The situation in the underground world was flourishing, and Thorne had gradually formed a small stream there. However, this stream was still tiny, incomparable to the dark river.
While Thorne immersed himself in subtly infiltrating the underground world with his stream to sense its mysteries, a great chase was unfolding near the outskirts of the Elven Forest.
A woman rode a flying carpet ahead, pursued relentlessly by several powerful elves.
This woman was Shelley, long parted from Thorne. Somehow, despite heading west, she'd ended up in the eastern Elven Forest—and had clearly enraged the elves.
"You dared steal our clan's sacred relic! Once I catch you, I'll make you an arrow target!" roared an elven man fiercely. As the relic's guardian, its loss was his unshirkable fault. Failure to retrieve it meant severe punishment—or no face to meet the Elf King.
Shelley fumed inwardly. The elves had chased her for two days and three nights without relenting. If this continued, they'd catch her.
"Looks like I'll have to risk the desert," she thought, hesitating. The desert held a freak like Thorne—she dreaded facing him again, always feeling manipulated in his presence.
She pulled three scrolls from a storage orb around her neck and flung them behind her without looking.
The pursuing elves jolted, soaring higher to dodge. Shelley's endless scrolls had given them grief along the way—nearly injuring them gravely more than once.
But when the scrolls burst, thick smoke billowed across the sky, blinding them and blocking soul perception. By the time the elves pierced through, Shelley had vanished.
"How could she just disappear like that?"
"It's flatland as far as the eye can see—she can't be that fast. She must be hiding. Split up and search. Whoever finds her, signal the others immediately. We can't let her escape, or I'll have to kill myself before my king."
"She might return here. I'll wait and confirm she's gone before moving," one elf decided.
The elves dispersed in different directions, one staying put, vigilantly sensing the surroundings.
After a long wait grew tiresome, Shelley emerged, pale-faced.
Using the smoke to obscure their sight and soul senses, she'd employed a secret technique, leveraging intense sunlight for temporary invisibility.
But the longer it lasted, the worse it harmed her body. She hadn't expected the elves' cunning—one waiting here. Unable to sustain the spell, she appeared, still capable of fighting.
"I must kill him before he signals, or I'm trapped," she resolved.
Shelley's aura blazed at Transcendent Tier Level 9. Her foe, an elf at Level 8, had companions of the same rank, plus one at Level 9.
"You were here all along—hiding right under our noses!" the elf exclaimed, a mix of joy and rage on his face.
Shelley snorted coldly, hurling a scroll before he could act.
"Tremor Thunderstrike!"
Lightning magic—hardest to master, deadliest of all—struck. The elf's face twisted. Too late to signal, he dodged, tearing open scrolls to layer shields on himself.
But lightning was swift. It shattered his shields, blasting him back with a blood-spitting crash.
Quickly, he fired arrows, forcing Shelley to evade. As she dodged, he retreated, activating a scroll to send the message.
"Damn it," Shelley cursed, seeing the signal go out. Time was short.
"Wings of Wind!"
In a flash, she appeared behind him.
As he rose to widen the gap, she cast again.
"Chains of Sealing!"
Invisible ropes bound him, severing his elemental connection—leaving him helpless prey.
"Aurora Holy Sword!"
A giant sword descended, slicing him apart, leaving only a bloodstain.
Shelley, paler still, could barely stand. She mounted her carpet, speeding toward the desert's depths.
When the other elves arrived, they found only blood and his bow.
"Damn her—she killed Ralford! We'll avenge him!"
"Notify Lord Blake to seal the desert. With our beasts there, she won't escape!"
Meanwhile, Shelley wobbled toward Thorne's lake. Passing a canyon, she fainted from exhaustion.
An elderly Huang Tribe member, training Sinking Sand Army recruits outside the canyon, spotted her. Having seen Shelley fight the beast tide with Thorne, he rushed her to Tylen.
Knowing her significance and ties to Thorne, Tylen personally escorted her to the lake with a few guards.
Shelley stirred briefly en route, recognizing Tylen as one of Thorne's faithful.
"Looks like I can't avoid him this time. Always meeting him half-dead—hope it's not out of the frying pan into the fire," she thought, chuckling bitterly before slipping back into unconsciousness.