One week after the "Mana Heist," it was early morning on the outskirts of Sendarra.
Sindaiseth had once again disguised himself as a High Elf, followed by another High Elf woman—the "Saintess" Liriel.
At this moment, she looked completely different from her previous appearance in Ital'ruk Plaza.
She wore a faded, patched commoner elf linen dress, her silver-white long hair simply tied back, her face showing fatigue, and a hint of fragility.
Only in the depths of her eyes, an indescribable calm and indifference occasionally flickered.
Her "Saintess" persona was ready.
Sindaiseth's sharp vertical pupils penetrated the sparse woods, looking towards the city in the distance.
The traces of the chaos from a week ago seemed to have been forcibly erased, but deeper wounds could not be concealed.
The most direct change was the complete disappearance of the energy barrier that once enveloped the entire noble district.
It was temporarily unknown whether it was a temporary malfunction or permanent damage, but Sindaiseth judged that the nobles likely no longer had enough mana to sustain it.
In its place were checkpoints manned by Arcane Guardians and Rangers.
They had blockaded all main roads leading to the outside, while smaller paths and side roads without checkpoints were directly sealed off—completely closed with stone walls that were clearly magically constructed.
The noble district was completely sealed off, like an isolated island. The pale spire at its center still emitted a blue-white arcane glow, but the light seemed to have a hint of desperate madness.
The commoner district, however, was entirely excluded from the glow, with not even a trace of magic flowing into it.
Here, there was no flicker of magical lights, no hum of energy flow, only faint, oppressive groans and arguments drifting from afar.
In the air, the faint, decaying sweet smell mixed with the thin arcane energy became even more pungent and acrid.
A new scent had also been added—a smell similar to a mix of rust and decaying plants, causing unease.
"The noble district is sealed. The nobles are protecting their last 'food supply,'" Sindaiseth's voice was low and hoarse, stating his observations without any emotion.
He turned to Liriel, "Stay close to me. No matter what you see, maintain your 'role.'"
Liriel nodded indifferently, her hands clasped in front of her, her gaze downcast, playing the part of a commoner elf maiden who had endured hardship and sought refuge.
The two silently passed through the last patch of woodland, slipping into the commoner district through a gap in a collapsed commoner's house.
What first came into view were the streets of the commoner district, which were even more dilapidated than a week ago.
The doors and windows of the low shanties were tightly shut, and the wood of many houses had an unhealthy, gray, decaying color, as if all life had been drained from them.
The air was filled with the smell of excrement, decay, and… a faint scent of blood.
Even though the sun had not yet risen, the streets were not empty.
Clearly, the curfew policy set by the nobles had lost its binding force here.
It was just that the condition of these elves… was very poor.
The figures huddled in corners, leaning against walls with vacant stares, their bodies occasionally twitching, their fingers nervously scratching their skin.
Their already pale faces were now almost transparent, their eye sockets sunken, and their pupils would occasionally contract and dilate abnormally.
Sindaiseth noticed that on the exposed arms and calves of several of these elves, their skin showed an unnatural, glass-like network of fine cracks, reflecting an eerie sheen.
Alarm rose in Sindaiseth's heart—these elves' state was very abnormal, like a volcano on the verge of eruption.
"Get away! I found this!" a hoarse roar came from deep within a nearby alley.
It was followed by sounds of scuffling, breaking objects, and muffled groans of pain.
Sindaiseth gestured to Liriel to stay close, then led her deeper into the alley.
In the alley, two emaciated male elves were fighting over a mana crystal that emitted faint magical fluctuations.
One of them, with bloodshot eyes, was surprisingly strong, pinning his opponent to the ground and furiously punching his head, growling like a beast, "Give it to me! Mana! Give it to me!"
On his arms, the glassy cracks were clearly visible.
The beaten elf quickly fell silent. The aggressor swiftly snatched the mana crystal, greedily stuffing it into his mouth and gnawing on it.
Crunching sounds filled the air. He completely disregarded the blood flowing from the corners of his mouth, his eyes wild and chaotic.
Liriel watched the scene in the alley, her body trembling almost imperceptibly, but she quickly regained her composure.
"Let's go," Sindaiseth said in a low, expressionless voice, leading Liriel away from the bloody alley.
They continued towards their predetermined destination.
Sindaiseth clearly remembered that a week ago, when they passed through, they had encountered a commoner's hidden outpost.
Near there, there was likely an organization similar to a commoner mutual aid group.
The deeper they went into the commoner district, the more shocking the sights became.
Hunger, weakness, and the increasingly uncontrolled violent tendencies caused by mana deprivation were everywhere.
Despair, like viscous ink, permeated every corner.
Finally, they arrived at their destination—the semi-abandoned fountain plaza.
Compared to the dilapidated districts they had seen along the way, the situation here was clearly much better.
A small group of elves gathered in the center of the plaza, surrounding a male elf standing on a makeshift wooden box, systematically receiving mana crystals and purified water from him.
Sindaiseth recognized him at a glance—it was the elf they had met in the commoner district on the night of the Heist.
At this moment, he was both directing several relatively strong commoners to assist in distributing supplies and maintaining order in the area.
Most of the crowd looked tired and their eyes were numb, but under his organization, the scene barely maintained basic order.
However, their situation also seemed grim—on one side of the plaza, several makeshift cages reinforced with wooden boards and metal bars were neatly arranged.
Each cage held an elf whose appearance had begun to mutate, their skin also starting to show glass-like cracks.
These mutated individuals paced restlessly in the small spaces, occasionally emitting low, suppressed roars from their throats, their eyes darting like those of wild beasts, constantly staring greedily at the mana crystals and the crowd outside.
The arrival of Sindaiseth and Liriel added fuel to the already tense atmosphere.
"Who?!"
"Strangers!"
"Are they spies sent by the nobles?!"
Wary gazes and questioning voices instantly pierced them from all directions!
The previously somewhat restrained line immediately fell into commotion.
Several strong commoners responsible for vigilance quickly gripped their wooden clubs or crude staves, their eyes fierce as they blocked Sindaiseth and Liriel, separating them from the distribution point.
The unstable elves on the periphery reacted like enraged beasts, their low growls instantly turning into threatening roars.
One of the elves even advanced a few steps, pressing against the edge of the cage, his cracked hand reaching through the gap, clawing at the air, his eyes fixed on Liriel.
The strange calm aura about her seemed to particularly provoke them.
"Stop! Who are you? What are you doing here?!" a male elf demanded sharply, his staff pointed directly at Sindaiseth.
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