Stop hypnotizing me, villain princess!

Chapter 258 The End of the Journey (1.2 words)

Sia stared at the dark-patterned ring on her ring finger, her expression shifting between light and dark.

He was traveling by carriage to the Misty Sea, and had been resting with his eyes closed, but the ring that symbolized his vow of love with Hillina began to flash frequently.

"here we go again"

Sia gritted his teeth. Even though he had unwavering faith in Hillina's loyalty, the recent strange occurrences had left a shadow in his heart.

According to the ancestor of the gods, if Hillina's feelings for Sia waver in the slightest, the ring on his finger will gradually dim.

If one day she breaks her vow and falls in love with another man, the ring, along with the divine power sealed within it, will be completely reduced to dust.

“Perhaps…” Sia clenched her fist tightly, “it’s time to test the authenticity of the oath.”

Thinking of this, he took a deep breath and took out an antique silver mirror from his pocket.

Ancient runes were wrapped around the frame, but the mirror itself was as hazy as if shrouded in mist.

This is the "Mirror of True Sight" bestowed upon him by the god Sia, containing a wisp of the god Sia's will.

When Sia's fingertips touched the mirror, the dormant runes suddenly lit up, emitting a faint blue glow.

In an instant, the mist in the mirror began to churn, and the figure of Hillina could be vaguely seen emerging from within it.

Sia could feel the vast divine power emanating from the mirror; it was the will of the ancestral god, spanning a thousand years, unveiling the veil of time and space for him.

“Let me see,” Sia murmured, dropping a drop of blood onto the mirror. “What are you doing, Hilina…”

Blood stained the mirror, ancient runes began to spin rapidly, and then the mist in the mirror gradually dissipated. With a slight spatial fluctuation, the mirror surface rippled like a stone breaking a calm lake.

In a short while, a scene gradually came into view.

Shea held her breath, watching the image in the mirror gradually solidify.

However, the image was as if viewed through a thin veil of mist, never quite clear, and the sound was completely blocked out, with only blurry figures moving about.

Not only that, Sia felt a chill creeping from the mirror down her fingertips.

This was no ordinary interference, but some kind of powerful restriction blocking the Mirror of True Sight's probing, which instantly alarmed him.

It should be noted that this mirror contains a wisp of the God Ancestor's will, but even the God Ancestor Sia's will can only penetrate to this extent at this moment.

"Didn't Hillina go to the Mausoleum of Heremus? Why is that place able to block the will of the God Ancestor?"

Shea found it unacceptable.

According to the information he has, judging from the style of the reliefs on the mausoleum, its age can be traced back to the early Second Age, that is, the Age of Gods War.

At that time, the gods had not yet established their kingdom, but walked on the earth in their complete forms, exercising their respective powers.

Given that such a magnificent mausoleum existed in that era, it's not hard to imagine the identity of the tomb's occupant.

Therefore, Sia also knew that the tomb of Heremus was extraordinary.

But he didn't expect that the tomb owner was so powerful that he could interfere with the will of the God Ancestor.

After all, in his mind, the God Ancestor was already the most powerful being in the world, and it was hard to imagine anyone else who could rival or compete with him.

Sia tried to see the blurry scene clearly, but no matter how hard she tried, she could only vaguely make out that Hilina was in some small world.

It was a vast and desolate wilderness, the barren land covered with cracks, like the gaping maw of a thirsty beast, a shocking sight.

As far as the eye could see, not a blade of grass grew, except for sharp stones that jutted out abruptly from the ground, gleaming eerily in the dark red light of the sky.

Dead silence—that was Sia's most immediate feeling about the world.

There were no birds, no beasts, and even the air seemed to have frozen.

Even just by looking at the image from afar, one can still feel the suffocating sense of oppression permeating the entire space, as if an invisible giant hand is choking one's throat.

Sia tensed up unconsciously in front of the mirror. Even through the mirror, the chilling aura still sent shivers down his spine.

What bothered him even more was that distorted black shadows would occasionally flash across the edge of the mirror, as if some indescribable being was wandering on the edge of the mirror world.

Whenever these shadowy figures pass by, the image on the mirror surface ripples slightly, as if it has been disturbed in some way.

"Such a dangerous alternate dimension, I'm afraid only Hillary could have entered it safely all by herself."

Sia remarked with emotion.

The next moment, ripples appeared on the mirror, and the figure he had been longing for finally appeared clearly.

Even through the blurry mirror, he could recognize her signature long, golden hair at a glance—under the blood-red moonlight, Hilina's waist-length hair shone like flowing gold.

