[Dragon Warrior Side Story] Light and Shadow

page views:1 Publication date:2023-06-11 20:06:28

[Side Story: Light and Shadow (Part 1)] Prologue: Xi

The plains were barren, with only cracked earth and an endless sky, devoid of any sign of human habitation.

The blazing sun hung lonely in the sky, without a single cloud.

The earth seemed ablaze, and wisps of gray, almost misty, air floated low, adding to the oppressive atmosphere.

After a day of scorching heat, at dusk, a large patch of dark clouds drifted in from the north, quickly obscuring half the sky, followed by a deafening rumble of thunder! Finally, it was going to rain! The parched Serbato plains had been yearning for this downpour for six long months; the lifeless earth desperately needed a torrential rain to revive its life.

Water governed the fate of all living things here.

With water, the seeds buried deep in the soil could germinate and grow, and the herbivores that fed on grass could survive.

One link leads to another; only when herbivores thrive can carnivores have room to reproduce—the proverbial "when grass flourishes, swallows and sparrows rejoice; when grass withers, foxes and rabbits grieve."

Unlike the fertile south, this land is barren and perpetually arid, making the food chain exceptionally fragile. A single drought is enough to kill most creatures or force them to migrate. However, creatures that can survive in such harsh conditions naturally possess extremely tenacious vitality.

The beautiful and aloof elves, who consider themselves the noblest and most elegant race in the world, would never choose this place as their home; they would not set foot in this desolate land unless absolutely necessary.

But today, a long-eared elf has arrived on this land, a guest who has stumbled upon it as a fugitive.

He has been fleeing in this vast, almost uncovered land for a day and a night, covered in a layer of foul sweat, his hair matted together, his clothes soaked with sweat and stained with mud and blood, and his entire body reeking of a pungent, rancid stench.

Like a stray dog, he staggered weakly across the lifeless yellow earth, leaving a trail of crooked footprints behind him.

He hadn't eaten or drunk anything for a day and a night, and was now nearly exhausted. His feet felt like they were filled with lead; each step brought excruciating pain. Every muscle in his body was sending him a stern warning: stop! This body is about to collapse.

Despite his body's desperate efforts to move forward, the fugitive felt a sense of despair. He knew that every step he took only brought his pursuers closer.

Though he was constantly on the verge of collapse, he gritted his teeth and persevered.

"I can't stop! I can't die! I absolutely cannot die before I find hope! Nina, for you, I must live!"

The will to survive filled his mind. He forgot his physical limits, forgot his serious injuries, and dragged his shaky body forward...

Finally, thick dark clouds filled the sky, casting a shadow over the earth. A flash of red light streaked across the distance to the north, like a piece of skin being ripped open to reveal a patch of bloody flesh.

Finally, a wind picked up, carrying the lingering heat from the ground. Instead of bringing relief, it made his progress even more difficult.

After a few gusts of hot wind, a few raindrops pierced through the clouds and fell prematurely to the earth. One drop landed precisely on his parched lips. He quickly stuck out his tongue and licked the precious droplet into his mouth.

"It's going to rain, it's going to get dark! Night, come quickly!"

he prayed silently. He knew that only in the pitch-black night could he possibly escape the terrifying pursuer behind him.

Finally, darkness fell. A deafening clap of thunder shook the heavens, and large raindrops began to fall on the parched earth.

Boom! An even louder clap of thunder erupted, and countless bolts of lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the dark world as bright as day. In the fleeting moment between light and darkness, the figure of a hunter with black wings appeared hundreds of paces behind him…

Thunder roared like cannons, incessantly booming, as if the world was on the verge of destruction, about to collapse.

Just then, a torrential downpour swept down like a stampede of horses, its force terrifying.

As the dense raindrops gently patted the fugitive's back, his weakened back finally succumbed to the slight blow. A sharp pain shot through his chest, he vomited blood, and his legs gave way, causing him to collapse heavily to the ground.

"No!"

All his willpower crumbled the instant his face touched the ground. In that instant of mental collapse, the unique intuition of an elf suddenly sensed a strong fluctuation of magic around him.

"Teleportation! Someone is about to teleport in front of me!"

Then his eyes saw a pair of feet appear before his nose—a pair of bare feet, untouched by shoes.

He was too weak to look at the face of the person whose feet belonged to him. He could only muster the last of his strength to reach for the tip of his right index finger, and touch the other person's instep.

"Ah! Hope! I've finally found hope!"

The moment his skin touched the other's, sensing the aura emanating from their body, and with a glimmer of hope, he fainted.

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Minos…Edfil was the ninth son of the current Demon Emperor Edfil VIII, but his father utterly despised him.

There was only one reason for his father's aversion—his ugliness.

In the strictly hierarchical pyramid of the demon race, the Black Demons, with their Fallen Angel transformations, stood at the very top. The Black Demons were known as the most perfect race in the world; both men and women were beautiful and handsome. However, Minos…Edfil was an anomaly. He was born with bull-like eyes, a bull-like nose, and a bull-like mouth. No matter how you looked at him, he seemed like an inferior creature born from his mother's affair with a lowly minotaur.

Although Minos was ugly, he possessed immense strength and was not unintelligent. His martial arts ranked fourth among the Demon Emperor's twelve sons, and he was among the top twenty demons in the entire race. He was inherently cruel and bloodthirsty. Once, while drunk, he accidentally injured a member of the royal family, and King Edfil VIII seized the opportunity to exile him to the desolate land of Serbatto, assigning him a low-ranking officer post. Unless he distinguished himself in battle, he was forbidden from ever returning to the demon capital, Moongazing City.

Serbatto, located at the northernmost tip of the Arasia continent, was far from war, with a harsh environment—a barren land devoid of any value. The humans living there were incredibly weak; they were barely able to keep up with the demons' every whim, let alone achieve military merit there.

"That wretched old man, one day I'll make you..."

Aside from uttering curses and swearing oaths towards the City of Moongazing, flipping the other cheek, and casually insulting his grandmother to vent his resentment and injustice, he usually found solace in drinking and hunting.

A day ago, while hunting on the grasslands, he accidentally stumbled upon several elves.

Demons and elves were at war, sworn enemies, and the unexpected encounter immediately sparked a fierce battle. Minos killed five of them, with only one escaping.

Evidence found on the five dead suggested that the elves now trapped and waiting to die in Panjer Valley seemed to have a clandestine connection with the humans living there.

"Perhaps this is a good opportunity for me to leave this hellhole!"

Holding onto this thought, he continued his pursuit of the last escapee, even venturing alone into human territory. After a day and a night of chase, he finally caught up with his prey in the wasteland seven miles from the city of Bagnia, but a troublemaker appeared along with him. The troublemaker

who suddenly joined in was a human man carrying a longbow, wearing light leather armor; Minos couldn't see his face in the darkness.

He knelt down beside the unconscious elf. The man's right palm began to glow, using it to examine the elf's injuries.

Minos's hearing was far superior to his sight, and he vaguely heard the man mutter, "Just overexertion of strength... very good!"

Twenty paces away, Minos stopped his pursuit, warily watching the troublemaker who had suddenly appeared. The way his opponent appeared was truly bizarre; while tracking this elf, he had been carefully examining everything around him. Minos was extremely confident in his detection magic, believing that no slightest movement within a radius of several hundred meters could escape his keen senses. However, before this human appeared, he hadn't detected a single trace; the strange movement seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

"Who are you? Are you going to help this elf...?"

Just as he was about to ask a few questions to test the waters, a bolt of lightning suddenly flashed, illuminating the entire sky as if it were daytime. In that instant of light and darkness, the human opposite him took down a longbow from his back, nocked an arrow, and the dark green longbow instantly transformed into a dazzling bright silver. Two gems, one red and one yellow, were inlaid at each end of the bow handle. When the longbow glowed, these two gems became extremely conspicuous, like the bow's eyes blinking at him.

The light created by the lightning flashed and disappeared, and darkness returned to the surroundings. The human archer holding the bow, because of the light emanating from the bow, became the most conspicuous person in the darkness.

Sensing the power emanating from his opponent, Minos couldn't help but chuckle, "You only have two hundred Grays at most. You dare challenge me with such weakness? The elves I killed yesterday had at least..."

A belated clap of thunder drowned out Minos's mockery and the piercing whistling of the arrow. The battle commenced amidst the storm.

"Piercing Arrow, a combination of wind and light magic, magic power... fifty Grays? So weak?"

With a mocking and toying attitude, Minos drew his giant toothed sword from his back and easily sliced the silver-glowing arrow in half. He chuckled inwardly as he struck. The five elves he had killed a day ago, even the weakest of whom could easily unleash magic with over seven hundred Grays of destructive power, had been torn to shreds by him when they joined forces.

He scoffed inwardly, "Fifty Grays of magic? A ten-year-old of average talent among the Dark Elves could easily cast that."

The twang of bowstrings continued, the darkness constantly being torn apart by the light arrows fired by the human archers. Minos wielded his giant toothed blade, easily intercepting each of his opponent's nine consecutive arrows. By the last arrow, already somewhat bored, he simply abandoned his weapon, scooping it up in mid-air with his left hand, feeling as lightly as swatting a wingless fly.

He shook his head, saying, "Humans, so adorably weak..."

His opponent, now showing signs of fear, futilely reached for his quiver behind him, completely unaware that it was already empty.

"Out of arrows? No problem, I can lend you one!"

The piercing wind easily drowned out the surrounding clamor of rain. With the mindset of playing cat and mouse, Minos used only his wrist strength to throw the arrow back. The speed was much slower than when shot from a bow, but the magical power contained in the arrow was an astonishing eight hundred Grays.

The troublemaker rolled away lazily, barely dodging the attack in a very disheveled manner. When he got up, he was covered in mud and looked utterly pathetic. He only escaped the attack because his opponent had shown mercy while playing cat and mouse with him. The missed arrow struck a large tree not far behind him, and the power of 800 Grays easily blasted the entire tree to pieces.

"A maggot living in dung dares to challenge the great demon race, what a presumptuous worm!"

Minos, who had been exiled here for many years and was already bored to death, had finally encountered an interesting "toy," and he didn't want to kill him in a hurry.

Another flash of lightning illuminated a face filled with fear. Minos strode forward, stepping over the still unconscious elf, and slowly walked towards the human who was so frightened that he forgot to run away.

He looked at his opponent mockingly, slowing his pace as he approached, step by step, forcing him to watch his trembling body, his increasingly terrified expression, and his desperate pleas for mercy. Finally, he would slowly torture them to death, slice by slice – this was Minos's favorite method of tormenting the weak.

While plotting how to finish off this human, Minos hadn't forgotten his main purpose. He demanded, "Speak! What is your relationship with these elves? They've traveled thousands of miles to get here; what is their connection with you lowly humans?"

The other man didn't answer. Sitting on the ground, he held his bow, the empty string drawn to its fullest extent, still trembling as he aimed at Minos. Raindrops fell incessantly, soaking the human archer to the bone in the blink of an eye. Minos, however, used his immense power to create a protective aura around his body, remaining completely untouched. In his Fallen Angel form, his black wings spread wide, reaching their maximum extension – a truly awe-inspiring sight. Compared to the human archer sitting on the ground, he was as awe-inspiring and unapproachable as a god.

"Not going to speak? Are you mute?"

Minos gripped his giant toothed blade, intending to slice a piece of flesh from the other's body, when a strong surge of magical energy suddenly emanated from his face, and a pressure came from his back. He was startled, thinking someone was attacking him from behind. As if emerging from the ground, a humanoid shadow silently rose from less than a foot behind Minos, its black fist swinging, aiming a punch at Minos's vulnerable nape.

"Another accomplice? A pincer attack, trying to ambush me?"

The attack was sudden, but Minos wasn't nervous at all. He didn't know how the attacker had appeared silently behind him, but the speed of the punch was laughably slow, and the power contained in the fist was so weak that even a back massage wouldn't be enough.

Although he disdained the attacker, Minos didn't want a lowly human to touch his noble body. Relying on years of combat instinct, Minos reacted with lightning speed. Several times faster than his attacker, he turned and swung his blade horizontally, the massive toothed blade easily cleaving the shadowy figure in two.

The feeling from the blade was strange; it didn't feel like he'd struck something solid.

"What is this thing? Damn it, I've been tricked!"

Just as he saw the attacker's true form, the piercing sound of a bowstring rang out behind Minos.

"You bastard, have you forgotten you have no arrows on your bow?"

The mocking words had barely left his lips when Minos felt a sharp pain in his chest, and an arrowhead protruded from his opening.

"I'm wounded, and it's a fatal wound! How is this possible? He has no arrows on his bow!"

A bolt of lightning tore through the darkness at that moment, allowing him to see clearly the "person" who had attacked him, and the "arrow" protruding from his chest.

The shadowy figure that attacked Minos from behind was not the fallen elf from before, but a "dummy" made of mud. This "dummy" was made of mud that was manipulated by magic. This was not a sophisticated magical technique; anyone could easily do it by grabbing a child from the Elven race.

What pierced his chest was an ice arrow formed from rainwater, with a power level of 200 Gray. Two hundred Gray's worth of magical power, when it struck Minos while he was on full defensive, would only cause him considerable pain; however, if concentrated on a single point, it could easily pierce through his body.

