Miss Witch, it's time to clean up the entries

Chapter 321 Fear of Death, Reverence for Life

The following day, Li En led the adventurers and knights on their journey home.

After clearing everyone's entries, they were indeed no longer pursued by the flesh-and-blood tree and the monsters that lived in it.

With the help of the wizard Kerser, many monsters were directly cursed to death, allowing the team to obtain the Blessing Crystals relatively easily.

The journey was thrilling but safe; they retreated from the second layer of the terrifying forest through the rift back to the first layer of the icy world.

The Lee En expedition team returned to the crevice entrance where they started in just two days, but unfortunately it was already covered by glaciers and there was no way to see any exit.

The glacier is covered in silver, a pristine white expanse.

The snowflakes crunched underfoot, each step heavy and firm.

In the distance, snow-capped peaks rise and fall, resembling the spine of a giant beast, majestic and magnificent.

Looking into the distance, it seemed as if only white remained between heaven and earth.

Once you leave the rift, you can see the Northern Wall.

"Let's camp here and wait for them."

Li En gave the order, and the expedition members began to divide the work. The knights stood on the perimeter with shields to defend against any possible monster attacks, while the adventurers began to set up tents and unload the supplies, which had already been reduced by two-thirds.

The reduction is mainly in food, because food cannot be replenished in the Terror Forest, while what remains are mainly medicines, equipment, and monster raw materials.

The silver-haired girl, Sophie, stood beside Li En, holding a fluffy, glowing beast in her arms.

The glowing beast seems to have been eating too much lately, and it's gotten a bit fatter than before.

"Sophie, we need to go back."

Li En said to Sophie, "This might postpone when I see my grandfather, but I have to do it."

"kindness."

Sophie nodded understandingly; no matter what decision Li En made, she would stand by his side.

Isaac's men started a campfire. Here, without a fire source, most humans would go into shock from the rapid loss of body temperature.

As the campfire slowly rose, everyone felt the long-lost warmth and exhaled thick white mist.

"Sir, we've run out of food, we need to go hunting."

Lolita spoke to Field, and Field nodded, then found Rean.

"Little brother, we're out of food."

"Okay, you guys wait for me here."

Li En decided to go hunting with Sophie. After walking through the first level of the rift, Li En remembered where they could hunt usable snow beasts.

“Lord Li En, we can handle the hunting; you don’t need to go yourself.”

"That's what Lord Thorn Hayes, the Grand Master of the Silverfrost Knights, said."

The red-haired female knight, Linsaya, also stepped forward. "My lord, please let us go. My flaming sword is effective against these monsters."

"No need, you should conserve your energy."

Li En rejected the two knights' offer.

This impressed Isaac, Brown, Stowe, and their subordinates, who remarked that Li En was a nobleman they had never seen before, whose behavior was completely different from others.

After Li En and Sophie left, they sat by the campfire chatting about the noble character of Lord Li En.

"Lord Li En is always the first to rush in when encountering monsters in order to protect everyone."

"Lord Li En has hunted more monsters than everyone else combined."

"Lord Li En is never afraid of danger; he is a true warrior."

“Hehe, this is my brother, Lee En Field Moriah.”

“Field, don’t make jokes like that again. It’s disrespectful to those favored by God. Be careful you don’t suffer God’s punishment.”

"Yes, from now on, no one is allowed to discuss it in private, not even in praise."

Isaac addressed the others in the group.

"Yes, Lord Isaac."

Perhaps because of what happened with Aisley, Isaac has become more mature than before.

His relationship with Aisley also improved; although they weren't inseparable, they at least became friends.

Li En could always see Parker's shadow in Isaac, Field, and others, but they were different from Parker. Not everyone was as pure as Parker. Perhaps this was because Parker had followed Grand Duke Moria since childhood, and he was better protected, maintaining a rare and precious childlike heart.

The wizard Kerser also wanted to follow Li En, but Li En stopped him.

The main problem is that Kerser always steals kills from him, while Sophie is different. Sophie knows how to cooperate with him and quickly accumulate points.

