Chapter 1406: I Don’t Want Her Anymore!

Vesperhart’s plan had been to trap Ethan with the giant tree, then attack him itself.

But it had overlooked Auri.

Not only did the newly grown tree fail to restrain Ethan, but its branches were seized by the older trees surrounding it. The trees under Auri’s control then joined Ethan in hammering the shield.

Ethan glanced back.

He had no idea why the trees were suddenly helping him, but help was help.

Besides, Auri was nearby.

This was probably her doing.

Inside the shield, Vesperhart was nearing despair.

Cracks covered the transparent barrier, and Ethan had already planted a huge number of energy spheres inside its body. It had lost control of every tree in the area, and even turning back time could only restart the battle. There was no guarantee it would win the next round.

Then Vesperhart looked down at the clock, and its eyes changed.

The hands had indeed reached the designated point.

But this time, it didn’t need to turn back time.

It needed to extend the seal.

Why else would this place be called the Forest of Vigil?

Vesperhart knew it was no match for Ethan and Auri.

But it still had a duty to fulfill. It couldn’t keep wasting time here.

"I don’t want her anymore!" Vesperhart shouted at Ethan through the shield. "Will you just leave? I have something important to take care of!"

It spoke again with even greater emphasis.

"I’m not lying to you!"

Outside the shield, Ethan paused.

It didn’t want Auri?

Auri was adorable. What gave it the right to say it didn’t want her?

How dare it reject her?

Ethan attacked even harder.

The white lightning around his fists blazed brighter as his punches sped up. More energy spheres slipped through the cracks and sank into Vesperhart’s body one after another.

Vesperhart couldn’t understand it.

Why was Ethan attacking even more fiercely after hearing that?

It had clearly given up on taking Auri. There was no reason for them to keep fighting.

But Ethan gave it no chance to explain.

His white wings swept downward, and the resulting blast snapped the surrounding trees in half. Using the recoil, Ethan shot high into the air, then turned and aimed his fist at Vesperhart below.

A sphere of energy enveloped his entire arm.

Ethan dove.

The already crumbling shield had no chance of withstanding this attack.

Vesperhart looked up at the rapidly approaching white light.

It was too late to run.

If it died here, it could no longer maintain the seal.

It had no choice but to use the clock again, even if doing so cost it more of its memories.

Vesperhart stopped retreating.

It stared coldly at Ethan as an energy sphere formed between its antlers, passed through the shield, and flew straight into his path.

Watching from a distance, Auri found that strange.

Why wasn’t Vesperhart running?

Had it decided there was no escape?

The descending Ethan struck the green energy sphere head-on.

His white lightning didn’t explode.

The green time power enveloped his body first.

Under Auri’s shocked gaze, Ethan began to slow. His beating wings, the lightning around his fist, and even his falling body moved at a crawl.

Vesperhart sighed softly.

Ignoring Ethan suspended in midair, it turned and walked toward the hollow in the tree.

"Don’t follow me."

The giant stag stepped into the opening.

"I really do have something I need to take care of."

Vesperhart disappeared into the depths of the hollow.

The time-slowing effect vanished with it.

Ethan instantly returned to normal speed, and his fist continued along its original path before slamming into the ground.

Boom!

Dirt exploded in every direction, leaving a deep crater behind.

Ethan raised his head and looked around in confusion.

Vesperhart was gone.

Auri walked over helplessly.

She hopped down from the small branch carrying her and approached Ethan. Green Fairy power flowed from her palm into his body, replenishing the energy he had expended over the many rounds of fighting.

"Dad."

Auri looked up at him.

"You fought it so many times. Why did you use almost the same strategy every time?"

Ethan paused.

So many times?

He thought back to the repeated feelings of familiarity, then remembered how he had gained contact with time power and learned to control part of it.

So that was what had happened.

Vesperhart hadn’t turned back time only once.

That stag had been repeating the battle over and over.

Sneaky bastard.

Auri kept explaining.

"Then you asked this tree hollow a bunch of questions."

She pointed at the opening where Vesperhart had disappeared.

"You even asked if it could turn me into..."

Auri trailed off.

She turned to Ethan with a guilty look.

The surrounding branches immediately reached in and wrapped around Ethan’s hands, waist, and legs.

"Dad, I was just curious."

Auri blinked innocently.

"It really isn’t what you think..."

Of course, Ethan knew she was joking.

Still, if he hadn’t come into contact with time power during the fight, he might really have fallen for the same tricks with every rewind.

A deafening crash came from the wall of vegetation behind them.

Boom!

The massive wall collapsed inward from the center.

Countless branches, leaves, and splinters poured through the breach as Andona and the others emerged from the other side. Thick clouds of dust from their repeated attacks surged in after them, completely engulfing Ethan and Auri.

The dust stung Ethan’s eyes, forcing him to raise an arm in front of his face.

Auri received entirely different treatment.

Nearby branches rushed to gather around her, forming a barrier that blocked every bit of incoming dust.

A beam of violet-red light shot through the broken wall.

Kaelira raised a hand and released an energy sphere. Its violent power swept forward along the ground, blasting the dust aside and quickly clearing the group’s view.

Kaelira stood at the front of the group, her violet-red eyes glaring fiercely through the thinning haze.

Once the dust cleared, Ethan could finally open his eyes.

He looked up at Kaelira, who stood in the breach. She stared back at him, the violet-red energy sphere still hovering above her palm. Neither of them spoke.

Awkwardness settled over the wreckage.

Seraphina sighed and returned to her dragon form. Her massive body moved directly between them, and one enormous wing cut off their view of each other. Only then did the strange tension begin to fade.

Auri gave a small wave of her hand.

The branches binding Ethan immediately released him and hurriedly withdrew in every direction. Standing off to the side, she smiled at the group as though nothing had happened.

With Seraphina’s enormous body shielding him, Ethan explained how he and Auri had encountered Thornroot and Vesperhart, along with everything that had happened during the repeated time reversals.

By the time he finished, the mood had finally lightened.

Even so, several people still gave Ethan and Auri looks that were hard to interpret.

Ethan decided to change the subject.

He walked around Seraphina and pointed toward the tree hollow ahead. White lightning gathered in his palm, forming an energy sphere.

"Vesperhart went in through here."