Chapter 59: Another function of the blessing: Ilio’s battle...

But now was not the time to be embarrassed.

Once Shu Li had calmed down, he remembered the battle by the coast and frowned. He had no idea how things were going over there. Were Sier and the others all right?

“Your Majesty, Sier and the others stayed behind to protect us. They’re still fighting another necromancer,” he said anxiously. “We have to hurry and save them!”

With the Elven King there, a necromancer was nothing to fear.

Shu Li could only hope Sier and the others would hold out a little longer—long enough for them to get there.

The joy of the other three Little Fairies vanished as soon as they heard his words. All of them grew tense and anxious, gazing imploringly at the Elven King.

“Don’t worry,” the Elven King reassured them. “Ilio has gone to help them. They’ll be fine.”

“Ilio!” Shu Li exclaimed softly.

So Ilio was the Elf patrolling this area?

That was wonderful!

Ilio might have a slightly nasty personality, but he took first place in the archery competition at every Midsummer Festival. His abilities were plain for all to see. He was an Elven warrior in every sense of the word, and dealing with a single necromancer should be more than easy enough for him.

The weight on Shu Li’s heart finally lifted. He let out a long breath, spread his gauzy wings, and flew off the Elven King’s palm before bowing to him in gratitude.

“Thank you for saving us, Your Majesty.”

Following his example, the other three Little Fairies bowed respectfully as well.

“Thank you, Your Majesty!”

The Elven King’s gentle gaze swept over the four Little Fairies, who had regained their spirits. He lightly tapped the little flower crown on Shu Li’s head.

“Without this, I wouldn’t have arrived in time either.”

“Huh?” Shu Li exclaimed, touching the little flower crown in surprise.

When the Dark Elf had tried to crush his head, the little flower crown had suddenly activated, releasing a surge of power that blocked the attack. In the very next instant, the Elven King had appeared and severed the Dark Elf’s hands with his longsword.

Everything had happened so quickly that when Shu Li saw the unicorn and the Elven King, he had been both shocked and completely bewildered.

He had just been wondering how the Elven King had managed to appear at precisely the right moment. Barely half an hour had passed between their encounter with the Dark Elf and their flight to this place, leaving almost no time at all.

After all, they were at the edge of the forest, a considerable distance from the Crystal Castle in the Elven Kingdom. No matter how powerful the Elven King was, it should have been impossible for him to arrive in half an hour.

Now that the Elven King had attributed everything to the little flower crown, Shu Li was even more confused.

All Shu Li knew was that the little flower crown symbolized the Elven King’s blessing. Aside from its ability to assume countless forms, it also came with one minor advantage: it accelerated his progress in learning magic.

Regrettably, he had yet to enjoy any benefit from that little advantage. Instead, he frequently stumbled over his incantations and caused his magic to fail.

Seeing Shu Li’s baffled expression, the Elven King explained, “My blessing is essentially a protection contract.”

“A protection contract?” Shu Li’s pale green eyes widened, his confusion deepening.

The Elven King lowered his gaze. “Once its conditions are triggered, I can reach you in time and resolve the crisis, no matter where you are.”

Shu Li stared at him, dumbfounded.

What kind of miraculous contract was that?

Put another way, didn’t that mean he could summon the Elven King?

Ah, no, no. Forget I thought that.

Summon him? How could he be so disrespectful to the king?

Shu Li shook his head to himself, cast the improper thought from his mind, and said earnestly, “Your Majesty, you truly don’t need to treat me so well.”

He was merely one tiny Fairy. What had he done to deserve the Elven King’s protection?

The Elven King laughed softly. “You aren’t the only one. Everyone who receives my blessing has three opportunities to call upon me for help.”

Shu °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° Li blinked, and his little face flushed.

Oh... So that was it!

He had thought he was the special one, but it turned out that everyone who had received the Elven King’s blessing also received a protection contract and three opportunities to seek his help.

It made sense when he thought about it. The Elven King had countless affairs to attend to. How could he possibly have the time to be summoned back and forth all day?

According to Aisha, only four people in the world had received the current Elven King’s blessing.

They were Ilio, Dragon King Harmon, Saint Mage Danlov, and Shu Li himself.

The first three had received the blessing a very long time ago. They had probably used up their three opportunities already.

As for Shu Li, he had just triggered the conditions and used one of his chances.

I only have two left. I need to save them for when they truly matter. I absolutely can’t waste them.

The three Little Fairies beside him let out soft exclamations as they listened to his conversation with the Elven King, their hearts brimming with envy.

Sperien was so lucky!

Dixio gazed at Shu Li in admiration, secretly impressed.

As expected of their leader. He truly was extraordinary.

Just as Shu Li was beginning to feel awkward, Kumandi, who was lying on the ground, let out a low groan.

The Little Fairies immediately crowded around him.

“Kumandi, are you awake?” Angel exclaimed in delight.

“Waaah, Kumandi, you’re finally awake!” Budno cried excitedly, reaching out with his chubby little hands to touch Kumandi’s cheek.

Hearing the little fatty’s booming voice, Kumandi twitched his pointed ears and opened his calm eyes.

In truth, he had remained conscious the entire time. He had merely exhausted all his strength and mental energy, leaving his body temporarily unable to obey him.

The moment he collapsed, he had been frantic with worry. At that critical juncture, Sperien had fearlessly stepped forward and tried to outmaneuver the Dark Elf.

When Sperien cried out in terror, Kumandi had grown so desperate that it felt as though his very soul were burning.

Fortunately... fortunately, the king had come.

