Edris frowned so deeply that he thought he might stay that way for the rest of his life.

He didn't expect Celio to stay conscious, let alone be caught within the torrent.

The air around them thickened considerably during these few seconds of silence, signalling the commencement of the "sacrifice."

A thick fog engulfed the void-like space, blurring the features of the boy standing before him.

The next thing he knew, the haze to his left forged into a bubbling, spherical surge of crimson while a corresponding force emerged on the right side, taking form in a contrastive, azure light. The former burned its surroundings while the latter froze the air in its vicinity. The two forms of energy stirred vigorously, threatening to burst any moment from now.

Resting on opposite sides of the purple torrent, the forces expanded rapidly, trying to engulf all in their vicinity. Standing in the eye of the torrent was none other than Edris, with Celio right across from him.

— The forces manifested from the artifact are directed towards you.

"I thought the torrent blocked you from communicating," Edris said, half-relieved and half-questioning.

Ace's familiar voice echoed in his head. Ignoring Edris's reaction, he continued on.

— I had to make preparations to save your weak ass. You'll survive, but it's another situation for the beast tamer. He won't be able to take it with his current body.

As the voice spoke, the two contrasting energies shot towards the centre simultaneously, closing the distance between Edris and Celio.

The immense pressure from the ends sent a crushing sensation towards the middle of the torrent. Edris's mind almost blanked out from the impact until he forcibly recollected his consciousness.

He stole a glance at the golden-haired boy across from him. Celio's eyes were wide open but dazed. Amidst the approaching forces, he stood frozen like a statue, mind awash and unable to move an inch.

The ground below them trembled uncontrollably, and Edris knew this was no time to hesitate. In a sweeping motion, he plunged forward, extended both arms, and threw Celio with all his strength towards the far end of the torrent.

Immediately following his action, Edris choked out a gasp as the forces smashed into him from opposite directions, causing his body to emit a nebulous glow. The crimson and azure merged into a dreary, blood-like purple as it poured out of his body and expanded into every part of the torrent, integrating with the hollering wind around him.

In an instant, a distorted scene flashed before his eyes. It was a black sphere that dripped with blood. It floated soundlessly amidst a purely white room, as still as a single frame in time. One by one, droplets of crimson dragged themselves down the black surface, only to dissipate immediately as they left the black sphere.

Edris found himself subconsciously moving towards the sphere. Pictures lined up on the "walls" around him, but their contents appeared censored to the human eye, emerging as nothing but a blur. Rather than noticing the pictures, Edris only stared ahead towards the sphere in the centre of the room.

There seemed to be something particular about it, to the point where he had subconsciously blocked out everything else in its surrounding.

His steps felt oddly heavy, with each step requiring a strenuous effort from his legs. A relentless buzzing stripped his ability to think. Instead, his mind fills with incoherent thoughts and phrases, inundating his existence with an unprecedented sense of foreignness.

It felt as though he was being stripped away from this world.

As he took his third step, Edris stiffened as a faint voice reached his head in an urgent crescendo.

— Wake up!

Like a bell, the voice elucidated his mind immediately as Edris stepped back with a sharp inhale. The scene before him collapsed with this action, breaking into countless tiny pieces that dissipated into the air. The afterimage of the black sphere lingered in his vision, and his back covered with a thin layer of sweat.

It was then Edris heard a mechanised voice in his head:

The Taking Segment is now complete.

Thank you for your sacrifice.

***

All the audience could hear were stirrings of chaotic gusts and clashes between the torrent and the ground.

Even that was enough to produce deafening reverberations that filled their heads with anxiety. Although the insides of the torrent were in a tumultuous state, the barrier around them did not break as it withstood the impacts one after another.

It was at that moment.

A flickering light erupted within a raging purple torrent, causing it to shoot straight towards the sky.

Eyes wide with disbelief, the audience watched as it exploded after reaching a certain height, sending bursts of gusts in every direction.

The purple dissipated into the blue, painting the sky in a dark gradient shade. Even though it was still daytime, it felt like they were witnessing an interaction between dawn and dusk.

The enchanting scene captured everyone's attention as they upturned their gazes, unable to look away.

"Dear Serenity..."

Dazed, someone had accidentally muttered their thoughts out loud, but no one could retort his comment.

It was because they thought the same as well.

Only a few moments later, the spectators rejoined reality and hurriedly cast their gazes towards the arena field.

