119. Reinforcements from Heaven

Theresa first fed the little fox spirit that had already fainted, guiding its soul stone into her own and catalyzing it with her help. Gradually, the little fox’s physical condition stabilized. When she turned to feed another little fox spirit that had chewed up the Night Demon’s scythe, she became noticeably more cautious.

The little fox sat crouched on the sandy ground, its red eyes fixed intently on Theresa, following her every movement without blinking or looking away even once.

Being stared at so piercingly by such beautiful eyes made even someone as mentally strong as Theresa feel a shiver of unease. She carefully approached, stopping over a meter away, and tentatively extended her hand—palm open, holding a radiant, multicolored soul stone.

Only then did the little fox shift its gaze downward, watching the soul stone in her palm for a long moment without making a move. Then, it returned its gaze up along the same path, locking eyes with Theresa once more.

Theresa blinked and offered a tentative sweet smile.

Whether it was the warmth in her smile or the irresistible allure of the soul stone, the little fox finally stood up and bit down on her palm.

“Ah, if you didn’t want to eat, you didn’t have to bite me like that…” Theresa complained, wincing at the sudden pain and the taste of blood.

But before her words could finish, golden light began to glow from the little fox’s body, flowing in waves along its fur and gradually permeating its form. Soon, a unique luminous symbol appeared on its forehead.

After lingering there for a moment, the glowing mark suddenly flew from the fox’s forehead to Theresa’s right upper arm, embedding itself beneath her skin. She felt a burning heat radiate along the outer side of her arm. Turning her head, she saw a fiery red, tattoo-like symbol glowing vividly against her fair, delicate skin, making her look even more enchanting.

“Tsk, Tessa, you’re really lucky to have such an easy time getting the little fox to accept you as its master,” a voice echoed in Theresa’s mind—it was the book spirit’s voice, tinged with a hint of admiration. Thinking back, she saw that her spiritual sea now contained a new soul contract. Unlike the contracts with the little wolf, the little eagle, and the book spirit, this new contract appeared as a living entity resembling the little fox itself, curiously running around and exploring inside her spiritual sea.

Just as Theresa was fascinated by this “living contract,” a faint prickling sensation pulled her attention away. Looking down, she saw another little fox biting into the palm of her left hand, now licking the fresh blood with its tiny red tongue. Having already bonded with one little fox as a spirit companion, Theresa found little surprise or novelty in another joining her. Her only thought was why this little one insisted on biting her left palm when her right palm was already wounded.

With two little foxes now recognizing her as their master, they naturally developed a close bond with the little wolf, little eagle, and the book spirit. The group of little creatures quickly began playing together, tumbling and climbing through the thick silver fur of the snow wolf, Kanis, who lay patiently on the sand with half-closed eyes, allowing their frolic with good-natured tolerance.

The atmosphere was light and cheerful, and Theresa was enjoying herself when a voice called from the other side: “It’s broken.”

Theresa turned to see the ice serpent, once coiled tightly, slowly melting away. Along with it, the Night Demon dissolved like melting wax, silently vanishing into the air.

Once the ice serpent and the Night Demon’s form had completely evaporated, the sandy ground was left strewn with shattered fragments of the hunting demon orb. Theresa happily ran over to gather the pieces, examining each closely and debating with Pedia about who should claim which shards, their lively discussion full of give and take.

As the siblings were busy “dividing the spoils,” a lazy male voice suddenly sounded behind them, causing everyone—humans and beasts alike—to shudder with alarm and instantly enter a state of readiness.

“Souls are forbidden territory, you know. If you just ‘eat’ them like that, be careful not to get ‘indigestion.’”

The group turned warily to see a man standing in the previously empty gray sand—smiling warmly. To be in such a flat, open area with no cover for dozens of meters, and yet have a large man appear out of thin air so silently and suddenly, was enough to send chills down anyone’s spine.

Despite their caution, the man showed no special reaction. His sunny smile remained bright as he strolled leisurely, his gaze sweeping over Theresa and Pedia, who stood protectively behind her, before casually glancing at the snarling beast companions. Then he spoke, “Theresa Borje, Pedia Aubrion?”