"How is this possible? I possess the noblest bloodline of the Black Demon race, a wind-type melee warrior, ranked among the top twenty in demon martial arts, yet I would die in close combat from an arrow from a human archer who can only use a low-level third-tier spell—a truly pathetic opponent?"

No matter how much he belittled his opponent and elevated himself in his mind, Minos couldn't change the fact that he had been defeated. His eyes widened, all his strength draining away the moment his chest was pierced, and he reluctantly collapsed onto the rain-soaked ground. The victor slowly rose, his bare, muddy feet ruthlessly stomping on Minos's face. "Don't worry, I'll heal you! Because you possess the talent to bear excellent offspring, you are an invaluable resource to me, and I will never let you die so easily!"

With a cold snort, Carlos stepped over Minos's body and walked towards the elf lying quietly not far away.

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Panjer Valley, the sacred land of the elves, a beautiful place.

Heaven especially favored this land, which the elves considered holy. Surrounded by towering mountains, the valley has a vast hot spring lake in its center, its surface perpetually shrouded in white steam, deep and mysterious. Green mountains, dense forests, hot spring lake—beautiful scenery, beautiful water, and even more beautiful people. The elves who live here are renowned throughout the world for their beauty and elegance. In the mouths of wandering bards, Panjer Valley is synonymous with paradise on earth. If Arathiah is the crown upon the heads of the gods, then Panjir Valley is the most dazzling jewel on that crown.

As the saying goes, beauty is fleeting; things too beautiful are often envied by the heavens and cannot last. Half a year ago, the demon general Hilda led an army of 200,000 to besiege Panjir Valley. From that day on, war began to relentlessly ravage this peerless beauty.

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Night fell, the battle had just ended.

The stars twinkled, the night sky was peaceful and serene, the darkness covering all sorrow and freezing all wounds. Night belongs to the elves; countless lessons learned in blood have repeatedly proven that fighting jungle warfare against elves at night is utterly foolish. Panjir Valley, ravaged by blood and gore during the day, finally gained a respite, able to spend a quiet night.

Mount Holy Spring, once a sacred place in the hearts of all the elves on earth, stood aloof and inviolable. However, when the flames of war reached this place, the blood of elves and demons washed over every inch of the land time and again. She was like a maiden fallen into the clutches of a demon, suffering terrible torment every day.

The young and beautiful Nina…Queen Tyranya stood atop the highest cliff of Holy Spring Mountain, leaning against an ancient tree, her expression sorrowful as she helplessly surveyed the entire sacred land. The ancient tree beside her was tens of meters tall, half its branches lush and vibrant with life; the other half was bare, its single canopy almost covering the entire mountaintop. This half-dead, half-flourishing tree was the totem of the elves—the Sacred Tree.

The woman leaning against the trunk was beautiful and delicate, her face with smooth, gentle lines, as warm as water: her ivory-white cheeks made her thin lips appear blood-red, and her golden hair, reaching her waist, shimmered in the moonlight. She was Nina…Tyranya, the Queen of the Elves, a peerlessly beautiful elf.

Incongruous with her beauty and status was the profound sorrow on the Queen's face, her slightly youthful features still bearing the naiveté of a young girl. In both her demeanor and bearing, she gave the impression of an innocent, untouched girl next door. In fact, not long ago, she lived a carefree life in the Holy Land, just like any other girl from an ordinary family.

Two months ago, the allied forces of elves and orcs engaged in a final battle with the demons in the Holy Forest region. The war ended in a crushing defeat for the allied forces and a resounding victory for the demons. Nearly 400,000 allied soldiers were wiped out, including the elven Queen, Rafia…Tylania, who perished on the battlefield.

One of the few survivors of that devastating defeat, Nina's uncle Juda, brought back Queen Rafia's dying wish: to pass the throne to her youngest daughter, Nina…Tylania.

This was an unexpected dying wish. The Queen had two daughters. Her eldest, Nia…Tylanya, was a recognized magical genius in the tribe, excelling in strength, prestige, and leadership among the elves. In contrast, her younger sister, Nina, was young and far inferior to her in intelligence and magical skill.

Although everyone was puzzled, they did not want to disobey the Queen's dying wish. Moreover, Nia and Nina were very close sisters. With the full support of her sister and uncle, the eighteen-year-old Nina…Tylanya took over the wand left by her mother and shouldered the heavy responsibility of saving the elves from peril.

"Mother, what are you thinking? You should understand that I am simply incapable of shouldering this responsibility,"

the young Queen said, gripping the tree trunk tightly, her face filled with worry. With a powerful enemy pressing in and the Holy Land on the verge of collapse, Nina knew her abilities were utterly inadequate to handle the crisis. Yet, as the queen of her tribe, she couldn't show any weakness in front of her people. Filled with sorrow, the girl secretly ran to the summit of Holy Spring Mountain to pour out her grief to the ancient elven tree.

Just as the girl was lamenting alone before the tree, a woman remarkably similar to her appeared behind her. Dressed in white priestess robes, slightly taller, her beautiful face shimmered with a jade-like luster, smooth and cool.

"Sister, you don't need to be so self-deprecating! No one is born a leader!"

The woman embraced Nina from behind, gently holding her close. The two sisters looked remarkably alike, but unlike her frail sister, her eyes shone with a resolute light, like lightning upon closer inspection.

"Since Mother chose you as her heir, she must have her reasons!"

"But I..."

"Don't worry, you still have your sister! You're my most beloved little sister, and I'll do everything I can to help you!"

Nia clenched her sister's fist, their palms pressed together.

"Don't give up hope, Nina! There's still Milo. Once Milo finds hope, everything will be alright!"

The older sister comforted her sister wholeheartedly, but her own mood was terrible. Just a month ago, even worse news arrived: the orc army, which had fought the demons for hundreds of years, had completely withdrawn from Arasia and retreated to their homeland, the continent of Bruce, to recuperate. The orcs had the Death Triangle, known as the forbidden zone of magic, as their backing, and the legendary super weapon, Thor's Hammer. They had a way to retreat, but the elves did not.

Without the orcs interfering on the flank, the demons were able to focus all their efforts on dealing with the elves. Now, only the small land of Panjer Valley remained in the hands of the elves. The sisters knew full well that unless new, powerful allies arrived, the fall of the Holy Land was inevitable.

Elder Juda, a survivor of the Battle of the Holy Forest, told Nina and her sister an old story, a legend about fallen elves.

"About two hundred years ago, a change occurred among our elven race. An elf named Dardanea led his tribe in rebellion. However, the rebellion was quickly suppressed, and Dardanea and his people fled the Holy Land. Later, it was said that they wandered to the Serbato region in the north of the continent and settled there." "

After living among humans, Dardanea was persuaded by a human named Miles to willingly relinquish his own body and merge his soul with that human's. Years later, he returned to Panjer Valley to challenge the queen who had defeated him." "

Did his power increase after merging with a human?"

"No! According to records, Dardanea's power, compared to when he was expelled from the Elven race, not only hasn't increased, but has actually become weaker! At most, it's only half of his peak power!"

"Of course! Being tainted by the blood of such lowly creatures as humans, his power would definitely be greatly diminished! And the result of that battle?"

"At the time, everyone thought the Queen would easily win, but the result of that battle… Dardanea easily defeated the Queen, who could cast seventh-level magic, using only fourth-level magic!"

"After that battle, the victorious Dardanea didn't stay in the Holy Land; he returned to the north, taking a group of young people who worshipped him with him before he left! It's said that his people and those he took away were all seduced and corrupted by him, willingly abandoning their physical bodies and donating their souls to unite with humans." "

And then?"

"I don't know what happened after that. After the fusion, these fallen elves kept a low profile. Apart from the battle between Dardanea and the Queen, they never displayed their power in the human world. The last place these fallen ones appeared was in the most desolate and lost land in the north of the continent, Serbato..."

Panjer Valley had been besieged for a long time, and the orcs could no longer rely on them. In desperation for the survival of their people, Queen Tyranya and her sister, a priestess, decided to abandon their prejudices and accept their uncle's advice to send a small team to secretly cross the encirclement and head to the north of the continent to find the legendary "fallen elves."

Milo... Karl was the leader of this six-person team, and his other identity was the Queen's fiancé.

"Milo, where are you? Are you alright? Have you found our hope?"

The night sky was beautiful and mysterious; perhaps hope was hidden there. The two sisters couldn't help but look up and gaze at the northern sky.

[Side Story: Light and Shadow (Part 1)] Chapter 1: The Last Guardian

Nia… High Priestess Tyranya stood atop the highest point of Mount Holy Spring, overlooking the entire Panjer Valley. Once radiant and dazzling, she now wore a weary expression, though her eyes remained sharp and resolute. As the High Priestess of the Elven race, her status was second only to her sister, her duties being ritual sacrifices and divination. However, faced with the crisis of annihilation, she, who never killed, did not hesitate to take up her wand and personally go to the front lines, directly participating in the battle to defend the Valley. In the Battle of the Sacred Forest, the elite warriors of her race were almost entirely wiped out, leaving them nearly defenseless. Nia, whose magical skills surpassed even her mother's, naturally became the mainstay in the resistance against the demons.

The Valley had been besieged for nine months; the demons had paid a heavy price but could not advance an inch. This was certainly due to the elves' advantageous terrain and their unwavering determination, but Nia's efforts were equally crucial. The eighth demon general, Batra, the tenth demon general, Heidek, and the thirteenth demon general, Rukz, all fell victim to her magic wand.

"As long as Nia is here, even the gods cannot destroy this sacred land!"

The elves, in their desperate situation, naturally regarded Nia as the embodiment of their guardian deity. They affectionately called this woman with beautiful sapphire eyes the Valkyrie.

For the sake of battle and to conceal her female identity, Nia painfully cut off her beautiful long hair. In battle, she wore a black mage's robe and a golden mask to conceal her captivating beauty. During the eighth month of the battle to defend the Valley, after Nia tore the seventh demon general, Kakaros, in two with the sixth-level spell "Wrath of the West Wind," the terrified demon soldiers gave her the nickname—"The Golden Reaper." Even the Demon Emperor Edfil VIII, far away in the Demon City of Moon Gazing, knew of her name and offered a hefty sum of 100,000 gold coins plus a count's title for her head.

The Battle of the Valley began in spring and, after nine months of fierce fighting, is now in late autumn. Nia, who has been fighting on the front lines, knows better than anyone that this last piece of land is about to fall.

At the foot of Holy Spring Mountain lies a large lake, its once bright, mirror-like waters now stained a greyish-yellow with blood. This hot spring lake was once a paradise for migratory birds, but after autumn arrived, only a few swans swam on its warm surface. The dense forests within the Valley have also thinned considerably due to the repeated ravages of war.

Nine months of continuous fighting without any replenishment have not only depleted the Valley's supplies but also dwindled the number of warriors protecting the holy land. Now, even women and underage children have joined the battle.

Despair was deeply ingrained in the hearts of every elf, yet the instinct for survival kept them gripping their bows and staffs, refusing to give up. Everyone understood that the demon and elf races had been at odds for millennia, their hatred reaching an irreconcilable point. Defeat would mean a fate worse than death for captured elves.

The sky began to lighten with the first light of dawn, a blood-red sunrise arriving once more.

The distant demon army's bugles sounded, signaling the start of a new attack.

Watching the rapidly assembling demon army outside the valley, Nia sighed wearily, slowly putting on her golden mask with her left hand while simultaneously gripping the Angel's Staff with her right. The Angel's Staff was a sacred relic of the elves, originally held by the Queen. Faced with a formidable enemy, Queen Nina, whose martial arts and wisdom were inferior to her sister's, voluntarily relinquished the staff to Nia.

A mountain wind blew, and the brave priestess couldn't help but shiver.

"The wind's picking up, it's so cold!"

She leaped from the cliff edge, using her wind magic to swoop like a swallow towards the battlefield at the edge of the valley.

"When I put on the mask, I forgot I was a girl!"

"Today, I am no longer a noble high priestess, I am just a warrior! A warrior fighting for the survival of my family, friends, and people!"

"I was born a citizen of the Holy Land, and I will die a ghost of the Holy Land!"

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Panjel Valley is the holy land of the elves, and also an impregnable fortress. The surrounding sheer cliffs form an insurmountable barrier, and the funnel-shaped entrance makes the valley easy to defend and difficult to attack. The elves are natural archers, mages, and experts in night combat; the jungles and mountains are their world. The demon army, so mighty on the plains, is like a quagmire here, constantly restrained and unable to unleash its full power.

Panjer Valley's ability to hold out until now, besides its geographical advantage, also stems from the Asmodians. The first to besiege Panjer Valley was Hilda's army of 200,000, the Asmodians' foremost general. This army was battle-hardened and the strongest among the Asmodians. Their annihilation of 400,000 elves and orcs at the Battle of the Sacred Forest further cemented their fame.

However, for some reason, during the first month of the siege, Hilda only launched a few probing attacks and did not truly launch a full-scale offensive. A month later, Hilda led her almost intact army to the outer perimeter of the encirclement, and the responsibility of attacking was transferred to the Royal Guard led by Berent, the eldest son of Edfil VIII.

