I was so scared that I put all my points into health.

A soft light suddenly emanated from the Elf King Dragon (parrot form), like a warm spring breeze, and its parrot-like body began to gradually change. Its feathers became stronger and shinier, its size increased, its claws became incredibly sharp, its tail resembled a thick steel whip, and its wings spread out like a dark cloud that blotted out the sun. In an instant, it transformed back into its majestic dragon form.

Its enormous eyes gleamed with wisdom, and the magical energy emanating from its body surged like a raging sea. It opened its massive maw, spewing forth dazzling beams of elven magical light. These beams intertwined, forming a vast magical net that enveloped the corrupted paladin Castio. Simultaneously, it manipulated the surrounding elemental forces, causing stones on the ground to fly up and transform into sharp blades, whistling towards Castio along with the magical net.

Castio, however, showed no fear. He gripped his shield tightly with both hands, and the dark magic on it surged like a black tide. He wielded the shield with great skill, easily blocking most of the stone blade attacks. As for the magic net, he channeled his dark magic into the shield, creating a black light screen that neutralized the magic net.

The Elf King Dragon (Dragon Form) continued its attack. With a flap of its wings, countless ice spikes rained down from the sky, each spike imbued with powerful water elemental energy. Castio quickly erected a dark earthen wall beneath his feet. The ice spikes struck the wall with crackling sounds, and although the wall sustained some damage, it successfully withstood most of the ice spikes' attack.

On the other side, Wang Xiaoyi and President Winnie dared not relax for a moment. Wang Xiaoyi held nail clippers, nervously watching Castio's every move. As soon as he had a chance to get close to President Winnie, Wang Xiaoyi would rush up and use the nail clippers to defend himself.

Just as the two sides were engaged in fierce combat, a system notification suddenly sounded in Wang Xiaoyi's mind: "Limited-time mission updated. Place the three divinely bestowed equipment in a specific location, let the corrupted Castio walk in, and activate the power of the three artifacts to purify the demonic energy."

Wang Xiaoyi thought to himself, "This task is interesting; I didn't even expect it to be so creative. It turns out three items are needed to form a triangle; you can't miss one." He looked at the nail clippers, eyebrow pencil, and makeup mirror in his hand, and couldn't help but laugh and cry. On a sudden thought, he attempted to communicate telepathically with the Elf King Dragon (dragon form).

The Elemental Dragon King (Dragon Form) seemed to sense Wang Xiaoyi's thoughts, a tacit understanding flashing in its eyes. In the ensuing battle, it consciously guided the corrupted Castio towards the target location. As they approached, the corrupted Castio seemed to sense danger and tried to flee. At this, the Elemental Dragon King (Dragon Form) unleashed a powerful Elemental pressure, a pressure so tangible it pressed down on Castio, causing his very soul to tremble. Sensing this pressure, Castio's body stiffened slightly, and three halos involuntarily appeared around him. These three halos emitted different colored lights—the three Soul-Binding Rings: Soul Lock, Movement Imprisonment, and Illusion—firmly binding him, rendering him unable to move.

It's important to know that both the Elf King Dragon (Dragon Form) and Castio are Nightmare-level dungeon bosses. Unfortunately, the currently corrupted Castio only possesses one piece of Time Guardian equipment, the Starry Sky Shield, making him no match for the Elf King Dragon (Dragon Form). In fact, the Elf King Dragon (Dragon Form) has the ability to quickly kill the corrupted Paladin Castio, but being peace-loving by nature, it doesn't want to cause unnecessary bloodshed, so it hasn't used its full power. It only hopes to incapacitate Castio.

However, to the surprise of the Elemental Dragon King (Dragon Form), even though the corrupted Castio was severely injured and seemed unable to fight normally, it stubbornly got up and continued fighting. It was getting tired of fighting like this all the time. Since there was a better solution, the Elemental Dragon King (Dragon Form) was happy to do so, quickly ending the battle, cleaning up the battlefield, and going home for dinner.

The corrupted paladin Castio was trapped within a triangular array of holy light formed by three divinely bestowed pieces of equipment. The light, like scorching flames, relentlessly burned his body and soul. He opened his mouth wide, letting out agonizing screams, cries filled with struggle against the dark forces and fear of the holy light's purification. Each note was like the wailing of a torn soul, chilling to the bone.

Amidst the shrill screams, another extremely piercing voice rang out, as if a curse or incantation emanating from the darkest corner of Castio's heart. This voice was filled with resentment and bitterness, desperately resisting the purification of the holy light, attempting to retain a trace of darkness in its final struggle. However, the power of the holy light was so immense; like a merciless scythe, it gradually severed the boundary between darkness and light. Bathed in the holy light, the dark voice, like a candle flickering in the wind, gradually weakened and finally vanished completely.

