A COZY breeze circulated the time-loop barrier. Unbeknownst to the outsiders, the forest inside had its own ecosystem that had thrived for two thousand years. “Is this heaven?” Jie muttered under his breath as he opened his eyes to the unfamiliar surroundings. He was leaning against the trunk of a large tree with purple leaves. The warm sunlight touched his face mixed with the cold mist. Did I die? He asked himself because he remembered being poisoned by the Serpentis near the labyrinth’s exit. He instantly gasped at the sight of a little girl's face staring down at him. She wore a light gray robe, carrying a brown satchel. “You’re awake!” the child exclaimed with a smile. “Who are you?” He sprang up. The searing pain in his right leg made him wince. He then assumed he was still alive. But why did it seem he was in paradise? “It’s been quite some time since I laid eyes on a human!” She pinched his cheek. “A real flesh indeed!” Giggles escaped the child's lips. She seemed delighte

 THE priestess stood up after chugging another glass of wine. She didn’t even give Jie ample time to prepare. Hamriel grabbed his arm, and together they disappeared.Jie’s eyes widened when he was suddenly located on a floating island with a gigantic tree at its center. He could see the ice castle at a distance and the crashing ocean waves below.“This will be our battlefield, Ethros. There’s no way of escaping. If you want to keep your life, then stay alive,” Hamriel smirked. She motioned her hand, and a golden spear sword appeared. “Its name is Frostbite. I hope your weapon will stand a chance at this.”“Glad you introduced your weapon. I haven’t named mine. I don’t think that’s necessary; I’ll defeat you no matter what.” Jie drew his bamboo sticks and posed for a fighting stance, preparing to defend.“Then I shall bestow the name Twinnus for your b

JIE was so ecstatic that he was able to summon the fire for the first time. He did it repeatedly until he was out of strength. He was so focused on his newfound skill that he failed to notice that the shackle curse in his neck became fainter than usual. “Amazing! I didn’t know I was capable of this. I heard it was rare to wield the magic of different affinities.” Jie could not contain his excitement. If only his companions could see him right now, they’d surely be happy. Especially all the Ardhians who rooted in him. Jie silently swore that once he saved Nyssa, he’d return to Nirvana Metropolis to strengthen their defense against the empire. However, he was not even sure if he’d manage to survive the ordeal inside this time loop barrier. “Strengthen your fire manipulation techniques. It wouldn’t be easy, I know. But you need to give your best. The vast scale of the difference between your power and that of the priestess is immeasurable. Yours is just a speck.” “That’s comfortin

“PRIESTESS!” Weakling sobbed hard as Hamriel’s body slowly disintegrated. “No, you can’t leave us here!” Jie tried to console the child, even though he was confused for a moment, because, at the back of his mind, she vividly saw Hamriel. He was shouting her name in agony as he witnessed a pair of ivory wings being cut from her back. “Hami…” he suddenly muttered. He was probably hallucinating again, so Jie hardly shook his head. “How can I survive here without you?” Weakling continued to lament as she couldn’t hold Hamriel’s body anymore. “That’s enough, Weakling.” He breathed out. Soon after the priestess’ body was gone, a medium-sized white orb suddenly materialized. “Oh, God! What is this?” He was hesitant to touch it. Although he was just waiting for a confirmation about it. “I guess that’s the Orb of Oblivion... sealed inside the priestess’ body,” Weakling said after she wiped her tears. “This is... the legendary orb?” Jie grabbed the orb carefully and studied it. He’

EVERY face in the room was excited about the idea of sparring. For Ryker, it was his way of measuring Ethros’ capability since they had no other choice but to launch an attack on the tower. “Pardon my intrusion, my lord. But I want to know what happened to Liv.” Lucius worriedly asked. Jie gently tapped the old man’s shoulder. “She’s fine; Liv made her choice. I’d love to fill you in on the details later. But to sum up, Liv is with Strela inside the time loop barrier.” “Time loop barrier? I know you’d successfully cross Litus Forest effortlessly.” The old man appeared proud of their feat. “I can’t wait to know about Strela.” “It wasn’t easy, Lucius. It was a consolation that I’d met Strela—she’s an adorable child. But then again, it wasn’t a walk in the park,” Damien said. Ryker raised an eyebrow as he heard the captain. “For a mediocre fighter like you, of course it’s hard. You failed to obtain the legendary orb anyway.” Jie suppressed his laughter. He missed the bickering