King Zhuangxiang of Qin

Above the Vortex of the Root.

The boy's corpse, left behind after the monster's death, floated silently above the Vortex of the Root.

The Vortex of the Root seemed to exert a certain attraction on the corpse, yet resistance still stood between it and the Root.

Still, it was much better than the rather obvious rejection from the beginning.

"I can tell that the anti-pollution brought back this time is somewhat insufficient." A fierce tiger paced around the boy's corpse with probing steps.

"It should be because the time was too short." A handsome youth stood nearby, examining the boy's corpse as his slender, pale fingers lightly pinched his own chin. "After all, it has only been ten years. Be patient, Gaia."

"I am not the one in a hurry. The world is." The fierce tiger called Gaia spoke as she lay down opposite the handsome youth, Alaya. "We must complete the restoration as quickly as possible."

"I understand, but the previous two times..." Alaya's attractive brows furrowed slightly.

The two Counter Forces both sank into thought and confusion.

When they recovered the Thread of the Root from Japan during the late Bakumatsu period and prepared to deploy it in Atlantis during the Age of Gods, an anomaly had occurred. Yet afterward, the two Counter Forces had no particularly clear recollection of it, as though everything had merely been an illusion.

Then, the second time, when they recovered the Thread of the Root from Atlantis during the Age of Gods and prepared to deploy it in London during the Industrial Revolution, the anomaly occurred again.

Though they could not recall the details no matter how hard they tried, both Counter Forces understood that something beyond their control and expectations had indeed happened—something outside their understanding.

They could not say whether