The battle stopped.

At that moment, all the Hunters and Undead Monsters fixed their gazes on Eng and Philoctetes.

For the Hunters of Dorey City, they had just watched Ed destroy the blood-red orb that enhanced Philoctetes, only for a new issue to arise.

Their hearts were filled with hope one moment, only to be shrouded in despair the next. Many subconsciously looked at Eng, only to find his face was extremely grim.

Eng signaled the three other guards from the Morton Family to slowly retreat. He then sheathed his Hunter's steel sword into its scabbard and focused his gaze on Philoctetes' left hand, fearing that this Elf Undead would destroy the Undead Crystal.

Eng tried to keep his tone relaxed as he said, "Philoctetes, it's over. If you hand over the Undead Crystal now, it's not too late."

Philoctetes' chest heaved with every breath, and the smile on his face was filled with mockery and resentment. His voice, once elegant, had turned sharp.

Philoctetes responded, "Without the Undead Crystal, without the flesh and blood, I'll never be able to rid myself of this damn undead identity!"

"Rather than continue as an undead, I would prefer to die completely."

Philoctetes' left hand twitched slightly, and Eng immediately grew tense. He quickly extended his hand, palm open, signaling that he could no longer pose a threat to Philoctetes.

No one had expected that the Undead Crystal, which had been embedded in the Throne of Bones, was actually a fake!

Eng had brought his guards and Finniel with the primary goal of using Knowledge Worm Findley to locate the Undead Crystal and then retrieve it to alleviate the crisis in the Holy City.

But now, the situation had come to a standstill.

Eng tried once more to persuade Philoctetes, thinking for a moment before speaking seriously, "You might not understand the Holy City, but you should know about the Pale Death God, Giant Hound Soth, right?"

Mentioning Giant Hound Soth, Eng paused and studied Philoctetes carefully.

He noticed a distinct expression of hatred and fear on Philoctetes' face.

There were few things that could make even the proud elves feel fear, and the creature sealed beneath the Holy City was the legendary Pale Death God, Giant Hound Soth!

Philoctetes instinctively shifted his left hand slightly from his chest and stared at Eng blankly.

His mouth trembled. There was no longer any trace of elvish elegance or pride; instead, he looked as though he had just awoken from a nightmare, filled with unease, and asked:

"I naturally know. The Pale Death God, Giant Hound Soth, who participated in the destruction of the Elf Kingdom during the Cataclysm a thousand years ago."

"The Queen… was swallowed by it!"

Eng sighed, glancing around at the Hunters from Dorey City. He felt a deep sense of helplessness. According to the original plan, these people weren't supposed to know anything about the Holy City, but now, there was no other choice.

Beneath the Holy City, sealed away, was the Pale Death God, Giant Hound Soth, a secret known only to the Holy City. The rulers of the Holy City, Amelia Stewart and her ancestors, had been tasked with guarding the seal, ensuring that Giant Hound Soth would never again emerge.

However, recently, a lot of troubling events had been happening. The Holy City had been growing increasingly chaotic, and the seal had begun to weaken.

That was why, for this mission, only the four Gold-level Hunter guards, along with Miss Finniel, were involved.

Eng lowered his voice to a level that only he and Philoctetes could hear and said, "We need the Undead Crystal. You don't want to see Giant Hound Soth break free from the seal, do you?"

Philoctetes paused, lost in thought for a brief moment. He turned slightly to look in the direction where Finniel and Melissa were standing, then slowly regained his composure, speaking with no emotion:

"So what? The Elf Kingdom is long gone. When the Elf Kingdom fell to the Forbidden Cataclysm, you humans were involved in it, exterminating most of the elves."

"Now, even if that terrifying presence breaks the seal and reappears, it'll be your kind that suffers, not mine."

Upon hearing Philoctetes' response, Eng found himself at a loss for words. He had read some accounts in books, and indeed, humans had once feared the elves regaining their strength and had purged the remaining elves.

Just as Eng didn't know how to continue persuading Philoctetes, a somewhat unfamiliar voice came from a distance.

"Mr. Eng, let me talk to him."

Eng immediately turned around to see Melissa, the sorcerer who had come with Ed, walking slowly toward them. Miss Finniel was standing off in the distance, not approaching.

Eng looked at Melissa in confusion. He had been unable to persuade Philoctetes; could this sorcerer from Dorey City actually have a way?

