"Roxie."
I called out softly, my head still heavy and dazed. My whole body felt hot, sweat constantly seeping from every pore.
"It's me."
With a slap, Sylvia Blue tossed a towel onto my cheek, letting out a low grunt. I snapped awake, blinked, and hurriedly apologized. Yet that feeling just now was so familiar—gentle and full of love. I could sense it clearly.
"What's wrong?"
Only then did I hear Roxie's voice. I raised my head in surprise. We were in a small room, and I was leaning on a battered bed with some makeshift padding. Roxie's complexion looked much better.
"Are you feeling better, Roxie?"
"Ethan, that's what I should be asking you."
Roxie walked over, and we smiled at each other. She sat beside me, dipped the towel into the bucket, wrung it out, and began gently wiping me down again. I was still weak. Sylvia Blue stood by the door, her eyes filled with worry as she gazed into the distance.
It was a bright, sunny day. Sunlight streamed through the window beside me, filling the room with light, even though there was only a single window and one door.
"Such rare good weather, Sylvia, why are you..."
"No, Ethan. Let me help you over to take a look."
Roxie said, supporting me as I struggled to stand and walk over. Suddenly, my eyes widened—I stared into the distance at the pitch-black sky, a world completely unlike the sunlit brightness here. It was eerily surreal.
Sylvia Blue extended a hand, pointing toward the dark, oppressive sky in the distance.
"Look closely."
I squinted, and gradually saw—it was raining. That stretch of sky was filled with a fine drizzle, but what shocked me even more was that the raindrops were black.
"We can rest for at most half a day. Those clouds are drifting closer—we need to get to Entity 004 soon."
I murmured in agreement and shook my head.
"Let's go now."
"Rest a bit longer, Ethan. Your body hasn't recovered yet. The snake went out to find food—it should be back soon. For now, just keep resting."
Seeing Roxie's worried expression, I nodded and stepped outside, leaning against the doorframe. I stared quietly at the distant, falling black raindrops. They seemed far away, but perhaps, without us noticing, this rain would soon be pouring down on us.
"We should just leave now."
Sylvia Blue suddenly called out, and Roxie stepped outside.
"Let's wait a bit longer, Ethan..."
"Once Ethan Zhang recovers, we can fly straight over. But you can't—no matter how much you want to help him, right now the most important thing is you, isn't it?"
Roxie didn't say anything more, just nodded. I glanced at them both—after what happened yesterday, their relationship seemed to have improved a little.
We started walking, Roxie and Sylvia Blue supporting me on either side. The biggest problem now was my total lack of strength—even moving my feet was difficult. The negative effects of the Vermilion Bird's Power had lasted far longer than I'd expected. Before, I might have been able to get out of bed in half a day, but now, after a whole day, I still couldn't move.
"By the way, about what you mentioned earlier—what happened after you met that handsome guy when you were a kid?"
Sylvia Blue, on my left, suddenly turned to Roxie with a playful look. I glanced at Roxie in confusion, and her cheeks immediately flushed red.
"Nothing happened. I'm not talking about it."
Roxie's voice was very soft. Sylvia Blue giggled and looked ahead.
"Do you want to hear it, Ethan Zhang?"
I smiled and nodded. Then I grinned at Roxie, who shot me a look and pinched my arm. I quickly turned to Sylvia Blue and said,
"Enough joking, Sylvia. Let me try walking on my own."
After a while, Sylvia Blue and Roxie just held onto my arms as I stared at the ground.
"Let go."
Suddenly, they let go. I stumbled forward a few steps and crashed to the ground. Roxie immediately rushed over and helped me up.
"Don't push yourself and make things worse. From what I can tell, your body needs three more days to recover. Take it easy."
The Wraithlord's voice echoed in my mind. I forced a bitter smile and let the two of them support me as we continued walking. Roxie looked much better—just two days ago she was still stumbling and weak, but today she seemed fine, and her fever had subsided.
"The wind's picking up. Hurry up."