In terms of individual combat ability, Berent's Royal Guard was not much weaker than Hilda's Burning Legion, but this army had been stationed in Moonbeam for many years and was far less battle-hardened than the Burning Legion, and was also less adept at jungle warfare. Most importantly, the other armies cooperating with them were merely second-tier forces within the Demon Race, their combat strength far inferior to the Burning Legion's elite. After nine consecutive months of heavy losses and fruitless efforts, Emperor Edfil VIII finally changed his mind 　　,

transferring the Burning Legion, which had been resting and regrouping on the outer fronts, to the inner front. Hilda replaced Crown Prince Berent to oversee all military operations against Panjer Valley.

On the vast plains before the entrance to Panjir Valley, four enormous phalanxes—a black forest of centaurs—slowly and methodically approached the valley. Each phalanx consisted of 25,000 soldiers, their armor and weapons gleaming so brightly they seemed to change the color of the blue sky above. What had once been an endless expanse of green grasslands outside the valley was now stained a deep, iron-black by the armored warriors. The thunderous roar of a hundred thousand feet striking the ground shook the earth. This was the Burning Legion, led by Hilda, the army that had brought countless elven and orc warriors to their deaths.

"The Burning Legion! The Black Lions are back!"

Even Nia, the guardian with the strongest will, believed that if the Daedric Princes had deployed the Burning Legion earlier, Panjir Valley would have fallen long ago.

Hilda...Vakara, forty-one years old this year, sports a black beard, sharp eyes, a lean face, and a slender yet strong physique. What makes him famous is not his invincible martial prowess, but his outstanding military achievements. A year ago, in the Battle of the Sacred Forest, he decisively defeated the combined forces of elves and orcs; Hilda...Vakara's name is now synonymous with a renowned general.

"Eight months... Elven friends, I, Hilda, am back!"

Riding the tall and strong Gruba, standing at the forefront of the legion's formation, Hilda's face is now filled with a smug smile. Nine months ago, his siege of the Valley without attacking and eventual withdrawal was not out of fear of battle, but because this general, whose fame, prestige, and prominence had surpassed even the Demon Emperor's, had set his sights on something far more distant—for example, the most prestigious seat in Moongazing City; Hilda wanted to try sitting on it.

Withdrawal was not merely to preserve strength, but also to weaken the "enemy's" strength—for Hilda, the enemy was not limited to elves or orcs. The foolish Crown Prince Berent and the Elves defending the Valley fought to a standstill, suffering heavy losses—everything unfolded as he had predicted. When both sides were nearly exhausted, he, who had been observing coldly, finally stepped in to clean up the mess at the king's repeated "request."

Riding atop the tall, strong Grubba, Hilda slowly drew her sword, raised it high above her head, and steadily shouted, "Bow!"

At this sound, archers in four square formations immediately stepped forward, quickly forming several long, serpentine lines before the battle lines, drawing their bows, nocking arrows, and tightening the bowstrings.

"Wind!"

The accompanying mage immediately chanted an incantation, unleashing a powerful wind spell; a strong gust of wind arose, dust billowing.

Hilda swung her arm, her sword forcefully slashing downwards.

The bowstring snapped, and a hail of arrows transformed into a gigantic black dragon, viciously devouring the defenders.

Faced with such a dense rain of arrows from the black dragon, the elves on the city wall instantly panicked, abandoning their posts and frantically searching for cover.

"Calm down! This is all show and no substance; Hilda is just putting on a show!"

Standing atop the highest point of the wall, Nia shouted loudly to her panicked subordinates. Ordinary longbows have a range of two to three hundred paces, but the demon archers were firing from five hundred paces away. Although the range was greatly increased by the wind created by the mages, by the time they reached above the wall, the air resistance rendered the arrows almost useless. However, seeing the dense rain

of arrows pressing down from above, the already demoralized elves immediately lost their composure. Nia coldly watched the arrows rain down around her, remaining motionless. The basic air magic shield surrounding her easily blocked the already weak arrows.

"We can't hold on much longer, are we really going to perish?"

Watching their people scramble to avoid the arrows, even the strongest guardians began to succumb to despair.

The rain of arrows abruptly stopped, and the demon archers swiftly returned to their ranks. Thirty thousand archers—deployment, formation, firing, and return—all completed in less than twenty seconds. The Burning Legion's discipline and coordination were astonishing.

With the arrows gone, Nia looked around and saw only faces filled with fear. Hilda's black figure simply stood there, drew her sword, and with a shout, instilled an immense sense of oppression in the guardians on the city walls, turning the once fearless warriors into cowering turtles.

But this was understandable; after the Battle of the Sacred Grove a year ago, in the hearts of every elf, Hilda and her Burning Legion had become the embodiment of death. Nia could understand them. If she hadn't already forgotten about life and death, she herself would have almost collapsed under the overwhelming pressure.

"This can't go on!"

Nia was considering how to boost the morale of the defenders when a red figure, engulfed in flames, broke out of the ranks behind Hilda. He rushed to within three hundred paces of the city wall, raised his spear, and shouted, "I am Faral... Ray, the bravest warrior under Lord Vakar! The 'Golden Reaper' of Panjer Valley! Do you dare to come out and fight me one-on-one?"

When the name Faral... Ray was heard on the city wall, Nia's heart skipped a beat. Faral... Ray was not only Hilda's fiercest warrior but also the most famous hero among the demons, second only to the Demon Emperor Edfil VIII, who possessed two pairs of black wings.

"The Red Phantom, Faral? The strongest Demon General has been dispatched? They think highly of me!"

Nia gave a bitter smile, adjusting her mask and looking around. All she saw were pleading eyes, begging her not to accept the challenge.

Nia lamented inwardly, "I don't want to fight the First Demon General either, but I have no choice! Mother, protect me!"

Nia knew Hilda's tactics perfectly well: first, display military might before the defenders, demoralize the enemy, and force her into a corner where she had no choice but to fight. After she was defeated by Faral, they would then break through the walls in one fell swoop. The infuriating thing was that she had clearly seen through the enemy's scheme but was powerless to do anything about it, forced to accept this battle with absolutely no chance of victory.

"Sister, don't go!"

Nina's anxious cry came from behind. Nia turned around, took off her mask, smiled slightly at her sister who was rushing towards her, quickly put the mask back on, and leaped off the wall without hesitation.

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A one-on-one duel between a mage and a magic swordsman is unwise, let alone a duel with a magic swordsman stronger than oneself!

Mages are both terrifying and vulnerable; they can instantly kill opponents far stronger than themselves, and they can also be instantly killed by opponents far weaker than themselves. True combat tactics should involve secretly casting spells from a safe zone under the protection of archers and warriors.

However, the elf, possessing the unique skill of the Musou Reincarnation, is not afraid of close-quarters combat. Combined with the enhanced effects of the water and wind emblems on her Angel Staff, Nia can cast spells several times faster than an ordinary mage, directly killing her formidable opponents one by one at mid-to-long range. When her opponent gets close, she uses teleportation to move to a safer distance and continue casting spells.

Because of this, the Musou Tensei (Reincarnation of the Unthinkable) is considered the strongest unique technique in the world.

Theoretically, this fighting style is almost flawless if one possesses unlimited magic power; however, today's opponent is her nemesis. Nia is fast at casting spells, while Faral, nicknamed "Red Phantom," is incredibly fast at moving. Using "Flame Demon Battle Body," Faral's body seems weightless as he advances and retreats, his movements as swift as a ghost. One second he's twenty paces away, the next he's in front of her, his spear spitting fire as it thrusts towards Nia's vitals, leaving her pitifully little time to cast spells.

So the battle immediately devolved into a chase between mage and opponent. Faral, taking the initiative, brandished his spear, relentlessly pursuing Nia, who dodged with "teleportation." Red and black figures flashed alternately before the city walls, constantly shifting positions.

Faral, a fire-attribute mage, used the "Flame Demon Body" spell to enhance his speed; all his other attacks were physical. Everyone knew that trying to out-cast magic against an elf with the unique skill of the "Reincarnation of the Unthinkable" was foolish, not even against a demon emperor with the transformation of a four-winged fallen angel. The elf's weakness was his fragility; forcing the "Golden Reaper" to engage in a direct confrontation would secure victory. But Nia wasn't without a chance, given enough time and space to unleash her seventh-level magic. Theoretically, aside from the Demon Emperor, no one on the continent could survive a single blow from a seventh-level spell.

From the very first exchange, Nia knew this battle was incredibly dangerous. The opponent's speed was simply too fast, leaving too little time. In his haste, he could only unleash low-level water magic like Freezing Arrow and Frost Ring. However, the battle-hardened Faral, worthy of being the First Demon General, changed his dual-wielding spear to a single-handed one. A flame ignited in his palm, his free right hand acting as a shield, easily deflecting the low-level magic. Meanwhile, the spear in his right hand remained like a venomous snake, relentlessly striking his opponent with deadly attacks.

This was a classic duel between a mage and a magic swordsman, both capable of instantly killing each other. Chase, dodge, dodge, chase—the two played a game of "eagle catching chicks" on the open ground between the two armies. The "Red Phantom" couldn't hit the "Golden Reaper" who could teleport, and the "Golden Reaper" couldn't deliver a fatal blow to the "Red Phantom."

Hilda coldly watched the two in the duel, a profound and unfathomable smirk playing on her lips, and suddenly spoke:

"Belia, who do you think will be the final victor?"

Hilda had twelve trusted generals, known as the "Eleven Warriors and One Dog." The eleven warriors were the eleven fierce generals who had fought alongside her in countless battles, while the "dog" referred to Belia, her most trusted human strategist. Because he always followed Hilda around with a hunched back, the demon soldiers jokingly called him Hilda's dog.

In reality, this "dog" was Hilda's most trusted confidant. For every major decision, she would consult him beforehand. Nine months ago, the idea of besieging Panjer Valley without attacking, letting allies gnaw on this tough nut, was also suggested by Belia.

"Those two..."

Unlike the demon generals who rode Grubba, Belial's mount was a rather unremarkable, skinny horse. He glanced at the two engaged in fierce combat, then at the surrounding demon generals. Seeing that all eyes were on him, he answered in a low voice, "The final victor will be General Ray!"

"Why not that Golden Reaper?"

"Because the Golden Reaper's teleportation consumes too much stamina..."

Being consulted first by Hilda in this situation was an honor, but Belial wasn't one to flaunt his abilities. He deliberately lowered his voice, trying his best to remain discreet.

Hilda nodded. The other demon generals looked at Belial with nothing but respect. Although they came from different races, over a decade of fighting side-by-side had earned Belial the respect of the demons through his abilities.

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While Nia and the First Demon War General were locked in a fierce battle, Siegfried, the captain of the Holy Land's garrison, was not at the front lines. Instead, she resided in a magic room at the heart of the Holy Land's command center. In the center of the room stood a massive crystal ball, displaying a 3D projection of the entire Holy Land. The densely packed demon army outside the valley appeared as a tiny, inconspicuous black dot in the crystal ball's projection.

Manipulating this crystal ball was a beautiful female elf with silver hair and eyes, a descendant of wind and snow elves. Her excessively fair skin seemed so delicate it appeared as if water could be squeezed out with a single touch. Captain Siegfried was also a striking beauty, with flaxen hair, emerald green eyes, and a pair of full breasts that seemed to burst forth from beneath her silver chainmail. While she might be slightly less beautiful than Nia and her sister, as well as Dania, her ample and imposing breasts more than made up for it.

The battle raged fiercely ahead, and the two, in the command center at the rear, were equally tense. Hilda's favorite siege tactic was to concentrate elite troops on a frontal assault while simultaneously sending another elite force to attack from the enemy's rear. Their current task was to guard against a demonic invasion from the air, and Dania was currently using the magic crystal ball to detect the infiltrators.

Dania's primary role was as a healer; healing and saving lives were her duties. Manipulating the crystal ball to investigate the enemy shouldn't have been her responsibility, but years of war had weakened the elven race, leaving them with few options. Fortunately, Dania was an exceptionally talented individual among the snow elves, and her signature skill, the Silver Moon Eye, made her well-suited for this crucial role of overall command.

After groping around for a while, Dania suddenly opened her eyes.

"They're here!"

"How many?"

"More than a hundred!"

"Bringing so many people? That's quite a show! Good! I'll take some men to 'meet' them!"

Responding, Ziegwer didn't ask where the intruders were, and turned to leave.

Before she left, Dania chased after her, saying, "I'll deal with those bats that flew in and caused trouble!"

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The fierce battle outside the valley continued.

The battle unfolded exactly as Belial had predicted. Constantly using teleportation, Dania's magic power was rapidly depleting, yet she couldn't do anything to her opponents. Nine months of fighting had transformed her from a priestess into an excellent "magical warrior," but Faral was a warrior among warriors. Over a decade of military service, countless brushes with death, had honed his martial arts to an unparalleled level. All fancy, useless moves were discarded; every strike was the most direct and deadly attack. Nia couldn't find an opening to unleash her advanced magic.

"I can't go on like this. I have to take a gamble!"

Desperate, Nia made a decision. She used teleportation one last time, widening the distance to over twenty steps—her maximum teleportation limit—for a desperate attack.

"Triple Gravity, freeze!"

Gravity magic, which disrupts an opponent's movement, is a great tactic against high-speed opponents, but its biggest weakness is its poor accuracy, which is why Nia hesitated to use it.

"Missing!"

Her gamble, fueled by immense hope, ultimately failed. Faral, having dodged the attack, once again swiftly appeared before Nia, her flaming spear aimed straight for her throat.

