Chapter 758: Serenia

Serenia, Soulbell Tree Sea.

Under the gentle moonlight, various plants glowed with silver light, and translucent thread-like branches floated in the air. If touched, they revealed illusions of memories.

When the wind blew, crystal bells hanging on the branches would chime out the favorite melodies of the departed.

This was the graveyard of the Silvermoon Elves.

When the long lives of elves came to an end, they would willingly cast themselves into the Soulbell Tree Sea, allowing their bodies to return to the Sacred Tree and their souls to be taken by the Moonlight Goddess, Sehanine.

This was also one of the few places that provided direct access to the center of the Sacred Tree—Villance Court.

Queen Catherine of the Elves and her followers were at the edge of the Soulbell Tree Sea, preparing to march toward the Sacred Tree and seize control of Villance Court, reclaiming rule over Serenia.

Using her scepter, Catherine manipulated the Sacred Tree’s branches to create a concealed area, serving as their secret base.

At this moment, the elven queen was dressed in silver light armor, crowned, and sat gracefully atop a pure white unicorn, surveying her soldiers.

Her royal guard, numbering over a thousand, was known as the "Silvermoon Followers"—an elite corps composed entirely of Professionals and her greatest reliance for launching the holy coup.

These elves also wore light armor, wielded longbows, silver swords, or staves, and rode elegant, intelligent beasts like horses and stags.

When they looked at Catherine, their eyes brimmed with admiration, trust, and loyalty.

In the hearts of many Silvermoon Followers, their queen was gentle and kind, yet unyieldingly resolute.

They believed firmly that Catherine would win the coming war, reclaim her long-lost power, and lead them into a glorious future.

"We will be victorious."

Catherine lifted her gaze to the colossal tree that obscured the sky.

She gently stroked the crescent pendant on her chest and murmured, "Great Guardian of Life, Moonlight Goddess Sehanine, I, Catherine Moonchaser, vow to restore Serenia to its rightful path."

At that moment, the half-elf Rhea strode over quickly and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, the reinforcements from the Harpist Alliance have arrived, but they were ambushed by unknown enemies en route and suffered heavy losses."

Catherine’s expression changed, her brows furrowing as she leaned forward. "What? Quickly, let them in."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Soon, the branches opened like living creatures, revealing a path. A force of nearly a hundred emerged before the elves—mostly humans, with some half-elves, halflings, and gnomes.

Many in the group were gravely wounded, breathing weakly, groaning in pain.

Seeing this, Catherine raised her scepter and chanted an ancient elven incantation.

The thread-like translucent branches began to glow, releasing pure energy that wrapped around the injured Harpists and began to heal them.

Leading the Harpists was a human woman in her forties.

She was thin, wearing a tattered dark green cloak, with a long wooden bow on her back. Her abdomen was soaked in blood, seemingly from an arrow wound.

"You are... Lady Melisandre?" Catherine’s voice held a note of surprise.

Melisandre Wildpath, the legendary ranger, known as the "Whisperer of the Night Wind."

Over a decade ago, Melisandre had single-handedly infiltrated a heavily guarded palace and assassinated a king who worshipped an evil god, earning great fame.

But now...

This renowned legendary ranger was gravely injured!

"It’s me, Queen Catherine."

The woman lowered her hood, her face pale as she looked solemnly at the elven queen. "Those enemies were like vile green dragons—dangerous and cunning."

"They disguised themselves as your guards and shamelessly ambushed us when we let our guard down. We lost over a hundred people on the outskirts of the Elven Forest."

"Despicable," Rhea said coldly, then continued, "How did you manage to escape?"

Melisandre replied, "I killed over fifty of them, then opened a passage to the Aether Plane and temporarily shook off the pursuers."

"Ugh—"

Melisandre clutched her abdomen and coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Catherine stepped forward and examined the wound, horrified to find the flesh around it turning black, corrupted, and exuding a sinister aura.

"This is... Drow poison? And some unknown dark curse?" The elven queen frowned deeply. "Such cruel methods. They are indeed tied to the fallen ones!"

"Lady Melisandre, relax. I will purge the toxins and lift the curse."

Catherine raised her scepter and chanted ancient elven words. A soft light fell upon the ranger, smoke rising from the wound with a hissing sound.

Then, the smoke coalesced into a hideous face and let out an eerie laugh.

"Found... you."

Rhea’s expression changed instantly. She gripped her sword hilt and said urgently, "It’s bad, Your Majesty! The enemy let the Harpists go on purpose!"

"They used them to find our location!"

"Alert the entire army!"

In an instant, all the Silvermoon Followers drew their silver swords and nocked arrows, forming a tight defensive wall around Catherine and scanning the surroundings warily.

Melisandre looked at the elven queen with guilt. "Forgive us, Queen Catherine. We didn’t mean to drag you into this."

"This isn’t your alliance’s fault. I’m already deeply grateful for your support," Catherine replied.

Melisandre wiped the blood from her lips, took the longbow from her back, and looked toward the distance with sharp eyes. "Your Majesty Catherine, please give me a chance to make amends."

"Of course."

Catherine answered solemnly.

Tension thickened in the air.

Then, a deep, hoarse voice echoed from afar, chilling to the bone.

"Queen Catherine, you could’ve lived peacefully in a grand palace—why choose rebellion instead of gratitude?"

