Melody's blessing had undergone significant strengthening. The huge increase in resistance and probability effect aside,there was also an insane new ability – to reduce the damage received by 25%, then turn it into HP! Taking into account both the reduction and addition effects, they totalled up to a staggering difference of 50%.
Mysterious Elven runes rapidly formed around Melody. She started chanting another divine art. Every tree on the mountain seem to sing in resonance with Melody's chant.
Elrond's face turned pale. He's already on the path of no return. If he ran away now, he would still die once the effect of the Splitting Spell ended.
He would only have a chance to live if he stood his ground. Retreating meant death. If he stayed, even if he would be in a terribly disadvantageous position, there was still a chance for him to turn the situation around with his wits.
Elrond continued to target Melody. For Elrond, the Twilight Elf Melody remained the most useful and the most dangerous person there!
However, both Sheyan and Reef were in their peak conditions now. Under the protection of the both of them, the chance of Elrond directly harming Melody is very low. In addition to that, Elrond was also plagued by disease.
Elrond was still a famous legendary hero after all. He had stood tall amidst the history of Middle Earth and had even laid down his mark on it. He experienced countless battles throughout his life that spanned millenium. There's no way he would be that simple to handle. Even though the situation was dire, it wasn't enough to bring him down!
He actually made Melody lose her ability to battle, again!
Elrond's move shocked even someone as shrewd as Sheyan. That's because the price Elrond had to pay to do this was something that was second only to his life!
All divine equipments have a life of their own. After the Ring of Air Vilya was ripped away by Sheyan, it naturally returned to Elrond. But the current Elrond was (1) devoid of magic, and (2) had a human body. The Ring of Air was one of the Three Elven Rings of Power, so it naturally required an Elven bloodline to use it.
Strictly speaking, the powerful Ring of Air was nothing more than decoration to Elrond right now.
So, Elrond did something that Legolas, Glorfindel, and all other Elves could only dream of ever happening. He wiped away his own soul imprint on Vilya, then threw the ring into the air. The ring, Vilya, that was comparable to a divine equipment!
The powerful ring that was forged for the Elven race released a strong vibration in the air!
The vibration of the ring reached the heart of every Elf on Middle Earth. Even faraway Elves like Legolas, Glorfindel and Galadriel, the keeper of the Ring of Water, Nenya, could feel the strong sensation.
The same shocking thought crept into their minds.
“The soul imprint on the Ring of Air was removed? Has Elrond fallen?”
Out of all the Elves present, Melody was the strongest and had the purest soul. She was also a Twilight Elf who were naturally powerful. Naturally, she too could sense that Sire Vilya had lost its owner… Melody appeared very emotional. She absent-mindedly reached out her hand to infuse her own soul imprint on the ring out of instinct.
It must be emphasized that she was acting out of instinct without thinking. It was like how a person would retract their hand when they touched the flame, or how the author of this story would instinctively bend down to tie his shoelaces when a girl in short skirt walked by, or how Edison Chen would instinctively look for a camera whenever he saw a beautiful woman….
(T/N note: Edison Chen – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edison_Chen_photo_scandal)
(ED: THE GOLDEN a.n.a.lOGIES!! They just keep getting better…)
In the history of China, even a royal seal would cause royalties and n.o.bles to scrabble madly, and that was only a symbol of status. The Ring of Air, Vilya was the central ring among the Three Elven Rings of Power. It's not only a symbol of status, it was also a source of power! Think of how important it was in the heart of every Elf.
With no one stopping her, Melody caught the Ring of Air and successfully engraved her soul imprint on it. Under her control, the ring flew onto her left ring finger.
However, once Melody put on the Ring of Air, her face instantly turned pale. She covered her head with her hands and slowly leaned against a stone beside her.She looked like a withering flower, slowly wilting away.
Sheyan's pupils shrunk while Elrond burst out in laughter.
“A newly awakened Twilight Elf like you dare to lay your dirty hands on my Vilya? Dream on! Even though it had expended almost all its energy, you could consider it a testament to your ability that you weren't immediately sucked dry. When the High King of the Noldor, Gil-galad gifted upon me the Ring of Air, it took me a whole month to master the ring even with his guidance.”
“A weak Twilight Elf like you wished to understand how to control the ring without guidance? How long do you think it would take? Ten years? Twenty? Or a hundred? Oh, right. You're even a follower of the Sun G.o.d, Sin'dorei. Maybe in your next life then! Without the enlightenment bestowed by the Moon G.o.d, Luna, you will never find the correct path!”
As Sheyan looked at Melody whose face was pale and eyes were shut, he really hoped she would suddenly open her eyes and tell Elrond: 'I was Gil-galad in my previous life you garbage', then kicked Elrond to the edge of the world. But from the look of it, it would remain his fantasy.
Elrond now had the confidence to ma.s.sacre everyone and take back his treasure. Such wit was a testament to his wisdom gained over thousands of years. His name wasn't sung without reason!
Even Sheyan himself couldn't help admiring Elrond's decisiveness in letting go of the ring. That was one of the Rings of Power, yet Elrond could just throw it out nonchalantly as bait. A plan like this could no longer be called a hidden conspiracy; it's an open conspiracy! You knew it was a trap, yet your body couldn't help but jump into it!
“Reef, something doesn't add up,” Sheyan suddenly said in the party channel.
“Elrond was so strong after he regained his mind that anytime he got close to one of the Elves, he could instantly drag the Elf away without any resistance…but why didn't he finish you? Wouldn't things be a lot more convenient for him without someone like you in his way?”
Reef sounded perplexed as he replied.
“Maybe he couldn't kill me? No, that can't be. He killed Elder Desirese Roots who definitely had higher HP than I do!”
Sheyan said in a heavy tone.
“Then there's only one explanation. Elrond had prepared for this moment for a long time, so consuming the flesh essences of his own kin to rebuild his Elven bloodline was definitely within his plan. Therefore, he probably prepared a strong item or weapon for that purpose. But that item or weapon is only effective against the Elves, and not against us.”
They positioned themselves in front of Melody and the remaining Elf as they communicated. Unfortunately, Reef hadn't advanced into an Awakener yet. If he had, be it the gravitational field of Zeus or Skull's metal armour, they could have displayed their might right now.
Elrond once again charged towards Sheyan and Reef like a ghost. Reef wasn't in a hurry to use 'Shattering Cardiac Roar' this time, choosing to closely observe Elrond instead.
This time, Elrond landed both his punches heavily on Reef's s.h.i.+eld. Reef was instantly pushed away by the heavy force. Elrond then twisted his body in a weird way and grabbed Sheyan's right wrist just as Sheyan was about to throw out a curse-mix. Elrond then flicked his fingers lightly and robbed Sheyan of the curse-mix.
