I, the prince in distress, send money

Chapter 548 The Elf Reinforcements

The Elven Royal Palace in Mooncrown City, known as the Temple of Dawn, is famous for its dome, which is inlaid with countless giant mother-of-pearls.

When the outside sky is dyed an ominous crimson, this dome should filter the sunlight into a soft and beautiful glow, bathing the hall in its glow.

However, at this moment, only a suffocating, morbid dark red seeped through the dome, casting a blood-red shadow over all the magnificent furnishings in the hall, the living wooden sculptures flowing with magical light, the silver tapestries woven with ancient legends, and the crystal lamps suspended in mid-air.

This place is home to the noblest bloodlines, the oldest family representatives, and the most powerful mages and advisors of the Blue Flame Kingdom.

But the elegance and composure passed down for millennia have now been replaced by an anxiety that is almost impossible to conceal.

Several aristocratic ladies, known for their elegance, no longer maintained their perfect posture. Their fingers unconsciously twisted the exquisite sashes or jewels on their gowns, their fingertips turning white from the force.

An elderly prince, whose signature, motionless stance had vanished, was now pacing repeatedly on the moonshine carpet, the jeweled heels of his boots striking the floor with a dull, disturbing "tap, tap."

The elven maids continued to silently serve the calming flower tea in jade cups, but most of the cups were taken and then placed on the silver-inlaid small table next to them, untouched by anyone.

The rising steam gradually dissipated, and the tea grew cold, just like the hope that was gradually freezing inside the palace.

Almost every high elf has deep furrows etched between their brows.

They no longer engaged in long, insightful eye contact, but instead exchanged rapid, uneasy glances, sometimes looking in the direction of the faint sounds of explosions coming from outside the hall, sometimes glancing at the key ministers whispering intensely beside the throne, and sometimes exchanging tacit, worried looks with their equally anxious colleagues.

Although elven etiquette was maintained and no loud roars were heard, the hall was filled with a low, rapid murmur of debate, like countless bees buzzing in a hive.

"...The exile ritual must be initiated immediately, even if it comes at the cost of sacrificing the outer city!"

The voice of a radical mage trembled slightly.

"Absurd! The exile ritual is an indiscriminate attack, and its uncontrolled energy will affect the World Tree!"

The most urgent task is to stabilize the defenses and wait for more reinforcements..."

A general in military uniform, his shoulder armor bearing ancient battle scars, retorted, but his voice lacked its usual composure.

"Reinforcements? Reinforcements from all the islands that could come have arrived, but very few troops have been able to penetrate the demons' blockade outside the city..."

A nobleman in charge of finances spoke in a shrill voice, filled with despair.

"Where is our fleet? Where is the Kingdom's fleet? Inform them immediately, forget about the humans!"

The once elegant high elves are now engaged in a discussion that borders on argument...

Or rather, they are using the guise of discussion to vent their fear.

"Report... The fleet is back!!!"

The doors of the Temple of Dawn were flung open, and an elven servant stumbled in. Before the other high elves could reprimand him, the servant delivered some exciting news that thrilled everyone.

……

Lilana Morningstar stood on the towering bridge of the Emerald Dream, her azure eyes, which had once reflected countless stars and storms, now fixed intently on the coastline shrouded in crimson and thick smoke.

That was her home, Mooncrown City, but now it resembles a colossal beast struggling in blood and fire.

The air was no longer filled with the fragrance of calming flowers, but with the pungent smell of sulfur, the acrid smell of burning, and the faint sounds of fighting.

Her heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, each beat carrying a heavy pain.

"General, the port entrance is just ahead, but the number of demons entrenched there..."

The adjutant's voice was tinged with suppressed tension.

Lilana did not turn around; her voice was as cold as polar ice, yet carried an undeniable resolve.

"I see it... Order all ships to form a crescent-shaped assault formation with the Emerald Dream as the core. Target: all demon gathering points in the port area, all magic towers. Full power!"

The command was instantly transmitted throughout the entire fleet via the magical resonance crystal.

All the elven warships, these elegant works of art, began to shift positions nimbly, like rigorously trained dancers, swiftly outlining a sharp crescent moon on the sea surface, with the Emerald Dream at the very center of that crescent, its most dazzling core.