A male elf emerged from the shadows, clad in white robes and holding a mithril staff. Though his face bore the fair features of elves, his eyes gleamed with a sinister light.

As he appeared, hundreds of elven archers readied their bows, and dozens of druids, mages, and clerics began preparing spells, all aiming at him.

"Elder Theryan."

Catherine bit her lip and spoke coldly. "Am I supposed to stand by and watch my people be dragged into the Abyss as spoils for the Spider Queen?"

"You won’t even call me uncle."

Theryan shook his head gently. "Little Catherine, you don’t understand anything. You’re just a flower raised in a greenhouse—how could you grasp the elders’ intentions?"

"Without our efforts, Serenia would’ve been carved up by outside forces long ago. This is your final chance. Return to the royal court. Disband your guards. We can still negotiate."

"The elders wouldn’t mind replacing you with a more obedient queen."

"There’s nothing left for us to discuss. You’re beyond redemption."

Catherine’s face was frosty. She raised her scepter and commanded, "Attack! For Serenia!"

Instantly, countless silver-glowing arrows rained toward Theryan, followed by a barrage of fireballs, ice blades, and lightning—forming a devastating elemental storm.

But Theryan remained still, his face darkening. "Foolish. If that’s your choice, don’t blame us for what happens next."

He raised his mithril staff, unleashing a wave of black light that formed a giant sphere around him, shielding him from all arrows and spells.

He grinned savagely and shouted, "Blades of the Court, attack! Slaughter these traitors who collude with outsiders!"

The sound of metal clashing and heavy, synchronized footsteps echoed.

Thousands of armored elven soldiers emerged from the darkness, wielding long swords and tower shields, surrounding Catherine and her forces.

Unlike ordinary Silvermoon Elves, these soldiers bore black cracks on their pale skin, as if their bodies were about to shatter.

"Blasphemers! You don’t deserve that name!" Catherine shouted in fury.

The Blades of the Court.

Once guardians of the Sacred Tree’s roots, their armor was inscribed with ancient purifying runes, their blades capable of cutting through corruption.

Now, their name had been tainted by the corrupted and fallen. Catherine’s heart ached.

"Queen Catherine, why rebel?"

Theryan sneered. "Face reality. We are Serenia’s true rulers. You are nothing."

"Kill them all!"

"Crush the rebels! For Serenia!"

The Blades of the Court roared with fury, releasing a storm of black arrows toward Catherine’s ranks.

Each arrow was laced with drow poison—just one wound would cause the victim to bleed from every orifice and explode within seconds.

Only powerful Professionals like Melisandre could resist for long.

"Watch out!"

"The arrows are poisoned!"

Within moments, over a dozen elven warriors coughed up black-red blood and collapsed in agony.

"Despicable!"

Catherine raised her scepter, summoning a massive silver shield that deflected the barrage of poisoned arrows.

"Your Majesty!"

Melisandre darted across the battlefield, unleashing arrows with immense force, piercing the enemy shield and slaying several corrupted elven soldiers.

"Advance! Kill them all!"

"The Supreme Mother is watching us!"

The Blades of the Court surged forward like a steel tide, launching a ferocious assault.

"Shameless cultists."

Rhea snorted and charged, swinging her silver sword. The blade gleamed with twilight energy.

"Slash—"

A massive arc of light tore through the front line, cleaving fallen elves and their shields in half with clean precision.

"It’s the Twilight Blade! Kill her first!"

A corrupted elf mage raised his staff, chanting vile spells to curse Rhea.

Before he could finish, Melisandre leapt from a boulder and loosed a dozen arrows mid-air.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

The streaks of light pierced the air and struck multiple mages in the head, killing them instantly.

The remaining mages tried to retaliate, but Melisandre had vanished—shifting through the spirit realm.

Catherine cast divine magic, the Moon Goddess’s blessings bathing her allies in silver light. She declared coldly, "Show no mercy to the fallen!"

The battlefield grew increasingly chaotic. Silvermoon Followers clashed with the Blades of the Court—former kin now locked in deadly combat.

The Silvermoon Followers fought fiercely for Queen Catherine. Their top-tier equipment and refined combat skills gave them an edge.

Even against elite units of Holy Fadlan, they could hold their ground.

But their enemies were twisted—fanatics who ignored pain, even after taking fatal blows.

And when they fell, things turned even more horrifying.

Their cracked skin split open, and from the empty shells crawled slimy, half-spider, half-humanoid monsters.

The Silvermoon warriors recoiled in terror and disgust—a visceral revulsion from the soul.

"What is that?! It... it came out of the corpse!"

"Damn it!"

"Such grotesque monsters!"

Catherine stared at the creatures and muttered, "Driders... They’ve gone this far."

"Unforgivable!"

Her silver eyes blazed. She raised her scepter and summoned silver pillars of light from the sky, reducing the spider-like abominations to ash.

But the number of fallen elves kept rising, soon reaching over ten thousand—outnumbering the rebels many times over. Even the Silvermoon Followers and Harpists struggled to cope.

Without the legendary strength of Rhea and Melisandre, they might have already broken.

Just as despair loomed, a powerful roar thundered from the distance, sweeping across the battlefield with searing winds and immense pressure.

"ROAAAR—"

All looked up to see a majestic golden figure appear in the sky, radiating dazzling light.