“So, Captain Ming Ye, don’t you think you owe us a reasonable explanation for this?” Xia Duo said coldly.
“An explanation? Hmph... does this really require an explanation?”
Ming Ye’s expression shifted slightly as he regained his composure. His face, which had been contorted with rage, returned to normal in an instant. He actually lowered his scythe and turned the question back on them.
“Aren't these two humans beside you the instigators of this catastrophe? Xia Duo, Acting Captain of the Fourth Ranger Squad, is this the choice you’ve made?!”
Xia Duo’s brow furrowed even tighter. Although she didn't know what had transpired at the Council Chambers, she had already deduced something was wrong from Ming Ye’s sudden outburst and his ruthless, indiscriminate attacks.
However, even now, she still found it hard to believe that a veteran powerhouse of the elf race would commit an act of betrayal. She was still hesitating.
“You old geezer, do you think we’re three-year-olds? That excuse of yours is a bit too thin, don't you think? Little Shadow, don’t listen to his nonsense!”
Po Kong snorted with disdain after hearing Ming Ye’s words.
To anyone with eyes, Ming Ye’s explanation was full of holes and completely lacked credibility.
“Oh? Then how do you explain the coincidence of these two outsiders returning just as the monster invasion began?” Ming Ye’s voice carried a hint of temptation as it echoed in Xia Duo’s ears, causing everyone’s expressions to darken.
“As for whether they are involved, I will personally seek confirmation from Aunt Angela. As for your current actions, Captain Ming Ye, they are precisely what poses the greatest threat. As the Acting Captain of the Fourth Ranger Squad, I have the authority to arrest you here. Cease your resistance immediately!” A brief moment of confusion flashed in Xia Duo’s eyes, but it was quickly replaced by clarity as she spoke with firm resolve.
“Heh... Arrest? You juniors haven't even reached the Saint Rank. While your strength is indeed a bit surprising, that doesn't mean I'll just surrender without a fight!”
As Ming Ye spoke, his eyelids twitched, and a strange light flickered momentarily in the depths of his eyes.
“In that case, why are we still wasting our breath on him? Let's go, Little Shadow, Little Star! Let's take this guy down first!” Po Kong barked, gripping his longsword as he prepared to charge.
However, at that moment, Starlight keenly sensed something was off. An ominous premonition quietly rose in his heart, refusing to dissipate.
While it wasn't impossible for the four of them to defeat Ming Ye in a direct confrontation, it would be nearly impossible to stop a Saint Rank expert who specialized in speed if he truly intended to flee.
Since that was the case, why was he deliberately steering the conversation? It felt as though he had other designs.
Just as Starlight was wondering, Moen, who was in his arms, suddenly struggled to sit up.
Her face was pale, and her voice trembled with alarm. “Something’s wrong! My connection with the World Tree has been severed!”
“What!?”
Everyone was stunned by Moen’s exclamation. Because Ming Ye’s earlier strike had reduced the surroundings to rubble, they hadn't immediately noticed any environmental changes.
However, before Moen could finish her sentence, the City Hall—constructed from a sub-tree of the World Tree—began to undergo a terrifying transformation nearby.
Moen had originally used her magic to resonate with the World Tree, directly strengthening its outer walls—the bark of the sub-tree.
Even though it had been scorched by the explosive flames, that aura teeming with life should not have changed.
But now, that deep green bark was withering at an alarming rate. Within just a few breaths, a layer of deathly grey spread rapidly, enveloping the entire City Hall.
Everyone's attention was immediately drawn to the mutation of the City Hall. Even Po Kong, who was about to charge, couldn't help but slow his pace.
“Damn it! What have you done!” Xia Duo roared. The arrows on her string instantly flew forth, turning into three streaks of light aimed straight at Ming Ye’s face.
But without anyone to pin him down, how could arrows shot in haste pose a threat to Ming Ye?
Ming Ye simply tilted his body, evading the three fiery streaks of light with an exceptionally eerie movement before leaping into the air.
“Hahahaha! You little brats are still too naive. If you can have backup, why can't I?”
Before Ming Ye could even finish speaking, Starlight looked down at the ground and shouted a warning, quickly imbuing the other two with wind elements.
“Po Kong, Xia Duo! Watch your feet! Jump!”
Under his mana perception, a strange surge of dark elements was rushing toward the surface at a terrifying speed.
Almost the instant they leapt off the ground, countless spikes as thick as arms erupted from below, turning the area within a hundred-meter radius into a death zone.
Seeing Po Kong and Xia Duo about to fall back down from the sky, Starlight didn't hesitate to tear through the spatial veil, using instant movement with lightning speed to reach them.
He reached out his free hand and tightly grabbed Xia Duo’s slender arm. As for Po Kong, he could only use a second instant movement to clumsily clamp his legs around the man’s chest.
Although the posture was ridiculous and somewhat awkward, Starlight had no time to worry about his dignity. He quickly led them away from the treacherous field of spikes below.
“Just as I thought, the other guy is here too!”
After landing, Starlight looked back toward Ming Ye, his heart sinking.
In mid-air, a figure shrouded in thick black mist silently emerged, hovering beside Ming Ye with an ominous aura.
“Ming Ye... your performance has truly disappointed me. I only took a little time to handle other matters, and I return to see you in such a pathetic state.” The shadow's voice was calm and deep, yet it carried an undetectable trace of indifference.
“You...! These four are no ordinary opponents! Besides, I haven't lost; I was just momentarily careless!” Ming Ye’s face twisted in fury as he scrambled to defend himself.
However, the figure shrouded in black mist had no intention of arguing. He simply turned around and locked his gaze on the spot where Starlight’s group had landed.
“No matter. Master’s plan has already succeeded. Even if you are incompetent, it won't affect anything. Since things have come to this, let me help you clear this battlefield.”
As he spoke, the field of spikes constructed from pure dark elements seemed to be granted life, transforming into countless writhing tentacles that surged toward Starlight’s group like a tidal wave.
“Dark Claw!”
Facing the surging tide of attacks, Starlight immediately raised both hands. In an instant, two massive black elemental claws erupted from the ground, standing before them like guardian deities to shield the group.
In terms of total mana, Starlight knew he couldn't compete with the opponent alone. However, since absorbing Taros’s elemental mark, his mastery over dark elements had undergone a qualitative leap.
Faced with the enemy’s surging elemental wave, he didn't choose to clash head-on. Instead, he demonstrated superb skill, skillfully neutralizing a portion of the offensive and converting it into his own power, thereby firmly ensuring his companions' safety.
“Oh? Not bad. It seems not only is Dark Cloud ineffective against you, but even conventional dark magic can't do much. But without the help of that priestess girl’s Power of Nature, how will you deal with this next one?”
The mysterious person’s voice held a hint of surprise. With a light wave of his sleeve, the dark elements that had been surging like a tsunami instantly vanished. In their place, a form of death power so dense it was almost solid appeared.
Under his control, this power slowly coalesced, gradually forming a blurred figure. Its form and the weapon in its hand revealed it to be an existence replicated with Ming Ye as the prototype.
Rate on N.U.