At the edge of the field was Edris, while Celio, whose powers seemed to be now under control as he was blown to the arena walls, sat slumped right below the wall of the spectator seats. The latter's pupils constricted, trembling uncontrollably as he recalled what he had just experienced.

Playing before his eyes was the vivid scene where Edris had saved him from the approaching crimson and blue, embracing all the impact by his vulnerable, lonesome self.

Frantically, Celio spun his head towards the opposite ends of the arena. When he saw the dark-haired man standing and in one piece, he let out a long exhale. Gathering the strength in his numb legs, he pushed himself back on his feet and scampered in Edris's direction.

From the peripheral of his vision, Edris vaguely perceived an approaching figure who he suspected to be the boy with golden hair. However, he had no time to pay Celio any attention, as all his senses were hyper-strung in preparation for the aftermath of the Sacred Artifact.

However, nothing abnormal happened even after a few seconds, and Edris breathed out in both relief and confusion.

His insides still felt as if it was on fire, but thanks to Ace's mana support, the burning sensation diminished considerably from what it was back in the torrent.

Speaking of Ace's mana capabilities, Edris lamented inwardly how he would have missed out on his abilities if he had not asked.

"The, the winner of the Wulin Tournament has been decided!" Recovering from the aftershock of the match, the announcer hollered into the diffusal orb, sending the groundbreaking results throughout the arena.

His voice flowed into the spectators' ears, finally bringing them out of their dumbfounded state. In their eyes, an attributed beast tamer was taken down without even a chance to activate his abilities to the fullest, while the dark-haired traveller, although dusty in appearance, only displayed mild injuries.

Remaining on guard for any internal changes in his body, Edris turned towards Celio.

Despite his apprehensive gaze, Celio seemed hesitant to speak directly to him as he repeatedly opened and closed his mouth in vain.

Upon seeing the boy's nervous reaction, Edris started to feel awkward himself. Frankly, he had pushed Celio out of the way because he thought it would be inconvenient for him if someone from a wealthy family were to get injured.

Things would become complicated if this event caused him to receive the attention of nobles.

Even worse, if the youth's parents decided to hunt him down and throw him in prison, it would be over for Edris and his dream.

"I.." Before Celio could even squeeze out a second word, Edris lifted his hand with a smile.

"It was a good match."

Celio's bright eyes lightened at his words. After staring at Edris's outstretched arm for a few long seconds, he seemed to have reached a conclusion as his complicated gaze transformed into one with conviction. Celio lifted his hand and met Edris's in a fist pump.

"I understand now," Celio said, sniffling as he looked towards Edris. "Thank you for your guidance."

Hm? Guidance?

Contrary to Edris's confusion, the boy only grinned in response.

After the announcement faded, a series of rhythmic clapping sounded in the area. It belonged to none other than Dolan Zacriya, who was leisurely making his way down from the third-floor balcony. At the sight of the Crown Prince, everyone in the arena—spectators and competitors alike—bowed down to respond to his presence.

Without a care of the kingdom's customs, Edris only lowered his head a tad, just to show respect.

"A formidable match," Dolan said to the two competitors.

Contrary to his title, the Crown Prince spoke amicably. His words sounded more like they belonged to an impressed spectator rather than acknowledgement from the future leader of Zacriya.

"Not at all, Your Highness. I am still lacking in many, many aspects." Celio replied, his tone habitual. It was as though he had experienced many similar situations prior to this.

Not wanting to get involved with the royal family, Edris chimed along with a half-hearted nod to express similar sentiments.

Clenching the scabbard by his waist, Celio gazed at him with eyes that held a million things to say. "It is also thanks to Sir Edris that I did not succumb to the aftermath of my powers."

"Indeed. Thank you for stepping in to prevent the risks from escalating." With a nod, Dolan turned towards Edris.

Under the eyes of the thousands present, the Crown Prince extended his palm for a handshake, which Edris humbly received.

At that moment, their eyes widened simultaneously, but for different reasons. Dolan's pupils shrunk with disbelief as he fixed his attention onto the dark-haired man. More specifically, on the feeling of his hands. They were just so...cold. Touching his palm, Dolan felt as if he was brushing against raw ice in the Crystallized Chasm.

Edris, on the other hand, had a separate reason for his bewilderment.

Although he was shaking the Crown Prince's hand, it felt as if he was touching an inanimate object. A smooth, cushion-like texture. Even rubbery. It was the feeling of skin, but something was missing.

Edris stiffened.

There was no temperature to his touch.