Full-Time Psychic Martial Artist

Lorne said nothing. He continued to cast healing spells on Saloville, pretending to be completely focused and undistracted.

Kovina took a deep breath, rubbed her throbbing temples, pondered for a few seconds, and then said to Nelly:

"But you sensed the goddess's aura in both Village Chief Lorian and those two villagers, didn't you?"

"Yes!" Nelly nodded without hesitation.

"That's strange." Kovina crossed her arms and fell into deep thought again.

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the door, and a silver-haired, silver-eyed female elf wearing a white priest's robe with gold patterns appeared in the doorway.

"I see Saloville has returned!" the white-robed elf said breathlessly.

The three elves surrounding Saloville simultaneously turned to look at the doorway, and Lorne took the opportunity to glance at their information.

[Sena, Moon Elf, Level 20 Priest (Faith Mastery 4, Blessing Mastery 4, Healing Mastery 4, Discipline Mastery 4, Oracle Mastery 4), Health 260/260]

[Audiobook Tip: There is a reference image here.]

"Salovell was seriously injured, but he's out of danger now. It was little Lorne who saved him," Kovina said with a smile.

"That child blessed by the goddess?" As Seina spoke, her gaze shifted to Lorne, her eyes filled with joy and curiosity.

Lorne smiled and nodded to Saina.

"But we've encountered a strange thing," Kovina said. "Little Nelly says she can't sense the goddess's aura in Little Lorne. Perhaps you could help us?"

"What?" Seina's eyes widened in surprise, and then she looked at Neri.

Nelly nodded, her flawless face full of confusion. Clearly, she didn't understand why Lorne lacked the aura of a goddess.

"Okay, let me try." Seina quickly walked to Lorne's side.

She knelt on one knee, one hand gently resting on her chest, the other on Lorne's shoulder, closed her eyes, and prayed fervently:

"Great Iluvia, your lamb begs you to send down an oracle and tell me what has happened to this child."

As soon as Saina finished speaking, countless tiny points of light appeared out of thin air around her, like starlight or fireflies. These points of light floated randomly for a few seconds before converging on the female priest.

Everyone waited quietly. After about a minute, Seina opened her eyes and smiled, "His Majesty Lorne is indeed the chosen one of the goddess Iluvia, but the goddess has helped him conceal his aura as the chosen one."

"Just call me 'Lorne,' no need for any formalities," Lorne said with an awkward smile. He didn't want to be put on a pedestal by a mere empty title.

"Alright, little Lorne." Seina nodded with a smile, then looked at Neli and said, "The goddess Iluvia hopes that you can work with Lorne to resolve this crisis."

Nelly tilted her head slightly, looking a little lost, and thought for a few seconds before saying, "I need to ask Mom."

After saying that, she walked to the darkest corner of the command room, reached her right hand into the shadow of her left palm, and took out a goddess statue carved from black jade.

The statue depicts a mysterious woman wearing a robe, a hood, and a mask.

[Audiobook Tip: There is a reference image here.]

The Hermit Nephrase, Lady of the Night, Lord of the Void and Shadow, Goddess of Darkness.

Lorne deduced the deity the statue symbolized based on its appearance, but what really concerned him was what Nelly had just said.

"She said she'd ask her mother?" Lorne repeated Nelly's words, hoping to get an explanation from Kovina and Seina.

Kovina and Seina exchanged glances, and knowing that they both agreed to tell the truth, Kovina explained:

"Nelly's situation is very similar to yours. When she was five years old, her village was attacked by Chaos Beasts, and she was the only one who survived."

"From that time on, she became the most beloved child of the Goddess of Darkness."

"She lived alone in the upper abyss for a long time, until she came to the surface half a month ago and was discovered by us."

At this point, Seina added earnestly, "Neri's status as the chosen one is currently known only to me, Kovina, Saloville, Monteridge, and you. This is the will of the goddess."

"Yes, I understand." Lorne nodded solemnly. As the chosen one of the Goddess of Darkness, keeping one's identity a secret was a basic requirement.

"By the way, how old is she now?" Lorne asked.