Kerser was somewhat disappointed. He had already recognized Li En as his master, but his master clearly didn't like him enough and preferred the witch.

Kerser hoped that the witch wouldn't lose control and affect the entire team.

Under the guise of hunting for food, Li En swept around the campsite and amassed another wave of points, bringing his total to 660 million.

When they returned to the camp, Li En had more than a dozen snow beasts on his shoulders.

After tossing the snow beasts into the animal-hide tent, everyone gathered around in delight, praising Li En while quickly preparing the ingredients.

Soon, these snow beasts turned into stew in a large iron pot, the aroma of which wafted around, making the hungry adventurers swallow their saliva.

They discovered that every meal of meat from the cracks was unforgettable.

Even their most anticipated moment each day was gathering around to eat stew after killing the monsters.

The tent sheltered the campfire from the wind and snow, allowing the fire to heat up quickly. The white broth in the iron pot simmered and released a fragrant aroma.

Before long, the adventurers were enjoying a hot stew.

"Can we really get out of here safely?"

"An adventurer asked."

"Of course, with Lord Li En here, we will definitely be able to leave this place."

"That's what another adventurer said with certainty."

"But a month hasn't been up yet, how can Lord Li En open the door to the rift?"

"The wizard Kerser should have a way."

Many people's eyes were drawn to the wizard Kerser, whose face was covered in totems.

"I can only try, but I can't guarantee success. It all depends on God's will," Kerser said in a low voice.

"Yes, we all obey God's will."

Everyone raised their bowls of broth, clinked them together like wine glasses, and continued drinking the broth and eating the meat.

"Nancy, this might be my last meal. Can't you really agree to go on a date with me?"

Noah looked at Nancy with deep affection, and Nancy rolled her eyes at him.
"You've said that so many times, Captain Noah. Don't you get tired of it? I'm tired of hearing it too."

“Nancy, you’re still so heartless. Now the Black Rose Adventurer Group is down to just the three of us, relying on each other for survival. Couldn’t we just form a warm little family? Mom, Dad, and baby.”

Noah reached out and patted Inna's pink hair as he spoke.

"Commander, I'm not a baby anymore."

Inna reminded her.

At her age, she'll soon be an adult; it's rather shameful for her to still pretend to be a baby.

Noah smiled awkwardly. "It was just a metaphor."

Compared to the adventurers, who were in a relatively cheerful mood, Isaac, Brown, and the other members of the Moria family were in a rather somber mood.

They didn't know if they would find a devastated North after leaving the rift, whether the out-of-control witch had already entered the North, or whether they could save the North.

There was both worry and fear.

“Isaac, are we really going back?” Brown asked.

Isaac nodded. "Now that you've made up your mind, don't waver."

"But what if we leave the rift and our entire army is wiped out?"

Stoker asked in a low voice, as if talking to himself.

"Don't worry, fate is in its own hands. Whether you die or live, you will become a hero of the North."

Isaac patted Stowe on the shoulder.

Inside the tent, the campfire flickered, its flames leaping and occasionally flashing with golden light.

The flames crackled softly, like distant drumbeats, gently keeping rhythm with the howling wind outside the tent.

The light from the campfire shone on everyone's faces, projecting their expressions onto the wrinkled walls of the tent.

Stowe, who had just turned 16, looked up, a glint of light in his eyes.

"Brother Isaac, aren't you afraid of dying?"

"No one in this world is not afraid of death."

"Isaac said with a sigh."

Why isn't Li En afraid of death?

Stowe looked at Lee En with envy.

"If I were also one of the chosen ones, I wouldn't be afraid of death and I could face anything with equanimity."

Brown, Isaac, and Field followed Stowe's gaze to Lee.

"Who told you that those favored by the gods are not afraid of death?"

Li En countered with a question, the firelight casting a shadow on his face.

"You're afraid of dying too?"

Stowe asked incredulously.

Although they hadn't spent much time together, Li En was never afraid when facing monsters, and even went to confront those terrifying Shadow Hunters alone. Everyone felt that Li En was fearless.

