Within the complete silence, the voice outside was very clearly heard.

​​

"That is… the voice of a pixie" Little Dusk commented in surprise.

Hearing her, everyone felt like that was very probable.

Scarlet hesitantly said: "But the door seemed to have been attacked earlier, I'm still feeling a bit frightened"

Little Dusk replied: "You're right, let us take a look-------"

She reached her hand into the void of space and drew a Card.

This Card depicted a God parting the clouds to observe the prosperous mortal realm beneath.

"In truth, the entire Isle is under my constant observation and protection, so I only need to take a look to see what's going on outside" Little Dusk explained.

Gu Qing Shan nodded.

------Little Dusk has certainly done very well, not to mention how it hasn't been even more than 20 years since she was born.

Little Dusk threw the Card forward.

Instantly, the Card turned into a screen of light and expanded in front of them.

On the screen of light, the Isle of Protection as a whole was on display, clearly showing every location to them.

Little Dusk whispered: "Show me the front side of the secret room"

The scene on the screen moved to display the front of the Protection Deity's secret room.

7-8 pixies had blocked the door, grinning mischievously while swinging the short staves in their hands around.

As they did that, transparent claws could be seen appearing from the short staves.

Little Dusk sighed in relief and muttered: "So it was their practical joke after all, I knew that it was just a prank"

She walked up and tried to open the door.

It didn't budge.

"Huh? Why isn't it opening?" Little Dusk asked in surprise.

The door spoke with a deep voice: 「 The established Causality Law was very particular, that is: Unless Rhode permits it, no one could enter or exit 」

Little Dusk turned to Gu Qing Shan and said: "Open the door, there shouldn't be any issues"

Gu Qing Shan pondered a bit, then approached the door and asked: "Sacred Gate, tell me who's on the other side?"

The Sacred Gate replied: 「 There are indeed some pixies, wait a moment---- 」

A second later, another voice resounded from outside: "Shroud, are you inside?"

It was Reneedol's voice!

Boss' eyes lit up, he struggled a bit to stand, then loudly responded: "We're all inside, how are you?"

"I'm fine… I just got some minor injuries" Reneedol weakly replied.

When the four of them checked the screen of light, they saw Reneedol soaked in blood with one of her arms missing, her complexion was also pale as she leaned on the wall in front of the door.

Boss couldn't stop himself from worrying and urged: "Rhode, open the door"

Gu Qing Shan looked closely at the screen of light and asked the Sacred Gate again: "Is she truly outside?"

The Sacred Gate confirmed: 「 Indeed, it is the girl on screen 」

Gu Qing Shan nodded and muttered: "Seems like there's really no danger. Scarlet, what do you think?"

Scarlet was caught a bit off guard, but after looking closely at the screen, she replied: "There shouldn't be any issues… but then…"

"But then what?" Gu Qing Shan pursued the question.

"…But I keep feeling a bit uneasy for some reason" Scarlet furrowed her eyebrows and said.

Gu Qing Shan abruptly laughed out loud and said: "You're thinking too much"

As he said that, a sword abruptly appeared behind Boss.

The Earth sword.

The Earth sword was propped right next to Boss' neck.

"Don't move, there's going to be a lot of trouble if you do" Gu Qing Shan said.

Boss gave him a puzzled look.

"What exactly is going on here?" Boss asked him in a low voice.

"Little Dusk, don't move either" Gu Qing Shan told her.

The Heaven sword had also silently appeared at Little Dusk's neck.

Little Dusk was also confused: "If you want to take my life, then you can do as you wish; since you were the one who saved me, but can you explain to me what exactly is going on here?"

She pointed at the screen of light: "She's clearly outside, heavily injured and requires urgent healing. Even the Sacred Gate had confirmed it, but you still insist on not opening the door and even did this, there must at least be a reason!"

Gu Qing Shan sighed.

With things being like this, he had no other choice but to use his swords, exposing his real Profession.

After a moment of silence, Gu Qing Shan lightly placed his hand on the door.

"Sacred Gate, can you display to us the scene outside?" he asked.

「 Naturally, every door must have a cat's eye nowadays 」the Sacred Gate replied.

A screen of light appeared from the door to display the scene outside of the door.

-----a group of 7-8 pixies.

------Reneedol.

It was exactly the same as what Little Dusk was showing.

Reneedol was also bleeding from her arm and appearing extremely weakened, to the point that she could collapse at any moment.

Boss felt a bit pained and wanted to say something.

"Boss, don't be in a hurry, she's not going to die"

Gu Qing Shan shut him up right away.

Gu Qing Shan reached his hand out to grasp the Six Paths Great Mountain sword and pointed at the Sacred Gate.