“Who are you?” Pedia asked calmly, though his hand behind him subtly clenched.

“Don’t be nervous, don’t make a move,” the man chuckled, his smile sincere and radiant yet tinged with a hint of world-weariness. “I was sent to find someone in this godforsaken place… Theresa, you probably have an idea who sent me, don’t you?”

After a moment of silence, Theresa finally responded, “Master Mu? Do you have any token to prove it?”

The man, who was Lambert Satia, acting on Master Mu’s behalf, raised his hand and flicked a magical recording stone into the air. It hovered and slowly spun, projecting images inside—snapshots of Theresa’s life, vibrant and vivid, showing her working in Master Mu’s old manor.

Simultaneously, the stone emanated a distinct magical aura unmistakably belonging to Master Mu—a presence so subtle that only someone of his caliber could leave it behind intentionally. This confirmed the man’s true connection to Master Mu.

With the token displayed, Theresa and Pedia’s vigilance slowly faded. Pedia stepped forward with a polite greeting, “Hello. May I ask your name?”

“Lambert. So, do you want to return now, or do you have other plans?” Lambert’s words carried unspoken implications.

Theresa’s eyes brightened. “What do you mean by that?”

Lambert grinned with growing amusement and a hint of intrigue in his tone. “Haven’t you thought about hunting more of these phantom demons? Once you leave here, it won’t be easy to encounter them again. Besides, aren’t you curious where these phantom demons and night demons come from?”

“You know where they come from?” Both Theresa and Pedia asked simultaneously, though Theresa’s eagerness contrasted with Pedia’s cautious curiosity.

“Of course I do,” Lambert said, pointing at Theresa’s little boat. “This little vessel is well made. At its speed, it takes about ten days of phantom realm time to get there—whether you go or not is entirely up to you.”

Theresa’s eyes widened, cheeks puffing as she suddenly asked, “You just said phantom realm time… what exactly is that?”

Lambert raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised by her perceptiveness, then smiled even more broadly. “Phantom realm time refers to time within the phantom realm. Since it’s a different space, time flows differently. When you enter here, your body must undergo some adaptation, a result of spatial laws. Time in the phantom realm usually passes much faster than in the normal ‘living realm.’ In this case, about three to one.”

Three to one! Theresa and Pedia quickly calculated how much time had passed in the other world. They concluded Theresa had been missing for eight days and Pedia for about five.

As they considered this, Lambert added, “From what I know, news of your disappearance hasn’t spread yet. Whether Amos Aubrion knows is unclear; at least his wife and children are unaware. Three days before I arrived, Barman Questa went to the imperial capital to meet the old steward of the Questa family and asked him to send someone to look for you, Pedia Aubrion.”

Within these few words lay astonishing implications. The siblings, both extremely sharp, parsed many clues from Lambert’s message.

First, his knowledge of their backgrounds and intentions was unsettlingly precise; second, his information network was unimaginably extensive; and third, Barman’s identity alone was enough to surprise them.

The name Questa was famously prestigious within the empire. When people spoke of the Questa family in the capital, they meant only one: Lord Hammer Questa, one of the empire’s three great lords.

Lord Questa was the head of the imperial council, subtly ranking first among the three great lords. He oversaw the empire’s affairs diligently for decades. Unlike the military lord Serstan and the economic lord Gadis, who wielded obvious power, Lord Questa commanded the highest respect and was the most revered among the populace.

However, for nearly twenty years, the people had worried because this beloved lord had no direct heir—no sons, only two daughters.

Now, Lambert’s words clearly hinted at a special relationship between Barman and Lord Hans Questa. Everyone with even a modicum of sense in the empire knew that Lord Hans Questa had only four nephews, each notorious for their dissolute lifestyles: two were typical playboys, one a peculiar mage, and the last an art-obsessed eccentric. None of them was named “Barman Questa.” (To be continued)