It was too late to teleport away again. Nia could only create an air shield in a very short time, barely blocking the throat-piercing blow. However, the fragile air shield was pierced like paper by the spear's full-force strike. But the spearhead, obstructed by an external force, changed direction; the throat-piercing strike became an upward thrust, the sharp spear tip ripping off the golden mask on Nia's face, revealing the exquisitely beautiful face behind it.

"What?! The Golden Reaper is a woman, and a very beautiful one at that!"

The man's lust saved Nia's life. Faral had intended to follow up his missed thrust with a downward slash, smashing Nia's skull, but lust drove him to instinctively change the force and direction of his strike. The spear struck Nia's shoulder heavily, only knocking her unconscious.

After knocking Nia unconscious, the victor didn't immediately return to his camp. Instead, he knelt down to examine the unconscious Nia, whose beauty far exceeded his expectations.

"Is she the Elf Queen's daughter? She looks so much like her, even more beautiful than her mother! And such a stubborn woman, even unconscious, she's still clutching her wand tightly! Perfect, exactly my type!"

Faral's unusual behavior drew whispers from the demon generals behind Hilda.

"What's wrong with Faral? Why hasn't he killed that Golden Reaper yet?"

"The mask fell. The Golden Reaper looks like a woman?"

"A woman? No wonder. That guy is good at everything, except he can't stand pretty women! You saw it during the Battle of the Sacred Forest. Even the dead Elf Queen, he took off his pants and did it to her for three days and three nights. Even with her body like that, he still wouldn't give up!"

The duel between the two masters ended with a complete victory for the demon. The cheers from the demon side immediately resounded through the sky, while the elves guarding the valley were filled with sorrow. As for Nina, who was watching the battle from the city wall, she saw her sister seriously injured and captured. She wanted to rush down to rescue her, but was held back tightly by her uncle and his subordinates.

At this moment, no one noticed that a young man carrying a longbow suddenly appeared next to a crossbow cannon on the city wall watchtower. It was Carlos Clark, the mysterious archer who killed Minos a few months ago. But today, Carlos's appearance had changed drastically. His ears had become elongated and pointed like an elf's, his once black eyes had turned dark green, and his skin had become smoother. Except for being slightly taller than an average elf, he now looked no different from one.

"Don't kill that person! A desperate army is hard to defeat. Have Faral capture her alive!"

Bernard whispered behind Hilda, and his suggestion was immediately adopted.

"Faraal, what are you hesitating for! Bring the prisoner over!"

Just as Faral was about to reach into Nia's loose mage robes to explore, he heard Hilda's order. He could only suppress his lust, grab the unconscious Nia, and hoist her onto his shoulder as he returned to his base.

The moment he turned around, a strong magical fluctuation suddenly came from behind him.

"Teleportation? Someone's trying to kidnap her!"

In the brief moment Faral sensed the magical fluctuation, the attacker had already used three teleportation spells in quick succession, each teleporting a distance of an astonishing fifty paces.

"So far, so fast, how is this possible?"

Both the speed and distance of the teleportation far exceeded the theoretical limits. Faced with this "absolutely impossible" "accident," Faral instinctively reacted to combat, quickly throwing the prisoner on his shoulder into the air and turning to face the enemy. The one who

rushed down the city wall to rescue Nia was none other than the mysterious magic archer Carlos from before. With three consecutive long-distance teleportations, he had already rushed to within forty paces of Faral, drew his bow, nocked an arrow, and strung it. The longbow that had once caused Minos's defeat fired a pale blue frozen arrow.

"Frozen arrow, power seven hundred Gray!"

Ice and fire are mutually exclusive. No matter how arrogant the First Demon General was, he dared not take this ice arrow head-on, which was exactly the nemesis of his immortal demon body. He could only use his spear to parry and thrust.

At that very moment, Carlos activated his fourth teleportation. His body, which vanished in a flash, was only a fraction slower than the arrow he had fired earlier. Reappearing above Faral, Carlos caught Nia in mid-air.

"Wind Manipulation Technique, ascend!"

Having used teleportation four times in a single second, Carlos now needed time to recover and could no longer use this technique to escape. After grabbing Nia, his body rapidly ascended.

"Four teleportations in one second, how is that possible?"

In less than two seconds, the First Demon General thought to himself twice, "How is that possible?" The elves protecting Panjer Valley and the 100,000-strong demon army besieging the valley both witnessed this miracle that defied the "common sense" of magic.

"Who are you? Don't try to steal my prey!"

Faral deflected the incoming arrow with a spear and quickly changed tactics, retaliating against the attacker above him. Knowing his opponent was unfathomable, Faral went all out from the start, unleashing his full fire power. His spear transformed into a fiery dragon, viciously attacking his opponent, determined to finish him off in one strike.

Carlos, holding Faral in one hand and a bow in the other, drew a line in the air towards Faral below.

"Triple Gravity Technique! Strike!"

The same move as Nia, but with a completely different result—it hit its mark. Instantly tripling in weight, Faral's "divine speed" became "tortoise speed."

"Again! Fivefold Gravity Technique!"

The longbow drew again, the lightning-fast speed and precise accuracy striking his opponent once more! Hit by two gravity techniques in a single second, the combined weight of fifteen times dragged Faral's body, pulling him violently back to the ground. With his feet firmly "nailed" to the ground, Faral could only watch helplessly as his opponent easily escaped with Faral.

But the story wasn't over. Using gravity magic to hold his opponent back and gain a precious opening, Carlos, already ten meters in the air, tossed Nia's body even higher, freeing his other hand to draw the bowstring.

There was no arrow on the string to begin with, but with his exceptional magical manipulation skills, Carlos gathered air into water, condensed the water into ice, and transformed the ice into an arrow, creating an "ice arrow" out of thin air, which

he then nocked and fired. The bewildered Faral, his mind in disarray, had just broken free from the gravity spell and, without calm judgment, had swung his spear to intercept his opponent's attack.

The instant the frozen arrow made contact with the flaming spear, the first half of the ice arrow suddenly exploded, causing the flaming spear to miss its target. The remaining half of the ice arrow, maintaining its original speed and direction, passed through the spear's obstruction and struck Faral's left shoulder from above. The clash of ice and fire created a horribly gaping gash on Faral's left shoulder.

"Damn it! How is this possible..."

After repeating "How is this possible" for the third time, Faral rolled several times on the ground before fainting in utter humiliation.

Carlos, having successfully landed his attack, retrieved Nia and used several teleportations to return to the city walls. The remaining demon generals quickly went into battle to rescue the defeated First Demon General.

"After the Battle of the Sacred Forest, most of the strong elves have died, yet such a master is still hidden..."

Hilda looked at Carlos's rapidly disappearing figure with a look of astonishment, but this look quickly turned into regret. Hilda sighed in a voice only she could hear, "But even if your magic is excellent, it's useless! No matter how strong you are, you are still just one person. You can't change the fate of your entire race's annihilation!"

Just then, a messenger ran over and handed a note to Belial. Belial glanced at it, his expression changed drastically, and he quickly handed the note to Hilda.

Hilda, a seasoned warrior, glanced at the note and coldly crumpled it into powder.

The note contained only one sentence: "The infiltration force has been completely annihilated.

" Belial whispered in Hilda's ear, "My lord, our army's morale is low today; we should not attack further!"

Hilda did not reply, but waved her hand, ordering a retreat.

Carlos, who had won a great victory in the battle against Faral, carried Nia back to the city wall. His toes had barely touched the ground when his knees buckled, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood, collapsing into the arms of Queen Tyranya who rushed to greet him.

"Ah, this feeling..."

The moment their bodies touched, a familiar and comforting sound came, and the young queen was momentarily stunned.

"You are Milo..."

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The battle inside the valley ended a moment earlier than the duel outside.

The entire Panjer Valley was tightly protected by six overlapping magic arrays. Except for a frontal attack, the demons outside the valley could not secretly send their troops into the valley using flight or teleportation spells.

"There are no secrets that stay hidden forever!"

But the black lion Hilda didn't believe in this.

Although he withdrew from the assault on the Valley early on, known for his unconventional tactics, he secretly sent people to study the six overlapping and interconnected magical arrays. His efforts paid off; after using the sacrifice of "friendly forces" as a test, the Burning Legion's high-ranking mages repeatedly analyzed and calculated, finally finding a flaw in the arrays' defenses. Using this flaw, he could teleport a small elite force directly into the Valley.

While Hilda was leading a massive army on the front lines, taking advantage of the elves' focused attention, the Eighth War General, Stark, led an elite squad of over a hundred men, infiltrating Panjir Valley via teleportation.

Unfortunately, for this surprise attack team, the entire operation was a disaster.

What seemed like a fatal weakness was actually a brilliant trap. The moment Stark's squad was smoothly teleported into Panjer Valley, before they could even familiarize themselves with their surroundings, they triggered the "traps" the elves had set up beforehand. Vacuum Slash, Explosive Bullets, Fireballs—countless magical attacks of all kinds instantly engulfed them.

The elite squad of over a hundred men was almost completely wiped out in the blink of an eye. The only survivor, Eighth Demon General Stark, barely managed to break through the traps thanks to his superior skills, but he was also seriously injured.

"What vicious traps! When did these arrogant and foolish long-eared creatures become as despicable as humans!"

The Eighth Demon General, who had just escaped from the brink of death, was wondering when the stubborn and arrogant elves had abandoned their "fair and square" fighting methods when a silver-haired, silver-eyed snow elf appeared before him.

"Hello, my name is Dania Hargot!"

She appeared before Stark in a knightly stance, introduced herself, nodded slightly to him, and adopted a posture indicating she wanted a fair one-on-one duel.

"Hello! My name is Stark House, I am the eighth Demon General under General Hilda..."

Stark's self-introduction was cut short as an ice spike pierced the back of his head, protruding from his mouth.

"Time to waste on words, but no energy to properly observe your opponent, no wonder this guy can only be the eighth Demon General!"

Dania stood behind Stark, her face as cold as ice. She placed her hand on his back and gently pushed, causing Stark's body to fall forward like a stake.

In front of her, another Dania still stood there, continuing her pre-duel self-introduction.

"I am Nicholas Hargate, the Silver Miracle. My special skill is..."

Actually, she was just a 3D projection created by Dania using a magic circle she had set up beforehand...
[Side Story: Light and Shadow (Part 1)] Chapter 2: The Fallen Elf

The world of dreams is a peculiar world.

Some say the world of dreams is a shadow of the real world.

Some say the world of dreams is more real than the real world.

Intelligent beings can deceive themselves in the real world, but in dreams, they cannot escape and are often forced to directly confront the true "self" that has been hidden by self-suggestion and self-deception.

Carlos, unconscious, is currently in such a situation.

In the dark, void of consciousness, Carlos is confronting an elf. Carlos is bound like a dumpling by thick chains, "stuck" to a "spider web" of huge iron chains. The elf is Milo...Karl, a fugitive from outside the city of Bagnia.

"I've never seen such an idiot! Four teleportations in a second! Do you think you're some four-winged fallen angel? Such a waste of my precious body!"

"They are my people! I can't watch them be slaughtered!"

"An idiot is an idiot! Even with unparalleled wisdom and the most profound knowledge, your foolish nature remains unchanged! Today you defeated the First Demon General, but it was only because of sheer luck! Under fair conditions, you would be the one who dies!"

Bound in a spider web, Carlos reprimanded Milo from his superior position, his arrogant demeanor a stark contrast to the deep composure he displayed during his battle with Minos.

"Thank you, I understand that better than you do..."

The reprimanded elf lowered his head, his back to Carlos. Despite being scolded, the proud elf showed no anger whatsoever.

"You've already been sealed away by me, why are you desperately trying to wake up? What do you want to do?"

Carlos arrogantly retorted. "That's an even more foolish question. If you hadn't been so determined to see me, how could I, sealed away by you, have appeared?"

Milo lowered his head and whispered, "Do you still hate me that much? You were the first to break your promise! You racked your brains to persuade me to give up my body and merge with you, in exchange for helping me save my people! But in the end, you deceived me and broke your promise!"

Carlos was speechless. After a few seconds of stunned silence, he said bitterly, "One day, I will reclaim control of this body!"

Milo didn't argue with him any further on this issue. From the time they merged until now, they had fought a fierce life-or-death battle in the world of consciousness to gain control of this body. Milo, who fought to save his people, ultimately won and sealed Carlos's consciousness. The one who fought the First Demon General was not Carlos, but Milo, a fallen elf who had merged with a human.

After the other party's anger subsided slightly, Milo said in a low voice, "I brought you here to ask you something. Looking at the current situation, is there any hope for Panjer Valley?"

Carlos sneered, "You've usurped my nest, gaining all my wisdom, knowledge, and combat skills. How can you ask me such a foolish question?"

Milo lowered his head, adopting a humble, inquiring expression: "I know I'm far inferior to you in terms of overall perspective and predictions of the future, and these abilities come from my own insight, which I cannot obtain from you..."

Carlos laughed wildly, "Heh heh... So you finally admit that we humans are superior to you elves! In that physical battle, you defeated me but refused to erase me because you need the help of a genius like me..."

The other party was truly arrogant, but Milo knew clearly that the person before him indeed had the capital and the right to be arrogant.

"If you don't want to disappear, answer me quickly!"

"Disappear? Are you willing to destroy me? You were able to defeat the First Demon General with a single move today entirely because of my wisdom! If you destroy me, relying only on the knowledge I left behind, how will you, lacking imagination, save your people?"

