The Demon in My Heart

"Ambush!"

"Kill these foolish elves!"

"Taz'dingo!"

The Farstriders' attack successfully ignited the enemy's fury, and the trolls and demonic minions patrolling the perimeter charged toward the rangers in the woods.

"Move!" Seeing the enemy's defensive perimeter scatter so quickly, Lor'themar let out a disdainful laugh. With a wave of his hand, he decisively led his elite squad and Lanlos and the others out of the brush.

"Charge in and kill the troll leader!" Having spent years fighting trolls, Lor'themar understood well the importance of leadership to these savage creatures. Generally, once the leader is slain, the troll forces crumble with astonishing speed.

An Empower Force Impact sent the incoming enemies reeling, but before Lanlos could continue his pursuit, the rangers seized the opportunity, swarming forward to tear the enemies to shreds in an instant.

However, the enemy was not foolish. Taking advantage of the rangers focusing on one direction and leaving a gap in their defensive line, several clever trolls bolted, sprinting toward Lanlos.

"Landral!"

"I see them!"

Obscure incantations spilled out rapidly, and the surrounding air suddenly turned stiflingly hot. With a dazzling orange flash, a fireball the size of a washbasin erupted from Landral's hands.

BOOM!

The earth trembled as an endless firestorm instantly engulfed the reckless enemies, the searing shockwave carrying a thick, acrid stench. As the flames gradually dissipated, those arrogant trolls had already been reduced to ashes, leaving behind only a patch of scorched earth.

Pyroblast, the most destructive spell among low-tier magic, is highly sought after by mid-to-high-tier casters for its immense lethality and area of effect.

Although Lanlos did not yet possess the ability to cast 3rd-tier spells, Pyroblast had long been stored in his memory. At the same time, he carefully observed the details of Landral's spellcasting, seeking to maximize his own growth.

Soon, the assault team breached the temple hall. Greeting them was a hulking troll, his body covered in distinct scars. Clearly, this was a battle-hardened Champion.

Zumalosh tightened his grip on his spear and made a throat-slitting gesture toward Lanlos and his group. Combined with his condescending gaze, the blatant provocation successfully ignited the group's fury.

"Don't be rash." Lor'themar, well aware of the opponent's intent, held back his eager teammates and looked toward Lanlos and the other. "You two are responsible for taking out that troll warlock; leave this to us."

Nodding, Lanlos said to Landral, "Follow me, that troll is on the roof."

"How do you know?"

"With such a commotion up there, no other troll could be responsible." Lanlos did not reveal the true reason. Although the surge of Fel Crystal energy affected the nearby Arcane, his perception had actually sharpened due to his familiarity with this chaotic energy.

Besides, the Sargerite seemed a bit too agitated...

"Stop them!"

"Green-skin, do you think we don't exist?" Several arrows turned the two trolls attempting to intercept them into sieves. Lor'themar brandished his longsword, flashing a savage grin at Zumalosh.

"Elf... meat... tasty..." Roaring in broken Thalassian, Zumalosh immediately led his companions in a charge.

"We need to hurry." Seeing the hall descend into a chaotic melee, Lanlos immediately followed Landral up the spiral staircase.

At the Astrology Platform, the spherical crystal floating in the air emitted a brilliant blue light. Wisps of flowing light rose like smoke, rapidly converging toward the Fel Crystal at the center. Upon nearing the fel flames surrounding the crystal, they were instantly assimilated and sent directly into the vortex reaching toward the dome.

"I have waited for you for a long time."

The figure with its back turned was more hunched than a typical troll, its dull, sagging skin covered in spots symbolizing decay. Lanlos did not underestimate his strength due to his age. Glancing at the furious Landral, he silently stepped aside, leaving the stage to the two of them.

"You are the mastermind? You beast, pay with your life!" As the words fell, an instant-cast Pyroblast tore through the air.

BOOM!

The sky-filling flames instantly swallowed Kergash's figure.

A smile curled on Landral's lips, but the next moment, it stiffened.

As the flames dissipated, a transparent green barrier stood before Kergash, with flowing light swirling upon it like wisps of chaotic flame.

