This...t-this...

Ash's eyes widened as he felt one of his anchors break, the invisible thread that connected him to it snapping like a fragile string. A strange emptiness spread in his chest, followed by a sharp chill that ran down his spine.

For a brief moment, even his breathing halted, as if the world itself froze to mirror his disbelief.

According to the description of his Transcendent Step skill, he could make three anchors that allowed him to mark anything except living beings, and then either instantly teleport to that location or summon the holder of that anchor by channeling its power.

It was a versatile and life-saving ability. Because of that, he had given one anchor to Elysia, another to Eric—the baby unicorn—while keeping the last slot empty, reserved for any unforeseen situation.

But now, one of his anchors had broken, which could only mean that the holder of that anchor was facing a life-or-death situation.

Eric...? But how..?

Instinctively, his body activated Omni Thought, though even he did not understand why.

A faint hum echoed in his head as time seemed to stretch and bend around him.

Every particle of dust, every whisper of wind slowed to a crawl, while his thoughts accelerated beyond imagination, each idea forming and unraveling in fractions of a second.

What's this..?

Why did Omni Thought activate on its own...?

More importantly, how is Eric in danger..?

His thoughts sharpened further, analyzing every possibility with frightening precision.

Knowing Solareth, after the death of his daughter, he became overly protective of Eric. There's no way he would let him wander into any kind of danger...

And Lumielle is also someone who stands among the strongest in the world. Even if the skies fell, she would shield her son before anything could touch him...

Then, another thought surfaced, almost hopeful.

What if Eric used the anchor while playing?

But the next instant, Ash dismissed the idea himself.

No... Eric, although mischievous, is far too intelligent for that. I told him exactly what this anchor does, how bad it could be if misused. He remembers things like that. He wouldn't play with something tied to life and death...

Ash continued the silent questioning and answering, one possibility after another forming and collapsing in his mind.

This was how he always processed things—he would build a theory, examine it from every angle, and discard it if it failed to stand. Everything he did had a reason behind it, a logic that guided even his panic.

But logic was not infallible. If the information he based it on was wrong, then so would be the conclusion.

Most of his knowledge came from the novel he had read in his previous life, but now that fate had shifted and events were no longer the same, that information might already be meaningless.

So for now, he could only rely on what he had learned after transmigrating, experiences shaped through countless trials and battles, different from what the novel had once told him.....for now at least.

But who can pose a threat to the Unicorn King and Queen...?

Wait, wasn't Solareth trying to threate—no, communicate with the demonic heart...?

Did something happen because of it...?

No, no... what if Solareth is trying to come to me?

But that doesn't make sense. If he wanted to contact me, he could do it directly. He wouldn't use something I gave his son as a gift just to imitate communication...

Right now, Ash's mind was in complete turmoil. His heart pounded painfully in his chest, the weight of dread pressing against him like a heavy fog. If something had happened to Solareth and his family because of the demonic heart he had brought them, he would never be able to bear the guilt.

Even though Solareth had treated him harshly—killing him on sight during their first meeting—Ash still considered their family close to him, second only to Elysia.

Being near them had always given him a rare sense of calm, a strange warmth that reminded him of something he never had... a home. He had no memories of what that truly felt like, yet whenever he visited their place, he imagined this must be what belonging felt like.

As these thoughts flooded his mind, the space in front of him began to tremble.

Then, without warning, the space split open with a violent sound.

A spray of silver blood erupted from the rift, followed by the gravely injured body of a unicorn child—and an adult unicorn—crashing lifelessly to the ground before him.

The space closed on its own, sealing away whatever nightmare had occurred on the other side.

"Damn it!!!"

Instantly, Ash felt his breathing grow harsh, his chest rising and falling rapidly as his blood began to surge at an alarming rate. His entire body trembled as his heartbeat thundered in his ears.

