Chapter 19

After the initial shock subsided, reason regained its hold.

Ansbillis swiftly took off his suit and wrapped it around the other person's waist, covering the exposed vital parts. His complex emotions, on the verge of erupting, were restrained within his icy words: "You've changed in appearance and personality. You were never this bold in front of me before."

Oceania responded, "I'd love to discuss how boring and conventional my past self was with you, but we have a more pressing enemy right now. Can we focus, please?"

Ansbillis replied meaningfully, "Hmm, running naked in front of the enemy."

Oceania remained silent.

Ansbillis adjusted his clothes, looking down. "How long until you can recover?"

Oceania blinked. "One or two minutes."

Ansbillis paused, raising his head to look at him with deep and suppressed emotions. "Oh, at most half a minute left?"

"Close enough." Oceania avoided his intense gaze and scanned the surroundings for the assailant who had just attacked from the shadows.

Ansbillis reached out his arm, forcefully pulling him into his embrace, and kissed him passionately.

His lips were scorching hot, his tongue agile and fierce as it finally entered the long-desired mouth, ravaging it recklessly. He revealed his fangs, breaking the lips, unable to distinguish whose blood was mixing urgently with their saliva.

Oceania tried to push him away but only received a stronger hold.

Ansbillis's fingers pressed against Oceania's waist, each one as if wanting to penetrate deep into his body, connecting their flesh and blood.

After an unknown period, the intense stirring gradually subsided.

Ansbillis licked the wounded lips that had been ravaged, the flesh now blurred. "Three minutes."

Breathless, Oceania glared at him. "We have a more pressing enemy."

"It's okay," came a cold voice from the woods.

Oceania straightened his body and looked around warily.

Ansbillis didn't move, his regained lover occupying all his thoughts.

"I'm sorry about earlier," the voice continued. "I thought you were minions of the Black Wizard."

Oceania raised an eyebrow, looking at Ansbillis with a half-smile. "Minions of the Black Wizard."

Ansbillis felt a pang in his heart, lowering his gaze to avoid Oceania's eyes.

Oceania gently patted his shoulder, a gesture of both comfort and forgiveness for the past. He had witnessed Ansbillis's years of painful struggle and his actions. The previous hatred and anger gradually subsided in the other's almost devout remorse, while the taste of heartache, like the dampness in the southern air, silently moistened his heart.

"And now you believe it?" Oceania asked.

"The traces of dark sorcery at the scene made me suspicious of you. But the holy water aura on your bone ring gave me a reason to dispel my doubts." To show sincerity, a person wearing a black cloak from head to toe slowly emerged from the other side of the woods.

Ansbillis immediately stood in the middle, shielding Oceania.

The Cloaked Figure stopped and took out a dark gray cloak that resembled but was different from the one they were wearing. They threw it over and said, "New, new style. Maybe your lover needs it."

Oceania wanted to push it away, but Ansbillis caught it and shook it open. As they saw the color and style, their wrist paused for a moment, a hint of deep thought flashed in their eyes, but they quickly turned around and draped it over Oceania.

Oceania touched the cloak, their expression becoming somewhat strange, and they looked up at the Cloaked Figure, asking eagerly, "Is this cloak yours?"

The Cloaked Figure repeated impatiently, "New style, new clothes. I've never worn it."

Oceania asked, "Have you ever seen someone wearing the same cloak?"

The Cloaked Figure replied, "No."

Oceania inquired, "Where did you buy it?"

The Cloaked Figure responded, "My lover had it custom-made."

Oceania's heart skipped a beat as they asked, "Your lover is..."

"Let's get back to the topic," Ansbillis interjected forcefully, breaking the odd question-and-answer mode between the two.

The Cloaked Figure said, "I don't want to share information about my lover with others."

Oceania blushed.

Ansbillis showed a hint of sympathy and gently smiled, saying, "Me neither."

The Cloaked Figure asked, "Can you explain the black magic at the scene?"