Sheyan immediately slashed back with determination. His blade firmly struck Elrond's body. Just as Sheyan was about to dish out another hit, an emblem on Elrond's chest suddenly radiated with a blinding white glow. Sheyan's vision was covered by the white light!
The body of a contestant is a lot stronger than the body of a normal human. A blind debuff like this would only last for 2-3 seconds on Sheyan. As soon as the glow appeared, he had immediately s.h.i.+fted his head to the side and lashed out with his blade. But his blade struck nothing but air!
His heart sank. If Reef and Sheyan were the gate protecting the people behind them, then the gate was wide open right now.
Reef's 'Shattering Cardiac Roar' sounded from behind Sheyan and washed over Elrond like a raging tide. A series of lights flashed on Elrond's body and once again negated the slowing effect from the roar. Elrond was now less than 3 meters away from Melody. She was within touching distance!
Chapter 827: The Final GambleIn this critical moment, Elrond sneezed despite himself.
Even if he was one of the strongest people on the continent, even if he was the Lord of Rivendell, even if he was the son of the human sailor, Eärendil and the Elf, Elwing who were sung in songs.
(T/N: Unlike what the author claimed, Earendil and Elwing were actually both half-elves)
But right now, he's a human!
Any human that could fall sick would not escape from the terrifying effect of the Pestilence Monarch!
Not only was the dreadful ability bugging Elrond as inevitable as fate itself, it was also as cruel as fate itself!
Elrond had already been hit by the effect once. He even used up to 6 magical accessories amidst his coughing fit but to no avail. At the time, Elrond already had a bad premonition. However, there weren't any outbursts afterwards, so Elrond put it down as a one-time use magic spell. He didn't know that it was a ticking time bomb that was merely lying dormant in his body.
The shuddering of his body caused his movement speed to fall sharply. Reef immediately blocked his path and unleashed the formidable Steelclaw upon Elrond. Simultaneously, the surviving Elven mage hugged the unconscious Melody and rolled behind Reef.
Elrond's last-minute failure caused his face to turn ashen. He unsheathed a longsword that had a notable Elven style and easily parried Reef's attack. At the same time, he used the sheath to execute a block to his side. Sheyan's '+7 West' immediately met with the sheath, causing sparks to fly. Sheyan even managed to hack off a gemstone. However, the force from the block forced Sheyan back a few steps.
Sheyan threw out a curse-mix in pa.s.sing. Elrond wasn't able to stop him this time. He used another magic item to recover from the 1.5 second stun effect from the curse-mix shockwave, but he couldn't do anything about the 25% reduction in movement speed from being inside the resulting green smoke.
At the same time, a malicious ray of light shot towards Elrond. It was the sly Franklin! Franklin used his staff to draw a circle in the air, and a sizzling ray of light shot out from the circle to burn Elrond's back.
Sheyan and Reef finally gained the upper hand in this battle full of unpredictable difficulties. They were visibly shaken still.
It must be noted that, technically speaking, Elrond was a magic user, which meant that they were in fact engaging in a melee fight with a mage who had no magic power. The mage had even been injured to a certain extent and was far from his peak condition. Yet the battle was still so unbelievably difficult!
After he saw the strange green smoke envelope an area of several hundred meters square, Elrond did not look happy at all. He gritted his teeth and forced out his words.
“This is the concocting method of Saruman the White! Why would he pa.s.s his teachings achoo to a foolish human?”
Honestly speaking, even if Elrond had brandished his weapon, it was still really troublesome to fight both Sheyan and Reef in the curse-mix smoke. Plus, he still had to be careful of the sickness that might erupt anytime. However, he was still the great Elrond. The Elrond who left his name in the history of Middle Earth!
Even after being forced into a corner, he still relied on his devilish speed, practiced battle technique and surprising fighting methods to firmly suppress Sheyan and Reef. The two of them brushed shoulders with death multiple times in the short span of a few minutes.
Which is why Sheyan chose to once again unleash the dark gold giant leech!
Sheyan had already used the leech once in his fight with Drubal, but Drubal was too busy running away to attack the leech. After his extortion of Drubal, the leech was kept back in Sheyans possession in one piece. Thus, the leech could still be used at the moment. Sheyan unhesitatingly let it out.
The 25% drop in movement speed from the curse-mix smoke might not have affected Elrond much, but the 50% drop from the giant leech is another matter. Even though it's attack was weak, it had a st.u.r.dy body and its attack had a large area of effect. Its debuffs were also really annoying for the enemy.
Elrond got careless for a moment, and Sheyan and Reef latched on to the chance to land their attacks. Sheyan's blade was strong, but Reef's claw was also pretty fierce. The claw struck Elrond's right thigh heavily and tore open a large wound!
If Elrond had coincidentally coughed or s.h.i.+vered at the moment of impact, he might have lost his leg.
More importantly, when Elrond ran away with the Elven mage before this, he was alerted by the changes on Vilya's seal on Melody before he could absorb the life essence of the Elf. He forcefully broke off the ritual and hadn't managed to recover any of his HP.
After the series of fierce battle, Elrond now had less than 50% of his HP remaining. On the other hand, Reef and Sheyan could share the damage sustained and had the strong Twilight Elf's blessings on them. Their HPs were sustained above 80% the whole time. Besides that, there were also Franklin and the sole remaining Elven mage. They were both forces to be reckoned with!
As soon as the dark gold leech appeared, it became the straw that broke the camel's back. The scale of victory started to tip towards Sheyan's side.
Under such circ.u.mstances, Elrond quickly retreated outside the poisonous smoke. Determination flashed in his eyes as he produced a scroll from his chest.
The scroll looked old but was s.h.i.+ning with a bright l.u.s.tre, giving it the luxurious feel of an antique treasure. Elrond looked at the group in front of him with venom in eyes. If it wasn't for Sheyan's interference, he would have already started the rebuilding process of his Elven bloodline by now. Instead, he's still struggling for his life here.
Sheyan and Reef's hearts both tightened when they saw Elrond's action. A scroll that he had kept up to now would definitely be his last measure in case of emergency. It would be his final gamble!
Elrond obviously believed that the scroll would let him make a comeback. If Sheyan and co. could overcome this final hurdle, they would be grabbing victory by the throat. If they couldn't, then all their efforts will go to waste!
With a solemn face, Elrond held the scroll in both hands and chanted earnestly:
“O power of the sprout. Please awaken. Honour the agreement from ancient times!”
“Clear all obstructions blocking my way.”
“Your freedom awaits after completing my wish.”
“Wake up, the ruler of all trees, the tyrant of roots. Man-Eating Devil Tree, Harlech!”
“Refuse me my wish, and your soul shall agonise within the fire of h.e.l.l for a thousand years!”
Throughout the whole chanting process, both Franklin and the Elven mage had continuously released a torrent of offensive spells towards Elrond. However, every time a spell was about to connect, an image of a yellow leaf would appear to block the spell.
