Tina trailed closely behind Lia after she set off, following her all the way into this small, secluded world.
She had clearly overheard Lia’s conversation with the villagers earlier; the existence of the Moonmist Sect was an unexpected variable she hadn’t anticipated.
Judging by this, following Lia had turned out to be one of her best decisions.
Elsewhere.
Shielding herself from the blizzard with a Wind Barrier, Lia struggled forward. The higher she climbed this mountain path, the harsher the climate became.
She not only had to use Fire Magic to keep warm but also had to remain constantly vigilant against wild beasts lurking in the forest.
After reaching halfway up the mountain, the blizzard seemed to subside gradually, and her obscured vision cleared.
What came into view was a flat clearing, where several black tents were pitched, as if someone had set up camp here for rest.
“If I’m not mistaken, judging by the color scheme and appearance, this should be a temporary camp of the Moonmist Sect. Let’s see if anyone’s around,” Lia murmured.
She scanned the outside but saw no patrols. Carefully, she touched the stone wall and silently slipped into one of the tents.
Inside were a few tables, cups steaming with hot water—proof someone had been here recently.
Apart from firewood, there was nothing useful.
“Let’s check the next one.”
She moved to another tent.
As soon as she stepped inside, muffled groans reached her ears.
Tied to a wooden frame was a girl no older than twelve or thirteen, a wad of paper stuffed in her mouth, her thin body covered in scratches.
Lia hurried to free the girl, sharing some of her own food with her.
After a brief rest, the girl finally caught her breath and sobbed, “Thank you, sister. If it weren’t for you…”
“Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. Sister’s here now. Tell me, who tied you up, and why did they capture you?”
Lia soothed her, desperate for any information about the Moonmist Sect.
“They… they were a group of black-robed people. They talked about controlling the National Guardian Beast and said they were preparing for it.”
“I was playing hide-and-seek with my friends and accidentally overheard their plan… so they caught me,” the girl whispered.
Fresh blood still trickled from her wounds. It was obvious she had suffered greatly at the hands of the cultists and could never descend the mountain alone.
“How about this? Sister will bandage your wounds, and you’ll come with me up the mountain. Later, I’ll take you home, okay?”
Time was tight; Lia had no choice but to take the girl with her. Returning to escort her back would waste too much time.
“Okay.”
Before the girl could finish, an arrow pierced through the tent, slicing past her face and leaving another fresh wound on her tender cheek.
“Come to me, sister!”
Lia raised an Earth Wall, blocking several follow-up attacks. Outside, she saw Moonmist Sect’s senior cultists had already surrounded them.
“Hey, isn’t this our newly crowned King? What brings you here? Could it be you’re plotting against the National Guardian Beast as well?” The black-robed man holding a Magic Bow sneered arrogantly.
“The ones plotting against it are you, not me.” Lia didn’t want to waste time arguing and just wanted to end the fight quickly.
But two fists couldn’t fend off four hands. Having exhausted much of her strength climbing, it was difficult to protect both herself and the girl.
After several defensive counterattacks, she was inevitably struck a few times. Though only minor scratches, prolonged damage was no solution.
Just as Lia pondered her next move, an Elite wielding a greatsword flanked her from the side.
She instinctively unleashed Ice Spikes to counter, but simultaneously, two more attackers bombarded her and the girl with ranged magic assaults.
Resistance was futile; one of them was bound to get hurt.
Suddenly, the puppet tied to Lia’s waist emitted a faint glow and, in an instant, subdued several nearby enemies.
Lia seized the opportunity, releasing multiple Wind Blades that struck the cultists’ heads, finishing them off in a seamless combo.
“So that’s it? This puppet contained magic all along?”
Lia was still catching her breath. Though she had intended to save the disabled girl, it turned out the girl had saved her instead.
From a nearby tent, Tina quietly picked up a cultist’s notebook. It read—
【The National Guardian Beast has gone mad. When its sealing is undone, the Curse upon it will cause powerful mental effects on those nearby, sometimes leading to hallucinations.
A Special-grade Rune Array must be activated the moment the seal is broken to fully control the beast. Only then can its Curse be studied.】
She softly tore the paper into fragments and let them scatter into the wind and snow.
