“The empire… must immediately enter full combat readiness. There can be no more luck.”
The Ten Sacred Halls was an institution established a hundred years ago in the empire.
Together with the Four Major Magic Academies, they served as the empire’s last line of defense.
For any matter concerning the very foundation of the Olay Empire, the king still had to seek approval from the Ten Sacred Halls before executing it.
At that moment, Dio also stepped forward. He first nodded solemnly at Riya as a sign of gratitude and farewell, then turned to Sara.
“Senior Sister, I’m truly grateful for your help during this time. I am from the Betty family.”
His tone was firm.
“I ought to stay behind to clean up the mess, calm the frightened territory residents, assess the losses, and reorganYize the almost-destroyed defenses. This is my responsibility. And…”
He paused, his gaze looking toward the sky where Yize had disappeared. His tone was resolute.
“Just in case… I mean, just in case Junior Yize manages to break free and comes directly back here, I can know immediately and find a way to inform you all.”
“After all, it’s better to leave someone familiar here.”
Luke, with his blocky head that looked even more angular in the morning light, spoke up.
“Lord Rhea, Senior Sister Sara, the few of us… I’ve talked it over with Senior Sister Emma and Junior Swan. We plan to return to Starlight Academy first.”
He continued.
“The strength of the Blood Race we witnessed this time, along with that mysterious black-robed figure and the fall of that guy Li En… I think this information is vital. We need to let Headmaster Kleya know as soon as possible.”
“The Academy might be able to analyze more and make early preparations.”
Although Emma was mana-depleted and weak, she still nodded firmly upon hearing this.
“Yes, the Academy’s library holds many ancient records of the continent. We might find clues about that kind of power Li En had or the Blood Race’s weaknesses.”
Riya’s gaze swept over everyone one by one.
Each person now had a direction they had to take. Because of this war, the originally intertwined threads of fate had to temporarily separate at this moment.
She was not a person skilled with words, nor was she accustomed to showing too much emotion.
A thousand words eventually condensed into a simple sentence.
“Yeah. I hope everyone stays safe.”
With those words, she no longer had any hesitation or reluctance.
Silver-white light swirled and surged around her again.
The silver light suddenly flared, then condensed, transforming into a streak of light that shot up into the sky toward Bart and the other two in the distance.
In the blink of an eye, it disappeared at the edge of the sky.
She was pursuing Yize’s trail, unwilling to rest for even a moment.
Dio watched as Sara and Laura’s carriage departed with a small escort of elite guards.
Then he turned, facing the devastated city and the people who had begun silently clearing the battlefield.
Luke, Emma, and Swan also supported each other as they set off on the long journey back to Starlight Academy.
As he walked, Luke couldn’t help but touch his square head again and sigh.
“This is really a joke now… I wonder if those healing instructors at the Academy, with all their experience, have a way to turn my head back…”
“Ah, Senior Yize, you absolutely must be safe…”
His muttering faded into the distance.
Two days after Riya left Betty Territory.
Tens of thousands of kilometers away from Betty Territory, after several tense relay teleportations, Yize’s figure appeared at the edge of an ancient forest vastly different from the human empire—one of the core territories of the Elf race: the peripheral teleportation node of the “Everlasting Forest.”
However, his timing seemed rather unfortunate.
According to merchants of other races occasionally encountered at the forest’s edge, this period seemed to be the “Dawn Ceremony” of a certain extremely noble Elf Princess.
This was a grand ritual rarely seen once in a century among the Elves.
The entire Song of Eternity Forest and all Elf branches were immersed in celebration and blessings, and they were almost not receiving any outsiders, especially non-Elves.
Yize’s human identity at this moment made him particularly conspicuous and unwelcome.
He had just stepped out of the teleportation array and before he could get his bearings, he was stopped by a patrol of Elf guards.
These Elves were all handsome in appearance and proud in temperament. Their looks at Yize were filled with undisguised scrutiny, detachment, and disgust.
“A human? Right now is the sacred period of our princess’s ‘Dawn Ceremony.’ We do not receive any outsiders. Leave immediately!”
The lead Elf guard captain’s tone was icy, and he placed his hand on the hilt of the rapier at his waist.
Yize tried to explain that he was only passing through, using another teleportation array within the forest that led closer to the Olay Empire.
“Besides, I’m very familiar with your princess.”
He used the same reason he had given at Hai’er’s place.
However, the expected response from Hai’er did not appear. Instead, these Elves became even angrier upon hearing Yize’s words.
“Impossible! Our princess could never have a relationship with a disgusting species like you. You are defiling our princess’s reputation!”
“That’s right! We can’t let him go just like that!”
“Detain him first! After the Dawn Ceremony is over, escort him to the Spirit King and the elders for a thorough interrogation about his purpose.”
Yize was speechless.
Why was it not like he imagined…
The Elves’ prejudice and caution toward humans were amplified to the extreme during this sensitive period.
If it were normal times and he wasn’t in a hurry, Yize might have gone along with these Elves.
After all, it was rare to visit Elf territory, and the legendary Elf Princess was only known by name.
Experiencing the customs and high society of the Elves would have been an interesting adventure.
Maybe it would even trigger some System mission.
But not now.
