With a burst of slight exhilaration, the girl took a long stride, stepping clean over the small water basin, then looked back. Though her face remained expressionless, her tone carried a definite air of self-assurance. "See? I won't fall, even without you."

Lin Luo was utterly speechless, staring at her. Seriously? It's just a thirty-centimeter-long ditch. If you could fall into that, I might as well smash my head on a block of tofu.

Although Lin Luo had managed to catch Lei earlier, saving her from the doom of plunging into the lake, she hadn't changed her mind one bit beyond a simple "thank you." She remained stubbornly determined to go to the Eludium Garden alone, and Lin Luo couldn't stop her.

But could he really let Lei go off by herself?

A joke. If I let this scatterbrained thing wander around the mountain for a while, it’ll be far more dangerous than navigating the den of the twenty-seven Ancestors.

Setting aside the venomous insects and wild beasts that could strip her to the bone, or whether she could even find food and water in these woods, just watching her walk required him to be mentally prepared to the highest degree, lest she accidentally tumble into some ravine or trip over a root...

"Don't go any further; you're about to hit a tree..." Five minutes later, Lin Luo reminded her listlessly.

Lei navigated around the trunk.

"There's a marsh ahead; please turn sixty degrees to the left..." Three minutes later, Lin Luo sighed and reminded her again.

Lei made a turn.

"Idiot, that's a hornet's nest, don't step on it!" Two minutes later, Lin Luo shouted in alarm.

Lei stepped clear over the nest.

...The steadfast and brave girl, guided by the oracle, traversed difficulty after difficulty, crossing one trial after another, walking step by determined step toward the paradise of her dreams. Max level was just beyond the next pass, victory was imminent, hope was beneath her feet. Go for it, girl—Hello everyone, I am Tushu Niang, a reporter from the Contracted Maiden News Flash. It's my debut; please be kind to me...

"Damn you, you stinging hornets! How dare you cause trouble on my person? You're asking for death!" One minute later, Lin Luo’s voice erupted in furious exasperation.

Lei reflexively turned back. She saw Lin Luo currently besieged by a dense swarm of buzzing hornets. Watching Lin Luo frantically flailing, she helpfully offered, "You should be more careful where you walk. You must have stepped on the nest."

Lin Luo nearly vomited five liters of blood. You naturally airheaded menace, whose fault is it that I stepped on the hornet’s nest? If I weren't looking out for you and guiding your path, I wouldn't be this miserable, missing the other nest right in front of me!

"Activate Unrivaled Hegemon Body!" Utterly frustrated, Lin Luo could only find another outlet for his anger. He threw his arms wide open, and a surge of kingly aura—ah, no, a burst of blue-white electricity—erupted, instantly electrocuting the buzzing swarm surrounding him into bee jelly.

"Wow," Lei whispered in astonishment, her face rarely showing such an exaggerated expression as she watched the scene.

Having vanquished the massive hornet army, Lin Luo advanced, undiminished in spirit, quickly walking up to the girl. He stared down at her from above, his eyes wide. The girl blinked, meeting his gaze with her usual blank expression.

Three seconds later, she yawned and rubbed her eyes... apparently feeling drowsy.

Lin Luo was utterly defeated. His domineering aura vanished instantly, and he wore a long face, like a pauper visiting his prospective mother-in-law. "Look, where exactly are you trying to walk to in that state?"

"Edilu Garden," Lei’s reply remained simple, direct, and cut straight to the core.

Lin Luo felt too drained to complain further. This girl’s ability to assassinate conversation was truly unique—sharp and domineering. Even someone not suffering from brain damage like himself couldn't help but lose some IQ points around her.

"Stop following me. Go do whatever you need to do," Lei suggested.

If I went off to do my own thing, would you even still be standing here talking right now? Lin Luo realized that normal communication with her seemed temporarily impossible. Since sweet words weren't working, perhaps a bit of stern persuasion was due.

He crouched down slightly, pointed at his back, and commanded, "Get on."

"Huh?" Lei tilted her head, her face full of question marks.

"Do you want me to carry you on my back or hold you? Choose one."

"I don't need to, I can..."

"Choose one."

Lei finally understood. Seeing his unyielding stance, she knew she wouldn't get away easily if she refused. "Back."

"Good," Lin Luo nodded. He then felt a soft body lean against him, warm and soft across his back... He forcibly pushed away the stirring feeling, gripped the hollows behind her knees, and stood up.

Lei rested her head against Lin Luo’s shoulder. A breeze swept by, lifting a few strands of water-blue hair that drifted across Lin Luo’s face. A faint, elegant fragrance drifted from her hair on the wind, soothing him like a spring breeze... Surprisingly, despite being in zero-distance contact with the girl, no carnal desire rose within him; only a quiet sense of warmth and comfort remained.

Lin Luo smiled. He hadn't expected carrying Lei could be so spiritually uplifting. What was he supposed to make of that?

