A Brief End

The three of them chatted as they made their way to the Moonwell.

The Moonwell appeared normal at first glance; the water within was clear and transparent, revealing nothing to the naked eye. However, when the three focused their senses, they could all perceive a faint, lingering dark energy writhing at the bottom of the well, like a dormant viper slowly growing stronger with the passage of time.

Kalei asked with a grave expression, "What do we do now? Can it be purified?"

Laria shook her head. "With my current abilities, I can only temporarily suppress the dark energy to prevent it from spreading, but I cannot sever the source of the corruption at its root."

Kalei stroked his chin, suddenly struck by an idea. "What if... we destroy this Moonwell and spare no expense to build a new one elsewhere? Wouldn't that allow us to avoid the contamination?"

Laria pondered for a moment before replying, "It's useless. That powerful evil entity has already extended its dark energy along the ley lines into the underground network nearby. It's not just about digging a new well; unless the entire village relocates, any new Moonwell built on this land will eventually be corrupted."

She paused, her tone growing heavier. "And even if the villagers were to leave, this corruption must be dealt with. If left unchecked, that evil entity will completely drain the residual energy of the Moonwell and corrupt the entire region, which will directly lead to this land falling under the control of demons."

Kalei asked, "Then what are we to do?"

As they spoke, a disheveled Salomon arrived, riding a Saber with two Warriors in tow.

He glanced at the three of them and asked urgently, "Have you seen that demon?"

The three looked at each other in confusion.

Kalei asked, "Which demon are you talking about?"

Salomon gave a brief account of the situation with Sain.

Kalei laughed. "No need to look for that guy; he's already been killed by Priestess Laria. Come to think of it, we owe you thanks for stalling him on the road. If he had reached the temple any earlier, the consequences would have been unthinkable."

Laria and Lilin also realized that if it hadn't been for the timely actions of Salomon and Kalei, the outcome for both of them would have been dire.

Both women expressed their gratitude to Salomon.

Salomon had been thoroughly disgusted by Sain's seductive magic. Having finally waited for the spell's effects on Brook to wear off, he had come in a rage to settle the score with Sain. Hearing that Sain was already dead and that he had played a part in the victory, his mood improved significantly.

He laughed heartily, "It's nothing, really. It was mostly due to Captain Arenia's arrangements."

As everyone recalled the sequence of events regarding Sain, they couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration; Arenia's preemptive planning had completely disrupted Sain's scheme.

The group began to discuss Arenia and grew worried about the battle at the valley entrance, debating whether to go and provide support.

In the distance, the sounds of combat gradually ceased, followed by a wave of cheers.

The group exchanged glances.

Salomon said, "Could it be that we've won?"

Lilin nodded. "It must be. Judging by the sound, people are starting to head back to the village."

Laria smiled. "The Moon Goddess has already felt the glory brought by this victory. Let us go and applaud them."

Joy appeared on everyone's faces. They dismounted their Sabers and, surrounding Priestess Laria, walked toward the village entrance.

Seeing this, Kalei followed along.

By now, the radiance of the Moon Goddess was beginning to fade, and the first light of dawn was appearing on the horizon.

At the Moon Plaza, the group joined the arriving villagers to welcome the victorious troops.

Every member of the troop looked exhausted, yet their faces were wreathed in smiles under the morning light.

Their joy was infectious, and the villagers couldn't help but cheer and applaud.

Tonight, under the watchful gaze of Elune, this troop had defeated a powerful enemy and protected their home; they were worthy of the applause.

After basking in the cheers, they received a personal blessing from High Priestess Laria.

Arenia, who had been worried about Laria's safety, finally felt a weight lift from her heart upon seeing that the priestess was unharmed.

Shortly after, Arenia dismissed the troops, and the Warriors ran home, overjoyed; they were in desperate need of food and rest.

As their leader, Arenia had no time to rest. She could see from the expressions of Laria and the others that something bad had occurred in the village that she was not yet aware of.

Arenia then led Linda and the others, along with Laria, Kalei, Salomon, and Lilin, to the Moonwell inside the Temple Garden.

