"Bang!" Luo Wei's hand trembled violently.

  Her sixth-degree bck belt in Taekwondo nearly failed her.

  Oh, wait, that was in her previous life. In this life, her hands were still soft and tender.

  But putting facts aside, could Theodore and Hol really cim they were bmeless?

  Their necks were as hard as stone. Striking them felt like chopping at a rock. Hol’s neck was merely hard, but Theodore’s had a bizarre esticity that almost caused her a secondary injury.

  What made it worse was that her strike actually woke them up.

  “Ouch,” Theodore muttered, using a tentacle to rub the back of his neck. “Was there a mosquito just now?”

  Hol twisted his neck. “The back of my neck feels itchy too, like something scratched it.”

  Luo Wei quickly hid her trembling hand behind her back and smiled. “Maybe you two slept in the wrong position and got a stiff neck. Just move around a bit, and it’ll feel better.”

  The two exchanged gnces, feeling something wasn’t quite right. Since when did stiff necks cause back pain?

  Theodore was about to say something when his eyes caught sight of the distant coastline. He immediately shouted in excitement, “Look! It’s nd! We’re finally heading back to the Western Continent!”

  Hol followed his gaze, a hint of doubt creeping into his expression. “Aren’t we heading north? If we’re going north, shouldn’t that be east?”

  “We are heading north! If it’s not the Western Continent, what else could it be? The Fog Empire?—Wait, the Fog Empire!”

  Theodore immediately turned to Luo Wei, his eyes wide with astonishment.

  “Luo Wei, is that the Fog Empire we’re seeing?”

  According to Gdys, Luo Wei was a royal princess from the Fog Empire. She must know this nd well!

  Facing their expectant gazes, Luo Wei nodded solemnly.

  Theodore found her reaction odd. “Luo Wei, aren’t you happy?”

  Luo Wei gazed at the distant coastline, a trace of mencholy flickering in her eyes. “This nd is so close to me, yet…I still can’t return.”

  “Why not?” Both Theodore and Hol looked puzzled.

  “I made a promise to someone. Only when I have the strength to stand against them can I set foot on that nd again.”

  Luo Wei sighed deeply. “I’m sorry, Theodore, Hol. I can’t host you here, nor can I take you onto the mainnd. The people of the Fog Empire are extremely hostile to outsiders.”

  Theodore was incredulous. “Hostile to outsiders? Why?”

  Hol nudged him and spoke over his voice. “It’s understandable. The Fog Empire has been isoted for thousands of years; they’d naturally want to avoid outside interference.”

  “Miss Luo Wei, may we rest on the beach for a day? Don’t worry, we won’t let anyone here discover us.”

  Luo Wei hesitated for a moment before nodding slowly. “Fine. The western coast of the Fog Empire is vast and sparsely poputed. No one lives by the seaside.”

  Hol let out a sigh of relief. As long as they could set foot on nd, it was enough.

  Although liches preferred damp environments, they preferred swamps over the salty, fishy sea. After two days in the ocean, his skin was starting to sting.

  “Let’s hurry and leave before the sea serpent submerges. Otherwise, the backflow of seawater might drown us.”

  “Got it.”

  The head of Jormungandr rose over 2,000 meters above the sea. When it sank, the resulting waves would be no less massive than what they were experiencing now.

  Theodore and Hol reverted their tentacles and roots back into limbs and grabbed Luo Wei’s arms.

  Jormungandr was still moving slowly. Luo Wei spread her wings and flew toward the distant coastline.

  The Fog Empire seemed close, but in reality, it was still far away.

  From Jormungandr’s towering head, they had been able to see the coastline due to the height advantage. Once they descended, the coastline disappeared from view.

  Flying and swimming alternately, the trio finally escaped the misty zone before sunset.

  The mist that rose at night would no longer trap them. Now that they were out of the anti-magic zone, Hol and Theodore’s magical patterns and spells were functional again.

  As the moon sank into the sea, the dawn’s first light began to shine. Theodore’s loud roar broke through the sky.

  “Awooooo—”

  “Land! We’ve made it to nd! We’re alive!”

  Luo Wei and Hol covered their ears, but even they couldn’t suppress the smiles of relief on their faces.

  The sea rippled gently, like a blue gem, pushing the three onto the shallows.

  The humid sea breeze brushed over their heads, drying the hair stuck to their foreheads. Warm sand clung to their feet, tickling and tingling them.

  Exhausted and hungry, Luo Wei sat on the beach for a while before standing up. “I’m going to collect some firewood. Let’s make a fire and cook something.”

  “Alright, I’ll go catch some fish!” Theodore said enthusiastically.

  Hol also stood up. “I’ll look for fresh water nearby.”

  Luo Wei drew a small knife from her waist and walked toward the forest lining the beach.

  Theodore watched her retreating figure but didn’t immediately dive into the sea. Instead, he turned and followed Hol.

  “Hol, what was that earlier? Why didn’t you let me speak?”

  “When?”

  “On Jormungandr’s head! When I asked why the Fog Empire rejects outsiders, you interrupted me,” Theodore said indignantly. “I’m your senior, you brat! And don’t you think Luo Wei’s expnation was suspicious?”

  “I don’t think so,” Hol replied, tilting his head. “Why do you think a royal princess like Luo Wei would end up in the Western Continent?”

  “To study, obviously,” Theodore said matter-of-factly. “Siria Magic Academy has the best magic teachers on the entire continent.”

  “But there aren’t many royal nobles at Siria Magic Academy, are there? Senior Theodore, royalty is different from commoners. A king’s heir doesn’t need extraordinary magical power; they need to learn how to govern a country.”

  “Then why did Luo Wei come to Siria?” Theodore asked.

  “That’s the question I just asked you,” Hol said helplessly. “Don’t you remember? Gdys mentioned that Luo Wei ended up in the Western Continent by accident. She has to complete a trial to return home.”

  “I suspect her trial might involve becoming a powerful mage and building her own faction.”

  Theodore was puzzled. “Build a faction in the Western Continent? For what?”

  “Royal infighting and power struggles are intense. Perhaps she was persecuted by another faction within the royal family, or maybe her siblings plotted against her. Staying in her homend might have been life-threatening, so she came to the Western Continent to find a way to turn the tables.”

  “She doesn’t want us entering the Fog Empire because she’s afraid we might expose her whereabouts and attract her enemies.”

  Hol’s expnation left Theodore enlightened.

  “So that’s how it is! You liches really are cunning; nothing escapes you.”

  “Alright, Senior, go catch some fish. I’m off to find water.”

  “Find water? Freshwater is just a water ball spell away. Come on, help me catch fish!”

  Hol was dragged into the sea by the limping Theodore.

  The two dove into the shallow coral reefs, hunting fish and crabs hiding among the seaweed.

  “Blub~”

  A strange sound suddenly came from the other side of the coral reef. A blurry figure quickly darted into a deep underwater cave.

  “Who’s there?!”

  Theodore’s expression darkened as he charged after the figure."""