*Ka ka ka, Ka-Boom!*
Elena was woken up by the loud sound of thunder. Her eyes shot open, and a stinging pain shot through her body. Elena felt like her skin was burning. There was a sharp pain that penetrated deep into the marrow, clinging tightly to her frame.
Between gritted teeth, she grimaced.
Struggling to push herself up, Elena found that she was lying in a small and unfamiliar bed.
She frowned, looking around.
Peering through the window, Elena discovered that she didn't recognize the landscape. Despite the ongoing storm, Elena could tell that it should be around the middle of the night.
The sky lit up with flashes of lightning and thunder, but for some reason, it didn't reach this place.
Confused, Elena tried to get out of bed.
Only after moving a bit did she finally realise that she had been bandaged up tightly. Her clothes were removed, but most of her skin was covered. Underneath, Elena could feel a sticky 'medicine' slowly treating her frostbitten skin.
Being the stubborn girl that she was, she tried to stand up.
From the darkness, a strong hand emerged and used one finger to push Elena back down by the head. The black-haired maid that had been silently standing to the side appeared from the darkness without her noticing.
Elena's eyes widened, surprised that she missed this woman's presence.
This woman was an expert!
Elena turned her head, trying to look at her face.
*Ka-boom!*
Lightning fell, and the dark room flashed.
When Elena met the woman's cold and indifferent gaze, her heart shook.
This woman was the cause of the fifth calamity!
Elena looked at Nebula's face, terrified.
Nebula frowned. "You know me?" Nebula wouldn't miss such an obvious reaction. Although she was told by Petra that her big sister probably had knowledge of the future, this was still strange.
As for Elena…
Elena froze, she couldn't give an answer. Her mind was in chaos.
What was going on!
Why was she here?
How far did she teleport!
Nebula only received silence.
She pursed her lips.
She was sure that the little master's big sister recognized her.
Now wasn't the time to ask.
"Go back to sleep. Your body isn't in a good condition." Nebula pushed Elena down. "You were poisoned by the Black Ring Moss Snake. If it weren't for the little master, you probably would have died."
Elena snapped back to reality.
She realized that she couldn't resist Nebula's hand. What's worse, even if she were in her peak condition, she felt like she wouldn't be able to beat this gloomy woman.
"I..."
Nebula interrupted. "We can talk in the morning. Just sleep tonight."
With that, she left.
Elena was left alone, her thoughts spinning in her head.
The 'Fifth Calamity' was heavily related to 'Time'. Those crazy lunatics from the cult sacrificed the 'Pure Star Saintess' and opened a gate that connected to their 'God'. This was how the fifth calamity started.
But Elena didn't understand…
Why was the 'Pure Star Saintess' here?
And… Why was she dressed as a maid!?
While her mind spun with uncountable questions, the night slowly passed.
-
The next morning, Elena woke up to a cool and comfortable sensation.
She opened her eyes to find two young maids replacing her bandages. These two little girls were only around nine or ten, but they were very skilled, almost not waking her up.
She forced herself up, half sitting.
The two little girls moved back, giving her a moment to adjust.
Elena sighed, slightly happy that she didn't have to face Nebula again. She didn't have any good memories about the Pure Star Saintess. In fact, there was even a certain level of enmity.
It was fine in the dark of night, but she didn't know how to treat that woman in the morning.
Elena looked over, seeing the face of one of the two little maids.
Her mouth became crooked, and her eyebrow started to twitch violently.
Elena felt something snap in her brain.
Why was she looking at the Witch of Silence?
Why was this walking nightmare changing her bandages!?
What the fuck!
Where was she??
Lilly looked over and smiled.
"Ah! Miss Elena, good morning! Please don't move around too much! We're changing your bandages one last time! After this, you should be ok to move around~." Lilly grinned, seemingly satisfied with the effects of the medicine.
Luna nodded, trying to reassure Elena.
When Elena made a face that looked like the world was about to collapse, Luna tilted her head. Such a childish and cute action was completely incompatible with the Witch of Silence in Elena's memories.
This pushed Elena even further into denial.
Lilly furrowed her brows in concern. "If anything hurts, let me know. I'll try my best to help."
Elena nodded, still dizzy.
Luna leaned over, offering Elena a piece of diced apple.
