[Guardian Necklace] (Purple Item)
"A protective magical item crafted over hundreds of years by an exceedingly aged elven artisan of the Moon-marked Clan, combining the power of nature and moonlight."
Effect: When the wearer suffers an attack exceeding their capacity to endure, the necklace will automatically form a shield with a three-meter radius to block the attack. The shield lasts for two hours. Furthermore, upon activation, the "Moon-marked" Elven Clan will instantly sense the wearer's current location.
"This is entirely for saving the life of a specific target..." Castorice muttered to herself, the system's description confirming her speculation. "Such meticulous protection with a clear target; it's practically tailor-made for someone."
Her previous doubt was answered.
"This necklace indeed belongs exclusively to Lunara. It's the ultimate safeguard established by the elven clan to ensure her safety."
However, a new doubt arose in its wake.
"But why would they give me such an important life-saving item as a token of gratitude?"
Consequently, a cold yet logical deduction gradually took shape in Castorice's mind.
"Unless... they believe Lunara no longer needs the protection of this necklace."
Castorice's voice was very soft because, to be honest, she was somewhat unwilling to admit this deduction.
"Under what circumstances would a life-saving item no longer be needed..." she murmured, the answer almost self-evident. "I'm afraid it's when the wearer's life has already been destined to be sacrificed for some 'higher' goal..."
Thinking of this, she fell silent for a moment before finally sighing softly and carefully storing the necklace into the System Inventory.
The slight warmth within the cold touch of the necklace in her hand seemed to still retain the temperature of its original owner.
"Arbitrarily deciding to sacrifice others, especially the lives of the innocent... I really hate this kind of feeling."
An invisible resolve condensed in her heart. She stood up, her gaze piercing through the treehouse window and casting toward the distant Crescent Lake, rippling with golden-red under the setting sun.
"Since you determined that someone must pay with their life because of the existence of that Evil God's Progeny."
"Then, as long as I completely eradicate that source, you should have no reason to carry out that so-called 'sacrifice' anymore, right?"
Although Castorice wasn't clear on the specific details of the ritual, combining the common tropes of Western fantasy stories and the keyword "Evil God," the logic of the sacrifice could easily be deduced.
Before walking out of the treehouse, she casually teased the system.
"Look, you can't say now that I only want to eliminate that Evil God's Progeny for the Stellar Jade."
...
At the same time, deep within Shadow-fold Valley, inside a tranquil treehouse protected by layers of vines and barriers.
Erishelde abruptly opened her eyes, her chest heaving slightly. A trace of rare trepidation flashed across her usually calm eyes. She subconsciously raised a hand to wipe her forehead, but the movement halted midway.
She opened her palm and stared at it.
At this moment, a cold, slippery sensation transmitted from her palm; a layer of fine cold sweat had completely drenched it.
Only then did she truly feel the coolness coming from her forehead as fine beads of sweat slid down her temples.
"Sweat..." she muttered to herself, her voice carrying a slight tremble she hadn't even noticed. "How many years has it been since I broke out in a cold sweat purely from pressure... Not to mention, what I used was merely an avatar infused with a portion of my consciousness..."
That ghastly, deathly intent, capable of freezing the soul, transmitted directly through her avatar and still lingered deep within her consciousness.
She took several deep breaths, trying to dispel the lingering chill and forcing herself to calm down.
Her fingertips twitched slightly, and an emerald green leaf appeared in her hand.
Immediately after, she began chanting softly in the elven language, and the leaf subsequently emitted a soft radiance.
Soon, an aged voice came from the leaf.
"Elder Erishelde, has some mishap occurred?"
The voice coming from the leaf was Patriarch Thorne's from the earlier council meeting.
"Patriarch." Erishelde's voice had regained its usual composure, but her tone was still a few degrees lower and more urgent than normal. "Contact with the outsider... has failed, and she also took action and destroyed my avatar."
The other end of the communication fell into a brief silence, seemingly digesting this information.
"...She rejected the conditions we proposed for her departure?"
