Silently, Ethan accepted the Lock of True Love. Lily smiled and carefully threaded a delicate silken strand through the lock before tenderly fastening it around Ethan's neck. Time seemed to stand still in the quiet room, the only sound the faint crackling of thick red candles.Beneath the flickering candlelight, Lily's blushing face held an unwavering gaze, as if to etch Ethan's visage into her very bones. Overwhelmed by a sudden tenderness, Ethan pulled her into his arms, and as he looked down at the mixture of unease, surprise, and shyness in her eyes, he leaned in and kissed her.Caught off guard, Lily struggled briefly before succumbing to the sensation of their soft, slippery kiss. When their lips finally parted, she recovered first, her face flushed with anger. "You bully!" She pushed Ethan away and yanked on his ear. Unfazed by the pain, Ethan merely grinned at her sheepishly.Silence settled over the room once more, the atmosphere now charged with a newfound tension. "Li
Henry soon returned, holding a white envelope. The wax seal was intact, indicating it hadn't been opened."Ethan, this letter was written by your mother," Henry said, placing the envelope in Ethan's arms. "When you were only a few months old, your parents came to me, left this letter, and repeatedly instructed me to give it to you only after you reached the Meridian Training Realm. Don't think too much about your father's affairs. The more you know, the more dangerous it is for you. Remember, don't open it until you reach the Meridian Training Realm.""A letter from my father? I have to wait until I reach the Meridian Training Realm?" Ethan was bewildered."Yes," Henry confirmed. "While it's still dark, take the letter and flee. Once dawn breaks, the town's exits will likely be sealed, leaving you with no escape!"Ethan took a deep breath to calm himself, then bowed deeply to Henry. "Hurry up, lad," said Henry, a tinge of melancholy in his voice. "If the opportunity arises, come back
A patrol of guards had just finished inspecting the Occult Shop on the street when they heard a commotion. The trio quickly rushed toward the source of the noise, the Occult Shop."What happened?" demanded a burly, shirtless guard, pushing the young man aside."I don't know. He was already dead when I arrived," the young man answered, his eyes wide with fear. Suddenly, a thought seemed to dawn on him, and he exclaimed, "It must have been Ethan! He's rumored to have an incredibly fast blade, and he holds a grudge against Uncle Caleb!""Ethan?" The muscular guard scanned the long street, but there was no sign of Ethan.The commotion in the street grew louder....At the foot of a mountain in the northern part of the town, there was a stream winding through the underbrush. It was spring, the season of growth and renewal, but this place seemed desolate and barren.As the camera zoomed in, a careful observer would notice a dark, hidden cave at the base of the mountain, near the stream. Th
"Very well, I shall attend to this matter immediately!" said the bald man, turning on his heels and leaving the room without delay.As the bald man departed, a shadow flickered near the rockery in the courtyard, deftly leaping onto the eaves."Hmm?" The bald man rubbed his eyes. Unsure whether it was a trick of the night, he dismissed the thought. After all, everyone in town knew this was Caleb's residence; would any common thief dare to trespass here?The bald man thought no more of it and left the courtyard."Summon Riley to serve me tonight," Caleb nonchalantly commanded after the bald man had left completely."Yes, sir," came a crisp response from outside the hall.Moments later, a timid, beautiful young girl of around sixteen or seventeen, clad in plain attire, entered the room."Master Caleb..." Riley's eyes betrayed her concealed terror. Over a dozen girls had entered the courtyard, all with the same purpose—to serve Caleb in bed. Riley was merely one of them.This was Riley's
"Hm?" The bald man raised an eyebrow. "We were just searching the world for him, and now he's right at our doorstep! Let's go, everyone!"Immediately, the other guards in the inn rose to their feet and followed the bald man, jogging toward Caleb's courtyard."Is it Ethan the Madman?" The other patrons in the inn, who were eating and drinking, quickly put down their cups, paid their bills, and followed suit.The innkeeper had just come downstairs and saw that the once bustling hall was now empty. His face turned green with frustration. "Bad luck! What madman? He's like a jinx!"
The bald man's heart skipped a beat as he came to his senses and hastily instructed his guards to surround Ethan.Trouble was brewing, and the bald man was growing anxious. He never imagined that Caleb, who had been a prominent figure in Stone Town for years, would be defeated by a fourteen-year-old. Hesitant to intervene and save face for Caleb earlier, he never expected this...Caleb's life seemed to be slipping away, impaled by the long blade. If Caleb died, there was still his uncle, a guest official in the Baker family!The Baker family… The bald man shuddered.
Amidst the howling wind, Ethan drifted in and out of consciousness, cradled in the arms of a scarred youth known as Seventeen. It felt as though he was fast asleep.Ever since ingesting the mysterious pill, Ethan noticed a significant improvement in his condition. At the very least, the pain had ceased. The dizziness caused by the poison of the Five Venom Claws had vanished as well. Held by Seventeen, the gusts of wind were so strong they made it impossible for Ethan to open his eyes.Moments later, Ethan felt himself being placed into a warm bed. Overcome by waves of drowsiness, he drifted into a deep slumber, lulled by the distant rumble of wheels.
They stood within a hazy, dark purple realm. A violet sun hung low in the sky, casting its eerie light upon the base of a mountain. The scenery was entirely different from before: the lush tree canopies, peculiar stones, and winding paths were all bathed in a purple glow. The limited visibility rendered everything slightly blurry."What on earth is this place?" Ethan's heart swelled with disbelief. To his knowledge, there had never been such a location on the Continent of Chaos.Overwhelmed by the strangeness, Ethan was momentarily stupefied, following Seventeen mechanically. Seventeen glanced back at him, his gaze devoid of emotion, sending a shudder through Ethan's core as if he were looking at an inanimate obje