The Great Battle Ends (2)

“Thanks to the desperate efforts of these valiant warriors—Starlight and his companions—this sudden catastrophe was prevented from falling into an irrecoverable abyss. Here, with a heart full of gratitude, I offer you all my most sincere thanks.”

Angela’s words were gentle yet firm. She tilted her head slightly, her gaze landing on Starlight and his companions. This recognition drew looks of admiration and envy from everyone present.

However, this warmth did not last long. Angela’s next words were like a heavy hammer, shocking everyone on the scene.

“Starting today, Star-Song Forest will completely seal all its borders and implement strict isolation measures from the outside world. We will conduct a thorough investigation into all high-ranking members within the forest and any individuals with external connections until all hidden internal and external threats are completely purged.”

This decision undoubtedly came as a great surprise to many. In the tens of thousands of years of elven history, there had never been a situation where they were completely closed off from the outside world. This would not only affect foreign policy but would even cut off the livelihoods of many people.

After solemnly announcing this decision, Angela once again raised the spear in her hand high above her head.

Under the guidance of her will, the root system of the World Tree, which lay dormant deep within the earth, was awakened. They broke free from the constraints of the soil and grew vigorously at an astonishing speed.

Hundreds of sub-trees sprang up from the ground nearby, adding a great deal of vitality to the surrounding desolate landscape and providing temporary shelter for the homeless civilians.

“Everyone, please settle down in this area... I... need some time to rest. When the time is right, I will notify you all...”

Angela’s weary voice suddenly rang in the ears of Starlight and the others. When they turned to look, they found that she had already transformed into a streak of green light and vanished into the crowd.

“Sigh, it looks like we really can’t leave? Are we really going to stay with these elves for a hundred or eighty years? This is worse than being in prison... Hiss! Little Shadow, what are you doing!? That hurts!”

Po Kong looked around helplessly and complained to Starlight in a low voice, but he was interrupted before he could finish. Xia Duo was pinching his lower back with force, looking at him with eyes full of resentment.

“I’m so sorry for making you stay here! Hmph! Starlight, help me move my sister to the treehouse nearby to rest. Don’t pay any attention to this guy!” Xia Duo glared fiercely at Po Kong before giving Starlight instructions.

“Oh... alright!” Starlight glanced at the sleeping Moen in his arms, then looked back at the bewildered Po Kong. Without saying anything more, he followed Xia Duo’s lead.

“??? No, what happened now? Did you guys forget about Lira!? Hey! Wait for me!” Po Kong rubbed his aching lower back, only then noticing Lira lying on the ground. He quickly tucked him under his arm and hurried to catch up.

...

Over the next few days, the group stayed near the ruined city.

Xia Duo, who was in the best condition, threw herself into the post-disaster reconstruction work on the second day. Because of the severe shortage of manpower, her Fourth Ranger Squad was also forced to be urgently recalled from their vacation status.

As the Acting Captain, she had been spinning like a top these past few days, exhausted both physically and mentally.

Po Kong had wanted to go out with her several times, but he had once again overused his War God Battle Qi during the battle with Ming Ye, resulting in severe physical tearing. He couldn't keep up with Xia Duo’s pace and could only stay in bed and rest obediently.

Meanwhile, Starlight silently recovered his damaged meridians inside the house while also taking care of the unconscious Moen and Lira.

Fortunately, Moen had merely fallen into a deep sleep due to overexertion. After two days of rest, she finally woke up. Upon learning of the current situation, she immediately threw herself into the work of treating Lira.

Once Lira’s physical wounds were mostly healed, Moen unhesitatingly joined the ranks of those treating other wounded people.

At the end of that battle, almost all the nearby priests had been abducted by the monsters. Although the reason for this was unknown, the incident directly led to a severe shortage of healers for the entire elven race.

For a time, only the three men—Starlight and the others—remained in this temporary treehouse.

“I say, Little Star, aren't you going to help? I see your condition has mostly recovered!” Po Kong asked as he stared boredly at the ceiling from his bed.

“I don’t know natural magic or healing magic, so I wouldn’t be much help even if I went. Besides, I’m far from fully recovered... Not causing them more trouble is the biggest help I can give.”

Starlight responded softly from the side. He tried to move his arm slightly, but he could still feel waves of stinging pain. Clearly, completely eliminating the aftereffects brought by the Power of Destruction was not something that could be done in a short time.

Then, his gaze turned to Lira, who was lying quietly on another bed.

Thanks to Moen’s meticulous treatment, Lira had long since awakened from his deep coma. Although the aftereffects of Super Sense still rendered him unable to move, he had remained silent these past few days. Aside from necessary eating, he was like a silent statue, devoid of any vitality.

Starlight surmised that the news of Lian being kidnapped was undoubtedly a heavy blow to Lira. As the Guard Captain, he had failed to fulfill his duties. For someone as deeply responsible as Lira, this failure was surely a massive emotional trauma.

During this time, Starlight had also been working hard, hoping to find Lian’s whereabouts through his own methods.

Ever since he had assisted Lian in successfully receiving the blessing in Night Lotus Valley that day, he had been able to faintly sense her aura, as if a subtle bond had been established between them.

However, this bond was not stable. Other than being able to vaguely confirm that Lian’s life was temporarily safe, he was completely unable to determine her specific location or distance. This left him anxious but helpless.

Moreover, it happened that Noah had also fallen into a deep sleep. Lacking the elder who could provide him with advice at any time made Starlight feel very out of sorts.

Time flowed quietly, and in the blink of an eye, another two days passed.

On this day, a team of Night Elves led by Sword Saint El arrived to take Lira away.

Sword Saint El usually had a cold expression, but now his face was so gloomy it looked as if it could drip water. He didn't show the slightest intention of exchanging pleasantries with Starlight and Po Kong; he merely nodded slightly and led the team out of the treehouse.

Even though the other party was a Saint Rank, his extremely cold attitude still made Po Kong, who was about to stand up to pay his respects, feel a surge of annoyance.

“I say, why is that old man so cold? We did save Lira, didn't we? Little Star, don't you have any thoughts on this?” Po Kong grumbled with a hint of dissatisfaction.

Starlight stared in the direction the Night Elf team had departed and shook his head slightly. “If we were in their shoes, we probably wouldn't have a good look on our faces either. The fall of a Saint Archmage, plus the kidnapping of the new Princess—it’s already quite restrained of them not to have made a huge scene. What I’m more worried about now is how the conflict between the Night Elves and the Tree Elves will be settled.”

“True. This isn't just about personal grudges; it involves a complex political situation. Once Star-Song Forest is sealed, the Night Elves will also lose their channel of communication with the outside world, unless they choose to risk crossing the southern ocean route... but that path is far too dangerous.” Po Kong rested his head on his hands against the headboard, his tone also filled with worry.