Finn stood calmly atop a thick branch, waiting patiently for Ashe to finish changing her clothes.
He felt slightly annoyed at what the girl seemed to think of him. He wasn't as shameless as she imagined... Well, maybe just a little.
Shaking his head at the thought, he tried to focus all his senses on searching for any familiar presence nearby. But no matter how far he stretched his awareness, he couldn't sense a single trace of another young Adventurer. The area was overflowing with the violent presence of Vicious Beasts—those were all he could detect.
Even his finely honed perception could only cover a limited portion of the vast forest.
Still, Finn didn't let this frustrate him. The longer he stayed in the Mystic Treasure Realm, the more he couldn't help but feel awed by this peculiar world. It was fascinating how this realm seemed to impose its own restrictions, dulling his senses so thoroughly that it became difficult to locate his companions. He couldn't even sense the stronger Vicious Beasts—only the weaker ones.
Perhaps the powerful creatures were deliberately concealing themselves, maintaining their silence and peace. Like the Winged Golden Lion King, they probably preferred not to be bothered by humans, only moving when provoked. So even though Finn was already at the 5th Level Profound Rank, he still tread carefully.
His curiosity grew. Who had created this small world, and how had its portal ended up in the Sacred Dragon Kingdom? Even the Royal Clan knew nothing about this enigma.
The Sacred Dragon Kingdom was nothing more than a third-rate kingdom, yet they possessed the Mystic Treasure Realm—a perfect place to temper and test young adventurers. Not only did it harbor hidden treasures that could aid their growth, but it also teemed with vicious beasts they could fight for real combat experience.
The only question was: who would survive in the end—the beasts or the young Adventurers?
This was the main reason the Sacred Dragon Kingdom remained competitive with other third-rate kingdoms, despite its modest standing.
After a few moments of reflection, Finn finally sensed Ashe approaching. She appeared beside him, and once again, he couldn't help admiring her beauty.
She was no longer wearing the red uniform reserved for Cloud Soaring Sect's core members. Instead, she now wore a fitted crimson dress that accentuated the elegant curves of her figure. Her smooth, pale thighs were partly visible, and her hair was tied up neatly. Every trace of dirt and blood had been washed away.
The recovery pill had erased all cuts and bruises from her face. Though she was fully healed on the outside, she still carried hidden injuries within.
When Ashe noticed him staring intently, her cheeks flushed with irritation. She clenched her fist and snapped,
"What are you waiting for?! Are you just going to stand there gawking?"
Finn came to his senses. He'd been enjoying the pleasant view a little too much, but as usual, the short-tempered girl had no patience for it.
"Red suits you perfectly," Finn said with a teasing grin. "It matches that fiery personality of yours."
Ashe's face turned even redder, caught between embarrassment and annoyance. She shot him a sharp glare.
"If you don't stop spouting your vulgar nonsense, I swear—I'll gouge out your eyes and cut out your tongue."
Finn forced a smile and decided it was better not to reply. He shifted his gaze forward, then leapt into the air and vanished. Ashe let out an irritated huff before following after him.
Their figures flickered swiftly among the trees as they moved in silence, cautiously scouting their surroundings.
For now, Finn and Ashe planned to traverse a large part of the forest to look for their other companions and train while traveling. Having already reached the forest's depths once, Finn had no intention of returning there. Besides, any sensible young adventurer would probably avoid venturing so deep.
While they were making their way through the forest, a massive spider suddenly blocked their path. Eight blood-red eyes glared menacingly at them, and its entire body bristled with sharp thorns. Each of its six legs was thick as a small tree trunk.
This was a Red-Eyed Thorny Tarantula—a Fourth Grade Vicious Beast whose strength rivaled a 6th Level Scarlet Gold Rank cultivator. Its barbed spikes exuded a rancid stench, a clear sign of potent venom.
The creature immediately spat out a series of circular webs and hurled them without hesitation. Each strand was dense and shot toward them at frightening speed. The barrage of attacks quickly surrounded Finn and Ashe.
From where he stood, Finn evaded the oncoming webs with effortless composure. Even though dozens of attacks came from every direction, not a single thread grazed him. What was fast for others was trivial for Finn—after all, he was a Profound Rank Adventurer, while this beast was only comparable to a Scarlet Gold Rank.
Unlike Finn, Ashe had to summon her Top-tier Rare Armament to deflect the spider's strikes. Though her strength matched the beast's, she was no ordinary adventurer.
She intended to test her power as a newly advanced 6th Level Scarlet Gold Rank, and this spider would serve as her proving ground. After slicing through the webs, she was soon surrounded by a violent surge of energy as she charged straight at the beast.
Finn watched her with mild approval and decided not to interfere. He simply walked over to a tree and leaned against it, calmly observing.
Sensing the sudden change in Ashe's aura, the massive spider grew wary. It raised its towering legs and lunged to meet her head-on.
Spuuurt!
With a single, powerful slash of her sword, Ashe severed one of its legs cleanly. Foul liquid gushed out, spraying across the forest floor.
ROAR!!
The creature let out a deafening, furious cry. It prepared to counterattack, but before it could move, Ashe thrust her sword straight into its largest eye. Hidden within was the magic crystal—the core of its life force.
Crack!
Crack!
Crack!
A series of crisp cracks echoed around them. Finn and Ashe heard the sound of something hard splitting apart. Moments later, a muffled explosion resounded.
Thud!
The spider's body collapsed lifelessly, its head blown apart. Shards of the blood-red magic crystal scattered, quickly losing their luster and turning to dull gray. With its core shattered, the beast's rampant energy dissipated into the air.
Ashe frowned, regretful that she'd destroyed a fourth-grade magic crystal so carelessly.
