About fifteen minutes later, the doctor arrived at the house. He carefully examined the injuries of each person."So, what did you guys do to end up in this state?" The elderly doctor couldn't help but exclaim. Out of the four people in the house, three were heavily injured, and the injuries were not minor. Jonas had numerous scratches, some of them deep enough to reach the bone. On his neck was a deep indentation from five fingernails, and there was even a nail embedded in it. Evan and Brendan were not in much better condition. Apart from various scrapes, Evan had four broken ribs, while Brendan had three broken ribs and a large bruise on his abdomen."Nothing much, just an unfortunate accident," Jonas replied dismissively, although he couldn't mention that they had just been attacked by Cuktor and encountered an unidentified green-eyed bird. Revealing such details might not be believed by the doctor, and there was the risk of being considered mentally ill. Moreover, it was better if
After dinner, everyone went to their rooms. Christina and Mei were assigned to a guest room. Jonas lay on the bed, and the events of the day led him into deep contemplation. Compared to Liliana’s case, the troubles in this town were much more challenging. Today, he could confront Cuktor directly. Cuktor was overpowering, and Jonas realized he was no match, even if his magic were to increase. Only the Oslates family sword could defeat Cuktor. However, Jonas only had half of that sword, and the whereabouts of the other half remained a significant question mark.Today, Cuktor intervened, showing his strong desire to return to the underworld. If Jonas and the Evan group didn’t expedite their progress, Cuktor’s return was inevitable, and many lives would be at risk. Adding to the complexity was the mystery of the green phoenix. Its origin, purpose in this world, and the identity of its mentioned owner were all major unknowns.While Cuktor had some information about his background and abili
Christina had just left the room, and Jonas slouched back onto the bed. These past few days had truly drained him. In the middle of the night, Jonas tossed and turned, unable to close his eyes. Perhaps it was partly because of the wounds that still oozed blood, causing discomfort. Another part was the multitude of thoughts swirling in his head. Jonas felt like everything, from leaving that village to encountering Evan, Brendan, and eventually taking on Christina’s case, wasn’t just a coincidence. It was as if there was some sort of arrangement, but Jonas couldn’t tell if it was his own overthinking or if some force was intentionally entangling him in these troubles. Like this morning, the green peafowl appeared at precisely the right moment. If it had arrived a second later, he might have lost his eyesight. It felt like someone premeditated everything.Jonas turned from one side of the bed to the other, trying to shut his eyes, but sleep eluded him.“Damn it!” Jonas threw off the blan
“Brendan, is that you?” The fragrance from earlier was indeed Brendan’s; Jonas couldn’t mistake it. The person who passed by his room was Brendan.“Brendan, what happened to you?”This time, there was still only silence in response. Brendan seemed not to hear anything. His footsteps continued steadily, resembling that of a robot.The sound of footsteps grew fainter, showing that Brendan was moving farther away from Jonas. If Jonas guessed correctly, Brendan was heading towards the main door.“Brendan! Brendan!” Jonas shouted loudly, following Brendan. He had a feeling that something was about to go wrong.As before, Brendan didn’t respond. Perhaps Brendan couldn’t hear him anymore. It seemed as if he were being controlled by some force, losing consciousness, and the ability to respond.With strange events happening recently, Brendan’s odd behavior now raised even more concerns. If Jonas allowed Brendan to go outside, he did not know where Brendan would end up. At that point, if someth
“Follow me,” said the green parrot. After uttering these words, it moved forward to lead the way.Jonas followed at a slow pace, maintaining a certain distance from the person ahead. Wherever they went, lights illuminated their path, contrasting with the cold and desolate atmosphere outside. The scene inside was magnificent if anyone would be awe-struck. The entire vault of the palace was cast from solid gold intricately sculpted above. The windows were designed like rose petals, and the stamens were giant crystal beads. On either side of the palace entrance, guards in white armor stood solemnly, looking not much different from the gold statues.“This is where our queen lives,” the green parrot said.Though Jonas couldn’t see much, he could sense the opulence of the palace. Even the fact that the floor was paved with quartz showed the immense wealth of this mysterious power. Not only were they wealthy, but they were also adept at exploitation. Jonas could tell that merely laying the f
Charlette chuckled softly upon hearing that. She knew Jonas would never accept becoming her subordinate. This time, she didn’t intend for Jonas to come here to make him her subordinate; that wasn’t what she wanted.“Alright then, this matter is not difficult,” Charlette said, loosening her attitude towards Jonas. She signaled the green parrot to advance.“Before visiting your friend, let me introduce someone to you. You two have already met. This is Gogy. Normally, he operates outside in the guise of the green parrot.”“Hello, I’m Bogy. I was impolite before.” Bogy stepped forward, bowing respectfully to Jonas.Jonas still didn’t respond to them; these matters didn’t concern him. Whether the one in front of him was Gogy or Dogy, he was indifferent. His only concern at the moment was Brendan. Until he saw Brendan, he didn’t want to engage in any other conversation.“Charlette, as I said, I want to see Brendan.”Charlette frowned slightly; until now, only Jonas dared to speak to her wit
