Chapter 32: The Secrets Buried in the Snow

In the Timeless World, the roar of the Demon King Oberon echoed in a frenzy. The deaths of his two strongest generals, Lucifer and Daemos, and the betrayal of Mahac, drove him into a rage. In a fit of fury, he summoned his second demon general, Belial. A dark portal opened in the void, and from it, Belial emerged. He took the form of a horned human, his deep red eyes glinting behind an elegant black robe. The air around him trembled.

"Belial," Oberon's voice was cold and deadly. "I task you with eliminating Leon and his party. Do not let them escape."

"Your command is my will, my lord," Belial replied, his voice calm yet full of menace. He vanished instantly, setting out on his new mission.

The next morning, in the corrected world, Leonix was about to head to the Guild. Suddenly, Mahac and Albert appeared before him. Mahac now looked different; her silver hair was long and she wore a maid's dress. Both of them looked serious.

"Leon, there's a new, powerful threat," Albert said, getting straight to the point. "The second Demon General, Belial, has been assigned to kill you and your party."

"And he won't be playing games," Mahac added, her eyes fixed on Leonix. "Be careful on your journey to the Southern Forest of Elyzaria. The city is called Draugwyn, a combined city of Elves and Dwarves, meaning 'City of Unity Beneath the Snow.'"

Leonix frowned. Another new threat. But he nodded, ready to face whatever came his way.

The journey to Draugwyn began. Upon reaching the border of the snowy forest, they were greeted by seven Elves, both male and female. Their blonde hair and blue eyes contrasted with the snow around them. They were armed with swords and bows. But among them, one Elf was very different.

She had long, white hair that shimmered like snow, and her eyes were heterochromatic—the left a fiery red, the right a cold blue. She wore a long white coat with silver-blue accents, adorned with a cloak of snow fur, and carried a long crystal bow named Moonfang. Her aura was cold, unlike the others.

"Welcome, adventurers," a female Elf named Florence greeted them warmly. "I am Florence, and this is..."

"Hey, be more polite to the guests who will be escorting us!" Florence reprimanded the white-haired Elf, who remained silent, glaring at Leonix's party.

"What's the point? They look so weak to me, as if they have no intention of protecting Lady Benimaru," the white-haired Elf said with a resentful tone, her gaze fixed on Leonix.

"I am so sorry for her behavior," Florence explained. "Her name is Eirael Lunaris. She is one of the leaders of this escort team, so please try to get along with her."

"I wouldn't even deign to get close to a werewolf. It's disgusting!" Eirael, who was called Luna, spat, her gaze shifting to Danny.

Upon hearing that, Danny was furious. His golden-yellow eyes flared. "What did you say, you arrogant Elf?!" he growled, ready to challenge Luna.

"What, you don't like it, dog?!" Luna retorted, completely undaunted.

The tension rose. Leonix immediately stepped in. "Enough! We're here on a mission, not to fight."

The journey to escort Lady Benimaru began.

During the journey, Leonix asked Florence about Lady Benimaru's power. Florence explained that Benimaru could see the future by touching someone's hand.

"Maybe this is my chance to find out what my future will be like with this party," Seraphine said, her eyes twinkling.

"Wow, that's a great idea, Sera! I'm curious what my future will be like too," Layla added, enthusiastically.

Night fell. They decided to rest in the middle of the snowy forest, setting up tents and starting a warm fire. Florence came to meet Leonix.

"Lady Benimaru wants to meet you, right away," she said.

Leonix followed Florence to Benimaru's tent. Inside, a woman with blonde hair and water-blue eyes, wearing a winter jacket, revealed herself. She was a famous seer from both Elyzaria and Draugwyn. Benimaru held out her hand.

"What for?" Leonix asked.

Benimaru smiled faintly and took Leonix's hand. Instantly, a flash of the future hit Leonix's mind. He saw every member of his party killed by an unknown figure. Behind it all was a figure in black armor with a black robe, with glowing red eyes, looking exactly like himself. It was the mastermind of his party's death in the future!

Leonix stumbled back, his eyes wide with fear. In front of him, Benimaru stood calmly, as if she already knew what he would see. The images of his dead party members and the mysterious figure flashed through his mind.

Leonix came back to his senses, panting. Benimaru, through sign language, explained that the future could still be avoided by canceling this escort mission. But Leonix was stubborn.

"No! The future can be avoided! I've dealt with things like this before," Leonix hissed, though his face was pale.

That night, a gloomy Leonix couldn't sleep. Shion and Seraphine, who had woken up, saw him sitting in front of the bonfire, deep in thought.

"What's wrong, Leon? Why do you look so down?" Seraphine asked, worried.

"Yeah, you're not acting like yourself. Is something wrong?" Shion added.

Leonix remained silent. He didn't know how to tell them the grim fate he had just witnessed. "Lady Benimaru just showed me a bleak future," he muttered, gripping his hands. "I saw all of you die at the hands of a robed figure. His eyes were so red, and he looked exactly like me!"

"What do you mean, Leon?" Shion asked, shocked.

"I'm not sure, but he looked so much like me. He just had a scar on his cheek. I saw it myself."

Shion began to feel that this might be the effect of their time travel. She and Seraphine immediately comforted Leonix. "It's okay, Leon. We'll get through this together," Shion said, hugging him.

Leonix smiled, his confidence slowly returning.

The next morning, the journey continued. Danny now took the lead, despite Luna's fierce protests.

"Tch, I don't even need this dog as a guard!" Luna grumbled.

"Shut up, arrogant Elf! I'll be the one saving your ass later!" Danny shot back.

Suddenly, Danny smelled a trap ahead. "Wait! Something's there!" he warned. "Hey, can I borrow your arrow for a second?" Danny asked one of the Elf guards. He took the arrow, aimed it, and released it. The arrow flew and hit a hidden tripwire, triggering a poisonous arrow trap that shot out from the trees.

And just like that, the arrow hit the trigger, setting off a series of traps hidden in the snow. If they had taken one wrong step, their lives would have been in danger. Suddenly, dozens of armed Elves emerged from behind the trees, surrounding them.

"Who are you? How dare you play games with humans in our territory!" one of the Elf commanders said.

Florence immediately stepped forward to explain the misunderstanding. "Commander, calm yourself! They are with us because we asked for the protection of adventurers."

"We are also escorting Lady Benimaru back to Draugwyn," she added.

Hearing the name Lady Benimaru, the Elf guards immediately bowed their heads. The tension subsided. They finally arrived at the city of Draugwyn. Seraphine and Layla were in awe of the unique city of Elves and Dwarves. But for Natalia, Danny, Shion, and Leonix, the sight was nothing new.

"What's wrong, Leon? You seem so unfazed. Does this remind you of our old world?" Natalia asked. "Don't tell me you're planning to look for the strongest weapon again, just like your father did?"

"No," Leonix replied, his eyes scanning the surroundings. "It's just... I feel so familiar. As if I've been here before." Shion stared at him, shocked to hear that statement.

After that, they began to look for an inn. Seraphine and Layla were excited to find good weapons. But among them all, Eirael Lunaris, the white-haired Elf, kept staring at Leonix, as if he were a great threat to her.

"Tch, how annoying," Luna muttered in a low voice.

Outside the city, in the lonely snowy forest, a figure in black armor and a black robe appeared. The figure, who looked exactly like Leonix, hovered in the air, his eyes glowing red. He was ready to attack.