"Of course I'm afraid of death. Isaac is right. No one is unafraid of death."

Li En said slowly.

"Then...why did you decide to go back? Isn't it more dangerous to go back?"

Sto asked, puzzled.

"It is precisely because of the fear of death that we have reverence for life. We cannot stand by and watch so many people die from conspiracies and man-made disasters."

Li En said.

Stowe still couldn't understand, but Isaac and Field could feel the weight of those words.

They saw in Li En once again the shadow of Alex Moria, their most revered King in the North.

Several more animal hides were added outside the tent, which was already covered with animal skins; these hides would help protect against the cold wind.

Li En's exploration team waited here for a whole day, and no other teams arrived until nightfall.

Why haven't the others arrived yet?

"Brown asked."

"Don't rush, we agreed on three days, tomorrow is the last day."

Isaac comforted him.

After nightfall, everyone except the assigned watchmen went to sleep.

Getting enough sleep is very important.

Lee En once again had Inna gather all the descendants of the Moria family together.

Why isn't Bruno here?

Field was the first to notice that one person was missing from the group gathered at the Alexsburg restaurant.

"He can't come."

Anton said with his head down, "He's dead."

"Bruno is dead?"

Isaac, Brown, Kaylan, and the others all looked at Anton in surprise.

Anton nodded and said sadly, "I saw their entire knightly order wiped out. We escaped; we couldn't save them. In that situation, no one could save them."

Everyone at the table fell silent, as if mourning Bruno.

"May he return to the embrace of the god Tiger."

Hamilton said.

Others followed suit, repeating the same phrase.

"May he return to the embrace of the god Tiger."

After everyone had finished mourning, Anton raised his head, his eyes red, and said,
"If we can't even save Bruno, how can we really save so many people in the North?"

Witnessing his brother's death severely traumatized him.

Self-blame and unease plagued Anton, shattering his pride and confidence.

This statement is like saying, "I can't even save myself, how can I really save others?"
No one answered his question, and no one could guarantee that leaving the rift would save the North and everyone else.

This is just a choice, not an outcome.

Perhaps if they leave the rift and enter the North, they will encounter even greater crises and face more deaths.

Perhaps they will never be able to reunite outside of the dream world; every meeting will be the last.

With this in mind, Li En filled the dining table with a sumptuous feast.

Suddenly, Alexburg became bustling with activity and noise.

However, apart from a few Moria descendants in the restaurant, the other characters are not real.

The hanging crystal chandeliers cast a soft glow, and the light melodies of a ball echoed through the magnificent palace.

Nobles dressed in gorgeous gowns danced gracefully on the dance floor with ladies holding feather fans, wearing lace-trimmed ball gowns and adorned with jewels.

Aunt Kelly, her blonde hair flowing in waves, twirled gracefully, her skirt billowing like a blooming flower, layers of tulle tracing elegant arcs in the air. Her eyes sparkled with joy, and her dance partner, a handsome young knight, had his arm perfectly wrapped around her; the two seemed to defy gravity as they spun.

Grand Duke Moria, holding a wine glass, was surrounded by many retainers and officials, all powerful figures from the North, who raised their glasses and engaged in lively discussions.

Diane was just like a little hamster, constantly stuffing food into her mouth.

Parker was criticizing her for not being ladylike enough, his gaze frequently drifting towards the dance floor.

"It is the King of the North, the great King Alex."

Isaac stood up excitedly, and his brothers also saw this through the restaurant's floor-to-ceiling windows.

They saw not only Grand Duke Moria, but also their father, mother, sister, and younger sister.

Many people had tears in their eyes and were so excited that they wanted to rush out of the restaurant to reunite with them.

"These are all fake."

Li En reminded him,
"If you want it to become real, you must strive to live."

The descendants of Moriah stood there, stunned, not leaving the restaurant. They quietly watched the noisy ball outside. After what seemed like an eternity, they finally returned to their seats.

Realizing that everyone had calmed down, Li En asked,
"Now tell me, who needs my help?"

(End of this chapter)