In the dark swamp, a portal flashed in the space, and two giants fell in the dark waters. Their breathing was rigid as they panted heavily with widened eyes, and disbelief was written all over their face. They were none other than Gunnar and Charlotte!
"W-what just happened?" She asked with an appalled look. Gunnar tried to regain his calm, but the fear in his eyes was far greater than anything he had ever witnessed as he replied with a somewhat shaky tone, "I… I don't know, but at that moment, I sensed death approaching, and then… then I used only life talisman I had to grab you, and here we are." Charlotte was stunned as she had never seen Gunnar so shaky before, but she knew Gunnar was stating the fact because she felt it herself. If not for this life talisman, she would've been turned to ashes and felt her heart palpitated just thinking about that blinding light. "Do you have more of these life talismans? Why didn't you give me one?" She asked quickly. Gunnar gave her a stern look, "Do you think it's candy? I even bought it from someone after spending all of my savings. Besides, do you think just anyone can kill you? I would've given it to you if you had bothered to come to me before you entered this place!" Charlotte blushed in embarrassment and quickly changed the topic, "B-but what was that? Do you think the tree does something?" "I don't know…" Before Gunnar could reply, an announcement was made. "Congratulations, Faceless Ancient, for clearing a Trial Condition!" Both father and daughter looked at each other, gobsmacked by sheer surprise before that dreadful light surfaced in their minds. All of a sudden, their doubts were cleared as day…
--- Jacob flew past the radioactive smoke at this moment, and in front of him, a familiar cold whiteness appeared, making him frown. 'I'm back in the ice lands…' Jacob looked around the ice lands and then turned back to see a smock-filled atmosphere. The boundary was even preventing the smoke from affecting the other areas of the trial plains, which was quite a spectacle and good news because this would make things easier. As for the people who would enter that place, they will be in a world of pain and might never make it out alive. However, this didn't concern Jacob because he was now lost, and he needed to find the next beast, which would be in another unique environment. 'I got lucky when that portal appeared in the pyramid. Now, I need to find my way.' Jacob mused gravely as he looked toward the ice lands and decided to head towards the west and hope he would end up where he wanted to. The ice lands were cold, and there weren't any more beasts attacking, nor he saw any people there until the sixth day. He spotted a party of dark beings and got rid of them on the spot before he decided to rest and eat a certain arrogant elf. Thereafter, he continued his journey towards the west. On his tenth day, he finally saw another boundary, which made him seethe in anger because he was again looking at the golden desert, which was now calm and without any flames. At this moment, he spotted another living being coming towards the ice lands, and this time, it was a graceful elf in white robes. 'This is not going to work. I'm wasting too much time.' Jacob thought grimly as he looked in the other direction before looking back to the elf, who seemed to have also spotted him in the sky. He wasn't using stealth because he wanted to save mana. Furthermore, except for the beasts of directions, he had no match in this place. The elf looked at Jacob with scrutiny and surprise while she was also astounded seeing the ice land on the other side of the desert. "Who are you? State your name! I'm the personal guard of the Bank Manager, Jazlynn!" She loudly proclaimed with a hint of arrogance. She wanted information, and this mysterious person was capable of flight, so she decided to reveal her background. Furthermore, she also wanted to reach somewhere as quickly as possible but was helpless, and this place was too strange. Jacob was also the first person she had spotted after entering. As for getting attacked by the other party, she was extremely confident in herself and had her means to escape if things went awry. Jacob was about to turn her into his food supply when he heard her introduction, and his lips suddenly rose in a cruel smile as he descended toward Jazlynn! From the high altitude, Jacob appeared relatively small, but when he descended, Jazlynn could finally see his towering body with a hint of surprise. Jacob spoke while landing a few meters away from the elf, "So, you know Lucy?" Jazlynn's eyes narrowed with displeasure because Jacob's tone was relatively coarse, and no one dared to call the Bank Manager by her name. She pursed her lips, "I'll let your rudeness slide this time, and yes, I know Bank Manager. If you help me, you'll be handsomely rewarded." Jacob merely scoffed, "You have no clue how much I 'respect' Lucy. Now, if you want to live, you'll tell me about her and all of her hideouts. I want to know everything!" Jazlynn sensed an ominous feeling suddenly as a crystal green sword appeared in hand, and frosty mana started to emit from it, "And why would I do that?" She didn't know why, but she was feeling a deep sense of dread all of a sudden, and she knew this giant had ill intentions toward her because he held a grudge against her mistress. Still, she was elite among elites within the agency, so she wasn't afraid to fight. Jacob remained unfazed by the alert Jazlynn, and his killing intent suddenly manifested, causing her expression to turn appalled. He said coldly, "Because I'm Faceless Ancient and I'm an old 'friend' of Lucy. If you don't tell me, I'll eat you bit by bit while letting you watch, and trust me, death will look like a blessing to you once we start!"