Chapter 678: A Forced Alliance

Third Person’s POV

Then, he used his soul sense.

A strange fluctuation spread through the minds of Eleanor and Aurelia.

Neither woman resisted the intrusion.

In the next instant, a short scene appeared directly within their minds.

It was a recording of Ethan’s battle against the deformed creature.

They witnessed the creature’s strange movements, its sudden disappearance, the silent needles, and Ethan’s desperate close-quarters struggle against it.

The two women were absolutely shocked, as they had never imagined that soul sense could be used in such a mystical manner.

But before they could fully process that realization, Ethan also transmitted the state of his body into their minds.

They saw the poison spreading through his body.

They saw the damage to his muscles and organs.

And most frighteningly, they saw the condition of his mana veins.

Both women’s expressions immediately changed.

Eleanor’s face became pale, while Aurelia’s tears continued falling as she stared at Ethan in disbelief and worry.

Ethan didn’t give them time to become overwhelmed.

His gaze shifted toward Arlene, who had arrived beside him.

Giving her a serious look, he said,

"These two creatures are not natives of this realm, and there are most likely many more of them."

His voice wasn’t particularly loud, but it carried enough for everyone nearby to hear.

The moment those words fell, the atmosphere around them became noticeably heavier.

Ethan’s body had already reached its limit.

The poison continued spreading through his body.

His mana veins seemed to be already damaged beyond repair, and the exhaustion from the prolonged battle was finally catching up to him.

Unable to hold himself any longer, Ethan’s vision began to darken.

His body finally lost its remaining strength.

He collapsed into the embrace of his mother and Aurelia, who were still sitting in a shocked state as they processed the battle they had just witnessed through his soul sense and the horrifying condition of his body.

"Ethan!"

Aurelia hurriedly held him tighter, while Eleanor supported his body with trembling hands.

Meanwhile, Arlene’s eyes widened upon hearing Ethan’s warning.

Her expression became solemn.

She immediately turned toward Edhan and beckoned him with her eyes.

The meaning behind that silent gesture was clear.

They needed to talk.

Edhan’s expression remained unreadable as he walked toward Princess Arlene.

The moment she relayed Ethan’s final words to him, a flicker of surprise appeared in his eyes before his expression became serious.

He slowly raised his gaze toward the gloomy sky hanging over the ruined city.

"Does that mean there is a different entrance to this realm other than the one that the Ice Emperor City possesses?"

His voice carried a hint of solemnity as he continued thinking aloud.

"What is the mystery behind this Ice Abyss, I wonder, that has attracted such strange creatures?"

He paused for a moment before narrowing his eyes.

"Clearly, they are neither from the Dark Star Continent nor humans. So, are they from the Blood Veil Continent?"

Hearing his analysis, Arlene’s eyes flickered with surprise, as she hadn’t considered that possibility from this particular angle.

However, after thinking about it for a few seconds, she couldn’t deny that his reasoning made sense.

"Yes, that makes sense if you put it that way," Arlene said calmly.

"But I have a different opinion regarding one part of your analogy."

Edhan shifted his gaze away from the sky and looked directly at his cousin.

"What is it?"

Arlene was just about to answer when several figures approached from behind.

Erius, Aria, and Misril soon arrived beside them.

The trio had not heard the conversation as they were being treated like air by Arlene and her party.

And understanding this fact filled Erius’s heart with anger.

A sneer appeared on his face as he said,

"Aren’t you acting a little too arrogant, little Arlene?"

His cold gaze settled on her.

"You are completely ignoring the fact that this man is my subordinate and taking all actions on his behalf while his rightful lord is standing right here."

His words were directed at Arlene, but his gaze soon shifted toward the unconscious Ethan.

A trace of anger and hidden hatred flickered within his eyes.

He hated this.

He hated everything that had happened since Ethan had acted and run entirely on his own, completely disregarding his authority as the prince.

Even before the battle with that terrifying sheep-headed demon, Ethan had openly demonstrated his trust in Arlene while designating those two women under her protection.

And now, he was lying there in a half-dead state.

Ethan was supposed to be one of his final cards toward victory and glory.

Instead, he had nearly gotten himself killed while acting completely outside Erius’s control.

Just thinking about it made Erius’s expression grow darker.

His eyes once again fell upon Arlene before moving toward Eleanor and Aurelia, who were kneeling beside the unconscious Ethan.

The sight only intensified the frustration churning within his chest.

Yet, surprisingly, Arlene didn’t sneer or argue with him.

She merely looked at him calmly.

"I apologize for ignoring you, elder brother."

There was a faint sarcastic edge hidden beneath her polite tone, but she restrained herself and continued.

"The situation was too chaotic for me to personally explain everything to you at that moment."

She then proceeded to explain Ethan’s final words, as well as the conclusions she and Edhan had reached regarding the strange creatures.

"But the opinion in which I differ from Senior Edhan is that these demons are not from the Blood Veil Continent, in my opinion."

"I concur."

To everyone’s surprise, it was Erius who calmly agreed with her.

The anger that had previously been visible in his eyes had disappeared, replaced by a thoughtful expression.

"I also believe they are from a foreign realm, as I have not read any mention of such demons existing in the Blood Veil Continent in the royal records."

His gaze briefly moved toward the dismembered remains of Trozon before continuing.

"And according to Eryndor’s words, there are many more of them."

His expression became solemn.

"Judging by the strength of the two creatures we encountered and the fact that we might encounter more of these strange creatures, I propose an alliance between our two parties."ℴ