It had been three days since Luca had successfully impregnated the entire village, and the long-awaited meeting of all the demi-human races had finally arrived.

The chosen location was not the dense, shadowed forest of the elven village, but a beautiful, open valley where the trees parted to reveal rolling hills covered in wildflowers of every color imaginable.

The sun shone high in the sky, casting golden light across the landscape.

It looked like the perfect picnic spot.

But the peace was shattered when a blue portal shimmered into existence, hovering just above the grass.

The air crackled with energy, and then a figure stepped through.

She was an elf, but not like any of the forest elves the gathered observers might have expected.

Her skin was a rich, warm coffee-brown that spoke of a completely different heritage.

Her hair fell in long waves of white, contrasting stunningly with her complexion.

She was actually a dark elf!

One of the demi-humans who dwelled in lands not far removed from the sunlit forests of the south.

And where the elves of this village gave off an air of innocence, holiness, and nobility, this dark elf was something else entirely.

Enchanting, mysterious, and undeniably dangerous.

Her clothes were adorned with countless ornaments: rings hanging from her ears, chains draped across her shoulders, and bells that tinkled softly with every movement.

Tattoos covered her exposed skin—intricate runes and ancient scriptures that seemed to pulse with faint, hidden power.

An eyepatch covered one eye, giving her a rough, wild appearance that contrasted sharply with her delicate features.

And yet, despite the chaotic energy that radiated from her, she was breathtakingly beautiful on the same level as Leona herself.

Behind her, more dark elves emerged from the portal, their brown skin gleaming in the sunlight, their ornaments clinking and jingling.

They looked around with wide eyes, taking in the valley, the flowers, the sky.

"Wow." One of them said, her voice filled with wonder. "Who would have thought this would actually work?"

"Honestly, I was doubting it." Another replied, grinning. "One wrong portal and we’d be in the middle of the ocean. Or worse—the human continent."

A third elf laughed, twirling a dagger between her fingers.

"If I had this power, I’d just teleport to wherever people were bathing and steal all their clothes."

"Imagine their faces when they have to run home naked!"

The others burst into laughter.

"And I’d start throwing knives at you." Another said, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Then disappear through a portal and leave you all confused."

"I’d just follow the scent of your knives." The first retorted. "And then I’d find you and kill you, you little bitch."

"Come on, then." The other said, unbothered. "Let’s see who kills who."

They grinned at each other, their eyes sparkling with excitement rather than malice.

To them, talk of killing and fighting was not a threat—it was a game. A form of bonding.

Where the regular elves were calm and elegant, the dark elves were chaotic, devilish, and utterly unapologetic about it.

The leader of the dark elves watched her companions with a fond smile.

She was taller than the others, her eyepatch giving her a roguish charm, her posture relaxed but ready.

She folded her arms and looked around the valley, her uncovered eye scanning the horizon.

"I wonder where my darling Nyx is hiding. It’s been far too long since I last saw that wicked little sister of mine."

One of her subordinates grinned. "You still thinking of dragging her back to our side? Good luck. Especially now that the Hero exists."

The leader’s smile widened.

"The Hero, hmm? I wonder what kind of man he is."

Her single visible eye gleamed with dangerous interest.

"I hope he’s brave enough to make a few bets with me...with his life on the line, of course."

The dark elves behind her began to chuckle, a low, hyena-like sound that echoed across the valley.

"As expected of our lady! One step into the elf village and you’re already out on the hunt for some excitement!"

The leader looked around, her expression shifting to one of mild confusion.

"Why are we the first ones here? Where are the others?"

Almost on cue, another portal opened not far away.

Figures emerged—not with the casual grace of the dark elves, but with swift, practiced precision.

They came out with daggers already in hand, their bodies low, their eyes scanning the area for threats.

They wore cloaks that covered their entire bodies, including their faces, leaving only their eyes visible.

After a moment, one of them straightened and nodded.

"It’s clear, my lady. You may enter."

A tall figure stepped through the portal.

Her cloak was darker than the others, deep as a moonless night. But despite the fabric that covered her from head to toe, her figure was impossible to hide—curves that seemed almost exaggerated, a presence that commanded attention.

When she spoke, her voice was cold, sharp as a blade.

"I don’t like this place...Too sunny."

As she spoke, her lips parted just enough to reveal four sharp fangs—two on top, two on bottom—gleaming white against her pale skin.

A faint glimpse of crimson eyes flashed beneath her hood, and for a moment, the air around her seemed to grow colder.

The vampire clan had arrived!

They were not as carefree as the dark elves. They moved with caution, their bodies tense, their hands never straying far from their weapons.

They had been promised safety, but promises meant little to creatures who had survived centuries of betrayal and bloodshed.

But this military composure was interrupted when the Matriarch of the dark elves noticed them.

"Oh, you’re finally here!" She called out cheerfully, raising her hand in a friendly wave. "I was honestly starting to think you wouldn’t show up. You’re always so moody about these gatherings."

The vampire queen glanced at her, then looked away, her expression cold and dismissive.

"Oh, come on." The dark elf queen said, pouting. "We haven’t seen each other in ages, and this is how you treat me?"