She stood alone in the middle of the wasteland, clad in mithril light armor and holding a holy sword, her aloof demeanor seemingly out of place in this filthy world.

"Thank goodness." Sia's tense shoulders relaxed slightly. No other suspicious figures appeared in the mirror, so it seemed that her previous worries were unnecessary.

However, just as he was about to put away the Mirror of True Sight, a sudden change occurred!

The mirror suddenly trembled violently, and a terrifying figure riding a giant abyss beast sped from the edge of the screen.

The monster was clad in decaying shadow armor, with stark white fangs peeking out from under its helmet. It wielded a giant axe wreathed in red mist, and the beast beneath it spewed flames. Even through the mirror, Shia could almost hear its chilling roar.

"A fourth-tier demon?" Xia frowned slightly. Although fourth-tier demons were extremely powerful, they were not invincible to him.

In the mirror, Hilina remained motionless, only slightly adjusting her sword-holding posture.

The runes on the holy sword lit up one by one, shimmering with a holy silver light under the blood-red moonlight. Her platinum eyelashes drooped slightly, and a cold smile familiar to Sia appeared on her lips.

"It's about to begin."

Sia unconsciously clenched her fists, staring intently at the image in the mirror.

Hilina's swordsmanship has reached its pinnacle, even earning the admiration of the Royal Chief Swordsman.

In particular, her unique fighting style always inspires Shia.

The golden-haired knight in the mirror leaped up as lightly as a moon elf, his holy sword drawing a dazzling trajectory in the air, clashing fiercely with the demon knight's crimson mist giant axe.

But soon, Shia noticed something was wrong—the intensity of the battle was completely unequal.

"strangeness."

Sia frowned.

With Hillina's strength, dealing with a demon of this level should have been a piece of cake, but the battle before her was exceptionally difficult. Several times, the giant axe wreathed in red mist nearly struck her vitals. Shia felt that Hillina's current strength was at most equivalent to a third-tier transcendent being.

Is Sylrina injured?
Sia gradually noticed some clues. The injury was not hard to understand, but he was curious why Hilina didn't run away, because she was clearly at a disadvantage in the battle and the situation was getting worse.

As the eldest princess of the Saint Laurent Empire, Hillina must carry precious holy light amulets and high-level sealed artifacts, which can help her escape danger at any time.

The battle in the mirror intensified, and the demon knight's giant axe suddenly broke through the defense, leaving a deep, bone-revealing wound on Hillina's arm.

Fresh blood dripped down the silver-white armor.

This made Shia frown instantly. He had known Hillina for so long, but he had never seen her suffer such serious injuries in battle.

Even so, she only teleported dozens of meters away, stubbornly remaining in place, refusing to retreat an inch.

In those beautiful eyes, Sia saw a determination and resolve she had never seen before.

"Why did she do this?"

Shea couldn't understand it.

In his mind, Hilina was by no means a stubborn person, and in a battle where the strength was completely unequal, she would never fight head-on.

But the reality is that Hilina is currently displaying a stance of refusing to back down, even at the cost of her life.

This resolute demeanor made Xia have a thought he didn't want to believe.

Could it be that Hillina is protecting someone?

Sia frowned.

But what exactly is she protecting?

There was only Sia in the carriage. He muttered to himself, his voice hoarse with tension.

As far as he knew, Hilina had gone to the Tomb of Heremus with her team of gravediggers.

Although Shia knew that Hillina had always treated her subordinates very well, he did not believe that Hillina would sacrifice her own life for them.

So, what exactly is it that's worth protecting with her life?

A moment later, Shia suddenly realized something: "It must be the secret treasure of the Heremus's Tomb! Hillina's goal this time is to completely conquer the Heremus's Tomb and decipher its mysterious rules!"

Thinking of this made Sia's heart clench even tighter.

The image of Hilina in the mirror was already covered in wounds, yet she remained like an insurmountable wall, standing firmly in front of the demon knights.

Every time she swung her sword, it was with an air of fearlessness, as if silently declaring: If you want to get past me, you'll have to step over my dead body.

At this critical moment, Hilina in the mirror suddenly sighed softly.

Sia's pupils suddenly contracted as he saw Hilina remove a crystal pendant from her chest that emitted a faint blue light.

This too was the work of the God Ancestor Sia, a high-level sealed artifact he personally crafted, containing a trace of divine power bestowed by the God Ancestor Sia.

She actually...

Sia's Adam's apple bobbed.