The situation on the Betty battlefield was unclear, and his companions’ fates were unknown. Every single second was crucial.
Wait for the Elf Princess’s “Dawn Ceremony” to end?
Such a large ritual could last several days or even more than ten days. He simply couldn’t afford that!
Communication was futile. Seeing that the Elf guards were about to step forward and forcibly detain him,
Yize sighed. In the stunned gazes of the opponent, his body leaned slightly forward.
The next second.
Swoosh—!
Only a slowly dissipating afterimage and a faint puff of dust remained at the spot.
Yize had already turned into a blurred streak of light, almost impossible to catch with the naked eye, shooting along the forest’s edge toward the general direction of the next available teleportation point in his memory!
“What?! Such speed!”
“Chase him! Notify the other patrol squads! Activate the outer perimeter barrier! We can’t let him escape!”
The Elf guards were both shocked and angry. They drew their bows and arrows or cast nature magic, but how could they catch Yize’s shadow?
They could only watch helplessly as he disappeared at the edge of the dense forest with a speed that defied common sense.
On foot, he crossed the periphery of Elf territory, heading straight for the next backup teleportation point three thousand kilometers away.
Because he was unfamiliar with the specific paths in Elf territory and also to avoid possible Elf interception and magical barriers, Yize had to choose a relatively circuitous route that ensured the shortest straight-line distance.
He controlled his speed to a range that allowed fast travel without causing too much disturbance, such as breaking the sound barrier.
Even so, it took him a full eight hours to cover those three thousand kilometers.
When he finally arrived at another teleportation point in the evening,
Finally… time to go back.
Night had fallen, and the starlight was sparse.
He looked up and saw the distant Betty Territory was quiet.
Unusually quiet.
Not only were there no cries of battle or magical explosions as expected, but even the lights and voices that should accompany a large military garrison were scarce.
Along the way, he hadn’t even found a single Blood Race.
“Betty Territory… the crisis is over?”
Yize’s heart stirred, and then a wave of emotion welled up.
‘As expected… they’re the main character group. Even without me, they found a way to endure and even repel the enemy.’
In just a few breaths, he had crossed several li and appeared silently on the broken city wall of Betty Territory.
In the night, only a few torches and magic lamps were lit inside the city.
Most areas were shrouded in darkness and silence, except for a few places like the central square where people were still cleaning up rubble and transporting supplies through the night.
His eyes quickly locked onto a figure not far away who was directing a squad of soldiers moving boulders and clearing a collapsed passageway.
That person was Dio.
Yize’s lips unconsciously curled upward—a relaxation from returning to a familiar environment and seeing a familiar person.
He stepped lightly and soundlessly until he was behind Dio, then reached out and gave Dio’s shoulder a moderate pat.
“Senior Dio,”
he said, his voice carrying a hint of hoarseness from the long journey and a genuine smile.
“I’m back.”
“Who?!”
Dio’s reaction was intense.
Having gone through a brutal battle, witnessed many bizarre and powerful beings, and with his nerves constantly on edge, any sudden close contact was enough to trigger the most violent stress response.
He felt his hair stand on end, a chill shooting from his tailbone to his head. Without thinking, his internal aura burst forth instinctively.
His body leaped backward like a startled cheetah, while at the same time his longsword was already half-drawn from its sheath.
In mid-air, he twisted his body, and his sharp gaze and blade pointed simultaneously behind him!
This series of movements was as fast as lightning, showing his high combat proficiency and still-heightened state of alert.
It wasn’t until his feet landed several meters away, his sword tip steadily aimed at the blurry figure, and the other party did not take the opportunity to attack but stood still, wearing that familiar slightly helpless smile, that Dio’s tense nerves and pounding heart suddenly stalled.
He blinked, then blinked hard again. By the flickering light of the distant torches, he finally made out the face—black hair, handsome, bright eyes. Who else could it be but Yize?
“I… Senior Yize?!”
The expression on Dio’s face, in an extremely short time, shifted from extreme terror to incredulous daze, then to immense joy.
With a clang, he sheathed his half-drawn sword and took two steps forward, as if to confirm this wasn’t an illusion. His voice was even a bit distorted.
“It’s really you! You… you’re really okay?! You’re back?!”
He looked Yize up and down. There wasn’t even a single scratch on him, and his aura was as steady as if he hadn’t just escaped from that terrifying black-robed man.
Yize watched Dio in this rare state of composure, a warm current flowing through his heart. He smiled and nodded, his tone light.
“Yeah, I’m back. Lucky, didn’t die. Sorry for worrying everyone.”
His gaze swept over the broken city wall and the silent town. He asked, “It seems the Blood Race has retreated? Is everyone… alright?”
Dio took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm his excitement, but the joy and relief in his eyes couldn’t be hidden.
He nodded heavily and began to briefly and quickly tell Yize everything that happened after he left: Luke’s transformation, Li En’s monsterization, Riya’s stunning arrival and overwhelming battle, the Blood Race’s retreat, and everyone’s decisions and destinations…
Yize listened quietly. When he heard that Riya had risked herself to follow the blood pillar into the dangerous area to find him, something deep in his calm eyes stirred slightly.
‘Damn it, this silly woman. Does she not believe in my strength that much?’