"Shannu, I want you to do something------- if there are any spells or techniques that are affecting the gate, cut it; but definitely do not cut the Causality Law of the door itself" he said.

"Yes, I'll give it a try" Shannu's voice came from the sword.

Gu Qing Shan brandished the sword and drew a cold arc of sword phantom.

Clang!

The sword phantom struck the Sacred Gate, leaving a tiny mark on it.

But everything immediately changed--------

The screen that the Sacred Gate was showing had changed considerably.

There was complete darkness around them.

No underground river.

No Isle of Protection.

No pixies.

No Reneedol.

There was nothing.

The entire secret room stood alone in the darkness.

-------there was only a single thin tentacle that reached out from the shadows underneath the secret room, which had wrapped around the secret room, completely enveloping it.

This tentacle had numerous eyes of varying sizes all over it, all of which blinked at different intervals, revealing their vertical irises.

This tentacle was the only thing that existed in the boundless darkness outside.

"What is this!?" Little Dusk exclaimed in shock.

Boss looked at this, then turned to the scene that Little Dusk's Card was displaying.

--------on that screen, the pixies and Reneedol were still standing just outside the door.

But the Sacred Gate had displayed a much more terrifying scene.

These two scenes were in stark contrast with one another.

"We've probably been caught by something" Gu Qing Shan muttered in thought.

"No wonder… no wonder I kept feeling uneasy for no reason" Scarlet muttered to herself.

Her gaze towards Boss and Little Dusk now appeared a bit warier.

Gu Qing Shan patted her shoulder and said: "It's ok, Shroud and Little Dusk-------- there isn't an issue with them, but the thing affecting them is probably very troublesome"

Gu Qing Shan held the Six Paths Great Mountain sword and approached Boss, slowly telling him: "You're willing to give up everything for the sake of your girlfriend, this, I wholeheartedly believe"

"But I don't believe that while staying in the secret room, having been drained of your strength, you would still be able to notice Reneedol leaving with an elf among a mass of numerous other living beings"

"Even if you noticed, you would first calm down and think of a solution"

Boss appeared contemplative and told him: "I had a feeling that something would happen to Reneedol, so I left the secret room to check. Not too long after I left, I saw her leaving the Isle of Protection"

"Let me guess, there were three paths outside the secret room, but when you left, two of the three paths had some sort of obstacle or problem, which forced you to take the path where you eventually found Reneedol's traces?" Gu Qing Shan asked.

Boss thought for a bit and replied: "At the time, there were indeed a large gathering of elves on the other two paths, so I followed the path on the left"

Gu Qing Shan nodded and drew a cold arc with the sword in his hand.

[Law Breaker]!

A small wound appeared on Boss' arm.

Boss scowled, then appeared shocked.

"Huh? Huh? What's going on!?"

He exclaimed.

Gu Qing Shan silently observed him and asked: "What's the matter?"

Boss puzzledly replied: "I clearly didn't have any bit of strength left, so why did I decide to go find Reneedol?"

Gu Qing Shan stared straight at him.

Scarlet covered her mouth while her body began to shiver.

Little Dusk was also stunned.

None of them was stupid, so they naturally understood what happened.

"Something, or someone, had taken control of your thoughts. It was able to somehow send things into your mind from afar" Gu Qing Shan emphasized every word.

Boss carefully thought about it, then said: "No, it wasn't total control. I was at least still capable of retaining my consciousness, but at certain points in time, I would---- would-----"

He couldn't quite describe it.

"Would feel like you're being guided" Gu Qing Shan said.

"Yes, that's exactly it!" Boss affirmed.

Gu Qing Shan scowled.

This is very troublesome.

Up to now, the only individuals capable of doing such a thing that I've met are the Earth Creator and the Lady of Time.

But this time was different.

The Earth Creator had control over the 'Earth', which could also be understood as the body of living beings; while the Lady of Time was capable of travelling forwards and backwards through time, affecting the course of events from the very beginning.

This 'thing' was capable of affecting both thought and changes in the environment.

What kind of entity would be capable of such a thing?

Gu Qing Shan's expression was grim as he turned to Little Dusk and asked: "So? Are you planning to come out or not?"

Little Dusk looked confusedly at Gu Qing Shan and said: "Rhode, you were the one who saved my life, I've never thought about wanting to trick you"

Gu Qing Shan gently told her: "Not you, Little Dusk, I'm talking to something else, if it actually has the courage to show up"

Little Dusk looked at him without knowing what to say.

Suddenly, her body lightly hovered into the air, unable to move a muscle.

A voluminous voice resounded from the void of space around her:

「 Visitor from outside the Reality Gate, I had originally wanted for you to live for a bit longer, but unfortunately, you are asking for death 」