Golden Dragon: Six Thousand Years of Empire-Chapter 961 528: Selfless Warriors, the Azure Dragon-man Class

"What a... monster!"
Looking at the two severed halves of a body that was cut in half and missing some flesh, yet still teeming with vitality and not dead, the two passing Wood Elves couldn't help but whisper to each other.
For a normal being, these would be fatal wounds, but the Elves who received the Blessing of the Dragon Tree could lie quietly on the ground, gazing calmly at the gray sky, waiting for their wounds to heal.
But it was a visually striking scene; in the gaps of the missing flesh, tiny blood-colored roots and thick vines grew, connecting in place, slowly regenerating the missing flesh, resembling the growth of green plants, yet it was entirely different.
"Don't say that, they became this way to protect the tribe."
Hearing the rude remarks of a companion, another Wood Elf quickly stopped them.
"I know they did it for the tribe, but don't you find it terrifying they've become like this, they might have lost the senses of living beings."
"Without them, the tribe would only face extinction."
"I don't deny their contributions, but don't you think they are no longer suitable to live among us? We should propose to the chief to separate us normal Elves from them."
"How can you say that?"
"Why not? Look at what's inside their bodies, roots, tendrils, they only look like us on the outside, but they are completely different now."
"Without their dedication and protection, we traditional Elves could not defend the tribe."
"So, I think the chief should arrange for them all to remain on the outskirts of the village, not allowing them to enter the village interior. This way, they can better protect the tribe and avoid certain troubles, not scaring the children who are still young."
"What troubles?"
"Haven't you seen how they eat? They even consume Demons."
"Don't speak nonsense, that is to offer to the Mother Tree."
The slightly fishy, mildly toxic wind carried over the fading sounds of debate, as the temporarily incapacitated but otherwise unharmed Green Dragon Warrior, Thorne, remained expressionless, with not a ripple in his heart.
This is the price of gaining power: not just a radical transformation of life form, but also the acceptance of past fellow Elves' criticism and the strange looks directed at outsiders.
Even though they still fight for the survival of the tribe, those characteristics that are different from life forms, resembling more monstrous than monsters, more evil-looking than Demons, make it hard to receive the same flowers and applause from the tribe as before. The children no longer look at them with admiration, but with fear and timid curiosity.
Many who received the Blessing of the Dragon Tree but struggled with their fellow Elves' different looks and attitudes couldn't bear such disparities. Despite giving everything of themselves, they were met with such treatment.
Some fell into mental collapse, yet they could do nothing about it because, with the Blessing of the Dragon Tree, even if they wanted to end their own lives, they couldn't.
Yes, it's so absurd; all the power they possessed couldn't kill themselves. Those who received the Blessing became, in a mundane sense, possessed of an undying body.
Severed limbs were only minor injuries; they could grow back after a few days of rest, even if parts of the body were significantly damaged, they could regenerate.
Like Thorne at this moment, his waist and chest flesh were gone, yet he was still regenerating, albeit looking quite frightening.
Of course, this undying body wasn't without flaws. If struck in the head and the brain was severely damaged, they still would not die, but after regeneration, there was a high probability of memory loss.
If the head was completely destroyed, a brand-new one would grow. At such times, even if this Dragon Tree Warrior was still alive, there was a high likelihood that all memory would be lost, and cognition would regress to that of a newborn infant.
Here arises a philosophical question: Is an Elf who has regrown their head still the same Elf?
From a transcendent perspective, yes, because the soul hasn't changed. But from worldly and philosophical viewpoints, there is great controversy.
Since the memory is completely lost and nearly impossible to recover, the new consciousness and cognition shaped later is, in a way, a completely different person.
Moreover, Dragon Tree Warriors who lost their memories are a kind of trouble. Without memory, naturally, they have no sense of identity or belonging.
Though still responding to the call of the Dragon Tree, their fighting and slaughter become purely instinctual, aimed at the growth and thriving of the Dragon Tree, rather than protecting the tribe.
Therefore, among the Wood Elf Tribe that remained due to the Dragon Tree, avoiding a migration, there appears to be two factions: the Dragon Tree Warriors who received the blessing and gained the Power of Coexistence, and the original Elves maintaining their race and lineage.
Yet among the Dragon Tree Warriors, due to increasing frequent combat, a new group emerged: the Azure Dragon-men who lost their memories and sense of tribe identity due to severe head trauma in battle.