“They’re about to run.” The dark aura confronting the Magic Dragons had diminished by half. The Sethite wizards were trying to use the dark power they had gathered to tear open a spatial rift. They had developed the intention to retreat, much faster than Olivia had imagined.

“The Sethite clan had already abandoned a group of its people once; they certainly don’t want to suffer any more casualties this time.” Cynthia had anticipated from the beginning that the Sethite clan would back down. That was why she had specifically instructed the Magic Dragons to attack directly without any hesitant attempts at intimidation. By not giving the Sethite wizards time to react or call for aid, they would be powerless to hold onto this territory even if they wanted to.

Ever since the gods left the Sitatul Continent, the monsters that had vanished along with them had become quite transparent. Everyone knew that monsters were not “fond of battle.” The fact that these Magic Dragons had launched a surprise attack and caught the Sethite wizards off guard suggested that many among them still had no idea what was happening.

The Magic Dragons just wanted to find a place to sleep and preserve their strength. They had only come here and listened to Cynthia because they were wary of her identity as a God’s Descendant. They carried out her order to attack the Sethite clan perfunctorily. Now that they saw the Sethite wizards were leaving, not only did they show no intention of pursuing them, but they turned around and began picking out spots on the Capri Plains to sleep.

Cynthia had also foreseen this behavior from the Magic Dragons. She shook her head slightly, her gaze shifting from the dragons to the black mist where the Sethite wizards were. Her fingers, resting on the bridge’s railing, gently stroked the vines beneath them as she said thoughtfully, “Where do you think they’ll flee?”

The Temple of Darkness lay dormant beneath the Capri Plains, and the Sethite clan would certainly be unwilling to give it up so easily. They would either seek help from the Vampires or find a place to hide and regroup for a while before launching another attack.

Olivia glanced at Cynthia, her clear voice carrying a hint of coldness in the night. “They’ll go to the Vampires for shelter.”

These Magic Dragons’ hibernation periods were measured in centuries. Their short lifespans had always been a sore spot for the Sethite wizards. Within the Sethite clan, those most obsessed with eternal life were the eldest elders, and they were running out of time.

Seeking the Vampires’ help was the simplest method.

“With one dead and two heavily injured, the Lasombra might not be willing to get involved in the Sethite clan’s affairs right now.” After all, their “alliance” had never been one of equals. Cynthia raised a hand to her chin, a sudden smile appearing as if she had thought of something. “The Vampires will definitely not give up on the Sitatul Continent so easily. They failed in their attack on the Elf Territory, so they’re probably anxious to destroy the other temples now.”

As she spoke, she turned to meet Olivia’s eyes and said with a smile, “I remember Clan Leader Helen is leading her people to keep an eye on the temples, right?”

Olivia understood the meaning behind Cynthia’s words and nodded slightly. “The Wolf Race discovered traces of Vampires in Yezreet, but they can’t yet confirm if they’re planning to target that temple.”

“It’s fine. Just have Clan Leader Helen keep an eye out. With any luck, she might run into those poor souls who ran off to ask for help, only to be sent to destroy a temple instead.” Of course, it wouldn’t matter even if the Vampires suddenly took “pity” on the Sethite clan’s plight and chose to help them.

The Sitatul Continent was vast, but there would be plenty more opportunities for them to encounter the Sethite wizards in the future.

After Cynthia finished speaking, Olivia summoned a hawk, pure white from head to tail. The hawk circled above their heads a few times before landing on the bridge railing.

“I’ll send her a message now.” Olivia raised her hand to stroke the hawk’s feathers. The messenger she and Helen had used before had gone missing, so this was another one Helen had given her.

She stroked the hawk’s feathers for a moment, but the God Race member beside her remained silent, which she found a bit puzzling. Olivia looked up and saw Cynthia staring at her with a peculiar expression.

“What is it?” Olivia glanced down at the hawk, then withdrew her hand and asked.

Cynthia’s gaze shifted between the hawk and Olivia a few times before she sighed. “Our relationship is so intimate, yet Her Majesty the Queen has never given me a messenger.”

She looked down and rubbed her nose, appearing quite dejected.

Although Olivia knew the God Race member before her was deliberately putting on this expression, she still fell silent for a moment before summoning a bluebird for Cynthia. Seeing the bright smile that appeared on Cynthia’s face at the sight of the bluebird, Olivia lowered her pale green eyes and murmured, “…Childish.”

Weren’t the teleportation arrays between the God Race and Elf territories convenient enough for the two of them to communicate?

