The night was usually calm when Chelsea finally arrived in the East region of Area D. The sky was open and full of stars, while the moon shone like an arced silver plate.
Chelsea stood for a moment, the cool wind brushing against her skin, letting her eyes adjust to her surroundings.
At a glance, one could tell she was pale, tired-looking. There was only one solution to how she currently felt: sleep, but she knew doing so would only create troubles for her.
She was in enemy territory, if that’s right to say, and must do certain things first.
Having inherited the Nocturane bloodline, Chelsea was especially strongest at night, when the moon was high and shadows were long, visible enough to be seen. And now, under the moon, her strength was at its peak.
Reclaiming her composure, she moved to a quiet spot under a wide tree, then knelt on one knee. Closing her eyes and bringing her palm before her mouth, she spoke softly with words that carried magic.
She muttered spells.
"Let the stars grow dim, and let the moonlight gleam."
"Fold the world in a dream."
"Awaken not minds, but pull them into slumber deep."
"Light the path with secrets, and cause the shadows to breathe."
As she changed these words, the air around her began to change. The moonlight dimmed, lighting the environment with crimson as if the fluid of blood was sprayed over the sky.
The shadows of the surrounding trees stretched unnaturally far, moving even though the wind was still. A deep silence fell over the land, swallowing the usual night sounds of insects and owls.
Chelsea had performed one of her dream world spells, tied to her bloodline. It allowed her to put a large area into a state between reality and dream.
In such scenarios, she could move freely and spy without being seen or noticed. That was what she believed her abilities were.
With such confidence, she began to walk, making no sound on the soft ground even with her boots.
Unlike in reality, everything in this dream world seemed to have gained a strange look. For instance, the trees now looked taller, the colors of their leaves were darker, and the air carried a heavy stench.
It was no longer the cool night Chelsea had arrived to meet. But, she was going to bear it that way until she made so she wasn’t in the hands of foes.
In moments, and by turns, she moved between the sleeping houses of the elves. She was planning her next steps carefully.
But while Chelsea was proclaiming the spell that let her inside this dream world, she made one mistake.
Just like the dwarves, the elves were also categorized according to their ranks.
Generally, the whole Area in which these new bearers would be thrust into was called Area D, due to its simplicity with difficulties. In the same vein, this Area was made up of different Zones.
Like the South Region, which consists of Dwarves and Giants, the East was made up of Elves in Zone A, and Fairies in Zone B.
And for Chelsea, she happened to have landed in Zone A, the Elves’ zone.
There were the Tamed Royal, Awakened Sentinel, Awakened Sage, and Awakened Artisan, all in symphony with that of the dwarves.
Now, what mistake had Chelsea Mint made?
Unknowingly, she had performed this magic in the midst of Awakened Sages, who are naturally believed to be wise. Their minds were strong, and they could sense even the smallest change in the natural balance.
Chelsea’s spell was not an exception.
"An intruder," an elf in one of the tall silver towers, which is where Mint found herself, said, alerting her nearby fellows.
"And...I smell human," another Sage from the side replied.
The Sages shared their thoughts without words. They knew what was happening. And they knew exactly where to find her.
Chelsea kept walking, unaware that she had already been discovered. That was until the air shifted — the way it does when lightning is about to strike. She froze. Her instincts told her she was no longer alone.
From the darkness ahead, a tall figure appeared. They were dressed in flowing silver robes, their eyes glowing faintly. Their presence made the air heavy, and their steps were silent.
Chelsea’s lips tightened. She had hoped to avoid a fight tonight, but it seemed there was no choice.
The first attack had come without warning — a burst of green light shot toward her. She quickly raised her hand and brought her face to the ground before shouting:
"Rise from the ground."
The shadows of the trees did as they were commanded.
"Strike my enemy!"
Sharp black spears of shadow rushed at the nearest Sage. The Sage twisted aside gracefully, the spear missing by inches. Another Sage moved her hand, and a blast of wind shot out, breaking one of Chelsea’s shadow spears in half.
Chelsea narrowed her eyes and thought. ’So, you want a fight.’
The truth was that she wasn’t going to be able to injure any of the elves through her attacks since they were in a dream world. But, if an adventurer in this world happens to get struck for a certain amount of time and the injury caused becomes very severe, the real body also suffers a fraction of the pain.
"Mouth, open wide."
"Swallow the light they hide inside."
A giant jaw made of solid darkness appeared beneath one of the Sages and snapped shut. For a moment, Chelsea thought she had caught her, but her body turned into a swirl of water and reappeared behind her. The water rose up like a living snake, wrapping around her ankles.
Chelsea slashed the water with a shadow blade and broke free. Her heart was beating faster now. These Sages were not just strong but also clever, and their magic was precise.
The fight turned fierce.
One Sage lifted her staff, and a whip of fire lashed out toward her. The flames burned cold in this dream world, but they weren’t as impactful.
Chelsea ducked and rolled, letting her shadows rise to block the second strike. Another Sage raised her hands and sent sharp gusts of wind flying at her like blades. Chelsea used a wall of shadow to shield herself, but each strike made the wall thinner.
She fought back with every spell she had learned so far. Shadows formed into claws, blades, and lances. They struck from every direction, but the Sages worked together perfectly, covering each other’s weaknesses.
For several minutes, the battle went back and forth, neither side giving in.
Then, something changed. Thɪs chapter is updated by novel★fire.net
The Sages began to move in unison. Stepping into positions that formed a large circle around her. They started chanting in their own ancient language. The ground beneath Chelsea’s feet lit up with glowing runes, each one pulsing like a heartbeat.
She knew what they were doing — they were preparing a nature-altering formation.
Chelsea reacted quickly, trying to disrupt them. She threw out another chant:
"Storm from..."
She couldn’t complete the words due to the invasion from behind her. Coughing out blood, and carefully uttered the words.
"...spread and tear."
"Cover the sky and choke the air!"
A thick storm of shadows spun upward, blocking the moon and stretching toward the treetops. But the Sages’ magic was stronger.
The runes flashed brighter. The dream world had begun to crack. The shadows around her started to fade.
And then it happened — the sky brightened unnaturally fast. The moon shrank, and sunlight spilled over the forest.
The day had come.
It was during this scenario that Chelsea’s power weakened instantly. As a Nocturane, her body and strength were of many uses during the night, but were far less dangerous during daylight.
As soon as Chelsea Mint was captured by the Elves, the Tamed Royal sent words to Susaki about the development.
In returning the feedback, Susaki also informed that he had captured a male human, and they should begin planning on how to slaughter them for the sake of their plan to actually materialize.
Now, after the incidents that happened in the past days, travelling the road was the queue of the Elves to the South Region, the city of Dwarves.