Chapter 283 - 117: Moon Priestess! Elune’s Song: Seren Hill

Chapter 283: Chapter 117: Moon Priestess! Elune’s Song: Seren Hill

He paused for a moment, drawing everyone’s attention. "...You can even ask me, Lynch himself, to help with certain things within my capabilities. This includes, but is not limited to, providing armed support, intelligence assistance, or..."

He shot Leisuo a meaningful glance. "...a large sum of Gold Coins."

At his words, everyone’s eyes lit up. The way they looked at the medals on their chests was now filled with a new, fiery intensity.

This wasn’t just a symbol of honor. It had seemingly become a form of ever-growing capital.

’It was clear to anyone that this Lord Lynch’s future achievements would be extraordinary. Earning a favor from him would surely be immensely valuable.’

Seeing their reactions, Lynch couldn’t help but feel a little smug.

’He’d come up with this "Prestige Medal System" by drawing inspiration from games in his past life.’

’He remembered it all too well—how he used to grind quests day and night just to raise his reputation with certain factions...’

’Its most important function was to secure the loyalty of talented individuals and strengthen the group’s cohesion and sense of belonging. Judging by the results so far, it was working quite well.’

Buoyed by the award ceremony, the atmosphere of the celebration that followed grew even more fervent. There was an endless supply of fine wine and delicious food at the party, and the air was filled with constant laughter and cheer.

As was customary, Lynch raised a toast with the heroes of the day and downed a mug of ale. He then left Aus, Catherine, and the others to oversee the lively festivities and quietly slipped away from the bustling square, returning to the small courtyard behind the garrison.

At that moment, the small courtyard was bathed in moonlight, the atmosphere serene and tranquil.

He felt his spirit instantly grow calm.

The courtyard was quiet; Sea Song didn’t seem to be around. However, on the small earthen stove in the corner, a clay pot was BUBBLING, sending up puffs of steam. The aroma of mushroom and fish soup permeated the air.

Lynch wasn’t bothered. He walked over to the stove, picked up a nearby wooden bowl, and ladled himself a generous portion of the creamy white fish soup. He began to sip it slowly, enjoying the lingering warmth of the fire.

As the hot soup slid down his throat, the slight chill of the night and the exhaustion from days of battle were instantly dispelled. His eyes narrowed in blissful comfort.

「Meanwhile, in the garrison’s underground warehouse district.」

Sea Song Xiyin, following her usual routine, first went to the warehouse storing the auxiliary components for the Teleportation Gate and the Energy Crystal Stones. She opened every box and inspected the contents carefully.

Afterward, she walked toward a small, separate warehouse in a deeper area, guarded by a Black Corpse.

The core component of the Ancient Elf Teleportation Gate was stored here.

Sea Song channeled her Magic Power to release the Magic Lock on the door and stepped inside. ℯ

She carefully inspected the stone disk.

This was her daily routine: ensuring the vital treasure was functioning normally.

However, as she was engrossed in her inspection, a strand of cold, clear energy, like intangible moonlight, quietly seeped from the stone disk. It silently drilled into the palm of the hand Sea Song had placed upon it.

But Sea Song remained completely oblivious.

Once her inspection was complete and she had confirmed everything was in order, Sea Song let out a sigh of relief. She reinforced the surrounding Protective Array before exiting the small warehouse, locking the door carefully, and heading up the stairs to ground level.

She soon arrived back on the first floor of the garrison.

The cool moonlight streamed through the window lattice, washing over her like liquid mercury.

In an instant, as if drawn by some unseen force, tendrils of moonlight began to merge into Sea Song’s body. A silver, crescent-shaped mark abruptly materialized on her smooth, jade-like forehead.

The mark vanished as quickly as it appeared, so fast it might have been an illusion.

But Sea Song’s steps froze in place.

Her once clear and gentle blue eyes became vacant and unfocused. Then, an aura completely unlike Sea Song’s began to emanate from within her.

It was cold and majestic, carrying the profound stillness and ancient weariness of countless ages.

Her entire demeanor changed completely.

"Sea Song."

Just then, Lynch’s voice called out from the back courtyard, slightly distorted by the distance.

"What are you up to? Stop dawdling. Come get some of my secret-sauce barbecue."

In the hallway, the expressionless "Sea Song" froze for a second. After a brief, stuttering pause, she slowly turned her head with a slightly mechanical motion, looking in the direction of the back courtyard.

Deep within her cold eyes, flecks of silver light seemed to swirl.

After a two-second pause, she began to walk toward the back courtyard.

In the courtyard, Lynch was sitting in his comfortable, large armchair, continuously turning a row of meat skewers grilling on the charcoal brazier before him.

The meat SIZZLED as it grilled over the charcoal, its rich aroma wafting through the air.

"Sea Song" walked into the courtyard, her cold gaze falling on Lynch.

But in the next instant, several skewers of meat, slathered in a thick sauce, were unexpectedly thrust into her hands.

"Eat up, while it’s hot. It’s your favorite flavor," Lynch said casually, without turning his head. "By the way, you went to check on the core component of that Teleportation Gate, didn’t you? You do have to be careful with that thing."

"That Aus kid has been writing back and forth with his Grand Scholar professor in the Imperial Capital, and they’ve actually made some real progress. His professor scoured the Royal Library and found some literature from the twilight years of the Ancient Elves. After analyzing it, he concluded that the terrifying entity in the ruins over by the Teleportation Gate is most likely the famous Ancient Elf ’Moon Priestess.’ Hmm... I think she’s called Elune’s Song: Seren Hill, or something like that?"

As his words faded, the flecks of silver light in "Sea Song’s" eyes seemed to glow a little brighter.

Lynch still didn’t turn around. He casually picked up a skewer of meat and lamented as he ate, "Tsk... anyway, according to the records, she was some old witch who lived for who-knows-how-many years, famous for her strange and unpredictable methods. Sigh... can’t even rest in peace after dying... How troublesome..."

The silver flecks in "Sea Song’s" eyes swirled, as if coalescing into blades.

She raised her free right hand, just as she was about to do something.

Lynch suddenly turned his head slightly, showing the greasy corner of his mouth. "What are you spacing out for? Here, help me wipe this off."

...