Elrond had no magic power left in him; the terrifying defensive ability must come from the scroll!
When Elrond concluded his chanting, an indescribable pressure leisurely spread out from the scroll towards the surrounding forest. The trees it touched released mournful howls and shook their roots. Then, they stood up from the ground and hugged each other.
The trees in the Misty Mountains were at least 50 years old. Even if they did grow slower in cold climate, all of them required at least 2 people to join fingers to hug them.
Their branches firmly intertwined together; the sounds of branches snapping could occasionally be heard. The biggest change came in the leaves of these trees. The surface of the leaves started transforming into a pattern that looked like the scales of snakes!
Finally, hundreds of trees wove themselves together to form a magnificent Ent. The Ent was covered in a snake-like pattern. Tentacle-like vines formed into a pair of hands. The Ent gave out an indescribably evil feeling.
The Ent was a devastating Devil Tree killed by Elrond's mother while she was wandering the continent. She sealed its soul inside a scroll and gave it to Elrond for him to use in times of need.
Just looking at the size of the Ent made Sheyan and Reef feel helpless. They were further intimidated by the sinister aura it emitted. Ents were huge to begin with – Ferrell, for example, was an enormous thing – but compared to Harlech, Ferrell was like a kid that could only reach Harlech's thigh!
Suddenly, Reef and Sheyan felt a warm sensation on the skin on their back. They turned around and saw a whirlpool-shaped hole within the clouds. A ray of sunlight s.h.i.+ned down from the hole to envelope Melody. The whole scene looked incomparably sacred and glorious. The Elven mage couldn't help kneeling down in tears, looking extremely emotional.
Melody floated up into the air with her eyes still closed. The strong sunlight produced bits of glimmer that wrapped themselves protectively around her body. Sheyan noticed that the Ring of Air, Vilya was glowing brilliantly on her finger.
Chapter 828: The Fall of Elrond“The eternal sun will guide our way, to keep us from getting lost in the dark.”
“The eternal sun will guide our way, to keep our future bright.”
“The eternal sun will guide our way, let its light cleanse away all evil.”
“The eternal sun will guide our way, to keep our morale forever high.”
Melody's voice got louder with each verse she chanted, and the sunlight shone brighter. The sunlight looked as if it was converging around her!
With each chant, the body of the terrifying Devil Tree, Harlech would shake violently, and a burst of flame would explode on him!
Elrond looked on in grief as the hidden card left by his mother howled and shuddered. With Melody's 4th verse, Harlech was turned into what was probably the world's largest torch, burning fiercely!
Even Elrond himself started showing burn marks and letting out smoke. Soon, a few tiny embers even appeared on his body!
Melody dropped back to the ground soon after, looking rather pale. Blood dripped out of her lips. However, the persistent sunlight still pierced the clouds to blanket her protectively.
Melody's actions had completely destroyed Elrond's sense of rationality! Elrond wailed in despair. He didn't even wait to extinguish the flames on his body before charging straight at Sheyan's group. His eyes were bloodshot and he looked to be totally devoid of reason. Facing an Elrond who had completely given up on defence and gave everything he had in attack put Sheyan and Reef under immense pressure.
As the fight neared its conclusion, Elrond managed to kill the dark gold leech. That was a testament to how wildly he attacked! Even more surprising was that he still had quite a few magic items on his body that would activate themselves throughout the battle. The faint green glow of Rejuvenation spells would occasionally appear on his body. Sheyan and Reef could only persistently hang on.
Fortunately, they both had the Twilight Elf's blessing on them. In addition to that, the Elven mage stopped attacking once she saw that the situation was dire with the two, and used her MP to relentlessly cast healing spells on them.
After 15 minutes, Reef's life once fell into a critical state and the 'Life-Link' was activated. Sheyan risked a stab by Elrond on his chest and grabbed onto Elrond's weapon with both hands!
Seizing this opportunity, Melody once again stood up with difficulty!
She had barely recovered some of her divine power. Under the illumination of the sunlight, the green glow emitted from her body turned into golden characters. They were divine ancient Elven runes! 3 divine characters combined into a flaming javelin, and abruptly shot forward!
That was Melody's advanced ability:
Scorching Dictum!
The javelin did not look like it possess a lot of speed, but as it tore through the air, it left behind a blinding trail of flame. The fire on the javelin itself looked even more intimidating and would occasionally form the illusion of a roaring beast!
Everyone there held their breath as if the surrounding air had been sucked away. A scorching heat wave a.s.saulted them like a tsunami!
The Scorching Dictum stabbed into Elrond's chest, and melted away into his body as if it was absorbed by him.
Elrond was frozen in place. He looked down at his chest in disbelief as the defensive magic items on his body went off one after another like fireworks. Next, his whole body lit up into a conflagration with him at the centre.
The next second, Elrond floated up into the air. He released a long wail that contained sadness, pain, despair, relief… in short, all kinds of emotions mixed together. He then started to crumble into ashes bit by bit, which dispersed into the surrounding. This marked the moment Elrond disappeared from this world!
A few rainbow-coloured crystals dropped down from the ashes.
Melody fell hard to the ground after unleas.h.i.+ng the Scorching Dictum. She fell into unconsciousness while blood continuously flowed out from every orifice on her face, soaking up her clothes. The Elven mage immediately rushed forward to take care of her.
At the same time, the trio of Sheyan, Reef and Franklin received a series of notifications:
[You have killed a famous storyline hero of Middle Earth, Elrond Idril.]
(ED: Idril was the daughter of Turgon, King of Gondolin, and the mother of Eärendil, making her Elrond's grandmother, it isn't Elrond's actual family name in the LOTR world)
[You obtained 2311 Fate points of the Dark Lord faction.]
[You obtained the mysterious item : Elven Illusion Bone Crystals.]
[You have obtained the relevant qualification. Please remember to visit the outpost of the Gray Dwarves at the outer border of Angmar on time.]
[Because Elrond Idril died under a special circ.u.mstance and an event character partic.i.p.ated in the attack, the grade of the key dropped by Elrond will be lowered correspondingly.]
[Contestant no. 1018, your Elven lover, Melody Sunstrider also partic.i.p.ated in the attack on Elrond and even obtained an extremely important divine equipment of this world – The Ring of Air, Vilya. Therefore, Elrond will not drop a key unless you cut all ties with Melody Sunstrider.]
[Contestant no. 1018, due to your party prestige being Silver, you will obtain some compensation. You and your party members will each get 3 chances to randomly draw from the things Elrond left behind. The scope of the draw will be limited to the contents in Elrond's bag. If you add contestant no. 90 to your party, he will also obtain the chance to draw.]
Seeing the notifications, Sheyan could understand why the realm made that kind of decisions. Melody, who was his Elven lover, had already obtained the biggest reward – becoming the master of the Ring of Air! That was why the reward of the party was limited, or else the key dropped by Elrond would have a chance of drawing another Ring of Air. That's just way too much.