"No, she initially indicated she could accept." Erishelde chose her words carefully. "But she proposed an exchange condition, demanding that I answer one question."
"What question?"
Erishelde closed her eyes as if facing once more those calm eyes that seemed capable of seeing through everything. That clear and icy question echoed in her mind again:
"She asked, 'Why, when you clearly know that an Evil God's Progeny is sealed at the bottom of Crescent Lake, do you still allow other clan members to be active on the lake, and even let this lake water become the 'sacred lake' that the Moon-marked Clan relies on for survival?'"
"..."
As her words faded, Patriarch Thorne on the other end of the communication fell into a longer silence. Time seemed to stagnate, with only the faint light emitted by the leaf swaying gently.
After a long while, Patriarch Thorne's voice came through again:
"How did she find out? Was it Maria..."
"I'm not sure." Erishelde analyzed calmly. "But I lean towards it not being Maria. Although she has always tried to find a turning point and yearned to change Lunara's fate, she would never openly violate clan rules and leak such core secrets. Therefore, I'm more inclined towards two possibilities: either this outsider named Castorice deduced the truth herself through her own abilities and keen observation; or... she herself has some unknown connection to the abnormal loosening of the seal this time."
Speaking of this, the pure and terrifying Aura of Death that had easily annihilated her avatar surfaced in her mind once more.
"Because in my brief 'exchange' with her, I could clearly feel... even if I faced her with my main body at full strength, I'm afraid I wouldn't last more than five breaths against her."
Both ends of the communication were occupied by silence again; only the heavy pressure spread soundlessly.
"I understand." Finally, Patriarch Thorne's voice broke the silence, his tone cautious. "Cease direct contact with her for now, prioritizing self-preservation. Switch to remote surveillance and closely observe her next movements."
He paused, his voice growing deeper:
"As for the final preparations for the sacrifice ritual... suspend them for a few days. We need to reassess the current variables."
As his words fell, the light on the leaf quickly dimmed and eventually dissipated completely. The communication ended.
Erishelde slowly lowered the leaf in her hand and sighed deeply, complex emotions weaving in her eyes.
"Maria, oh Maria, just what kind of terrifying existence have you brought into our home this time..." she murmured softly, the latter half of her worry dissipating into the air. "If she harbors true malice toward us, how... can the Moon-marked Clan resist?"
After speaking, she tidied up her slightly messy robe sleeves, tied her storage bag securely, and then, with somewhat heavy steps, pushed the door open and walked out.
...
"It seems our 'exchange' just now has made them even more vigilant..."
As soon as she stepped out of the treehouse, Castorice keenly sensed at least four or five obscure yet focused gazes directed at her from different directions, locking firmly onto her.
These gazes were a mix of vigilance and an imperceptible trace of fear.
"However, if they think they can stop me with just surveillance, they're being too naive."
Castorice acted as if completely unaware, walking straight toward Crescent Lake with unhurried steps, as if merely taking a leisurely stroll.
She ignored the gazes tracking her like shadows, as well as the curious or guarded looks cast by the elven clansmen along the way.
Not long after, that familiar lake came into view again.
"Your Excellency Castorice, please hold your steps."
At this time, a slightly hurried yet restrained voice sounded from her side.
Hearing this, Castorice stopped and turned her head, catching sight of a familiar figure.
Elder Maria was standing under an ancient tree not far away, her face bearing an inexplicably complex expression.
"Elder Maria." Castorice responded with a flat tone. "May I ask what business you have with me?"
Maria quickly stepped forward and stopped a few paces away from Castorice. Her gaze met Castorice's directly, carrying questioning, but deeper down lay a faint trace of pleading:
"I received news... you attacked Elder Erishelde? Why? Even if her methods might be too direct, you shouldn't have..."
"I attacked Elder Erishelde?" Castorice raised an eyebrow slightly, a fitting look of confusion appearing on her face. "Has Your Excellency mistaken the order of events? Had Elder Erishelde's avatar not launched an attack on me first, intending to forcefully bind me, I wouldn't have counterattacked purely out of self-defense."
