Iris glanced away, her brows slightly furrowed as she spoke rapidly, “Forget about this Dragonkin for now, block his path like last time. If their reinforcements arrive, it’ll be even harder for us to get out.”
Anya nodded and immediately activated the Converter. The Ice Spike Spell surged forth, surrounding Allen just like before.
“Not even a single useless word, just straight to action? Or… are you afraid of me?” Allen’s voice carried a trace of coldness.
Before he finished speaking, he suddenly swung his fist, shattering an ice spike with a single blow.
“Don’t hesitate, move! This thing can hold him off for a while,” Iris said, her figure flashing as she darted around the corner.
Anya took a deep breath and hurried after her.
“Still trying to run? This is Dragonkin territory! If you go any further, it’ll be a dead end—you won’t get away!” Allen roared.
Following Iris, Anya reached a stone wall ahead. Sure enough, it was a dead end. If Allen caught up, there would truly be nowhere left to escape.
“Come here, Anya.” Iris walked to a part of the stone wall and pointed, “Use your Heavy Sword to break through here. It shouldn’t be a problem, right?”
Anya reached out and touched the wall, feeling its rough surface. She nodded, “It’s not especially hard. I think I can do it.”
With that, Anya took the Heavy Sword from her back, gripped it tight, and slashed down with all her strength.
“Boom!”
The Heavy Sword collided with the stone wall, releasing a deafening roar.
The wall instantly shattered, revealing a patch of silvery-gray stone that looked completely out of place with its surroundings.
“This is the spot.” Iris grinned proudly at Anya, “The Sealing here is special. Even if the Dragonkin discovered it earlier, they wouldn’t be able to break it easily.”
“This is the Sealing?” Anya was puzzled.
She stepped forward and gently touched the silvery-gray stone. Its feel was utterly different from the others—smooth, delicate, and faintly warm.
“That’s right. Once you break this Sealing, you can go straight through.” Iris nodded with a smile.
“How do I do that?” Anya asked.
“It’s simple.” Iris’s tone held a playful hint, “Those Dragonkin would never guess—the way to break this Sealing is to prove you’re human.”
“Prove I’m human?” Anya tilted her head, staring at the silvery-gray stone, a little lost.
“Isn’t that obvious?” Iris puffed out a bubble in exasperation, “Just put a drop of your own blood on it, and you can pass through.”
Suddenly enlightened, Anya quickly found a sharp shard of stone nearby and cut her index finger.
Blood welled up at once, and without hesitation, she pressed her finger to the silvery-gray stone.
The once-impenetrable wall surface instantly turned supple, trembling lightly like a piece of soft skin.
“All right, let’s go in.” Iris was the first to pass through the silvery-gray stone wall.
Watching Iris vanish before her, Anya took a deep breath and extended her right hand.
A slippery sensation immediately enveloped her arm, making her tense unconsciously.
Once her right hand was all the way through, Anya closed her eyes, steeling herself, and pressed on.
It was a bizarre feeling, as if she was wrapped in a layer of slimy slime—not uncomfortable, but not exactly pleasant either.
“You made it, Anya,” came Iris’s voice. “Follow me, the Treasure isn’t far now.”
Anya had just opened her eyes when the sight before her left her stunned.
The surroundings were brilliantly lit, yet everything seemed shrouded in an invisible silvery-gray Barrier.
The stone steps beneath her feet flickered in and out of reality, while below them stretched a bottomless darkness that sent chills down her spine.
At the top of the stairs stood a massive Altar. Around it were six torch-like objects, but none burned with flame, making the Altar appear even more sinister.
Iris floated up the steps, looking back to call, “That Altar up there is the Secret Realm! Let’s hurry, Anya!”
Watching Iris’s anxious back, Anya gave a helpless smile.
Who would have thought Iris was even more impatient than she was.
“Where do you think you’re going, Miss Auckland?” Suddenly, a cold voice came from behind.
Anya and the System both turned to look. Allen was standing there, his eyes glittering with surprise as he surveyed the scene.
“To think you’d actually know where the Treasure we’re looking for is,” Allen’s tone brimmed with greed, “Thank you, Miss Auckland.”
He’d only meant to settle the score from last time, but to his surprise had stumbled upon this mysterious space. With this, Lord Bitan would surely reward him handsomely.
“How did he get in? Didn’t you say only humans could enter?” Anya whispered.
“Maybe it’s because the time hasn’t run out yet.” Iris frowned, uncertain herself. “The Barrier probably has a time window after it’s unlocked. He must have come in right after you.”
Allen glanced up the steps, immediately spotting the Altar.
“So that’s the legendary Treasure you humans talk about? If I can seize it and present it to Lord Bitan…” Allen’s face twisted in a lecherous grin, utterly vile.
“Of course.” Allen’s smile vanished, his gaze locked on Anya. “But before that, I have to kill you right here. Lord Bitan won’t mind.”
“Looks like this fight is unavoidable.” Iris sighed, a flash of annoyance in her eyes.
What a clingy guy!
“Then let’s finish him off before moving on.” Anya drew her Heavy Sword, not a trace of fear on her face.
“Miss Auckland, you still think you can resist? I’m not who I was a month ago.” Allen sneered, “You’re still only at the second tier, but I’m at the third.”
“Already at third tier after just a month? Guess you’ve really been holding a grudge,” Iris clicked her tongue in wonder.
But Iris wasn’t worried about Anya’s safety. In the System space, she’d seen Anya defeat enemies across realms. Dealing with Allen shouldn’t be a problem.
“Sometimes, being overconfident isn’t a good thing.” Anya smiled faintly, a trace of mockery in her tone.
“Overconfident? That’s because I have enough power!” Allen roared, his whole body suddenly covered in hard dragon scales as he grew much larger.
“Your magic won’t work on me—prepare to die!”
With a furious bellow, he charged, momentum overwhelming.
“Let’s finish this quickly.” Facing Allen, now several times her size, Anya took a deep breath, her eyes sharpening.
She summoned an Ice Spike and hurled it at Allen in an instant.
Allen swept it aside with a wave of his hand, shattering it.
But before he could react, Anya was already upon him with her Heavy Sword, cleaving straight into his shoulder.
Caught off guard by the sudden blow, Allen staggered back several meters, crashing to the ground.
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