"Fine, don't answer! I can find the answer myself!"

"Telling you won't hurt. Stop daydreaming. Panjer Valley will definitely not be able to be defended! Now is the time when the demon race is at its zenith. Even if the other races on the continent could put aside their prejudices and unite, they would not be a match for them!"

"Thank you..."

Milo nodded heavily, his body slowly fading, preparing to return to the real world. Unless absolutely necessary, he did not want to "meet" this opponent whom he both hated and admired.

"Why are you walking so fast? Let's chat a bit more! Do you know why I answered your stupid question? Because I wanted to see your despairing expression! When a desperate person finds hope, and they are filled with joy, they suddenly discover that this glimmer of hope is still despair. There is no greater pain in the world than this! Heh heh..."

Carlos's maniacal laughter filled the entire illusory consciousness space, and Milo felt a chill run down his spine. Recalling those past scenes, the days he "lived" with this mad genius, even after so long, he still felt a chill.

"You think you can seal me away forever? You stupid elf, you damned parasite! One day I will take back control of my body and completely erase you, you stupid long-eared creature, from my body!"

The curses and the sound of the chains rattling continued to assault his ears, and Milo felt increasingly nauseous and afraid. He accelerated his "fading," escaping this consciousness world as quickly as possible.

As he left, this thought echoed repeatedly in his mind: "I will not let you harm my people! Not in the past, not now, and not in the future!"

It was this very will that propelled Milo to victory in the battle that took place in the realm of consciousness. When he made the deal with Carlos at the cost of his soul and body, Milo knew he had opened a gate to hell, because this human named Carlos, besides being a mad genius, possessed a heart darker and more evil than the devil himself.

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"You're awake, Milo, you're finally awake!"

As his consciousness returned to the real world, Milo immediately heard an incredibly familiar voice calling his name. He then realized he was lying in a familiar place.

"This feeling, this smell, this voice…"

Opening his eyes, Milo found himself lying on a bed, the pillow smelling of lavender—it was his own bed, and the trembling, tear-stained eyes in front of him were those of his lover.

"Nina..."

He longed to embrace the girl before him, to call her name tenderly, to express the pain of nine months of longing. But when his lips parted, the words that came out were: "Are you Her Majesty Queen Tyranya? It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Carlos... Clark, a descendant of Dardanea..."

He was no longer the earth spirit Milo he once was. In this form, Milo lacked the courage to acknowledge his lover. His carefully crafted lie was exposed in front of everyone.

"Stop pretending, Milo, I know it's you!"

Tears welled in his eyes. A passionate embrace followed by a fiery kiss. Faced with the girl's advances, all his worries and fears vanished instantly.

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Sitting on his former bed, Milo slowly recounted his experiences over the past six months. Three people listened beside him: Queen Tyranya and her sister, and Elder Juda. Elder Judas was nearly two hundred years old, while the sisters Nia and Nina were eighteen and twenty-five respectively, both very young. After the Battle of the Sacred Forest, the elite of the Elven race were wiped out, and now only these three remained capable of leading the clan.

"Seven months ago, you sent me to Serbato to find the legendary Fallen Elf. There, I encountered the former owner of this body, Carlos Clark, a terrifying human..."

On that stormy night, through brilliant tactics and masterful magical techniques, Carlos "easily" defeated Minos. After being rescued by Carlos, Milo awoke to find that he was the one he was looking for, and hopefully pleaded with him.

"You want me to save your people? Fine! Hand over your soul and body!"

The other readily agreed, but imposed a harsh condition: Milo had to merge with him and become the legendary Fallen Elf.

Milo was stunned. Panjer Valley is the sacred land of the elves. In times of trouble, no matter how much hatred they harbored before, the elves would abandon all prejudice and rush to their aid. How could he possibly make demands like this?

"Foolish! Your thinking is elven logic. Human values would never lead to such a foolish act! I know what you're trying to say. Yes, I have elven blood, but after generations of inheritance, that bloodline has become increasingly thin. Look, I don't even have the long ears that are characteristic of elves anymore. I am human, not an elf!"

Although willing to sacrifice everything to save his people, Milo wouldn't so easily "hand over" his body and soul to a stranger.

"Is there any other possibility?"

"Yes! I am the king here, and there is only one law of survival: might makes right! Defeat me, and you can possess everything I have. What you do next is up to you."

Initially, Milo chose the second path. Over the next three months, he challenged Carlos three times, but all three ended in crushing defeat.

As time passed, watching the leaves turn from green to yellow, and the weather change from warm to cool, Milo, driven to desperation, chose "sacrifice," exchanging his soul and body to sign a "contract" with the devil. The

"fusion" process was painful and perilous, but ultimately successful. However, Carlos, now possessing immense power, refused to keep his promise. Milo, existing as a "secondary" body, naturally objected, leading to a battle for control of the body between the two "souls" within the same vessel.

This battle between souls wasn't about strength or skill, but about willpower. After a bizarre and fierce fight, Milo, fighting for his people, gained the upper hand in willpower, sealing away Carlos and gaining control of the body.

By sealing Carlos, Milo gained all of his knowledge, wisdom, and memories. Carlos was the ruler of the human kingdom of Serbato, wielding power far beyond Milo's expectations. Overjoyed, Milo, acting as Carlos, used human power to launch a full-scale operation to rescue his people.

For the past six months, Carlos had racked his brains to completely subdue Milo and make him willingly sacrifice his "self." The story between Milo and Carlos, their battle of wits and strength, and the perilous process involved, cannot be explained in just a few words. Even so, the three present were still stunned.

"Panzer Valley is absolutely indefensible! However, this time I found a paradise-like haven in the north. Although the environment there isn't as beautiful as Panzer Valley, it's still suitable for us elves. My idea is for our entire tribe to secretly relocate there through that ancient underground passage."

Having overused magic and exhausted himself in today's battle with Faral, Milo managed to express his thoughts and suggestions before collapsing into unconsciousness again.

After settling Milo in, the three left the room. Nia asked first, "Nina, how do you plan to get along with that person in the house? He's not the same Milo as before."

Nia deliberately chose her words; she didn't call Milo by his name, but rather "that person in the house.

" "Of course, I'll marry him! Milo has sacrificed so much for our people; I can't abandon him for the sake of so-called blood purity."

Compared to her older sister's maturity, composure, and consideration for the greater good, Queen Nina remained an innocent and naive girl, failing to grasp the underlying meaning in her sister's words. Although she had worn the crown of queen for nearly a year, all the major decisions were made by her sister and uncle; she hadn't matured much compared to a year ago.

Seeing her elder sister's slight frown, Queen Nina suddenly grabbed her hand, her eyes shining with sincerity: "I know what you're worried about, sister! It's alright. At the appropriate time, I will announce my abdication and hand over the throne to you, sister. Actually, this position is more suitable for you! You've done so much for the Holy Land; I don't think anyone will object then."

A year had passed, and her younger sister was still immature, still prone to emotional outbursts, still unable to manage the situation independently. Nia shook her head repeatedly, her pleading gaze shifting to her uncle beside her.

Juda was a 250-year-old wind elf elder. The lifespan of ordinary elves was 300 years, and he was now in his twilight years. Overusing magic in the Battle of the Holy Forest had damaged his vitality, and his aging process had accelerated significantly. In less than a year, his back was hunched, his eyesight was failing, his skin had become as rough as tree bark, and it was covered with dark yellow lividity; death was not far off.

"I'm old, this is for you young people..."

Old Judas glanced at Nia with his dim, yellowed eyes, bowed, coughed, and slowly walked away.

Looking at her frail uncle and still naive sister, Nia felt utterly dejected. The Elven race had weakened drastically after the Battle of the Holy Forest, and the nine-month defense of the Holy Land had exhausted their remaining elites. Looking around the tribe, all that remained were the elderly, women, and children; there was no one capable of leading the charge.

Milo's return, with his significantly improved martial arts, was a good thing, but Nia always felt a sense of unease about this still "loyal" comrade and future brother-in-law.

"Milo's loyalty is absolutely beyond question, but why do I always feel afraid of him? Is it because he's stronger than me, or because of the sealed soul within him?"

Milo had returned from Setobato via a secret underground passage. Accompanying him to Panjer Valley were over a hundred human subordinates. Nia decided to take advantage of Milo's unconscious state to speak with his subordinates herself, hoping to probe their true strength.

[Side Story: Light and Shadow (Part 1)] Chapter 3: Leaving Home

Queen Tyranya's palace was beautiful and magnificent. In front of the splendid palace was a large, verdant lawn. The "guests" from afar stood on this lawn, quietly awaiting their host's invitation.

The war had lasted nine months, mobilizing all the elves of the Holy Land. The once flower-filled lawn, neglected for so long, was now overgrown with weeds. Several malnourished elven children hid behind trees, curiously spying on these "visitors" from afar.

There were 131 "guests," all male. Except for the one at the front, the remaining 130 stood in 10 rows, forming 13 square formations, like wooden stakes in the center of the lawn. They had been standing motionless for three hours since emerging from the secret passage.

Outwardly, these "guests," aside from their faces, were covered in long black hair, possessed bulging muscles, and emitted a slightly unusual body odor. Except for being much shorter than real orcs, they were almost identical to them. If Nia hadn't learned their true identities from Milo beforehand, she would have almost mistaken these "half-orcs" for real orcs.

The elves of the entire valley were extremely wary of these "outcasts." Led by Siegfried, hundreds of elven warriors surrounded them, bows drawn, swords unsheathed, treating them as if facing a formidable enemy. Even after learning they were "one of their own," the elves dared not relax their vigilance in the slightest.

With just one glance, Nia noticed that these new species of humans were in a highly abnormal mental state. They all had vacant eyes and expressionless faces, as if under hypnosis or some kind of spell, completely losing their self-awareness.

Of these 131 "people," only the one at the front had eyes that showed any semblance of intelligence; he seemed to be their leader. Nia decided to probe him first.

"What's your name?"

"We have no names."

"Then where do you come from? Who sent you?"

"Where we come from is unimportant. We only obey Lord Carlos... Clark."

"Carlos... Clark? Is that the long-eared elf carrying a longbow?"

"Yes!"

"You have no names, so what does he usually call you?"

"I'm the second strongest, so he calls me Number Two; his strength is slightly less than mine, so he's Number Three, and so on. There are 132 of us in total, and the weakest is Number One Thirty-Two."

Number Two's tone was stiff and devoid of emotion, but compared to the other orcs, he was the most intelligent creature, his eyes occasionally darting around as he spoke.

This group of "monsters" before her was a real eye-opener for Nia. However, as the most outstanding guardian among the elves, after learning the legend of the fallen elves, she could accept whatever monsters humans created.

"Your tone is strange, like a puppet!"

"We are the puppets!"

"One hundred and thirty-two people? There are only one hundred and thirty-one here. The strongest one should be Number One, right? Where is he?"

This was the question Nia was most concerned about. Nia wondered if Carlos might be Number One.

The moment the word "Number One" was uttered, it was as if a mechanism had been triggered. The orcs, who had previously shown no reaction to the outside world, suddenly had a fierce glint in their eyes. All one hundred and thirty-one of them spoke at the same time, each word carefully enunciated: "Number One, perfect warrior, traitor!" "

Number One, destroy Number One!"

"Number One, enemy! Annihilate!"

In an instant, including Number Two, every orc's eyes burned with endless rage, a sharp killing intent surged forth, and their fierce gazes were directed at Nia, who stood in front of Number Two.

Although they hadn't made a move, each orc was on the verge of going berserk, their faces contorted in rage, eyes gleaming with ferocity, muscles taut, and teeth clenched, their menacing expressions suggesting they wanted to tear everything around them to shreds.

"Wah!"

The elven children who had been eavesdropping nearby were terrified by their sudden, menacing appearance and burst into tears. Sensing the change in situation, the surrounding elven warriors all went into battle alert, the atmosphere once again tense like a taut bowstring.

Nia remained motionless, like a lifeless statue, so calm she didn't even blink. With over a hundred eyes fixed on her, Nia knew that if she made the slightest move, these hypnotized orcs would pounce on her immediately and tear her apart without hesitation.

With her ability to reincarnate and teleport, Nia was absolutely confident she could easily escape from these orcs who possessed only strength and no magic. Meanwhile, the well-prepared and well-positioned elven warriors on the periphery could annihilate them all in a single move. But Nia didn't want to start a war. These orcs were merely being controlled, and she didn't want to kill these "allies" because of a "misunderstanding."

As long as Nia remained still, the orcs wouldn't attack; and the elves on the periphery, without Nia's command, would also temporarily refrain from attacking. The two sides were locked in a stalemate.

Elves and orcs, tense and on the verge of conflict, faced each other, a tense standoff... A single touch could ignite a full-blown attack!

"How could this be? Who exactly is Number One? My mere words have provoked such a fierce reaction? A perfect warrior? A traitor? What are they referring to?"

Nia, caught in the eye of the storm, dared not move, her right hand gripping her wand already soaked with sweat.

After a long while, a voice drifted from afar. Upon learning of the change, Queen Nina quickly woke the unconscious Milo, who stepped in to stop the orcish troops from going berserk.

"Command canceled, revert to human form!"