This protective pendant was a token of love he gave to Hillina, which he always wore carefully close to his body. But now she actually planned to use it to fight against the demon knight.

A complex mix of emotions welled up in Sia's heart—both heartache and relief.

But then he thought that at least this keepsake could protect her safety in times of crisis, and Sia felt a little better.

"According to the Divine Ancestor, although this pendant contains less than one ten-thousandth of his power, it is still enough to kill this fourth-tier demon knight."

Sia muttered to herself.

Meanwhile, in the mirror, Hilina began to infuse the pendant with extraordinary power, her long, golden hair soaked with sweat and clinging to her pale cheeks.

Sia knew very well that this pendant was originally a high-level defensive sealed artifact that would automatically block a fatal blow when Hillina was in mortal danger.

However, Hilina wanted to activate this high-level sealing artifact and actively release its power. For the user, this would mean enduring the pain of divine backlash—a burning of the soul's essence, far more unbearable than physical pain.

Finally, just as the demon knight pounced again, the pendant in Hilina's hand burst forth with dazzling starlight. A beam of light containing the power of the stars pierced through the heavens and earth, annihilating the demon knight and his mount into ashes!
However, at this critical moment, the mirror suddenly distorted violently, and the image shattered like broken ice.

What finally came into Sia's view was the image of Hilina collapsing to the ground, coughing up blood, and the fragments of her pendant turned to dust in her hand.

"How is this going?"

Sia suddenly stood up, and the Mirror of True Sight slipped from his hand. He was clearly not satisfied with this, so he used his own blood as a guide and frantically poured it into the mirror.

With his desperate efforts, the Mirror of True Sight once again erected that mirror-like water curtain.

In just a short while, the style of the scene changed, and the battle seemed to have ended.

The once proud and upright eldest princess of the Saint Laurent Empire was now hunched over, struggling to walk across the barren, scorched earth.

Her steps were noticeably less light than usual, and she had to stop to catch her breath every few steps.

Sia also noticed that she kept looking back, as if confirming something. Unfortunately, due to the angle of the mirror, she could only see half of her profile, but she was relieved by the fleeting gentle expression. Then, a long-lost smile appeared on her face.

"At this moment, Hilina is probably thinking of me too. After all, it was the pendant I gave her that killed that fourth-tier demon knight,"

Sia unconsciously curled the corners of her mouth, and her tense nerves finally relaxed.

He imagined how Hilina felt at that moment—perhaps just like his own longing.

This thought swept away Sia's gloom of the past few days. He gently stroked the mirror, which had become cold again, as if he could touch that figure thousands of miles away.

Whatever Hilina is protecting, at least for now, she is safe and sound, and that is enough.

At the same time, the light on the mirror went out completely, and it could no longer display any image.

This also means that the divine power of the God Ancestor in the Mirror of True Sight has been completely exhausted.

Just as Sia was about to put the mirror away, a scene suddenly flashed into his mind.

In the video, although the scene behind Hillina is not visible due to the angle, upon closer reflection, Hillina's walking posture seems somewhat strange.

It's like... carrying something on your back.

"Perhaps it's a secret treasure from the mausoleum."

Shea did not associate the thing on Hillina's back with a "person".

……

dark.

cold.

excruciating pain.

Am I still alive?
His consciousness floated in the void, and Lynn felt as if he were falling into an abyss of eternity. Strangely, he felt no fear, only a sense of peace that was almost liberating.

If death can end this excruciating pain, perhaps that is a form of mercy.

But for some reason, Lynn always felt empty inside, as if she had forgotten someone important.
Who is the woman in the black dress who keeps appearing in my dreams?

In a daze, Lynn felt someone gently pick him up. The warmth of the body dispelled the biting chill, and a refreshing fragrance lingered around his nose. Then, it seemed as if some warm liquid dripped onto his cheek, carrying a slightly salty taste.

"Don't die. Please don't die."

A whisper, almost choked with sobs, reached my ears, carrying a hint of sadness and pleading.

That voice was like a key, suddenly unlocking the floodgates of Lynn's memories—

I remembered.

It was her, the one I can never forget.

"Yvister?"

Lynn suddenly opened her eyes.

But what came into view was not the familiar black color from his memory, but a delicate face close at hand. Hilina, with long platinum blonde hair, was looking down at him, her eyes slightly red, and her lips still in the curve of a soft murmur.

But when she saw Lynn wake up, she quickly turned her face away.

However, the fleeting joy in her eyes did not escape Lynn's notice.

