The light was dim, the air slightly cool—twilight was fast approaching.
The outskirts of the small town were desolate, empty and untraveled. Only Andrew Han, clad in a green robe, stood with hands behind his back on the barren earth, watching Hidd as life slowly returned to his body.
“Such astonishing willpower.”
Internally, he was deeply shaken and silently awed, though Andrew’s expression never changed.
“Ah... ah...”
From deep within his throat, Hidd squeezed out a reply.
Four or five one-eyed birds circled overhead, their chattering calls sounding shrill in the moment. Andrew slowly lifted his gaze, dispersing the birds, his face calm and unruffled.
No matter what.
No matter what happens.
After all, this was only a Xumi Assessment illusion, manufactured for the trial.
It was like being inside an interstellar 4D network game—no matter how lifelike such a game became, it was still a virtual simulation, not reality. Even those who loved immersing themselves in such games understood that virtual worlds were only ever virtual, never to be taken as real.
To be swept up emotionally by an unreal illusion, to truly lose oneself in it?
Impossible.
At least, Andrew Han could not do it.
Hands clasped behind his back, he thought to himself: “Though I view this virtual world objectively, your willpower truly amazes me. Even if all this is illusion... As you wish, today I’ll act myself.”
Across all of War-Armor Continent—
At the peak of Starlight Tier, Andrew Han was invincible.
Kneeling on the ground, Hidd certainly did not know Andrew Han’s true identity.
“Lord Andrew Han.”
The bleeding had stopped. Summoning his slowly recovering strength, Hidd forced himself to look up at Andrew Han.
“No rush, take your time.” Andrew’s expression was calm as he stepped forward, left hand forming a loose grip, manifesting a giant cyan palm to support Hidd. “First, point out the direction—where is the little girl, Raindrop?”
Over there!
Gritting his teeth, Hidd pointed behind him. “That’s a noble of extremely high status—I don’t know where she’s gone.”
Andrew glanced toward the desolate horizon, then rose straight into the sky. Cyan starlight surged as he ascended. “It doesn’t matter what noble she is—that means nothing here... In this world, no one may touch those I protect.”
Boom!
In an instant, all fell silent. The roaring crash spread in every direction, as if a meteor had torn through the twilight sky, reaching the farthest horizon.
Cyan light pierced through the dusk, stark and brilliant.
The unrestrained thunder, the shock, the sheer force—left every town resident dumbfounded. One by one, they stepped out from their low houses, gazing at the cyan trail hanging in the sky, dazzling like a bolt of silk weaving an unbelievable scene.
Hidd stood at the edge of town.
The town’s atmosphere was simple and honest; the residents hadn’t seen Hidd, otherwise they could not have remained unmoved.
Countless stunned gazes converged on the cyan light. The dazzling beam kept accelerating, ripping through the air, twisting every ray of light—like a boundary splitting the world in two. All along its path, people looked up in awe as the shockwave spread far and wide.
“We’ve arrived.”
In a flash, Andrew traversed thirty thousand meters, descending at the town’s fence gate—leaving Hidd, whose wounds had nearly healed, utterly stunned.
Hidd had set out from the town, walking quickly for over three hours.
But his concern for his daughter outweighed his shock and amazement. Hidd hurriedly pointed to the obvious tracks left by the passing herd of Fireblaze Beasts below: “It was this group—the red carriages inlaid with golden flowers, and the woman had a golden blossom on her nose as well.”
Seeing hope, Hidd grew tense and excited.
But Hidd was gravely wounded and nearly dead—his return journey had been painfully slow, taking over four hours. By now, dusk was falling, and the beautiful woman was already far away.
“No matter.”
Andrew waved it off.
Right then, he drifted in his cyan robe, surrounded by scattered starlight, appearing almost like a mighty deity descending into the mortal world.