Sheyan took a look at the unknown mysterious items – the Elven Illusion Bone Crystals. The item description was pretty decent:
[This is the bone crystal left by High Elves after their deaths. A lot of people from the Dark Lord's side are interested in this item.]
Seems to be a trade item then.
Of course there's no way Sheyan would be so short sighted and cut all ties with Melody. It's not like he could bear to do it anyway. He could only sigh and throw out a party invitation to Franklin. Next, he went to check on Melody's condition. After confirming that her injuries weren't fatal and she was merely unconscious, he finally prepared himself to loot Elrond.
Franklin was honestly not that happy after receiving the party invitation. That's because Sheyan only gave him a reserve party member spot. The calculative fella was hurt at the way Sheyan treated a comrade who went through life and death together with him just a moment ago. But when he saw the changes in his HP and MP, he was shocked speechless. Next, he was washed over by a feeling of immense joy! He stared at the party skill 'Glory Heal' that the reserve members couldn't use in antic.i.p.ation.
Now it was time for a contest of luck. Based on the generosity of the realm in allowing each party member 3 draws, 'abundant' would be an understatement to describe the number of things contained in Elrond's bag. There should be some good stuff in there…but there would definitely be a lot more useless things.
Sheyan looked at the first thing he drew, not knowing whether to laugh or to cry. They were a pair of socks. The socks were woven in an intricate pattern and had a grand and luxurious Elvish feel.
But that's not the point. The point was, this thing that was marked as a miscellaneous item had a really long description:
[This is a pair of socks woven with Ice Cicada threads. The complex handicraft was the work of the grandmaster Siclair. They are a work of art. This series of socks had remained the sole choice for Elrond for 300 years…..]
In the end, the hint given was: worth 150 utility points.
When he saw the last sentence, Sheyan who had been forcing himself to read every word of the description coughed up blood. It's fortunate there wasn't a (Dirty) behind the socks' name or he really would have broken down.
Under Sheyan's prior example, Franklin wasn't expecting much from his draw. He only hoped he wouldn't get Elrond's underwear. He certainly didn't expect to draw a black cloak.
[The Lost Cloak]
[Grade: Black]
[World Origin: Lord of the Rings]
[Requirements: 20 Physique, 15 Agility]
[Durability: 55/55]
[Material: Silk, Mithril thread, strong spider thread]
[Effect 1: Physique +3, Agility +2]
[Effect 2: Alchemists imbued a spell within the Mithril to increase your dodge rate by 15%]
[Effect 3: The cloak contains a magical enchantment. Whenever you receive an attack, there is a small chance of producing a magical barrier that can absorb 30 points of damage.]
[Properties: The Lost Cloak will lower your accuracy by 10%.]
[Description: This is an item that belonged to a person who used to be the most famous Alchemist. It disappeared a long time ago.]
Franklin shrugged and handed the cloak to Reef without saying anything. That was the rule of almost every party with an MT. The MT had absolute priority over any equipment with defensive properties. Only after the MT pa.s.sed on the equipment could it land in the hands of other party members.
Chapter 829: The Scary AlliesIn the next few minutes, the three of them each witnessed the absurd amount of luggage that Elven n.o.bilities brought with them when they depart on a journey. For 8 draws, all they got besides the black cloak was a whole bunch of garbage that had a distinct Elvish flavour. In total, they were worth less than 10,000 utility points.
Sheyan calmed himself before taking the final draw. He went over to the unconscious Melody and stole a kiss for luck. The kiss seemed to have brought him good fortune indeed, as his last draw produced an emerald leaf that let out a soft silver glow. The glow gave off a cool feeling and made one feel very comfortable.
After significant effort from the surviving Elven mage, they managed to identify the leaf. It was a magic item that had a tiny magic seal on it. The seal needed to be removed before they can observe the leaf's properties.
The seal wasn't a strong one; it was only put in place to prevent accidental use of the leaf. However, the MP of the mage had been completely expended, so it would have to wait.
Melody was still unconscious, so Sheyan carried her. The group moved towards the designated rendezvous point under the guidance of the Elven mage who was familiar with the geography of the place. Segimli and Elder Annenia Cyathea should be anxiously waiting for them there.
It wasn't the first time Sheyan had Melody in his embrace; they've had some pretty intimate encounters after all. Melody was quite slim and her body was actually pretty small except for her chest.
But when Sheyan carried her this time, he found that it took all his strength and he was even sweating. He was already out of breath after climbing over 2 hills.
Sheyan felt as if he wasn't carrying Melody, but was carrying a metal statue! Something told Sheyan that it must be due to the ring, Vilya. But despite being tired, his legs never stopped moving and they managed to maintain a decent pace.
The journey was pretty uneventful so Sheyan once again enquired about the situation on the battlefield.
The Elven mage told them what happened after Sheyan detonated the bomb below the cliff to create an avalanche. The Gold Evergreen that was forcefully matured had an unstable foundation, so the defense of the Elven heroes naturally collapsed too. But Galadriel managed to force 3 Nazgûl into the avalanche with her spell.
Galadriel, Glorfindel and Legolas seized the chance to spread out and escape. The remaining Nazgûl had no choice but to break up to chase after each of them. Elrond was prepared for this moment. After his other half self-destructed, he tore a valuable scroll to turn invisible and vanished into thin air.
Reef and the rest of the Elves rushed towards Melody with Elder Desirese Roots leading the way. Ferrell fell while holding a Nazgûl back. Fortunately, the destroyed Ferrell wasn't Ferrell's real body. It took a huge toll on him, but he could still be reborn under the Sacred Oak.
They fled for a short distance after rescuing Melody, but Elrond caught up to them and activated the seal that he had prepared beforehand. The killings ensued.
After Sheyan heard all this, he hastened his pace. That's because he knew that even if Galadriel, Glorfindel and Legolas were chased by 2 Nazgûl each, the encirclement of the Nazgûl had been broken. Escaping wouldn't be a problem at all for these Elven heroes. The Nazgûl had no chance to kill them.
And this was exactly what Sheyan was afraid of! Sometimes, your “allies” are scarier than your enemies!
Suddenly, Franklin spoke out.
“Erm….Mr. Reef, there's something that I need to tell you about.”
It seemed like Franklin wasn't that observant. He's already a reserve member of the party, yet he still hadn't figured out who the real decision maker was in the party. It wasn't entirely his fault though. It was almost a universal truth that the highest authority in a party would be the one holding the s.h.i.+eld. Furthermore, Reef's dark gold s.h.i.+eld really stood out.
Reef release an abashed cough and asked.
“What is it?”
Franklin replied.
“When we left the place where Elrond was killed, I laid down some magic traps. They weren't the type of traps that will cause damage, but the type used for sensing and investigation. A moment ago, my trap was destroyed.”
