Since returning from the Eastern Continent more than 200 years ago, the Highborne who traveled east had maintained a distant yet steady connection with Venture Bay.
Ships crossing the ocean between the two continents would often bring back enchanted trinkets made by the Highborne using Eastern Continent specialties, while also transporting essential living supplies needed by Dath'Remar and his people to Tirisfal Glades.
...Of course, everything came with a price.
The high-ranking officials of the Night Republic were well aware of this transoceanic trade route, but no one stepped forward to openly oppose it.
Dath'Remar's forceful departure with the Highborne had exceeded many people's expectations. It was hard to say whether those who had indirectly facilitated the move from behind the scenes were happy or worried; at the very least, they currently had no mind to focus on this issue.
With the tacit approval of the higher-ups, the Eastern-bound Highborne—who should have been cursed as traitors—remained connected to Kalimdor by lingering threads.
Celeste also received letters from the Eastern Continent from time to time. Dath'Remar and Danas would tell her about the local customs and landscapes of Tirisfal Glades, which were quite different from those of Kalimdor.
Having taken root in Tirisfal for over 200 years, Dath'Remar and his people had long become acquainted with the local human tribes. The two sides had even collaborated multiple times to drive away invading Forest Trolls.
The Highborne were mostly people who settled into lives of pleasure and comfort. After settling in Tirisfal Glades, they gradually grew accustomed to this forest, which constantly leaked magical energy.
Except for Dath'Remar and Danas, who knew the inner truth, most people lost the passion for continued exploration and contentedly took root there.
However, as time passed, the various Great Houses, led by Moonwrath and Morningstar, were the first to notice something was wrong.
Their people were becoming increasingly irritable. Recently, many had privately accused the humans of squeezing their living space, and some radicals even proposed destroying the humans to claim Tirisfal Glades for themselves.
Furthermore, incidents of arguments and brawls within the race were increasing year by year. Many clear-headed individuals began to suspect whether the Highborne were under some kind of curse.
Having left the nourishment of the Well of Eternity and the World Tree, and with two hundred years passed, the height of Dath'Remar and his people had undergone a visible shrinkage, dropping from their original height of over two meters to an average of about 1.8 meters.
Moreover, to coordinate with the humans in resisting the Forest Trolls' attacks, they had abandoned their former nocturnal habits and gradually synchronized their daily routines with the humans.
With their living environment and daily schedules drastically changed, and being exposed to sunlight for longer periods, the skin color of the Highborne was gradually shifting. The cool-toned violet hue was slowly transitioning toward warmer colors, beginning to resemble a pinkish tone similar to that of humans.
When Andreas crossed the sea again to meet Dath'Remar, the appearance of this Highborne leader had already undergone a massive transformation.
Setting aside the transformation of the entire race, Dath'Remar—who spent every day exhausting his mind and soul thinking of the race's future—looked even older than his kin. He now appeared entirely like a middle-aged man.
"Father?"
Celeste looked at Dath'Remar, who was now much shorter than her, in disbelief. The passage of time manifested particularly clearly on Dath'Remar.
Seeing his precious daughter again, a happy smile appeared on Dath'Remar's stern face.
"Celeste, it's been a long time. How have you been in Kalimdor these past two hundred years?"
Celeste nodded blankly. "I'm fine, but you and Brother... your appearances..."
Dath'Remar smiled indifferently. "I don't know if this counts as a phenomenon of degeneration after being detached from the blessing of the Well of Eternity, but looking at our physical state, there aren't any major problems."
Andreas patted Celeste on the shoulder and gave a look to Shandris behind him. The Sentinel General, who shared a deep rapport with Andreas, immediately stepped forward to take Celeste's hand and comforted her in a low voice.
"Let's get down to business."
Andreas looked down at Dath'Remar. "Have you finally decided to migrate?"
"Yes."
Dath'Remar nodded solemnly. "The personality changes of our kin served as a wake-up call to the Great Houses who were content with the status quo. I explained the truth buried beneath this land to them once again, and this time, they finally believed me."
Having finally found a home where they could continuously absorb magic after suffering enough hardships at sea, it was only human nature for the Highborne not to want to continue their risky journey.
But the current situation no longer allowed them to stay. As time passed, Zakajz—who was getting closer and closer to resurrection—began to gradually suppress Tyr's powers of Order and Light.
The external manifestation of this was the shifting personalities of the Highborne. Influenced by Zakajz's dark aura, the negative emotions in their hearts were constantly being amplified.
Andreas nodded noncommittally. "Since you've decided, set out as soon as possible. But Dath'Remar, do you have a clear destination?"
"I do."
Dath'Remar smiled confidently. "For over two hundred years, I have been sending out scouts to explore the surrounding lands. The further northwest you go, the stronger the ley line energy becomes."
"If I'm not mistaken, the largest ley line node in the Eastern Continent should be in that forest at the northernmost tip of the continent."
Dath'Remar lowered his head slightly in request. "Andreas, I hope to obtain the help of your fleet to take us from the sea to the vicinity of that ley line node."
"That shouldn't be a problem, but..."
Andreas frowned and asked, "You should know that the forest called Zul'Aman is the territory of the Amani Empire, right? Are you sure you want to establish your new home there?"
"I'm sure."
Dath'Remar said firmly, "The experiences of the past two hundred years have allowed me to see some things clearly."
"Our people will become lazy and lax in the absence of external threats. Choosing the Amani forest is partly because of the ley line node, and partly because I want our people to have a sense of crisis, so they do not overindulge in pleasure."
"Alright."
Andreas nodded. "Since you have already considered it, I won't say more."
"If you were to set out by land, it would be impossible for you to break through the layers of interceptions by the Forest Trolls to enter the core territory of the Amani. Taking the sea route is indeed a good idea."
"But please, be as prepared as possible."
Andreas narrowed his eyes in warning. "Don't say I didn't warn you; the Amani Trolls are not to be trifled with, and I cannot arbitrarily mobilize the Night Elf army across the sea to support you."
"Once you truly take root in the Amani forest, you must be prepared to face troll attacks at any moment."
...
Andreas didn't know how the Eastern-bound Highborne in original history had broken through the siege to reach the Amani forest. Logically speaking, taking a land route would have been a dead end.
To reach the northernmost tip of the Eastern Continent by land, one would inevitably pass through the Amani Trolls' capital, Zul'Aman. There was no way the Forest Trolls would stand by and watch a group of ancestral enemy elves swagger past right under their noses.
But taking the sea route was different. Although the Forest Trolls had some seafaring ability, compared to the Night Elves with their advanced maritime technology, those troll boats were no different from sampans in Andreas's eyes.
Three months later, the reluctant Highborne finally prepared for their journey under the forceful mobilization of the Great Houses. With dark faces, they were once again loaded into ship cabins, many recalling their past tragic experiences.
The northward voyage at sea lasted for over a month. When the fleet docked and landed in the northern part of the Amani forest, every Highborne felt the rich magical power contained within this forest.
"This is the place."
Dath'Remar took a deep breath. "This forest will become our true new home."