Hearing "Carlos's" voice, followed by another series of cracking joints, all the orcs immediately reverted to their human forms, their bodies shrinking slightly, finally returning to their human appearances. The tense atmosphere finally subsided.

"So this is what they call 'transformation'? These terrifying creatures..."

A questioning gaze fell unabashedly on Milo. Noticing Nina looking at him like that, a flash of pain crossed Milo's eyes.

"Nia, I know what you want to say, and I will explain everything to you properly! I will tell you everything that has happened to me these past few months, one by one."

The 131 puppets, now back in human form, saw the pale-faced Carlos approaching and knelt down in unison, uttering two words in unison: "Master!"

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"Those orcs were all created by the previous owner of this body, Carlos… Clark created them a few years ago, but they were all failures." "

Those orcs weren't hypnotized; their intelligence was extremely low. Number Two was the smartest, but even he only had the intelligence of a three-year-old child. Aside from their fighting and survival instincts, they had completely lost themselves. I could only use a hypnotic-like method to add a few commands to make them obey me."

"As for Number One, from Carlos's memories, I know he was the only orc to successfully fuse with the elven. He possessed human intelligence, orc strength, and elven magical talent. Carlos called him the perfect warrior. However, a few years ago, he betrayed Carlos, and in his rage, Carlos issued a kill order against him, and instructing the other orcs to: 'Kill Number One on sight.' That's why they reacted so strongly when you inadvertently mentioned Number One." "

To be honest, the owner of this body, Carlos… Clark, was indeed a demon more evil than the devil himself! But he has now been sealed away by me."

"I know what you're worried about, what you're afraid of. Actually, your worries are my worries, my fears. One day, this demon will break free of my restraints and reclaim his body, which would be a terrible disaster for our elven race."

"But don't worry, I, Milo, will absolutely not let such a thing happen! Once our people reach that safe zone and everything is settled, I will destroy this body myself without you even needing to lift a finger!"

In private, Milo and Nia met quietly, and Milo frankly explained everything to Nia. Faced with her comrade's "confession," Nia, who had always harbored prejudice and suspicion, felt she had gone too far.

Because of the injuries sustained in the battle with Faral, Milo was pale, and even speaking a few words made him dizzy. He would be unable to use any magic for three days.

Nia apologized, "I'm sorry, it's not that I don't trust you, but your change, and the people you brought, they really surprised me."

"Don't say that, Nia, you did the right thing! From today onwards, you must have people closely monitor my every move. If my behavior shows any abnormal signs, you must act immediately and destroy me without mercy. Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free! Because this human named Carlos is a demon among demons; we absolutely cannot let him appear."

Milo laid everything bare. Seeing the sacrifice Milo made for his people, Nia felt both distressed and guilty, but knowing the greater good was at stake, she nodded solemnly.

"Thank you!"

Milo nodded, smiled, patted Nia's shoulder, and turned to leave. Watching his lonely figure, Nia's eyes blurred.

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The evacuation proceeded smoothly.

A month earlier, upon learning that the demonic army leading the attack on Panzer Valley would be replaced by Hilda's Burning Legion, the elves had prepared for a complete retreat. Nine months of fierce fighting had decimated the warriors defending the valley, and after witnessing Hilda's military might, Nia understood that if the demons launched a full-scale attack, Panzer Valley would be difficult to hold for even a day. After a brief discussion, the elven high command unanimously decided to immediately relocate the entire race to Serbató.

Beneath Panzer Valley lay a vast and mysterious natural lava cave. The cavern was terrifyingly deep, with a spiderweb of secret passages stretching for hundreds of kilometers. The location of the exit had remained unknown for millennia.

Centuries ago, the fallen elf Dardanelles, after a failed rebellion, fled into the cave with his supporters. After wandering aimlessly in the darkness for over two months, they miraculously found the exit near Serbató. Later, Dardanea returned to challenge the Queen. After his victory, he took nothing and left with his admirers. Before departing, Dardanea left behind a map of the lava cave and said to his mother, Queen Tepolier, "Mother, although you and your people regard me as a monster and a heretic, calling me a Fallen One, I still want to say this: Elves who cling to tradition and refuse change will ultimately be eliminated by the times. The reason I rebelled against you was because I saw the crisis of my race's extinction."

"If that day truly comes, please remember that the human settlements of Serbatto in northern Arathi will be your safe haven! I, the former earth elf Dardanea... Tyranya, the current fallen elf Dardanea... Miles, my descendants and I, the so-called Fallen Ones, will forever consider you our friends!"

Milo was sent to the north precisely because of this message from Dardanea.

In the hearts of the elves, the land of Serbatto held a mysterious allure. The invincible legends left by Dardanea and the transformed Milo filled them with longing and curiosity for that place. Even the suspicious Nia understood that the Elves had no other way out but to migrate their entire tribe to Serbato. Therefore, she voted in favor at the meeting that would decide the fate of the Elves.

However, just in case, Nia made other arrangements. After discussing it with her uncle Juda, she sent a vanguard to scout ahead.

"There aren't many capable people left in the tribe. I'm old and don't have many days left. If it's really as dangerous as you fear, consider me the one to die. In the current situation, it's good to have one more young person." 　　The

frail old Juda insisted on leading the team himself, and Nia couldn't dissuade him, so she agreed.

The evacuation of Panjer Valley went unexpectedly smoothly. The valley's elves, numbering around 80,000, took two full days to enter the cavern. Before leaving, they set a large fire in the valley to erase all traces. During this time, Hilda's Burning Legion only launched a few probing attacks, and her powerful generals did not challenge them.

Nia and her sister, along with Milo, were puzzled. They had initially planned to sacrifice some to allow others to escape, but now it seemed unnecessary.

There was a reason the Burning Legion didn't attack: on the very night Milo defeated the First Demon General, a severe food poisoning incident suddenly broke out among the demons. From "Black Lion" Hilda to "A Dog" Belial, all the high-ranking officers were vomiting and suffering from diarrhea, their faces turning green. More than sixty officers, eleven demon generals (a new replacement), and "A Dog" were poisoned—none survived. With high-ranking officers in bed and the command system in disarray, the attack on Panjer Valley was forced to halt.

Taking advantage of this opportune moment, the remaining 80,000 soldiers and civilians in the valley successfully entered underground caverns and escaped to Serbato via ancient roads. The fire burned for three days and three nights before being extinguished. When Hilda, recovering from her illness, sent people to investigate, they found nothing but ruins.

The whereabouts of the last elves of Panjer Valley became a thorn in Hilda's side. Determined to eliminate them completely, she devoted considerable manpower and effort to the search, but to no avail, and ultimately had to give up.

Six months later, Hilda turned against the Demon Emperor Edfil VIII, raising an army in rebellion, and a new round of power struggles erupted within the demon race. Busy with important matters, she had no time to spare, and this worry was temporarily forgotten. After nearly ten years of defeating the Demon Emperor and quelling all opposition to ascend the throne, he was about to send someone to thoroughly investigate the matter when he was poisoned by his own son. The new usurper lacked his father's strategic brilliance, his interest in beautiful women and wine far outweighing his interest in the elves, and the crucial task of hunting down the remaining elves was once again forgotten.

For the next three hundred years, the struggle for the throne within the demon race continued unabated. Each Demon Emperor was preoccupied with consolidating his own power, and the search for the elves was long forgotten.

The legend of the last elves of Panjer Valley remained an unsolved mystery for a long time.

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"Panjer Valley, our sacred land, we have lost it."

Nia and her sister, along with Milo, were the last to enter the cave. Standing beneath the half-withered, half-blooming sacred tree, the three gazed sorrowfully at the valley now a sea of fire. To cover their retreat, the elves had painfully burned everything in the valley. Watching the magnificent palace gradually engulfed by flames and thick smoke, the elves' hearts were heavy.

"Mother, forgive us!"

The young Queen Tyranya knelt beneath a tree, sobbing uncontrollably. Nia silently gathered a few tree seeds from the ground, tucked them into her bosom, and carried them away. While Nina needed her most, Milo remained far away, intentionally distancing himself from her.

"I won't let you out, Carlos! Even if it means mutual destruction, I won't let you harm my beloved Nina, or my people."

Milo had made up his mind; once his people were settled in the north, he would immediately destroy this body, absolutely denying the demon within it any chance of rebirth.

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After two months of arduous travel, the elves finally reached Serbato in the north. It had been a difficult and tragic march. The elves' bodies were more fragile than humans', and the dark, damp environment and polluted air were their greatest enemies. Upon arriving in Serbato, the 80,000 elves who left the Valley had dwindled to 50,000. More than a third of the elves lay in the darkness, never to see the sun again.

"Finally, the sun!"

After two months without sunlight, returning to the world of light, every elf, including Milo, was incredibly excited. Even in this new environment and new world, Nia remained vigilant. However, good news came from Old Judas: everything was normal, and there was no need to worry.

"Everything is normal? I hope so…"

Nia sighed, but just in case, she secretly dispatched more reconnaissance teams, and doubled the number of people secretly monitoring Milo.

Milo acted as Carlos, and under his orders, humans along the way delivered essential supplies and necessities. The humans responsible for receiving them welcomed their elven friends from afar with gentle smiles and warm eyes.

Ten days later, the elves arrived at the new home Milo had found for them. Similar to Panjir Valley, this was a vast valley, with green hills, clear waters, and poplar trees. The northern climate was cold, and while it couldn't compare to the paradise of Panjir Valley, it was still reasonably suitable for the forest-loving elves.

More and more resources were continuously being sent to this valley, which the elves called the Lost Garden—all the building tools, food, medicine, and winter gear they desperately needed. In just a few days, a new city was established in the valley. Everything was getting better, and smiles began to return to the faces of these elves who had lost their homeland.

But Nia's unease deepened as things improved. She quietly pondered, recalling, trying to find the root of the problem.

One midday, a troubled Nia left the valley and went to the plains outside. She had just had an argument with her sister and was in a bad mood. The argument stemmed from Nia's order that everything brought by humans must be carefully inspected before use, to prevent poisoning. When her younger sister learned of this, the Queen, realizing her sister's utter distrust of Milo, impulsively had a huge argument with her.

"These past few months of observation have shown that person is indeed Milo. His every move is identical to the original Milo. The one controlling this body should still be Milo himself. But why am I still uneasy? No, it's not like that! My worry isn't because Milo's body has an evil soul; my worry comes from this valley, our new home. I always feel something is wrong with it."

In extreme frustration, she stomped her foot, her boots kicking up a cloud of dust on the cracked yellow earth.

"Hmm, soil..."

Looking at the barren yellow earth beneath her feet, Nia's heart skipped a beat. She bent down, grabbed a handful of soil, and examined it closely.

"Oh, I understand..."

Looking at the handful of soil composed of yellow sand and pebbles, a chill ran down her spine. Nia felt a coldness throughout her body; she had a premonition that she and her people had fallen into a terrible trap.

[Side Story: Light and Shadow (Part 1)] Chapter 4: The Demon's Resurrection

Milo was heartbroken. He had made such a great sacrifice for his people, yet he received no trust in return. From the day he left the Holy Land, the number of people secretly watching him had never dwindled. Although he had requested it all, Nia's layers of vigilance, though he knew it was right, still made Milo unable to let go of his resentment.

At dusk, Milo sat alone on a large rock atop the mountain, his chin resting on his hands, gazing dejectedly at the setting sun hanging on the horizon.

"To save my people, I sold myself; to avoid hurting Nina, I distanced myself from her; to prevent that demon from returning, I set a date for my own 'death.' Nia, I've done so much, why do you look at me like that? Yes, I'm reminding you to be wary of me at all times, but at the right time, it would be good to give me a look of trust..." As

the lives of her people gradually stabilized, her own "death date" was fast approaching, and her original mindset of accepting death was unknowingly changing.

Just as he was fretting over this, a voice suddenly rang out from the depths of his heart: "Hey, idiot! Your mission is complete, it's time to give my body back!"

Before he could react, Milo felt everything go black, his consciousness rapidly leaving the real world and re-entering that illusory space of consciousness.

When he came to his senses, Milo was horrified to find that Carlos had broken free of his chains and was standing before him with a cold laugh.

"Carlos... weren't you sealed away by me?"

A piercing laugh filled the entire space of consciousness.

"Sealed away? Can you seal me away? If I hadn't deliberately feigned defeat, how could you, an outsider, have turned the tables and defeated the original self, me!"

Carlos squinted, his hands clasped in front of his chest, looking down at Milo with disdain.

"The fusion methods used by humans and elves in the Dardanelles era are outdated magic! After hundreds of years of continuous improvement, when elves and humans fuse, the consciousness of either can be completely erased as needed."

In the consciousness space, Carlos's body rapidly expanded dozens of times, transforming into a giant tens of meters tall. With a swift movement of his right hand, he grabbed Milo and held him in his palm.

"I deliberately left you behind so that you could control this body and lure the elves here. Breaking the promise was just a ploy to lure you in! Your efforts to save your people have saved me countless troubles. I am truly grateful!"

Milo, held in Carlos's hand, was powerless to resist due to the vast difference in their strength. Only now did he realize that everything he had done was part of Carlos's scheme.

He asked desperately, "What do you want to do by luring my people here?"

"I'll let you die knowing why! I lured the elves here to carry out the great Human Instrumentality Project! All male elves will be merged and destroyed; as for the female elves, they will become our breeding tools for the next generation of new humans! Now that you've completed your mission, you can disappear completely!"

