Night Raid?

Zijin finally let out a long sigh of relief.

Chloe flew over swiftly, unfurling an ancient magic book in mid-air, her long gray hair flowing behind her like tail feathers.

She scanned her surroundings while simultaneously unleashing her most proficient detection magic—detection was her forte, being a scholar specializing in archaeology!

However, the search yielded nothing.

"Where are the enemies?!" Chloe's voice was filled with disbelief and confusion.

"It wasn't an enemy attack, it's over," Zijin said, putting away the Holy Shield.

Chloe landed beside Zijin, about to ask her more questions, when the Divine Favor Scepter suddenly emitted a strange luster. It had no color or brightness, yet it enveloped the surroundings with unparalleled clarity and could be clearly perceived.

The next moment, both of them covered their foreheads at the same time, as a torrent of information surged into their consciousness without warning! The impact was not violent, and could even be described as gentle, but it carried an irresistible force.

"This is...?" Chloe frowned, trying to understand.

The Divine Favor seemed to be conveying some kind of message. But this was Chloe's first encounter with this form of communication, and she was completely unable to decipher its meaning.

Zijin shook her head, equally puzzled. "Sorry, this is the first time I've encountered this situation either."

Stacy rushed over, her expression turning grim as she looked at the strangely shaped Divine Favor Staff. "I've seen this at Atiya's," she said, her voice low and tinged with an ominous premonition, "But this might... not be a good thing!"

"..." Zijin was speechless for a moment.

"Do you know how to analyze it?" Chloe asked.

"Atiya mentioned some," Stacy replied. "I'll give it a try!"

****

After an unknown amount of time, Su Ming suddenly woke up.

Before he could even open his heavy eyelids, the familiar, comforting, faint fragrance filled his nostrils.

"Finally awake!" Zijin's relieved voice rang in his ears, tinged with lingering fear. She gently patted Su Ming's chest, "Could you... not... scare me like that so suddenly?"

Su Ming struggled to open his eyes, adjusting to the dim light, and barely managed to sit up. He immediately checked his internal condition—thankfully, it was just a severe depletion of his mental energy leading to a complete exhaustion of his Magic Power, as if he had been completely drained. It would probably take several days to recover.

"It seems... I accidentally triggered an extremely powerful imprint left here from ten thousand years ago." Su Ming said weakly, rubbing his temples which were still throbbing.

"Thankfully, it wasn't a backlash caused by your own forced breakthrough," Zijin said with lingering relief. "I'm serious. At the Magister level, there are countless examples of people dying because they were too hasty and lost control of their Magic Power!"

"Understood, I will be careful." Su Ming nodded, and supported himself by Zijin's soft yet strong arm as he stood up.

Looking around, everything in the cave was as usual; the terrifying illusion he had just witnessed was nothing but a dream. The only difference was that the area of the wall he had pointed at with his spell had now completely turned into a pile of fine, grayish-white powder.

The mere trace of power left over from ten thousand years ago was enough to make him faint so easily... Just how terrifying was the true form of that horrifying eye that existed only in ancient memories?

Seeing that Su Ming's face was still pale and his steps were unsteady, Zijin didn't say a word and directly reached out and picked him up. "I'll take you back to the ' Pansy ' to recuperate."

"... Okay, thank you for your help." Su Ming didn't try to be brave and replied wearily.

****

When Su Ming returned to his room on the Pansy, the night was already as dark as ink.

The memory resurfaced; the fleeting illusion he had just witnessed left him with an indescribable shock, accompanied by a sense of powerlessness bordering on despair.

Su Ming had always been accustomed to the human perspective, holding a deep reverence for the power of nature. But that brief glimpse just now made him realize that in the vast and boundless universe, perhaps there exists something far beyond imagination... something beyond comprehension?

The world of "Eden," which was accidentally linked to by the Old Humanity, was far beyond imagination. The unknown ancient dragons, as massive as mountains, could easily annihilate the Rift Tribe even when they were on the verge of death.

And this dragon was nothing more than a pebble casually tossed in by that world to explore its path.

The Rift Tribe's audacity in daring to scavenge for food from such a place demonstrates utter ignorance and recklessness. Their extinction, then, seems less surprising.

His thoughts were in turmoil; too many things had happened, but Su Ming had no time to sort them out. The intense discomfort from the depletion of his Magic Power power was like a shadow, gripping his limbs and bones tightly. The room was well-heated, dispelling the chill from outside. He changed into soft pajamas, practically collapsed onto the bed, and instantly fell into a deep sleep.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but on the verge of losing consciousness, he seemed to sense someone quietly pushing open the door and gently sitting on the edge of the bed.

The soft cushion beneath her sank slightly to one side.

He didn't know how long he had been in a daze when Su Ming, realizing something was wrong. He struggled to open his heavy eyelids, and in the dim light, the room seemed to be empty.

However, the feeling of heaviness at his feet was unusually clear. He strained to look up—and sure enough, a figure in a cotton nightgown was lying lazily at the foot of the bed.

Even without the lights on, the figure's silhouette and aura made him instantly recognize who it was.

"Um..." Su Ming cleared his hoarse throat, "Miss Long, it's very impolite for a human to break into a man's room late at night."

"Even though I am still a dragon," Zijin, still lying on her back, her gaze fixed on the empty ceiling, her voice unusually low, "It is equally disrespectful to dragons."

It wasn't a dream after all!

Su Ming jolted awake, his sleepiness almost completely gone. He propped himself up to sit, rubbing his throbbing temples, and asked, "What's wrong?"

His vision gradually adjusted in the dim light. He saw Zijin's slender, fair legs dangling over the edge of the bed, swinging casually, tracing a striking arc. Her thin nightgown, already short, was pulled up even further by her supine position.

Su Ming subconsciously looked away, but then caught sight of the delicate collarbone exposed beneath the crooked neckline on the other side. A few strands of unbound hair fell onto her smooth shoulders, swaying gently with her occasional subtle movements.

The whole scene is filled with a sense of unintentional spontaneity, as if even time itself softens in the Tranquility night.

"Sorry... I can't sleep." Zijin paused, then added, "Besides, you didn't lock the door."