Mr. Dragon Knight, the dragon girls are chasing you!

The Grand Elder remained silent for a long time, then slowly nodded: "Rest assured, Lord Dragon Knight, I have lived for so many years, I still have this much to say."

He paused, then added, "Moreover, this matter is known only to you and me; even His Majesty the Silver Dragon King has not been informed. The method to break the blood curse of the Eternal Night Dragon Clan is our clan's highest secret, and outsiders have no way of knowing it."

Luo Ye nodded, feeling slightly relieved, and her gaze returned to the bright moon.

But Eldron lingered, standing in the evening breeze, hesitant to speak, his aged eyes filled with deep worry and reluctance.

He followed Luo Ye's gaze to the moon, hesitated several times before finally speaking:

"My Lord Dragon Knight, I am truly worried about your health and your lifespan."

"Now you have collected two of the three sacred artifacts needed to break the blood curse: the Silver Moon Heart and the Shadow Core."

"But don't forget, the core price to breaking the Eternal Night Blood Curse has never been the sacred object, but your heart's blood and your lifespan!"

"It takes ten years of human lifespan sacrifice to cleanse a portion of the curse's corruption. And the lifespan of humans—"

He paused, a hint of reluctance flashing in his dark dragon eyes.

"Even the strongest among humans can only live for a few hundred years. You..."

Luo Ye gazed at the bright moon, its cool light spilling across his face and subtly reflecting the complex emotions churning within.

He remained silent, letting the night wind tousle the fine black hairs on his forehead, dispelling the confusion and melancholy that had accumulated in his heart.

After a long while, a relieved smile slowly appeared on his lips:

"Elder, there's no need to say more."

His voice was soft, carried away by the night wind, calm yet incredibly firm, without a trace of regret.

"To have met Elvia and Seraphine in my limited lifetime, and to have been able to lift their curses and protect them, is the greatest reward of my journey."

"As for lifespan—"

"Humans come into this world empty-handed and leave empty-handed; as for lifespan, you can't take it with you when you die."

"It's worth it to spend it all on people who deserve to be protected."

As soon as he finished speaking, he chuckled softly, a hint of alienation and melancholy hidden in his laughter that no one could understand.

"Besides, I don't belong here. I've already had a wonderful experience."

Eldron, standing to the side, was completely stunned. His aged body trembled slightly, and his eyes were filled with astonishment and panic.

He misinterpreted the deeper meaning of Luo Ye's words, taking it only as a sign that the dragon knight felt alienated and didn't belong to the Eternal Night Dragon Clan. He panicked instantly and hurriedly tried to comfort her:

"My Lord Dragon Knight, please don't say that!"

"You are the consort of the Eternal Night Dragon Nest, the dragon knight personally chosen by His Majesty, and the benefactor of the entire Eternal Night Dragon Clan! How could you say such a thing—"

The aged voice carried a hint of urgency and panic, as if afraid that Luo Ye might decide to leave.

"Elder."

Luo Ye interrupted him softly, her tone calm yet carrying a profound depth that penetrated the heart.

He slowly turned his head, the moonlight outlining his handsome profile, his eyes revealing a clarity and detachment the Grand Elder had never seen before: "That's not what I meant."

He had no further explanation, nor could he offer one.

The so-called "not belonging" never means not belonging to the Eternal Night Dragon's Nest, but rather not belonging to this complete game world.

He was an outsider, a strategist destined to be severed from the world, and from the very beginning, he was out of place with everyone and everything here.

This is also why he still fled, even though many of his previous plans were almost successful.

Luo Ye turned her head again, her gaze falling once more upon the bright moon hanging high in the sky. The tenderness in her eyes slowly faded, and she seemed lost in thought.

The elder stood beside him, looking at his profile outlined by the moonlight, and suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of alienation about this young man.

It's like being in this world, yet also like being outside of it.

The elder opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end it turned into a soft sigh.

A thousand words are ultimately unspeakable.

The night wind was bleak, and the moonlight was cold.

Eldron shook his head slightly, his aged figure slowly turned around, and stepped down the spiral stone staircase, descending the platform step by step.

In the end, only Luo Ye remained on the vast domed observation deck, facing a solitary, cold moon in the distance.

……

At the same time, on the throne in the main hall, Eluvia was not sleeping soundly.

She dreamt that she was standing in a thick, impenetrable black fog, unable to see anything except for a faint, silvery-white light coming from a very, very far distance ahead.

She ran forward desperately, but the light grew farther and farther away, fainter and fainter, and she couldn't catch up with it no matter what she did.

Then the light disappeared.

Luo Ye stood before her, covered in blood, his face also covered in blood, with a large hole in his chest, slowly turning to ashes inch by inch.

He looked at her, the same familiar gentle smile on his lips, exactly the same one she had when she first saw him on the battlefield of Rift Valley.

He opened his mouth and said something, but she couldn't hear him.

She wanted to rush over and hug him, but found that she couldn't even move a finger. She wanted to call his name, but her throat felt blocked and she couldn't make a sound.

They could only watch helplessly as he gradually disappeared into the shadows, until nothing remained.

"Luo Ye... Luo Ye!"

Eluvia was jolted awake from her nightmare. Her gilded vertical pupils widened abruptly, filled with lingering fear and terror, and her pupils trembled violently.

She was breathing heavily, her chest heaving violently.

Almost instinctively, she raised her hand and reached out to her side, eager to touch that familiar warmth.

Empty and desolate.

The cushion felt slightly cool to the touch, but there was no warmth, no familiar heartbeat, and no gentle embrace.

The enormous throne was empty; she was all alone.

"Stupid dragon knight?" Her voice trembled slightly as it echoed in the empty bedchamber.

No one answered.

The panic in her heart amplified instantly, and Eluvia's heart sank.

She didn't bother to put on her shoes, jumped off the throne barefoot, stumbled out of the bedchamber, and ran wildly through the corridors.

"You idiot dragon knight! Where are you?!"