Summons and Negotiations (5)

Starlight was startled by her sudden movement, but he quickly regained his composure.

He felt a wave of warmth flow down from his forehead, quickly spreading throughout his entire body. It felt as if a soft hand were massaging him, leaving his body exceptionally relaxed. Even the lingering aftereffects from the previous battle seemed to have improved significantly.

“As expected, Lord You was right. Starlight, you cannot use that ability again for a short while. The Power of Destruction is far too dangerous for you.”

A moment later, Angela withdrew her hand and looked at Starlight with a grave expression.

“Thank you, Senior... Huh? But I feel like I’ve mostly recovered under your treatment. Even the stinging pain I felt before has vanished, and my body feels light...” Starlight moved his body instinctively, asking in confusion after assessing his condition.

However, Angela shook her head slightly, her brow furrowed with worry. “It seems you haven’t realized the severity of the situation yet. It is true that the Power of Destruction is incredibly potent, much like the War God Battle Qi of the House of Mars. But everything has two sides. Your physical body is not yet strong enough to withstand the backlash that power brings.”

She then turned her gaze to Po Kong, who was standing nearby. “Little fellow, I’m not wrong, am I? Every time you use your War God Battle Qi, the greatest damage you sustain actually comes from your own power. The Mars bloodline at least possesses some resistance to it, but Starlight is different. Based on my examination, numerous cracks have already appeared within his body. While they may not be obvious in the short term, if he continues like this, the best-case scenario for him would be ending up as a cripple.”

“You must understand that Transcendent Power is not something ordinary beings can wield. Look at Lord You. Even with his strength, he suffered irreversible damage after briefly stepping past that threshold. Fortunately, the Power of Destruction you synthesized is incomplete; otherwise, you might have been dead long ago.”

“This...” Starlight felt a jolt in his heart. Although he had noticed the severe aftereffects of using the Power of Destruction and knew that even Moen couldn't fully heal those injuries, he hadn't expected the power to be causing such deep, insidious damage.

“Aunt Angela, is there really no other way?” Moen asked impatiently while Starlight was still lost in shock.

“Little Moen, don't worry too much. Starlight's current condition is still relatively mild. As long as he can control himself, the impact won't be too great. Therefore, the rest of you must watch over him as well. Unless a way can be found to significantly increase his physical strength, he should avoid using the Power of Destruction as much as possible.” Seeing the anxiety in Moen's eyes, Angela waved her hand gently and comforted her with soft words.

“I understand... Thank you for the warning, Senior. I will be careful from now on.” Starlight silently clenched his fists and thanked Angela.

Though he said this, his heart was filled with frustration. He had finally managed to use a type of magic that could almost ignore level differences, only to find out it carried such immense risk.

Beside him, Moen seemed to keenly capture Starlight's complex emotions. She stepped forward quietly and gently took his hand.

This sudden, tender touch was like a warm current flowing into Starlight's heart, causing his tense body to relax involuntarily.

Angela quietly scanned everyone present before continuing, “You only need to keep that matter in mind. However, I must emphasize that I did not gather you here solely for that. Next, I will formally, in my capacity as the leader of the elves, issue an important commission to the four of you.”

“A commission! Does it really have something to do with the Dragon Race's movements?” Po Kong's eyes instantly sparkled with excitement.

“Yes and no. The journey to Dragon Valley is still far too dangerous for you four. However, on another front, I truly need your help.”

“In the days since Yuta's escape, I have been using the power of the World Tree to search for clues related to them. As elites among the rangers, he and Ming Ye have indeed hidden their tracks extremely well. Nevertheless, I have managed to capture some potentially valuable information.”

“Combining this with the intelligence Xia Duo brought back from the human kingdom, I discovered that they indeed dispatched personnel to human cities during certain periods. At first, I mistakenly thought this was just routine intelligence gathering. But after the World Tree's deep calculations and analysis, the activity times of these people align perfectly with the missing person cases you were investigating previously.”

“Furthermore, with this recent attack suspected to be launched by the Dragon Race, it is easy to link Yuta's actions with this series of events.”

“Therefore, while we take action against Dragon Valley with the Dark Tribe, I need a team to head to a human city to gather more information. The four of you currently have your identities as adventurers as cover, and Po Kong even possesses the status of a human noble. This is undoubtedly the best combination for this mission.”

“Although this may seem like I am utilizing you, please understand. Currently, the internal state of the elves remains unstable. Until everything is thoroughly investigated, there are far too few people I can trust and rely on.” As Angela spoke, she turned her gaze toward Po Kong, her eyes filled with inquiry and expectation.

Upon learning that Angela wasn't sending them to Dragon Valley, a faint look of disappointment initially crossed Po Kong's face. But after hearing her sincere explanation, he quickly pulled himself together and responded firmly.

“Senior, you're overstating things. After everything we've been through, the affairs of the elves are my affairs! Besides, I'm sure if the Lord Ancestor were here, he would agree without hesitation! Regarding this commission, I can even utilize some of my family's power to assist. Little Star, you don't have a problem with that, do you?”

Seeing Po Kong's serious expression, Starlight shook his head and answered just as decisively, “As long as it helps the elves, I will definitely give it my all. However, I am curious—which city does Senior want us to go to?”

Seeing Starlight and Po Kong agree without hesitation, Angela's face beamed with satisfaction. She nodded slightly and said slowly, “It is quite a coincidence. The information I have gathered coincides perfectly with the reports you brought back. All signs point to the same city—the ‘Crimson City-State.’”

“The Crimson City-State?! As expected! Does that mean the intelligence Ivan gathered through the Shadow Court was true?” Xia Duo's brow furrowed, her voice carrying a hint of surprise and doubt. “But didn't the intel say the Crimson City-State is the most xenophobic city-state in the human kingdom? How could it be connected to Ming Ye and the others?”

“Right. Our previous guesses were all based on the idea that our missing compatriots were kidnapped by people from the Crimson City-State. But now, it seems the direction of this incident is a bit different from what we imagined?” Moen nodded slightly, a thoughtful light gleaming in her eyes as she spoke in a low voice.

“In any case, it seems we must go to the Crimson City-State. No matter what their motive is, the trouble they've caused is already serious enough!” Starlight thought of Lian, who was still missing, and his expression gradually turned grave.