The bluebird landed quietly on Cynthia’s shoulder. Cynthia played with it for a moment before putting it away. She then turned, moved closer to Olivia, and, under her questioning gaze, kissed her on the lips.

The warmth on her lips was there and gone in an instant, but Olivia still took a step back. She raised a hand to touch the spot that had been kissed, staring at Cynthia without a word.

“I was so happy, I had to find a way to express my joy.” Cynthia reached out and tentatively wrapped an arm around Olivia’s waist. Seeing no rejection, her red lips curved into a beautiful arc as she “kindly” suggested, “Her Majesty the Queen could also give it a try.”

Olivia glanced down at the hand on her waist and emphasized in a low voice, “We are still discussing important matters.”

Cynthia replied with a perfectly straight face, “This is also an important matter.”

Olivia was speechless.

How could the two be equated? Olivia wanted to retort, but after glancing at Cynthia and seeing the gentle smile in her eyes, she just shook her head slightly, indulging her small actions.

The witches had suffered heavy casualties in the battle against the Sethite wizards in Shastaya. Although the Sethite wizards had also paid a certain price due to the Anderson Witches’ frenzied counterattack, this devastating blow had once again plunged the witches, who had just begun to regain some confidence, into despair.

Worried that the Sethite wizards might return, the witches left Shastaya overnight despite their injuries, just missing the Morgan Family and the God Race who had come looking for them.

The witches began to flee aimlessly, and before they knew it, they had arrived near the Capri Plains. This was, after all, the place where they had grown up. Though lost, they had subconsciously returned.

But the Capri Plains were not safe; they couldn’t go back. This fact brought the already numb witches to the verge of collapse.

But bad news always likes to pile up, scrambling to be the last straw that breaks the camel’s back. Kana, who was leading her people in their flight, received a message from the Morgan Family. Besides asking for their location, the letter also contained questions about the Anderson Family.

The God Race had also been attacked by the Sethite wizards, and they had been assisted by witches from the Anderson Family.

The Anderson Family, who had colluded with the Sethite wizards, were in turn besieged by them, suffering heavy casualties. It sounded incredible, even laughable, but Kana knew the contents of the letter were true.

The Anderson Family had a deal with the Sethite clan. She had figured that out when she overheard the conversation between Molly and Maia. Although she didn’t know at the time that the God Race had also been attacked, she already had a bad feeling. That was why they had fled aimlessly instead of seeking refuge with the God Race or meeting up with the Morgan witches.

The God Race might have spared the Anderson Family once, but they wouldn’t spare them a second time. They should hand over the Anderson Family; they had brought this upon themselves.

But… whenever Kana tried to make a decision, the images of blood and sacrificed bodies made her hesitate. Those madwomen were all friends she had grown up with.

No matter how crazy someone was, they wouldn’t give up their own life so easily. But the craziest thing the Anderson Witches had ever done was to pave a path to survival for them with their own lives.

It had been like that when they were attacked by Vampires in the Capri Plains, and it was the same in Shastaya… How could she hand over the people who had protected them with their lives?

In a remote valley over a thousand miles from the Capri Plains, the witches sat together in silence. The orange glow of the campfire dispelled the darkness but could not drive away the shadows that enveloped them.

Betty sat alone in the farthest corner. The cold night wind made her face turn pale. She wrapped her cloak tighter around herself, staring blankly at the wild grass at her feet. They had run too far, and she was very worried about whether Eunice would be able to find them.

“Sister Betty…” Camille cautiously walked over and sat down beside Betty. She draped a cloak that had been warmed by the fire over Betty’s shoulders. Seeing that she didn’t refuse, a smile finally appeared on her small face. “You haven’t slept in days. Why don’t you lie on my lap and rest for a while?”

She patted her own legs, looking at Betty with anticipation.

Betty rubbed her eyes and shook her head. “I’m not tired.” She paused for a moment, then added in a small voice, “I want to go find Eunice.”

She had made this request as soon as Elder Kana’s injuries had improved slightly, but Kana, concerned for her safety, had consistently refused.

“She’s your sister.” Betty turned to look at Camille. Her eyes were bloodshot from many sleepless nights. “Why aren’t you worried about her at all?”

Betty’s tone was tinged with complaint. Camille’s lips trembled, and tears immediately fell. “I’m worried about Sister Eunice too, but I don’t know where to find her.”

“She’s so strong, she’ll definitely be fine.”

