This thought pierced her heart like a cold blade. Aria rushed towards the stairs, but after only a few steps, she heard shouting from above. The noise was like a raging wave, instantly drowning her thoughts.

The crowd surged down like an uncontrollable flood. Aria was jostled, nearly losing her footing. She clung desperately to the railing, like a fish swimming upstream, each step as challenging as climbing a steep cliff. Her progress was almost halted, the pressure on her shoulders growing as the crowd behind her pushed harder. She mustered all her strength, squeezing through a narrow path, struggling upward.

When she finally reached the top of the stairs, her legs nearly gave out, her breath ragged, heart pounding like a drum. She looked ahead and was utterly stunned by the scene before her.

The corridor was filled with Serpent archers, releasing volleys of arrows upon command, targeting the chaos below. Thick smoke billowed above the arena, where the deafening roars of countless Night Ghouls echoed.

Aria rushed to the cliff's railing and looked down, trembling uncontrollably. The iron gate below had been blasted open, and Night Ghouls swarmed out like a plague.

At that moment, one lift had crashed to the ground, and another dangled precariously in mid-air. Night Ghouls frantically leaped onto it, climbing higher up the chain. But the chain was too thin, and as it swayed, Night Ghouls fell like black beetles, crashing to the ground below.

In the arena, Neven stood alone. His golden mask had fallen, revealing a face smeared with black blood. His burly opponent was nowhere to be seen, an axe discarded on the stone floor, and the Soul Stone lay in darkness.

With hundreds of Night Ghouls attacking, Neven was nearly forced to the edge of the arena, with boiling lava rolling below.

Aria leaned over the railing, shouting, but her voice was quickly drowned out by the cacophony of ghastly wails.

Neven tried to move towards the dangling lift. The serpent archers in the corridor swiftly redirected their arrows towards the shaky lift, raining arrows on the climbing Night Ghouls.

Aria's eyes followed Neven as he slowly moved along the path cleared by the archers. He stepped on the bodies of Night Ghouls, trying to jump up and grab the lift. The Night Ghouls, smelling blood, rushed at him, jaws snapping.

"Neven, be careful!" Aria cried, her heart tightening, hands covering her mouth. She closed her eyes, trying to dispel her fear. When she opened them again, she saw Neven clinging to the lift, swinging in the air like a leaf in the wind.

The archers were tense, even though they were the most precise shooters, hitting a moving target was still extremely difficult. They continued to shoot the darting Night Ghouls to keep them off Neven. Arrows rained down, and Neven's body was soon covered in scratches.

Aria looked around and rushed to an archer, grabbing his bow and arrows. "Lend me these!" she demanded urgently. Taking a deep breath, she focused on the swaying lift, her mind clear like she had learned from the Aether chieftain.

"Neven, hold on!" she prayed silently. Whenever a Night Ghoul approached, her arrows flew, hitting their mark. She quickly drew and fired, one arrow after another, her movements fluid and precise.

The surrounding serpents paused to watch her, eyes filled with astonishment. Aria's entire focus was on the target below. Neven climbed with difficulty, each step a battle against death.

Aria's heart almost stopped, her breath heavy and fast. She knew that in this life-and-death moment, she had to do everything to help him, each arrow representing another chance for Neven to survive. Sweat dripped from her forehead, but her hands remained steady.

"Neven, keep going!" she whispered with hope.

Every step Neven took was like carrying a thousand pounds, his face a mix of sweat and blood. His arm muscles tensed, every sinew straining against gravity.

As he neared the top, a Night Ghoul suddenly leapt from the side, biting his leg. Neven let out a painful groan, almost losing his grip. Aria's heart leapt to her throat. She quickly drew, aimed, and released—an arrow piercing the Night Ghoul's head, blood splattering.

Neven gripped the chain tightly, continuing his climb.

Suddenly, a deep rumbling came from the ground. A gigantic Night Ghoul leader burst forth, letting out an earth-shaking roar. Its presence sent a chill through everyone. The archers' arrows seemed useless against it as it approached the lift, trying to tear Neven down.

