Chapter416-What a Pity, It's Fake
Jina had been raised under the old woman’s watchful eyes.
She knew her granddaughter too well.
To Jina, this situation seemed to offer a choice, but in reality—
She had no real choice at all.
The only thing she could do was ensure Brown’s survival—
And then, give him up.
That was the only decision her granddaughter could make.
As expected, after a brief moment, Jina stood up.
She looked utterly devastated.
“Grandmother… let him go. I… I promise to return with you. From now on…”
Her voice choked up.
Then, she finally forced the words out:
“…From now on, I will never see Brown again.”
A smile appeared on the old woman’s face.
Yes.
This was the expected outcome.
This was the only choice her granddaughter would make.
Just as she had predicted.
But then, Jina’s tone suddenly changed—
“Never see him again… I can’t do that!”
“You’re forcing us apart… Grandmother, am I still your granddaughter?”
“If you insist on killing Brown—then kill me too!”
“Even in death, I will never leave him!”
Jina roared at the figure in the sky.
And then—
She attacked the old woman with her strongest magic.
The elder, however, remained unfazed.
After all, she had personally taught Jina magic.
No matter what spell Jina used, it was useless.
But then—
The elder realized something.
Jina’s magic…
It wasn’t meant to attack her at all.
Yes, Jina knew her spells couldn’t harm her grandmother.
The attack was just a diversion.
Her real plan was—
A blade of mana had appeared at Jina’s own throat.
“Grandmother, I will die with Brown!”
The sudden turn of events shocked the elder.
She had never imagined…
That Jina would make such a choice.
Jina had always been soft and weak—
She was never the type to do something like this.
But today—
For Brown, she had changed completely.
She was even willing to die.
Suspended mid-air, Brown was barely able to breathe.
But the elder hadn’t intended to kill him—
She had only used him as a bargaining chip to force Jina to return.
Even so, Brown fully understood what was happening.
A single tear slid from the corner of his eye.
He…
Had someone who loved him this much.
If he had to die, then so be it.
“You’re not afraid I’ll kill him?”
The elder asked again.
“If you kill him, I will die with him!”
“…Very well. Then I shall grant your wish!”
This time, the old woman was truly furious!
The once obedient granddaughter…
Had become this?
All because of Brown!
Fine—
She would kill him right here, right now!
The elder tightened her grip.
But at that moment—
A new presence appeared.
A powerful blast of magic struck the elder.
It interrupted her spell—
And Brown fell from the sky.
The elder turned around angrily.
A middle-aged man now stood there.
“…Should people like us really be interfering in the affairs of the younger generation?”
The man said calmly.
Hearing that voice, Brown’s eyes widened in shock.
He recognized it instantly.
He lifted his head—
And saw a figure strikingly similar to himself, standing before the elder.
“…Father! You—”
The moment Brown saw him, he couldn’t believe it.
This was his father.
But—
His father had never approved of his relationship with Jina.
He had always opposed them.
“Why are you here? Why are you helping us?
You’ve always been against this—”
“Because I’ve changed my mind.
If you truly love her, then I will support you with everything I have.”
The man looked at Brown.
Then, he exchanged a glance with Jina.
“…Take her and go. I’ll hold off this old woman.”
Brown’s mind was in chaos.
The father who had always opposed him—
Now, he was standing on his side.
And—
He was fighting Jina’s grandmother for them.
This was unbelievable.
“Hurry up and go!”
The middle-aged man urged again.
Brown immediately grabbed Jina’s hand—
And the two of them ran into the distance.
Tears streamed from Brown’s eyes.
He couldn’t believe what had just happened.
After running for a while, they stopped.
“Brown… This isn’t far enough. My grandmother might catch up.”
Jina said, urging him to keep running.
Brown turned to her, a nostalgic look in his eyes.
“…Yeah. Your grandmother will definitely come after us.”
“…What a pity. If the real Jina were like you, it would have been wonderful.”
“…Brown?”
Jina looked at him in confusion.
But Brown tightened his grip on her wrist.
His grip grew stronger and stronger—
“…Who are you?
Jina… would never have been this brave.”
The moment he spoke—
Everything began collapsing.
The dreamscape shattered.
The illusion dissolved.
Brown’s young form transformed into a cold, stern-faced middle-aged man.
And Jina—
She changed too.
Her form shifted—
Into a green-haired girl.
The girl still had her hand caught in Brown’s grasp.
Awkwardly, she stammered:
“Domain Lord, sir! I—I was forced into this!”
“You dare to intrude upon my dream?”
The man’s gaze was piercing.
“I heard that among the geniuses participating in the exam this year,
There was one especially skilled in dream magic.
That must be you, right?
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How bold.”
“…You’re mistaken, sir! I admit my mistake, Domain Lord!
But I was forced into this!
Daniel!”
Alice immediately shouted for help.
“Didn’t you say you would take responsibility for the consequences?!”
She yelled desperately.
Because clearly—
The Domain Lord knew who she was.
And he had just said her name outright…
This was bad!
At that moment—
Daniel finally revealed himself.
At first, he still looked like Brown’s father.
But soon—
He changed into another man.
That’s right—
The Five-Element God King.
Alice gasped in admiration.
Genius!
Why hadn’t she thought of that?
The moment she had been exposed, she had immediately reverted to her real form.
But if she had simply transformed into someone else—
Wouldn’t that have worked better?
She felt so stupid!
Seeing Daniel appear, Brown—
No, the Domain Lord—
Let out a sigh and muttered:
“If only it had been like this back then.
I always wished… things could have been different.”
“…Then tell me, what really happened?”
Daniel asked.
“The truth?”
The Domain Lord chuckled bitterly.
“In reality, Jina agreed to her grandmother’s demands…
And I was taken back to my family.”
That was the real outcome.
Neither of them had been strong enough.
So they were both forced back into their families.
“…But you both survived, didn’t you?”
Daniel said.
“If you’re still alive—there’s still hope.”
The Domain Lord gave a bitter smile.
“I once thought so too.
I told myself—if I grew strong enough, if I surpassed both families,
Then I could finally be with Jina…”
“But reality… wasn’t so kind.”
The Domain Lord sighed.
After returning, he had devoted himself to magic.
He had pushed himself to the limit.
He had trained like a madman, seeking power beyond his family’s control.
He wanted to reunite with Jina.
And then—
“When I finally returned to her family…
I had already become strong enough to crush them all.
But unfortunately—”
“Jina got married?”
Daniel asked.
“No.
She died.”
The Domain Lord’s face was filled with helpless sorrow.
“After returning…
She locked herself in her room.