Purifying the Curse

Kalei gritted his teeth, turning a deaf ear to Xavius's threats. Yet, the further he ran, the more wrong things felt—the once-clear sky had been swallowed by dark clouds, the sun had vanished entirely, and the surrounding dense forest was shrouded in thick, white mist, reducing visibility to less than five meters.

Kalei hurriedly called out to Big Black, wanting to stop and assess the situation.

To his bewilderment, Big Black ignored his commands entirely, continuing to sprint forward like a mad beast.

Sensing something was wrong, Kalei lowered his head to look, and the sight nearly made his soul flee his body—at some point, the Big Black beneath him had transformed into a giant Felhound with two thick, writhing tentacles!

"Damn it!" Kalei shouted, leaping off the Felhound without a second thought.

But the moment he left the creature, his surroundings shifted again; everything within his line of sight was bathed in a layer of crimson light.

Kalei felt his scalp tingle. He realized he had been deceived; that hadn't been a Felhound, but Big Black himself.

By leaving Big Black, he had severed his connection to the real world and slipped into the Emerald Dream. Getting back would not be so simple.

In a normal Emerald Dream, even an accidental entry wouldn't matter for a short time, but this place was clearly corrupted by the power of the Nightmare. He had to escape quickly, or he would eventually be corrupted himself, becoming a twisted monster.

Clutching his staff, he searched anxiously for an exit, but no matter which direction he ran, the surroundings remained an identical, blood-red landscape with no end in sight.

Gradually, he felt the colors around him deepening into a darker red. The trees, rocks, and even the ground bathed in that crimson light began to twist and rot.

He ran and struggled amidst these decaying objects, slowly sinking into them.

Before long, he saw the rotting things around him stand up one by one, transforming into massive, twisted monsters that stared at him unblinkingly.

Behind these monsters floated a shadow even larger and more distorted than the rest. This black silhouette looked down from the sky upon the monsters, and upon Kalei as well.

In the eyes of that shadow, Kalei was nothing more than an ant, weak and helpless.

He instinctively tried to scout the shadow's strength, but saw nothing but a string of question marks. He couldn't tell if the shadow's power was simply too vast to measure or if it wasn't a physical entity at all.

Regardless of what the shadow was, it was certainly linked to Xavius—it was likely a projection of Xavius himself.

With his current power, he had no way to oppose Xavius. He could only warn himself in his heart: I cannot go on like this. I cannot die here. I am a transmigrator; I cannot die so easily. There must be a way out.

But how to get out? No matter how hard he thought, Kalei couldn't conceive of a viable plan.

He could only act like a clown in Xavius's eyes, performing futile efforts.

Gradually, he felt his body go numb and his mind grow dull. He knew he was beginning to succumb to the influence of the Nightmare's power.

At this point, he was completely out of options and could only pray to Elune in his heart.

Praying... damn, how did I forget that?

The thought of praying to Elune was like a single star in the darkness, giving Kalei a final glimmer of hope.

He hurriedly dropped his staff, knelt on one knee, and with the most devout spirit he had ever mustered, silently recited the prayers of praise to Elune.

Once, twice, three times... As his prayers echoed in his heart, a beam of faint moonlight transformed into a giant sword descending from the heavens, cleaving the red cage in two with a single strike.

Under the moonlight, all the monsters and anomalies dissipated rapidly, leaving behind only a roar of frustration: "Impossible, impossible! Why would Elune favor you? Even a bug like you, an ant, has earned Her affection! I don't believe it... I will find you... I will definitely find you..."

As the roar faded, everything around him returned to calm, and a familiar low growl reached his ears.

Kalei opened his eyes to find himself kneeling in a patch of dense grass, with nothing around him but an anxiously waiting Big Black.

But Kalei knew that everything he had just experienced was no illusion. The Satyr lord Xavius had definitely used some method to project his corrupting power onto him. If not for Elune's intervention at the critical moment, he would likely have been finished.

Thinking of this, Kalei thanked the Goddess in his heart once more and stood up.

Seeing him wake from his daze, Big Black let out a few low grunts, asking about his condition.

