Green Forest 2

Elufiel summoned a Chocobo from her mount space. The large creature, covered in purple feathers, gently pecked its owner with its sharp beak. She patted its head, then swung herself onto its back.

In the desolate forest, the elf girl raced along on the Chocobo. Before long, the trees thinned, and the forest's edge lay not far ahead.

Waves of magical energy drifted through the air. That familiar, pure power stirred a burning anxiety deep within the elf's heart—an endless craving for Arcane energy rooted in her very blood and bones. She found it harder than her kin to resist such power, yet somehow, she had never completely succumbed to madness and become one of the Wretched. By age, she was undoubtedly an elder among the elves. Yet the slumber she entered every so often had slowed her growth, so despite living through those weighty events now consigned to history, whenever she awoke, the elves still habitually treated her as a child who had only just come of age.

Elufiel lay low against the Chocobo's back, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. Her nails dug into her palms, leaving crescent-shaped marks. Her thirst for magic was scorching away her will. This was not Silvermoon City; she had no way to approach the Sunwell and ease this terrible addiction, while pulses of magic continued to stream through the air without end.

Elufiel's emerald-like eyes nearly glowed. Drawn by the magic, she urged the restless Chocobo toward its source.

Wind Wolf Village was the village closest to Green Forest. It had only a dozen or so households, and nearly all its men were hunters. In the past, they had relied solely on hunting for a living. Now, after Fairy Tale Town had been established at another entrance to Green Forest, they had another source of income: guiding adventurers in and out of the forest. However, during the bitterly cold Frostmoon, few adventurers entered the forest. Even Fairy Tale Town, the last supply stop before Green Forest, seemed nearly deserted.

And several hundred meters from the forest-facing side of Wind Wolf Village, a slaughter—or more accurately, a massacre—was underway.

The young man in a gray cloak possessed a handsome face that could drive young women mad. A proud nose, sensual thin lips, and azure eyes reminiscent of the vast sky; his meticulous, stern expression lent him an air of ascetic restraint.

With an unhurried flick of his sleeve, the young man sent several sharp ice spikes forth, claiming two more lives. There was no doubt that he was a spellcaster. Quite a few corpses already lay piled at his feet, blood spreading across the snow. The few remaining men dressed as warriors had grown fearful after realizing that their opponent could kill them with ease, no longer daring to charge recklessly. One of them glanced back at the white-robed divine caster behind them. The divine caster, who had worn a polite smile moments ago, now had a twisted face. He could not bear the fact that so many men still could not take down a single wicked Arcane caster.

The middle-aged divine caster began chanting a holy spell, which made the warriors feel somewhat better. Look, didn't they still have the divine caster to help them?

The young spellcaster lowered his eyes and moved his fingers within his wide sleeves. This unplanned ambush had exhausted his patience. It was time to end this.

A transparent barrier unfolded around him. The young man raised one hand, his five fingers spread as though supporting something in the air, and began chanting a spell no one else could understand. The intense magical fluctuations made the divine caster realize danger was imminent. His eyes widened in terror—

The young man before him was actually a high-ranking Arcane caster capable of casting area spells. Heaven, if he had known, he should not have greedily sought credit by hiring a viscount's private soldiers to surround this Arcane caster. He should have reported it directly to the local Holy See. After all, discovering an intermediate-level or higher Arcane caster alone would have been enough to earn him a promotion.

But it was too late for regret. The young man's spell was complete. The snow and ice filling the sky were drawn in by magic, transforming into thin, sharp ice spikes. The warriors' mediocre armor and the divine caster's white robes were pierced through. Scalding blood flowed out, and their screams were carried by the wind toward the forest.

Elufiel twitched her ears. She heard the screams and smelled the bloody scent carried on the wind. This was absolutely not a good sign. Yet her reason had already been utterly shattered by her craving for magic. She only knew that what she wanted lay in that direction.

The Chocobo ran out of the forest, and the young spellcaster clearly noticed the strange creature. It looked like an enormous chicken, its feathers brilliantly colorful. An ornate saddle rested on its back, with someone whose face was mostly hidden beneath a cloak riding it.

An interesting mount, the handsome young man thought. But its timing could not be worse.

He lightly tapped the ring on his left index finger with his right hand. The sapphire setting flashed faintly as the prepared spell confirmed that it was ready.

The Chocobo stopped not far from the young spellcaster. Elufiel, dressed in a red cloak, stumbled down from her mount. It was close now—the magic she craved was very close.

Green Forest 2

Judging by her figure, the Chocobo's owner was a young woman. There was a trace of urgency in her approach. A biting gust of wind blew down her loosely fitting hood, revealing a face beneath the red cloak so beautiful it seemed inhuman. Her delicate features looked like the work of a god, and a pair of long, pointed ears trembled slightly in the cold wind.

Utterly captivating... The young man was briefly stunned, but quickly recovered—this was an elf. Judging by her skin tone, she looked like a Light Elf, but her ears were sharper and longer than those of other Light Elves. Comparing the elf girl before him with the few other elves he had seen, the young man soon thought of another question: Why was this elf alone in the Halor Kingdom, far from Elf Forest, during the frigid Frostmoon? Elves had not walked openly across the continent for a long time.

The girl seemed to be in great pain. Her pearly teeth bit tightly into her vivid red lips, and a faint green light shimmered in her eyes. With unsteady steps, she ran toward the young man, while the strange purple bird stamped anxiously in the snow behind her.

The young man watched the girl approach warily, until she lunged at him. The prepared Wind Wall blocked the elf girl's path, and she fell into the snow. Her crimson cloak spread around her, revealing the thin white robe beneath.