Chapter 316: Predicament

Regis had not even been able to take more than ten steps when he felt a call in the deepest parts of his soul.

(Regis!)

Wisteria’s voice was like a tremor that originated from the soul mark she had left.

He also felt a strange connection that seemed to tell him the coordinates of a certain place.

And so, without the slightest unce of hesitation, Regis’s blood red eyes shone with a strange glint as a chant escaped his lips.

[Lux Aeterna]

All of the world’s natural mechanisms ground to a halt.

Birds froze in the sky in the middle of flight.

The draconic creatures within the mountain range stopped mid-bite as they feasted upon their prey.

The swaying trees fell still, as did every other piece of flora.

Droplets of dew hung motionless in the air as they fell from the leaves.

The insects crawling on the ground froze in place.

Even the clouds drifting across the azure sky ceased their movement.

The world lost its color as it seemed to hold its breath.

Of course, this was not time-stopping.

It was merely a byproduct of Lux Aeterna— something that was only within Regis’s perspective as he became light itself.

If one looked closely, everything was technically still moving.

Rather, it was just moving at an infinitesimally slow pace.

Then, in this colorless world, Regis began to run with all his might.

"I hope my aura’s enough..."

A grin crept onto his face, his eyes shining with intense emotions.

Regis himself did not know why, "Why am I getting excited?"

And so, through his one-of-a-kind light elemental aura art, he was able to reach the Temple of Life in an instant— something that had taken Pandora and the others more than twenty hours to do so.

***

Remembering what happened earlier, a peculiar expression appeared on Regis’s face.

"Ah, I ran out of aura..."

He did not know whether to laugh or cry as he felt the emptiness within the red stars in his heart.

Shaking his head, Regis casually sized up the abomination before him with a curious gaze.

"Ew..."

He stuck out his tongue and pinched his nose in disgust.

"I don’t like the way he looks— Wait, is it a he or a she? Whatever, it’s ugly."

His childish complaint was completely at odds with the dire situation before them.

Wisteria, who was still floating in midair, fell completely speechless.

Even Elysia, who had been in the midst of a mental breakdown moments ago, could not help but stare at the newcomer before her.

The young man, who was a foot shorter than her, made her feel intrigued.

For a brief moment, her grief, despair, confusion, and all her overwhelming emotions were forcibly shoved aside by a single thought.

’Is that really the first thing you have to say?’

Meanwhile, the grotesque abomination that had reduced the two of them to despair was being scrutinized as though it were nothing more than an unpleasant insect.

"Y-You mere human! You d-dare!"

The two severed heads spoke in unison, their voices overlapping into a shrill screech that grated against the ears.

"Oh, shut up!"

Regis shouted with an irritated expression as he picked at his ear, "And why the hell are you stuttering? Are you some kind of teenage girl in love?"

"???"

For a moment, the two heads fell speechless.

Even Wisteria could not help but think, "I didn’t expect him to be this crazy..."

Skreee—!!!

The two heads let out a piercing screech as its body bent down and picked them up.

It placed the two heads back onto their necks as writhing tendrils of flesh erupted from the severed wounds and latched onto one another.

Squelch— Squelch—

The flesh rapidly fused, and within seconds, the necks were completely restored.

It left not even the faintest scar behind, as though they had never been beheaded in the first place.

Regis looked at it with disgust, ’Ugh, of course it isn’t going to be that easy...’

"I’ll rip you to shreds!"

Anger and hatred were evident on the abomination’s face as it swiped with one of its hands.

In an instant, the bones in its fingers lengthened and burst through the skin at their tips, transforming its hands into grotesque bony claws.

Simultaneously, its arm stretched outward to a terrifying length, accompanied by the sickening sounds of flesh tearing and bones shifting beneath the skin.

This time, the resemblance the abomination bore to Elwood and Sylvanna diminished drastically.

It was becoming less and less recognizable as an elf, and more akin to a creature born from nightmares.

The sudden turn of events made Regis hurriedly dodge while pulling Elysia away.

His gaze turned sharp as he looked at the abomination, "Wisteria, can you make sure Her Highness is safe?"

"I-I’m sorry, I spent all my power calling you here... Just maintaining my form is already hard for me..."

Wisteria looked visibly flustered as she responded apologetically.

In truth, she had already expended a tremendous amount of power on various tasks to ensure that Regis could reach them without any incidents.

The Temple of Life was located within one of the few Sacred Lands of the Forest of Eternity.

To allow Regis access, she had manipulated the powerful barrier that governed entry and exit to the area.

Furthermore, she had maintained her connection with Regis the entire time, allowing him to follow the soul mark and accurately pinpoint her and Elysia’s location.

She accomplished all of this on her own, without her contractor’s cooperation.

As a result, the world itself began restricting her actions, all while she endured the burden of her contract with Elysia and the temporary soul mark she had placed on Regis.

After all, one must remember that spirits require the absolute cooperation of their contractors to exert their power in the mortal world freely.

And since Elysia was more or less incapacitated, Wisteria had forcibly bypassed those restrictions and shouldered the cost alone.

As impressive as the feat was, it had exacted a heavy toll on her.