Chapter Seventy-Seven: He Fooled the Holy Light (Part One)

"I was so close to making the rankings! If it weren't for Sarah's underhanded tricks, I'd have been tenth!" The male elf glared at the earring in frustration, but soon his ears perked up and he regained his composure. "Forget it, why am I arguing with you... Lady Irene, my master wants me to take care of you quickly. For your sake, I'll let them die without suffering."

A staff appeared in his hand.

"Lin Wen!"

With a shout, a blazing arrow shot from Lin Wen's hand, striking the wall behind the male elf just before he could cast his spell.

Boom—the wall behind the elf exploded in flames, showering him with debris and breaking his concentration. Lin Wen seized the moment, dragging Lin Lei past the elf and disappearing down the corridor.

"He's a mage. If you stay here, you'll only hold me back." At a corner, Lin Wen shoved Lin Lei toward the leopard. "Take him and run. I'll handle this."

"I won't hold you back!" Lin Lei protested, but saw Lin Wen already turning to confront the Twin Moons Wheel.

"Run!" the earring urged the leopard, carrying Lin Lei. "Don't worry, without you holding her back, she won't lose to the Twin Moons Wheel."

Carried by the leopard at a breakneck pace, Lin Lei said, "I really wouldn't hold her back. Do you think she can win?"

"Even if she can't win, she can stall. She has the Star-Chasing Bow, ranked eighth among the legendary artifacts," the earring replied. "If necessary, she can summon it."

Lin Lei sounded envious. "Eighth? That's even higher than the Twin Moons Wheel, isn't it?"

"It used to be, but not anymore," the earring replied. "Our kingdom once had seven legendary artifacts, but your great-grandfather either dismantled them or gave them away."

Lin Lei was stunned. "Was he out of his mind?"

"No... He had no choice," the earring replied.

The last Elven King didn't want his people to rely too much on artifacts. During his lifetime, he gave four to friends, leaving only three for the Forest Elves. But before his death, he foresaw that those three would bring catastrophe to his people, so he dismantled the last three as well.

"Of the three, one is me, one is the Star-Chasing Bow, and the other—a sword—is in your father's possession," the earring explained. "That sword was your great-grandfather's, the one he used to slay the Queen—but now, it's split into three pieces."

Its predecessor, the Staff of Wisdom, was divided into five parts—the Forest Elves kept the core 'Wisdom,' while the other four pieces were given to the enemies the last king foresaw would destroy their people, in exchange for peace.

"I always thought my great-grandfather was a real man, but to think he'd hand over his weapons for peace," Lin Lei muttered.

The earring chuckled. "They even praise him as a good man. But one day, they'll see just how 'good' he was."

"What do you mean?" Lin Lei asked in confusion, but the earring changed the subject. "Don't you want to reclaim the four artifacts that were given away?"

"Is that possible?" Lin Lei's eyes lit up.

"Of course. They weren't given away unconditionally—each came with a price. In time, you can claim them back. Now that our strength is growing, we should be able to control those rebels," the earring replied.

Lin Lei was thrilled at the prospect of treasure. "Too bad we can't get the Twin Moons Wheel..."

He sounded regretful—the Twin Moons Wheel truly seemed formidable.

"Don't even think about the Twin Moons Wheel. It sees itself as a god, not a mere weapon," the earring warned. "If you try to master it, you might end up its slave instead."

Lin Lei nodded regretfully. On the way here, he had heard from the night elves that every Night Elf King eventually had his soul devoured by the Twin Moons Wheel, and their successors inherited the memories and experiences of all those kings—so it was impossible to say who was the master and who the slave.

"Something isn't right," said the leopard suddenly, stopping and setting Lin Lei down. "This corridor is too long."

The corridor stretched endlessly, shrouded in a strange, unsettling aura. The leopard felt uneasy—how could this tower be so wide, yet after running for minutes, still reveal no end in sight?

"We must have entered a magical labyrinth."

"Don't worry, I might be able to see the way out," said Lin Lei, glancing down the corridor. "Little White, look into my eyes."

Puzzled, the leopard gazed at him.

Lin Lei closed his eyes, then reopened them. Suddenly, golden flames blazed within his gaze, shining brilliantly in the darkness.

It was time to show off.

"Fiery Golden Eyes!" he shouted, sending two beams of golden light shooting forward.

The leopard gasped. "Incredible eyes—what kind of spell is this, eyes that shoot golden light?"

But Lin Lei's moment of glory lasted less than three seconds. The instant the golden rays shot out, he clutched his eyes and rolled on the ground.

"Ouch—so painful! Little White, check my eyes—are they burned?"

The leopard could only laugh and cry, hurrying over to examine Lin Lei's eyes.

"Nothing serious, young master," it reported after checking. "Did you channel your internal energy into your eyes?"

Lin Lei's eyes were slightly injured, but protected by his energy, there was no major harm.

The earring couldn't help laughing. "Who sets their eyes on fire? You really can do anything!"

Lin Lei grimaced, and when the pain faded, his vision was still blurry.

"I just wanted to create some special effects—otherwise, how would you know I was casting a spell?"

Muttering to himself, he pointed ahead. "About ten meters away, there's a false wall on the left. That must be the exit."

The leopard followed his direction and indeed found something odd. When it placed a paw on the wall, it rippled like water and yielded with a little pressure.

"How did you spot this exit?" the leopard asked, carrying Lin Lei on its back as they moved toward it.

"I used my internal energy to simulate the Holy Light of a paladin, enhancing my eyes so I could see things others can't—like evil auras, undead, illusions, and so on," Lin Lei replied.

Both the leopard and the earring were stunned. "You can simulate Holy Light?"

"Of course," Lin Lei replied. "Lady White and I studied it for days. Since I can mimic mages' spells, why not Holy Light? The world's energies all share the same essence."

The leopard and the earring understood well enough: the energies of the world constantly shift and transform, and Holy Light is just one such variation—a force discovered by humans within the last century.

But unlike spells, only those with truly righteous and kind hearts can wield Holy Light.

"We can't use Holy Light—how can you?" the leopard and the earring exclaimed. They were, in their minds, a hundred times kinder than Lin Lei.

"That's easy," Lin Lei grinned. "I recited some declarations of human rights in my head, and then it all worked perfectly."