Moments later, her voice returned, clear and serious.
"Master, the shortest route will take you through the dense Linia Forest to avoid the human cities. However, you must be cautious. Several Blessed Sanctuaries guard the perimeter of the Hero Empire, and they are heavily monitored by the Heroic Order."
Aengus smirked, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Blessed Sanctuaries or not, nothing will stop me."
Adjusting his trajectory, he strode forward with resolve, the night enveloping him in its quiet embrace.
Aengus moved like a blur, warping space around him as though he were distorting reality itself with each step.
The Linia Forest greeted him with the eerie sounds of nocturnal predators—growls of beasts and the mournful cries of night owls filling the air.
Suddenly, a piercing cry shattered the ambient chaos.
"Help! Save me...please...someone!"
Aengus halted abruptly, his gaze snapping toward the source of the voice. There, beneath the shadow of a towering tree, a grisly scene unfolded. A massive bear-like beast was tearing into its prey—a small girl whose legs and waist were already half-devoured.
"Splash!"
In an instant, Aengus appeared before the beast, his hand plunging through its skull with brutal precision. The creature's enormous body collapsed lifelessly, blood pooling around its remains.
Casually shaking the blood off his hand, Aengus turned his attention to the girl. Her small, frail body trembled, and her wide, desperate eyes clung to him as though he were her last hope.
Despite her horrific injuries, she was somehow conscious, her gaze filled with an inexplicable glimmer of hope.
Aengus sighed, his usual stoicism giving way to a rare flicker of compassion. "You're lucky I'm feeling kind today, little girl."
He leaned closer, placing his hand gently on her bloodied head. As his palm glowed faintly, a divine aura enveloped her. The radiance cascaded over her broken form, stitching torn flesh and restoring her mangled body.
Aengus had decided to help her not out of sentimentality but convenience—his destination aligned with hers. Yet, there was something about her desperate face that sparked a faint memory, one that he had long buried.
Her face and determination reminded him of his younger sister back in the Primal Realm. Though their bond had weakened over time, he still regarded her as family. That flicker of emotion was enough to sway his cold heart, if only slightly.
As they traveled together through the dense forest, the growls of distant beasts and the cries of night owls seemed almost irrelevant.
Lyra noticed the terrifying beasts lurking in the shadows of the forest, their glowing eyes fixated on her and her savior. Yet, none dared to approach. They growled softly before retreating into the darkness, as if sensing an aura far beyond their understanding.
She glanced at the imposing figure walking ahead of her and thought, "
It must be him. He's the reason they're afraid. The beasts fear his very presence."
A spark of hope ignited within her fragile heart.
If anyone can help me save my mother, it's him. Even if it means going against the Holy Cathedral of Gods themselves.
What surprised her more was the speed at which they were moving. It felt as though they had taken only a few steps, yet the dense trees of Linia Forest had already given way to open plains. She could see the Holy City looming in the distance, its towering spires illuminated faintly under the moonlight.
She blinked in astonishment. "
How is this possible?"
Lyra thought. "
It takes days to travel this far... Is this another one of his powers?" Discover stories at mvl
Her gaze shifted back to her savior. His royal demeanor, the confidence in his stride, and the unshakable air of authority he carried all spoke volumes. He hadn't said much, yet she already felt she could trust him entirely.
For the first time in a long while, Lyra felt a sliver of hope—hope that this mysterious man might indeed be the key to saving her mother.