Within the stone chamber, the turbulent melody of the harp gradually ceased.
This was followed by the successive snapping of harp strings.
The inky-black strings broke one after another before Safira's eyes.
As the last string snapped and flew apart, the stone chamber fell into complete silence.
At the same time, the darkened aura surrounding the harp slowly receded until it vanished without a trace.
Safira, or rather, she should be called by her true name, Eve.
Her eyes were filled with deep confusion, as though she couldn't quite grasp the reason for her presence here, yet she faintly remembered the death that had once claimed her.
In the silence, she turned her gaze to the harp with its broken strings. On its pillar was embedded a sheet of music, its surface filthy and stained, forming a stark contrast against the harp's pristine, jade-white body.
Sonata of Darkness, the harp's solo score.
The term inexplicably surfaced in her mind, as though piercing through a dense fog.
Eve stared blankly at the score on the harp's pillar. Fragments of hazy memories, like sunlight breaking through the mist, suddenly emerged.
"I'm still alive."
Her murmur echoed through the stone chamber.
The confusion in Eve's eyes faded, gradually replaced by calm.
She reached out and gently stroked the harp's body. Between her fingers, a starlike glimmer flashed, a manifestation of Nen.
Having returned to the world through the harp's melody, this third princess of the Kukan'yu Kingdom, a land steeped in ancient traditions, had naturally awakened to the power of Nen.
The memories of the harp and the score, which should have been sealed away, also resurfaced in her mind.
But before her return to this world…
Eve had never truly understood the harp and the score's abilities, nor had she ever imagined such a scenario.
She held no reverence for death, so its arrival had never concerned her.
In her view, humans who walked the path of defiance should naturally face the risks of death.
It was normal. It was inevitable.
Ironically, among the non-Nen users who had also faced death, those who resisted it the most had perished like dust.
Yet Eve, who feared death the least and met it with the utmost calm, could still breathe the air.
So this is the power of "Nen"...
Eve's fingers trailed along the harp's pillar before reaching beneath the tuning pins. The starlike glimmer seeping from her fingertips drew a harp string in the empty air.
And so, she restrung the harp with a single string.
Perhaps due to the manifestation of her Nen ability, a rare flicker of excitement appeared in her otherwise tranquil, water-like eyes.
—--
A dense, flourishing forest.
This place lay on the border of the Minbo Republic, separated from the continent where the Kukan'yu Kingdom stood by a vast sea.
Morrow plummeted from the sky.
When he saw the thick expanse of forest below, the tension in his chest finally eased.
A free fall from thousands of meters…
Though the versatility of Nen could ensure his survival, there were still countless uncontrollable risks before a safe landing.
Fortunately, at this moment, the airship was still within the Minbo Republic's airspace, not over the open sea.
Morrow looked down at the ground, where an endless stretch of forest lay bathed in the pale glow of moonlight.
As the ground drew nearer, he used a Deceptive Shooting Star to counteract the force of his descent.
Even so, he still fell the final hundred meters straight to the ground. In an instant, Morrow crashed into the forest like a cannonball, creating a tremendous noise in the quiet night.
Rustle
Flocks of birds startled by the sudden sound took flight in all directions, while nocturnal creatures on the ground scattered in panic.
Thud.
A centuries-old tree became the unfortunate landing spot for Morrow. Under the immense impact, it collapsed with a thunderous crash.
Moments later.
Morrow emerged from the dense canopy, scanning his surroundings.
Towering ancient trees surrounded him, their gaps allowing the bright moonlight to filter through, casting a faint glow on the mist below.
Beneath the swirling mist were thickets of shrubs and moss-covered remnants of stones and old wood.
Further away, a winding stream meandered through a pile of scattered rocks.
Morrow's gaze followed the stream until it disappeared into darkness.
After a quick survey of the area, he withdrew his gaze, remembering he should check on Kanzai's situation. He pulled out his phone, only to find it cracked in several places and already powered off.
"Kanzai should be fine," he thought.
Putting away the damaged phone, Morrow figured if he had landed safely, Kanzai must have too, unless he had the terrible luck of falling into a swamp or sinkhole.
This place… should still be within the Minbo Republic's borders.
Morrow walked toward the nearby stream.
The Minbo Republic was one of the five great nations, separated from Heavens Arena by two countries.
Judging by the airship's route, Morrow guessed he might have landed somewhere within the vast territory of the Minbo Republic, though the exact location was unclear.
In this situation, navigating out of this unfamiliar forest wouldn't be easy.
If only his phone hadn't been damaged, things would be different.
With a sigh, Morrow followed the stream.
After a long while, he emerged from the trees into a clearing, where a lake shrouded in thin mist lay ahead. Faint reflections of starlight shimmered on its surface.
Along the lakeshore, various wild animals gathered.
Morrow's eyes swept across them, but the most striking were several white deer with enormous antlers.
Their antlers resembled intricate coral branches, pure white and gleaming under the moonlight.
Morrow had no intention of disturbing the animals drinking by the lake. He scanned the nearby area for a suitable resting spot.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Just as he was searching, gunshots suddenly rang out from the other side of the lake.
Startled by the noise, the animals scattered in panic.
Morrow turned toward the sound and saw the white deer collapse to the ground. Moments later, several men carrying rifles emerged from the forest.
Watching this, Morrow retreated behind a large tree, catching snippets of their excited laughter and discussions about the loud noise earlier.
He realized they were talking about the commotion he had caused upon landing.
Then he heard them mention something about a huge payoff, likely referring to the valuable white deer, which had them barely containing their excitement.
After a moment's thought, Morrow stepped out, deciding to approach them for information.
—--
Meanwhile.
Several kilometers away on the other side of the forest.
A spherical mass formed by over a dozen humans entangled together crashed heavily onto a lake, instantly sending towering waves into the sky.
As the waves subsided, human bodies began surfacing one after another on the lake's surface.
Splash
Another spray of water erupted across the lake.
Luyuan emerged from the water, breathing slightly heavily as he gazed toward the dense forest on the shore.