Chapter 2114: Chapter 2114

"People like us? And what kind of people do you think we are?"

Hearing his tone, the elf maiden posed the question.

"Utterly unremarkable adventurers," he scoffed. "Like rats breeding in a damp, dark cellar—inconsequential, meaningless, yet always scurrying out from the most unexpected corners. And I..." He uttered a name Jenkins couldn't comprehend, a string of complex sounds that belonged to no elven or human tongue. "...how could I possibly die at your hands?"

Jenkins didn't understand the name he gave himself. It certainly wasn't an elven or human naming convention. He could make out the complex pronunciation but couldn't match it to any known words.

"So you refuse to surrender?"

Jenkins drew his sword as he spoke, but to his surprise, the man showed no fear. Instead, he just snorted with derision.

"Give it your best shot." The source of thɪs content is Nove1Fire.net

Jenkins thrust his sword forward, but when the tip was just a finger's breadth from the man's chest, it was stopped by a shield of black light.

Even within the Enchanter system, which was already heavily reliant on one's inner world, [Mindlight] was considered exceptionally idealistic. To put it simply, it operated on the principle of "Believe in the power of your own spirit, and you will become infinitely powerful." The ability was intrinsically linked to a person's spirit, soul, personality, and beliefs. The simplest way to shatter a Mindlight defense was to exploit a flaw in the user's character or psyche.

The ability's strength varied drastically depending on the user, and the man before them was clearly one of the more powerful ones.

"But why does this Mindlight contain the power of shadows?"

The elf's perception was, as always, sharp.

"It's simple," the man replied.

"I gathered flowers from the Shadow Realm and fused their power—the crystallized arrogance projected from your material world—with my own spirit."

"Yes. The human world has evolved into such a fascinating era. The advantages the nobles hold over the common folk have widened into an impassable chasm. The emotions born from that divide have formed a barrier as vast as the heavens. Before your betters, you are nothing but ants. Your station was determined at birth. So please, try your best. If you can harm a single hair on my head, I lose."

He stood before Jenkins and his companion, the picture of absolute confidence. Jenkins, however, paused to think.

"In that case, allow me to introduce myself."

As he spoke, he raised his sword once more.

"Jenkins Redemptor Williams, the sole Savior of the Eighteenth Epoch, current king of the largest human kingdom in the material world, the second World Tree in history, and one favored by nature itself."

He paused, watching the man's expression change, then swung his sword down, cleaving the arrogant figure clean in two. No blood spurted out; what flowed from the corpse was something like liquefied shadow.

"This Mysterious Realm corresponds to the 'Real Illusion.' I just don't know what it means to 'reverse fate' here."

He said, then sheathed his sword.

"How did you do that?"

Miss Silf hadn't quite grasped what had happened. She stared nervously at the corpse on the ground, which looked as though it were melting.

"For an arrogant man, you just have to show him that his pride isn't worth a single penny. Then, that arrogance becomes a poison... A penny is the most basic unit of currency from my time."

Just like the kitchen, the music hall also contained some interesting items. Since the butler allowed them to take one item from the castle, in a normal Mysterious Realm, Jenkins might have chosen a musical instrument as a gift for Hathaway.

But since he'd already decided Miss Silf was the one "item" he would be taking from the castle, he didn't waste any time searching.

They took a side staircase from the fourth floor back down to the third. The elf maiden shivered the moment they set foot on the landing. A problem with the viewing balcony on the left wing had left this floor perpetually covered in snow, a stark contrast to the rest of the castle.

The two quickened their pace down the left corridor. After a few steps, they saw their path blocked by a pile of wooden tables and chairs. Both the elf and Jenkins could have easily smashed through the old furniture, but the map indicated a large snake was living amongst the pieces. To avoid disturbing it, they chose to take a detour.

The map caused no further issues, and they soon arrived at the third target's room on the third floor. The location was marked on the map as the "Divination Chamber," a special room in the castle for lodging visiting diviners and allowing them to practice their craft.

"The lord of this castle certainly likes to take in travelers."

"Don't speak so casually of the lord here. If I'm right, the lord is probably..."

He pointed upward. The elf thought for a moment before understanding dawned on her.

