Chapter 176: Unforgettable Memories

Ling Xiaolei supported her injured left arm as she retreated. Having lost all will to flee, she leaned against a tree and slowly sat down, gazing sorrowfully up at the night sky.

"I suppose I am going to die here today..."

She sighed softly. "It matters little if I perish, but I fear Black Feather will forever harbor guilt over this. Though I am filled with reluctance... yet Black Feather's might is so formidable, how could I possibly escape..."

Memories of the past surged into her mind, scene after scene replaying. She still remembered the day she first laid eyes on Black Feather during a practical training class at the junior magic academy.

The instructor led a taciturn boy before the class.

"Allow me to introduce our new student, Black Feather. Please take good care of him."

He kept his head lowered, staring silently at the ground before him.

Yet, for reasons inexplicable, the unique aura he exuded drew Ling Xiaolei to him with irresistible force.

Perhaps they were both solitary and unique—outcasts in a crowd, immersed in their own worlds, utterly incompatible with the surrounding society.

At a very young age, Ling Xiaolei had left her homeland to live alone in the Holy City. In the blink of an eye, several years had passed, yet she had never managed to forge a single bond of true friendship.

Although the people of the Holy City were kind, and no one mocked or bullied her for being a dark elf, the deep-seated inferiority within her heart prevented her from ever holding her head high.

Compared to girls of her age, she was short, with dark skin. Every time she stood before a mirror, she would curse herself for being a dark elf.

Black Feather, too, walked alone. Unlike anyone else, he maintained an air of complete indifference to everything around him. He always practiced in solitude or quietly hid beneath the trees to idle away the time, his entire existence shrouded in mystery.

During every physical training session, when they were required to run ten laps around the playground, Black Feather was invariably the first to finish, sitting alone beneath a tree in a daze. In contrast, Ling Xiaolei possessed abysmal stamina; running was nothing short of a nightmare to her.

The others had already run far ahead, while Ling Xiaolei struggled miserably in the rear. Suddenly, her legs went weak and she tumbled to the ground, scraping her knees until they bled profusely. She squatted in the dirt, fighting back tears in a display of utter helplessness.

Suddenly, a warm figure stood beside her. He unfastened his own white scarf and tenderly bound her wound. Ling Xiaolei looked up into his gaze, meeting those bottomless black eyes that inexplicably filled her heart with a profound sense of peace.

As it turned out, he was not indifferent to the world at all; beneath his exterior lay a warm heart, though he knew not how to integrate into society.

After that day, they became friends. Following every training session, they would secretly hide behind the trees, and Ling Xiaolei would chatter endlessly, telling him all about herself and her people, the dark elves.

He would listen quietly, then slowly extend his hand, a wisp of black smoke resting upon his palm.

Darkness magic—a power that filled everyone with dread. Yet Ling Xiaolei felt no fear; instead, she felt their hearts draw inexplicably closer.

"Since you have shared your secret with me, I shall share mine with you as well," he said. "I possess dark power. That is why I never approach crowds; I am terrified that I might harm those around me."

Before they knew it, the two had become inseparable friends who shared every thought.

Time flowed on. In the blink of an eye, the age of graduation from the junior magic academy arrived. By then, Black Feather towered a full head and shoulders above her, easily able to rest his palm atop her head. The once gloomy and aloof expression on his face had begun to yield to smiles.

They had made a pact to enter the intermediate magic academy together, and subsequently advance into the senior magic academy. They vowed to become extraordinary mages together, acting as each other's steadfast support... Yet, he grew ever more brilliant, drifting further and further away from her...

At this thought, two trails of hot tears traced their way down Ling Xiaolei's cheeks. Pillow-resting against the cold tree trunk, she stared up at the pitch-black, hopeless night sky, her throat choking with emotion.

"Black Feather, I am afraid you must walk the remaining road alone. I can no longer accompany you..."

She closed her eyes silently, meeting the demon's descending claws without a single thought of dodging or resistance. The long-sealed memories of those distant, warm times enveloped her like a comforting embrace.

Yet the demon overhead displayed only a ferocious visage and brutal intent. Once more, it raised its demonic claw without hesitation, hurtling toward Ling Xiaolei as a fierce gale shrieked past her ears.

Just as she resolved herself to death, abandoning all instincts of resistance, the summoning tome upon her wrist flashed with a spontaneous brilliance. Suddenly, a deafening explosion erupted beside Ling Xiaolei, shattering her eardrums as billowing dust engulfed the surrounding forest.

Ling Xiaolei continued to brace herself for the sentence of death, but after a long moment, the demon's claws failed to fall.

Astonished, she slowly opened her eyes to discover a silver-gray figure standing before her like a towering fortress. It possessed broad shoulders, angular square features, eyes as tiny as beans, and a stone jawline that split back to its ears.

She remained completely unharmed, her body cradled within a giant palm fashioned of solid stone. She sat securely atop it, shielded by five pillar-like fingers that formed a protective barrier, through the gaps of which drifted the residual white mist of a violent clash. Meanwhile, the construct's other sturdy fist was planted squarely against the demon's palm, halting its assault dead in its tracks.

Ling Xiaolei stared in utter bewilderment. This was none other than her third familiar—the one she had never once utilized—the Titan Golem.

She had almost forgotten that she possessed such a guardian. It had been passed down to her by Ling Xi. The Titan Golem was among the primeval-grade magical beasts, dwelling within remote, frigid, and desolate regions. Composed entirely of stone, it was renowned for possessing "the most impenetrable defense."

Even so, under the crushing impact of the demon's ferocious attack, the Titan Golem's feet were forced back over a meter, carving two deep trenches into the earth and snapping the trees behind it in half.

At the same time, that single blow shocked Black Feather back to his senses. Looking past the void of his consciousness, he saw Ling Xiaolei's eyes, filled with stark terror, directly beneath the demon's descending claws.

Comprehending the situation instantly, a wave of profound remorse washed over him.

"Run!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.

Hearing the familiar voice echoing from above, Ling Xiaolei recognized it instantly as Black Feather's.

She wanted to say more, but the Titan Golem did not hesitate, abruptly wheeling around and charging deep into the forest. The rapidly moving silver-gray figure stirred the forest canopy into waves of billowing green, carrying her far away in the blink of an eye.

It knew Ling Xiaolei's magical energy could not sustain it for long; its sole mission now was to deliver her safely to a secure location while she rested within its palm.

Back on the battlefield, Black Feather fought to bring the demon to a complete halt. Standing motionlessly in place, he waited as his magical energy gradually exhausted itself, causing the demon's terrifying form to finally dissolve and scatter into the wind.