Under the cover of night, Kylen fell into a deep sleep, yet he had never experienced such a clear sense of the dream.
He clearly knew it was an illusion, yet he was deeply trapped and unable to break free.
In the dream was a desolate abyssal wilderness, at the center of which stood an ancient castle forged from crimson goo and abyssal ore.
At the top of the castle, a woman with wine-red hair was fighting fiercely against a tidal wave of enemies.
She was like a lonely boat in a storm, yet exuded an inviolable royal majesty.
Her wine-red long hair fluttered in the war, and with a flick of her fingertips, hundreds of knights condensed from crimson goo responded to her call, forming a defense line for her.
Ancient whispers echoed across the battlefield, a unique spiritual resonance exclusive to the Origin Sequence, throwing many enemies into chaos and even making them defect.
Even alone, she still held her ground at the castle, never taking a step back.
The enemies were of various types, including abyssal monsters and enchanted plant spirits, like a walking illustrated book of all abyssal races.
They passed through Kylen's spiritual body without noticing him, clearly, this was an etched memory fragment.
Kylen slowly approached, and the woman's face gradually became clear.
She was extremely similar to Avelia, but had an extra touch of maturity and hardship accumulated over the years.
He remembered the vague longing and blank spaces in Avelia's diary, and suddenly had an answer in his heart.
Could this be Avelia's mother?
The woman held a curled-up little slime in her arms, her voice gentle yet resolute: "Avelia, I won't be able to stay by your side anymore. The inheritance of the Crimson Goo Throne is too heavy for you."
"Mother only wishes you to live a safe and happy life."
"Run, run as far as you can. Leave the Forbidden Rift and go to the Land of Origin. All the answers are hidden there."
Before she finished speaking, the dream began to collapse.
A blood-red full moon tore through the sky, and dragon roars mixed with the screams of monsters echoed through heaven and earth.
In the final scene, the woman seemed to penetrate the barrier of the nightmare, her gaze accurately landing on Kylen.
She smiled faintly, gently pushing the Avelia in her arms toward him, nodding and saying, "I'm counting on you."
Kylen suddenly woke up, his chest heaving violently. Beside him, Avelia was sleeping soundly, a faint smile on her lips.
Was this her dusty past?
Kylen stared at her sleeping face, thinking. Although the Crimson Goo Throne lineage possessed almost indestructible characteristics, they would fall into hibernation when on the verge of death.
Avelia's mother was missing, and could the enemies in the dream be related to the forces that attacked Avelia back then?
What was the Land of Origin? Why could she see the real him through the dream?
This world held too many unsolved secrets.
He gently brushed Avelia's crimson hair and whispered a promise: "Don't worry, I will take good care of her. One day, I will find you with her."
Avelia's diary was filled with longing for her mother, and he should pass on this concern for her.
When the morning light streamed through the window lattice and fell on Avelia's face, she slowly woke up. Rubbing her sleepy eyes and stretching lazily, her voice was soft and sweet: "Little one."
"Hm?"
"I seem to have had a strange dream."
"What a coincidence, me too. And I made a vow to someone in the dream."
Avelia tilted her head, her face filled with confusion.
"I promised a lady who seemed to have passed through the nightmare and seen us in reality."
Avelia's crimson pupils suddenly widened, her face turned pale instantly, as if she had thought of something crucial. "You..."
"Yes."
A tear slid down Avelia's cheek, and she looked a little at a loss. Kylen immediately held her in his arms and comforted her softly: "Avelia, let's find the answers together."
"Grow stronger together, uncover the mastermind behind the scenes, and one day, we will find her."
Avelia buried her face in his shoulder and nodded vigorously: "Okay. Let's go, little one. My condition today is at its peak."
Kylen looked at the contract panel in his mind in surprise:
[Contracted Creature: Avelia]
[Rank: Two-Star Ascension Realm (2999/3000)]
After being nourished by his own blood for days, Avelia had actually reached the verge of promotion before the exchange tournament!
She was only a hair's breadth away from breaking through. The "atavistic" trait of the Primordial Blood Pact had not been activated yet, and Kylen speculated that this ability might awaken simultaneously with the promotion.
If the pressure of this exchange tournament was controllable, he did not plan to let Avelia advance in front of everyone.
If the situation exceeded expectations, then he would take the opportunity to reveal their true strength.
After the two washed up, they headed to the meeting room.
Seraphina was already waiting there, accompanied by the other seven Contractors participating in the freshman individual tournament.
Seeing everyone arrive, Seraphina said, "Everyone, the organizer, Imperial Contract Academy, has just jointly announced the rules for the first stage of the individual tournament."
"The venue is set in the Abyssal Simulation Domain of Imperial Contract Academy.
The 72 participating contestants will fight individually, using a point system. The top eight with the highest points will advance to the elimination round."
"Specific rules: The Abyssal Simulation Domain has multiple levels.
Completing each level will earn basic points. Eliminating other contestants allows you to seize their current points."
Everyone looked at each other in dismay. This was clearly encouraging contestants to fight against each other rather than just clearing levels.
Kylen fell into deep thought. The top eight with the highest points advance.
Conversely, if he could eliminate enough opponents, even if he got low points from the levels, he could still steadily enter the top eight.
Seraphina added, "Although it's an individual tournament, you all know the significance of this exchange tournament for the academy."
Colin, an S-rank Contractor of the Plant Spirit System, spoke first: "Mentor, we understand. I propose that Kylen be the temporary captain.
Before advancing, we should cooperate as much as possible to avoid internal friction. What do you think?"
Seraphina nodded in satisfaction, and the others echoed in agreement.
Kylen's performance in the qualifying round was obvious to all, and he was fully qualified to convince everyone.
Only Yunel from the Practical Combat System looked displeased, but he was unwilling to go against everyone's wishes and reluctantly nodded in agreement.
"Very well, I look forward to your performances." Seraphina raised her hand and gestured: "Let's go, we're heading to the teleportation array."
...
Today, Imperial Contract Academy was bustling with people.
Tens of thousands of spectators had come specially for the Nine-Academy Alliance Exchange Tournament, including observers from other imperial contract academies.
Contractors had long become the backbone of various countries in fighting against the abyss.
Although humans had temporarily reached a consensus on resisting demons, the competition between countries and academies had never stopped.
This freshman exchange tournament had long become a stage for various forces to secretly contend.
The Stellar Plaza of Imperial Contract Academy could accommodate more than 70,000 spectators, and the number of live viewers on the Imperial Star Network had exceeded ten million, still rising steadily.
"The results of the senior tournaments are basically the same as in previous years. The freshman group is the highlight. Who do you think will win the championship?"
"It must be Sylvia! Imperial Contract Academy's lineup is too strong. She's a descendant of the Origin Sequence!"
"Saint Laurent Academy was originally competitive, but unfortunately, Lysander was eliminated by Kylen, and their strength has been greatly reduced."
"Kylen is not bad either! His combination with Avelia is almost unbeatable.
Ranking third on the potential list is definitely not undeserved!"
"How naive! The first stage is a melee.
The contestants from Imperial Contract Academy will definitely join forces to besiege Kylen. It's hard to say if he can survive the preliminary round!"
"Brandt also has a chance, right?
Riverside Beast Contract Academy is said to have captured a rare race from the Thousand Lakes Abyss this time, with an extremely special talent!"
"That's right. Riverside Beast Contract Academy might pull off an upset this year.
Imperial and Saint Laurent may not be able to secure the first place steadily!"
Amidst the discussions, the 72 participating contestants stepped into the Abyssal Simulation Domain one after another through the teleportation array.