Mage Legend

The morning sun gradually climbed onto the rooftop, then reluctantly began to slowly slip down from the peak of Heather Holy Mountain. The song of the elves never ceased, nor did the chirping of the birds. Empress Hernfurry's narrative was like a long poem, but it contained countless chapters of pain.

The meeting in the palace had already dispersed, leaving only Lynch and Zilvra at the lookout platform on the mountain's peak. Soka, with a growling stomach, was led by Anna to search for delicious food; the Elf Queen also had to focus on taking care of the returned Holy Tree Seeds. The mage wanted to survey Salantir's panorama from a high vantage point once more, to think of a strategy to face the undead army's attack.

"Do you really have to help these elves?" Zilvra said beside Lynch, "According to what that female elf said, the undead army is very cunning and powerful like a flood. They treat the residents here as prey, hunting everywhere in the dark night. It sounds very dangerous. I'm wondering why that elf woman used the Common Language to describe it; if she spoke in the Elf Language that I don't understand, I wouldn't be so worried."

"The Empress didn't use the Common Language to scare you; she was merely stating the facts," Lynch sighed, "I didn't expect such a strong undead army to exist in the Anriel Continent. Why did they crawl out from their cold, damp graves to harass the living beings in this forest?"

"It's because the graves are cold and damp." Zilvra smiled, "In the Underworld, we've also dealt with these icy souls, and even some Drow are experts in controlling undead, like creating soul-bound corpses. When it comes to dealing with this kind of undead monster, the Dark Elf is absolutely skilled."

"But they can't come to the Surface World." Lynch looked into Zilvra's eyes, "In places where the sun can shine, the priests of the Sacred Pate can disperse the undead; they use the power of the Light God to send those souls back to the world of the dead, making them vanish into the ether in the mortal world. However, the Pate Empire is now at war, even the Paladin Order is seeking allies for help, so they can't come here to aid us."

"Is there nothing you mages can do?" Zilvra asked, "I've seen some mages use skeletons and ghosts as servants."

"It's not that there's no way, it's just very difficult. Unless one has the magical prowess of a Great Mage, confronting the undead is challenging for mages as well." Lynch walked to the edge of the platform, his hand resting on the railing wrapped by Holy Tree branches, "In the last battle, the undead were not eradicated, and we don't know if they'll come again."

"As I asked earlier, why are you determined to help these elves?" Zilvra questioned, "Even without considering the enmity between Drow and elves, I still think you're taking too many risks. If you feel indebted to them and want to compensate with service, that kind of aid is understandable. But I cannot agree with you risking your life to help these pointy-eared forest dwellers for free."

"Even if the help is unpaid, I'd still do it, not to mention I also need something from them this time." Lynch smiled and said, "On the other hand, I also want to see just how powerful these undead really are."

"You've decided to stay and help these guys?" Zilvra got close to Lynch, only a step away, "I'll remind you again, the enemies you face are very powerful, and it might even cost you your life. Are you still going to stay?"

"It's hard to change my mind once I've decided." Lynch said, "If I've promised something, then I must fulfill it. If danger really arises, please take Soka to a relatively safe place. That little one may be from a powerful race, but she has no experience in war."

"I will hide Soka. In any case, she and I share some of the same blood." Zilvra continued, "But if a fight breaks out, don't always put me in the back. Even when facing powerful soul-bound corpses and vampires, my weapons have enough strength to carve a path through a sea of blood."

"I believe that." Lynch leaned against the railing, feeling a bit exhausted from standing and listening to the Elf Queen's account for so long, "As someone who left the Dark World, what do you think of these undead creatures?"