JIE sat back on the stone amidst the acid river to rest. Constantly battling the Night Flutters made it difficult for him to regain his breath.“Is it safe for me to go there, right now? Can I rest?” Jie polled his companions.At that, Damien rose to his feet. “If you dare to cross the river on your way here, I guess you could rest.”Jie pursed his lips then he complained. “Oh, God! Damien, you are sick! You are trying to kill me, aren’t you? Weren’t those bats enough? I’m exhausted. My body needs a break.”“Aren’t you on a break now? Continue your meditation. You see? You didn’t faint this time after using a huge amount of mana.”Despite his extreme exhaustion, Jie was taken aback by the situation. Unlike before, he didn't feel lightheaded.“Your body is gradually adapting. Regardless, unless you cross the acid river going here, we’ll not leave.” Damien sat back.Liv seemed uncomfortable walking back and forth. “Captain, we have not discussed this delay. The Black Destroyers will cat
CRISTON breathed out in disbelief, watching Liv’s back. “Look at her, breaking the rule she just made.”“Strela!” Liv kept calling as if she were hypnotized.“Jesus Christ! Liv, don’t wander off!” Jie was horrified when Liv suddenly disappeared as the voices around them grew louder. He ran after her, but to his surprise, the wall behind him suddenly moved, blocking his way back to the group.Jie stepped on a brittle skeleton that made a crack. The lights emitting from the runes on the wall were enough for him to see his extensive enclosure full of human skulls!“Goodness gracious! That startled me,” Jie mumbled.In the other part of the passage, Damien called. “Where the hell did you go?”There was no response. Aside from the harrowing sound of screaming, the iron wall had no gap from top to bottom. Damien silently cursed, as he could not find traces of Ethros and Liv.“I’ll look for Liv, Captain,” Criston suggested.“Let’s split, I’ll find Ethros.” Damien strengthened his grip on his
THE hissing sound echoed in Jie’s ears. He remembered the ordeal of fighting the Serpentis with Liv; there were just too many as they got closer to the exit. The warm sunlight outside could be seen, and Jie knew they could make it out alive even if it took them the whole day to figure the passage out. Serpentis was a snake-like monster of varying sizes. Its onyx-colored scales were made of spikes, and it had small wings but was not capable of flying, yet it helped boost its speed. “This is... your fault!” Jie’s voice stuttered. He could see the dark figure staring at him. He knew that creature had something to do with his magic. When he failed to summon his weapon to change, the Serpentis bit him, almost causing him to lose his right leg. “Ethros! Ethros! Hold on!” Liv’s panicking voice resonated in his ears. Jie tried to reach out to the dark figure, but it was silent. He realized that his companions could not see the creature. “Who… are you? A wraith?” he asked again. But i
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
JIE was horrified about the difference in the flow of time. “That is not funny!”“To give you consolation, the time loop resets every one hundred twenty days. That is if I don't starve and eat your spirit.” Hamriel said it casually.“How long have you been here?” He asked even though he had no idea what a reset meant.“I lost count. All I know is that I've been alive for nearly five thousand years.” The priestess shrugged.“Five thousand years! Holy cow!” Jie turned his attention back to the child near him. “How about you, weakling?”“Me? I'm ten years old!” She showed all her fingers.“Ten? Why are you so small for your age? You're even smaller than my sister!”“Oh, that. I stopped aging a few years ago. I just counted the years even after I died.” She stood up and strolled near the priestess. “What are we g
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
THE next morning, Hamriel was already on the Four Seasons Isle—the floating island battlefield—before Jie could open his eyes. He slept under the tree, and he survived the night because Weakling kept checking on him, bringing him food, and giving him proper clothing since the night had become freezing. Jie had never regretted his decision to refuse to return to the ice castle.“Good thing that you’re still alive.” Hamriel studied his horrible condition. “Why do you still refuse to stay inside the castle? It’ll offer the best comfort your body needs.”“No way! I’d rather stay here than be closer to you. Who knows what you’d do when I’m asleep?"Hamriel chuckled with his answers. “I can kill you anytime I want, Ethros. Do you think I don’t know that Weakling is helping you in secret? Poor child, so fascinated by a human like you.”“When I go out of this cursed place, I’ll take Weakling with me.” Jie suddenly decided this because the more he conversed with the child, the more he learned
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