After three triumphant laughs, Carlos... Clark clenched his fist and crushed Milo to pieces.

"No..."

Milo, who had only wanted to save his people but had pushed them into hell, Carlos, filled with endless regret and resentment, vanished into nothingness...

A few seconds later, the body that had been sitting motionless stood up. Facing the setting sun, Milo—no, at this moment he should be called Carlos... Clark—sprung out a comfortable stretch.

"Hehehe... This is my new body, much stronger than before! Hehehe... It feels so good! Hehehe... Nia... Taylania, mother of my future child, future mother of the new humans, it's your turn next!"

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The newly built wooden house housed three people: Nia, the newly appointed priestess Dania, and Siegfried, Nia's most trusted captain of the personal guard. After arriving at their new home, Nia felt her hands were stained with blood and she was no longer suitable to serve as priestess, so she relinquished the position to Dania. Siegfried, on the other hand, was her most trusted friend, and she had always been responsible for secretly monitoring Milo.

The three elven beauties now sat around a table, their faces grim, staring at the four lumps of dirt placed on it.

From left to right, the first clump is sandy yellow soil, taken from the plains outside the valley; the second clump is dark gray, containing a lot of gravel, half sand and half stone, taken from the nearby barren mountains; the third clump of soil is from the "Lost Garden" where the elves live, black soil, soft and fine, very fertile black soil; the fourth clump of soil was taken from the riverbank, the soil quality of which is very similar to the third clump.

Nia spoke first; although she no longer held a high position, her prestige within the tribe still far surpassed that of her sister, the queen.

"See this soil? The soil in this valley, compared to what's outside, compared to the soil on other nearby mountains, is almost excessively good!"

Serbato is called the Lost Land because the land is so barren. Except for the riverbank mudflats, most of the land is extremely infertile. On the nearby mountains, besides weeds, only some extremely resilient low shrubs can survive; finding a large tree is very difficult. However, this valley, known as the Lost Garden, had fertile soil and lush greenery, its verdant hills and clear waters a stark contrast to the surrounding desolate environment. This was precisely the source of Nia's suspicions.

Nia shared her doubts with the other two, alerting them, and the three split up to continue searching for suspicious points. When they gathered again that evening, Nia brought soil collected from different places for them to examine together.

"My suspicion is that the soil in this valley was transported from a river several kilometers away and dumped onto the valley to improve its soil quality."

As she stated her judgment, Nia herself felt that her theory was extremely absurd. The valley was so large; transporting soil from elsewhere to cover it would be an enormous undertaking, impossible to complete in less than several years. The

newly appointed priestess, Dania, also made some discoveries, and after hearing Nia's words, her brows furrowed even more deeply.

"After your reminder today, I carefully observed the trees in the Lost Garden. The oldest trees here are no more than fifteen years old. But judging from their height, they must be at least forty years old! This is very abnormal, so I carefully examined them with my Silver Moon Eye and found that almost every tree shows signs of severe decline in life." "

What does this mean?"

"If I'm not mistaken, someone has cast a special spell on the trees, causing them to defy the laws of nature and grow rapidly at the cost of their lifespan! In other words, the trees in this valley are not naturally formed, but have been deliberately forced to grow using magic!"

At this moment, a clear fear appeared in Dania's eyes, indicating that she also sensed the danger.

"Following Dania's instructions, I ordered people to dig three feet into the ground to examine the soil structure, and half a meter underground, I found this..."

Ziegfe also chimed in, opening her right palm, revealing a seashell in her palm.

"Just as Nia guessed, all the soil on the surface of the entire valley was transported from the river!"

The three women looked at each other, each seeing the fear on the other's face. It was early winter, and although a fireplace was lit in the house, the three women still felt a bone-chilling cold.

Just then, a magical fluctuation came, and Carlos suddenly appeared in the house by teleportation. His hands were behind his back, a smug expression on his face, and a wicked smile on his lips.

"That's right! Everything here is man-made! Ten years ago, this was just a desolate valley. My predecessors and I spent ten years transforming it into the Lost Garden, which will be your prison!"

With a whoosh, all three women stood up. Just from that wicked and smug look in his eyes, they knew that this man was definitely not the Milo they knew before.

Carlos stopped pretending and confessed, "Let me introduce myself. My name is Carlos... Clark! I am not Milo... Carl! That foolish parasite, he just disappeared from this world, please don't mistake me for someone else!"

"Ah!" The three women in the room were about to resist when they suddenly realized that their magical power had vanished without a trace in an instant, and they couldn't use any magic at all.

"How could this be?"

Just as the three women were panicking, Carlos's right hand shot out three sealing orbs, hitting the three of them and sealing their bodies so that they couldn't even move a finger.

Carlos turned around and closed the door.

Nia was the first of the three to calm down. She noticed that Carlos was barefoot, whereas when Milo controlled this body, he wore shoes.

Carlos immediately caught Nia's expression and nodded, saying, "Walking barefoot is a necessary skill for a good magician. I've taught that idiot countless times, but he's still foolish enough to put shoes on his feet."

As he spoke, he walked up to Nia, lowered his head, and gave her a light, fleeting kiss on the lips.

"You are the calmest and most intelligent woman I've ever met! From the first day I met you, your persistence, courage, and wisdom have deeply moved my heart! You are not only qualified to be the mother of my future children, but also qualified to be my wife!"

He then pulled Nia into his arms, placing both hands on her chest and grasping her breasts through her clothes.

"As for the two of you, you can be my women too!"

With that, he swept the other two women into his embrace as well.

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The three women stared wide-eyed at Carlos, who stood before them. They were unable to move or make a sound, utterly bewildered. Nia had been extra cautious to prevent human poisoning; everything—food, water, and utensils—had undergone rigorous testing before consumption. How could they still be poisoned?

Outside, chaos reigned. Elves collapsed from poisoning, their terrified cries echoing into the house. The three anxious women could do nothing but glare at Carlos.

Aside from his initial groping of the women, Carlos had made no further advances. After pressing them back into their chairs, he turned his attention outside. He placed his index fingers on his temples, casting a detection spell, and entered a meditative state. Having "seen" the situation outside, Carlos nodded in satisfaction, opened his eyes, and turned his gaze to the three women.

"You must be very curious about how you were poisoned, right?"

Carlos took out a yellow flower from his pocket and waved it in front of the three women. The flower looked very ordinary; such flowers were everywhere in the Lost Garden.

"This flower was cultivated by my predecessors and me over several decades, specifically for your elf constitution. It's colorless and odorless, and its name is the Magic Orchid. These things are everywhere in the Lost Garden now. It's the blooming season, and having lived here for so long, you've already inhaled enough pollen. Under normal circumstances, it won't have any adverse effects on elves, but..."

Carlos said, walking to the corner of the wall and picking up a bunch of red flowers from the ground. He waved the bouquet in front of the three women.

"If you inhale this red magic orchid pollen again, it will cause you to lose your ability to communicate with the magical elements of nature and become unable to use magic. However, the many elves outside are poisoned not because they inhaled the red pollen. Because the poison from pollen is very difficult to control, I directly soaked the red magic orchid pollen into the water source. They just ate, so the effects should be taking hold

by now." Nia was filled with grief and indignation. She hated herself for not seeing through the other party's conspiracy, leading her people into a desperate situation of annihilation. Humans spent ten years setting this trap; one could imagine the tragic fate that the elves who fell into it would suffer.

After explaining his scheme, Carlos sat down next to Nia, put an arm around her shoulder, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her cheek. Nia immediately got goosebumps all over her body.

"Beautiful Princess Nia, my incorrigible junior brother is only deceived by superficial appearances, but I care about something much deeper! You don't need to be afraid. Most of your people will be devoured and assimilated, but you and they are an exception, because I love you!"

He then released some of the seals on Nia, restoring her ability to speak.

"You're dreaming!"

A mouthful of saliva landed on Carlos's face, but Carlos didn't care. A smirk appeared on his lips, revealing the smile that Nia hated so much she gritted her teeth.

"You will agree..."

Carlos's gaze shifted from Nia to Dania, slowly reaching out to gently stroke Dania's delicate face.

"Your talent is no less than hers. With confidence and my guidance, your achievements will not be inferior to hers!"

To become a priestess, one must be an extremely chaste woman. Dania had never been so disrespected by a man since birth. She was so nervous that every pore on her body stood on end, and tears welled in her eyes. Falling into the hands of such a demon, she could imagine the terrible humiliation she would suffer.

"As for you…"

Carlos stood up, withdrawing his right hand from Dania's face, and moved it to Ziegwert's chest, grabbing it hard.

"In this land, having great strength is important, but in the long run, being able to nurture excellent offspring is the most important! Such large breasts, they'll surely produce plenty of milk in the future; our future children will need a wet nurse!"

Ziegwert's breasts were exceptionally full; even through her leather chainmail, he could feel that they were enormous, far too large to be grasped with one hand.

Just as Carlos was enjoying Ziegwert's expression of utter shame and rage, a loud "thud!" The wooden wall behind him suddenly shattered, splintering wood into a large, human-shaped hole. The flying splinters and chunks of wood seemed to have eyes, gathering together and striking him hard on the back of the head, instantly making him dizzy.

With a loud "Bang!", someone forced their way through the wall, and a hairy fist, accompanied by a piercing whistling sound, viciously slammed into his back.

Even in this unexpected situation, Carlos reacted swiftly and appropriately. His left hand formed a hand seal, and relying on the unique technique of the Musou Reincarnation, an invisible air shield quickly rose behind him.

The fist struck the air shield heavily. The hastily formed shield lacked sufficient energy and shattered with a bang. Despite this setback, the remaining 30% of the force still effectively struck Carlos's back, sending him flying and crashing into the wall on the other side.

The attacker pressed his advantage, unleashing a second punch as he charged forward, determined to finish off his opponent in one fell swoop. However, just as the fist was about to hit the wall, Carlos used Instant Transmission to escape from the wooden house.

"Boom!" The punch, having missed its target, blasted a gaping hole in the other wooden wall. The attacker's black figure swept past the hole like a gust of wind, giving chase. Immediately outside came the sounds of fierce fighting and shouting at each other.

"You pathetic senior brother, bullying a weak woman! You're becoming more and more spineless!"

"Useless junior brother, attacking from behind! You're becoming more and more capable!"

Queen Nina entered shortly after, her face filled with anxiety. She rushed to the three of them, carefully examined them, and quickly released the seal Carlos had placed on them.

"Sister, is that person really not Milo?"

Having regained her mobility, Nia heard her sister asking such a childish question, her red, tear-filled eyes still hiding a glimmer of hope. She held back for a moment, then finally slapped her sister across the face.

She yelled at her sister, "What time is it?! You're still thinking about Milo! We're about to be wiped out! The one standing before us now is a demon!"

Leaving her stunned sister behind, Nia rushed outside without even glancing at her. The situation outside was worse than she had imagined. Here and there, the ground was littered with immobile elves, and most of those who could still move had, like Nia, completely lost the ability to use magic. Magic was the strongest protective weapon for the physically fragile elves, but now they had lost it. If someone attacked now, they wouldn't even be able to escape, let alone resist. Confusion, helplessness, and despair reappeared on their faces.

Meanwhile, in the open space not far away, Carlos and the attacker were locked in fierce combat. Their battle resembled a rematch of Nia's fight against the First Demon General, the only difference being that it wasn't a chase, but a head-on confrontation.

The person who had previously ambushed Carlos possessed a face no less handsome than an elf's, and emanated the aura of both a light elf and a leopard-man. Aside from his hands and the pointed ears characteristic of elves, his body was otherwise indistinguishable from a human's.

Carlos's battle with the person he called his junior brother truly broadened Nia's horizons.

The injured Carlos, his hands empty of wands, made a sweeping motion with his left hand, instantly unleashing a Vacuum Slash with 700 Gray energy. Simultaneously, his right hand flicked his middle finger, firing an ice arrow of equal energy. Having just finished casting wind and water magic, he clasped his hands together and pushed, creating another large fireball. Before the fireball even left his palms, he pressed his hands into the ground, unleashing an earth-based gravity manipulation spell.

Driven by the power of the Musou Reincarnation technique, he effortlessly executed all spells below level four, without the slightest hesitation. He wielded the unique "Invisible Reincarnation" technique, a signature skill of the Elf Queen Tyranya's lineage, with unparalleled skill, even leaving Nia in awe. His ability to freely switch between the four elements of magic—wind, fire, water, and earth—completely unrestricted by his own attributes, was nothing short of a miracle to Nia.

"Magic can be used like this? How is this possible?"

Nia was not only dumbfounded but also nearly lost all confidence. She knew that if Carlos's magical prowess was comparable to a stunning beauty, then she was merely an ugly old woman.

The man fighting Carlos displayed a perfect fusion of strength and magic, equally astonishing.

His left hand was an elven left hand, slender and delicate, with translucent skin like carved white jade; while his right hand was incredibly strong, with bulging muscles covered in thick, long black hair, as robust and savage as an orc.

