Ethan, brimming with caution, spent half an hour before finally reaching the small hill east of Shadow Moon Lake.

Standing atop the hillock, he could take in the entire vista of Shadow Moon Lake.

The terrain surrounding Shadow Moon Lake was a classic case of high in the east and low in the west.

Apart from the small hill on the east, the west, north, and south sides of Shadow Moon Lake were all flat sandy areas.

Ethan had already explored the southern shore of Shadow Moon Lake.

There, aside from a heap of weeds and a few trees, there was nothing noteworthy.

There were scarcely any animals present on the southern shore of the lake.

To the north of the lake lay an expansive forest. Ethan had once passed through that forest, which contained a path leading to the Shadow tribe’s Valhalla.

Moreover, that forest was imbued with a very potent Power of Shadow.

Ethan felt that the Power of Shadow in the forest probably emanated from Shadow Moon Lake.

To the west of the lake was a vast expanse of sand, where Ethan could see a few small animals seemingly foraging for food.

The entire periphery of Shadow Moon Lake seemed remarkably serene, as though the lake was just an ordinary body of water.

However, Ethan knew that the lake, along with the creatures around it, harbored many anomalies.

As Ethan surveyed the surroundings of Shadow Moon Lake, he still felt as if he was being watched.

Faced with this situation, Ethan grew slightly irate.

"Who is it that’s watching me? I know you’ve been observing me all this time! If you really want to attack me, then come out and do it now! If you don’t intend to attack, then stay away from me."

The thing Ethan detested most was being stealthily followed.

Although he believed it was unlikely that the observer was a member of the Shadow tribe or even an intelligent creature, he felt certain that his words would provoke a reaction from the mysterious entity that had been watching him.

Ethan’s prediction was not wrong. Just as he uttered those words, the previously placid surface of Shadow Moon Lake began to ripple.

Something from the depths seemed to be rapidly approaching Ethan’s location.

Faced with this situation, Ethan was not one to simply stand by.

He promptly drew his Dragonblade.

Under the command of his will, the Dragonblade emitted a beam of silvery-white light.

This beam shot directly towards Shadow Moon Lake.

The collision between the silvery-white light from the Dragonblade and the unknown presence beneath Shadow Moon Lake’s surface created colossal waves.

Normally, such tumultuous waves would have allowed Ethan to glimpse the lake’s bottom.

However, to his astonishment, even with these mighty waves, the bottom of Shadow Moon Lake remained unseen.

There were two possible explanations for this phenomenon in Ethan’s mind.

The first was that Shadow Moon Lake was an incredibly deep lake, deep enough to sustain such massive waves.

This explanation, however, Ethan found utterly implausible.

During his previous encounters with Shadow Moon Lake, he had observed it closely.

Shadow Moon Lake was not a particularly deep lake at all.

The second explanation, of course, was that the Power of Shadow within Shadow Moon Lake played a significant role.

The Power of Shadow in the lake had become so strong that it completely sealed off the lakebed from view.

To Ethan, this second conjecture seemed the most plausible.

Sensing the overwhelming Power of Shadow, he chose to fly directly above Shadow Moon Lake.

He needed to quickly ascertain if there were other forces at play in Shadow Moon Lake apart from the Power of Shadow.

If there were, Ethan would have to proceed with even greater caution.

Ethan didn’t take the unknown presence beneath the surface of Shadow Moon Lake too seriously.

His recent attack had already tested the strength of this mysterious entity.

If it couldn’t withstand the silvery-white light emitted by his Dragonblade, then it certainly wouldn’t fare any better against Ethan himself.

As Ethan hovered directly above Shadow Moon Lake, a gigantic shadow swiftly ascended from the depths, breaking the surface and rising into the air to confront him.

In the instant he saw it, Ethan understood the identity of this figure.

This enormous shadow was, in fact, a Shadow Elf.

Shadow Elves are intelligent beings composed entirely of the Power of Shadow.

They only exist in places where the Power of Shadow is immensely strong, as any trace of other elemental forces would cause these Shadow Elves to dissipate.

The appearance of a Shadow Elf in Shadow Moon Lake was a clear indication that the Power of Shadow had expelled all other elemental forces from the area.

"So, it was you who has been watching me all this time? You must understand what I’m saying. As an intelligent being, you should be able to make decisions that align with your own interests," Ethan spoke, addressing the Shadow Elf with a measure of politeness.

His courteous tone stemmed from the understanding that Shadow Elves were not inherently evil beings.

Shadow Elves shared some connections with the people of the Shadow tribe.

The Hero Spirits of the Shadow tribe could transform themselves into Shadow Elves.

In fact, the Shadow Elf in the lake could very well be one of these Hero Spirits.

It seemed that the Shadow Elf comprehended Ethan’s words, but it made no move, continuing to confront Ethan in midair.

"My patience has its limits. If you choose not to leave, don’t blame me for being unkind. I am truly prepared to eliminate you!"

Although Ethan did not sense any hostility from the Shadow Elf, he decided to continue his persuasion.

Perhaps, after a moment of thought, the Shadow Elf would choose to leave.

Unfortunately, Ethan’s attempts at persuasion were unsuccessful.

The Shadow Elf remained stationary in midair, showing no intention of leaving.

As Ethan’s patience finally wore thin, he decided to launch an attack.

Once again, Ethan used his will to command his Dragonblade, which transformed into a beam of silvery-white light, rapidly advancing towards the Shadow Elf.

Ethan, in truth, had the opportunity to launch a surprise attack.

However, he felt that driving the Shadow Elf away would be the best course of action.

The people of the Shadow tribe harbored goodwill towards the Shadow Elves.

With Sherry now as the chieftain of the Shadow tribe, she naturally hoped for a peaceful coexistence with the Shadow Elves.

Ethan did not wish for Sherry to face criticism from her people over issues related to the Shadow Elf.

In the face of Ethan’s attack, the Shadow Elf remained motionless, seemingly indifferent to his offensive.

Ethan, too, refrained from any additional actions, opting to observe what the Shadow Elf would do next.

As Ethan’s attack was about to hit the Shadow Elf, a dramatic change occurred on the surface of Shadow Moon Lake.

The tumultuous waves suddenly calmed, and beneath this tranquil surface, Ethan could clearly see a multitude of shadows rapidly approaching.

He knew these swiftly approaching shadows were other Shadow Elves.

The moment Ethan realized this, numerous Shadow Elves burst forth from the lake.

They merged into one, their collective Power of Shadow plunging the entire Shadow Moon Lake into darkness.

Even Ethan found himself unable to penetrate the dark barrier formed by these numerous Shadow Elves.

It dawned on him that this might well be a trap set by the Shadow Elf.

The moment Ethan realized he might have fallen into a trap, he immediately sprang into action.

He attempted to use his Wraith Magic to create a passage.

If he could just open a pathway, he could utilize his Space Magic to escape the snare set by the Shadow Elves.

Ethan was confident in his abilities, believing he could triumph even against formidable foes.

Thus, he had no doubts about facing these Shadow Elves; no unexpected outcomes were anticipated.

To his astonishment, Ethan’s Space Magic proved ineffective.

The Shadow Elves had formed an impenetrable barrier of utter blackness, using it to confine Ethan within Shadow Moon Lake.

After a brief moment of total darkness, Ethan’s vision adjusted, and he realized with startling clarity that he was at the bottom of Shadow Moon Lake!

Above him loomed a barrier of complete darkness, crafted by the Shadow Elves, so robust that not even his Space Magic could break through.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com