Chapter 349: Seeking the Second Piece
This piece of news left everyone in shock. All the hard work that Rio and Devlin's family had done for generations to gather beasts and shelters under their banner was now under Hazel's control, thanks to her superior bloodline.
It felt as if heaven was mocking Dylan's foolishness in calling her bloodline impure. That girl was actually blessed with a bloodline that was far superior to anyone who had ever existed.
"How is that even possible?" Nyla muttered disbelief etched on her face.
Eve then explained, "Hazel, like Rio and me, is able to have both a Root and a Core at the same time. This makes her far more powerful than any of you right now."
Nyla and Lia were calmer than before as they saw Helia could be saved now. The emperor looked at Eve suspiciously and his mouth was opening and closing as if he wanted to ask something but he didn't have courage after what happened.
"She may have been stronger right now but we can erase the gap with time and training." Rio's voice sounded beside her in a calm manner.
Lia nodded, with steely resolve in her eyes. "Husband is Right. Now that Helia is safe, we must focus on strengthening ourselves. We cannot confront Hazel in our current state. Our priority should be gathering more shelters from the corrupted land and start our rigorous training. If Hazel can possess such power, then there's no reason we can't reach a similar level, if not surpass it.
Even if we can't, there is no reason Husband can not surpass it..."
A resolute gleam was shining in Lia's eyes. She understood Rio's potential more deeply than anyone else. Layla and Nyla, having witnessed Rio's prowess firsthand, also agreed. After all, Rio had bested Layla even when he was merely at the black stage.
Eve's eyes twinkled as she addressed the group. "Okay, beauties and my darling, a tiny heads-up: I kind of used my teleport card bringing you all here so it took a little holiday. So, for the upcoming month, let's make the best of it here! Going back to the castle? A no-go. But on the bright side, we've got all the space we need for some epic training sessions!"
Eve mentioned the teleportation, and Rio merely nodded, already in the know. Lia and the others let out a resigned sigh; after all, they were just grateful for this miraculous escape from Hazel's grasp. The Emperor looked particularly stunned. To him, their sudden transportation seemed nothing short of a miracle.
He had braced himself for the worst, but here they were, saved by this crafty elf who had even outdone Hazel brilliantly.
Layla's eyes drifted to Helia's delicate form, enveloped in the radiant glow of the Samsara Lotus. "When will Helia wake up?" she asked softly, her voice filled with concern.
Eve's cheerful expression softened, "I wish I had the right answer, but truthfully, I don't know. The Samsara Lotus has preserved her soul, but her revival won't be anytime soon. This is a process that we can't rush."
A gloomy sadness enveloped the group, as what happened today was too harsh for them to handle. As the minutes passed in contemplative silence, they all sat by the lotus, watching over Helia.
Emperor Dylan, on the other hand, looked utterly lost and embarrassed. Every now and then, he would shoot a sorrowful glance toward Lia and the others but chose to remain silent, knowing his words wouldn't bring any solace.
After what felt like hours, Rio finally broke the silence, "We cannot let Helia's sacrifice go in vain. We understand the pain and the desire to stay by her side, but we must prepare. We need to go back to our rooms, rest, and then start our training. She won't want us stay here, mourning. She'd want us to get stronger, so when she wakes up, we should be ready."
Nyla's eyes glistened with tears but she nodded in agreement, "I agree, sweetie. Sister Helia would surely want us to fight and get stronger."
Lia took a deep breath, pushing back her emotions, "From tomorrow, we begin our plan and training against Hazel. We have a long way to go. For Helia, and for the future of our Shamor Empire."
The group slowly stood up, casting one last lingering glance at Helia before heading towards their rooms, their hearts heavy but filled with newfound determination.
***
In the heart of the wonderous forest realm, Rio's bedroom was bathed in the soft glow of the morning sun filtering through the trees. His spacious room was decorated with natural elements, seamlessly blending the indoors with the whimsy of the outdoors. A glowing white ring with an intricate clover design lay in the center of his bed, gleaming with a radiance.
Surrounding the bed stood Rio, Lia, Layla, and Nyla, all of them drawn to the mysterious allure of the ring.
The white-haired beauty began, "We've got a month. A month to unravel the secrets of the forbidden land's puzzle. According to that old sage, this Exalted Clover Ring should guide us to our next destination where we will find the second piece of the map. We should aim to finish this before Eve can use her teleportation skill once again. It could be our wildcard against Hazel."
Layla, having been told about the forbidden land by Rio previously, simply nodded in agreement.
However, Nyla's brows knitted in confusion, "But, Big sister, I remember trying to use this exalted clover ring before. It was a total flop! So, how in the world are we gonna bring it to life now?"
Eve, lounging on a couch nearby and seemingly disinterested until then, chimed in with a cheerful chirp, "Only the ring's true master can spark its magic into action! which is none other than my Darling."
All eyes instinctively turned to the boy. Caught slightly off guard, he let out a sheepish smile.
Slowly, he reached out to grasp the ring, lifting it up and holding it before them. Searching each face for affirmation, they responded with bright, unwavering eyes and nods, confidence shimmering in their gazes.
"So, how exactly does this work?" Rio mumbled inwardly, his fingers tracing the edges of the silver clover ring, "Do I just channel my mana into it?"
Without waiting for a response, the boy decided to test his theory. A tiny, shimmering wisp of his mana energy flowed from his fingertips, immersing itself into the intricate crevices of the ring.
Suddenly, the room was engulfed in a dazzling white radiance, as if day had broken in an instant. The light was so intense that they instinctively shielded their eyes, the brilliant glare casting long, wavering shadows.
But the luminance lasted only a moment. As quickly as it appeared, the light receded, leaving them momentarily disoriented. When they finally managed to regain their vision, they found themselves no longer in Rio's bedroom.
Instead, they stood amidst a desolate forest under a moonlit sky. The chorus of the night resonated around them, the rhythmic chirping of crickets reverberating eerily in the stillness.
====[SnowNote]====
I am just posting to see if I still have any readers who gonna read the story.
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Edited By: TheWhiteSnow
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