She leaned forward, peering beneath the vampire’s hood.

"You really should take that cloak off, you know. Your skin is so pale—it’s unhealthy. You should look more like us."

She gestured at her own brown skin.

"Just look at this beautiful color. This is what true beauty looks like! None of that pale ghost aesthetic."

Around her, the other dark elves grinned and began to show off their own skin, posing in exaggerated ways as if modeling for fashion.

The vampire queen remained absolutely still for a long moment.

Then she turned towards them.

Her crimson that seemed to contain the fires of the deepest hell itself fixed on the dark elves with a gaze so cold, so utterly lethal, that every single dark elf immediately took an involuntary step backward.

The casual challenge in their postures evaporated instantly, replaced by the wary stance of predators recognizing something equally dangerous.

"Okay, okay." The dark elf queen said quickly, though her grin hadn’t entirely faded. "There’s no need to get all feisty over something as simple as fashion advice."

"You need to work on controlling that temper of yours." She playfully poked her. "You get upset over literally everything lately."

The vampire queen simply ignored her completely, turning instead to gaze out across the valley.

When she spoke again, her voice was clipped and businesslike.

"Where are the others? We can’t possibly be the only two races who have arrived, can we?"

"They’re coming." The vampire queen assured her, pointing toward the sky above the valley.

And as if on cue, more and more portals began to materialize across the open space, each one disgorging a different race into the gathering.

From one emerged the centaur race—beautiful, powerful creatures with the lower bodies of horses and the upper bodies of women.

Their coats gleamed in the sunlight, ranging from pure white to deep chestnut.

Their bodies were encased in gleaming armor, and each one carried a sword at her waist.

They surveyed the landscape with the careful assessment of knights preparing for potential combat.

Among them walked their leader, a noble centaur with an air of unshakeable composure and calm courage. Her armor shone brighter than the others’, marked with symbols of rank and achievement.

But alongside her walked a much smaller centaur—one who barely reached the height of a pony.

This smaller centaur’s eyes darted nervously around the gathering, clearly uncomfortable with the number of different, potentially hostile races now occupying the same space.

"Big sis." She said, tugging at the sleeve of the centaur leader. "Can we really trust this? What if it’s an ambush? We didn’t bring enough of our legion. We should just retreat and get word from the others—it’s not worth the risk."

The centaur leader shook her head, her expression calm and composed.

"There’s no need to worry. I’ll admit I haven’t met this Hero everyone speaks of, so I can’t claim to fully trust him yet. But...I trust Lady Leona and Lady Nyx implicitly." 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

"They have assured me personally that this gathering is simply a peace conference, and that our safety is guaranteed."

"This whole ’trust and dignity’ thing is complete bullshit! We don’t even know who might turn traitor at any moment."

The pony centaur muttered with obvious frustration.

"You can’t keep living like this, big sis, believing in people’s goodness. One day that faith is going to get you killed, and all of us along with you."

"Then I will die with honor." The leader replied, her voice unwavering. "And what a glorious end that would be."

She looked at the other centaurs. "Isn’t that right, my sisters?"

"Yes, my lady!" They chorused. "We will follow you to the very end!"

The pony centaur shook her head in dismay.

Another portal opened, and from it slithered the Naga race—beautiful snake women with long, coiling tails in shades of crimson, sapphire, and ivory.

Their upper bodies were those of stunning females, dressed in desert-style attire, with veils covering the lower halves of their faces.

Despite the veils, their beauty was undeniable, especially their striking, slitted eyes.

The leader of the Lamia race moved with a quiet grace, her tail leaving a winding trail in the grass.

She reached into a pouch at her waist and pulled out a handful of seashells, scattering them on the ground.

She studied them intently, her brow furrowing.

"Fortune turns to disaster." She murmured, her voice low and melodic. "The gods intervene. The future shifts, uncertain."

She seemed troubled, but before she could divine further, more races arrived.

The dryads emerged next, their bodies composed entirely of plants—vines and flowers and leaves woven together into the shape of women.

They moved with a fluid grace, leaving a trail of blooming flowers in their wake.

The leader of the dryads looked around the valley and smiled—a peaceful, serene expression that seemed to calm the very air around her.

"This place is paradise." She said, kneeling to press her palm against the grass. "If I could live anywhere else, it would be here."

Beside them, a portal crackled open, and the dragonkin strode through.

They were imposing—tall, powerful, with massive wings folded against their backs and long, sinuous tails that coiled behind them as they walked.

Their scales gleamed in the sunlight, displaying colors ranging from deep emerald to brilliant gold.

The moment they arrived, they seemed to fill the space with their presence, radiating an aura of battle-readiness and might.

They stood at their full height, displaying themselves with obvious pride almost as if they were showing off their superiority over the other races.

The dark elves rolled their eyes.

From another portal, the mermaids arrived—not flopping helplessly onto the grass, but splashing into a small pond that had been carefully prepared for them.

The queen of the mermaids surfaced with a gasp, her iridescent tail flicking water into the air.

"They actually prepared water for us...Perhaps this Hero is more thoughtful than the rumors suggest."

As she spoke, more and more races continued to arrive through the multiplying portals.