Aeliana landed on top of a hill, with a perfect view of the city.
Before them stood a metropolis that seemed to have been carved from nature’s own life force, rather than built against it like human constructions.
Colossal trees, whose trunks were as wide as the apartment buildings of the Lower Zone, served as the foundation for towers of crystal and wood that intertwined in organic spirals.
Suspension bridges of glowing vines connected the different levels of the city, while cascades of crystal-clear water plummeted from hanging gardens, purifying the air with a mist that glowed in rainbow hues under the Elysium sun.
And it wasn’t just Elves walking along those suspended avenues... he saw sturdy figures that looked like Dwarves carrying shiny minerals, winged creatures crossing the skies between towers, and even beast-men trading in stalls filled with exotic items.
What was most shocking was the realism of the routine of each person he saw in the distance.
Normally in the games he saw, even those with more immersive worlds, it was still clear that the characters were just NPCs programmed to follow a fixed path, but here, each inhabitant seemed to have a purpose, moving so naturally that it was impossible to distinguish between a player and a high-fidelity NPC.
Lohan could see a pulsating flow of life that defied any common game logic.
Children of various races ran through central squares where statues of ancient gods seemed to watch over the peace of the place. It was a stark contrast to the soot and gray concrete he had just left behind in the real world.
The energy emanating from the city was so dense that Lohan felt his Slime core vibrate in resonance, just as he felt much more comfortable in college with the purified air than in the Lower Zone filled with polluted air. The air in this city was much richer in Mana than the forest he was in.
Observing that magnificence, Lohan felt even more doubts about whether Elysium was just a game or not.
Even though he had transmigrated, he still thought he was dealing with a case of a very technologically advanced world.
For him, the fact that the game was changing his physical body or that the world seemed "too real" was not proof of magic or a parallel dimension, but rather of the frightening level of technology possessed by large corporations.
Coming from a world where technology was advancing by leaps and bounds and now living in a dystopia where humanity possessed almost godlike technologies, dominating several planets and space exploration, Lohan rationalized that Elysium was just the "next frontier" of biogenetic and neural engineering.
But the level of detail in that "simulation" was reaching an absurd level.
He saw what appeared to be merchants of various races gesturing fervently in squares, guards in gleaming armor maintaining order at the gates, and ordinary citizens following complex routines, each moving in a unique way.
The air from different areas of the map entered his Slime sensors with a wealth of data that he doubted could be emulated.
"Beautiful, right?" Aeliana commented with a smile, looking at the city with pride.
And she was right to feel that way, this was by far the most beautiful city Lohan had ever seen in both lives.
"This is Thalendor, the Elven Royal Capital, built over 30,000 years ago from the ashes of a historic conflict that fragmented our Race."
"The city was erected as a bastion of light after the Great Rupture, when the High Elves and Dark Elves waged a devastating war over ideologies and control of Mana... With the definitive separation of the bloodlines, the High Elves shaped Thalendor to be the pinnacle of our civilization, while our former brothers isolated themselves in the depths, leaving behind a capital that is both a monument to victory and an eternal scar of this segregation." She said with pride and a little sadness.
Although she had never met a Dark Elf, Aeliana was still curious about these "brothers" she had never known.
Lohan found this story fascinating.
A city that has lasted for more than 30,000 years is unimaginable to him, let alone a civilization that has probably existed for even longer.
But that makes sense, as Elves are usually very long-lived creatures, with their myths saying that they can live for thousands of years.
Even Aeliana, who looked like she was 16, Lohan imagined she was much older than him, even adding up the age of both lives.
One great piece of news he realized was that the Elven city seemed very welcoming to other races, so as long as he could communicate normally, even without a humanoid body, he could gain the right to enter this city.
They stayed watching the view for a few more minutes, with Aeliana telling him more interesting facts about the city and the inhabitants she knew, until Lohan realized that Lisa was online and asked the girl to take him back.
The sky was beginning to darken in Elysium, so Aeliana, who had to report back to her master, did not object and took the little Slime back, leaping forward powerfully and using wind magic to propel herself even faster and slow her descent. In a few minutes, they returned to their usual meeting point.
"I hope one day I can show you what Thalendor is like inside. You’ll love the various shops I visit with my teacher. There’s an amazing candy store you have to see," Aeliana said excitedly, not thinking that Slimes don’t even have taste buds.
But Lohan approved of the idea and also acted like someone excited to see the city, not only because it would be useful to him, but because he really wanted to visit it.
What he saw there was so shocking that he began to doubt the reality of this game.
As soon as Aeliana left, Lohan received a message.
[Lisa: Are you available? It took me a while to connect today, let’s try to get you up to Level 03 today.]
This message came at the perfect time, considering the confidence Lisa showed in creating a Guild, she probably came from an influential family in the real world, maybe she had more information about the truth of Elysium!