Reef asked in a heavy tone.
“Do you know who did it?”
Franklin replied.
“I couldn't see his face, but I have an image of his back.”
Franklin then took out his staff and drew a circle in the air. The circle then projected an image in the air. That's the advantage of having an Illusionist – information can be directly portrayed.
All of them had a solemn look on their face when they saw the image. The figure was tall and muscular. Unlike the breath of death on Elrond, every inch of the person's body exuded life. The most telling sign was his s.h.i.+ning blonde hair!
“It's Glorfindel,” said the Elven mage solemnly.
The name itself caused everyone's breath to become heavy.
This guy wouldn't be as easy to deal with as Elrond!
Honestly speaking, even if Melody returned to her peak condition and all the Elves Elrond killed were revived, they still wouldn't be a match for the powerful and ambitious Glorfindel. Think back to the extreme difficulty Elrond posed them even after his bloodline was split in half, and he had to fight physically despite being a mage! They had almost lost to that Elrond!
How could they handle Glorfindel when he was at full strength?
Franklin tried to lighten the mood by saying.
“Hey, at least we left some false trails before we left. He definitely can't find us.”
However, the Elven mage said dejectedly.
“As early as 140 years ago, after the fall of the top hunter of Rivendell, Jose Caca, a lot of people already felt that Glorfindel should inherit this t.i.tle. I recall that one time when Lord Elrond's beloved flower lark flew away from her cage. After Glorfindel heard about this the next day, he caught the lark, and brought it back, within 2 hours. I was the one who forgot to lock the cage after feeding the bird, so I clearly remember it.”
The whole party was blanketed by a heavy atmosphere, but Sheyan who had reached the top of a hill smiled instead. That's because, after trekking for one and a half hours, he could finally see the rendezvous point. The terrain of the place was rather unique and looked like the two humps on a camel's back.
When the group found that their destination was within sight, they burst forward with renewed vigor. The thought of their terrifying pursuer spurred them on.
Sheyan then saw Segimli and Elder Annenia Cyathea. They indeed looked very anxious. They were pacing back and forth like ants on a frying pan.
After discovering the group, Segimli immediately ran over to give Sheyan a warm hug. The elite Dwarven warriors he led also tossed their caps into the air. That was the highest show of respect a Dwarf could give.
On the other hand, Elder Annenia Cyathea was absolutely shocked. He was stunned for a moment, looked around, and asked.
“Is…. is this all that's left of your group?”
Sheyan nodded.
“That's right.”
Elder Annenia Cyathea couldn't believe it.
“What about Desirese Roots and Annil Yusu? They're both dead?”
The female Elven mage was already in tears, and told him.
“They were consumed by Lord Elrond.”
Elder Annenia Cyathea was shocked speechless. His eyes fell on Melody – more precisely, on Melody's finger! He stammered out in a strange voice.
“Sin'dorei above!!! Are my eyes deceiving me? Why does the ring on Lady Melody's finger look so familiar?”
Sheyan simply said.
“Of course it would look familiar to you. You must have seen it before on Elrond's hand.”
Elder Annenia Cyathea helplessly spread his hands and said with a shaky voice:
“That's impossible! Even if Lord Elrond had pa.s.sed away, his soul imprint will still remain on the Ring of Air for a hundred years! Is Sire Vilya being used to seal and curse Lady Melody's power? No, that's not right. The feeling it gave out was in harmony with Lady Melody, as if they were one!”
Sheyan couldn't be bothered explaining too much and simply told him.
“The eternal sun guides our way, so there is nothing we couldn't do. By the way, my Dwarven friends, have you done the favour I asked of you?”
Segimli seriously replied.
“It was already done 4 hours ago. Please do not doubt the reputation of the Dwarves. It is as reliable as a boulder!”
Following Segimli's words, the Dwarves parted to both sides to reveal a large piece of flatland behind them. This would be another trump card prepared by Sheyan!
Chapter 830: PlanningAs if the setting sun in the western sky wanted to display its last bit of glory for the day before falling into slumber, the sunlight that fell on the skin carried a penetrating heat.
The flatland looked as if it shone with a metallic silver glow under the bright setting sun. A total of 67 expensive gemstones were imbued into the ground in a circle. Within an area of 10 square meters lied an a.s.sortment of valuable materials including Mithril threads, Firegold fragments, magical-rune satin, Blackfang stones, hydromicas and Silver Crystals. These materials were banded together into a mystical, inter-linking diagram via mysterious means. Various dimensional spells were casted on the diagram. When a person looked at it, they would find their vision being distorted.
One must admit that the Dwarves truly had a natural talent in construction. If it were the humans or the Elves building this magical formation, they would need at least 6 months and double the amount of material.
But it only took Segimli and less than 40 Dwarves a total of 5 hours to complete the teleportation formation. Of course, Elder Annenia Cyathea and the other 4 Elven mages played a huge part in this too with their continuous infusion of magical energy.
“What a waste,” sighed Segimli as he inspected the one-way teleportation formation at Sheyan's side. “The treasures that lie here are enough to buy a whole human city. Yet you used them to build a one-way teleportation circle that can only be used once! My dear Seaman, even if you're so rich that the devils would be jealous of you, I must say it again – this is a huge waste!”
Sheyan looked back at the dense forest covering the mountains behind them, and smiled.
“Oh, my friend. Believe me, this isn't a waste at all. These things are valuable, yes, but that means that their values can be measured. To use these materials in exchange for the invaluable lives of everyone here, that's great business in my book!”
As Sheyan said this, he could already feel a strong presence from afar which exuded tremendous pressure. Feelings of unease, greed and domination were mixed in the pressure. Sheyan pulled Segimli close and asked.
“You did make this a one-time use formation, right?”
Segimli unhappily replied.
“You are doubting the skills of the Dwarves!”
Sheyan laughingly said.
“If that's the case, can you disguise the formation so that after we've used it, it would appear to be usable still? Then, the person who sees this will step into the formation and will activate it. Of course, that's not going to be a smart move. The s.p.a.ce-time distortion will give him a lesson to remember.”
Segimli frowned and said.
“That's not hard, but it will increase the cost.”
Sheyan decisively said.
“Leave that for me to worry about, my friend. Also, it's important that you finish the job within a short period of time.”
Segimli still frowned and said.
“I'll need to add another energy stone, and I also need the help from our pointy-eared friends here to slightly change the magic pattern. Are you sure there's a need to do this?”
“Do it. We don't have much time left,” said Sheyan firmly. Then, he turned to Franklin and said, “Mr. Franklin, I believe you must have laid down some detection traps along the way. Tell me, how far away is he?”
Franklin honestly told Sheyan.
“At his current pace, he will reach us in about 30 minutes. That is, if he hadn't messed with my magical detection traps to mislead me.”
Sheyan turned back to Segimli and said.
