The Uninvited Guest

The "Schnee Snowfield" is a vast snowfield that covers the southeastern tip of the continent. It is located between the "Haltina Sea of Trees" in the east and the Demon Tribe nation "Garland Demon Kingdom" in the middle of the southern road.

The snowfield is perpetually shrouded in thick clouds that block out all light, turning the area into a world of eternal night. The ground is entirely covered in ice and snow, and the temperature remains below minus tens of degrees. The fierce blizzards that sweep through the area transform this already harsh environment into a place akin to an icy hell.

Surrounding the Schnee Snowfield is a barrier that isolates it from the outside world. From the outside, the snowfield is undetectable, and travelers approaching it are automatically guided to the other side of the snowfield by the barrier.

As a result, there has never been any record of snow or ice disasters in the northern forest or the western demon territory.

After a morning of flying, Eriri and her companions reached the edge of the Schnee Snowfield by midday.

At that moment, the four of them were seated at a square dining table, enjoying lunch they had brought from Verbergen. Because the storage space of the chat group has time-stopping properties, the food remained hot and fresh as if it had just been cooked.

The ship continued to fly forward, and the moment it encountered the barrier, the energy shield surrounding the ship instantly broke through the barrier concealing the Schnee Snowfield, revealing the snowfield to the outside world.

In the next instant, as if the sky had suddenly darkened, the ship plunged into the snowfield's darkness. However, the harsh environment outside had no effect on the ship.

"Sis, why did it suddenly get dark?" Reina's nervous voice broke through the darkness. The sudden change unsettled both Shea and Reina, neither of whom had night vision.

"It's alright, don't worry. We've just entered a rather interesting place." Sensing the situation outside, Eriri's face showed a look of understanding. She then stood up, walked over to where Reina and Shea were sitting, and gently rubbed their ears with her small hands.

At the same time, Eriri adjusted the energy shield around the ship, making it emit a soft white light that illuminated the interior and exterior of the ship as if it were broad daylight.

"Where are we? The sky was so clear just a moment ago." Like Eriri, Arifureta remained calm. She put down her utensils and looked at Eriri with a curious expression.

Because the energy shield blocked out all noise and emitted bright light, Arifureta, Shea, and Reina couldn't see what the outside environment was like.

"We're currently in the middle of a vast snowfield," Eriri explained directly, not keeping them in suspense.

"I scanned the area and found a labyrinth deep within the snowfield, likely one of the Seven Great Labyrinths, the Schnee Snowfield Labyrinth. This snowfield was originally concealed by a barrier, probably set up by the Liberators. Normally, it's invisible and inaccessible to outsiders, and only those who know the special method can enter."

Hearing this, Shea asked with some confusion, "Then how did we get in so easily?"

"That's because of this energy shield," Eriri replied, pointing to the glowing shield around the ship. Then, with a casual tone, she added, "While this barrier may be impressive for the people of this world, for me…"

"Got it, got it!" Shea interrupted, understanding Eriri's unspoken implication. It was clear that the barrier was no match for Eriri's power; it was easily overcome with a mere touch.

Suddenly, Shea's tone became excited, "Eriri, let's go outside and play in the snow! I've never seen snow before. What does it feel like to touch? What does it smell like? I heard that snow doesn't cause frostbite right away when you touch it, is that true?"

Her rabbit ears and tail twitched up and down in excitement. Shea's face was filled with eager anticipation, making her look so adorable that Eriri couldn't resist pulling her into her arms and giving her a few affectionate squeezes.

"Shea is so cute!"

"Ugh…"

"Sis, me too, me too." On the other side, Reina tugged at Eriri's clothes, her fluffy fox ears and tail wagging back and forth. Her red eyes sparkled with anticipation.

"Yes, yes, Reina is very cute too." Releasing the now blushing and shy Shea, Eriri turned and lifted Reina from her chair.

"Hehe." Reina giggled as she wrapped her little hands tightly around Eriri's neck, a bright smile spreading across her face.

"The environment outside is still very harsh. It's not suitable for playing yet. Let me take care of that first, and then we can go out and play in the snow," Eriri said, patting Reina's fox tail before addressing Arifureta and Shea.

"Okay!" Arifureta and Shea responded in unison, their faces lighting up with joy.

Eriri raised her hand towards the sky and released a thread of cosmic energy, which spread out into a massive energy net that enveloped all the clouds above the snowfield. In no time, as the energy net dispersed, the clouds covering the snowfield vanished completely.

With the clouds gone, the raging blizzards that had swept across the snowfield also calmed down, restoring the landscape to that of a serene snowfield.

"Now this is what a snowfield should look like!" Eriri said with a satisfied smile as she looked at the transformed snowfield, the energy shield around the ship becoming invisible once more.

The deep blue sky now stretched out before them, and the thick snow covered the ground in a blanket of white. Large snowflakes fluttered down from the sky like the gentle flapping of a noble swan's wings, creating an exceptionally beautiful scene.

"Wow, so this is snow? It's beautiful!" Standing at the edge of the ship, Shea gazed in awe at the stunning scenery before her, unable to hold back her admiration.

Shea excitedly turned to Eriri, "Eriri, can we go out and play in the snow now?"

"Yes, of course, but we need to make sure we're warm enough first."