Throughout the battle, he continuously used his elven left hand to employ wind manipulation and lightness techniques to enhance his speed, sticking to Carlos like glue and forcing him into close combat. His orcish right hand unleashed the signature move of the Orc King Ankara, the "Beast King Fist." With each strike of his iron fist, Carlos's "Air Shield," "Vacuum Slash," and "Air Arrow" were shattered by his sheer force. When Carlos used disruptive spells like gravity and stagnation, he multitasked, his left hand constantly forming hand seals in the air to cast defensive spells, while his right hand continued to bombard his opponent with astonishing speed and terrifying power. While

his strength was inferior to the First Demon General and his magical prowess was less than Carlos's, he excelled in the balanced development of strength and magic. Although his protective shield was a beat slower than Carlos's attacks, it still managed to neutralize nearly 60% of the power. Combined with his special magic resistance, the actual power of Carlos's disruptive spells was less than 20%. While Kroz's left-hand defense was at a disadvantage, his right-hand punches were incredibly powerful, each one heavier and more ferocious than the last. Vacuum Slash, Air Shield, and Freezing Arrows were all shattered before the Beast King's fists, turning into dazzling specks of light that scattered in all directions.

"The elf's left hand, the orc's right hand... Is he the perfect warrior Milo spoke of before? That Number One? The monsters created by humans are truly terrifying!"

After watching only a dozen seconds of the fight, Nia felt that everything she had learned in the past had become useless. Not only her, but Dania, who was watching the fight with her, had the same feeling. She sighed softly, "Is it really as Senior Dardania said, that we elves have become outdated?"

Dania's voice startled Nia awake. She knew that the situation was critical and she absolutely could not waste any more time watching the fight. She forced herself not to watch the duel and issued several orders in quick succession: "The water is poisoned, Nina! Your power hasn't disappeared yet! Quickly tell everyone not to eat anything!"

"Ziggway, there should still be some who haven't been poisoned. Gather those who haven't been poisoned and prepare for battle!"

"Danya, fetch Elder Judas. He has the most experience. Ask him if he can help us detoxify."

The situation was urgent, and Nina disregarded her sister's status as queen, overstepping her authority to issue the orders directly. Just then, Carlos, locked in fierce combat with the perfect warrior, suddenly teleported, abruptly pulling himself fifty paces away, voluntarily abandoning the fight. Using wind manipulation and lightness techniques to escape, he was unstoppable; in the blink of an eye, he was already a hundred meters away.

"Nia, my beauty, you remain so calm and composed in such dire straits, so decisive in your command. I'm growing to like you more and more! Wash yourself clean and prepare to be my wife!"

"As for my foolish junior brother, I was injured first, yet you still can't defeat me after fighting for so long! You truly disgrace the title of perfect warrior!"

A triumphant laugh, mixed with a few coughs, echoed clearly in Nia's ears from afar, sending another chill down her spine.
[Side Story: Light and Shadow (Part 1)] Chapter 5: The Nightmare Begins

"My name is Kroz... Miles, I come from the Land of Order in the North. Hearing that the descendants of our predecessor Dardanea are in trouble, I came specifically to..."

Having driven Carlos away, the rescuer received no respect. He was surrounded, met with suspicious glances. Having just been thoroughly outmaneuvered by humans, who would still believe him, a fellow human?

Looking at the hostile and wary eyes around him, Klose gave a helpless wry smile. After reverting to human form, his hands had returned to normal human form, but his blue left eye and green right eye still made him look strange.

"I know you don't quite believe me, but the situation is urgent, and I don't have much time to explain everything. To put it simply, the human forces in Serbato are divided into two factions: the Land of Order in the north and the Land of Chaos in the south. As the names suggest, their civilizations have developed in completely opposite ways! Carlos is the leader of the Land of Chaos, and also a traitor and enemy of our Land of Order! Savagery, violence, cruelty, cunning, the survival of the fittest, war, and chaos are the ways civilizations have developed here! I come from the Land of Order, where the humans, influenced by our predecessor Dardanea, admire the elven way of life; they are your true friends. And myself…"

Kroz paused, sighed, and pointed to his chest, saying, "I am a descendant of our predecessor Dardanea, and I have come here specifically to help my elven friends, following his last instructions!"

Nia didn't speak, staring intently into Kroz's eyes. He had pure eyes that met her gaze honestly.

At this moment, Nia was almost in despair. Carlos's sudden attack clearly indicated he intended to carry out a major conspiracy tonight. The Lost Garden was teeming with poisonous magic orchids; they couldn't stay any longer, and their people had to evacuate. But where could the elves go if they left the Lost Garden?

Even though Kroz had saved her life in her time of need, Nia remained wary.

"I don't know who you are, nor do I know what the Land of Order and the Land of Chaos are, or what the difference is! I only want to know, what kind of help are you referring to?"

"If you trust me, follow me north to the Land of Order! It's only a day and a half away. Once we cross the Marne River and reach the territory of the Land of Order, everything will be safe! It's not heaven, but the people there follow the teachings of our predecessor, Dardanelles, and will do everything they can to help you."

"..."

After pondering for several minutes, Nia nodded, grasping at this last straw, for she had no other choice but to go.

※※※ ※※※ ※※※ ※※※ ※※※

"Humans as powerful as my senior brother and I are few and far between in the entire Shrebato region! Apart from those 131 orcs, my senior brother's remaining subordinates are all ordinary humans with average abilities; there are no other experts. If we disregard the poisoning factor, your remaining strength is more than enough to deal with them. But with the Magic Orchid, I advise you to leave as soon as possible."

The elves' current situation is extremely dire. Affected by the Magic Orchid pollen, more than three-quarters of the elves are poisoned, completely losing their ability to cast spells, and half of the poisoned have even lost the ability to walk. And this is just the beginning. After living in the Lost Garden for several months, the Magic Orchid pollen has already penetrated into the bodies of every elf. Even if they leave the Lost Garden now, the enemy only needs to continue casting the red Magic Orchid pollen from upwind, and they can easily render the remaining elves incapable of fighting as well. The Lost Garden is a semi-enclosed valley with poor air circulation, making it the perfect place to release "poisonous pollen." Leaving early was a wise choice—but only in terms of protection against the poison. On the plains, without magic and forests to rely on, the elves were just as vulnerable and easily defeated. Because of the Magic Orchid, the elves had no hope of resistance other than fleeing.

As for the antidote for the Magic Orchid, Old Judas and Croz each produced a Dragon Beard Grass. Dragon Beard Grass grows in the Dragon Valley and is extremely rare and precious. It can cure most poisons in the world, including the Magic Orchid, but unfortunately, this amount was only enough to cure a dozen or so elves, a drop in the ocean.

After drinking the potion made from Dragon Beard Grass, Nia and the others quickly regained their ability to use magic. Nia immediately gave an order: all elves who could still move on their own should immediately abandon the weak and sick who were lying on the ground and evacuate the Lost Garden.

Leaving the Lost Garden, this trap, was expected by everyone, but for the elves to abandon their families and loved ones was more painful than tearing their own flesh from their bones.

"No! We can't abandon our families! I don't want to leave. Even if we die, we'll die together!"

Some emotionally charged young people shouted their opposition, drawing the agreement of almost everyone else.

"I also want to live and die with my people! But you must know, we are the last elven tribe. If we are all gone, the elven race will disappear from the earth!"

At this moment, Nia displayed extraordinary leadership and a strong sense of the bigger picture.

"Yes, at this moment, dying with loved ones is far happier than being separated from a loved one, but we can't be so selfish! We must think about the future of our elven race, about our descendants..."

Nia's words might not have swayed those who were hot-headed, but they calmed down those who couldn't move. With their "help," half of the elves followed Nia away from the Lost Garden to the more mysterious "Land of Order" in the north, while the rest awaited their impending fate in despair.

"Nia, my dear niece, don't be too sad or blame yourself! You didn't trust Milo back then, and I forced you to agree to the migration, resulting in bringing our people to this land of death. It's all my fault!"

The separation was filled with sorrow and desolation, and Old Judas was one of those who didn't leave. To prevent the elves from shifting blame and fighting among themselves in the future, before parting, he took full responsibility for all the mistakes and consequences in front of everyone.

An hour after the elves left the Lost Garden, Carlos reappeared outside the valley. This time, however, he was no longer alone. Following him were the 131 orc warriors and an army of 20,000 humans. On the elf side, the reinforcements who had come with Kroz numbered only a little over a hundred, all of them ordinary humans who appeared quite young and not particularly strong.

Only about a thousand elves remained in the valley, all poisoned but unwilling to abandon their families. Observing this scene, Carlos paused for a moment, but quickly nodded approvingly, muttering to himself with a cold laugh, "A brave man cuts off his own arm. My future heir, you certainly have guts! Unfortunately, the road to the Land of Order is not so easy!"

With a wave of his hand, he sent a group of men to "receive" the "prisoners" of the valley, while the rest followed him to continue the pursuit of the fleeing elves.

Throughout the pursuit, Carlos sneered inwardly, "Escape? Where can you escape to? The entire Serbato is your graveyard! The Land of Order isn't hell, but it's not heaven either! My innocent and adorable junior brother, his chivalrous help, all his efforts and sacrifices for the elves—it was all part of my plan!"

※※※ ※※※ ※※※ ※※※ ※※※

Kroz's appearance did not change the tragic fate the elves were about to face. Along the elves' inevitable path, Carlos had nearly a thousand haystacks set ablaze. The haystacks were infused with red magic orchids, and thick smoke billowed across the plains, filling the air with harmful poison. Except for a dozen or so elves who had drunk Dragon's Beard Grass, the remaining elves all lost the ability to cast spells. Elves unable to use magic were even weaker than humans, the weakest intelligent beings on the continent.

Legend has it that when zebras on the grasslands are surrounded by a pride of lions and have nowhere to escape, the older zebras will voluntarily abandon their own flight and instead attack the lions, sacrificing themselves to save the majority of the herd. In another round of escape, the elves employed the same tactic.

Although the captured elves screamed and panicked in fear, under Nia's leadership, these almost defenseless elves, instead of screaming and panicking, launched a desperate attack on the hunters, hoping to sacrifice themselves to allow some of their people to escape.

Against a horde of twenty thousand hunters, the elves' ability to resist was utterly insignificant. Only fifteen elves could cast spells; fourteen remained to fight alongside them, while the one who escaped was the priestess Dania.

"Although none of us are afraid to die, someone needs to lead our people after we escape! Dania, my sister is mediocre and unfit for this task, so I have to trouble you!"

Actually, Nia's original intention was for Dania and Zigvie to go together, but the two women insisted on refusing. In the end, she appealed to their sense of duty and only managed to persuade Dania.

Kroz also stayed behind to fight alongside Nia.

Nia still didn't fully trust this comrade-in-arms, asking him, "Your comrades have all left, why are you staying? I don't think Dardanea's dying words will have much binding force on you unbelievers!"

Kroz replied, "Everyone has their own principles, their own path! Helping you is the path I chose; staying is also my choice! Just like how I became enemies with my senior brother!"

Nia shook her head with a wry smile, saying, "I don't quite understand what you're saying! But it doesn't matter, because it's no longer necessary..."

Indeed, it was no longer necessary; Carlos's pursuers quickly caught up with the fugitives...

Without magic, the powerless elves became lambs to the slaughter. The first to attack were over three thousand human cavalrymen, riding swift horses like a pack of ferocious wolves, launching a brutal assault on the fleeing people who had lost their homeland and everything. Whistling sharply, they charged into the fleeing ranks like a whirlwind, cutting the fleeing column in two.

Their aim was to capture the elves alive. Each cavalryman carried a huge net; two riders worked together, casting the net, catching several elves, dragging them along the ground, or even more daringly, relying on their superior horsemanship and strength, grabbing an elf from the ground and slinging them across their horse's back before galloping away. They were well-trained; after capturing prisoners, they brought them to the rear, abandoned their prey, and launched another attack. Each wave of attacks resulted in the capture of over a thousand elves.

The infantry following closely behind the cavalry also caught up; Carlos's men could hardly be called an army in the true sense. Whether they were called "cavalry" or "infantry," they wore only civilian clothes, lacking uniform attire and armor, resembling more of a large band of thieves. Their weapons consisted only of clubs and shields made of rattan and bamboo. To facilitate capturing elves, each person carried a rope. They were like a pack of wolves starved for days, their eyes gleaming with bestial savagery, drooling as they frantically preyed on the vulnerable flock.

Fourteen elves, one perfect warrior, faced twenty thousand wolves, and their resistance lasted less than five minutes.

Kroz was called the perfect warrior, but his opponents were one hundred and thirty-one orcs, one hundred and thirty-one fighting machines that knew no fear. Meanwhile, Carlos, now free to deal with Nia and Siegwe, focused on the best magician and archer among the elves. The two, working together, fought desperately against Carlos, but even they could only hold out for less than ten seconds.

"How is this possible? Vacuum Slash can actually curve? The fireball actually contains the power of ice! The arrows that were fired can actually track itself!"

Disbelief and incredulity were the last thoughts in the two women's minds before their crushing defeat. They were then stunned by the shockwave emitted by Carlos.

Kroz's situation was even worse. Facing an attack from over a hundred orcs, he barely managed to defeat three of them. Just as he was trying to escape his fate of being surrounded using guerrilla tactics, Carlos, who had defeated Nia, arrived and attacked him from behind. An eight-fold gravity spell plus a immobilization spell rendered him unable to move. A dozen orcs seized the opportunity to swarm him, pinning him to the ground and beating him mercilessly. A terrifying sound of bones shattering immediately came from beneath the mountain of orc flesh...

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[Dragon Warrior Side Story] Light and Shadow

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