Ansbillis replied, "Before asking, why don't we introduce ourselves?"

A sudden gust of wind blew through the forest, lifting the Cloaked Figure's large cloak and revealing a strand of white hair playfully peeking out before quickly retreating.

"I come from the Elemental Realm, the Witch Clan."

The Elemental Realm was a very special realm among the nine realms, where multiple races coexisted. Unlike the various races in the human realm, the classification in the Elemental Realm was broader, including the Witch Clan, the Transparent People, the White Shark Clan, and others. They had different habits, abilities, and appearances. Some races were even non-humanoid, with significant differences. However, they peacefully lived under the same sky. The Witch Clan held a crucial position in the Elemental Realm, and several centuries ago, they even sent many envoys to establish diplomatic relations with humans, which was why wizards began to appear among humans.

Due to the inherent magical power of the Witch Clan and the fact that humans needed external objects to use magic, they were distinguished as White Wizards and Black Wizards.

Ansbillis wore a mocking smile and said, "Oh, are you finally coming out to clean up the mess?"

The Cloaked Figure fell silent for a moment and apologized.

Ansbillis curved their lips and spoke in a cold tone, "I don't accept it." If it weren't for the Witch Clan tolerating the Black Wizards, Godwin wouldn't have developed into its current state, and it would have been annihilated eight hundred years ago, going to work as labor in Hell.

The Cloaked Figure said, "It doesn't matter."

Oceania intervened to defuse the situation, saying, "Haha! I believe you have your reasons for doing this."

The Cloaked Figure calmly stated, "Heartbreak."

...

Oceania said speechlessly, "That reason is really..." so willful!

Ansbillis nodded and said, "I understand."

Oceania: "..."

The hostility on the surface was eliminated, and both sides could finally sit down and exchange information properly.

Ansbillis didn't introduce himself but thoroughly praised Godwin, leaving nothing behind.

The Cloaked Figure said, "I should be tracking him."

He briefly explained the origins of the Black Wizard. Originally, the Witch Clan intended to sell witch water and witchcraft tools in exchange for human metallurgical materials. However, after understanding the abilities of the Witch Clan, some ambitious humans began to covet the witchcraft of the Witch Clan. They used intermarriage to recruit many enamored witches who were willing to study ways to make humans immortal. With the help of external objects, they enabled humans to use witchcraft as well.

Later on, the manipulated witches realized something was wrong, but it was already too late to turn back.

The first group of humans who mastered the principles of witchcraft spread to various places and branched out.

After the Cloaked Figure arrived in the human realm, he followed the aura of black magic as he roamed the world. When he returned to the Red Sea, the scent of black magic was almost everywhere, making him realize that he had found the headquarters. Just now in the forest, he felt the fluctuation of black magic, which is why he quietly followed and made his move.

Unexpectedly, he was played.

The Cloaked Figure said, "The other side has noticed my presence." The black magic he sensed along the way may have been a decoy.

"There aren't many Black Wizards who truly master the art of immortality," Ansbillis said. "Moreover, the conditions for human wizards to achieve immortality are very demanding, and the situation is not as dire as you think."

The Cloaked Figure said, "I want to finish things here as soon as possible. My beloved is waiting for me at home." The last sentence was filled with deep tenderness.

Ansbillis looked at Oceania beside him and felt a pang of jealousy. Oh, his beloved is waiting for him at home. How sweet and fulfilling! Meanwhile, his own beloved was deceiving him with the excuse of "one or two minutes."

The psychological disparity made Ansbillis couldn't help but utter a bitter remark, "Aren't you heartbroken?"

The Cloaked Figure replied, "We got back together."

Oceania sincerely said, "Congratulations. I wish you both a loving and harmonious relationship." She focused wholeheartedly on striking down the Black Wizard!

The Cloaked Figure's voice carried a hint of laughter. "Thank you." From the voice and temperament of the other person, he should be a cold and stern individual, but occasionally, a joyous atmosphere couldn't be concealed. It seems that he has been doing quite well lately.