"Why, feeling shaken, aren't you?" Charlette spoke with a smile, knowing that Jonas would be moved by this condition."What do you want, in the end?""It's simple, Jonas. I want to make a trade with you. You see, you have something I need, and coincidentally, I have something you need."Jonas could vaguely guess what Charlette was referring to. He just couldn't comprehend why, if she wanted it, she didn't just take it directly. Clearly, she had plenty of opportunities to do so. Maybe even now, even if Charlette wanted to take it, he couldn't resist.Charlette approached Jonas, and her small hand extended to delicately touch his face. She traced her fingers up to his eye, seeming to examine it closely."These eyes are truly beautiful. If they fully fulfill their inherent purpose, they will be even more stunning." Charlette spoke with a sinister smile. What she wanted was indeed his eyes, just like Cuktor. Initially, she didn't want to involve herself with Cuktor's influence, but now th
Upon hearing this, Charlette's face turned reddish-purple, and she felt infuriated. She did everything for this world, yet Jonas dared to label her as the villain. She was the queen, the mistress here, and every action she took was for the sake of people as naive as Jonas."Damn it! I am the queen. I treat everyone kindly and generously!" Charlette yelled at Jonas. From the largest to the smallest, Charlette had not encountered anyone as ignorant as Jonas. Clearly, she had welcomed such a wretch with open arms, and he had the audacity to doubt that Charlette was evil. Even his friend Brendan had been warmly received by her. One could question what delicacies Brendan had enjoyed since arriving!"In the end, can't maintain that calm and gentle demeanor?" Jonas teased as he turned his head towards Charlette. He knew Charlette had been dissatisfied with him for a long time. From the beginning until now, she had always been clawing at him to keep herself calm. It seemed that Charlette's na
Facing Evan and Brendan’s questions, Jonas remained silent saying nothing. He had a strange feeling; normally, whenever Alice appeared, only he could see her. But this time was different; Alice appeared open in front of everyone. This made Jonas suspicious, finally thinking that Alice had some malicious intentions.“Jonas, our system has an issue. Do you want to reset everything?” Without waiting for Jonas to respond, Alice went straight to the point, a smile still on her lips.“System issues? Is there really a problem with the system, or is this some damn scenario of yours?”“The system is indeed having problems. You should reset everything!” Alice repeated her words.Jonas had run out of patience by now. He directly exposed Alice’s true face and what she called the system.“There’s nothing wrong here! Everything is your play. Why did door open earlier? Don’t tell me it opened coincidentally, with no arrangement! Everything, all of it, is your script!” When this door suddenly opened,
“It’s... it’s Cuktor!” Etham pointed towards Cuktor, the one who had just dealt a blow to Charlette. All present there looked at Cuktor with wide eyes. His unexpected appearance, standing alongside Jonas and his group, was a shock to them. None of them had ever dreamed of a day when Cuktor and Jonas’ team would stand together on the same battlefield.“No need to look at me with such wide eyes. I’m not here to protect you all. I’m here just to protect my chance to return to my paradise!” Cuktor turned towards Jonas’ group and spoke. The reason he took the risk to come here was singular – to protect Jonas’s eyes. Lucia’s eyes had been elusive for nearly a thousand years; he had even turned Christina’s parents’ house upside down, finding no clues. Now, if Jonas’s eyes fell into Charlette’s hands, any chance of returning to his paradise would be utterly lost.On Charlette’s side, she was shocked that she had been ambushed, and the ambusher was none other than Cuktor, the one who considere
Etham, Evan, Christina, and Mei landed on the ground in a heap. Before them lay an incredibly unfamiliar space.“Darn! Where on earth is this?” Etham said, brushing off the dust on his clothes. Just a second ago, they were still in Christina’s house, and now they found themselves in this strange place.Evan glanced around, shaking his head. This was also his first time in this location. Evan had never heard his grandfather mention this place before.“But don’t you guys think this place is incredibly luxurious?” The one speaking was Christina. Having lived in a luxurious mansion her whole life, there was hardly anything in the world she hadn’t seen. But a place this extravagant was a first for Christina.“Exactly! Look, everything is gold-plated, especially the door frame, which is grand and dazzling! Not to mention crystal, gems, and precious stones. Just counting the cost of craftsmanship and design alone is already an enormous figure! These things are all exquisitely designed,” Evan