“My friend, I can give you only 20 minutes then. I look forward to your work.”
While they were waiting for the remodelling, Elder Annenia Cyathea walked over to Melody to inspect her condition. He could feel that the energies inside Melody were in a very complicated situation right now. The energy of the Twilight Elf, the energy of Sin'dorei, and the energy from the Ring of Air formed a chaotic mess.
Trying to unravel a bunched up ball of thread is enough to make one go crazy. Imagine if there were 3 b.a.l.l.s of threads bunched up together!
The main cause of this was still due to Melody forcefully used her power twice after signing the soul contract with Vilya.
Signing a soul contract with Vilya was a matter that should be handled with care. Even a genius like Elrond had to recuperate for a period of time after he did it. Besides that, he also had the guidance of the previous master of Vilya. And it still took him a whole month to control the power within the ring!
Melody was a follower of the Sun G.o.d Sin'dorei to begin with, and secondly, she used her power recklessly right after obtaining the ring. Even if Elrond and the High King of the Noldor, Gil-galad both came back to life, they wouldn't be able to help her now.
The only good news was that, according to Elder Annenia Cyathea, Melody's life was in no danger. Something like going insane due to the in-fighting between the powers in her wouldn't happen. The powers in her body might repel each other and cancel each other out, thus weakening her strength, but they wouldn't devour her.
Sheyan then took out the leaf from his bag and asked an Elven mage to identify it. The mage instantly asked in surprise.
“Isn't this the leaf of the Sacred Oak that Lord Elrond's mother brought back from across the sea?”
She easily dispelled the seal on the leaf with a wave of the hand. A fresh aroma instantly filled the air. She then placed the leaf back in Sheyan's hand.
[Evergreen Leaf of the Sacred Oak]
[Grade: Silver storyline]
[Equipment slot: Bag]
[Materials: Chlorophyll, mitochondrion, Golgi body, Endoplasmic reticulum, lysosome, divine energy, permanent enchantment]
[ Additional installations: None ]
[ Weight: 4g ]
[After charging: Enable you to continuously receive the blessing of the forest. In battle, HP regeneration +3pt/5 seconds. Outside battle, HP regeneration +6pt/5 seconds]
[Every charge will cost 10,000 utility points. Lasts for 1 week.]
[Oak Recovery: The energy of the Sacred Oak is contained in the leaf. Use this ability on a target to cast a level 5 Rejuvenation spell which will heal the target over a duration of 12 seconds, for the total healing amount of 450 – 600 points.]
[Every use of Oak Recovery will cost you 3000 utility points/1 potential point. After using Oak Recovery, there will be a cooldown period of 1 hour. When Oak Recovery is in cooldown, you can still use it for a maximum of 2 times, but must pay double the previous cost (2nd use : 6000 utility points/2 potential points. 3rd use : 12,000 utility points/4 potential points. 4th use not permitted).]
[Description: This is a leaf plucked by Elwing from the foundation of the world, the great tree of Teldra.s.sil. She gave it to her son as a birthday present. It was something very important to Elrond.]
(ED: Teldra.s.sil is the home of the Night Elves in WoW.)
Sheyan felt that the leaf was very useful indeed. It gave Sheyan an active healing ability. 450 – 600 points of HP might not be much for Sheyan, but it's quite significant for magic users like Franklin. Of course,the price for using the ability was pretty high. Sheyan must be careful or it might make him go bankrupt.
By this time, the Dwarves had finished the remodelling work. The size of the teleport formation had doubled and it now s.h.i.+ned with a brighter glow. In order to make it look more convincing, the Dwarves had even built some resting benches to the side.
Franklin told Sheyan that Glorfindel was already pretty close at the moment. Ironically, Glorfindel might have found his way here by following the traps left by Franklin. In other words, if Franklin hadn't left those traps as a precaution, Glorfindel might have been delayed for a bit longer.
But that's no longer important. He asked Segimli to activate the teleport formation and they started to step into the white light in the centre one after another. Each of them were transported to the predetermined destination after 2-3 seconds.
Sheyan was the last to step into the formation. His hand held a gemstone. Segimli had previously told him that if he crushed the gemstone before he was transported out, energy will continue being provided to the formation.
To make sure Glorfindel would fall for the trick, they actually perfected the weaknesses and gaps in this magic formation. Instead, they mainly altered the receiving point at the destination. That was the change that would be the hardest for him to notice.
Sheyan crushed the gemstone and stepped into the formation. Amidst the bright white glow of the teleportation magic, he saw a golden radiance on the faraway mountain range. A large number of birds were flying around the radiance in circles. That's right, the golden glow came from the hair of the Great Elder Glorfindel, a Twilight Elf. He had indeed chased them all the way here. His target was obvious – the symbol of authority, the source of power, the Ring of Air, Vilya!
Chapter 831: Counter AttackNo doubt, Glorfindel had also seen the brilliant light from when Sheyan was teleported out. His expression turned dark. Without so much as lifting a finger, he appeared to vanish into thin air. When he reappeared, he had already moved forward by more than 200 meters. It took him less than 10 seconds to reach the teleportation formation.
The veteran Twilight Elf was indeed experienced. He first took a look at the surrounding area, then shouted.
“Your eyes shall be mine; your ears shall be mine!”
“Heed my wish, faeries of the forest! Use your wings to follow the trail of the enemy.”
Glorfindel s.h.i.+ned with a faint green glimmer. The glimmer then dispersed into the bodies of the surrounding birds.
All the birds surrounding Glorfindel scattered in different directions at a wave of his hand.
Everything that the birds see and hear will be instantly transmitted back to Glorfindel. Stealth and camouflage were useless in front of this spell.
The sly old fox was obviously wary of being tricked. He suspected that Sheyan might have left through the teleportation formation to bait him to give chase, while the rest of them ran away.
He didn't believe that a teleportation formation of such scale would suddenly spring up here for no reason. The cost to build this formation was staggering. This spot wasn't on an important trade route, nor was it a strategic defensive location. There were no forts, mage towers or any famous products nearby. The existence of the formation was definitely suspicious.
“This teleportation formation must be a smokescreen. It's merely a counterfeit.”
That was Glorfindel's first thought when he saw the formation. His second thought was that the formation was actually built pretty well.
Glorfindel believed that the faeries of the forest will sent back a satisfactory response within the next few minutes. He will definitely get his hands on those fleeing ants this time. He couldn't help but burn with antic.i.p.ation.
However, as the birds sent their feedback one after another, the more enraged Glorfindel got. This was the first time he made a misjudgement when he was tracking something down.
Glorfindel once again focused his attention of the teleportation formation. To his surprise, he found that the all the expensive materials that made up the formation looked very authentic. More importantly, after expending a large amount of magic power, he could detect the clear traces of dimensional magic!