"The oracle replied that she is seventeen," Seina answered.

Lorne's eyes widened in surprise: "So she lived alone in the upper abyss for twelve years?"

"Your reaction was exactly the same as ours back then." Seina looked at Nelly, who was hiding in a dark corner whispering to the statue, with affection. "Even now, I can't imagine how much suffering she went through."

"No wonder she knows so many poisonous creatures from the Upper Abyss," Lorne realized, then suddenly thought of something else, "So, all the Dark Elves live in the Upper Abyss?"

"Yes," Kovina nodded. "The Dark Elves bear a sacred mission, guarding against the evil from the Abyss. Without their silent sacrifices, there would be no peace and tranquility on the surface world."

Just then, Nelly came back and said to Lorne in a simple and honest voice, "Mom told me to come with you."

Upon hearing this, Saina breathed a sigh of relief: "That's great! With the two chosen ones working together, we might be able to get through this."

"May the goddess bless the elves," Kovina said devoutly.

"May the goddess bless the elves," Lorne and Seina echoed in unison.

Nelly didn't speak, but tilted her head and looked at Lorne like a curious kitten.

At this moment, Saloville, who had been unconscious, slowly awoke. He looked around before letting out a sigh of relief and saying, "Thank God, I wasn't unconscious for too long."

"You lost too much blood; you almost went to see the goddess Iria," Kovina said with a wry smile to Saloville.

The nature goddess Iria is the deity worshipped by the vast majority of forest elves and elven druids.

"Iria's mother sent me back because they need me more here." Salovey gave a bitter smile, then said gravely:

"I risked my life to infiltrate that cave. The orcs come from the upper abyss, and there are many of them, at least tens of thousands, and they are still gathering and growing. By the Goddess's grace, the scale of this war will be unimaginable."

The news that Salowell brought back at the risk of his life struck everyone like a heavy blow, and the command room fell into a deathly silence.

"We need to move all the villagers to the fortress; we have no chance of winning if we fight outside," Lorne was the first to break the silence.

"You're absolutely right." Kovina nodded in agreement, then said with a resolute look in her eyes:

"We must defend this fortress at all costs and stop the orcs' advance. If they reach Greenshade City, we will lose tens of thousands of our people and the entire northern forest."

"I must set off immediately and deliver this message to Senesde," Salowell said, struggling to get up, but he was too weak and the movement almost made him faint again.

In the ancient Elvish language, "Senes" means "immortal homeland, eternal home".

In the ancient Elvish language, "德" means "saint, prophet, sage, great leader".

"Senesd" is the holy city of the Elven community.

The territory ruled by the Elven Community is called 'Senesion'.

In the ancient Elvish language, the word "Ang" has two meanings: "rise" and "revival".

"Salovell, you need to rest," Seina said, looking at Salovell with concern.

"No...we...we don't have time." Saloville gasped, his face pale, cold sweat pouring from his forehead.

Kovina said seriously, "Calm down, Saloville. Think about it calmly. Even if we let you go, in your current state, can you successfully deliver the message?"

Saloville collapsed to the ground like a punctured balloon, staring at the ceiling, muttering in despair, "But who else here can complete this task besides me?"

"Don't we have any messengers anymore?" Lorne asked curiously.

"Yes," said Kovina, "but the messengers are too slow, especially after the divine calamity broke out in Cuiyin City. The messengers have to take a very long and dangerous route to bypass that area."

"What about bird messengers?"

"The distance is too far, I'm afraid it will be difficult to deliver."

"Then send them all out, a saturation delivery," Lorne said seriously.

"But if we do that, we won't have any bird messengers to use in the upcoming war," Kovina said with difficulty.

Lorne said with a determined look in his eyes, "If the reinforcements from the Holy City cannot arrive immediately, then we will not need messengers in the upcoming battle."

After a moment's thought, Kovina understood what Lorne meant. She immediately shouted towards the door, "Messenger!"

"Here!" An elven soldier immediately appeared at the door.

"Go and find Monteridge quickly, we need his animal friends!"

"Yes!" the elven soldier replied, and rushed out like a gust of wind.