The pointy toothpick seemed to set off some kind of PTSD in Elena, causing her to quickly lean back and smash her head on the bedframe.
Elena curled up, holding her head and groaning in pain.
Lilly and Luna grimaced.
They wondered if Petras big sister was always this... uh, self destructive.
-
A few minutes later, Elena had regained her composure and was being fed by Lilly.
She listened to Lilly's explanation of where they were and what had happened to her.
Elena nodded.
She wanted to meet this 'little master'.
She was curious as to who could tame these two monsters.
Also, she was still unsure as to why she was saved.
Lilly smiled. "Your injuries should be ok now. Can you stand?"
Elena nodded.
She tried to stand up and realized that her body was in a much better condition. When she stood up on wobbly legs, she tried to move around. After a few steps, she nodded. She was very satisfied with the effects of the unknown 'medicine'.
Lilly nodded in satisfaction. If it were anyone else, they probably would have lost a limb or two. Looking over towards Luna, Lilly gave the signal.
Lilly added. "You look good! Luna will help you get dressed. Just call me when you're done~."
With that, Lilly left the room.
Elena twitched.
She suddenly felt that something was wrong.
She turned towards the witch of silence with great vigilance.
The little girl was approaching, her little claws opening and closing, grasping at the air. Elena felt like that eager expression was slightly perverted.
She wanted to run, but it was too late.
-
Some time later…
Elena walked through the halls, following behind the two maids.
As she moved down the halls, she looked around.
Elena looked at the basic heating runes and sighed. Despite looking new, this place had a very homely vibe. It reminded her of the first shelter she had ever built.
That aside, the dense spiritual energy that was leaking from the stone floors was very abnormal.
Elena asked. "Are we still in the Green Wind Forest?"
Lilly turned her head and nodded. "Yes! This is a special place that is protected by a barrier."
Elena hummed. She could vaguely feel the domain that enveloped them.
The three girls continued to chat, until they eventually passed two more maids.
Elena felt like she was getting used to the shock.
These two girls, Wind and Mell, were also very famous figures in the future.
The silver elf girl was Wind V Gallon, the 'Heretic'. She had a sliver of a banished bloodline, so the Church of Light hunted her down during the fifth calamity.
The rustic looking girl was Melllillyan Tibon, the heir of the Tibon Family. It wasn't supposed to be until another few years when she was discovered by the Tibon Family and taken back.
Both of these girls had a big influence on the future.
Elena couldn't understand why all these big shots were here.
She had tried to find Mell and Wind during the last year of her travels, but no matter how hard she looked, these two seemed to barely exist.
What confused her even more was why these big names had become maids.
As they continued down the hall, there was a loud crash.
The sudden commotion came from a red blur that streaked down the hallway. A red haired cat girl flashed past, chasing after three bipedal little ants. The three ants were only half a meter tall, but the one running in the lead was carrying a spray bottle, the kind used to tease cats. The trio looked like three naughty kids who were caught playing a prank.
The red-haired cat ran behind, fuming with rage.
Elena saw the cat maid that chased by. Not only did she see him, but she also recognized 'him'.
Wasn't that the 'Red King', the future ruler of the Beastmen?
Why was he wearing a skirt...?
Was he actually a pervert...?
Or did something happen…?
Elena felt sick.
She started to wonder if she was still in a dream, if she really died back there in the snowstorm, and if all of this was an illusion.
She honestly felt like that was more likely.
She turned to Lilly, asking for an explanation.
Lilly just chuckled dryly.
She didn't know Elena was asking about the 'Red King'.
"Lil Rose sometimes picks on the ants… Lately, they've started to fight back." Her small eyes were evasive. She was actually the one who made that spray bottle.
-
Elena was taken to the third-floor library.
She was ready to meet the 'Little Master' who had saved her.
When she opened the door, Elena's eyes opened wide.
She wasn't distracted by the grand sight of the library, nor was she distracted by the dense spiritual energy, she wasn't even distracted by the quiet and ominous aura of the taboo knowledge that was silently leaking from the walls. No, all her attention was on a little figure, a little figure that sat obediently in the center of the room, quietly reading the books that Elena had left for her.
Yes, 'those books', the ones that Elena had given Petra back before they separated in Evergreen Town. The ones that were quietly implied…
Sitting in the center of the room was a little green haired lolita, diligently reading.