After a brief three-second mental freeze, Lynn finally came to her senses.

He didn't die at the hands of that demon knight; instead, he was rescued by Hilina.

Feeling a strange, soft touch on the back of his head, Lynn turned around and realized that he was resting his head on the other person's lap. Hilina's warm, slender fingers had just withdrawn from his cheek, still carrying a trace of the unique fragrance of a young girl.

"woke up?"

In a short while, Hilina's voice had returned to its usual calm, as if the moment of vulnerability had never existed.

A sharp pain shot through his shoulder, causing Lynn to gasp, but he still sneered, "I clearly told you to get lost."

Do you think I'm a three-year-old?

Hilina gazed calmly into the distance. Although she had lost her memory, she had not lost her mind. She naturally knew that Lynn's previous words were just to provoke her and make her abandon her and run away.

Lynn was speechless.

Reason told him he should continue to hurl insults—after all, once Hilina regained her memory and remembered how he had taken advantage of her during this time, she would definitely not let him off the hook. Given her pride, she would most likely fight him to the death.

But at this moment, feeling the warmth of the girl's thigh and watching her blood-stained blonde hair fluttering in the wind, Lynn's feelings were somewhat complicated.

Just as Lynn was about to make another sarcastic remark to Hillina, he caught a glimpse of her hands out of the corner of his eye—those hands, which should have been as white as jade, were now covered with shocking scars, as if they had been burned by something. Not only that, there was also a deep wound on her arm that exposed the bone.

This indicates that Sylvanas experienced an extremely fierce battle.

Lynn's throat suddenly tightened, and all the harsh words got stuck in his throat, and he couldn't say another word.

He didn't want to think about how this greatly weakened guy had saved him from the demon knights.

It is most difficult to accept the kindness of a beautiful woman.

Lynn closed his eyes and swallowed his sigh.

However, Hilina didn't seem to notice his abnormality. After resting for a while, she turned to the side and listened to the roars of the demons outside the cave. She frowned and said, "We have to leave here."

Lynn didn't ask any further questions.

Thinking back on the days he was unconscious, it's not hard to imagine what Hillina had gone through with him, having encountered many demons along the way.

He looked down at his battered body—especially the pierced wound on his right shoulder, where the flesh was torn open and black blood was still oozing out.

The two had long since run out of healing medicine, so they were both dragging around in crippled state.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to leave."

Lynn shrugged helplessly.

Hilina stood up and looked at him with an expression as if he were an idiot: "How do you think you got here?"

Before Lynn could react, Hillina had already bent down and carried him on her back.

He lay there on Hillina's soft back, her hair so close to his face, brushing against his cheek with each step she took, carrying a hint of crisp cedar scent.

Hilina's long, slender neck had a beautiful line and shone with a pearly luster. Lynn held her gently in his arms and fell silent.

"You clearly recovered some of your strength before..." After a moment, Lynn suddenly spoke, breaking the silence, "Why did you pretend to be so weak that you couldn't walk, and make me carry you..."

"boom!"

The next moment, Lynn fell heavily to the ground, wincing in pain.

"Are you crazy?"

Lynn glared angrily at the high and mighty Hilina.

"Sorry, I accidentally dropped it."

Hilina said calmly, which made Lynn grit his teeth in anger, but right now he was just a fish on someone else's chopping board, and he could only accept reality.

Moreover, he recalled what he had done to Hilina when she was incapacitated.

He then became even more subdued.

"At worst, I'll just let you touch it back."

Of course, Lynn only dared to say these words in his heart.

Subsequently, the two embarked on another unknown journey of escape.

In the days that followed, Hillina carried Lynn across the wasteland, occasionally encountering demons, which she dealt with using her exquisite swordsmanship. Although the process was perilous, she always escaped unharmed. Days passed in this way, and a month flew by.

However, Lynn's shoulder wound never healed, partly because the demon knight's spear contained abyssal demonic energy that was constantly eroding his wound.

Of course, the main reason is that the Moonlight Essence ran out.

Otherwise, even such a terrible injury would be easily resolved with a small bottle of Moonlight Essence.

At the same time, Lynn was well aware that if Hilina hadn't used all the remaining healing medicine on him, his shoulder injury would likely have continued to worsen.

The two rarely spoke on the way, but Hilina kept praying silently, hoping to find the tribe with intelligent beings that Lynn had mentioned as soon as possible.

In this cursed land, loneliness is the deadliest poison.

Without the alternation of day and night, one would hardly notice the passage of time unless one consciously tries to remember it.

