The silence within Lunara's Temple felt so sacred, as if time itself had stopped ticking out of respect.
The moment Elara stepped through the gate of light, she found herself standing inside a circular chamber whose floor was made of clear crystal. At the center of the room, silver light gathered together to form the silhouette of a woman whose elegance was difficult to describe with words.
Elara froze, her breath caught in her throat.
She had once seen Sage Maevira, who was worshipped as the most beautiful woman in all of Caelora's capital, but before this projection, Maevira's beauty felt like a small candle beneath the brightness of a full moon.
The woman possessed hair that seemed woven from silver threads and eyes that radiated eternal peace.
"Welcome, my child," the voice was gentle, yet trembled with divine authority. "Do not be afraid. I am a projection of Lunara's consciousness left behind within this altar. Introduce yourself, Girl of Light."
Elara bowed deeply, her body trembling violently.
"My name is Elara... I am the 14th Sage who was recently appointed."
Lunara looked at Elara with a gaze that seemed capable of piercing into the deepest parts of her soul.
She sensed an overwhelming wave of suffering—loss of family, destruction, and betrayal—yet she could not find even a speck of soot from hatred. The girl's heart was pure white, like snow untouched by human footsteps.
"Very well, Elara," Lunara began her story. "This temple was built thousands of years ago under my command by my faithful followers when the Great War swept across Urtz. At that time, the gods lacked medical personnel on the battlefield. We needed many people to serve as vessels for our healing power."
Lunara walked slowly across the crystal floor.
"Many beings from various races—Earth Elves, Humans, and even Dwarves—came here seeking healing power to assist the gods in the war. However, divine power is a heavy burden. Most of them possessed hearts tainted by ambition, greed, or vengeance. Because their hearts were impure, their bodies gradually weakened, and they died after the war ended because they could not withstand the frequency of my power. Now, tell me your full name, Elara."
Elara fell silent.
Her family name was something she kept tightly locked away within a sealed box of memories, afraid that speaking it aloud would cause the memories of her father, mother, and siblings burning in Solara to destroy her.
During the examination at the Colosseum, she had written only "Elara of Kozto."
But before the Goddess, she could not lie.
"My name is... Elara Valerius."
Lunara's eyes widened slightly.
"Ah... Valerius. You are a descendant of Zanaya Valerius. She was the finest healing mage Urtz ever possessed in ancient times. I knew her. Her heart was fairly pure by human standards, though she still struggled to fully bear my power. But you..." Lunara smiled meaningfully. "You possess a heart far purer than that ancestor of yours."
Elara could hardly believe what she was hearing.
Before she could ask further questions, Lunara waved her hand through the air.
A projection of water appeared before Elara, revealing a horrifying situation outside the temple.
POV: Outside the Temple — Border of Mavet Valley
Several minutes earlier, two teleportation specialists arrived on horseback.
They proceeded to the coordinates and immediately reported to the male VON agent (Kevir) to begin examining the remnants of the portal left behind by Ashell.
Sylveras stood nearby with a worried expression, his eyes constantly drifting toward the crystal wall of the temple where Elara had disappeared.
"Begin frequency analysis," ordered the male VON agent.
The specialists approached the portal site.
Suddenly, Sylveras felt something was wrong.
His instincts, forged through harsh training with the Mountain Spirit and Gorion, screamed a warning.
"Wait! Don't get close! There's a trap there!"
But the warning came too late.
BOOM!
A dark purple mana explosion erupted from the center of the portal.
It was a trap left behind by Ashell—the Hot Dust Demon who had attacked the Colosseum.
The explosion did not destroy the body physically. Instead, it released a curse of Demon Aether that immediately invaded the souls of anyone who inhaled it.
The two teleportation specialists and the two VON agents instantly lost consciousness.
When they opened their eyes again, their pupils had turned a savage shade of purple.
They rose like puppets driven by hatred, immediately drawing weapons and preparing magic against Sylveras.
Only Sylveras survived because he had leaped backward with lightning-fast reflexes just before the explosion occurred.
Now he was cornered.
He had to face four of his own companions who had gone berserk.
"Damn it! I can't hurt them!" Sylveras gritted his teeth as he dodged Mirell's dagger strikes and the researchers' magic attacks.
Back Inside the Temple
"Goddess! Please help them! Sylveras is in danger!" Elara cried as she pleaded with Lunara's projection.
Lunara shook her head weakly.
"I cannot intervene directly, Elara. I am too far away in the heavens, and my physical body is not present here. But you are there."
Lunara pointed toward the great altar stone at the center of the chamber.
"Touch that stone. Only you are strong enough to withstand this magic without being destroyed. Strengthen your resolve, Elara. This is the power you need to save your companions."
Elara swallowed nervously.
She approached the altar stone, recalling Gorion's words that she must grow into a strong Sage.
She placed her palm upon the cold stone surface.
Instantly, a blinding silver-gold light exploded from the altar.
Elara felt as though a river of pure energy was flowing through her entire body.
Unlike her predecessors, she felt no pain.
Instead, she felt as though she had finally been "healed."
"It was a pleasure meeting you, Elara Valerius," Lunara whispered as her projection began to fade. "I never expected a being from the lower world to still possess a heart as great as yours."
The Climax of the Battle
Outside, Sylveras was already nearing exhaustion.
He used earth magic to limit the movements of the specialists, but the possessed Mirell attacked him with terrifying speed.
Just as Mirell's dagger was about to touch Sylveras's neck, the crystal wall of the temple suddenly melted away.
A figure stepped out with an aura so calm that even Mavet's foul mist seemed to retreat.
Elara raised her staff high into the air.
The light emerging from its tip was now different—not a dim yellow glow, but a brilliant white radiance carrying a refreshing cool sensation.
"Celestial Blessing: Lumina Purificatio!"
A wave of light swept across the battlefield.
The moment the light touched the two VON agents and the teleportation specialists, the purple curse possessing them screamed and instantly evaporated.
The wounds they had suffered during their fight with Sylveras closed as if by magic.
One by one, they collapsed to the ground, gasping as their consciousness returned.
The male VON agent stared at his own hands in confusion, while Mirell could only remain silent as she looked at Elara with an expression difficult to interpret.
Sylveras dropped to one knee, breathing in relief.
"El... you did it?"
Elara smiled, though her body felt slightly weak.
She had successfully used an absolute purification spell that no one in this era had ever witnessed.
In the dark depths of Mavet Valley, Elara now stood no longer as the orphan girl from Solara, but as the true Light of Hope for the Kingdom of Urtz.