She looked up, and their eyes met.
To them, a moment felt like a century. Elena had promised to come find Petra after a few months, but that never happened. Although that was completely Petras' fault, Elena still felt bad.
Petra grinned, jumped up, and practically flew through the library, hugging Elena like a torpedo.
Elena was pushed back by the ferocious little head.
She fell back and landed on a couch.
"Big sister Elena! I missed you so much!"
Petras' eyes turned red. She was genuinely happy to see Elena again.
Elena was stunned at first, then smiled.
She hugged Petra back, patting her on the head.
A lot of things clicked in that instant.
She felt like she understood who the 'little master' was.
The strange ants that ran around in the halls reminded her of the letter that Petra had once sent to her by ant. The missing Azurefell Twins escaped in this direction, coincidentally disappearing in the same direction where Petra had gone. The Red King was held prisoner by the black market for many years, spending a large chunk of that in the northern region. Melllillyan was from a nearby village when she was young, making it perfectly reasonable that she could meet Petra if she ever went to Sevensen. It was not only these, but there were many small connections formed from future information that all fell into place, telling her that the 'Little Master' was undoubtedly Petra.
On top of it all, Petra was the only one not dressed as a maid.
Elena's confusion was washed away.
She didn't understand Petra, but she knew that this little girl was like a walking anomaly.
She sighed
As long as she was safe.
-
After a long reunion, Petra took Elena downstairs for a big meal.
They sat down to a warm and cozy atmosphere, with the six girls joining them. Elena felt like she would never forget this day in her life. Food filled the table, ranging from snacks and cookies to grilled chicken and pasta.
The two sisters sat at the table, talking about the changes in the world outside, and what they had been up to. Petra did not talk about her past, and Elena did not talk about her regressions, but there was still no lack of things to discuss.
They talked about their homes, the weather, and the continent.
They talked about the calamities and the future changes.
They even talked about family.
Elena Evergreen came from a long line of explorers. The Evergreen Bloodline came to the Cross Continent with the other humans around 1000 years ago, right at the start of the Current Era. Unlike her father's side, Elena's maternal family was the Grasswind Family from the Twin Continent. They were a large family with an untraceable wind element bloodline.
After that, Petra talked about herself.
She told Elena about her Emerald Dragon Bloodline, how she hated her tiny body, and how she wanted to get bigger and stronger.
Elena laughed.
She explained some of the knowledge that she knew about the ever-evasive Emerald Dragons.
The Emerald Dragon Clan came from the Cellistan Continent.
They were a small tribe of very powerful researchers. The Emerald Dragons didn't live in caves, instead, they moved around in a massive mobile fortress, a bit like a flying castle. Because of this, the Emerald Dragons were very hard to find.
Most Emerald Dragons lived for around 50,000 years and grew to only about 6 meters tall in their Dragon Forms. They could withstand most environments and were well known for their ability to master mental magic. They were usually introverted, but with very curious personalities, leaving them as a clan with a very childlike reputation.
Unfortunately, they were also being hunted. The horns of an Emerald Dragon were a great material for conducting mental energy. Many ambitious people actively sought them out, not looking to kill, but to restrain them and steal their horns, just like ivory hunters.
The history of the Emerald Dragons could be traced back to the Age of Chaos. During the Age of Chaos, the Emerald Dragon race was hunted down to near extinction.
Fortunately, Emerald Dragons were a very intelligent race. Although a bit mad, they never crossed the line.
After a long period of recuperation, the Emerald Dragons finally came up with a solution.
They discovered a method to create more Emerald Dragons.
Petra stuffed a large piece of honey glazed pork into her mouth, quietly listening.
In her head, she inwardly cursed.
'Why did this feel like very important deposition?'
'Why did she feel like these 'Hunters' were going to be important?'
'What did she mean by 'creating an Emerald dragon'?'
Why was there a freaking underline in the text?
Petra grumbled to herself, feeling like her initial intuition was correct.
The Emerald Dragon Bloodline was going to be very troublesome. It might even be more troublesome than her Witch Bloodline.
-
After they finished eating, Petra wanted to 'reward' Elena.
She didn't want to see her silly big sister dying in the snow again.