He rushed forward, appearing right in front of the fallen unicorns. Without a moment's delay, he placed his palms over their wounds and channeled a tremendous amount of Life Energy into their bodies. The green glow of his mana spread rapidly, wrapping around them like a cocoon of gentle light.

Due to his Primordial Core, Ash had always been extremely sensitive to different forms of energy. He could distinguish them with terrifying accuracy, down to the faintest trace. So the moment both Eric and Lumielle appeared in front of him, he immediately recognized what was wrong.

The corruption spreading inside them carried a distinct, sinister signature... demonic energy.

Shit, shit... they both lost too much blood, and the demonic energy inside them is resisting my Life mana...

If this continues, they'll both die...

Although Ash looked anxious and desperate on the outside, deep inside, he remained calm. His eyes flickered with cold focus, and every movement he made was precise.

The anxiousness came from his care and attachment to the Unicorn family, but his composure came from the effects of the Rune of Stability engraved in his soul. It allowed him to remain logical and collected, even in a situation that could easily break anyone else.

He didn't waste a single second. Without hesitation, Ash pulled out two Elixirs of Life from his Soul Vault.

He had a total of five, so he didn't even think twice before using them.

Carefully, he fed the glowing Elixirs to both Eric and Lumielle, who were still in their unicorn forms. The radiant liquid flowed down their throats, and the faint light from the potion mixed with the aura of his Life Energy, intertwining like threads of hope.

Ash exhaled deeply, trying to calm his trembling heart. The air around him was heavy with the metallic scent of blood. His hands shook slightly as he focused more Life Energy into them, guiding it into their mana channels to assist the Elixir's healing.

Eric's injuries began to heal first. The demonic energy inside him was much weaker compared to Lumielle's, so his body responded quickly to the combined healing. His wounds closed at a rapid pace, and his pale fur regained its natural glow.

Within moments, Eric's body was fully healed, but he remained unconscious. Lumielle's injuries also began to heal, though more slowly. The demonic energy within her was dense, tangled deep into her mana circuits, resisting every bit of Life mana she poured in.

Still, Ash persisted until her aura stabilized. Outwardly, she looked as if she had recovered completely, though he knew her internal state might still be fragile.

At least they are safe now.....

Ash released a long breath of relief, his shoulders dropping slightly as the crushing tension eased. Countless questions filled his mind, each heavier than the last, but none that he could answer at the moment.

Before he could dwell on them further...

Lumielle's eyes fluttered open slowly, her gaze unfocused at first before locking onto Ash's face. Her expression was dazed, as if her mind was struggling to catch up to what had happened.

"What happened? Why are you both injured like this? Where is Solareth?"

Ash's voice trembled slightly as he spoke. His words came out quickly, desperate, each one filled with worry. The questions that had been burning in his mind spilled out uncontrollably.

There was a moment of silence. Lumielle's breathing was uneven, and it took several seconds before she managed to respond. Her lips parted weakly, her voice soft and trembling, but every word carried the weight of despair.

"Solareth is dead."

Ash's mind went completely blank. The words echoed in his ears, but it took a moment for their meaning to truly sink in. His eyes widened slightly, his lips parting, yet no sound escaped. His heart felt heavy, as if someone had gripped it tightly. But even in that numbness, he forced himself to listen.

"At the time of his death..."

Lumielle's voice quivered as she began to explain everything. She told him how Solareth's lifeless body had appeared before her without warning, his heart no longer beating, his once radiant aura completely gone.

Panic had struck her instantly. Knowing the danger that must have caused such a death, she grabbed Eric and escaped the Dragon Continent, fearing that whoever killed Solareth would come for them next.

Even though grief and fury burned in her heart, she had buried both emotions deep down, focusing only on keeping her son alive. She fled to the middle of the ocean and took refuge on a deserted island, hidden by layers of formations.

But even there, the demon found them.

She didn't know how he managed to track her, but no matter where she went, he always appeared again after a short delay.

Every encounter left her more wounded. His attacks were relentless and calculated, always striking when she tried to escape with Eric.