Magic crystals were fragile inside a beast's body—this was the greatest weakness of any Vicious Beast. That was why they guarded them so fiercely.
Though she lamented the loss for a moment, she quickly set the thought aside and looked over to where Finn was leaning.
Finn smiled faintly and pushed himself upright. He approached her and cast a thoughtful gaze at the spider's corpse.
"Impressive. You can now defeat a 6th Level Scarlet Gold Rank beast with ease. You truly are a talented adventurer."
"It's just unfortunate," Finn added with mock regret, "that you wasted a perfectly good Fourth Grade magic crystal."
"It doesn't matter," Ashe replied coolly. "We don't have time to stand around chatting. We need to keep moving."
Finn nodded, and they resumed their journey.
High above them, a pair of crimson eyes watched their every move.
--
Floating Island, Cloud Soaring Sect's Faction House
"It's been eleven days since they entered the Mystic Treasure Realm... I only hope nothing terrible has happened to any of those children," Noah murmured softly as he gazed out the window.
His hands were clasped behind his back, eyes filled with emotion as he surveyed the vast expanse beyond their faction house.
"Yes, Sect Master Noah. They are the hope of our Cloud Soaring Sect and our Sacred Dragon Kingdom. It would be a tremendous loss if even one of them were to perish." Marcus sighed beside him. He turned to Noah and asked in a low voice, "What if... something happens to Finn in there?"
Noah fell silent, his gaze still fixed on the distant sky.
"If he fails to return alive from the Mystic Treasure Realm... a bloody war will be inevitable. As much as I would wish to intervene, it would be impossible. The Sacred Dragon Kingdom will never allow the Cloud Soaring Sect to interfere. If that day comes, Finn's Azure Wood Family will be utterly annihilated."
Marcus's weathered face tightened with emotion. Deep in his heart, he prayed that Noah's words would never come to pass.
--
Days passed swiftly. Eighteen days had already gone by since the young Adventurers entered the Mystic Treasure Realm. Only twelve days remained.
Deep within the vast forest, two figures stood before the blood-soaked corpse of a young man. Even though the body was mangled and drenched in its own blood, Finn and Ashe recognized it instantly.
It was Yves of Sword Seven, a member of the mighty Lightning Wind Family—the same Noble Clan as their companion Lore. Though Yves had the strength of a 6th Level Scarlet Gold Rank, he had not escaped the cruelty of death.
Even as they stared at his ruined corpse, neither Finn nor Ashe showed any sorrow in their eyes. Only a faint trace of pity. They had no bond with Yves, so there was no reason for them to mourn.
Looking down at the pitiful remains, they guessed he'd been slain by some savage beast. He was just another victim of the realm's merciless creatures.
This wasn't the first corpse they'd come across. Over the past eighteen days, in between training, they had found thirteen others—some from different factions, two from the Royal Clan.
Just like Yves, most had met brutal ends, their bodies torn apart. Judging by the wounds, they had likely been killed by powerful, perhaps even Fifth Grade Vicious Beasts.
Fortunately, they had yet to find the corpse of any Soaring Seven members. This gave them some relief. Perhaps the others were simply in another region, still alive.
They could only hope they were safe—and together.
Ashe bent down to remove Yves's interspatial ring. Feeling the wealth inside, she couldn't suppress a bright smile. Every time they stumbled upon a corpse, she'd take their rings and tuck them away without hesitation. Without much effort, she'd amassed a trove of riches in a short time.
The combined loot of all these rings was ten times more valuable than her own savings. She nearly drooled just thinking about it.
After all, these were the possessions of young nobles—especially those from the Royal Clan.
Finn never competed with her over these spoils. Though Ashe found this strange, she simply decided not to question it. What mattered was that she could keep the treasure for herself.
It would be foolish to pass up such a fortune. In this world, she didn't need to pretend to be a good person. Those adventurers were dead—their possessions were ownerless. So she had every right to claim them.
Still, it would be best to quietly sell these items later, to avoid drawing the attention of the faction masters.
Finn didn't spare the interspatial rings a single glance. He didn't need them—his Myriad World Mirror contained more wealth than he could ever use.
After pocketing Yves's ring, Ashe looked at Finn with a wide grin. "We've searched nearly the entire forest. It looks like we're the only ones left alive in this region. I think it's time to head for the icy territory to look for more...deceased."
Finn stared at her, stunned. For a moment, he couldn't believe what he'd just heard. He fixed her with a long look and said flatly, "Are you serious? We're not out here to search for corpses. We're here to find our companions."
Ashe scowled at him and snapped, "That's what I meant!"
With that, she turned and stormed ahead, leaving Finn alone with Yves's remains.
Finn could only shake his head at her attitude. A moment later, he followed her in silence.
He understood her. She was determined to grow stronger—greed was only natural. He'd once been the same, but after acquiring the Myriad World Mirror, no other treasure could stir his desire.
For hours they walked until they finally reached the boundary where the three regions converged.
From a distance, they were struck by the sight of pristine white snow. The climate and atmosphere here were completely different, and they couldn't help but stare in wonder.
Yet that wasn't the only surprise waiting. No sooner had they arrived than they spotted fourteen young adventurers emerging from the snowy region.
A flicker of joy lit Finn's eyes when he recognized two familiar figures among them. He couldn't help smiling.
"Leo and Lore!" he called out, relieved.
But the moment his gaze shifted to another figure at the head of the group—a figure clad in a golden uniform—Finn's smile vanished.
When the young man's features came into focus, Finn murmured under his breath,
"The prince of the Sacred Dragon Kingdom...the Tenth Prince, Prince Theo Vildar..."