Charles blinked slowly, dazed, as countless peach blossoms drifted from above like ice.
The mountain stretched around them, filled with a vast sea of blooming trees. A breeze passed, carrying the flowers’ scent through the air as they fell softly, gathering over the cool, lush grass where he lay sprawled, just like the others. He chuckled before sighing.
"Well... this is unexpectedly beautiful."
His voice came out faint, almost sleepy.
A shadow suddenly fell over him. Startled, his gaze shifted upward, only to meet a pair of familiar eyes glinting with amusement.
Skyler clicked his tongue.
"How long are you going to daydream, my friend? This place looks beautiful, but trust me, it’s more dangerous than that volcano. Once you fall asleep here, you will be eaten by the ground, becoming nourishment for the beautiful blooming trees around you."
Startled, Charles’s drowsiness vanished in an instant. He jolted upright, scrambling to his feet. The others, having heard Skyler, quickly followed, rising from the ground.
Skyler was right.
This place was dangerous.
It had actually lulled them all into a false sense of calm. Now, as they watched the falling petals, everyone’s eyes were wary.
Laughing at their cautious movements as they dodged the falling petals, Skyler began making his way toward the mountain’s top.
"Come on, let’s go. The gate to the realm where time stands still is at the top. First, we need to find the guardian of its gate."
They climbed the tall mountain, their eyes taking in the serene scenery around them.
At last, they reached the peak, where they were met with a bizarre sight: a fat pig with a human face and torso, seated on a grand throne. Before him, a balance scale floated silently in the air, casting an eerie calm over the summit. The pig, clad in a wide-sleeved red hanfu, frowned as he leaned toward the six youths, stunned that so many had found his abode again after that Max guy—despite the portal being hidden within a volcano.
Thinking of Max, he shuddered. That guy had broken the space itself with his words alone...! Although the pig had repaired the damaged space, he still hadn’t healed the injuries he had suffered because of Max.
Shaking the bad memories from his head, he studied the new group through the gaps in the grand balance scale, patting his belly in annoyance and muttering to himself that perhaps it was time to change the portal’s location to another place, as now even so many weak flies seemed to find his abode.
Skyler settled into the simple chair placed opposite the scale for those who reached the mountain’s summit. On both his sides, tree roots surged from the ground to form more chairs for the five others with him.
The pig was checking Isaac, a trace of greed flashing in his eyes, when Skyler reached out to knock the left side of the balance scale with a dangerous gaze.
Finally, the pig moved his eyes toward Skyler, a bit annoyed to be disturbed.
Still, he uttered his usual lines.
"So... what will you all put on the line?"
"What are you willing to give up?"
"Remember, it has to be something you hold very dear—"
Skyler interrupted him.
"I know. The guardian of the 80th level doesn’t need to explain every little detail."
The pig’s face stiffened.
His mind screaming, Not again!
He finally put aside his greed and took a careful look at Skyler—the second person after Max to know his identity—warily. But unlike Max’s soul, which had surprised him by revealing it wasn’t its owner’s first life yet still held a trace of righteousness, what he saw within Skyler made him recoil in fear.
His soul was majestic, even more than Max’s, yet so, so empty that it was scary. The only thing illuminating the void within was the image of a pair of crimson eyes.
It was as if, if those eyes ever closed, he would stop at nothing to find them again.
The pig gasped, almost toppling from his throne. His eyes widened as he wiped the sweat from his face, muttering to himself that this being before him was crazy! How could he be so consumed by another that he was willing to sacrifice even himself to bring that person back if they were gone?
Not to mention, just now, he had also felt the power of two more consciousnesses hidden within his soul—consciousnesses that did not belong to this timeline at all!
What exactly was he?!
Skyler reached out to point at the left side of the balance scale, not caring about the shock and anxiety in the guardian’s eyes.
"I choose the left side. I already know who you’re—I also know if I can’t offer anything worthy of your interest right now, you won’t open the gate to the Realm of Stillness."
His eyes narrowed.
"So, let’s start this game."
The guardian struggled to regain his calm. Although he had the ability to see souls, it wasn’t always accurate. Also, even though Skyler’s soul was scary, it was too empty to reveal the true danger it held. So, he forced himself to calm down, doing his hardest to flash a smile toward Skyler and the others.
"Good, good."
"So, what will you all put on the line?"
Zack explained what the others still hadn’t fully grasped, and soon they were all lost in thought, trying to decide what dear thing to offer. Unlike Skyler, each of them had been tense after seeing the guardian. There was also a strong urge to flee when they felt his greedy gaze checking them. So, they were relieved when Skyler did all the talking. As they pondered, the pig cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the silent Skyler.
"How about I give you some advice?"
Skyler raised an eyebrow.
"Let’s hear it."
Everyone else leaned in curiously.
The guardian showed his teeth, rubbed his hands together, and fixed his gaze on Isaac.
"He has a talent for creation. How about giving that up? I’m not asking for his life—just his ability. That’s easy enough, isn’t it?"