"Elves, witness your shameful failure!"

The unscathed Darkpine Troll tapped his wooden staff lightly against the ground. A melodious humming suddenly echoed through the air, spreading far and wide, and the vortex overhead suddenly accelerated its upward flow.

Lanlos seemed to sense something and turned his head, only to be stunned by the sight before him.

To the northwest, at the Northern Temple, a green pillar of light shot into the sky, gradually transforming into a massive vortex flowing in reverse—almost identical to the one beside him. On the other side, above the Western Temple, the transparent Ban'dinoriel gradually turned dim, and a beam of filthy, chaotic energy slammed into the ground like a thunderbolt.

The flow of the Ley Line had been altered by external forces, and under the guidance of fel energy, it was all converging toward the Western Temple!

At the top of the high tower, before a hollow gate built of pitch-black stone, Velania knelt respectfully. Watching the massive pillar of light pouring down from the firmament, her eyes revealed endless longing and excitement.

"Welcome, Master!"

The pillar of light slammed into the pitch-black gate, which emitted waves of mournful wails. Its originally smooth surface cracked piece by piece, revealing dense and evil green fissures. As the fel energy surged in, a dim, chaotic vortex gradually formed.

"Ah, what a delicious world..."

"You beast, what are you doing?!" Seeing all three temples suffer such a catastrophe, Landral was not only shocked but filled with endless rage.

"Haha! Whatever I am doing, I have already succeeded." Letting out a wild, unrestrained laugh, Kergash stretched his long arms. As a wisp of chaotic energy surged around him, his figure began to fade away. "This is the price of arrogance, this is the end result of making an enemy of the trolls! Mortals, enjoy the doom you are about to face..."

Teleportation?!

"Bastard, don't you dare escape!" Landral recovered faster than Lanlos. Raising her hand and pointing forward, a pale purple stream of light instantly reached the spot where Kergash had vanished. A sound like shattering glass echoed, and countless blue-purple spatial fissures appeared in the air. Then, the Arcane power acted like a jack, prying the tiny fissures wide open.

A swirling vortex of Arcane energy appeared before Lanlos, within which the faint shadow of a forest could be seen. Before he could recover his senses, a furious Landral blinked and vanished from his side.

"Hey! Wait..." Watching the Magister dash headlong into the portal, Lanlos failed to stop her in time.

Or rather, he hadn't tried his hardest to stop her.

On the open Astrology Platform, materialized magic surged like a tide toward the Fel Crystal in the center; like ink dropped into clear water, it transformed into fuel for the Fel without a single exception.

Watching the energy vortex shoot straight into the sky, Lanlos widened his eyes, staring blankly. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he actually swallowed hard...

Beep... Beep... Massive energy source detected...

Massive energy source detected...

The prompt from the Sargerite Keystone went haywire, exploding incessantly in his mind. Crimson markers occupied almost his entire field of vision, leaving only the Fel Crystal ahead and the brilliant radiance that dyed his azure eyes a vibrant emerald.

From the moment the vortex formed on the Astrology Platform, the voice of the Keystone had not ceased. Although the properties of Fel energy could destroy and twist most things, after countless years of corruption, the Sargerite Keystone had long since learned how to harness this power.

And it had taught this method to Lanlos...

With someone nearby just moments ago, Lanlos naturally wouldn't have shown anything, but now, alone, the bone-gnawing magic addiction made it impossible for him to endure any longer.

Step by step, he moved forward. The gale whipped up by the torrent of energy tore at his graying hair, and the hem of his robes snapped violently in the wind. The closer he got to the crystal, the more frantic this power became.

Furrowing his brow, Lanlos looked at the area where the magic was beginning to convert into Fel energy; the rampaging chaotic power left hideous scars across the floor.

With this body alone, he would likely be torn to shreds before he could even get close to the crystal.

Shaking his head with a smile, the emerald reflection in Lanlos's eyes deepened once more.

No, it wasn't a reflection—it was the color of his irises themselves!

Whoosh!

Green flames instantly erupted from every part of his body, and in just a moment, they had completely engulfed Lanlos...

"Yes, that's it. Release the demon within..."