In this state, humans would likely lose their minds and become madmen after a short time, or be affected by the eerie red mist and turn into killing machines no different from those demons.

So Lynn and Hillina were secretly relieved that they had someone to keep them company during these terrible days.

In this situation, the suspension bridge effect was undoubtedly fully demonstrated in the two of them.

However, as long as Hilina doesn't say anything, Lynn will naturally never know what she's thinking.

His biggest worry was whether some unforeseen major events had occurred in the outside world during his disappearance.

For example, whether Yves's condition has worsened since she fell into a coma.

But right now, trapped in this other world, Lynn can only pray for Yvesce; there's really nothing else he can do.

With both of them harboring their own thoughts, this long and arduous journey finally took a turn for the better on this day.

When Hilina suddenly stopped, Lynn felt her body tremble involuntarily for a moment.

"What's wrong?"

Lynn looked up, followed her gaze, and then her pupils suddenly contracted.

At the horizon, a colossal tree, reaching to the heavens, pierces the blood-red sky.

Its branches are like giant pillars supporting the sky, and under its lush canopy, the outline of a majestic city can be vaguely seen.

Most astonishingly, the leaves of that giant tree emitted a pure, silvery-white light, resembling a bright, clear moon in this dark and gloomy world.

Hilina turned her head and exchanged a glance with Lynn on her back.

"Finally found……"

At this moment, Hilina was undoubtedly more excited than Lynn. Heaven knows how many hardships the two of them had gone through in the past month. After an endless escape, they never expected that the city and tribe with intelligent life that Lynn had mentioned would actually appear.

It's like trekking through the desert for days, only to find an oasis suddenly appearing just as the scorching sun is about to dry out the last drop of moisture.

The next moment, before Lynn could even react, Hilina started running.

In almost an instant, the two arrived at the gate of the city shrouded by the divine tree.

As if they had anticipated the arrival of a mysterious traveler today, the towering city gate opened slightly at this moment, revealing a gap just wide enough for one person to pass through.

With Lynn on her back, Hilina was tense, ready to slip away at any moment.

After all, in this cursed land, any seemingly safe haven may harbor deadly dangers.

She wasn't sure if the creatures in this city were the same as the demons she had encountered before.

"Don't be afraid." Just then, Lynn's voice rang in her ear, carrying a reassuring calmness, "I will observe the surroundings, and if anything goes wrong, I will tell you immediately."

Upon hearing this, a flicker of emotion flashed in Hillina's eyes.

The past month of sharing life and death had already instilled in her a strange trust in Lynn, so as long as he was by her side, she was fearless even if there was an abyss ahead.

Thinking of this, Hilina smiled slightly and stepped into the city gate.

Meanwhile, Lynn, who was clinging to Hilina, was also on high alert. After all, this place was never mentioned in the original novel, so he had to be prepared.

Upon entering the city, the sight inside stunned both of them. Hundreds of women with purple skin were lined up in neat rows, each with a single horn on their forehead and mysterious runes engraved on their bare skin.

Most surprisingly, these warriors were all women, each with a beautiful face, yet they wielded gleaming weapons and exuded a murderous aura.

"There isn't a single man here. Have we arrived in a land of women?"

Lynn murmured softly, narrowing his eyes warily.

Just as Hillina was about to make a gesture of goodwill, something unexpected happened!

These women, who were clearly of a different race, suddenly shouted in unison, and their weapons slammed heavily into the ground, the deafening clang of metal echoing between the city walls.

Just as the atmosphere reached its most tense point, something even stranger happened—they seemed to have seen something terrifying, and their faces turned deathly pale instantly.

The next second, hundreds of valiant female warriors knelt down in unison, their foreheads pressed against the ground, their bodies trembling uncontrollably, and their weapons fell to the ground with a crisp clanging sound.

"What's happening here?"

Hilina was utterly confused.

……

"Grand Priestess, are you saying that we will have a very important guest coming today?"

The demon girl Nora looked up and asked the priest standing at the front of the line. At this moment, almost the entire city's inhabitants had gathered at the city gate, watching the ancient gate with a mixture of nervousness and curiosity. As descendants of the demon race, isolated from the world, they had lived in this cursed city for generations and had never seen outsiders.

Furthermore, due to the characteristics of their race, they have an extremely long lifespan, which means they can maintain the size and number of their population without even needing to reproduce through normal mating.

At that moment, the young priest, clad in a long robe, gently touched the moonlight pendant on his chest: "According to the prophecy on the stone tablet within the city, a traveler will arrive here today and deliver us from our predicament."

