…


  “You met someone inside that mysterious abyss?”


  “Yes, but it was only for a brief instant. I could only see a pair of golden eyes. It could also be a hallucination too considering the state I was in.”


  “…”


  Lilian fell silent after hearing Roel’s story.

  By themselves, the pair of golden eyes Roel saw didn’t bear much significance. However, the fact that he encountered them in the abyss that was suspected to be the Savior’s land of sealing clearly pointed to something.

  “… Could this be a protective measure from our ancestors?” Roel suggested with a frown.

  “Possible. Portas Eye is a divine relic of the Fallens; I can’t imagine the Ardes, who view the Fallens as their mortal enemies, not having any measures against it. This should be one of them,” replied Lilian.

  Just thinking about the malevolent aura he had encountered in the abyss was enough to give Roel the creeps. The brief moment he had spent in the abyss surrounded by the aura of depravity had inflicted considerable mental damage on him. Be it the aura of depravity or the separation of his soul from his body, he had never encountered anything like these in his previous battles. It would be a lie if he said that he wasn’t intimidated.

  He had once overcome the depraved whispers coming from the Fallens with his Crown Origin Attribute, which made him severely underestimate the Fallens’ ability to tamper with his psyche. From the looks of it now, he understood that it was foolish of him to get complacent just because his Crown Origin Attribute offered him some degree of immunity. He had to be particularly wary of the ancient Fallens who had survived through the ages.

  Roel’s nervousness was transmitted to Lilian via their interlocked hands, so she squeezed his hand in reassurance. Sensing her squeeze, Roel turned to look at her, only to feel a sudden warmth on his lips before he could say a word.

  “Senior?”


  Roel was initially surprised by Lilian’s sudden peck on his lips, but he soon noticed the pained and conscience-stricken look on her face.

  “I’m sorry. You were exposed to such danger because I was late. If only I had arrived a little earlier…”


  “No, this isn’t your fault. I was careless.”


  Roel frantically shook his head to stop Lilian from taking the blame on herself, but the latter was simply unable to let the matter go. Left with no choice, he could only divert the topic toward their future plans.

  What had happened between Roel and Lilian last night was like an all-devouring black hole that completely captured their attention, but as the core members of this mission, neither of them had forgotten their responsibilities.

  The truth was that both of them were in a terrible state last night, and it would have been a foolish move to confront the Savior’s High Priest under such conditions. They needed time to recover regardless, so they chose to set their feelings free and immerse themselves in each other’s affection.

  However, with the arrival of dawn, Roel’s soul had recovered from its trauma and Lilian’s body was as good as new. Now that they were finally in a state to fight, they had to decide on their next course of action.

  Their initial goal of investigating the disappearance of Braytown had been rendered meaningless—it was now clear as day that this incident was a trap laid for them. Thus, their current priority was to save their allies and make a retreat. If possible, it would be good if they could take this opportunity to defeat the enemy too.

  Even amongst the Fallens, the Savior’s High Priest equipped with Portas Eye could be considered as a powerhouse. He had shown great animosity toward the inheritors of the Ascart Bloodline, which meant that he was an enemy that they would have to deal with sooner or later. This could be a good opportunity to take him down, considering that Roel and Lilian had joined forces with each other, but they would have to first understand the means he possessed first.

  “Senior, do you think that Paul and the others…” asked Roel.

  “They should be safe for now,” replied Lilian.

  Lilian’s evaluation coincided with Roel’s.

  The reason Roel and Lilian could calmly sit here and discuss their plans was due to their deduction that Paul and the others were still alive. There was a basis behind their guess: Price.

  The exchange between power and price was a neverending key theme of the Sia Continent. Power always came at a price, and the price could come in many forms, be it the process of obtaining the power, the ensuing side effects, or the stringent conditions of use.

  Yet, this law of equivalent exchange seemed to fail here.

  Despite being faced with Saint Freya Academy’s elites, that corpse-like old man was still able to easily erase their existence without revealing himself. This was an inconceivable feat even for high transcendents, such that one could imagine that it was attached with an unbelievably exorbitant price.

  Yet, the High Priest showed no signs of that at all.

  The High Priest had used the same spell many times now, but he didn’t appear to be afflicted with any side effects. There were also no signs of any rituals or tributes in the vicinity. Given the circumstances, there was only one rational explanation Roel could think of: The terrifying curse didn’t wield the power to instantly kill a person.

  That would greatly lower the price that the High Priest had to pay, which tallied the situation.

  “We mustn’t give up as long as there’s a spark of hope. Neither Saint Freya Academy nor the Rose of Dawn can accept such a degree of losses,” said Lilian.

  “Indeed. He dragged me to that blasted place and attacked senior. I ought to get even with him.”


  “Oh? I am part of the reason too?”


  “Of course. Rather, I should say that…” Roel scratched his cheeks and smiled in embarrassment. “… you’re the main reason.”