"Damn it! Aim for its eyes!" Aria shouted to the archers, also aiming at the beast's eyes. An arrow shot out, hitting its mark, but the beast merely shook its head in anger, continuing forward.

Neven finally grabbed the top of the lift and was quickly pulled up by the archers. Just as he escaped danger, the beast's claw swiped, nearly catching his ankle. Aria watched in terror, her heart finally resuming its beat. Her legs shook as she leaned against the railing. As the Serpent archers led her away, she trembled, unable to make a sound.

"Madam, are you injured?" the serpent archer asked.

Aria shook her head. "How is he?"

"The gladiator is over there. Our people are tending to his wounds," the serpent archer pointed to a group of people near the lift.

Shortly after, Neven's voice came from the crowd: "I'm fine, really. Please prepare a carriage for us; I can't ride a horse with my leg like this..." Someone was helping Neven walk towards them.

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Aria stumbled forward, her pale face showing a faint, pained smile. The hot wind, mingled with the scent of Night Ghoul blood, hit her face. Neven leaned down and kissed her hair lightly. His face was splattered with darkened blood, his body indistinguishable from the Night Ghouls he had fought.

A loud crash echoed as a rickety ladder fell inside the Arena of Asura. From the depths, angry roars rose, and the applause of archers and the serpent people's concern seemed distant to Aria.

"Sir, tonight's reward—the Sacred Spring Water—was stolen," a serpent person reported. "The mistress says if you want any other treasures, she will agree to it..."

"I don't need it. I'm here to fulfill my promise," Neven rasped. "Find us a carriage. We need to leave."

Aria tried to pull away to check his injuries, but Neven leaned heavily on her. In the end, she could only stand there, supporting his weight.

The Serpent Queen dispatched a golden carriage adorned with the serpent clan's insignia and a guard escort.

For the first time, as she bid them farewell, the queen's face showed guilt, a stark contrast to her usual flirtatious demeanor. At the sight of Neven's injuries, her extravagant smile vanished.

By midnight, they exited the black tower and boarded the luxurious carriage. Neven, utterly exhausted, closed his eyes and nearly fell as the carriage rocked. Aria sat beside him, holding him steady, trying to make him lean against the seatback. She could imagine how much Neven despised lingering in the Ancient Serpent Abyss, not even wanting to sit and have his wounds bandaged before returning to Moon Tower.

"I saw a woman steal the Sacred Spring Water. She also killed the serpent guard in the treasury. A man had incited her to do it," Aria said, watching his face intently. She knew Neven wasn't asleep; his brow remained furrowed, and his eyelids twitched with every jolt of the carriage.

"Last time, they stole the Celestial Deer's heart," Neven rasped. "Now it's the Sacred Spring Water. What are those rebels plotting..."

"Do you think there's a traitor in Moon Tower?"

"Yes, a traitor." He opened his eyes. "Many of Moon Tower's operations have been betrayed, including when I led three thousand light cavalry to kill the Mara. Our plans were exposed, and we walked into a pre-set trap."

"Where do you think the Mara come from? How did they appear?" Aria asked.

"They are Lunar Essence Clan members who sold their souls, trying to corrupt themselves to make their Essence Power stronger."

"So, the ones who stole the Sacred Spring Water and the Celestial Deer's heart—are they Mara?" Aria inquired.

"They're not, at least not fully corrupted yet. I can still sense their Essence as normal Lunar Essence Clan members." Neven speculated slowly.

"It seemed the woman who stole the Sacred Spring Water was... Damian's cousin, Daphne Blackwood," Aria hesitated, unsure if it was really her.

Neven looked at Aria in shock. "How could it be her? She's dead."

"I saw she was missing an ear," Aria said. "Maybe the body we saw that day wasn't hers?"

"Her Soul Stone was on that body. The Lunar Essence Clan would not easily switch their Soul Stones, especially since Damian identified the body as hers..." Neven started coughing, still clutching the torn fabric over his rib.

"Okay, stop talking," Aria hurriedly stopped him from explaining further.

"Maybe it's just a coincidence. This place is dangerous; many people become disabled from injuries," he explained.