Among the four of them, only Eriri and Arifureta could withstand the snowfield's freezing temperatures. Shea, despite her strength, had no means to resist the cold, and as for Reina, who was only six years old, she was just an ordinary little girl and completely unprotected against the snowfield's harsh conditions.

The energy shield surrounding the ship not only protected it from the elements but also maintained a comfortable temperature inside. Therefore, if Shea, dressed in a light dress, or Reina, in her Lolita princess dress, stepped outside the shield's range, they would be unable to withstand the cold.

Eriri tapped both Shea and Reina lightly, and an invisible protective barrier formed around them, providing both warmth and protection without hindering their movements.

"I want one too!" Arifureta quickly moved closer, wrapping her arms around Eriri's waist and laughing as she playfully asked.

"Alright, alright."

With that, Eriri took Arifureta, Shea, and Reina outside to the newly revealed Schnee Snowfield, where they played to their hearts' content.

…

The moment the barrier over the Schnee Snowfield disappeared, a soft female voice murmured deep within a labyrinth hidden in a grand canyon: "An unknown variable… I hope your arrival will put an end to Ehit's madness."

Meanwhile, in the depths of the Garland Demon Kingdom's palace, a male voice whispered fervently: "Has it come? It's time to welcome the return of my lord!"

…

On their way to the Demon Kingdom, Eriri did not make any special effort to conceal the ship's presence, so many people below noticed the rapidly flying vessel in the sky, and the Demon Kingdom was no exception.

As they crossed the Schnee Snowfield, a group of unexpected visitors appeared in front of their ship.

A middle-aged man with golden hair and red eyes, accompanied by several demon generals clad in armor, all with dark skin and pointed ears, rode on massive wyverns in mid-air. Behind them floated a mysterious unit of 500 soldiers, fully encased in armor.

"The Garland Demon Kingdom welcomes you, esteemed warrior," the middle-aged man with golden hair and red eyes bowed slightly towards the ship, showing the highest level of respect.

As Eriri, accompanied by Arifureta, Shea, and Reina, flew out of the ship to face the middle-aged man, she looked at him with an intriguing expression and asked, "What business does the Demon Kingdom have with me?"

Hearing this, the middle-aged man slowly raised his head and spoke with utmost reverence, "Esteemed warrior, I am the current Demon King of the Demon Kingdom, and…"

He paused for a moment, then looked at Arifureta beside Eriri with eyes filled with joy and excitement, before continuing, "I am also the former Prime Minister of the Vampire Kingdom of Avatarl from 300 years ago—Dienleed Galdea Vesperitio Avatarl."

"Avatarl Kingdom… You are…" Upon hearing the middle-aged man's introduction, Arifureta's face showed a hint of surprise.

When she was transported to this world, her original mind was on the verge of collapse due to the 300 years of sealing, which made it easy for her to merge with the original soul and inherit its memories. However, most of those memories had faded over the centuries, except for the name of the Avatarl Kingdom and the person who betrayed her and sealed her deep within the labyrinth, which were deeply engraved in her mind.

"That's right, Dienleed Galdea Vesperitio Avatarl, the most beautiful and intelligent queen in history, my beloved niece. I am your uncle," Dienleed said in a gentle tone, a warm smile spreading across his face.

Upon hearing Dienleed's words, Arifureta's expression darkened, and she looked at him with a mocking smile.

"You still dare to call yourself my uncle? Where was that sentiment when you betrayed me and sealed me away?"

"I am truly sorry."

"If apologies were enough, then why would we need the police?"

"Police?" Dienleed's eyes showed a trace of confusion, not understanding what Arifureta meant by the term.

"Never mind," Arifureta replied indifferently, then asked with a probing look, "In that case, why did you betray me?"

Dienleed lifted his head as if recalling something, and after a moment, he slowly began to speak, "Arifureta, you were a genius, especially in magic. There was no one in the world who could rival you. Even I, who could use divine magic, was no match for you."

He paused before continuing, "Your power was so extraordinary that it caught the attention of the god Ehit."

"God Ehit?"

"Yes, Arifureta. Do you remember? At that time, the upper echelons of Avatarl were already infiltrated by forces that worshipped Ehit, including your parents. I believe you must have noticed some signs at the time."

"Oh, I forgot," Arifureta responded casually, as if discussing something trivial.

"What?" Dienleed was taken aback by Arifureta's reaction, which was completely different from what he had expected.

Although Arifureta did not give him a definite response, Dienleed continued with a forced smile, "At that time, after conquering The Great Orcus Labyrinth, I learned the truth about the world and Ehit from the Liberators. Although I couldn't determine whether what they said was true, I decided to distance you from the faith of Ehit just to be safe."

"But that decision triggered Ehit's desire to eliminate you."

"And then?"

"…"

Dienleed was now extremely frustrated. Arifureta's behavior was completely different from what he remembered. Had the 300 years of sealing drastically changed her personality?

"Please believe me, the power of the god Ehit is widely known. Even your immortality wouldn't protect you from Him. To safeguard you, I had no choice but to hide you before an assassination attempt could succeed, creating the illusion of your death until the day we could rise against Him."

"Do you really take me for a fool? I'm not the Yue from 300 years ago who would easily believe your words," Arifureta scoffed, looking at Dienleed as if he were an idiot. "I'm a well-educated young woman from the 21st century. Did you really think you could deceive me with such a flimsy story? You must be out of your mind."