Ed, too, had quietly moved closer, though he remained at a distance. He was concerned that, since he had destroyed Philoctetes' blood-red orb earlier, Philoctetes might direct his anger toward him.

If Philoctetes destroyed the Undead Crystal because of his actions, it would be a foolish move.

Ed watched as Melissa slowly approached Philoctetes without any sign of defense.

Philoctetes, almost instinctively, lowered his head, as though he didn't want Melissa to see his face. He irritably shouted, "Don't come closer! Leave, just leave here!"

Melissa, however, resolutely continued moving toward Philoctetes. Her expression was complex, her sorrow unmistakable, spilling from her pale blue eyes.

Melissa softly said, "I think we need to have a proper talk."

Philoctetes slowly raised his head, giving a bitter smile as he replied, "What's there to talk about? It's all over. There's no hope left."

Melissa shook her head, glanced back at Ed, and then said, "There is hope. I've found it."

At her words, Philoctetes suddenly jerked his head up, his expression turning incredibly excited. His left hand twitched slightly, causing everyone present to tense up, fearing that Philoctetes might destroy the Undead Crystal.

Philoctetes scanned the group, his gaze eventually landing on Ed, his expression thoughtful.

As Melissa approached Philoctetes, he continued to stare at Ed and said, "That damn kid, you come here too."

Ed immediately turned to look at Melissa. After she nodded, he carefully approached.

Melissa spoke to Eng, saying, "Mr. Eng, we need to discuss a few things. I can ensure you'll get the Undead Crystal."

Without waiting for Eng's response, Melissa pulled out a scroll and tore it open. In an instant, a semi-circular barrier appeared around her, Ed, and Philoctetes, enveloping them.

Ed spoke up first, "Melissa, you must be an elf, or at least someone deeply connected to the elves."

Melissa nodded, and a soft green light began to emanate from her body. Before Ed's eyes, she transformed into an incredibly beautiful elf, with the distinctive long ears, slightly tinged with red, which made her all the more captivating.

Philoctetes immediately dropped to one knee, lowering his head and saying, "Your Highness."

At that moment, Melissa's previously enchanting aura disappeared completely, replaced by a regal, noble presence, like that of a true queen.

She said calmly, "Please, rise."

Melissa then began to explain to Ed. It turned out that Philoctetes was a guardian of her mother and had been searching for a solution to the elf curse for a long time.

The so-called curse was the moonlight energy slowly gathering within Melissa, which could only be alleviated, not completely cured. This was a problem every elf had ever since the Forbidden Cataclysm that destroyed the Elf Kingdom.

What no one expected was that Philoctetes would end up here, losing his life and becoming an undead.

Ed paused, realizing that Melissa was likely an elf, but he hadn't expected her to be the legendary elven princess.

Curious, Ed couldn't help but ask, "This might be a bit forward, but I really want to know—how old are you, Melissa?"

Melissa's noble aura faltered for a moment, and she gave Ed a slightly resentful look, as if wondering whether Ed thought her age was too much.

Fortunately, Philoctetes spoke up: "Your Highness, you mentioned that you've found hope. Is this human the one you're referring to?"

Melissa didn't go into much detail. She simply explained that Ed could alleviate the moonlight energy within her body and that his ability was quite unique. There was a chance it could allow all the elves to completely rid themselves of the curse in the future.

At this, Philoctetes looked at Ed with surprise. He thought for a long time before letting out a sigh and responding:

"Sigh, actually, I won't be able to last much longer. The key step to transforming into a Blood Elf has been destroyed, and I'll slowly fade away."

"There are two Elf Warriors, twins named Averill and Ariel, in the Tassia Mountains. Your Highness, you can call upon them for help."

Melissa looked at Philoctetes with concern and asked, "What about you?"

Philoctetes took the Undead Crystal from his chest and handed it to Melissa, his voice low as he replied:

"I will pray for you, Your Highness. I've been undead for so long, and my memories are starting to fade. I can't even remember which direction the Elf Kingdom is in anymore. Could you tell me?"

Melissa nodded solemnly and pointed in the direction where the Elf Kingdom once stood.

Philoctetes smiled faintly. He glanced at Ed, then slowly turned around, facing the direction of the ancient Elf Kingdom. With a final, slow bow, he fell completely silent, losing all movement.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.