Glorfindel was filled with complicated and conflicting emotions. This was the closest he ever got to the Ring of Air, Vilya! He wasn't worried about those ants running away; he was more wary of Galadriel and Legolas!
It was exactly because of how weak the ants were that he was worried. If either of those two found them first, then it's almost a foregone conclusion that the Ring of Air would fall into their hands. Even though Glorfindel was strong, there was still no way he could s.n.a.t.c.h the ring from the possession of Galadriel or Legolas.
Glorfindel stared at the magic formation for a while before taking out a gemstone from his s.h.i.+rt. He engraved the gemstone at the core of the formation. Then, he took a deep breath and stepped inside. Little did he know that somewhere a few hundred kilometers away, a few Dwarves and a human were sinisterly laughing.
“It lit up! Glorfindel activated the magic formation!”
“Would he let an animal test the formation first?”
“It didn't matter, let the animal be sacrificed then. After the formation was used once, its internal structure will malfunction and explode. Glorfindel won't be able to use the formation either.”
As they speak, the receiving teleportation formation in front of them shone brightly. A blurry image of Glorfindel appeared within the formation. His signature golden hair was truly eye-catching.
Segimli pounded his warhammer hard on a certain mechanism on the formation with a shout. The receiving teleportation formation immediately started shaking violently. Then, the whole formation shattered and broke down into dust. Glorfindel's image within the formation disappeared without a trace.
“Woohoo! Bon voyage, Mr. Glorfindel. I hope you like the taste of of the water in Lake Salgar!” Segimli was so excited he started whistling.
The young Dwarf had put his outstanding talent in construction on display. What he did was simple; after Glorfindel activated the magic formation, Segimli changed the coordinates of the destination to Lake Salgar thousands of miles away. Lake Salgar was a horrible place. In the local language, Salgar actually meant rotten smell. It was a place that was similar to the Great Ndipaya Swamp.
Of course, suddenly altering the teleportation coordinate like this might result in s.p.a.ce-time distortion, messed-up coordinate, getting lost in time and other risks, but that's Glorfindel's problem.
Segimli proudly exclaimed.
“My dear friend, I have completed your request. I swear upon the name of the G.o.d of Stones, even if he is one of the Twilight Elves, Glorfindel will still have to experience hunger, cold and a rotten environment for 10 days before he can catch up to us. At least.”
Sheyan smiled and said.
“To show my appreciation, I will increase the fee we agreed upon by 10%.”
Sheyan reached into his pocket and took out a simple looking leather pouch. Segimli was all smiles as he received it. He was about to keep the pouch when an old but strong-looking Dwarf took the pouch away from him and carefully weighed it in his hands. In the end, he let out a satisfied smile.
“The G.o.d of Stones above, we finally have enough Adamantium and Mithril to produce some quality goods. At least we won't be left too far behind at the Skifz Ascûd now.”
After the elite Dwarven warriors heard the old Dwarf's words, they erupted in joy. They once again threw their hats in the air.
The old Dwarf looked at Sheyan and said in a booming voice.
“My friend, you have won the good will of the Gimli tribe. Why not come take refugee in our tribe? As soon as news of Elrond's demise spread, it will no longer be so easy for you to find a welcoming place on Middle Earth.”
Sheyan, though, smiled and said.
“Since Glorfindel has left us with so much time to prepare, it would be a waste not to use it to its fullest. I sincerely thank you for your invitation. However, our destination now shouldn't be the welcoming Gimli tribe….but Rivendell.”
“WHAT!!”
All of them were extremely shocked to hear Sheyan's words.
Elder Annenia Cyathea was the first to voice out his doubt.
“Lord Protector, this might not be the best time to go to Rivendell.”
Sheyan simply shook his head. A peculiar glint flashed across his eyes.
“I disagree, Elder. This is the perfect time to go to Rivendell. Please take a look at the map. With Rivendell as the centre, the place that was attacked by the coalition of 8 Nazgûls….yup, that's right, the Noorie Ridges is about 900 km to the west of Rivendell. Thanks to the teleportation formation, we've travelled over 800 km in the blink of an eye. We've already reached the Nos Hills west of Rivendell. If we pick up the pace, we can reach Rivendell by midnight!”
Sheyan continued.
“Galadriel and Legolas are both being chased by Nazgûls. Glorfindel is on vacation at the beautiful Lake Salgar. Elrond has returned to the embrace of Mother Nature. Under such circ.u.mstances, none of these formidable Elves can reach Rivendell before us. That means, when our very own Melody Sunstrider walk into Rivendell with The Ring of Air raised high, she would be the one holding the highest position! No one currently in Rivendell has enough power to contest her authority! More Elves will bathe in the glory of Sin'dorei!”
Elder Annenia Cyathea sucked in a cold breath despite himself.
“So what you're saying is….”
Sheyan said pointedly.
“We're simply too weak right now. Only by becoming stronger can we stand on an even footing with those powerhouses. There's a saying in my hometown – the things that you don't have the power to obtain on the battlefield, don't expect to get them on the negotiation table.”
“I agree with you, my Protector.”
Melody suddenly spoke out in a soft but resolute voice. No one noticed when she regained her consciousness. She looked weak, but her eyes showed a strong determination. When the setting sun s.h.i.+ned on her long hair, it glowed brilliantly.
“During my days of confinement, I've thought of many things. I still had hope and faith in my kin at that time. Fortunately, Galadriel, Lord Elrond, Lord Glorfindel and Prince Legolas taught me a valuable lesson. I now know the other meaning of justice. I now know what the true elegance of the Elves look like.”
Melody's voice choked with emotions and tears dropped from her eyes as she spoke, but she resolutely continued.
“When I heard of their decision, I finally understood the truth regarding the world. So be it then. I will survive with my own way. I will take destiny into my own hands!”
Chapter 832: Strengthened Pestilence MonarchThe sun gradually fell below the horizon and took back its warmth. Something unexpected happened after that. Melody's condition worsened after the sun set, and fell into a semi-conscious state.
She leaned on Sheyan with her eyes closed, her pale skin looking soft and gentle.She tightly held onto her Protector's arm with a smile on her face. Only the occasional creases that appeared between her brows betrayed the pain she was in.
The others exchanged meaningful glances. There were definitely some followers of Elrond and Glorfindel in Rivendell still. Without Melody leading them in with the Ring of Air, all their plans were meaningless. They know that casually striding into Rivendell would only result in their capture.
They concentrated their gazes on Sheyan as Sheyan had unknowingly become the centre of the group. He thought for a moment and said.
“Sire Vilya was created for the purpose of protecting the Elves. Even though Lady Sunstrider has to go through some growing pains to a.s.similate herself with the ring, it definitely wouldn't curse her or harm her life.”
Sheyan continued.