As the dark power dissipated, Castio gradually returned to his normal form. He knelt weakly on the ground, his body seemingly drained of all strength, every muscle telling a story of exhaustion. His eyes were filled with confusion and pain, as if he had just experienced a long and terrifying nightmare.

Seeing this, Wang Xiaoyi hurriedly tried to cast a healing spell to help Castio recover from his injuries. However, he suddenly remembered that his novice staff had been destroyed; it had been his most trusted companion and weapon. He couldn't help but feel a sense of helplessness.

Just then, the Elf King Dragon (Dragon Form) transformed into human form. He gently raised his right hand, and a holy light emanated from his palm, warm and bright. The holy light, like a mother's hand, caressed Castio, instantly healing all his injuries. Castio felt a warm current flow through his body, and his strength gradually returned, allowing him to stand up with difficulty.

Castio rubbed his throbbing head with his right hand, as a flood of memories surged through his mind. Those dark memories, those moments of manipulation, those longings and guilt towards the goddess Veronica… all these emotions intertwined, almost unbearable. His body trembled uncontrollably once more from weakness.

Seeing this, President Winnie reached out to help Castio up. However, she raised her hand and then lowered it again. Her face remained largely expressionless, but her body trembled slightly. Her heart was pounding, as if telling of her inner turmoil and complex emotions.

Wang Xiaoyi quickly went over to support Castio, his eyes filled with concern and understanding. He knew everyone had their own little secrets, and if someone didn't want to talk about it, then there was no need to ask. He gently patted Castio's back, offering him silent comfort and support.

At this moment, having endured the devastation of that epic battle, the surroundings were in complete disarray. The once cozy little house was now dilapidated, the traces of the campfire long gone, leaving only ruins and dust everywhere.

In this desolate landscape, President Winnie suddenly emitted a purple glow. At first, the glow was faint, like a glimmer in the darkness. However, it quickly grew larger and brighter, like a dazzling star in the night sky. These purple specks of light seemed to possess life, dancing in the air, gently drifting and piecing together the dust particles.

As time passed, the outline of the cabin gradually became clear, and the campfire was rekindled with a warm glow. It was as if time had reversed, restoring everything to its original state. President Winnie stood there, quietly observing all these changes. Her face showed little expression, but the slight tremor in her body betrayed the turmoil within her.

Wang Xiaoyi stood aside, silently observing President Winnie's reaction. He could sense the excitement and complex emotions deep within her. He knew that this place held special significance for President Winnie; it might be a place she had once lived, a place she cherished and remembered.

Wang Xiaoyi walked over quietly and stood beside President Winnie. He didn't say much, just silently kept her company. He knew that at this moment, President Winnie needed silent companionship and understanding. They stood there quietly, watching the hut and campfire gradually recover, as if they were reminiscing about the past.

Castio gradually regained his senses under the holy light. When he saw the scene before him, he involuntarily cried out, "Veronica!" His voice was filled with surprise and anticipation. However, he discovered that President Veronica had not agreed to his request. His eyes instantly filled with disappointment and desolation, and his expression turned ashen.

President Winnie's heart pounded. She quickly turned her back to Castio, not wanting him to see her expression; she could feel his longing and guilt. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but ultimately remained silent. She turned and left, leaving Castio standing alone. Wang Xiaoyi watched all this, his heart filled with mixed emotions, but he knew everyone had their own path to walk, and he could only silently wish Castio and President Winnie well.

Castio's eyes were filled with expectation as he stared intently at President Winnie, hoping for a response. However, President Winnie stood there silently, offering no response. Castio's gaze gradually dimmed, his expression turning forlorn and somber, as if the entire world had lost its color.

Disappointment surged within him like a tidal wave, but he still suppressed his inner pain, saying as if to himself, and also to President Winnie, "It's normal that you don't acknowledge me. I did such terrible things. I was once lost in the darkness, hurting you and many others. I know that the mistakes I made cannot be easily erased."

Castio took a deep breath, his eyes hardening. "But I want you to know that I've always been waiting for you. Whether in the darkest abyss or in endless cycles of reincarnation, my heart has always been with you. I haven't forgotten my vow, the promise I made to you, to protect you forever."

President Winnie's heart pounded in her chest, her thoughts surging like a turbulent sea. She thought to herself, "It's not really Castio's fault. I abandoned him first, abandoned everyone else. Back then, I chose to run away, to forget, to give up. Even though so much time has passed, that guilt and regret still haunt me."

A complex mix of emotions welled up within her, including resentment towards Castio, but mostly self-reproach. She thought to herself, "Evalyn, whether you did it intentionally or unintentionally, you helped me rescue Castio, and I owe you one."

In a mysterious temple, the goddess Avalin, dressed in a long blue gown, suddenly sneezed. A hint of confusion crossed her beautiful face as she softly murmured, "Has someone been talking about me?"