128 Let us go, to the Land of Nature.

After recuperating in the Empire for nearly a week, Pedia returned to the military department to report back for duty. Utilizing the internal teleportation array, he hurried back to the Northwest Ice Plains. Three days after Pedia’s departure, Theresa finally reached her day of departure.

The day was clear and bright. The teleportation was to take place in the courtyard of the mansion they were temporarily occupying. This residence served as the private home of the Natural Kingdom’s envoy to the Empire, as well as a contact point for personnel and supplies moving between the two, naturally equipped with the function to open trans-oceanic magical passages.

Theresa stood in a corner of the garden, her mind alternating between restlessness and stillness. She stared blankly ahead. Within her line of sight, Mu was slowly placing magical crystals on the grass one by one. As each round of crystals was set, a small magic circle would rise from the ground. Another round, another circle. This process repeated three times until seven magic circles of varying sizes stood raised. Only then did Mu straighten up, clap his hands, and say, "Lambert, why don't you give it a try?"

Lambert, who had been pestered by Rebecca, looked as if he had been granted a reprieve upon hearing Mu’s call. He agreed happily and strode over to study how to "test the array" with Mu.

Seeing this, Rebecca stomped her foot in frustration, but she dared not approach them. She stood in place, looked left and right, and then walked directly toward Theresa.

"Someone is coming," Theresa felt a weight on her shoulder and heard a voice in her ear. She turned to see Mumu, who had disappeared earlier.

"Someone is coming to cause trouble. Be careful," Mumu warned before lowering his head, pretending to groom his face with his paws, acting like an innocent, ordinary pet beast.

Theresa blinked. Before she could fully collect her thoughts, Rebecca had already rushed up to her. With an arrogant tilt of her chin, Rebecca said, "I’m warning you. The Gate of Angamen has been a gateway for elites since ancient times. With your meager ability, you have no chance of passing the entrance examination. Instead of making a fool of yourself, you’d be better off giving up obediently. Don’t think that just because Master Mu is backing you, you’ll get any special advantages. He can protect you for a moment, but he cannot protect you for a lifetime!"

As she spoke, she began to boast about how well-suited her Aunt Kina and Uncle Andrew were—childhood sweethearts, comrades on the battlefield, evenly matched in strength, decades of unwavering devotion... Theresa listened with genuine interest, nodding and praising occasionally. This made Rebecca, who intended to deflate her, feel more and more uncomfortable, until she finally flicked her sleeve and turned to leave.

Watching Rebecca’s retreating figure, Theresa’s smile faded. She rubbed her chin, lost in thought. She couldn't quite fathom Rebecca’s behavior. It wasn't that she didn't understand the provocation, but rather she couldn't grasp why Rebecca would act with such unbridled recklessness.

Did Rebecca truly believe Theresa was a waste who could never threaten her? Or was it that Rebecca didn't consider the consequences of making enemies at all, acting purely on impulse?

The moment the second possibility arose, Theresa instinctively shook her head. Although she didn't know much about the so-called "Gate of Angamen," the attitudes of Lambert and Mu suggested that its status in the Natural Kingdom was extraordinary. Since Rebecca was someone who had emerged from the Gate to undergo training, she should be considered one of its elites. How could someone with such remarkable ability be so rash, impulsive, and... brainless?

Yes, in Theresa’s eyes, Rebecca’s provocations over the past few days were brainless—exposing her likes and dislikes so obviously, drawing the "opponent’s" attention and vigilance... where was the brilliance in that?

Just as Theresa was pondering Rebecca’s anomaly, a light tap on her shoulder made her jump. She snapped back to reality.

"What are you thinking about?" Lambert’s face was inches from hers, startling Theresa into taking two steps back to steady herself, her wide green eyes filled with shock and wariness.

"What are you thinking about that made you look so silly?" Lambert straightened up and asked with a smile.

"Nothing," Theresa replied habitually. "So, are you done with the test? Can we go now?"

Lambert didn't answer. Instead, he stood before her with his arms crossed, studying her. "I’ve noticed you have a habit of bottling everything up. That’s not a good habit. A child should act like a child—worries belong to adults; don’t carry them all by yourself."

Theresa was stunned for a second, then pouted and said, "Fine, then please deal with your admirer. Besides, I’m only thirteen. Is something wrong with her brain, or is there something wrong with your taste? How could she possibly think I’m her romantic rival?"