The serpent guards delivered them to the city gates. Their attire and equipment were markedly different from those of Moon Tower. Each served their own masters, and the Lunar Essence Clan would not allow them to step through the iron gates.

Aria and Neven headed straight to Alexander's herbary.

As the door opened, Alexander's face turned dark. He looked particularly angry, his handsome face clouded. Upon hearing that Neven had been injured while fighting Night Ghouls in the Arena of Asura, he poured half a bottle of disinfectant on Neven's thigh wound.

The pain jolted Neven awake, and he looked extremely weak. While Aria fetched bandages for Alexander, Neven collapsed back onto the pillow, already asleep. Alexander turned him over, but he didn’t open his eyes.

"Don't be mad at him; it's all my fault. Neven agreed to go to the Arena of Asura to save me," Aria hastily explained.

"A Night Ghoul bite isn't like an ordinary sword wound. Their saliva causes the wound to fester. If the saliva isn’t thoroughly cleaned, Neven’s leg might end up like Oak's."

Neven, awakened by the pain, joked weakly, "This isn't the first time I've been bitten..."

But the sight of his split thigh was no laughing matter.

"If it had bitten here, rupturing the femoral artery, no one could have saved you," Alexander pointed to the spot next to the wound.

Neven chuckled, earning a disapproving glare from Alexander. "You still find it funny? I'm not joking. And why did you take Aria with you? You shouldn't have put her in such danger."

"She had never been to the Ancient Serpent Abyss. I thought she would be curious." He looked at Aria, raising an eyebrow. "Right? You wanted to go too."

"I don't want to lie. I didn't like it there," Aria honestly replied.

Alexander angrily handed him a small bottle. "Neven Everhart, drink this."

Neven uncapped it, gagging at the foul smell. Under Alexander's stern gaze, he drank it quietly. Aria realized there was a reason Neven and Alexander were close friends—Neven had probably frequented the herbary many times before.

Alexander gave Aria a bottle as well. Only after they both drank did Alexander finally smile. "Alright, you should get some sleep too. This potion is great for restoring energy and strength. Today's adventure ends here. I'll take care of Neven."

When Aria was ready to head back, it was already past midnight. The dim moonlight cast long shadows on the cobblestone path. Her steps were light and quick, a sense of unease subtly growing in her heart. In the quiet alley, the only sounds were the rustling of leaves in the wind and her own footsteps.

Suddenly, she heard a faint rustling near her ear. Aria stopped and turned around, but saw nothing in the darkness. She took a deep breath and continued walking, yet the feeling of being watched grew stronger.

As she reached a corner, out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed a pair of glowing red eyes staring at her from the shadows. Her heart skipped a beat, and she stopped in her tracks. Those eyes, like burning flames, exuded a sinister aura that seemed to pierce her soul.

She couldn't look away, her mind racing with thoughts of potential danger: Could it be remnants of Mara’s followers? Or some other unknown enemy? Instinctively, she gripped the dagger at her side, sweat trickling down her forehead.

The air was thick with tension, and she could hear her heartbeat pounding in her ears. Just as she was about to suffocate from the pressure, she heard the footsteps and low voices of patrolling soldiers nearby.

“Is there something wrong here?” one of the soldiers called out, breaking the eerie silence.

The red eyes vanished instantly into the darkness. Aria breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the weight on her shoulders lift significantly. She cast a grateful glance at the soldiers, although they seemed unaware of the danger she had just faced.

“No, just the wind,” she said as calmly as she could, suppressing her fear.

The soldiers nodded and continued their patrol. Aria wasted no time and ran quickly to her room. Her heart was still racing, the earlier encounter playing over and over in her mind.

Once inside, she shut the door quickly, leaning against it and exhaling deeply. She knew tonight’s experience was no coincidence. Whose were those red eyes? Or what could they belong to? Her mind was filled with questions and fear, but for now, ensuring her safety was paramount.

Aria walked slowly to her bed, trying to calm herself. The wind outside continued to blow, and the shadows of trees danced outside her window. She vowed silently to herself that no matter what dangers lay ahead, she must be cautious. After centuries, this city was no longer the peaceful Sovereign Bastion it once was.