Kumandi had felt as though he were suffering in hell, but the moment he heard the king’s voice, it was like being enveloped by a spring breeze. In an instant, he had found salvation.

Only then had he relaxed and concentrated on recovering enough strength to wake up.

“You did very well, Kumandi.” The Elven King crouched down and helped him sit up. “You’ve been through a great deal.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty...” Kumandi sat upright and caught his breath before frowning. “I want to go to the coast.”

Although he knew Ilio had already gone there, he still wanted to see for himself that Sier and the others were safe.

The Elven King nodded in agreement.

By then, the battle on the coast was nearing its end.

The pirates’ bodies lay scattered across the beach, every one of them decapitated and horribly mutilated. The sole survivor, a necromancer, was covered in soot and grime. His magic robe hung in tatters, his face was twisted with rage, and his hollow, pitch-black eyes glared malevolently ahead.

Ilio gave the longsword in his hand an elegant flick. A relaxed smile graced his handsome face, while the sea breeze lifted his silken black hair and snow-white robes, making him appear all the more dashing.

“Myron Crow. I never expected us to fight again after three hundred years.” He studied the disheveled necromancer and arched an eyebrow. “Your dark magic doesn’t seem to have improved at all in those three centuries.”

It was blatant mockery.

A rasping growl rose from Myron Crow’s throat.

The innate gifts of the Elves were enough to drive anyone mad with jealousy.

He had toiled for seven hundred years before finally reaching the rank of Saint Mage, while the black-haired Elf before him had become one at only two hundred years old.

Three hundred years had passed, and Myron Crow was still struggling to advance beyond Saint Mage. Yet his opponent had already become a Mage Sovereign.

No—not only was Ilio a Mage Sovereign, he was also a Sword Saint.

He was a magic swordsman who cultivated both magic and swordsmanship.

What enraged Myron Crow even more was that the black-haired Elf had ruined a plan that should have been certain to succeed.

He cast a vicious glance at the three adult Fairies beneath the enormous tree.

He had been so close to capturing them, only for Ilio to barge in and ruin everything.

A magic swordsman could attack from both near and far, with agile movements and extraordinary speed. He was practically a necromancer’s natural enemy.

From the moment Ilio appeared, Myron Crow had been unable to complete a single incantation.

A mage who could not cast spells was nothing more than a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.

Myron Crow had been suppressed at every turn. If he had not possessed so many ways to preserve his life, he would already have joined the pirates as another corpse on the beach.

Ilio had only been taunting the necromancer and did not require an answer. He raised his sword, sprang forward, and launched his final attack.

Naturally, Myron Crow had no intention of waiting meekly for death. He exhausted every means at his disposal in a desperate final struggle.

Beneath the enormous tree, Anna finished applying medicine to Sier’s wounds and bandaging them, then turned to watch the battle on the beach.

“Does Ilio know this necromancer?” she asked.

“They probably crossed paths while he was traveling the continent,” Avey replied.

It seemed to be far more than a simple encounter. Ilio knew his opponent’s weaknesses extremely well, suppressing him at every turn and driving him into constant retreat.

Anna wiped her face and said through gritted teeth, “I hope he finishes off that evil bastard soon!”

If Ilio had not arrived, all three of them—Fairies at the rank of Grand Mage—would have become the humans’ captives.

The necromancer had opened a dark domain and trapped them inside. They could do nothing but watch helplessly as another necromancer charged into the forest.

They had been beside themselves with anxiety, fighting the necromancer while worrying about the cubs’ safety.

Yet even the combined strength of three Grand Mages had not been enough to defeat him. Just as they were about to be captured, Ilio destroyed the dark domain from the outside and stepped in front of them.

The course of the battle changed completely.

The necromancer had visibly frozen upon seeing Ilio.

Ilio had not given him even a moment to catch his breath before swiftly closing the distance and attacking.

Once a mage allowed an enemy into close range, there was little he could do.

At last, the three Fairies had been saved. Supporting one another, they withdrew from the battlefield and sat beneath the enormous tree to watch.

Unable to defeat Ilio, the necromancer had resorted to using the pirates in the most despicable way.

The pirates had lived with him for so long that he had secretly drugged them without their knowledge. The moment they heard the sound of his bamboo flute, they became puppets under his command.

Both the living pirates and those Sier had already shot dead fell under the necromancer’s control and charged savagely at Ilio.

At the time, Anna had truly feared for him.

But Ilio was the strongest Elven warrior for good reason. Wielding his longsword, he broke through the encirclement with ease, taking one head with every stroke. One after another, the pirates became headless corpses.

The necromancer could not control corpses without heads. With no more tricks left and defeat inevitable, he retreated step by step toward the wooden ship stranded on the beach.

Avey frowned. “He’s trying to escape!”

“He won’t,” Sier said coldly.

Ilio would never give him the chance to board the ship and flee.

Sure enough, the black-haired Elf vanished in a blur and cut off the necromancer’s retreat.

Myron Crow’s expression darkened. He pulled a magic scroll from his storage ring and hurled it viciously at Ilio.

“Die!”

The magic scroll unfurled in midair, releasing a dense mass of black energy that surged ferociously toward Ilio.

Ilio had long anticipated that the necromancer would resort to some underhanded trick. He instantly teleported out of the black energy’s range, circled behind the necromancer, and drove down his razor-sharp longsword, its blade wreathed in flames.

“Aaah!”

The necromancer let out a bloodcurdling scream.

When Shu Li arrived at the coast with his companions, seated on the Elven King’s shoulder, this was the scene that met his eyes.