“Of course I’m fine. Didn’t I tell you before? Some Saint Ranks can sense my soul ripples. To be safe, I try to suppress my aura and enter a dormant state whenever a Saint Rank is present,” Noah replied nonchalantly.
“Did you actually say that?” Starlight asked, but his confusion was brushed aside by Noah.
“Never mind whether I said it or not. Shut up for a second; I need to discuss the identity of these monsters with Moen! Look here, this crop section is very similar to an organ unique to dragon species.” Noah turned his focus back to explaining things to Moen.
Moen nodded in agreement. “You’re right, Senior Noah. Also, the number of vertebrae and ribs perfectly matches the characteristics of sub-dragons or dragon species. But why would their appearance turn into this? What’s even more puzzling is why they vanish into thin air after dying.”
“If I’m not mistaken, these monsters have undergone some form of living modification. The skin you see now is likely a product distorted by death energy. I have to say, it’s a very sophisticated method—to turn them into bloodthirsty monsters while maintaining a balance between the death energy and the vitality of their internal organs,” Noah analyzed slowly.
“In other words, once the monster is completely dead, the death energy seeps from this skin layer into the tissues, causing their flesh and blood to simply dissolve into nothingness,” Moen summarized concisely, quickly catching the key point.
“Exactly, you can understand it that way. But what’s the purpose of doing this? Also, the number of monsters you’ve seen isn’t small. Obtaining so many sub-dragons wouldn't be an easy task,” Starlight said, his brow furrowed in thought.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration hit him, and he continued.
“Could it be related to Dragon Valley? Do you remember the two Dragon Kings we met before? If it were them, they should be able to manage this, right?”
However, his speculation was quickly shot down by Noah.
“Little Star, you might not understand the Dragon Race very well. Generally speaking, sub-dragons aren't even qualified to enter Dragon Valley. To most pureblood dragons, these creatures are seen as having the lowliest bloodlines and possess no value at all. Furthermore, considering the status and position of a Dragon King, there’s no benefit in launching a massive attack on Star-Song Forest, so we can basically rule them out.”
“I see... then we’ll just have to see if any new discoveries come up later.”
While Starlight was deep in thought, a faint and familiar sobbing reached his ears.
Glancing to the side, he saw that Lian had already woken up. Those blurred and chaotic fragments of memory were gradually becoming clear in her mind.
She recalled the moment before she fainted—Ryan’s resolute figure and the sacrifice he made to ensure her escape. It all felt like a sharp blade carving an indelible mark into her young heart.
But constrained by her status as the Princess, she couldn't allow herself to fully release the grief in her heart.
“Go ahead. Leave the dissection and analysis here to me and Senior Noah.”
Moen also noticed Lian’s pain and couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity. She lightly patted Starlight’s shoulder, offering a warm look of encouragement to signal him to go give Lian the comfort she needed most.
Starlight understood immediately. He nodded silently, handed Noah over to Moen, and then walked over quietly.
He slowly approached Lian’s side and crouched down, bringing his gaze level with hers. He spoke in a gentle yet firm tone.
“Lian, I know you’re hurting right now, but please remember that you aren’t alone. We’re all here, and we’ll face all of this with you.”
Lian looked up at Starlight. Those silver eyes that used to be full of light were now dull and clouded by a veil of moisture. She lightly bit her lower lip, seemingly trying hard to restrain her emotions, before speaking softly.
“Starlight, thank you. I know Uncle Ryan... I... I just feel like I’m so useless. I couldn't do anything.”
“Tell me... am I just a jinx? Whether it was Uncle You or Uncle Ryan, they both... they both did it to protect me...”
Starlight shook his head and gently took Lian’s hand, whispering.
“Don’t say that. Everyone has their own value and mission. The reason Senior You and Senior Ryan were willing to give everything for you is precisely because they saw the light and potential within you. Your existence itself is a kind of strength.”
“But... my heart hurts so much!” Lian’s voice trembled slightly, tears shimmering in her eyes, though she struggled to keep them from falling.
Seeing this, Starlight’s heart softened even more. He reached out and gently stroked her smooth, silver hair, trying to convey a sense of warmth and comfort.
“Lian, if you’re really hurting, don’t force yourself. Just cry. No one here will blame you.”
Looking at Starlight’s face, which was full of concern and tenderness, Lian finally let go of her resolve. No longer suppressing her feelings, she threw herself into his arms.
The tears that had been held back finally burst forth like a broken string of pearls, wetting her face and soaking the front of Starlight’s clothes.
After all, Lian was only a girl of thirteen or fourteen. In the prime of her youth, she was being forced to endure one heavy blow after another. It was undoubtedly an overwhelming burden for her young soul.
Starlight held the girl silently, gently patting her back as his mind raced with a thousand thoughts.
“I have to resolve this crisis quickly, or even more people will be hurt.”
...
After a long while, Lian’s emotions finally began to stabilize. By this time, Moen’s dissection of the monsters had also come to an end.
Just as they had suspected, once the layer of skin was stripped away, the monsters remained as ordinary biological remains even after death, rather than vanishing into nothingness.
Moen carefully collected the skin samples that emitted an ominous aura and performed a preliminary analysis of their composition and wavelength.
As long as this data was passed on to the other priests, the casualties could be significantly reduced.
“Phew... finally finished. But now isn't the time to rest.”
After finishing her work, Moen wiped the sweat from her forehead and finally let out a sigh of relief. This continuous string of treatments and dissections had drained a massive amount of her energy.
But she also knew that the danger to the elves had not yet been cleared, and it was far from time to let down her guard.
Fortunately, after this period of fighting, the monsters in the streets near the City Hall had basically been purged.
The Ranger Force had established temporary communication channels within the city, through which they successfully contacted Po Kong and Xia Duo.
Upon learning their location, Xia Duo stated that they would come to rendezvous with them immediately.
“It looks like things are moving in a positive direction. I just wonder how Senior Angela is doing over there,” Starlight said softly to Moen as he looked out at the distant scenery.
At this moment, the two of them were outside the main gates of the City Hall, using wind magic to help everyone clear the debris from the devastated streets.
Although the battle situation had mostly stabilized, without the guidance of the Council Chambers acting as the brain, the situation in the city remained far from optimistic.
After the monster invasion, even the World Tree communication network that the elves were so proud of seemed to have lost its function, falling into silence.
The elves could only revert to the most primitive forms of communication. The heavy responsibility of relaying information fell entirely on the messenger birds that were busily flying to and from the roof of the City Hall.
“Sigh, Aunt Angela should be fine. In a place so close to the World Tree, even if her abilities aren't suited for combat, she’s practically invincible,” Moen said with a slight sigh, though her tone carried a hint of worry.
“The problem now is the strange phenomenon after those monsters die. To this day, we haven't figured out where they actually go. You know, that dense death energy can't just vanish into thin air.”
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