Arenia hopped off her Stag, circled the Moonwell once, and turned to ask, "What happened here? Why has the Moonwell been corrupted?"

The four of them exchanged looks. Finally, Kalei, who knew the full story, recounted everything: the truth about the Furbolg attack, Sain's identity as a Satyr, the conspiracy to assassinate the priestess, and the origin of the Moonwell's corruption.

Arenia was surprised to hear this. She hadn't expected that behind the Furbolg crisis, a Satyr had been plotting against the High Priestess.

Fortunately, she hadn't acted recklessly upon her arrival but had proceeded with caution and preparation. Otherwise, if the High Priestess had fallen, the trouble would have been immense.

Arenia thought for a moment and said, "Salomon, you did well."

Salomon bowed his head. "My honor, Captain."

Arenia turned to Kalei. "Kalei, you also did well—so well that it exceeded my expectations."

Kalei followed suit, bowing his head. "It is also my honor, Captain."

Arenia nodded slightly. "I will report your deeds, and you shall receive the rewards you deserve. Now, let us discuss how to handle this."

The group looked at each other, staring at the Moonwell with no clear solution, eventually turning their gaze to Laria. After all, she was the authority when it came to matters involving the Moonwell and divine power.

Laria thought for a long time before saying, "The best way to solve this problem now is to track down the source of the corruption and purify it."

Kalei asked, "That is indeed a solution, but how are we to find it?"

Laria smiled. "Finding the source of this corruption was indeed difficult before, but now, I have thought of an easy way."

"Since that evil creature can connect to the Moonwell through the ley lines, I can also attempt to track that evil creature back through the Moonwell. As long as we know the location of this evil creature, we can organize an elite force to eliminate it and solve the problem here once and for all."

Kalei frowned and said, "Will there be any risk in doing this?"

Laria said, "There is a risk, but it is still within my control; it just requires time."

Arenia said, "Priest Laria, are you certain you have a handle on this?"

Laria sighed, "There is no absolute certainty, but it is the best method we have at the moment."

Arenia pondered for a moment and said, "In that case, Priest Laria, begin implementing your plan. This time, I will send people to guard your safety at all times, and I will ensure you are not disturbed again."

Laria nodded slightly, walked quickly into the temple, and began to meditate.

Arenia turned her head and said to Salomon, "Salomon, later you will choose some people you trust to continue patrolling the village. If you discover anyone suspicious, take action immediately. If you cannot handle it yourself, remember to send out a notification in advance."

"Understood, Captain!" Salomon responded and left, his footsteps much lighter.

Next, Arenia instructed Lilin, "The wounded in the temple, as well as the new casualties from this battle, are in your hands. Also..." She paused, her tone carrying a hint of heaviness, "We lost four Warriors in this battle. They have no family, so I leave the funeral arrangements to you."

Lilin said, "I understand."

Following Lilin's departure, only Kalei, Arenia, and Linda remained by the Moonwell.

Seeing this, Kalei smiled and asked, "Captain, do you have any arrangements for me?"

Arenia glanced at him and smiled, "You don't have any assignments for the moment, but I suggest you get some good rest. We have important matters to attend to later."

Kalei nodded with a smile, thinking of Jinli, and asked, "Captain, why haven't I seen Jinli?"

Arenia said, "Jinli is a powerful Ranger. She severely wounded the Furbolg Priest and dealt the fatal blow to the Furbolg. She has gone to track the Furbolg Priest now. Are you looking for her?"

What an impressive woman, to actually be able to bypass the Furbolg's heavy defenses and defeat the Furbolg Priest.

He had originally wanted to ask Arenia about Jinli's ability to use arcane magic, but faced with Arenia's serious demeanor, he didn't dare to ask. He could only wave his hand and say, "No, I'm not looking for her. I just didn't see her earlier and found it strange."

Arenia didn't think much of it. She then arranged for Felicia and Sera, two sentinels, to guard the entrance of the temple, and assigned Linda and Luna to watch over the Moonwell to prevent any further accidents, before leaving on her own.