As the fleet's flagship, the Emerald Dream demonstrates at this moment why it enjoys such a prestigious reputation.

Its streamlined, emerald-green hull was not made of ordinary wood, but rather a fusion of living ancient wood and enchanted metal, emitting a soft green glow that starkly contrasted with the ominous crimson of the sky.

Even more astonishing is that on both sides of the hull and along the edges of the deck, countless thick, rune-shimmering, living vines writhe like a swarm of living snakes. They serve as both extra armor and deadly defensive weapons, relentlessly whipping and entangled any flying demon that attempts to climb or approach them.

But the real deterrent comes from the giant magic crystal at the bow of the ship, which is surrounded by countless mithril conduits and rune arrays, and shines like a miniature sun.

It was emitting a deep, unsettling hum, as massive amounts of magical energy were forcibly drawn from the surrounding space, compressed, and gathered at the core of the crystal into a single point of intense light that was impossible to look directly at.

"For the Tears of the Sky, for Mooncrown City!"

Lilana suddenly drew her command rapier from her waist and slashed it fiercely into the void ahead.

"All fleet, fire at once!"

In an instant, the sky and the earth turned pale.

Led by "Emerald Dream," the magic towers on dozens of elven warships lit up simultaneously.

Arcane missiles rained down like a storm, frost rays froze the sea and air, flame rays pierced the red curtain like swords, and pure energy shock beams tore through the sky...

The colorful yet deadly magical light wove into a vast net of death, precisely striking the dense horde of demons in the port area.

The flames from the explosions rose one after another, and the demon's limbs and howls were torn apart and annihilated in the magical storm.

In particular, the magical bombardment fired from the "Emerald Dream" magic crystal... a beam of light composed entirely of highly compressed emerald green life and arcane energy, like an angry branch of the World Tree, suddenly shot out.

It didn't explode with earth-shattering force, but swept across the dock area in a far more terrifying way. Wherever the beam of light passed, lowly demons vaporized instantly, like ice and snow exposed to sunlight, while the bodies of mid-level demons were disintegrated in an instant.

Even those high-ranking demons with spellcasting abilities who tried to erect magical shields were pierced and purified along with their shields after a short while.

This volley of magic was like a heavy hammer blow, slamming into the wave of demonic attacks.

The demons in the port area were all gone, at least temporarily clearing out an area.

The elven fleet's devastating salvo was like a massive block of ice thrown into a boiling sea of ​​demons, instantly clearing large areas of the port district. Even many burning buildings were extinguished by the dissipating energy shockwaves.

The sea was littered with the remains of countless demons, and the air was thick with ozone, ash, and the strange, acrid smell of purified demons. However, this glorious victory came at the cost of enormous energy expenditure.

The dazzling magic crystal on the bow of the Emerald Dream ship quickly dimmed, and the buzzing sound became low and intermittent.

On the deck, the elven mages responsible for guiding the energy were almost exhausted. Some even needed their companions to help them stand. Their faces were even paler than before, and the exhaustion of their mental energy made their eyes somewhat unfocused.

The magic towers on the other warships also went out one after another, their rune circuits overheating and emitting scorching heat, requiring time to cool down before they could be safely restarted.

"Full fleet, maintain formation, provide alternating cover, and retreat to a safe distance for rest and reorganization!"

Lilana's command arrived promptly, her voice remaining steady, but a subtle hint of fatigue could be detected upon closer listening.

She knew full well that the outburst just now had only temporarily cleared the way, not yet brought victory.

The fleet needs a breather, and the mages need to recover, otherwise they will lose the ability to continue fighting.

The elven fleet began to turn in an orderly fashion, and the crescent formation slowly moved towards the relatively open sea behind it.

The warships remained vigilant, with archers and sailors operating ballistae keeping a close watch on the coastline, wary of a demonic counterattack.

But the demon's counterattack came faster and was more deadly than expected.

A sharp roar, seemingly capable of tearing apart the soul, came from the other side of Mooncrown City's port, drowning out all the noise on the battlefield.

Immediately afterwards, a massive black shadow rose abruptly from the burning outer city area, carrying a suffocating pressure, and flew rapidly toward the fleet like a dark cloud.