She didn't know how many long years she had waited for this day, but her belief never wavered.

Even though the prophecy mentions that the savior who can save them is actually a cursed person, just like them, cursed by the gods.

"As guided by the Divine Tree, those travelers from another world will arrive in our territory today."

The priestess's eyes held a glimmer of hope, yet also a hint of trepidation.

Should we teach them a lesson?

A fully armed demon woman gripped a shadow spear tightly in her hand. Despite her stunning beauty, the fighting instinct ingrained in her blood made her hostile to any outsider, even if he was the prophesied savior.

Before the priest could answer, the sound of footsteps coming from the city gate drew everyone's attention.

A girl wearing mithril armor carried a boy in black on her back as they slowly entered.

This combination took everyone by surprise; the seemingly frail girl was carrying a critically injured person on her back.

Is this person worthy of being called the legendary savior?

Upon seeing this, the demon female warrior let out a contemptuous laugh and suddenly slammed her spear heavily into the ground.

"kill!"

Hundreds of warriors simultaneously unleashed a deafening battle roar, the sound of weapons striking the ground deafening. This was a common tactic used by their tribe, enough to terrify those with weaker wills.

In fact, they also wanted to give Lynn and Hillina a hard time.

Because in their view, if even this cannot be withstood, then the so-called savior may just be a complete lie.

They don't believe that this kind of waste can save them and bring them light and a future.

However, the next second, the moment the boy in black raised his head—

All sounds stopped suddenly.

Actually, Lynn just looked at everyone present with some confusion, without any other intention.

But the demon female warrior who had led the provocation suddenly contracted her pupils. Under Lynn's gaze, she felt a tremor from the depths of her blood, as if she were facing the legendary ruler of the abyss. Her knees went weak uncontrollably, and the weapon in her hand fell to the ground with a clatter.

This overwhelming pressure spread rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, all the demon descendants on the street were kneeling on the ground. Even the young priest felt immense pressure and barely maintained his last shred of dignity.

At the same time, the leaves of the sacred tree moved without wind, and the silvery canopy cast dappled light and shadow, making the scene appear as if a miracle had occurred.

"Puff, puff..."

The silence was broken by a series of kneeling sounds.

Lynn stared in disbelief at the scene before him: hundreds of demon girls had knelt down in unison, even though he hadn't done anything. In fact, given his current physical condition, he really couldn't do anything.

"What's going on?" He looked at Hilina, who was standing with her back to him, in confusion, only to find that she looked just as puzzled as he did.

On the entire street, only the young priest with his eyes closed was still barely standing. All the other demon girls were prostrate on the ground, and some of them even had the stone slabs beneath them soaked with some kind of liquid—clearly, they had lost control of their bodies under extreme fear.

An eerie atmosphere filled the air, and the demon girls lowered their heads, not daring to meet Lynn's gaze.

Seeing this bizarre scene, Hillina tensed up, ready to deal with any unexpected situation.

The silence lasted for a long time before Lynn finally coughed twice in an attempt to ease the tension.

Ten minutes later, Lynn sat in a dilapidated stone house, warily staring at the fluorescent green liquid in the ceramic cup in front of him, while Hillina watched the little demon girl who had brought the drink.

"Little sister, can you tell me where this place is?"

"Hilina asked softly. It must be said that she was indeed more approachable than Yveste. After setting aside her airs as the eldest princess, she appeared very down-to-earth."

But to everyone's surprise, the little girl looked at Lynn with great fear after hearing this, uttered a string of rapid words in a foreign language that was completely incomprehensible, and then ran away in a panic.

It was as if Lynn would eat her up if she didn't leave.

"What exactly did you do to them?"

Hilina looked at Lynn helplessly, then her gaze fell on the green liquid in the ceramic cup: "It smells like fresh grass, so there doesn't seem to be a problem."

"But would you dare to drink it?"

Lynn said with a solemn expression.

Both of them appeared very cautious, after all, in this world, even the slightest lapse in vigilance could cost them their lives.

Just then, a melodious voice came from outside the door, in broken human language that they could barely understand: "Two distinguished guests, the sap of the sacred tree is the most precious gift of our race. It is usually used to entertain the most honored guests, and even I rarely have the opportunity to taste it on ordinary days."

The next moment, the young priestess lifted the curtain and walked in. She looked to be about sixteen or seventeen years old, with purple skin that shimmered in the dim light, and a single horn on her forehead that was faintly visible.

