Chapter 278: Shadows of the Past

"You..."

Disbelief still covered Sickle's scruffy, bearded face. But no one knew that his shock didn't come entirely from being defeated by Seymour—it was mostly because of Seymour's enchanted dagger.

"You're just an escaped slave!" the injured Half-Beastman snarled. "What right do you have to wield such power?! You're nothing but gutter trash!"

"It's the Dark Territory," Seymour said, raising his dagger again. "I don't like the place either, but that's a bit much. But then again, what right does a dead man have to—"

Seymour's voice cut off abruptly. His eyes widened as he looked down at his wrist. One of the Half-Beastman's massive hands had clamped down on it, stopping the dagger's descent.

But that wasn't all. To the Zor's disbelief, a series of electric arcs began to crackle from Sickle's hand!

"Electric Claw?! Seymour, watch out!"

A Scorching Beam shot out from Silvia's Walking Stick, her warning coming only after. Yet even this swift reaction wasn't enough for Seymour to escape completely unscathed.

The Zor let out a stifled grunt, his entire right hand and forearm scorched black. If Silvia's Magic hadn't forced Sickle to let go, Victoria likely would have had to use Resurrection Magic to save him.

But the Scorching Beam never reached Sickle. A figure with long, silver hair emerged from the Ethereal Plane and stood before him. She stretched out a hand, and a barrier rose, dissipating the Arcane Magic into nothingness.

Before the newcomer could speak, Ron nocked an arrow—one that wasn't meant for a shortbow.

"Distinguished guests, please wait—" The silver-haired woman hadn't finished speaking when Ron's bow let out a dangerous hum!

"Protection from Fire!"

In an instant, flames ravaged the entire area. Thanks to their experience, Ron's team stood firm under the protection of Victoria and Aive. Sickle and the silver-haired woman who had suddenly appeared to save him, however, were not so lucky. They were engulfed in a terrifying chain of explosions.

"Thanks, my savior!" Seymour said with a wry smile as he ducked to Ron's side. He had almost been caught in the blast radius himself.

"Less monologuing next time!" Ron said, rolling his eyes. "The Strong Acid Gemstone—you still have it, right?"

"It's with me."

A powerful surge of Arcane Energy pulsed through the quarry and its surroundings. The silver-haired woman floated before them, her long hair dancing in the air. She was completely unscathed—not even the hem of her clothes was wrinkled. She had effortlessly neutralized the terrifying explosion from Ron's newly developed arrowhead.

However, the attack wasn't entirely without casualties. Sickle, the Half-Beastman instructor, had been abandoned when he needed protection most. Ron couldn't even find a complete corpse—only the pair of large feet left on the ground served as a faint reminder that a creature had once stood there.

It was only then that Ron had a moment to properly size up the silver-haired being who had interfered.

She was a female Elf with long, silver hair and lake-blue eyes. Given that Elves typically only begin to show age when they are near death, she was still in the prime of her youth and beauty. Her skin was smooth, fair, and supple—exceptionally well-maintained.

Judging from the pure white Magic Robe she wore, she was likely some type of Mage. However, her right shoulder and arm were covered in Mithril armor, with the pauldron even carved into the shape of a lion's head. The combination gave her a rather incongruous appearance.

In her left hand, she was pinching a gemstone—it was the Strong Acid Gemstone.

"You're quite impressive," the woman, who looked like a Moon Elf, said as she looked up at Ron, her porcelain-like face betraying no emotion. "That was a good idea. Even I didn't have time to properly assess the situation and cast the right protection on that Half-Beastman."

Her first instinct was to have Sickle dodge the arrow, but she never imagined the arrow was just a delivery vehicle. By the time she noticed something was wrong, it was too late for her to cast a spell.

"I've lived for five or six hundred years, and this is only the second time someone I meant to protect has died before my eyes," the Elf said, walking toward Ron step by step. The Aive Shield tried to block her, but for some reason, it was forced back with every step. "You are very impressive, human."

"You're... you're the one Seymour and the others ran into the other day?" Ron watched her warily. He tried to summon the Weaving Introduction, but the moment the Spellbook appeared, it left his side and flew straight into the Elf's arms!

"I am."

"The Weaving Introduction resisted my commands that day, and now you can just steal it away?"

The Moon Elf scoffed. "This was always my Spellbook. You're the real thief, aren't you?"

"And as for this Zor, you come to my land and kill someone—do you really not expect the Lord to intervene?!"

Ron was stunned. If the information he had was correct, the Weaving Introduction had only one previous owner, which meant—

"You're—!"

'The Chief Grand Mage, Jilannis Galanord?! But how could she be here?'

"You're a remnant of Hailan!" Before Ron could speak her true name, Aive had already charged, swinging her shield. "So there really was someone pulling the strings behind Ming Datiss and his group!"

"And you still dare to show your face to us so brazenly?"

At Aive's words, nearly all of Ron's companions sprang into action, swarming the Moon Elf with killing intent. The usually cheerful Quest was one of the most aggressive, using almost all his strength as he weaved in and out of the shadows. His long staff struck like a python lunging from its den, whipping toward the Elf's lower body!

Seeing this, Ron naturally couldn't stand aside. But with his Spellbook having defected on the battlefield, his Casting efficiency was severely hampered. Fortunately, as a Mage, Ron always carried plenty of materials and items like Alchemy Potions and Magic Scrolls, so he could still cause the Elf some trouble now and then.

However, this Elf had to be the person Ron was thinking of. Although her current power was a complete mismatch for her former status, she was still able to fight all of Ron's companions to a standstill, even by only casting relatively simple Magic!

"I recognize this sword, the Grip of the Vast Wave," Sera's greatsword grazed the tips of the Elf's hair but failed to harm a single strand. "That warrior may have been a slave, but he still earned a place in my memory."

"And as for you, Yelena," the Elf said, raising her right hand to catch the end of the Thorn Chain wielded by the Shadow Spirit. "Carolina didn't pay you to attack me."

"Sorry, but that contract expired a long time ago!" The Thorn Chain in Yelena's hand suddenly dissipated, and a new weapon materialized in her grasp. "I'm on Ron's side now, you old witch!"