Lambert hadn't expected Theresa to be so "obedient" and quick-witted. After a moment of surprise, he burst into laughter. While laughing, he couldn't help but reach out to ruffle her hair. "What goes through that little head of yours all day? Why are you always saying such startling things? You’re cute, really cute."

Theresa tried to dodge his hand, but with only basic martial training, she was no match for the expert Lambert. His warm hand felt glued to her head, ruffling it until her long hair was a mess before he finally pulled back.

Theresa busied herself fixing her hair, glared at Lambert, and then hurried toward Mu, shielding her head. Along the way, she clearly felt Rebecca’s gaze piercing her like an awl until she reached Mu’s side, at which point the gaze vanished. It seemed Rebecca was truly terrified of Mu.

Seeing Theresa arrive, Mu didn't care why she had come; he simply handed her a box of magic crystal powder. "Spread this over the entire area of the magic circle."

After issuing the task, he stepped back calmly. Theresa, caught for manual labor, raised an eyebrow and started working obediently—it wasn't the first time Mu had put her to work; she was used to it.

Theresa, focused on her work, didn't notice Antoniel’s slightly surprised expression or the increasingly deep and restrained murderous aura emanating from Rebecca.

Spreading magic crystal powder was meticulous work, requiring high precision in controlling spiritual power. The density of the powder in every corner of each layer of the circle had to be identical, and once started, it had to be finished in one go without any pauses. Theresa buried herself in the task, working and working...

When she saw the seven-layered magic circle fully formed and solidified into a platform, Theresa couldn't help but feel a sense of pride—she had contributed to this, too!

Mu stepped forward to adjust the teleportation coordinates, walked into the center to test the feel of it, and then beckoned Theresa to join him. Ever since the "Magic Devouring" accident, Mu had become exceptionally cautious about long-distance teleportation.

The old man and the young girl, along with Theresa’s puppets and pet beast, entered the platform. Only then did Lambert and Antoniel begin to jointly activate the magic circle.

As countless streams of spatial energy exploded before her eyes, Theresa squinted. Just as she finally adjusted to the overly brilliant light, she happened to see Rebecca, standing not far away, curve her lips into a meaningful smile. Theresa’s heart skipped a beat, and just as she was about to look closer, her vision plunged into darkness, and a powerful surge of spatial energy instantly swallowed her whole.

The first sense to recover was smell. The air entering her nostrils was unprecedentedly fresh and crisp. As it traveled through her respiratory system, it made her shiver involuntarily, instantly awakening her other bodily functions. Suddenly, she heard birdsong in her ears, felt a gentle warmth on her skin, and saw a dazzling white light before her eyes.

As her vision cleared, the sunlight felt too piercing, and Theresa squinted. Through the haze, she saw a blurry black shadow approach. A faint, barely perceptible woody scent drifted past her nose, followed by a gentle, pleasant voice: "Master Mu, I truly trouble you this time."

"It is nothing," Mu said calmly. One could tell from his voice that he was in quite a good mood. "I have brought the person."

Upon hearing this, Theresa’s heart began to race for no reason, pounding as if it wanted to jump out of her chest. At that moment, time seemed to slow down. Her vision gradually cleared, and the shadow before her came into focus. She saw someone bowing to her and saying, "Miss Theresa, the Master and Madam have already received news of your arrival and are waiting for you at home. Please, get in the carriage."

Theresa walked forward, feeling lightheaded, listening to his instructions mechanically: forward, turn left, lift foot, enter the carriage, sit down... The carriage vibrated so slightly that she could barely feel it moving. Her mind was filled with chaotic thoughts, yet it felt strangely empty. She didn't know how much time had passed when she suddenly snapped back to reality. Her eyes cleared, and her mind sharpened. Looking around, she saw a young man sitting opposite her, with a refined, handsome face that looked approachable.

"Hello," Theresa said, her voice so calm it surprised even herself.

"If you have any requests, Miss, please feel free to command me," the young man bowed slightly and smiled.

"My mother..." Theresa slowly uttered the words, then paused, feeling as if something were stuck in her throat, unable to continue.

The young man understood her concern instantly and replied, "Madam is not in any life-threatening danger. Although she has not yet recovered, she is absolutely safe!"

*Absolutely safe, absolutely safe, absolutely safe...* The words echoed and re-echoed in Theresa’s ears, repeating over and over again...