The Choice! (Second Update)

One hour before the "Beam" erupted, in Renee's bedroom.

Renee woke early. Before dawn, she opened her eyes and sat up briskly.

She had enjoyed a lovely dream and was still a little groggy, but the vigilance she had learned through years of adventure quickly brought her fully awake. The first thing she did was neither eat nor wash. She took the Blood Vial Xia Lun had entrusted to her from beneath her pillow, threaded it onto a thin cord, and gently tied it around her neck.

With the Blood Vial secured, Renee did not call for a maid to dress her. Instead, she found a clean shirt, trousers, and a sturdy, hard-wearing cloak in the chest beside her bed and dressed herself. Then she picked up the slips and sheets of paper she used to communicate in writing.

Only after all that did she pull the bell cord beside her bed. Before long, soft footsteps sounded outside the door.

Click.

But when the door opened, Renee was surprised to find that it was not a maid. It was her father.

His expression was grave, and he wore gleaming armor.

A faint sense of foreboding rose in her heart. She quickly wrote a note: "Dad, is everything going smoothly?"

"Not quite according to plan." The King looked straight at Renee. "Come with me, Renee. With your help, we can resolve this faster." Renee did not argue. She hopped out of bed, stepped into her boots, fastened her collar, then quickly wrote, "Where's Xia Lun?"

"He's dealing with the Forgotten Saint. He wanted to wait until everything was ready before making his move, but the Forgotten Saint noticed our preparations. He's going to strike early." Though the King's expression remained grave, his voice was calm. "Renee, if you go to Xia