From the moment I was chosen by the holy relic

Eileen slowly withdrew her hand, the flame at her fingertips extinguished, her expression remained calm, as if the battle just now was nothing more than a trivial matter.

Leah stared at her blankly for a long time before finally murmuring, "You had already set up the spell array?"

Eileen nodded gently, turned and walked towards the two of them, her voice calm and composed: "I began preparing from the moment it first imitated Eric's speech. The absence of chanting doesn't mean I didn't prepare any spells."

She paused, her gaze softening as she looked at Leah: "I need it to think I'm helpless, and I also need you to believe that I'm truly angry."

Eric smiled, and despite his injuries not having healed, he gently patted her shoulder: "You'll always be the calmest one among us."

Lia lowered her head, feeling a mix of shame, relief, and admiration.

The silver-white runes beneath their feet slowly faded away, like the last ray of light falling from a stage, completely extinguishing the lingering warmth of the hunt.

The wind stopped.

The remaining snow fell on the mountain ridge, so quiet that it made no sound, as if this snowfield, which had just experienced magic and battle, had never been disturbed.

The aura of the Phantom Demon had not completely dissipated; a trace of evil energy lingered in the wind and snow, like a ghost unwilling to accept its fate, reluctant to vanish.

"Give it some time," Eileen said softly, glancing at the fading array patterns out of the corner of her eye. "These things never willingly accept being erased. We need to prevent it from even having the thought of escaping."

No one asked any further questions; they simply nodded silently.

The three of them walked to a sheltered rocky hollow, where they relaxed and sat around the fire.

Lia pulled out the Eternal Flame, its warmth instantly dispelling the chill and illuminating the three faces that had been pale from the wind and snow.

After a moment of silence, Leah suddenly laughed and looked mischievously at Eric: "Hey, do you remember what you said?"

Eric looked up, his face a mixture of weariness and confusion: "What?"

"Eileen is currently missing. If she were still alive, she would definitely come looking for us, instead of venturing into the Thousand Faces Illusion alone."

Leah deliberately imitated his usual frowning tone, lowering her voice and mimicking it perfectly.

Eric's cheeks flushed instantly. He coughed lightly and awkwardly looked away, saying, "Everyone makes mistakes in judgment."

Eileen gazed at the flickering firelight, a faint smile passing through her eyes.

Eric looked at her, his eyes slightly brightening. He had thought he would never see her again in his life.

"I thought you had already..."

"Dead, isn't he?" Eileen interrupted him gently.

Eric paused, then shook his head with a wry smile, his heart filled with mixed emotions: "Alright, then explain what exactly happened during this time."

Eileen raised her hand and tucked a strand of golden hair behind her ear. The firelight cast a soft shadow on her cheeks, making her violet eyes appear exceptionally deep.

"That night, I drank an invisibility potion, intending to slip away quietly and avoid Kadir and his men. But they were more alert than I thought."

She paused, gazing into the darkness beyond the firelight.

"They sent three mages, all seasoned trackers, carrying a string of amber beads, each sealed with an ancient sensory magic. My invisibility spell could barely conceal its fluctuations in front of those beads."

Leah gasped, "Then you mean...?"

"They didn't see me," Eileen said calmly, with a hint of coldness in her voice. "But they know something is invisible."

Eric couldn't help but ask, "How did you escape?"

Eileen did not answer directly, but instead flicked her finger, and a glimmer of light fell on the stone slab, transforming into a nimble silver-tailed fox phantom.

"I had one invisibility potion left," she explained softly. "I mixed the potion into some meat and tossed it to a passing fox. A few moments later, it vanished and ran into the depths of the forest."

"You gave the potion to the fox?" Leah's eyes widened.

Eileen nodded slightly, a slight smile playing on her lips: "Those three arrogant pursuers immediately followed the fluctuations. Three black-clad mages chasing an unseen fox in the forest—it's quite a sight to behold."

Eric couldn't help but laugh out loud, and Leah covered her mouth, her shoulders trembling slightly.

"And then you ran in the opposite direction," Eric whispered. "That's exactly what you would do."

Eileen paused for a moment, as if recalling the cold of that night: "I know Kadir won't spare my life. He knows I've seen through him, and he knows I won't submit."