“There was one time I saw it in my parents’ room! A painting exactly like this scenery!” Mei exclaimed, surprised. She was sure she had seen it before, in her parents’ study! A painting identical to the forest in front of them.“Mei, are you sure?” Christina leaned down to ask Mei, her eyes filled with both hope and a hint of doubt.“I’m sure.”As soon as Mei said that, three pairs of eyes turned towards each other. Evan, Etham, and Christina - they could be the only hope and opportunity for these three.“Let’s go!”Evan was the first to change direction and run towards Christina’s house. Etham, Christina, and Mei pursued suit. They sprinted with all their might. Christina’s house was where Lucia’s eyes were kept, guarded by Christina’s parents. They were secretive, profound, and held many secrets. What they knew about this forest and its related stories seemed to be certain. For Evan’s group, only by unraveling the secrets of the forest could they find Jonas and Brendan. Time was run
The empty wooden bedspread, Brendan, had disappeared for a while now. Outside, the wind grew stronger with each passing moment, blowing the curtain straight into the empty room.“Brendan is missing!” Evan shouted loudly. In his heart, there was a great deal of anxiety; he didn’t know what was happening and couldn’t guess which force had taken Brendan away. Now they were stuck between Cuktor and the force behind that green-eyed bird. One wrong step could ruin the entire chessboard.“What’s going on? What’s happening?” Etham, one hand covering a yawn, the other hastily putting on a coat, rushed out of his room. He had been sleeping soundly when he heard Evan’s voice. Though he didn’t know what was happening, he came running.Behind Etham were Christina and Mei. Unlike Etham, the two siblings seemed much more alert.“Evan, what’s going on? Why did you say Brendan is missing?” Christina looked at Evan skeptically, clasping her younger sister’s hand.Evan was also quite distressed now; Bre
“I’m sorry, I... I... I was just scared of you!” Brendan trembled incessantly. In reality, he had intended to lie like the others, saying that Charlette was good and beautiful just to get through the situation. However, Brendan couldn’t bring himself to do it. He didn’t come here willingly, nor did he willingly eat those foods. He did all those things out of fear. Furthermore, looking at Jonas gave Brendan the motivation to speak the truth. The girl who claimed to be the queen brought him here for one reason only – to force Jonas to give her his eyes. Since then, she had been providing reasons to persuade Jonas. If Brendan now lied, saying Charlette was a good person, the probability of fooling Jonas would be higher. Brendan knew that Jonas trusted those around him, and the words of those subordinates might not be believed, but Brendan’s words sometimes could sway Jonas. Perhaps that was why Charlette asked Brendan if she was a good person. She only wanted to prove to Jonas that givin
Jonas contemplated Charlette. He knew this was the highest price Charlette could offer for this deal. Charlette was not wrong; if he agreed to her request, both he and she would benefit, with him gaining the most. Unfortunately, Jonas had no intention of making this deal with Charlette from the start. The world was not only filled with beautiful landscapes and vibrant colors but also with dark and sordid corners. If he handed over his eyes to Charlette, those dark corners would likely expand. Jonas lived not only for himself but also for others in this world, especially for those he loved. Evan, Etham, Brendan—surely they didn't need protection from the likes of Charlette. Protection traded for the lives and peace of others. He knew that even Selena and Karl at the Nine Springs did not want him to do such a thing."Charlette, I apologize, but I decline this deal."Charlette, who was brimming with confidence just moments ago, jumped in anger. She couldn't believe Jonas would make such
Upon hearing this, Charlette's face turned reddish-purple, and she felt infuriated. She did everything for this world, yet Jonas dared to label her as the villain. She was the queen, the mistress here, and every action she took was for the sake of people as naive as Jonas."Damn it! I am the queen. I treat everyone kindly and generously!" Charlette yelled at Jonas. From the largest to the smallest, Charlette had not encountered anyone as ignorant as Jonas. Clearly, she had welcomed such a wretch with open arms, and he had the audacity to doubt that Charlette was evil. Even his friend Brendan had been warmly received by her. One could question what delicacies Brendan had enjoyed since arriving!"In the end, can't maintain that calm and gentle demeanor?" Jonas teased as he turned his head towards Charlette. He knew Charlette had been dissatisfied with him for a long time. From the beginning until now, she had always been clawing at him to keep herself calm. It seemed that Charlette's na
"Why, feeling shaken, aren't you?" Charlette spoke with a smile, knowing that Jonas would be moved by this condition."What do you want, in the end?""It's simple, Jonas. I want to make a trade with you. You see, you have something I need, and coincidentally, I have something you need."Jonas could vaguely guess what Charlette was referring to. He just couldn't comprehend why, if she wanted it, she didn't just take it directly. Clearly, she had plenty of opportunities to do so. Maybe even now, even if Charlette wanted to take it, he couldn't resist.Charlette approached Jonas, and her small hand extended to delicately touch his face. She traced her fingers up to his eye, seeming to examine it closely."These eyes are truly beautiful. If they fully fulfill their inherent purpose, they will be even more stunning." Charlette spoke with a sinister smile. What she wanted was indeed his eyes, just like Cuktor. Initially, she didn't want to involve herself with Cuktor's influence, but now th