Although her clothes were simple, the air she exuded in every gesture revealed her noble status in this city.

To Lynn's surprise, the priest's human language skills were quite good; at least he could communicate normally without any problems.

This relieved him; otherwise, if they couldn't communicate, it would have been a problem, and some conflicts might have arisen.

“My name is Rita, and I am the priestess of this area of ​​Moro City.” The purple-skinned girl gently touched the moonlight pendant on her chest. “Because everyone trusts me, some people also call me Priestess Granny.”

Lynn didn't reply, but instead pushed the ceramic cup towards her: "Ladies first."

Rita was clearly taken aback: "This is a drink offered to our distinguished guest."

"Where we live, women and children have priority."

Lynn shrugged.

These words made Lida frown slightly, and then she said, "But in our Moro City, this is not very polite behavior."

Hearing this, Lynn smiled and said, "It's okay, I just like drinking what pretty girls have drunk."

Before he could finish speaking, a sharp pain suddenly shot through his waist—Sillina's fingers had somehow pinched a soft spot on his body.

At the same time, she picked up the ceramic cup with a blank expression, took a small sip, and put it down: "If they wanted to poison me, they wouldn't have needed to do this."

“Besides, I’ve already tried it for you.” Hillina and Lynn exchanged a glance. “It tastes pretty good, even better than I expected.”

Lida then realized that Lynn's refusal was because he was worried they would poison her. This made her face turn purple with anger: "You've gone too far! We treated you as our most precious guests, and even brought out the sap of the Divine Tree. You should know that most people in our tribe can only drink it once in their lifetime. Besides, if we had any ill intentions towards you, we would have prayed to the Divine Tree to kill you on the spot before you even entered the city."

Upon hearing this, Lynn sighed with a complicated expression. Since things had come to this point, he no longer hesitated and directly picked up the earthenware cup in front of him.

To his surprise, the sap of the divine tree initially felt refreshingly cool upon entering his mouth, but it immediately turned into an indescribable bitterness, causing his entire face to scrunch up.

He had never tasted anything so strange.

But soon, a warm current spread from my stomach to my whole body, and even the wound on my shoulder that had been eroded by demonic energy began to itch and heal. I instantly felt refreshed.

To some extent, Lynn felt that the effects of this divine tree sap were no less than those of the Moonlight Essence.

You could even say the taste might be a bit strange, but the effect might be even better.

"It seems I was overthinking it. Although these people seemed hostile to me and Hillina when we first entered the city, it was probably just an instinct to protect themselves."

Lynn thought to himself.

“This is Moro City,” Lida explained. “The women of our tribe have lived here for generations, sheltering from the wars of the outside world under the protection of the divine tree.”

"What, a woman?"

Lynn frowned slightly.

“Hmm.” Rita nodded, as if recalling some unpleasant memory, a hint of fear appearing in her eyes: “You must have encountered many demonic beings on your way here.”

"Ah."

Lynn nodded.

These demonic beings were all dealt with by Hilina.

“Actually, those were all our male people.” Rita’s voice suddenly lowered, and a shadow fell over her purple eyes. “But under the corruption of the red mist, they gradually lost their minds and became monsters who only knew how to kill.”

"If it weren't for the protection of the divine tree, even we survivors would probably have fallen into madness."

At this point, Rita's mood visibly sombered, clearly saddened by the loss of her male compatriots.

Lynn raised an eyebrow and looked at Rita: "Haven't you thought about finding the source of the red mist and solving this problem completely?"

Lynn's question took Rita by surprise. She didn't know if she was surprised by Lynn's boldness or if she was considering the feasibility of Lynn's method.

She paused for a moment, her long eyelashes trembling slightly: "It is said that in ancient times, the demons angered the gods because of their bloodlust and warlike nature, and were ultimately cursed and banished here, suffering an incredibly long imprisonment."

"We are a race burdened with original sin, with sinful blood flowing in our veins, destined to be cursed by the world..."

Rita's voice carried a fatalistic calm, "This is the punishment we deserve, so the question you raised... we never dared to even consider it."

"Absurd." Lynn interrupted with a cold laugh. "War and slaughter are the norm in any world. If you ask me, the only mistake your ancestors made was being arrogant enough to challenge the authority of the gods, yet they lacked the corresponding strength."

He secretly pondered that this red mist was likely a punishment sent down by the gods.

But even the most severe divine punishment leaves a glimmer of hope; otherwise, the survivors of Moro City would not exist at all.