Each battle drained her more and more, and the injuries she sustained refused to heal completely.

Her strength was fading day by day.

At the end, with no other choice left, she decided to fight him head-on. But even in her full beast form, she was utterly overpowered.

The demon's power crushed her defenses effortlessly, and even Eric, despite her protection, was caught in the chaos and injured.

Seeing her child bleeding and powerless broke something inside her.

With no other option left, she used the anchor as a medium and initiated a long-distance space warp, spending almost all her remaining mana just to reach Ash before death could claim them both.

When she finished speaking, Lumielle's body trembled. Her head tilted weakly, her eyes glistening faintly with tears that refused to fall.

Ash stood frozen, his entire body stiff, his mind a storm of disbelief and guilt. His hands clenched tightly until blood began to trickle from his palms, but he didn't notice.

Every word she spoke echoed in his heart, each one cutting deeper than the last.

He had brought the demonic heart to them... and now Solareth was gone.

The silence that followed felt endless, heavy enough to drown in.

"Solareth said, You are an anomaly. Going against fate is your destiny. And you are almost impossible to kill. Although it might be selfish, can you please look after Eric? Although my body is healed, my soul hasn't. The attacks of that demon also affected my soul."

There was too much information to process at once. Ash was still struggling to accept that Solareth was dead and that a demon had killed him.

He tried to recall anyone in the novel who was this strong, someone who could attack the soul directly. But nothing matched. Nothing even came close.

When did someone like that pop up...? And who..?

Only the Demon King had the power to touch the soul directly.

"You should take Eric and leave this place; that demon will be arriving here at any given time."

Ash shook his head slowly, refusing to look away from her. "How can I leave you behind? Wait, let me try something." His voice carried a deep bitterness, one that made his words tremble slightly.

Even as he said those words, Ash knew he would fail. But he still had to try. Doing nothing felt even worse.

He first sent Eric into his Soul Vault. The moment her child vanished, Lumielle's eyes widened in panic.

"Don't worry, I sent him to a safe place where other than me no one could enter."

Lumielle relaxed a little at that, but the calm didn't last long.

When Ash tried to pull her into his Soul Vault as well, he failed.

He tried again and again, pouring more mana, forcing his will into the Soul Vault, but no matter how much he tried, he could not store someone of her level.

It wasn't because she was stronger than him. After all, he had previously stored powerful demons and beasts he had stolen from the black market, most of whom were higher in rank than him. With his current power, he was confident he could store any living being up to the Legendary rank.

But from Mythical rank onward... it was different.

At that level, beings began to shape their own domains according to their will and personality, capable of imprinting that will upon the world itself. Their existence became deeply tied to the world's laws and flow of mana. If someone like that entered his soul, it would cause his entire soul realm to collapse.

Tears threatened to spill from Ash's eyes as his hands trembled uncontrollably. His breath came out unevenly, and he clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

He couldn't save her. Not with his current strength.

Still, he refused to stop. He refused to accept it.

"Can you please turn back into your human form...?" Ash asked in a quiet voice, his tone shaking as he desperately tried to think of another way.

But Lumielle only smiled softly. Perhaps she had already understood what was happening, or maybe she had simply accepted her fate.

"I can't seem to muster any strength in my body," she whispered, her voice gentle and tired. "Nor can I move. You should just leave me here. Take Eric and make sure he grows up well. He will cry a lot... I hope you can be there for him when he does."

Ash's voice cracked. "No... no, don't talk like that. Nothing is going to happen to you. I'll heal your soul. The Eternal Flames of the Phoenixes can heal even soul damage. I'll take you there."

Ash cut her words off with a shaky voice, his tone desperate. He activated Transcendent Step to take her with him.

But nothing happened.

The skill didn't activate.

His mana remained frozen, completely unresponsive, as if the world itself refused to move.

And in that moment, a voice echoed through the air.

"How touching..."

****

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