"Strange person..." The girl murmured softly, her eyes half-closed.

Lin Luo started and turned back. "Hmm? Lei, did you say something?"

"No."

"Oh..." Saying that, Lin Luo didn't press the matter and continued walking forward. After a while, he heard a soft, even breathing sound from his back. He instinctively looked back, only to find the girl asleep, her eyes closed.

Lin Luo was instantly speechless. Haven't you slept enough after being asleep for five hundred years?

Of course, he knew Lei’s method of sleep was different from humans. As a Saint War Angel, sleeping was how she replenished energy. Even without food or drink, as long as she slept enough, she could survive.

As for whether she felt hunger without eating, that was beyond Lin Luo's knowledge.

...Using an Undetermined Spatial Jump, Lin Luo had no idea where he ended up, but he was certain he hadn't left German territory by more than a hundred kilometers.

He walked while thinking. He didn't know how long it had been. Although Lei’s body wasn't heavy—about seventy jin at most, easily carried with his current stamina—he was still human. Eating and drinking were necessities. As dawn began to break, he was getting so hungry he could barely move.

"Looks like I need to find some food."

Lei was still sleeping, showing no signs of waking. Lin Luo didn't want to disturb her. He found a relatively clean stone, spent a few minutes warming the cold rock until it was pleasantly warm, and then gently laid Lei down on it. Thinking she might catch a chill, he took off his own jacket and draped it over her.

After all, winter was approaching, and late November mornings in Germany could be quite cold.

Having taken care of all that, Lin Luo went off alone to search for food. To avoid any accidents, he didn't dare wander too far, only sticking within a hundred meters of their location.

About half an hour later, Lin Luo returned, carrying two roasted Snow Swan Chickens and several stalks of fruit. He noticed the stone where Lei lay had grown somewhat cool again, so he reactivated his ability to warm it up before placing her back down.

Then, he moved aside... to roast the snow chickens.

The fragrance emanating from the cooked snow chickens seemed to attract Lei. She gradually opened her eyes and woke up, sitting up and rubbing them, looking dazed... This girl always had a brief period of disorientation upon waking.

"You're awake? Want something to eat?" Lin Luo smiled, waving the two fragrant snow chickens in front of Lei.

"What?"

"Food. Aren't you hungry? I smelled it just now; it should taste good."

Lei shook her head.

"Hmm... How about some fruit then?" Lin Luo didn't press her, instead picking up the stalks of fruit lying on the ground. "I don't know what kind of fruit this is, but I tasted it; it's not poisonous, and it’s quite tasty."

Lei glanced briefly at the fruit and the snow chickens but didn't reach for them. Instead, she turned her gaze to Lin Luo, her tone carrying a hint of confusion. "Why?"

"Hmm?" Lin Luo didn't understand.

"Why help me?"

"Well, there are many reasons, and some things aren't easy to explain to you..." Lin Luo seemed somewhat troubled by this. Although the Favorability System wasn't determined by him alone—it required mutual trust, not the false sentiment of a game—no matter what, most girls wouldn't be happy hearing such things, especially a sensitive and delicate girl like Lei.

"But there is one thing I must tell you..." Setting the food down, Lin Luo placed both hands on her shoulders and spoke solemnly, "Lei, the reason I help you isn't because you are the Seven-Jeweled Treasure Tree, nor because you are from Mezalarans. It's simply because you are Lefli. Do you understand?"

"Because I am Lefli..." Lei pondered for a moment, then finally shook her head. "I don't understand."

"It's fine if you don't understand. You'll know eventually." Hearing her response, Lin Luo wasn't bothered. He placed the few stalks of fruit into her hands. "Eat a little, even if you're not hungry. It's good for passing the time."

Afterward, Lin Luo sat beside her and started munching on a snow chicken. Lei hesitated for a long moment before finally placing a jade-green fruit into her mouth. The moment it touched her tongue, she grimaced. "So sour."

She wrinkled her cute nose, her entire face twisting up.

"Well, it is a bit sour, but it helps clear the head," Lin Luo said with a slight smile.

"Ugh..." Although her brow was furrowed, Lei bravely forced herself to eat a few more pieces, though her expression was no different than if she were sampling poison.

Seeing this, Lin Luo found it quite amusing and heartwarming.

"Right, Lei, why are you so determined to go to the Edilu Garden?" Lin Luo asked suddenly while eating.

"I won't tell you."

Hey, you answered too fast. You should at least think about it and give me some face.

Hearing this reply, Lin Luo felt a bit depressed and was about to say something when a chilling voice drifted from behind them.

"Tsk tsk, running into a human in this location—how lucky for me."

Lin Luo's expression immediately changed. He spun around sharply, and upon seeing the person there, a chill ran through his entire body, like being stared down by a venomous snake, making every hair stand on end.