Chapter Forty-One: The Dark Elves' Lair (Part One)

Since the dawn of recorded history, the Gemflower Plain has been the ancestral domain where the elves gathered and dwelled. Here, these elegant and noble beings embraced the beauty of the landscape and the lush vegetation, bathed in the generous and loving grace of the nature goddess, Nachernia.

Unlike humans, elves did not unite under a centralized monarchy. Instead, their society was organized around city-states, forming a loose and democratic confederation. Each city-state was led by a "Cantor," while the highest leader of the confederation was known as the "Grand Cantor," elected from among the many cantors of the city-states.

The title of Grand Cantor was neither hereditary nor lifelong; at the end of each term, a new election would be held. Yet, for us, such an electoral system rarely made any difference: each term lasted two hundred years. For a long-lived race like the elves, this seemed but a fleeting moment; for us humans, two centuries were enough for a nation to rise and fall several times over.

The current Grand Cantor of the elves also happened to be the Cantor of Moonstream City. His name was Zobur Isinbravinia Redflame.

He was a one-eyed elven warrior of legendary renown, wielding a pair of razor-sharp war blades. It was said that in his youth, he married a human pirate woman and himself spent a period as a pirate. In contrast to the insular and arrogant habits of elves at that time, Redflame Cantor preferred to mingle among humans, befriending all sorts of people and learning what elves considered the experiences and virtues of "lesser races." His arrival changed the traditions of elven society, leading them to gradually abandon their excessive arrogance and integrate into the great family of all intelligent races on the Farvi Continent.

Over two centuries ago, during the war against the Apocalypse Legion, Redflame Cantor rallied most of the elves to join forces with other races, making an indelible contribution in the struggle against "Heartbreaker" Darenthil and his infamous followers. He became a legendary hero of the Farvi Continent and was elected Grand Cantor of all the elf city-states on the Gemflower Plain.

Now, he stood in the Cantor Hall southwest of Moonstream City, receiving the homage of admirers from across the continent.

Yet, even among such noble and proud folk as the elves, there existed those who were cowardly, craven, and fearful of power. At the height of the Apocalypse Legion's strength, many elven city-states succumbed to fear of invasion, betraying their kin and homeland, shamelessly siding with the enemy to become accomplices of "Heartbreaker" Darenthil. Tainted by the magic of the Apocalypse King, these traitors lost their original appearance, turning into dark-skinned dark elves.

Though their handsome features, agile bodies, and innate magical sensitivity remained largely unchanged, the evil magic granted them increased prowess in darkness while diminishing their abilities beneath the sun. These fallen elves were scattered throughout the Gemflower Plain, not all swept away by the power of the "Devouring Gate." Now, they had established numerous strongholds across the plain, awaiting the day their evil lord would return, bestowing them with the power and influence they so desperately longed for.

In a cave on Red Mountain lay one such dark elf nest—a target for our mission. This group of fallen elves had somehow tamed the beast guarding the Silver Star River: the Vortex Crocodile Astan. Once a spirit beast raised by the elves of Moonstream City to guard the waterway leading to the city, it was now under the control of these dark elves.

The hunter trainers of Moonstream City tasked Yan with recapturing and taming this formidable beast and bringing it back to the city—a requirement for her to become a beastmaster.

Looking up from the trail at the foot of Red Mountain, one could see wooden arrow towers along the way, each manned by a "Red Mountain Sharpshooter," archers among the dark elves. Besides these towers, the mountain path was guarded by other dark elves—most numerous were the warriors known as "Red Mountain Chargers," along with some evil priests, "Red Mountain Redeemers," and warlocks with summoned familiars, "Red Mountain Summoners." All these dark elves were slender, with long, pointed ears; the men were tall and handsome, the women young and beautiful. Apart from their black skin and the magical sigils on their cheeks signifying loyalty to the Apocalypse King, they differed little from their fair-skinned kin.

The moment we set foot on the mountain path, a Red Mountain Sharpshooter spotted us from the arrow tower at the entrance. A crossbow bolt came whistling through the air, striking Fayin squarely in the abdomen.

The attack came without warning; Fayin hadn’t had time to raise her frost shield and was hit directly, losing nearly fifty points of health. With the sharpshooter’s assault, a "Red Mountain Charger" and a "Red Mountain Summoner" below the tower also noticed us and immediately launched their attack. The charger wielded a long spear, holding it with both hands, and began to charge from fifteen paces away, aiming to pierce Yan through the chest with a force that seemed intent on skewering me as well.

The summoner raised both hands, sending a dim and deadly shadow bolt streaking toward Fayin, then gestured to command his familiar to lunge at Yan. His familiar was a hulking, ugly Hakatu demon, with pale yellow eyes and a single horn protruding from its forehead—a brute from another realm, whose massive chain mace promised nothing pleasant if it landed on one’s head.

By then, Fayin had conjured a frost shield around herself—a layer of icy blue magical protection enveloped her, absorbing the impact of the shadow bolt, costing her only twenty-three points of health. At the same time, the ice mage quickly counterattacked, sending a small ice arrow from her fingertips to hit the Red Mountain Summoner, barely scraping off ten points of health. Fayin then pointed forward and said, "Jeff, take him out for me!"

Honestly, no matter how expensive the magical potions might be, there was no need to be so stingy with one’s mana in the midst of battle! The moment the fight began, I felt my status drop to the same level as the summoner’s familiar.

Annoyed, I shot Fayin a glare.