The silver light finally vanished, and Lucas, clutching his hand, collapsed to the ground. The circular object reverted to its ancient appearance, appearing inconspicuous and almost insignificant. It seemed as if the grand spectacle before was not caused by this seemingly unremarkable item. Lucas's palm still felt scalded, and upon closer inspection, he noticed a crescent-shaped scar on the palm of his right hand. Surrounding the crescent were seven star-shaped marks.
"Ah~~Damn!"
The girl inside the tent seemed to have realized it, hastily dressing. Unfortunately, Lucas, who was yelling with his eyes closed, missed the chance to enjoy the view. When the girl finished dressing and prepared to run over, the bellowing Lucas suddenly opened his eyes, "Doesn't hurt anymore?"
He scrambled up from the ground, carefully examining his palm. Not only did the pain subside, but his palm also felt warm and comfortable. The burnt black scar had completely transformed into silver, and it seemed like silver light was flowing within it.
The girl practically flew over, but her target was evidently aimed at the circular object on the ground. Lucas moved quickly, grabbing it and stuffing it back into his pocket. Then, he looked at her with a rascally expression. Now he understood that whatever brought him to this inexplicable environment was likely related to this thing. The path back home would probably involve this. It was his ticket! He couldn't let this strange beauty snatch it away.
While the two were staring each other down, a distant and mighty shout suddenly echoed from behind. Both of them paled. The bizarre silver light from before had distracted them from thinking about the situation. It was only now that they realized: those dozen knights from earlier were undoubtedly the vanguard tracking the large army. With such commotion here, the tracking army had arrived!
Lucas leaped to his feet, looking around. Mount up and continue fleeing? The enemies could pursue relentlessly, and he couldn't keep escaping without rest. The only option was to dive into the complex terrain, which might offer some chance of survival. Looking to the left, a dark mountain silhouette silently loomed in the distance. Into the mountains it is! Survival is the priority!
He gestured frantically to the girl, pointing in the direction of the mountains. The girl seemed to understand his intent, nodding anxiously. The two of them swiftly mounted their horses, leaving the tent in disarray. Lucas managed to grab his sleeping bag and his large backpack in a hurry. Giving the horse a lash, they rushed eastward, trying to escape the impending pursuit.
A branch of a large tree suddenly stirred, and a black figure slowly rose from the branches, moving up and down. Then, with agility, the figure flipped down.
"Moonlight Ring? Didn't expect such a thing to exist in this world? Coupled with the Stardust Amulet on that precious princess. Two out of the legendary seven extraordinary spiritual treasures have appeared at once. Master will be delighted when he finds out... Well, for the sake of these two treasures, let's clean up the mess for them. The two fools think they can escape the pursuit of the renowned hunting army of General Cyrus in Great Persia? Can't decide if they're naive or brainless."
The black figure wore a large cloak, covering the face completely. Calmly and unhurriedly, the figure sniffed around the ground like a dog, searching for scents. After a while, it stopped at the spot where Lucas had treated the girl's injury. Almost lying on the ground, it sniffed forcefully, expressing satisfaction, "It's the blood of that precious princess... Well then, let me make a move." The black figure quickly picked up some rocks and charred twigs, arranging them on the ground in a pattern that resembled but wasn't quite an octagram. A gap was opened in the direction of the west. Grabbing a handful of blood-stained soil, the figure sprinkled it onto the pattern. The person looked at the constellations in the sky, listened to the increasingly closer sound of the large cavalry approaching, muttered something, and finally whispered, "With blood as a guide, with luck as an offering, as the stars in the sky revolve, destiny unfolds. Defy fate and change destiny!"
The pattern suddenly radiated with brilliance, as if borrowing the starlight from the sky. A vague figure abruptly rose from the design. Faintly, it appeared to be the silhouette of the beautiful girl whom Lucas had saved. In the midst of an enchanting spectacle, the girl's shadow moved westward, and in the night, it seemed as though one could still see her flowing hair!
A group of silver-armored knights thundered out of the woods, arriving at the spot where Lucas and the girl had just been. However, the black figure vanished like a fleeting shadow.