In the shallow gray mist that permeated the spirit world.
A beam of pure red light descended before Silas, transforming into a dignified old man.
The elder wore a diamond crown and was clad in a crimson robe. Unlike Silas's blood-soaked robes, his garment carried no intense sense of bloodshed; instead, it appeared pure and clean.
As he approached, the strange creatures within the surrounding mist reacted.
Many beings silently retreated into the distance, while those that remained merely cast indifferent glances their way.
"We meet again."
The elder spoke with gravity and seriousness.
One of the Seven Lights of the spirit world: "Red," Aiur Moria!
"Hello."
Silas bowed in greeting, his heart filled with caution.
The last time he had encountered him was when he'd used a ritual to summon the entity onto a paper figure in order to understand how to use the mutated "Agony."
Now that Silas had entered the spirit world, "Red" had manifested directly in human form.
He felt a squirming sensation at his chest. It was Luna burrowing deeper into his clothing, apparently somewhat frightened.
"Hello."
"Red" Aiur Moria returned the bow with equal courtesy, just as polite as their previous encounter.
After straightening, he studied Silas carefully.
"Compared to when we last met, your soul has become extremely heavy."
"Red" stated.
Having shouldered the suffering of tens of thousands, it was only natural that his soul had grown heavier.
"That was my choice."
Silas answered calmly.
Upon hearing this, "Red" offered no opinion, but waited peacefully for Silas to continue speaking.
Silas thought for a moment, then asked:
"Due to certain accidents, I've arrived here. May I ask how to return to reality?"
According to the records in Sights in the Spirit World, the spirit world and reality completely overlapped, and everyone could receive revelations from the spirit world at any time.
Here, there were no distinctions of up, down, left, or right. Information from the past, future, and present could all converge in this place, and normal logic and concepts could not be verified here.
Staying here too long was extremely dangerous. Due to the chaos of time and space, one could easily become completely lost and never return.
"You can use Beyonder abilities like 'Travel' or 'Spirit World Traversal,' or rely on certain extraordinary items."
Aiur Moria replied. "If you have none of these, there are still some special methods to return."
Coincidentally, Mr. A, whom Silas had grazed, had recorded "Travel."
This ability was essentially realized through the overlap between the spirit world and reality, as well as the spirit world's distortion of distance.
"Thank you for your answer."
Silas nodded.
He immediately activated Mr. A's soul within his body, making that wretched soul scream in agony as he triggered the "Travel" ability recorded by the Scribe.
Before leaving, he couldn't help but ask "Red":
"Do you know the source of what makes me special?"
As an extremely special existence in the spirit world and a symbol of pure knowledge, "Red" should know something.
Moreover, given Aiur Moria's status in the spirit world, the fact that he had specifically rushed over to greet him indicated that he placed great importance on Silas!
The dignified elder fell silent for a moment, as if the question was difficult to answer.
Finally, he slowly spoke:
"In you, I sense a lofty and great aura. The source of that aura is more abstract and conceptual than the spirit world itself."
Huh? What does that mean?
Silas tried to understand the other's words, desperately searching through his mystical knowledge.
The spirit world itself was already mysterious enough. As for what exactly "Red" was referring to, he lacked the relevant understanding.
After saying this, "Red" Aiur Moria bowed to him once more, then transformed into pure red radiance and flew away, leaving Silas no opportunity to ask further questions.
Forget it. I'll research this after I get back.
Silas thought to himself.
Around him, the rich and vivid colors began to fade, gradually receding.
The blurred outlines became distinct, and at the same time, they seemed to grow farther and farther from Silas.
Warm sea breeze brushed against his face, and the intense midday sunlight illuminated everything.
Silas looked around and found himself on an island.
This small island was quiet and peaceful.
The sunlight warmed the beach, the trees were lush and green, and everything seemed full of life.
If it weren't for this sea area being far too dangerous, it could almost be called an ideal vacation spot.
It seemed he was still within the waters of the divine war ruins, only the "Queen Mystic" and the "King of the Black Throne" were nowhere in sight.
Damn it, where the hell is this?
Silas felt a headache coming on.
He knew nothing about this place, yet he'd been separated from the Queen who could guide him.
He also had no way to contact the Queen.
He didn't know how her battle with the King of the Black Throne had gone.
Such thoughts continuously surged through his mind.
After a moment, Silas gradually accepted a reality: for now, he had no way to borrow the Queen's power.
What should he do? Use "Travel" to return to Tuscat Island and wait for the Queen to contact him again?
He instinctively looked down at the black cat in his arms and the black key that belonged to Roselle.
The key was still on him, so the Queen would definitely come looking for him. However, it could also be the "King of the Black Throne" who showed up.
Just as he hesitated over his next move, there was movement from deep within the island.
"Rustle, rustle!"
A nimble human figure was rapidly sprinting toward him.
The figure grew larger and larger, allowing Silas to make out his appearance.
This was a young man with short golden hair and emerald green eyes, wearing a white shirt, black trousers, and a black vest.
His clothes were stained with dust and his hair was somewhat disheveled, making him look quite bedraggled.
Silas watched him quietly, drew his revolver, and just as the man was about to reach him, fired a shot with a "bang" into the beach in front of him.
"Friend, stop right there!"
The smile on the man's face immediately froze. With agile movements, he leaped to the side.
"I mean no harm! I'm just seeking help!"
While dodging the bullet, he raised both hands high to show his friendly intentions.
"Who are you?"
Silas didn't fire again, but kept his gun trained on him.
"Me? I'm the unfortunate Anderson."
The blond young man sighed.
"Why are you here?"
Silas continued his interrogation.
"I'm a treasure hunter."
The young man who called himself "Anderson" looked over his crimson robe, then let his gaze linger on the black cat in his arms for a moment before continuing.
"I came here looking for treasure. But not only did I fail to find any treasure, I gained misfortune instead."
"Misfortune?"
"Yes. After viewing a mural, I became extremely unlucky and started encountering all kinds of accidents.
So... how did you get here? Where are your ship and companions?"
After briefly answering, Anderson tried hard to peer at the sea surface behind Silas, apparently searching for traces of a ship.
Unfortunately, he was destined to be disappointed.