As the Elder spoke, Shen Mu felt a clear, crisp sound like a spring breeze across his ears, bringing a sense of tranquility.
However, what she said made Shen Mu's heart stir slightly.
From that sentence, Shen Mu knew that the Elf Elder with the perfect appearance before him must know something.
"Elder, why exactly have you sought me out?"
Shen Mu did not beat around the bush and directly asked the Elder the doubt in his heart.
"Before your appearance, I saw a disaster from the future, a disaster that would sweep across the entire Universe."
"The Nine Realms will collapse, countless lives will perish, and even Gods will be no exception."
Hearing the Elder's words, Shen Mu fell silent.
This was because the entire Marvel Universe was indeed fraught with disasters; first there was Thanos, the Universe's population control committee, then Gorr the God Butcher, and in between there were terrifying races like the Celestials.
Even a clone of Galactus might come to Earth for a visit, not to mention some powerful demon gods hidden in other dimensions.
He was unsure which disaster the Elder had seen, but it did indicate that this individual also possessed some precognitive abilities.
"May I ask, Elder, what does what you've said have to do with you seeing me?"
Shen Mu began to play dumb.
"Of course it's related, because a few years ago the future suddenly became blurry, until it was completely unclear, and the only thing I saw was a black Dragon."
"That is you. I don't know where your appearance will lead the fate of the Universe, so I want to ask you to grant me a request."
As she spoke, a look of pleading appeared on the Elder's face.
Seeing this, Shen Mu couldn't help but ask, "What is this matter you speak of, Elder?"
"I want to ask you to protect the Elven Kingdom for me, to save it from the crisis of destruction."
"The ones outside are all kind and lovely children; in such a disaster, they cannot escape the fate of being annihilated."
The Elder finally stated her purpose.
"Elder, since you saw the future, why don't you act yourself?"
"I don't believe you are as weak as the little ones outside."
Shen Mu retorted.
"Because my lifespan is about to end. The theoretical maximum lifespan of a high elf is ten thousand years, and I am now over 9,000 years old!"
"Before me, no elf has ever truly lived this long. If we only talk about age, Odin is much younger than me."
"However, elves do not have the constitution of Asgardians, who grow stronger with age. I am merely lingering on now!"
Shen Mu found it hard to imagine that the Elf Elder, who looked like an 18-year-old girl, was actually an existence more ancient than Odin.
"I wonder how this Elf Elder maintains herself. If other female races in the Universe knew, she would surely be revered as a God."
Shen Mu's thoughts suddenly drifted.
"I know this request might be difficult for you, but this is the last method I could think of!"
Seeing Shen Mu's silence, the Elder couldn't help but say helplessly.
"Do you trust me that much?"
"You know I am a Dragon; evil is my synonym. Aren't you afraid that your decision will plunge the elves into an even deeper abyss?"
Regarding the Elder's entrustment, Shen Mu questioned her again.
"Although I cannot see your future, I can trust the elves' innate spiritual perception."
"Kind beings are always attracted to each other. Through your interactions with those little ones, I believe that beneath your cold exterior is a soft heart."
The Elder said to Shen Mu with a serious expression, her eyes holding a unique meaning.
"Who said that? My heart is as hard as my exterior. Haven't you seen that I showed no mercy to the Kree who were already prisoners?"
Shen Mu wanted to use his slaughter of the Kree prisoners to prove that he was not a soft person.
"Would you use the same methods you used against the Kree on the little ones outside?"
Seeing this, the Elder also used words to counter Shen Mu.
"You never know. I don't even blink when I kill."
Shen Mu still spoke stubbornly.
"If Your Excellency Dragon is unwilling, then so be it. Anyway, I am almost dead, and the fate of those little ones outside will be left to them!"
"Alas!"
The Elder seemed to have given up, her tone somewhat mournful.
That look made Shen Mu's eyelids twitch involuntarily.
Especially with such a beautiful and captivating face displaying such a mournful and sorrowful expression, if Shen Mu were still human, he would probably want to slap himself twice.
"Protecting the Elven Kingdom is not impossible, but what benefits would I gain from doing so?"
Shen Mu was not so easily swayed by a honey trap that he would agree casually.
"Elves are not like dwarves who can forge powerful artifacts, nor do they possess strong combat power like other races!"
"What we are good at is only dealing with plants and cultivating some special flora!"
"If you are willing, the Elven Kingdom can exist independently of the Nine Realms in the future, and all elves will obey your command."
With these words, the Elder practically sold the entire Elven Kingdom to Shen Mu.
And the price of the sale was merely a promise from Shen Mu.
Through the Elder's words, Shen Mu's heart was indeed greatly moved.
The environment of the Elven Kingdom went without saying; perhaps this was the only decent place in the entire Nine Realms!
If it were to be a backyard, it seemed quite good.
Furthermore, to be honest, Shen Mu's heart was still very fond of that group of innocent and kind little ones.
It was like how Shen Mu, as an office worker in his previous life, loved cats.
After growing tired of dealing with people all day, being with animals like cats and dogs could adjust his weary heart.
"I agree to your request!"
"If the Elven Kingdom truly faces a crisis in the future, I can protect them for you."
After Shen Mu finished speaking, the Elder's face opposite him suddenly bloomed with a bright smile.
Then, something that caught Shen Mu off guard happened!
The Elder, who had just been maintaining a dignified posture, suddenly lunged forward, directly embracing Shen Mu's neck, and even rubbed her face against his neck.
This sudden change made all of Shen Mu's scales seem to bristle, but his body remained very stiff, allowing her to hold him like that.
"Phew, the problem that has been bothering me is finally solved!"
"I'm going to enjoy my remaining time. These past few years, to maintain my lifespan, I've been stuck here, bored to Death!"
"I want to bask in the Sun, drink nectar, and I even want to play hide-and-seek with those little ones."
At this moment, the Elder's demeanor and tone were truly similar to an 18-year-old girl.
However, her words also seemed so ancient.
She seemed completely indifferent to her own life and Death, appearing so open-minded.
Shen Mu didn't know if he would be the same when facing Death.
But then Shen Mu quickly shook that thought out of his head and said to himself, "Death, and all that, the further away from me, the better. I don't want to die."