"I was following him the whole time." Her voice softened. "When you fought him, I was actually not far away."

"You've been nearby the whole time?" Eric looked up abruptly, a mixture of surprise and gratitude welling up inside him.

Eileen smiled slightly: "Yes. You looked terrible then, you could barely hold your sword, and blood dripped onto the snow, leaving a long trail. I was planning to intervene when you couldn't hold on any longer, but..."

Her gaze was distant, the firelight flickering gently on her face: "I saw the banner of Iser flying over the ridge. I wanted to show myself, but I held back."

Why?

"Kadir is too dangerous; I want to find out more about him."

After you leave, I'll catch up with him immediately. He took a very secluded route and eventually disappeared into a long-abandoned mine in the North. That place had been marked as a restricted area fifteen years ago, and it was almost invisible on the map.

Eileen took out an old leather map and spread it out by the fire.

"Here," she pointed to a crack-like mark beside the snow-capped mountain, "there's a cave hidden beneath the snow cliff, normally impossible to spot. But Kadir and the others clearly know the way."

"Did you go in?" Eric stared at the mark.

Eileen's eyes darkened slightly: "I wouldn't dare."

She tightened her cloak slightly, as if still gripped by the chill of that time: "A monster guarded the cave entrance, something I'd never seen before. It resembled a wolf, but had no facial features, only a gaping maw. As soon as I approached, it let out a piercing howl that sent shivers down my spine. I immediately retreated; any later and it would have discovered me."

Leah's face paled slightly: "Then what exactly is it?"

"I'm not sure." Eileen shook her head. "It could be a monster created by forbidden magic, or it could be a guardian of some kind of seal. But it's not guarding treasure; it's guarding the secrets of the cave."

She pointed to a black mark on the map: "I've marked this spot. I might go back someday, but for now, I have to leave—I need to find out where the pendant came from."

Eric whispered, "Ever since we brought it out of the sealed ruins, Kadir has been trying to take it."

Eileen gently pulled out the pendant from her chest, her fingertips trembling almost imperceptibly, as if the pendant carried some kind of heavy life force.

"What exactly is this pendant?" Leah asked softly.

Eric and Eileen exchanged a glance and slowly recounted the whole story.

"The pendant holds a secret we don't know," Lia whispered. "Kadir clearly knows it."

Eileen nodded, the firelight reflecting off her eyelashes, fine and delicate like frost.

"To understand it, we'll probably have to decipher that ancient book." She said solemnly, "Do you remember? The parchment book in the ruins."

"I remember," Eric said softly. "It was all in ancient script and runes. I couldn't understand it. You took it."

"I've been trying to decipher it these past few days," Eileen said, her voice low as she looked at the flames. "I can only understand a small part of it."

She paused, her expression complex. "It repeatedly mentions 'the key to breaking the seal' and 'the shattered soul of the Lord.' I'm not sure, but I suspect this pendant is more than just a key. It's a living seal, locking away a will powerful enough to plunge the era back into darkness."

Eric sighed softly, "So what Kadir wants isn't power, but the release of forbidden power?"

Eileen nodded slowly.

"I dared not act rashly, so I went to the royal capital, Elgarden, hoping to find more records in the magic archives. But on the third day after I arrived in the capital, I heard news of you."

"My message?" Eric was taken aback.

"You signed up for the Thousand Faces Illusion." A complex light flashed in Eileen's eyes. "The whole capital is talking about it. Those councilors are even betting on whether you, a swordsman who can't use magic, can pass the first level."

Eric coughed lightly and turned his head away somewhat uncomfortably.

"I didn't know what the prize for the illusion was back then," Eileen continued, her tone much softer, "but I knew it must be related to magical power amplification."

"So you signed up too," Eric continued, "and then, unfortunately, you ran into twin Yetis who were immune to magic."

Eileen nodded slightly and said casually, "When I encountered it, I was almost helpless."

She looked at him, her gaze softening slightly in the firelight: "It's a good thing I met you. Otherwise, we wouldn't be sitting here by the fire, chatting and laughing."

Eric looked at her and said softly, "When I saw you back then, I really thought I was dreaming."

A soft sound spread through the air.

The Phantom Demon's last breath completely dissipated.

They finally passed through this layer of illusion.