'An answer that only I know?' 

Besides the sound of the flowing stream, there was nothing but silence as Izroth pondered Helilatiaa's words.

At the same time, Helilatiaa lightly tapped the table as two cups of tea appeared—one in front of her and the other on the table before Izroth.

Helilatiaa took her seat and picked up the teacup unhurriedly. She then closed her eyes, and gently placed the cup up to her lips.

A few seconds later, Helilatiaa set the cup down and exhaled softly before slowly inhaling.

She then released a refreshed sigh and said, "It is called Silver Spring Tea. I do not know if it still exists in your world, but it used to be considered somewhat of a delicacy. You may never get a chance to taste it again."

Izroth looked down at the tea that was light silver in color as he entered a deep train of thought. He knew that Helilatiaa was unquestionably hiding numerous secrets from him related to the vision he observed and the state of the Divine Realm. However, he understood a part of her intention.

Izroth took the cup of tea into his hands.

'Since I am an anomaly in her eyes, she should have gotten rid of me at the first possible opportunity. Instead, she chose a route of uncertainty. Though from the sound of things, it seems that trying to pry any further information from her is a futile endeavor.'

There was also the fact that Helilatiaa claimed to be the one who told Tal'Nis to relay that message of warning to him. If that were the case, it meant that Tal'Nis was somehow tied to Helilatiaa. Perhaps they were within the same faction in the Divine Realm? Whatever the circumstances, the all-seeing goddess did not fit the description of the warning.

While she hid some things from Izroth, Helilatiaa spoke her mind in a straightforward manner. Also, there was never any mention of an offer or guarantee of power.

'If Helilatiaa is not the one from the Divine Realm that I was warned about, then... Who is it?'

It was not until nearly one minute later that Izroth broke the silence and said, "My fate has always been my own. The actions I take, the path I choose—there is no one else in this world that can guide them. Currently, I do not have the answer. Nor do I plan to go out of my way to find it. I will do things my way. And, if someone dares to block my path or harm those under my protection, be they mortal, monster, or a divine being there is only one outcome—death."

Izroth's gaze turned cold as a serious expression appeared on his face. He wanted Helilatiaa to know his stance without any misconception. Since he already made a promise with the God of Craft, naturally, Izroth was willing to assist in the survival of the Mortal Realm in any way he could. But, he would do so on his own terms!

"As it should be," Helilatiaa replied calmly.

"Then, as long as we are on the same page... I see no issue." Izroth stated as a carefree smile returned to his face.

He inhaled the tea to get its scent but quickly found that it contained none. This was unusual, especially for tea of high quality. There were always notes of flavors, sometimes hidden and other times bold. But, this tea had no scent whatsoever!

Izroth took a sip of the Silver Spring Tea. And, as he did so, it caused him to inwardly frown.

'This is considered a delicacy?'

Not only did the tea lack an aroma—even the taste was nonexistent! Izroth felt that he might as well be drinking a cup of water.

However, just as this thought crossed Izroth's mind, his eyes widened slightly as an intense and indescribable aroma filled his nostrils.

Helilatiaa smiled when she saw Izroth's reactions after taking his first sip.

"What do you think?" Helilatiaa asked.

"It's hard to think of this as tea since it is not traditional by any means. That being said... I now see why it is viewed as a delicacy. In terms of tea, it is a novel experience."

"I am glad to have met someone who appreciates this tea," Helilatiaa said as she took another sip, repeating the same process as last time of exhaling and inhaling.

After Helilatiaa finished, she finally opened her eyes.

"The Silver Spring Tea has no aroma. That is until you take your first sip. While the tea itself is tasteless, with every sip, a new aroma permeates your nose. The aromas that are generated are said to be unique to every individual—a personal experience that only they can ever enjoy in their lifetime." Helilatiaa explained.

"You remind me of this Silver Spring Tea. Something, or rather someone, who can only be understood through personal experience. And—someone who allows those at their side to grow with each encounter. That is why even though you are an anomaly... I can not help but look forward to your future progress. Because, for the first time in a long time, there exists a path unclear to me. Izroth-"

Helilatiaa stood to her feet and stared out into the tranquil garden.

"You must prepare yourself if you truly wish to protect those around you. What I have shown you is but a fraction of the true chaos that will descend. It is also why I took the initiative to hide an extraordinary power within the little one by your side. At some point, the power inside her will fully awaken. When that happens, I hope I can count on you to protect her—my successor."

"Your successor?"

"Yes. Her name is..."

...

Izroth slowly opened his eyes as he was greeted by the sight of his private crafting room within the Mystical Realm Palace.

His body was no longer in an isolated pocket of space and there did not seem to be any major changes to Izroth's physical appearance; however, he was immediately bombarded by a stream of system alerts.

'Everything is just as I left it.'

Izroth thought back to the wasteland that was Amaharpe's capital city shown to him in Helilatiaa's vision.

'As long as I'm here, I will not allow that future to become a reality.'

〈System Alert: Awakening... [100%] Time Remaining: [00 day(s) 00 hour(s) 00 minute(s) 00 second(s)].〉

〈System Alert: Congratulations, you are the first player to begin your own path.〉

〈System Alert: Your domain has begun to manifest. (You must visit an Element Gathering Temple to complete the process).〉

〈System Alert: You have acquired the trait «Reinforced Undying Soul».〉

〈System Alert: You have acquired the item «Asa'si'Inkha'na».〉

〈Syste Alert: The S-rank skill «Breaker of Limits» has evolved into the Unique* skill, «The Unbounded One».〉

〈System Alert...

...

Izroth quickly read through the system alerts as a frown soon found its way onto his face.

'It feels like I've only been gone for a few hours at most, but... Is it saying that I was unconscious for more than five days?'

Although only two days had passed outside of RML, with the 1:3 IRL to in-game time ratio, Izroth had been gone for nearly a week!

Izroth furrowed his brows. Indeed, one moment he was in a state of slumber, and the next, he was in the middle of some open plains. Izroth believed that if Helilatiaa did not contact him when she did, he would have remained in a state of slumber the entire time!

'I have a lot of messages as well. Though that's to be expected since I virtually disappeared for almost a week.'

Izroth did not think that his awakening process would take six days! It was no wonder the system checked his physical condition and gave him a warning before proceeding!

'I thought it was just a precaution, but-'

Izroth's train of thoughts was suddenly interrupted as he read the messages sent to him.

By the time he finished, Izroth was calm—too calm. However, if someone had walked into the room at that moment, they would have backed away in fear at the suffocating pressure surrounding Izroth.

'Someone dares to openly hunt my people?'

Izroth was infuriated! After everything he accomplished in RML, there were still those bold enough to target his people?!

Most shockingly, it seemed to happen just a couple of hours after he went into his awakening!

Six days... For six days, those of his guild was being hunted by a group called Siren! But, that was not all.

According to the messages he received, there was another set of footprints in the sand.

Without hesitation, Izroth stood to his feet as he walked towards the door.

'My body has not yet fully recovered from the effects of the Dragon Force; however, at least I can access my skills again.'

Izroth opened the doors to his private room and made his way down the steps of the Mystical Realm Palace.

'It's time the hunters become the hunted.'