Everyone here was a battle-hardened soldier that marched through thick and thin, traversed treacherous battlefields, slew countless foes, and overcame impossible odds. They were handpicked from millions to form these elite trump card armies, the best of the very best. Perception Realms aside, they were the strongest forces of humanity! Moreover, their loyalty was practically etched into their bones and nothing could shake their allegiance! They were the very definition of a 'soldier'. And yet, when they saw the devastation before them, everyone felt weak in their knees with some outright collapsing in fear. Many even soiled themselves as they lost control of their bodies. They would happily die if it meant rendering a great service; however, this was a battle that exceeded the realm of humanity. Against this supreme and invincible power, their meager power was not worth a glance. They would die without knowing it!
Most of the buildings in Liguang were reduced to rubble, flattened by the extraordinary wind pressure alone and ripped to pieces. Only those particularly strong foundations and stone buildings managed to preserve some semblance of their former shape, but only a handful managed that. The rest of the wooden buildings were essentially destroyed beyond recognition. Anyone would think of the word 'tornado' when they see this, except for the glaring landmark that appeared. A giant gorge appeared in the middle of the town, directly cutting it into two. It was not too wide, about the width of a carriage, something that an athletic person could jump over. However, it was deep enough that no one could see its depths, and long enough that it stretched from one end of Liguang to another. Nothing could withstand a direct blow from Elder Argo's attack that cleaved the sky and earth! If the people outside were already terrified, then what about the people inside the town?
When Elizabeth saw it coming, her first thought was to curse. The 'attack', though it looked more like the sky was falling, covered everything and everyone. It was completely inescapable and unavoidable! The only option was to forcibly defend and withstand the attack head-on, but that was easier said than done. Although various shields and barriers surrounded her, she and her friends could only smile wryly. Was this something they could defend against? It came so quickly that it was near-instantaneous. Elizabeth had no time to think about anything else when her entire vision was flooded in white light. Her last thought was that she was going to die. Her consciousness faded to black an instant later. She died!
Elizabeth opened her hazy eyes to an unfamiliar sight. She looked around, but she could not recognize anything. Where was she? Her memories were vague, and her head was hurting. She could not move either. What a strange experience this was. As the girl began recalling what happened in Liguang, she had to wonder if this was the afterlife? Or was it the so-called 'life flashing before your eyes' phenomenon that she heard about before? Elizabeth smiled wryly. Perhaps viewing her last memories of her life would not be a bad thing. At least, it would be a final present before she entered the afterlife, a good story to take on her long journey ahead. While she had these morbid ideas, two people entered her field of vision.
The first was a tall young man with short straight black hair. Without his short mustache, his facial features were rather plain and ordinary, though he possessed a certain regal charm. It was something that attracted everyone to him like a magnetic charisma that inspired fanaticism. He was someone that became the center of any room he entered. His clothes were the strangest part. Much like his unassuming appearance, he wore a simple form-fitting set of clothes; however, no stain, hole, nor wrinkle muddled his clothes, which indicated he was not a commoner. Furthermore, the intricate designs were woven with expensive silk. Even for the Alzar Kingdom, silk was a rare commodity that few had the capital to afford. Only the higher echelon of nobility or royalty could get their hands on it. These contradictions painted a very strange image of this person. It would normally be hard for anyone to guess their identity, but Elizabeth could. Although he looked younger than his portrait, there was no way she could mistake it… This was King Harth Etuvel Reindel, the former king of the Alzar Kingdom, and her birth father!
Elizabeth had no idea what to say or what to feel. Her feelings towards her father were ambiguous, to say the least. The reason why Auntie Christina originally searched for New Havens was because King Harth passed away during the Battle of the Millennium. As the chosen heir to the throne and the last inheritor of the Holy Reingolian Medallion, it was her father's wish that she ascended to the throne after him. Naturally, she never met him and everything she learned about her father were second-hand recollections from people. Although some might call it cold, it was more like hearing a story than learning about her father to her. She had very little emotional attachment. If someone asked her who her parents were, she would unhesitatingly say her adoptive parents from New Havens. They were the ones who raised her, nurtured her, and accompanied her throughout most of her life. They were her true parents. Compared to a father like King Harth…
Is this really the afterlife if I'm seeing my deceased father? Elizabeth wondered.
She shook her thoughts aside and focused on the second person. It was a tall woman with another eccentric appearance. Her rich and voluminous blonde hair flowed in the wind, but not a single strand dangled out of place. It was almost like the wind was bending to her will, afraid of tainting this otherworldly beauty. Despite wearing typical clothing without any of the embellishments or frills that a normal woman would want, she was easily the most perfect person that Elizabeth had ever seen. It was hard to put it into words how exaggerated it was. For example, other women might be beautiful, sexy, seductive, cute, innocent, mature, professional, and so forth. Every person carried a defining trait that others could label them with. That was a symbol of their identity.
However, this woman was different. She seemed to transcend all those superficial labels and entered a class of her own. Every aspect of her appearance was perfect, unbelievably perfect, without any flaws or mars. It was hard to believe that someone like this existed which only served to unnerve Elizabeth. Human beings had flaws, regardless of whoever they were. The Alzar Kingdom, the Xingyuu Empire, the Zino Kingdom, everyone… and even Elizabeth herself was no exception. Flaws were a matter of fact from nature. The idea that 'perfect' could exist was nothing more than an idealistic fantasy and it was precisely because of these blemishes that made life so interesting. Without it, life would be predictable and boring. Since that was the 'rule', then upon seeing someone who embodied the idea of 'perfection' so greatly, rather than an actual human being, Elizabeth felt she was looking at someone pretending to be human instead. It was deeply unsettling.
Most importantly, there was a strange air around this woman. Her presence possessed a certain attraction that was different from her father's regal charm. King Harth radiated the charisma and standing of a monarch. Anyone would instinctively look in his direction, that much was true. However, King Harth would only affect his subjects, in other words people. On the other hand, this woman… radiated a divine aura that seemed to affect the entire world! The birds would quiet down, the wind would soften, the clouds would part, and the suns would shine brighter… It was like the world was gracing her heavenly presence like the advent of a goddess! And Elizabeth could see World Energy fainting coalescing around this woman too. Who was this person exactly and why was she with King Harth?
As if sensing her inquiring gaze, the woman glanced at Elizabeth with a gentle smile. This almost gave Elizabeth a heart attack. Was she really that obvious? Yet, the woman ignored her and took out a particular item. Elizabeth could not be more familiar with it… because it was her Whiteangel Bow, gifted to her by her mother! The moment she saw it, she came to an unbelievable conclusion. Was this woman… her mother, Sonae Nor? Although she learned bits and pieces about her mother from people, it was all superficial information with little substance. In Elizabeth's mind, the person known as 'Sonae Nor' was only a name and nothing more so seeing someone that might be her mother sent waves of shock rippling throughout her heart.