Ellen’s vision was consumed by gray-black flames that burned everything.
A terrifying pain erupted from the depths of every cell, instantly crushing all his senses.
It was more than just the searing burn of flames—it was existence itself being forcefully annihilated.
Skin, muscle, tissue, bone—all destroyed, dissolved.
Yet his consciousness did not dissipate.
Instead, it was cast into a chaotic storm of violent energy, with countless fragments of screams, laughter, and cries crashing from all directions.
It was the lingering resentment of the Demon King, the echo of despair accumulated through countless cycles of reincarnation, the anguished howl of time itself being trampled again and again.
Within the ever-twisting and stretching rifts of this space, he sensed a strange presence.
For a moment, that perception reminded him of what it was, but his thoughts were shattered by some force.
Ellen—or rather, Li Qiuchen’s “self”—was like a flickering candle in a hurricane within this flood of destruction, wavering on the verge of extinction, yet somehow remaining intact.
His soul should have returned to where it came from, to the place where he was still called Li Qiuchen, but a barrier stopped him.
He could only drift within this torrent, flowing endlessly, lost to time.
His consciousness, like a fragment sinking into the deep sea, floated in utter void and cold for an unknown duration.
No time.
No space.
Only dead, silent darkness.
He remembered that one day, it seemed a sharp sword tried to pierce the darkness but ultimately failed and retreated.
Then, in another age, a holy being in a different space tried to save him, but she too failed.
Still later, after who knows how long, a clear Forest Aura circled joyfully around him, only to dissipate in the end…
Time flowed like a shuttle.
Just as his consciousness was fading into chaos, in a certain space, three terrifying powers began to merge: the sharpness of a sword, the brilliance of faith, and the aura of the forest.
The three surging forces instantly shattered the chaos and began to carve their marks into his soul.
The powers were gentle yet unyieldingly firm, and the force with which they etched themselves grew ever more urgent and rapid as ripples of time spread through the darkness.
Dazzling light overwhelmed his awareness.
Then, a faint glimmer pierced the eternal darkness without warning.
Next came sound, blurred at first, then gradually clear.
“Li Zi, Li Zi! Are you okay?”
A familiar voice sounded by his ear.
His eyelids were as heavy as if filled with lead, and every attempt to open them brought a dull ache and soreness. His vision was blurry, the light blinding.
He struggled to turn his stiff neck, a slight crack echoing as he did.
What met his eyes was a gray street, marbled pavement with faint water stains, the unpleasant odor in the air, rotten potatoes in trash piles, worm-eaten vegetable leaves, and a broken candlestick.
Flickering candlelight shone through high stained-glass windows, casting clear grid-like shadows on the ground before him.
Former Philosopher Mage of the Taya Continent, Ellen, felt so overcome with emotion that he trembled.
Immense joy surged through him like a warm tide, flooding every cell in his body.
There was the exhilaration of escaping death and returning to life, the relief of evading three insane women, and above all, the thrill of fleeing those damned three thousand endings.
He turned his face and saw Jocelyn’s eyes shining through the slit of her heavy armor.
He swore, these were the most beautiful eyes in the world.
Ah!
What a wonderful day.
From now on, live a happy life.
Chop wood, feed the horses, and sleep soundly.
“Old Four, are you alright?”
Ellen couldn’t help but ask, tears nearly spilling out.
“Died. But I won the resurrection match, so it’s fine.”
Jocelyn still had the energy to joke.
“Li Zi, I missed you so much.”
Jocelyn tried to hug Ellen in excitement, but couldn’t control her strength, ending up kneeling on the ground in her heavy armor.
“Old Four, I can understand being emotional after our brotherly reunion.
But kneeling is a bit much, isn’t it?”
Li Qiuchen couldn’t resist teasing her.
“Come on, Li Zi, are you really any better than me? You’re still practically naked right now.”
Jocelyn struggled to stand, but lacking her usual strength, she just sat cross-legged on the ground instead.
“If I hadn’t felt sorry for you and wrapped some cloth around you, you’d still be **.
By the way, when did you get those markings on your abdomen?”
She lowered her head to look closely, eyes full of disdain and shock.
“And from three different systems! And fluorescent! How disgraceful, vulgar, yet somehow intriguing.”
She raised her eyebrows meaningfully.
“Seems you had quite the wild time after I left.”
“What nonsense are you…”
Li Qiuchen, about to retort, froze as he glanced down at his abdomen.
There really were three markings on his lower stomach.
At the very top, near his chest, was a crimson sword marking.
The blade was identical to Judgement—domineering and fierce, surrounded by blood-red clouds.
On the left was the white Holy Light symbol, radiating gentleness and purification.
A string of Ancient Tower Language runes encircled the Holy Light like chains, with “Order Eternal” written prominently in the center.
On the right was a tiny, emerald-green tree, with green vines wrapping around it, shining with a Forest Aura that symbolized nature and freedom.
The leaves even seemed to tremble slightly, as if stirred by wind.
Three kinds of light converged on his lower abdomen, glowing softly by the trash pile in a dark street corner.
Ellen suddenly felt a strange illusion—as if three people’s hands rested on his stomach.
The touch was both familiar and foreign.
He could clearly feel three extremely powerful forces contained within the tattoos, perfectly balancing each other—allowing him to survive.
“Where are we now?”
Ellen asked the crucial question.
Jocelyn, still rummaging through the trash, looked up.
“From the state of the garbage, we’re either still on the Taya Continent, or we’ve returned to medieval Europe.”
“Old Four, you can’t eat trash.”
Ellen advised solemnly.
His only response was a steel-covered fist and a slowly raised middle finger.
At that moment, two figures squeezed into the alley.
“Kairui-sama, please don’t do this.”
A clear voice called out.
“Goddess of War, I can’t wait another minute. Naili, I spent so much money on you… You understand what I mean.”
Another voice answered, the young man’s tone laced with uncontrollable desire.
“Please, don’t… I beg you…”
The girl was almost kneeling, pleading desperately.
“Do you think I’m drunk? Or are you still thinking about Nai De?
Goddess of War above, he must already be dead.
Promise me—we’ll leave this damned place together…”
The young man’s words were slurred, like a drunkard, his actions rough and unrestrained, almost pouncing in impatience.
Goddess of War above?
Looks like we’re in the Yanaweis Principality.
“All right, Old Four, stop digging in the trash. Looks like we never left the Taya Continent.”
Ellen spoke, startling the two figures not far away.
“Li Zi, your father is just looking for clothes for you!
Doesn’t being naked bother you?”
Jocelyn replied without even lifting her head.
The young man shook his head, forcefully dragging the girl’s arm as he bravely stepped deeper into the alley, following the shaft of light from the high window.
Kairui strained to open his drunken eyes, staring in shock at Ellen—naked, with glowing marks on his abdomen.
He immediately made his sharpest judgment.
“Pervert?”
“Heh.”
A cold chuckle came from the trash pile.
“First, you shouldn’t force a girl to do what she doesn’t want.
Second, you insulted a renowned mage.”
Jocelyn, clad in black heavy armor, braced herself against the stone wall and struggled up from the garbage.
“To atone, I suggest you hand over your money and clothes!”
Kairui looked at Ellen, then at the strange figure in heavy armor with a somewhat feminine voice, and instantly revised his initial assumption.
“So, two perverts.
And perverts trying to rob me.”