Kalei patted its head and sighed, "I'm fine. Thank you, Big Black. Let's go."

Fearing that Xavius might strike again, Kalei dared not linger and climbed onto Big Black, continuing his journey toward Maestra.

Perhaps Xavius feared the power of the Goddess, for he did not attack again, and Kalei arrived at the town of Maestra before noon.

The silhouette of the town looked peaceful and serene under the sunlight, a stark contrast to the terrifying experience he had just endured.

By now, Thisalee should have already transmitted the information about Fel Fire Valley to the town, and the Sentinel Corps should have already mobilized.

Kalei thought for a moment but set the matter aside, walking through several streets directly to the Temple of the Moon.

Most of the priestesses of the Temple of the Moon were resting, with only a few on duty.

A novice priestess received Kalei and asked the purpose of his visit.

Kalei said, "Is High Priestess Laria in? I have an urgent matter to discuss with her."

If it were anyone else, the novice priestess would never have agreed to a meeting with the High Priestess in the middle of the day. Fortunately, she recognized Kalei as a hero of the town and quickly went to report his arrival.

Before long, Laria emerged wearing her wide priestess robes. She glanced at Kalei and said with some surprise, "Kalei, you look unwell. Did something happen?"

Kalei replied, "Priestess Laria, your gaze remains as sharp as ever."

Kalei then recounted the curse Ordos had placed upon him and the attack he suffered on the road. Throughout the process, he described Xavius's appearance in detail but did not directly name him.

After listening, Laria remained silent for a long while before saying, "Your encounter is truly baffling, especially the monster that attacked you on the road. Based on your description, this creature sounds much like a demon from the ancient era."

Kalei feigned ignorance and asked, "Oh? Who is it?"

Laria sighed, "This demon is called Xavius. He was the first Satyr in this world, the king of all Satyrs."

"But this Satyr was killed by the Archdruid Malfurion during the ancient era. How could he have appeared again?"

Kalei said, "So he is the Satyr king. I have heard of this demon as well. Legend says he was killed by the Archdruid Malfurion several times. Could it be that he used some method to escape the fate of death in his final encounter, thereby deceiving everyone?"

Laria paused for a moment and said, "We cannot rule out that possibility. If it is true, then things have become troublesome."

Kalei echoed, "Indeed, that guy is far too powerful; he scared me to death this time. If it weren't for the Moon Goddess Elune, heavens, I dare not imagine what my fate would have been."

Laria smiled faintly, "If it truly was Xavius who attacked you, you should indeed be grateful for the mercy of Elune for escaping his grasp." Her smile carried comfort, yet there was also a trace of unconcealable worry.

Having said that, she turned around and added, "Very well, Child of Moonlight, let us leave this matter here for now. I will find an opportunity to report the affair regarding Xavius to the High Priestess. Now, follow me, and let me cleanse you of the curse."

Kalei replied, "Many thanks, Priestess Laria."

Laria then led Kalei to a secret chamber less than ten square meters in size. The room was devoid of any decoration, save for two cushions placed in the center, and the air was filled with the faint fragrance of moonflowers.

Laria said, "The power of a potent curse gathers within the soul. To clear it, one must allow their consciousness to enter the soul and battle the curse's power directly."

"Next, sit on this cushion and enter a state of meditation. I will guide your consciousness into your soul and channel the power of Elune to help you win the battle."

"During this process, you must remember that no matter what environment you find yourself in, the power of Elune will be with you."

Kalei asked with some surprise, "Is it not possible to use the power of Elune to directly purify the curse?"

Laria shook her head, "No. The soul of an ordinary person is too fragile to withstand the impact of Elune's power, Child of Moonlight, and you are no exception."

Kalei said, "Very well, let us begin." Kalei sat cross-legged on a cushion, closed his eyes, and allowed himself to enter a meditative state.

Laria produced some fresh flowers from somewhere and scattered them around Kalei, then sat cross-legged opposite him and began to softly hum a hymn to the Moon Goddess.

The scent of the petals caused Kalei's consciousness to gradually drift, while Laria used her song to guide his consciousness into the depths of his soul space.