“Let us depart first and find a place near Rivendell to rest for the night. Tomorrow morning, we will send someone into Rivendell to scout. After making sure the coast is clear, we'll escort Lady Melody in. Our biggest worries now should be Legolas and Galadriel, but they surely hadn't received any news yet, so they wouldn't suddenly travel 800 km back to Rivendell overnight. Our plans might have been delayed but there's still not much risk of things going wrong.”
Sheyan's words were reasonable. The rest nodded their heads in agreement. About 3 hours later, they reached the foot of a hill that was situated less than 10 km away from Rivendell. Any further and they might be found by Rivendell's scouting party.
Under the spells of the Elves, the proud trees bent down their bodies and weaved themselves into wooden houses. The fishes in the river voluntarily jumped onto the bank. The bushes parted themselves to reveal a piece of dry land. A short while later, bonfires rose on the clearing.
They knew Melody would want to spend some time with Sheyan, so they built a separate house for the both of them. The house was situated a bit of a distance away from the other houses, but close enough that they can still rush over if anything were to happen.
The dancing fire spread a comfortable warmth to the embracing couple. For Melody's comfort, Sheyan actually lit 2 fires around them. The dry pine twigs crackled while they burned. The smoke they produced carried a faint aroma.
The warmth gave rise to hints of blushes on Melody, accentuating her beauty. Her thin body felt so frail in Sheyan's arms.
Before this, Melody gave off a gentle fragrance, but now she emitted a strong aroma. The aroma was akin to the crisp smell of clean, dry clothes under a bright sky. Hugging Melody gave Sheyan the feeling of basking in an early summer sun. It made him feel clean. Comfortable. Happy.
Sheyan tightened his embrace, buried his face in Melody's thin shoulder, and took a deep breath. He then said.
“It's a nice feeling, hugging you.”
Melody smiled. She indulged herself in the strong body of her Protector, breathing in the distinct smell of her man. It made her happy, made her forget all her worries and pain. She slowly rested her head on his shoulder, and sang.
The noises in the surrounding somehow dimmed out as soon as the song started. The voices of conversations, the crackling of the twigs in the fires, the boiling noises from the pot – they were all silenced.
The only sounds that answered the song back were the cries of insects in the forest, the rustling of branches as they swayed in the wind, and the burbling of rivers as they flow. The song had no name, but anyone who heard it would only think of one word – nature.
“That's the voice of an angel,” exclaimed Franklin who was hearing Melody's song for the first time. He was baking a kind of root that looked like sweet potato in the fire, but lost himself in Melody's voice and had burned the root before he realised it. The burn was so bad that end of the stick he was using to hold the root lit up in flames.
The rest of the Elves, including Elder Annenia Cyathea, closed their eyes and listened to the song attentively. The song seemed to hold a special significance for them.
The Dwarves showed an even stronger reaction. Some laughed and gulped down large mouthfuls of beer, while others planted their faces in the ground and wailed. The most extreme reaction belonged to Segimli. He tried hard to hold himself back initially, but eventually gave in. He stood up, grabbed his battle axe, and screamed.
“Aunt Ufraydin! My love for you will never change!”
Sheyan couldn't help himself and laughed loudly.
“Such unique taste! His puppy love was for his aunt!”
But Sheyan quickly shut his mouth. He suddenly recalled that 99% of young Dwarfs would fume in rage when they found out that their infatuations were exposed.
Sheyan, too, gradually indulged himself in Melody's voice and fell into a trance. He only woke up from the daze after Melody had finished her last note. Sheyan was about to say something when pain struck his chest. He felt as if there was a small file running back and forth. He let out a groan despite himself and grabbed his chest.
Melody looked at him with a soft gaze and suddenly gave him a kiss. From the tip of Melody's tongue, a warm ball of light travelled down Sheyan's throat. The ball of light left an indescribable trail of heat all the way to Sheyan's chest.
Sheyan suddenly felt an itch in his throat. He instantly pushed Melody away and vomited out a few mouthfuls of blood. The blood was black in colour and had some solid substance mixed in it. Even though Sheyan's body felt weak after throwing up, he felt relieved and his mind felt clear, as if he had slept for 24 hours.
Sheyan was about to comfort Melody, who looked really worried, when he received notifications from the nightmare imprint:
[You have listened to the song of a Twilight Elf. Due to the affinity of the Twilight Elves with plants, the Stairway of the Sun grew lively. All the activated abilities of the Pestilence Monarch will have their levels temporarily increased. There will not be any crucial options accompanying this boost. Duration: 120 minutes.]
[You have absorbed the Sunlight Love from Melody Sunstrider. The Stairway of the Sun in your body basked in the glory of the scorching sun. The hidden negative effects were removed. The duration of the temporary boost to the Pestilence Monarch is prolonged to a week.]
[Hint: If you can repeatedly get help from Melody Sunstrider, the boost may become permanent.]
The tyrannical 'Pestilence Monarch' was melted by Melody's gentleness!
Of course, Sheyan wouldn't immediately ask Melody to give him more, more! But he already had a mind to stay in this world for a bit longer. He was even prepared to give up on some gains in order to do so.
As time pa.s.sed, Melody's body gradually recovered. Sheyan guessed right. Vilya was created to protect the Elves, not to curse the Elves. Despite there being some friction with the powers in her, it wouldn't cause her bodily harm.
When the first ray of dusk touched upon Melody's body, she could already stand up by herself. She still couldn't use any strong spells but at least she's not half unconscious anymore.
Melody's long hair swayed under the sun. She raised her hand high, with Vilya glowing brightly on her finger, and pointed to the east towards Rivendell!
“Let's go! The light of Sin'dorei shall s.h.i.+ne upon Rivendell!”
But first, they took a detour to the Sacred Oak, Sindalor. She asked everyone else to stay put, then approached the tree with Sheyan.
Sindalor was as lush with life as usual and cut an imposing figure, as if he was holding the sky up. Before they got near, he already spoke in a low m.u.f.fled voice.
“I could sense that your aura is unusually weak. It was almost as weak as the first time I met you. What befell you, follower of Sin'dorei?”
Despite what he said, Melody was in high spirit. She extended her hand with smile, like a queen offering her hand for her subject to kiss.
“Through the guidance of Sin'dorei and the help of my Protector, Sire Vilya is now by my side. Which is why, grandpa Sindalor, I need your help.”
Chapter 833: New CityThe afternoon sun shone bright as Melody strode forward slowly with a smile; looking so pure, so elegant. The Ring of Air, Vilya glowed with life on her slim, fair hand. Her steps had a unique rhythm to them that was in harmony with the wind blowing from the mountains, and the sway of the trees.
As a Sunstrider, Melody was naturally absorbing the light and energy from the sunlight all the time. However, the Ring of Air, Vilya didn't seem used to this kind of ability yet. It kept reflecting back sunlight like a mirror.
This wasn't actually a desirable effect, but for Melody who was about to make a grand appearance, the blinding radiance would dr