Moans... or groans? No, it was just full-on screaming, came from the sealed laboratory...
"Big sister, you have to endure! Trust me. You'll thank me later!"
Elena flailed around in a bubbling purple pool of some unknown liquid. Muffled screams escaped her mouth whenever she managed to raise her head in a moment of respite.
"I know it hurts a little, but this will make your body much better!" Petra yelled.
Elena felt like her skin was peeling off.
She recognized this feeling!
Wasn't this the strange stinging sensation she got from the 'medicine' last night!? Compared to the stinging pain of the medicine from before, this was like that, only a thousand times more severe.
Try to imagine that you were a concerned parent and were pushing down your disobedient child into a pot of boiling hot water, that's how Elena felt right now.
Now imagine that it was just lukewarm water and your child was overreacting, that was how Petra felt.
After an hour had passed, the naked Elena lay limply, half outside the 'bathwater'. Her eyes were unfocused, and her breathing was weak, but Petra still felt like she was somehow receiving a glare.
Petra giggled. "Big sister, you're such a scaredy cat!"
*Thwack!*
The exhausted Elena suddenly mustered up the energy from who knows where and wacked Petra on the head.
Petra reeled back, covering her little head with her small hands.
Her eyes turned red as she crouched down, looking like a small bb that had been wronged.
Elena clicked her tongue.
"What the hell was that? Didn't you say that it was a medicinal bath! What the hell?"
Elena grumbled while dressing herself.
Petra stuck out her tongue. "Did I say that? Hehehe, oopsie! I meant that it was poison resistance training, the super condensed kind!"
Elena's eyebrows twitched.
Before she could hit the little trickster again, Petra scuttled backwards.
"Hehe, Big sister, trust me! Now you're immune to most of the poisons in the forest! Also, also! Ah, uh, Mmm, yeah, your skin should also have a very high tolerance for the cold now! You don't need to worry about frostbite again!" Petra guarded her little head, quickly explaining the purpose of the bath.
As if to confirm Petras' untrustworthy words, the two little bipedal ants nodded.
"Mmm, mmm mmm. See, they agree, so I must be right!" Petra nodded to herself, slightly unsure. This concoction was something that she had whipped up at the last minute.
She didn't want to see Elena falling for such a stupid thing.
Elena pursed her lips, looking deeply at her little sister.
She felt like Petra hadn't changed, but she also felt like she had changed a lot.
Time was indeed the most terrifying thing.
-
Tower, Fifth Floor, later that night...
The two girls lay down beside each other, sharing a bed.
Elena let out a long breath, relaxing a lot.
She had to admit, Petra's new home was indeed very beautiful.
If she could, she would choose to stay here forever.
She sighed.
She lamented the future. Unfortunately, unless this place could grow wings, it was impossible for it to avoid the fifth calamity and onwards.
Elena knew that she had a mission, that she had to keep moving forward.
The two sisters hugged each other to sleep.
-
The next morning.
Elena stood at the edge of the border between the forest and the mansion, appreciating the view.
Despite the storm outside, this small area was like a world of its own, peaceful and serene.
Elena looked at the seven girls who had come to see her off.
The faces of these girls were each more terrifying than the last.
Elena didn't know if they had changed their fates, or if this was just a part of their path, but she hoped that they could find freedom and happiness.
She chose not to share what she knew about the future with the few big bosses before her.
She looked at Petra, giving a gentle smile.
Since her sister had found a good home, she wouldn't drag her into the mess of the outside world.
She didn't know why, but she felt like Petra shouldn't be involved with the calamities.
She waved goodbye, walking away.
When she took that final step outside the territory of the Emerald Ghost Tree, she suddenly felt something.
She turned around, only to find that the massive tree and everything around it, Petra, the mansion, and the rolling snow covered farmlands, had all disappeared, replaced with just another stretch of the dark forest.
Elena paused.
She couldn't feel anything, no barrier, no illusion, and no magic.
To her, it was like it never existed.
Elena felt like she had just woken up from a dream.
In fact, she even questioned if it was a dream.
If it wasn't for the hot current constantly warming her body from within, battling against the freezing temperatures of winter, she might have even concluded so.
Elena smiled, disappearing into the snow.
It was time to go to the second destination of the expedition, the broken Space Gate.
She wanted to see just how many people were left.