That was an abyssal dragon!
Its body was far more twisted and ferocious than that of a typical dragon. Dark purple scales were covered with constantly writhing fel runes, and corrosive slime dripped from the edges of its damaged wings. Atop its long neck was a head that resembled a hybrid of a goat and a lizard, with curved horns and spewing green, fel-flame smoke from its mouth.

It was one of the high-ranking beings who had previously commanded the demons of the port area. The fierce attack by the elven fleet had affected it, enraging this high-ranking demon.

Behind the dragon, a massive swarm of winged demons rose into the air like locusts, their sheer numbers almost obscuring the already dim sky.

Mixed in among them are even more cunning seductresses and shadow demons capable of casting dark magic.

"Enemy attack, air unit, highest alert!"

The elves on the Emerald Dream mast screamed at the top of their lungs.

Lilana's heart sank.

The fleet is currently at its weakest point, with most of its magical attack systems disabled. Conventional bows and crossbows will be far less effective against such a large number and quality of aerial enemies.

"All units, anti-air formation, activate vines to the maximum extent, archers fire in volleys, mages, prioritize intercepting fel fireballs and dark spells!"

She quickly issued instructions in an attempt to stabilize the situation.

The elven fleet quickly changed formation, with the ships drawing as close together as possible, providing cover for each other with crossbows and arrows from their sides.

The animated vines on the Emerald Dream danced wildly, forming a relatively dense defensive network above the fleet.

However, the dragon's terror far exceeded the ordinary.

It ignored the arrows and crossbow bolts aimed at it, as most of these attacks bounced off its hard scales or left only shallow marks, and headed straight for the Emerald Dream, its flagship.

A thick, swirling dragon breath of evil energy, teeming with the phantoms of vengeful spirits, poured down like a waterfall.

"Raise the shields!"

Lilana shouted sternly.

The Emerald Dream's hull flashed with light, and a layer of translucent emerald green shield instantly unfolded.

The fel dragon breath slammed into the shield, producing a sizzling, corrosive sound. The green fel energy clashed violently with the green shield energy, causing the shield to thin and flicker at a visible speed.

The ship rocked violently, and the elves on the deck were shaken to the point of falling over.

At the same time, large numbers of winged demons charged toward other elven warships like suicide bombers.

Some of them tried to tear the sails apart with their claws, some crashed directly into the masts and sides of the ship, and some even self-destructed when they got close, using their ferocious flesh and blood to impact the hull.

The Temptress cast spells that weakened will and used Shadow Bolts from a distance to disrupt the Elf's defenses.

For a time, the elven fleet was put on the defensive and vulnerable.

Although the archers and ballistae fought back fiercely, and winged demons were constantly being shot through and shot down, falling into the sea like dumplings being dropped into a pot, their numbers were simply too great, and they completely disregarded casualties.

The mast of a smaller elven assault ship was broken, its sails burst into flames, and its speed was immediately reduced. It was then surrounded by more winged demons, and its situation became extremely precarious.

Lilana gripped her command sword tightly, her heart filled with resentment as she looked at the struggling shields and the chaotic fleet.

Was the glimmer of hope about to be extinguished by this sudden aerial attack?
At this critical moment, another mutation occurred!

The abyssal dragon circling above the Emerald Dream hesitated, not unleashing a second wave of dragon breath, but instead increased its altitude and turned to look into the distance.

A portion of the winged demons following closely behind also took to the air, greatly reducing the air defense pressure on the elven fleet.

Lilana and her men also noticed the anomaly, and the lookout on the mast immediately used Eagle Eye to look into the distance.

The lookout observed that on the distant horizon, a dense array of masts and sails appeared, far larger than the Blue Flame Kingdom's fleet.

The lookout was familiar with this, for just two days earlier, the Kingdom's fleet had been attempting to wipe out these human invaders.

"A human revenge fleet from a land devoid of magic!?"

Lilana was filled with doubt and surprise after hearing the lookout's report.

"What are they doing here with us?"

However, regardless of the circumstances, their presence did alleviate some of the pressure. Lilana looked up at the adjutant beside her.

"Immediately try to contact them using flag signals and light magic to ask them why they came. I remember Elunor is up there; they should be able to understand our signals."

"Yes!"

(End of this chapter)