"You mean... Oh, I understand."

As before, they knocked politely. When there was no response, they tried pushing the door open. Even though the first two encounters had been bizarre, they were still prepared for a direct fight.

So when a ghastly green spirit burst out from behind the door, Jenkins immediately swung his sword at it.

"Yes! That's the kind of monster I ran into before! I knew it! There was no way we'd get through this without a proper fight!"

The elf maiden shouted from behind him.

But Jenkins had no time to respond. His sword made contact with the spirit but passed right through its body. Then, the spirit's arms wrapped around Jenkins's neck like strips of cloth and hoisted him into the air.

He dropped his sword and fought back with both hands, which found purchase this time. But before Jenkins could throw off the spirit coiled around his neck, Miss Silf drew her bow and severed its arms with a single, well-placed shot.

As Jenkins landed back on the ground, the spirit shrieked and retreated into the pitch-black room.

Jenkins whispered to his companion, but got no reply. He turned his head and was shocked to see the elf maiden, her face contorted in a ferocious snarl, strangling herself. Her expression could easily be read as pure fury.

"Whoa, what are you doing?"

Suspecting she'd been possessed, Jenkins rushed to grab her hands and pry them away, but the elf flung his hands off.

She roared at Jenkins, then at herself.

"You useless fool! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be trapped here! My parents, my friends, and... her..."

Jenkins froze, then realized this wasn't the time to dwell on that. He blinked, focusing his sight, and confirmed that Miss Silf's spirit was fine. This wasn't possession—it was more like she was lashing out at herself.

"After jealousy and arrogance, now it's anger? Wait, if I'm right about this pattern, I think I know what this Mysterious Realm is all about."

As he thought, he moved behind the elf maiden and carefully knocked her unconscious.

"That should take care of it."

He dragged her inside the room, then set his backpack and the two remaining metal cocoons to one side. Only then did he take a proper look at the "Divination Chamber." The room wasn't large, but because it was draped everywhere with curtains and black gauze, he couldn't see every corner at a glance.

The Mysterious Realm's unique aura and the pervasive power of shadow were hindering his search for the enemy. So he simply closed his eyes and stood quietly with his hands at his sides.

He suddenly threw a punch. A green light brimming with life energy instantly illuminated the entire room. The spirit, which had been attempting a sneak attack from behind a curtain, was punched straight through its spiritual body. But due to its incorporeal nature, it quickly vanished back into the darkness.

"Just as I thought. Wrath."

Jenkins pulled back his fist and immediately felt an unnatural shift in his own emotions. A nameless rage began to spread from the depths of his heart. Compared to the elf maiden, who had lost control, the fire's influence on him was somewhat less potent.

"But sometimes, anger can be useful."

With that thought, he let the feeling of wrath wash over him, filling his heart completely. Fury merged with fire. Flames erupted from his body, transforming Jenkins once more into a figure resembling a spirit of pure flame.

"You dare waste my time."

The flames spattered in all directions. Having been tinged with the blue soulfire from the second Mysterious Realm—a fire that could burn souls—they were now extremely lethal to spirits.

The humanoid figure of fire lunged forward and snatched the spirit hiding in the darkness. He gripped its head, forcing it to meet his gaze.

"Do you have a tragic past?"

He asked, his voice echoing slightly in the room. But he received no answer. The spirit had completely lost its sanity. Judging from the marks on its spiritual body, it must have suffered immense torment in life, but its story would likely never be known.

"Then continue on your journey. May you rest in peace."

Golden light danced between his fingers. As the flames dissipated, the power of a divine art enveloped the spirit. It slowly vanished within the golden radiance. Even without the alchemical items from the Church of Death and End, Jenkins could still purify souls on his own. After all, the first Mysterious Realm had been a demon's domain; taking a soul from there would have been far too difficult.

The elf maiden remained unconscious. By the time she awoke from a very unsettling dream, Jenkins was already carrying her on his back on the mezzanine between the first and second floors.

"So this is reality now."

She grumbled as she hopped off Jenkins's back.

"What did you dream about?"

"Nothing... Oh, how did I pass out? I only remember being consumed by rage."