In the western region, Selene arrived near a small house hidden deep within the woods. Phoebe was the first to sense her presence and immediately came out to greet her enthusiastically. "Mistress!"
For a moment, Selene felt as though she were looking at an entirely different person when she saw Phoebe's current appearance. Phoebe used to resemble a beautiful young girl, almost like a fairy, with rosy lips and smooth, flawless white skin. But now, she looked more like a middle-aged woman. Fine wrinkles had appeared across her face, and exhaustion lingered clearly within her tired eyes.
"Phoebe, what happened to you? Did this happen because I used your essence?" It had to be because she used the phoenix essence to counteract the fire ant poison.
Phoebe smiled softly and gently shook her head. "Mistress, I willingly gave you my essence so you could use it. Once I rest inside your contracted space again, I'll naturally recover."
"So that's how it is. Then how is Reinhard?"