Maria was stunned upon hearing this. Looking at Castorice's candid expression and recalling Erishelde's consistently heavy-handed style, a flash of realization crossed her eyes, immediately replaced by deep exhaustion.
"...My apologies. I failed to grasp the full situation and misunderstood you."
"It's fine." Castorice shook her head gently, indicating she didn't mind. "But I imagine Your Excellency coming here personally shouldn't be just to confirm this matter, right?"
Maria didn't answer directly but asked in return:
"How... exactly did you find out about the seal at the bottom of the lake?"
Her voice was very low, carrying a tense look.
Seeing this, Castorice didn't answer immediately but scanned her surroundings.
At this moment, they were standing in a relatively conspicuous spot by the lake. Some elves active nearby or those who had heard rumors couldn't help but cast curious glances at the two of them, whispering among themselves.
"Are you sure you want to discuss such a sensitive topic here?" Castorice reminded her pointedly.
Following her gaze, Maria also realized the unsuitability of the environment.
So, taking a deep breath, she said:
"Your Excellency... please follow me."
Saying this, she turned and led the way toward that familiar large wooden house by the lake.
Castorice watched her back and was in no rush to head to the center of the lake to eradicate the Evil God's Progeny right away.
She rather wanted to see what this elder, who seemingly harbored special care for Lunara, intended to do at this moment.
Entering the wooden house, it was empty, the faint aroma of lunchtime food still lingering in the air.
But Castorice's powerful mental power had already sensed that in the dark corners of the wooden house, at least three elven guards with considerable auras were hidden, their heartbeats and breathing deliberately suppressed to the minimum.
However, Castorice didn't point it out. She simply followed Maria calmly to the wooden table by the window.
This table was exactly where Castorice had eaten with Lunara this noon.
The two sat facing each other. The afternoon sunlight filtered through the window, casting mottled shadows on the tabletop.
After a moment of silence, Maria spoke first, her gaze fixed on Castorice:
"Your Excellency Castorice, can you speak now?"
Seeing this, Castorice met her gaze and said frankly:
"Because I clashed with it head-on and personally experienced the nature of its power. After protecting Calanthe so she could leave, while I was resisting its attacks, I carefully sensed and analyzed its composition. Ultimately, I confirmed that it is no ordinary monster; its core contains an extremely twisted, chaotic, and profane power characteristic. That is the unique sensation belonging to an Evil God's Progeny."
She concealed the system's prompt, presenting the discovery as her own perception and analysis.
"Since I have confirmed the true identity of the monster at the bottom of the lake to be an Evil God's Progeny, combining that with Crescent Lake's status among your clan and your abnormally cautious attitude regarding this matter—even going so far as to seal off the valley—deducing some basic conclusions shouldn't be too difficult, right?"
Listening to this, a trace of bitterness appeared on Maria's face:
"As expected... just as Elder Erishelde judged, you possess a formidable power and insight beyond our imagination."
Seeing this reaction, Castorice's expression didn't change much.
"Then, since I have answered Your Excellency's doubt, now, may I ask Your Excellency to answer a question of mine as well?"
"Is it the question you asked Elder Erishelde? Regarding why we hid the truth..."
"It is that question, but not just that." Castorice's gaze sharpened. She leaned forward slightly, her voice not loud, but every word was clear, striking at Maria's heart. "I also need to know, is Lunara the so-called 'solution' you speak of?"
As her words fell, Maria's body shuddered violently, as if struck by an invisible arrow, and her face instantly turned pale.
She avoided Castorice's direct gaze, lowering her head deeply, her shoulders trembling slightly.
After a long time, as if she had exhausted all her strength, she finally raised her head again.
Her eyes were filled with struggle, pain, and profound helplessness.
"...Yes." Maria closed her eyes, took a deep breath, her voice carrying a slight tremble. "She is our solution, a 'key' to re-lock that monster at the bottom of the lake."