Meanwhile, inside the Golden Guardians Clan, the familiar young-looking librarian engrossed in a book was shocked when two massive cocoons suddenly dropped amid the towering, hovering bookshelves.
But the moment the young figure tried to get closer to the cocoons, he was thrown back by the icy energy surrounding them.
The youth, who looked no more than ten years old, groaned as he rubbed his wrist.
"What’s going on?"
He stared at the cocoons for a long time, unable to comprehend how someone had managed to send the ice cocoons into his space pocket. The library was a domain he had created using the power of his natural law, and no matter how powerful the other party might be, throwing anything into his territory abruptly without his permission should not have been possible in any way.
The ethereal energy in the surroundings gathered around the librarian’s body as he probed the ice cocoons, only for him to be stunned to discover that even with his vast power, he could not sense what they held.
Even his natural laws weren’t working!
His face looked bewildered as he circled the cocoons, wondering if they had been sent by an enemy of the clan to harm it.
Within moments, he felt the temperature in the space pocket drop. It began as a slight chill around the two cocoons, but the cold quickly spread, engulfing the entire library.
The young boy trembled. He didn’t know whether to be shocked and investigate why the cold emanating from the two cocoons affected him despite being a Celestial, or to contact Ares and report the abnormality.
Ultimately, his curiosity won.
He decided to study the cocoons first. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get close to them without being thrown back. In the end, he settled nearby to understand the law used to create the cocoons, and within moments, he entered a state of epiphany.
The power surrounding the cocoons was overwhelming—so vast that it could grant insight to anyone, even though it normally took even the powerful Celestials years to comprehend or find a single natural law.
The librarian was absorbed in this state when the crisp sound of something solid dropping onto the ice echoed through the space, shattering his concentration. The moment he opened his eyes, rage surged through him—he wanted to immediately strike down whoever had disturbed him.
Just moments ago, he had been seeing countless powerful natural laws in a vast space filled with crystalline ice capable of freezing anything. One more step, and he could have grasped at least one of those formidable laws... yet now it was all gone!
"Who dares—"
His next words died in his throat when he saw a soul sitting atop one of the cocoons, near an old bracelet he had seen with Clan Leader Ares. The moment their gazes met, a very terrible hunch gripped his heart.
"Guardian Zami...?"
The soul didn’t speak. Zami was confused. But upon seeing a familiar face she could trust, Zami—who had been guarding the old bracelet at the cost of her own existence—finally lost consciousness. The edges of her soul had long since turned pitch black.
She knew that too much dark energy had seeped into her soul despite her struggles.
Now, it was impossible for her not to turn into a dark Celestial, but she didn’t regret it.
At least everyone had survived.
It’s just... a faint trace of regret lingered in her heart that she hadn’t been able to see who the tall figure was—the one who had suddenly appeared opposite her and sent her to a safe place, along with the bracelet.
***
In the Layer of Ancients, after finding and sending Zami and the bracelet away, Kyle gazed at the fracturing, gloomy dark sky.
After a while, he stepped forward toward the battle raging at the heart of the chaos.
Kyle had taken only a single step, yet he was already so close that both Nathaniel and Azazeal—who had long since felt his presence—could feel him watching them, his gaze carrying a peculiar amusement.
Azazeal remained unfazed. He was very confident that he could cut down anyone who dared to interfere. But unlike Azazeal, Nathaniel began to feel a growing unease.
He had no idea who this powerful figure was—someone whose presence rivaled both his and Azazeal’s. Nor did he know whose side this individual was on. If they suddenly joined the battle to aid Azazeal, the consequences would be disastrous.
Therefore, Nathaniel secretly began to retreat to discover the identity of the mysterious figure watching their fight.
That person’s gaze was so piercing that Nathaniel felt as if they wanted to slowly tear him limb from limb. Every fiber of his being screamed caution. At that moment, he noticed Azazeal’s crazed obsidian eyes and heard him laugh, and his unease grew.
The air between the two seemed to thrum with a silent, dangerous anticipation, but it was shattered by a cold, emotionless, yet familiar voice that echoed through the air.
"How long are you two going to play?"
"It’s getting kind of boring."
Nathaniel’s heart trembled at the sound of the familiar voice. His mind screamed that it was impossible. It couldn’t be the person he thought it was! That person was dead!
Yet, as he extended his power to survey his surroundings and beheld that familiar, now even more ethereal figure, he was shocked.
The shock made Nathaniel freeze for a moment, and Azazeal kicked him flying.
Nathaniel vanished before his body could collide with anything. As he reappeared, his wide eyes landed on the man seated on an ice throne hovering in the distance. Glowing silver hair rested lazily on his forehead, and one of his legs was crossed over the other casually as he watched him and Azazeal.
"How...?"
Hearing Nathaniel, Kyle lifted his eyes.
A cold sneer echoed through the air.
"What, surprised?"
"You thought I killed myself?"
He glanced toward Azazeal.
"Even he couldn’t make me want to die."
"You must be dreaming if you think I killed myself just to escape dying in your hands."
His green eyes flickered with disdain.
"Anyway, when are you two finally going to unleash your full strength? Honestly, this little skirmish isn’t even worth watching."