Before the woman could close her eyes and resign herself to her fate, a sturdy arm suddenly caught her body gently. The touch felt strong, offering a sense of safety amidst her despair.
At the same time, the white tiger's roar echoed again, but this time it transformed into a final shriek that resonated in the air. After that, silence enveloped the forest.
The woman tried to glance back to confirm what had happened, but her body was completely drained of energy.
Her vision blurred, and the overwhelming exhaustion left her no choice but to lean on the figure who had saved her. Her weak hands trembled slightly, but she allowed her body to be supported by arms that felt firm yet warm.
"This woman..." Lein muttered softly, his eyes observing the pale face of the girl. His gaze reflected a hint of emotional fatigue, as if this wasn't the first time he had found himself in such a situation.
"Why are they always ?" He sighed, letting his mind drift to memories of Elen, whom he had also saved in a similar condition from the threat of foreign creatures.
Carefully, Lein lifted the woman and floated toward a large tree at the edge of the forest. His steps were steady, and his movements deliberate, as though afraid of causing the woman further harm.
Upon reaching the tree, he gently set her down, leaning her against the sturdy trunk. Sunlight filtering through the leaves touched her face, bringing a faint warmth to her pale skin.
Lein glanced at the status panel that appeared before him. The translucent screen displayed a series of texts and numbers, providing brief information about the woman's condition.
- Race: Blue Planet Human
- Power Core: System (Level 11)
Images of rulers who chose to reincarnate into other realms surfaced in his mind. "At least she's more respectable than them," Lein thought as he closed the panel.
He quickly opened his communication panel and sent a brief message to someone he trusted to pick up the woman. It didn't take long for a response to arrive, confirming they would be there in a few minutes.
Lein shifted his gaze to the girl one last time. He let out a light sigh and tossed the golden sword hanging at his waist to her side. The sword transformed into a rusted black blade that would seem ordinary to anyone unaware of its uniqueness.
"This is your luck," he said casually before opening a portal and stepping through, heading toward the Tree of Life.
The spacious room, illuminated by sunlight, revealed five large orbs placed on a pentagonal pedestal. The orbs emitted a soft glow, radiating an alluring, transparent light.
One of the orbs was directly connected to a nature crystal that pulsed faintly, like the heartbeat of life gradually seeping into the orb. The energy absorption process was still ongoing, filling the room with a magical aura.
Suddenly, a teleportation rift appeared near the center of the room, creating a flash of blue light that briefly dazzled the surroundings. From the rift, Lein stepped out calmly.
His long blue robe swayed gently, following the graceful movements of his body. He paused for a moment, surveying his surroundings with a cold yet vigilant gaze.
Lein's attention immediately fell on the orb and the pentagonal pedestal connected to the nature crystal. He approached one of the pedestals, his steps unhurried yet steady. Seeing the significant amount of nature crystal remaining, his brows furrowed slightly.
"Still so much?!" he said with a hint of frustration, reflecting his impatience. Lein extended his hand, touching the guardian panel on the crystal ball, and examined the energy absorption status.
Lein stood before the Guardian panel, glowing softly with rainbow hues reflecting off the surrounding crystals. His eyes scanned the life branches displayed neatly.
- Life Branches: (Upgrade Branch), (Resource Branch), (Protection Branch), (Energy Quality Branch), (Luck Branch)
- Nature Crystals: 78
"78 crystals," Lein muttered, observing the number. His voice was low, almost as if speaking to himself. He looked at the panel with a mix of satisfaction and curiosity.
As Lein examined further, something caught his attention. A small plus-shaped icon appeared beside one of the branches, the Enhancement Branch. His eyes narrowed as he tried to discern the purpose of this new feature.
"Seems like a new feature," he said quietly, then tapped the icon with his index finger. A notification window immediately popped up, displaying a question:
[You are about to enhance the branch (Enhancement Branch). Are you sure? Yes/No]
Without hesitation, Lein selected Yes.
The panel provided a brief confirmation:
[Congratulations, enhancement successful! The Enhancement Branch has been upgraded.]
Lein stared at the screen, now displaying the upgrade results. His eyes caught the additional information that appeared below the description:
"Entry ticket?" Lein repeated, his tone puzzled, a subtle frown forming on his face. "What does that mean?"
He double-checked the panel, ensuring he hadn't missed any details. Although he didn't fully understand the meaning of the upgrade, he decided to observe the changes in the Enhancement Orb directly.
Turning, Lein approached the orb connected to the Enhancement Branch. The orb emitted a bright green light with an upward arrow symbol that now appeared more prominent than before.
[Branch : Enhancement]
- Bubble Realm Limit : Tier D
Lein nodded slightly, noting that the previous level, which had been at Tier 1, had now increased. The number of entry tickets also rose from 10 to 11.
"It seems there's indeed an enhancement," he murmured, tilting his head slightly, trying to grasp the meaning of the term "Bubble Realm" that appeared in the description.
"What is the Bubble Realm?" Lein thought, his eyes fixed on the orb. He had never heard of this term before. Even so, he speculated that the entry tickets might be used to access the realm.
"But where is this realm located?" he muttered softly. During his time in the Divine Sky Realm, he had never encountered anything resembling a realm with such a name, except for his own dream bubble.
"Could it be outside this realm?" he continued, his voice lowering as though speaking to himself. His brows furrowed, but he chose not to dwell too long in speculation.