At least fifty members of Sairao's cult were gathered behind a mountain. They had found this base thanks to the cult's locator—a mage capable of analyzing the surroundings with location magic. Of course, after that, he left to inform Elithia; this alliance seemed to be satisfying all the corrupted elves because of the advantages gained.
"If we get the heads of those inside, this alliance will grow stronger. So kill them all."
The orders were given, and the group advanced silently along the mountainside. Fifty hooded figures descended like shadows, spreading in a semicircular formation around the base hidden among rocks and ancient roots. Black symbols began glowing beneath their feet as magic circles were drawn in the air with swift, coordinated movements. One of the hooded figures noticed something and spoke a single word to the one who seemed to be the leader.
"Protective runes."
The first external elven barrier reacted. Green runes lit up around the base, forming a translucent wall that pulsed with natural mana.
"Attack."
The clash happened in the next instant. Dark beams fired by the cult struck the barrier simultaneously, causing visible cracks across its protective surface.
Inside the base, elven sentinels raised bows and staffs. Arrows wrapped in wind and light cut through the night sky, piercing two of the invaders before they could fully raise their defenses. Root magic erupted from the ground, trying to bind the attackers' feet, but black blades of energy sliced through the vines as if they were simple ropes. The elves noticed that this magic had been cast by the leader, who had raised his hand toward them.
"Dark magic—Black Blades."
Continuing their advance, the cult began using their own spells. Explosions of corrupted fire, water, and earth magic struck the natural gates of the base, opening craters in the living stone that protected the entrance. A smaller group stepped forward and began chanting a collective amplification spell, increasing the magical pressure across the field and forcing the elven defenses to consume more energy to remain active. That caused them to shatter.
"Sir, they're breaking through!"
"Stay calm, men. I trained you exactly for this moment."
An old elf in silver armor stood above. When they saw him, the elves regained confidence and responded with the discipline he had taught them—especially one elven woman who raised her bow. As she fired, lines of wind-forged arrows shot in succession, creating a continuous rain that forced part of the cult to raise defensive barriers. At the center of the base, a larger circle began activating, summoning thick roots that rose like improvised walls to divide the battlefield.
"Ravith, Verias—I leave this to you."
Two of the strongest members behind the leader advanced through the opening in the defenses, releasing concentrated waves of black energy that pushed the elven lines backward. The ground began to darken where the corrupted mana touched, weakening the surrounding plant growth.
"Is that curse magic?"
The old elf looked down, preparing to enter the battle. A young elf stepped in front of the two with an iron staff.
"I won't let you pass."
One of them almost laughed at the young elf, but without warning he charged at them with a serious expression. The iron staff described a heavy arc that collided directly against the black blade formed by Ravith—it was similar to the leader's, though weaker. The impact scattered dark sparks and sent a shockwave that pushed both back several meters, surprising them.
"Well, look at that—the kid's actually strong."
"Not the time to praise the enemy, Ravith."
The ground cracked beneath their feet as both advanced again almost simultaneously. Ravith concentrated black energy around his arm and attacked. The young elf's staff spun at high speed, blocking and counterattacking in quick succession. Each strike forced Ravith half a step back, but the energy concentrated in his hands exploded on contact with the staff, cracking the elf's light armor and leaving dark marks that slowly spread across the metal surface.
"You should give up, boy. Two against one isn't good odds."
Beside him, Verias appeared, raising his hands. Dark symbols opened in the air and descended like liquid shadows, touching the ground and spreading in subtle circles. He focused mainly beyond the small clash so no one could approach easily. Elves stepping into those areas felt their weight increase, their mana slow down, their movements grow rigid as black lines climbed up their legs.
"What is this?"
"Damn, I feel heavy."
The elven archer fired wind arrows in rapid succession, piercing two cult members and forcing Verias to raise a murky barrier that absorbed part of the impact before dissolving into dark smoke.
"Well, maybe I was wrong. Perhaps it's not a two-versus-one battle."
Behind him, Ravith closed the distance with a sudden charge, his fist wrapped in black energy colliding against the staff and forcing the young elf to slide across the ground. Before he could finish him, thick roots erupted between them, trying to immobilize him.
Black energy sliced through the roots in vertical blades while Verias expanded the curse field, turning the surrounding grass dark and brittle.
'Damn Theleron, always rushing ahead.'
The archer thought as she leapt to a higher position and fired a concentrated volley that pierced the defense of one invader trying to attack her companion. Meanwhile, the young elf spun his staff in a circular motion, smashing the ground and creating an impact wave that temporarily pushed Ravith back.
The cult leader observed calmly, his hand wrapped in compressed darkness. Then he released a single slash of energy that cut through part of the root wall and opened a path for three more members to advance.
"As if I'd let more of you pass."
From above, the old elf finally leapt down from the structure, his silver armor reflecting the green light of the remaining runes. He landed between the front lines and released a pressure that stabilized the elves for a moment, bringing relief, while the ground continued darkening under the active curse and the battle spread into multiple simultaneous clashes across the invaded base.
The two leaders locked eyes, preparing to fight.
Elsewhere, a dark elf with a sinister smile was killing as many elves as possible.
"He's fast!"
"Surround him! Don't let him move!"
"Hahaha, you talk as if you could do anything against me. Know this—even if you managed to stop me from moving, I'd still find a way. I'm a prodigy."
From his back, several lines coiled around the elves' necks. Gripping the lines with his hand, he pulled backward, slicing through their throats. At least ten elven heads fell to the ground. He was about to continue slaughtering them when an overwhelming magical pressure made him tremble where he stood.
"You said something interesting."
At the top of a large rock, a girl looked down at him with an amused smile. The moment he saw her, he was startled—he knew exactly who she was. It was Victoria, the prodigious aberration of this generation, like the other two he had heard about.
"So you're a prodigy?"