Tina had no intention of sharing this information with Lia. Instead, she grew more eager to witness the moment they finally met the National Guardian Beast.
To leave this place, breaking the Witch’s Seal was inevitable. Once broken, the raging beast would crush everything nearby. Failure to control it would doom the entire kingdom.
Only the Witch’s Gift of resealing could suppress it again.
Tina wondered curiously whether, at that moment, Lia would choose to sacrifice the whole kingdom or just one witch.
With her remaining magic, Lia rested briefly before continuing onward with the girl.
After a while longer ascending halfway up the mountain, the massive stones at the summit slowly appeared before Lia’s eyes.
- They were remarkably similar to those she had seen in her dreams.
This deja vu unsettled Lia deeply; she feared the scenes from her dream would repeat.
Yet, beyond her needless worries, an even bigger problem loomed.
Not far from the peak, a thick Mist suddenly rose along the path, wrapping the entire area tightly, obscuring all directions.
The Mist spread with the wind, and soon Lia found herself trapped within.
Inside the fog, she seemed to hear many familiar voices.
One was her late father’s, his long-unseen figure speaking to her:
“Why did you come here alone? Is a cripple worth abandoning the entire kingdom and even risking your life? How can you justify this to the kingdom’s people?”
The harsh rebukes stirred Lia back to clarity; this was not her father but a phantom conjured by the Mist.
Her real father would have supported her unconditionally. He had always deeply loved his daughter.
Ignoring the phantom beside her, Lia pressed forward.
Not far ahead, another distorted voice emerged:
“Sister, you never truly saved me. Your so-called help was nothing but lies. Even to the very end, those lies led me to tragedy. You… you ended up killing your own kin.”
This time, it was Rune Daniels.
Lia showed little reaction.
Though she had wronged him before, those faults had been rectified later.
In their last meeting, Rune showed no resentment toward her, only guilt.
Lia understood the Mist merely magnified and twisted people’s nightmares, seeking to break the fragile defenses of those vulnerable.
Fortunately, none of it could harm her.
Her will was firm.
“I never once enjoyed being with you.”
A faint, drifting voice whispered in her ear, freezing Lia for a moment.
This time, it was that person.
“What do you think you can do? Without the Witch’s help, you’re nothing but a wandering princess. Even if you die, you cannot save this country.
That notion of being together, getting married—it was all your delusion. I set the trap just to watch you suffer. I didn’t expect you’d step right in without hesitation. You really are an ignorant fool.”
“…She would never say that.”
Lia gritted her teeth.
“Is that so? In your eyes, did I ever truly love you? Was it love at first sight? How laughable. Isn’t it you, the weak one, who used every trick to forcibly keep something that never belonged to you?”
“Enough… stop it!!”
Anger surged, and the bleeding from her wounds worsened uncontrollably.
But moments later.
At the heart of the Mist, the noisy voices began to fade with the fog. The path ahead cleared once more.
“What’s happening?” She looked around but saw nothing but the girl.
A voice whispered in her ear:
“Don’t worry, Lia. I’ve always been by your side.”
At that moment, warm hands tightly embraced her. Lia froze, doubting if the Mist had yet to dissipate, if this was yet another illusion.
Relief.
“I’m not a phantom. Look behind you.”
A familiar face appeared again, looking up at her with a mix of excitement, worry, anger, and a trace of—
“Why did you follow me? Didn’t I tell you not to come? This place is dangerous.” Rather than surprise, Lia’s first concern was whether Tina was hurt.
She had to admit, Tina was her only weakness.
“Don’t just blame me. What about you? You came here alone. Didn’t that worry me?”
“Sorry…” Lia had no rebuttal.
“The puppet and the Mist just now, were those your doing?”
“Mm-hmm.” The girl nodded cheerfully.
“Thank you, Tina.” Lia’s feelings were hard to put into words now. She just wanted to keep walking with the girl, to overcome every obstacle, and to stay with her forever.
“Don’t worry. We’ll succeed.”
Tina smiled, encouraging Lia. Perhaps only she knew that smile was false—a cheer leading toward a wrong ending.
The simulation with Lia was about to reach its conclusion.
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