I glanced at Sylvia Blue, then at Roxie. Their hair was lifted by the wind. Looking back, I couldn't see it, but those clouds must have been moving toward us.
After experiencing the movement of the Curse Lake, the curse-powered tornado, and today's rain, this world was undergoing some kind of transformation—completely unlike before. Along the way, we saw more and more bizarre things, things that weren't there before.
"We're about to enter the snowfield."
Sylvia Blue said, and I saw that not far ahead lay a vast, white world. She was scanning the area, searching for our direction. To return to the Devouring Woods, we had to keep walking along the eastern edge of the Four Sacred Realm, directly facing the Azure Dragon Realm—the path couldn't stray.
Throughout the journey, Sylvia Blue and Spirit Snake were the ones navigating. After a while, Sylvia Blue found our direction and continued supporting me as we walked. As soon as we stepped into the snow, a wave of bitter cold hit me, and Roxie shivered beside me.
"Are you okay?"
Roxie looked at Sylvia Blue, who was still wearing a thin black vest and pants. Roxie was wrapped in a fluffy cloth, and I was wearing a loose coat. Sylvia Blue shook her head, seeming quite happy.
"I'm fine. I'm used to it."
Roxie took off her cloth and draped it over Sylvia Blue.
"It's not about being used to it. Just wear it properly."
Sylvia Blue tried to give the cloth back to Roxie, but Roxie refused. Sylvia gripped the edges of the cloth, her deep blue eyes sparkling.
"It's so warm."
I took off my oversized coat and handed it to Roxie.
"Sorry, I hadn't noticed before."
"Ethan, you..."
"Just take it. I'm fine."
We trudged through the snow, my legs still weak, and our pace slowed. The dark, oppressive sky behind us was now far away.
"Let's rest over there. We'll stop here for today."
Roxie spoke, and we all saw it—a domed house with a single large door and no windows. It was the perfect shelter in this snowy landscape.
We opened the door and went inside. Luck was on our side—the house had electric lights and even furniture. It looked odd, especially the chair by the door, with its thin legs that seemed ready to break. But when I sat down, it was surprisingly sturdy.
"It's so comfortable. Roxie, come over here too."
At the top of the house was a round, bouncy bed. What puzzled me was that the space underneath was hollow—no mattress or springs, just a frame, yet it was somehow elastic.
Roxie looked happy, but when she came over, she quietly sat at the edge of the bed, gazing tenderly at Sylvia Blue bouncing around on it.
"Did you always come here alone before?"
Sylvia Blue stopped, the joy fading from her face. She shook her head.
"Then who did you come with?"
Roxie asked again.
"With my dad."
Roxie smiled gently. Sylvia Blue naturally lay down on Roxie's lap.
"Just like me! I used to come with my dad too. He only left after I got a little older."
Watching the two of them chat, I felt a sense of warmth. I tilted my head, thinking back—when Roxie was in middle school, Old Moe left her and disappeared. For many years after, she relied on the occasional care of Underworld Denizens, but she was still alone.
"I'm different. My dad has been with me since I was born, but he's so awkward—he never understood a woman's heart."
Sylvia Blue laughed out loud. I closed my eyes, feeling a bit sleepy. Roxie came over to support me, and when I reached the couch, I lay down, turned on my side, and closed my eyes, regaining a little strength.
Behind me, I heard joyful laughter. Sylvia Blue and Roxie seemed to get along well, chatting quietly and erupting into giggles now and then. Gradually, I drifted off to sleep.
When I opened my eyes, I was back in that boundless, dark dreamscape. The Wraithlord was already waiting for me. I got up.
"Let's continue, Wraithlord."
The Wraithlord nodded, then waved his hand. A bright white light appeared, and a screen materialized, showing an image—of me.
I stared in shock at the scene before me—it was a memory of my fight with John Chou in the apartment building. He kept provoking me, trying to make me understand something, so I fought him in anger. Though I managed to injure John, who only had White Shirt-level strength at the time, I still lost.
"What is this?"
I looked at The Wraithlord in confusion, unsure what he was trying to do.