“However…” Lynn changed the subject, “Hundreds of thousands of years have passed, and so many generations have atoned for their sins. I think even the heaviest sins should have been cleansed by now.”

A glimmer of hope suddenly appeared in Rita's eyes: "So your arrival must be a divine oracle! You've come to guide us to break the curse!"

Hearing her words, Lynn was also taken aback. He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "So you want us to help you leave this world? But have you ever thought about this? After so many years, the outside world has changed drastically and may not be suitable for your survival anymore."

As he said this, Lynn's gaze swept over Rita's almost otherworldly beauty, "Especially for special beings like you, you may very well become playthings or slaves of the powerful, and your situation may be even more tragic than it is in this world."

Unusually, Hilina did not refute, but simply watched the young priest in silence.

“We know that during the long wait, we have already considered countless possibilities,” Rita’s voice was as soft as a sigh. “But rather than wait to die in this decaying cage, we would rather exchange our freedom for the right to see the real world.”

After saying that, she raised her head and met Lynn's gaze with a stubborn look: "Even if it costs my life for that one glance."

A long silence fell over the stone house, but there was no denying that Rita's words had a profound and powerful impact on Lynn and Hillina.

Rita took a deep breath and gave a sincere smile: "As the prophesied savior, we are certainly willing to listen to your opinion and give you two choices."

"What do you mean?"

Lynn asked.

“If you are unwilling to break the barrier that shrouds this world for us, then for the sake of our race’s continuation, we are afraid we cannot simply let you, such a rare man, go. So our first choice for you is to stay in Moro City forever, to continue to unite with our people, and to perpetuate our bloodline until the day your life ends.”

As she spoke, she twirled a strand of hair with her slender fingers, "Second."

"No need to say anything more, I choose one." Lynn interrupted decisively, "What is a mere divine curse? If the gods want to wipe out your race, then I'll go against them. After all, what I'm best at is breaking the rules!"

A sharp pain shot through his waist again—Sillina's fingers pinched his soft flesh once more, and she said coldly, "We'll choose option two and help you break the barrier."

Lynn gasped in pain this time; she had to admit that Hilina was really ruthless.

Although her memories hadn't returned yet, an instinct told Hilina she had to return to her original world. Yet, a voice inside her whispered: staying here might not be so bad, continuing this complicated relationship with Lynn…

Because she knew very well that if she regained her memories after returning to the real world, she would probably regret it.

Thinking of this, Hilina couldn't help but glance at it, wondering what Lynn thought about this matter.

Unlike Hilina's hesitation, Rita clapped her hands in delight: "Well then, before that, there's something I'd like to confirm with you."

"Have those terrifying lightning strikes in the sky over the past month or so been related to you?"

"Forehead……"

Lynn was somewhat embarrassed. He had indeed caused the lightning, but it was because he had desecrated Hillina.

However, he didn't show it and could only nod as if nothing was wrong.

Upon receiving confirmation, Rita suddenly perked up: "Honorable traveler, to unleash such terrifying lightning must have come at a great cost."

"Although I know it is a bit presumptuous of me to ask this, I would still like to ask you to demonstrate it for us on the spot."

Upon hearing this, Hilina seemed to realize what was happening, her ears instantly turning crimson, and she awkwardly turned her face away.

Because the thunder in the sky earlier seemed to have occurred around the time Lynn touched her...

"This one……"

Lynn was also in a bit of a dilemma; he couldn't very well touch Hillina in front of Rita.

So he could only feign seriousness and say, "You don't trust us?"

Lida quickly waved her hand and said, "Of course not. We have been waiting for a long time following the guidance on the stone tablet, and we really don't want our hopes to be dashed, so please understand."

Having come this far, Lynn could only offer a random excuse: "It's not that I'm unwilling to show it, it's just that the cost is too high."

Seeing Lynn's sincere gaze, Rita nodded nervously, "I understand, so if you need anything, please let us know and we will do our best to meet your needs."

"In that case, make ten more buckets of the same juice as before."

“This…” Upon hearing this, Lida looked troubled and bit her lip, saying, “Our clan does not have that many in stock right now. I need to ask the Divine Tree for permission.”

Just as Lynn was wondering what kind of being this so-called divine tree was, an aged voice echoed in the stone house: "I am nothing but a dying ancient tree. But you, little fellow, I can sense an incredibly strong resentment and malice from the will of the world emanating from you. I'm really curious how you've managed to survive until now."

The next moment, a silvery branch reached in through the window and swayed gently.

It turns out that the entire conversation had already been overheard by that towering tree.

(End of this chapter)