Seeing her cry so sorrowfully, Betty felt her words had been a bit harsh. She raised a hand to cover her face and apologized in a low voice, “I’m sorry… I’m just so worried about her…”

While wiping her tears, Camille peeked at Betty. Seeing that she seemed to be crying again, a flash of heartache crossed her face. “Sister Eunice will definitely be okay.”

She rested her head on Betty’s shoulder, her eyes half-closed as a sense of satisfaction spread through her heart, though her face still wore a sad expression. “If the two of us run off to find Sister Eunice, what if we run into danger? I’m still very weak right now, I can’t protect you.”

Betty was silent for a moment before saying, “I can protect myself.”

Camille looked up at her and said with an innocent expression that carried a hint of cruelty, “It was always Sister Eunice who protected you before.”

Betty’s face turned pale, her eyes growing dimmer than the night.

Camille hadn’t said this to poke at Betty’s sore spot. She reached out and patted Betty’s back comfortingly. Her eyes darted around, and she said in a mysterious tone, “Sister Betty, did you know there’s a secret base in the Capri Plains?”

“What?”

She leaned close to Betty’s ear and whispered, “The Temple of Darkness.”

Seeing Betty’s blank expression, Camille’s eyes curved into a smile. “Elder Molly learned about it from the Sethite wizards. The dark magic the Sethite wizards use is so powerful because they got it from the Temple of Darkness.”

“If we find the Temple of Darkness, we can become powerful too. Then no one will be able to bully us anymore.”

“The Temple of Darkness…” Betty murmured softly. “But where is the Temple of Darkness…”

“We can find out by asking Elder Kana to perform a divination.” Camille leaned against Betty again, picking up a strand of her hair and stroking it lovingly, a satisfied smile on her lips. “There are so many secret passages in Capri. Let’s sneak in and take a look.”

As she shifted to get more comfortable, leaning her body against Betty, a translucent red gemstone suddenly fell from under her red robe. Camille glanced at it, her lips curving slightly, and calmly reached down to put the gemstone into her space gem.

Startled by the news of the Temple of Darkness, Betty didn’t notice Camille’s small action. After so many sleepless days, her mind was foggy and her thoughts had become sluggish. All sorts of ideas were tangled into a messy knot in her head. She raised a hand to rub her brow and said in a low voice, “I’ll go talk to Elder Kana…”

Eunice was right. Weakness solved nothing. The weak had no right to choose between life and death. Betty didn’t want to go on like this anymore. If there was powerful dark magic, she was willing to learn it.

She… wanted to get revenge on the Sethite wizards.

While the Sethite wizards were making a dejected retreat and the Magic Dragons were starting to fight over sleeping spots, Cynthia and Olivia had already returned to the Slade Sea Region.

Chloe had been in a coma ever since using the Sacrificial Spell. After Cynthia brought Olivia to see her, Olivia had no good solutions either. The Sacrificial Spell was too overbearing. When Cynthia had used it, Olivia had thought at the time that even Cynthia couldn’t be saved.

But Cynthia had recovered thanks to her body’s self-healing ability.

No one else in the God Race possessed self-healing abilities; only she did. It was strange, but this was hardly the only strange thing about Cynthia.

Previously, whenever Olivia came to the God Race, she had always stayed in the forest outside the city. Even though she spent every night with Cynthia back then, it was always Cynthia who came to her bridge. One would rest on the bed, while the other sat quietly at the table until dawn.

This was the first time she had seen Cynthia’s bedroom.

The city the God Race currently inhabited had been left behind by the Vampires. Darcy hadn’t demolished many of the magnificent castles. She had assigned the rooms in the most central castle to Chloe, the clan’s senior elders, and Cynthia.

At her request, Cynthia’s bedroom was in a somewhat remote but very quiet location.

Unlike the wooden houses the elves were accustomed to, the castle’s interior was lavishly decorated. A large bed, draped in soft, light gauze, took up a fifth of the bedroom. Olivia, who had been trying to keep her eyes from straying in that direction, found her peripheral vision constantly catching a corner of the gauze.

…The Vampires were too indulgent. Why put such a large bed in a bedroom?

And why did Cynthia have to place all the Twin Flowers she had given her by the bedside? Olivia glanced at the several flower baskets on the headboard and suddenly felt the room grow hot and stuffy, making her feel very uncomfortable.

Footsteps suddenly sounded from the doorway. Olivia glanced over, then composed herself and walked to the table to sit down.

Cynthia, having just finished discussing Chloe’s condition with Darcy, walked in from outside. The first thing she saw was Olivia sitting at the table with a stern face. Since Olivia rarely showed her emotions, Cynthia didn’t notice anything unusual. She smiled at her, then walked over and sat down opposite her.

