Ella moved through the darkness of the Ashen Cave.
Her translucent body drifted silently above the ground.
She had already escaped the Elite Creature.
For the moment...
She was safe.
But she wasn't leaving.
Not without Blake.
Ella looked down at her hands.
Her severed arms had already begun regenerating.
The process was surprisingly fast.
Spirit essence flowed through her body like warm currents, rebuilding what had been destroyed.
That was the first mastery of her Legacy Practice.
Soul Restoration.
Ella could absorb the spirits she summoned.
Normally, doing so would simply strengthen her.
But when she absorbed them into herself, their spiritual essence could also repair damaged parts of her body.
It wasn't perfect.
It consumed a considerable amount of essence.
And the more serious the injury, the more spirits she needed.
Still...
It was enough.
Ella raised one hand.
Two pale figures slowly emerged beside her.
Death spirits.
Their bodies were vaguely humanoid, covered in faint black mist.
The moment they appeared, their hollow eyes immediately turned toward Ella.
Then—
They attacked.
Ella sighed.
"Seriously?"
She immediately activated her God Body.
Her entire form became intangible.
The two spirits passed directly through her.
Ella didn't even bother dodging.
Instead, she watched them for several seconds before dismissing them.
Her expression became thoughtful.
If she summoned a weakened Death Spirit, she could maintain it for much longer.
But an elite spirit was different.
A truly powerful Elite creature consumed an enormous amount of essence.
At her current level, she could maintain such a spirit for only about two minutes.
And there was another problem.
What if the creature she summoned was weaker than the Mystic Jade?
It would accomplish nothing.
It would only waste her essence.
Ella wasn't going to make that mistake.
She would wait.
She would find Blake first.
Then, if necessary, she would summon an Elite creature at the perfect moment.
If she could get Blake's body away from the Mystic Jade, she could escape.
Especially with Ling's assistance.
That mysterious shadow had already demonstrated how useful it could be.
Its ability to increase movement and stamina could mean the difference between life and death.
Ella looked deeper into the cave.
"Blake..."
"Just stay alive."
She immediately moved forward.
---
Deeper Within the Ashen Cave
The Mystic Jade continued walking.
Its enormous body moved effortlessly through the darkness.
Blake hung limply in its grasp.
His body looked completely lifeless.
But he wasn't dead.
Not yet.
Slowly...
Blake opened one eye.
The moment he realized what was carrying him, his heart almost stopped.
The Mystic Jade.
He immediately closed his eye again.
He pretended to be unconscious.
There was no reason to let the creature know he was awake.
The Mystic Jade continued walking.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Then—
Something strange happened.
A faint warmth touched Blake's body.
He felt something wrapping around him.
Soft.
Dark.
Familiar.
Ling.
The little shadow had found him.
It slowly covered Blake's body like a thin layer of living darkness.
A strange surge of energy entered him.
Blake's exhausted body immediately felt slightly better.
His breathing became steadier.
He almost smiled.
That little creature came after me.
He didn't know why Ling cared so much.
But he was grateful.
The Mystic Jade continued deeper into the cave.
Then Blake noticed something in the distance.
A structure.
A gigantic citadel.
Its walls disappeared into the darkness above.
Ancient stone covered every surface.
The entrance looked less like a doorway...
And more like the mouth of something enormous.
Blake's instincts immediately screamed danger.
Ling felt it too.
The little shadow suddenly became tense.
It wrapped itself more tightly around Blake.
The Mystic Jade stepped closer.
One more step.
Then—
Ling tried to enter the citadel.
The moment its body crossed the boundary—
Pain exploded through its existence.
The little shadow suddenly convulsed.
It felt as though an unimaginably hot flame had passed directly through its soul.
Not its body.
Its soul.
Ling immediately recoiled.
Its form flickered violently.
Blake's eyes almost opened.
What happened?
Ling tried again.
The pain returned.
Stronger.
The shadow's body trembled.
Yet it refused to retreat.
It had formed an incredibly strong bond with Blake and Ella.
Seeing Blake being carried away by the Mystic Jade had triggered something inside it.
It wasn't thinking about danger.
It wasn't thinking about itself.
It only wanted to help.
So it tried again.
And again.
Each attempt brought another wave of searing pain.
The Mystic Jade didn't seem to notice.
It continued toward the citadel.
Ling struggled to follow.
Then—
Jade felt it.
---
Elsewhere
Jade had just finished eating.
He wiped his mouth and leaned back.
For the first time in a while, his stomach was full.
The meat had been surprisingly good.
He had barely finished when—
Pain suddenly struck his head.
Jade froze.
His expression changed instantly.
"Ah..."
The pain wasn't coming from his body.
It was coming from somewhere deeper.
His vision flickered.
Then—
The world before him disappeared.
His vision switched.
He saw darkness.
A gigantic citadel.
And Ling.
The little shadow was desperately trying to enter the structure.
Jade's eyes widened.
"Ling?"
He immediately used their telepathic connection.
Stay right there.
Ling stopped for half a second.
Jade's voice became more urgent.
Don't move. You're hurting my soul.
Ling ignored him.
Jade's expression darkened.
"Ling!"
The shadow continued.
Another attempt.
Another wave of searing pain.
Jade could feel it.
Every injury Ling suffered traveled through their connection.
It wasn't merely physical pain.
It was affecting his soul.
Jade clenched his fists.
"Why won't you listen?"
Then he understood.
Blake.
Ling wasn't trying to enter the citadel because it wanted to.
It was trying because Blake was inside.
The bond between them had become too strong.
Ling had learned to care.
And now that Blake was in danger...
It would rather destroy itself than abandon him.
Jade's expression softened for only a moment.
Then worry returned.
"Ling..."
"Stop."
The shadow still refused.
It stretched itself forward.
Its body crossed the boundary again.
The searing pain intensified.
Jade suddenly felt as though something had stabbed directly into his soul.
He staggered backward.
His breathing became ragged.
"What is that place?"
The citadel remained silent.
No aura.
No visible barrier.
Nothing.
Yet something inside it was clearly rejecting Ling.
Then—
The System spoke.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
Just one cold sentence.
A sentence that made Jade's entire body freeze.
"Your shadow has been destroyed."
Silence.
Jade's pupils contracted.
For several seconds...
He couldn't breathe.
"...What?"
The world around him became distant.
His connection with Ling...
Had vanished.