feeling both envious and nervous.

The test continues.

Two more qualified Pokémon appeared after that.

One of them is the "Golden Spiritual Root".

The other is "dual spiritual roots of wood and water".

Ryan didn't understand what spiritual roots meant, but judging from Eleanor's reaction, he guessed that it must represent some kind of talent.

Moreover, the more spiritual roots one has, the better one's talent.

Only those with spiritual roots can become Lord Anton's students.

When it was almost Ryan's turn, all four elves ahead of him failed the test.

This made him even more nervous and uneasy, and he subconsciously clenched his fists.

Soon, it was his turn to be tested.