As soon as Cynthia sat down, Olivia took the initiative to bring up a topic. “Don’t you find it strange that no one else in the God Race can use the Sacrifice?”

“It is indeed strange.” Cynthia took out a bottle of flower nectar from her space gem, placed it on the table, and gently pushed it toward Olivia. “That’s not the only strange thing. There’s also a member of the God Race who can prophesize. I don’t know why, but even though we were all created by the Goddess of Light, the talents of the God Race are not the same.”

She didn’t know if Doris could use the Sacrifice, but from her observations, Doris was similar to Darcy and Chloe in all aspects except for her prophetic ability.

The God Race was not a race that had existed since the era of the gods, so Olivia couldn’t explain why this was. She frowned in thought and slowly shook her head. “Since the Magic Dragon called you a God’s Descendant, it must know of the God Race’s existence. Didn’t you see anything in its memories?”

After searching the Magic Dragon’s memories, Cynthia had a sudden whim to “gift” them to the Sethite clan. They had been busy with this matter for the past few days and hadn’t had time to discuss anything else.

“I saw some interesting memories.” Cynthia propped her chin on one hand, seemingly organizing her words. “What we learned from the statue in Pegel, about the gods being unable to deal with the monsters anymore, is true.”

Olivia watched her quietly, waiting for her to continue.

“So the gods discussed a plan together, a plan to completely eliminate the monsters.” Cynthia frowned as she spoke. “But the monsters don’t know the specific details of this plan either, only that the gods created many new races.”

“Among them was the God’s Descendant created by the Goddess of Light.” She pointed to her own hair and eyes, her tone gentle. “Silver hair and golden eyes, inheriting all of the Goddess of Light’s Light Magic, able to sense divine power, possessing an endless lifespan and a self-healing ability superior to that of the Vampires.”

Olivia’s gaze deepened slightly as she said softly, “You fit all of those conditions.”

But the other members of the God Race did not.

Cynthia smiled without speaking. She had woken up in an ice coffin and had seen the memory of the Goddess of Light creating this body of hers in the statue at Pegel. She now strongly suspected, did the Goddess of Light only create this one body?

But if that were the case, where did the other God Race members come from?

All the secrets concerning the gods came from scattered memory fragments. It was an almost impossible task to piece them together and find an answer.

Cynthia’s desire to explore such unknowns wasn’t that strong. No matter how much they discussed it, they wouldn’t reach a conclusion, so it was better to put it aside for now. “If the Magic Dragon’s memories are true, then the unfamiliar races in the illusion we saw at the Beast God’s temple should be the ones he created.”

“The gods ultimately did not initiate this plan. The new races they created were all sealed within their temples.”

As for why the God Race wasn’t sealed and instead lived a life of exile on the Sitatul Continent, the Magic Dragon’s memories gave Cynthia no answer.

“Sealed…” Olivia lowered her eyes in thought. “Will the Vampires destroying the temples affect the seals?”

The Sitatul Continent was already in chaos. If these new races were released, no one knew if it would be another disaster.

“When the Beast God’s temple was destroyed, the seal must have already loosened.” Otherwise, why would she have only seen the illusion at that time? And… Cynthia’s tone grew slightly grave. “Avira seems to know about the existence of these new races.”

Before going to Pegel, she had probed Avira out of curiosity as to why the Vampires had suddenly withdrawn from the Sitatul Continent. Although Avira was very alert and didn’t reveal anything, Cynthia still noticed something unusual in her expression.

For the Vampires to suddenly choose to withdraw when they could have completely controlled the Sitatul Continent, and to do so without reason, was strange in itself.

The Vampires were insatiably greedy. If there wasn’t something that made them feel apprehensive, they wouldn’t have obediently returned to their own domain.

She had been puzzled at the time about what the Vampires were so wary of that the Ventrue and Brujah clans had joined forces to order all the clans to be recalled. Now, it seemed she had an answer.

What the Vampires feared was not the ethereal return of the gods, but that they had learned from somewhere that these powerful new races were sealed in the temples. A Sitatul Continent with only elves and werewolves was easy for them to control, but what if many more powerful races were added to the mix?

No one knew if these races were docile or violent, but one thing was certain: the Sitatul Continent would definitely descend into chaos, and the Vampires could forget about being its rulers.

As for the Lasombra and Tzimisce clans, who were still trying to invade the Sitatul Continent, Cynthia couldn’t figure out their motives. But from Avira’s attitude, it seemed the Ventrue clan did not approve of what those two clans were doing.