This made Ansbillis even more bitter.

It's great. His beloved has turned into a fat cat and has the mood to wish others love, love, harmony, harmony, beauty, beauty!

The Cloaked Figure said, "Thank you for the information you provided. This is my return." He tossed a small copper bottle, saying, "This is Lucky Water. Drinking it can improve your constitution, and spraying a bit can increase your luck. Most importantly, it is the nemesis of black magic."

Ansbillis unscrewed the lid and took a whiff. Unlike the overpowering and dominant scent of holy water, Lucky Water had a refreshing fragrance, much like human green tea perfume.

The cloaked figure turned and entered the forest.

"Next, we..." Ansbillis turned the lid back and saw a black cat with innocent eyes flipping over its belly, seeking affection, on the deep gray cloak.

...

"We'll have cat food for dinner."

Angrily spoken.

Although the process was filled with drama, the outcome was quite good.

Ansbillis sat at one end of the dining table, hands folded on crossed legs, with a green gaze fixed on the large black cat eating the carefully prepared fish on the plate.

Knowing that the black cat was Oceania, he didn't actually let it eat cat food despite his verbal threats.

"Don't you have any explanation?" After it finished eating the fish and skillfully groomed itself, Ansbillis was on the verge of exploding from frustration.

The black cat paused, looked up at him.

Ansbillis took two deep breaths, finally suppressing the urge to shave off its fur and bite into it, and gently asked, "Are you full?"

The black cat innocently glanced at him, stretched lazily, and then—

It quickly jumped off the table, recklessly running toward the direction of the door.

Ansbillis closed his eyes, and his body suddenly appeared in front of it.

"Meow!" The black cat let out a pitiful cry.

Ansbillis's heart clenched, and the aura he was about to unleash dissipated as it roared. He immediately squatted down, picked it up, and checked its limbs.

The black cat raised its left front paw, showing a pitiful gaze.

Ansbillis gently rubbed its front paw, trying to insert his fingers between its claws, but failed. His face immediately darkened. "Had enough pretending?"

Black cat: "..."

Ansbillis carried it back to the bed, opened its limbs on its back, and looked down at it from above. "If you turn into a cat, I can't do anything to you, can I?"

The fur of the black cat slowly stood up.

Ansbillis smiled faintly and transformed into a large bat.

The black cat turned around and ran, while the bat leisurely chased after it, neither fast nor slow.

After running for a while, the black cat got tired. It was not accustomed to such intense activity, as it was used to days of eating fish, sleeping, and basking in the sun.

The bat stopped on the nearby sofa, quietly watching the black cat.

The black cat looked at it in confusion, reassured that it had no intention of pouncing on it, and relaxed. With small steps, it ran to the wooden table by the window to take a nap. The sunlight would shine on this spot every afternoon, but the weather was too hot, and the cat couldn't endure more than ten minutes of sunbathing. However, it would continue the next day.

Of course, Ansbillis knew its habits. The bat sat beside it, silently and gently watching the cat yawn, squint its eyes, and display a contented expression.

Love, this big cake, turned out to have different flavors.

The first bite tasted fishy and salty. That was the taste of blood.

He and Oceania, like two bulls, relentlessly attacked each other, trying to use their own horns to overturn the other's body and make them submit under their feet.

The second bite was spicy.

Their contrasting views led to constant arguments or cold wars after the arguments. However, describing it as a cold war was not entirely accurate because most of the time, Ansbillis unilaterally initiated the attacks, crazily entangling Oceania, wanting to imprison him by his side.

The third bite was sour.

In the battle with Oceania, Ansbillis finally won but lost his own heart, his love, and everything else...

He finally paid the price for his recklessness and impulsiveness, and finally understood what it meant to bear the unbearable weight.

He thought this was the taste of love.

However, when he transformed into a bat and quietly watched Oceania turn into a lazy cat, he tasted for the first time—

the taste of sweetness.