Restlessness and Fear

The crimson red that filled her vision almost made Kiana think she was back in that memory space again. But the thick, bloody scent constantly swirling around her kept reminding her – she was in reality.

Ren…

She raised her hands, wanting to grab the hem of Ren's clothes, but the excessive exhaustion had long since drained her spirit and body. She couldn't even manage to call out his name.

Just as her heart sank deeper and deeper, she distinctly felt Ren hug her tighter. However, Ren seemed to be facing some enemy and hadn't noticed she had woken up.

This greatly relieved her. Only then did she realize that she was being held in Ren's arms, rapidly moving through the ruins of broken walls and piles of rubble. Behind them, violent explosions echoed from time to time. The whistling wind in her ears and the flying gravel behind her all testified to the urgency of the situation.

Realizing the current situation was critical, Kiana didn't continue to speak and disturb Ren. She simply leaned obediently into Ren's embrace, her ear pressed against his chest, quietly listening to the rhythmic beating of his heart.

His heartbeat is steady, and there are no obvious wounds on his body. Could it be that this blood isn't Ren's?

Slightly puzzled, Kiana looked up at Ren. From her angle, she could barely make out the lower half of his profile.

Let's first check our surroundings and confirm our current situation… That was what she originally intended to do. But unknowingly, her gaze lingered on Ren's face.

The gentle-looking boy's cheeks, unlike Siegfried's stubbled face, unexpectedly held a hint of childishness. Even though I'm already used to Ren's appearance, even though we are in a critical situation right now, why does my heart feel like it's racing for no reason?

Why have I never noticed it before? Is it because of what Class Monitor said in the Mind Space? Kiana was utterly perplexed.

She didn't realize that in the past, she had mostly regarded Ren as an inseparable companion and friend. The connection between their souls far surpassed any physical interaction, to the point that she subconsciously overlooked the fact that he was the opposite sex, with a completely different physical makeup from her own.

Now, in this dangerous situation, the protection Ren offered allowed her to calmly observe her surroundings. The word "love" that Class Monitor mentioned seemed like a casual thought that brushed past the girl's heart, but in reality, it was a seed of budding emotion, deeply rooted in the blank canvas of her romantic feelings.

This was why she, who should have prioritized observing the environment, unintentionally focused her attention on Ren.

Clang!

Just as Kiana was secretly observing, a spear suddenly shot out from the giant sword peak atop the mountain, intercepting Ren's path forward.

"Hahaha, let's see how you run now!" Along with the spear attack, a somewhat familiar laughter reached her ears.

In the next second, in the dark clouds pointing towards the sky, the crimson lightning seemed to grow restless, becoming increasingly active. The surrounding chains suddenly shook violently. Mount Taixu, which had still retained some of its original appearance, was completely destroyed, transforming into bare, steep cliffs and peaks.

And amidst the clanging of the chains, a gray-haired girl lightly tapped the chains with her toes, and in a flash, leaped high above Ren's head, then plummeted down.

In the dull thud of impact, countless cracks split open the solid bluestone ground. In the dust that billowed up, a pair of crimson eyes looked exceptionally intimidating.

"..." Kiana clearly felt Ren's breathing quicken slightly, but in the end, he remained silent, holding her and stopping in his tracks.

"Why are you running? Weren't you the one who attacked me first? Or could it be, seeing me get serious, you've become afraid instead?"

The girl, enveloped in a black aura, spoke with a voice full of anger. But the more Kiana listened, the more familiar it sounded, until the dust gradually settled, and her pupils suddenly contracted.

Class Monitor?!

She never expected that the one blocking Ren's path would be Class Monitor. What surprised her even more was that Class Monitor at this moment was nothing like the peaceful person she had seen before. Instead, she was filled with a chaotic, crazed aura.

"I said it before, break open this place, break open Kiana."

Just as Kiana was in shock, Ren spoke. His tone wasn't loud, but it carried an unquestionable air of command.

Unlike the gentle and childish boy he usually was, Ren at this moment looked more like a supreme god. This feeling involuntarily reminded her of one person – the Queen of the Void.

"Heh, who do you think you are? You just caught me off guard with a sneak attack, don't tell me you really think you can beat me?" "Fu Hua" clearly didn't intend to let Ren go, and spoke, trying to provoke him.

For Little Senti, the moment she fully unleashed the Herrscher of Sentience's power, there was no turning back. She had abandoned the identity of Fu Hua, and would never again have the chance to be friends with Kiana and the others, never again receive recognition from others.

Fighting with such determination, yet Ren was saying he wouldn't fight. How could she possibly accept that?

Unfortunately, Ren didn't fall for this trick. Kiana's previous unconsciousness had made him furious, subconsciously directing his anger towards Little Senti. But now, holding Kiana in his arms, it had the opposite effect, allowing him to gradually calm down, reason regaining the upper hand.

His goal, from beginning to end, was Kiana.

Fighting Little Senti would inevitably put Kiana in danger. Even if he was fully confident in completely killing the Herrscher of Sentience, fighting in the consciousness domain was too dangerous. Without being able to guarantee Kiana's safety, he couldn't take that risk.

"Oh, I see, it's because of Kiana, right? Are you afraid of her getting hurt?" Seeing Ren unmoved, Little Senti's anger flared even more, and she subconsciously shouted, "Don't forget that I control the authority of consciousness, are you not afraid that I'll make her never wake up again…"

Whoosh!

Before Little Senti could finish speaking, everything went black before her eyes, followed by a piercing, bone-chilling pain. She coughed up a mouthful of blood, her mind blank.

How did I…

She hadn't seen how she was defeated, but Kiana in Ren's arms saw it clearly. In just an instant, Ren crossed more than ten meters, and pressed her head into the solid mountainside.

This terrifying speed almost made Kiana think Ren had mastered the Herrscher of the Void's teleportation ability. However, she wasn't surprised by Little Senti's defeat for even a moment. What Kiana immediately noticed was the unusual, dangerous aura on Ren's body.

Darkness, irritability, distortion.

In that short instant, countless negative emotions poured into Kiana's mind like a tsunami. And these negative emotions rapidly amplified the fear in her heart.

[Are you afraid? Afraid that your closest companion will become one of us?]

In her ears, the sound of wooden joints colliding seemed to echo again. A bizarre puppet grabbed her shoulder from the darkness and whispered in her ear.

Blood, darkness, pain, fear.

At this moment!

She finally mustered all her strength and cried out.

And at this moment, Ren, who had completely developed murderous intent and was preparing to completely obliterate the Herrscher of Sentience, paused. The amplification ability he had just activated quickly retracted, and he returned to his usual appearance.

"Kiana, you're awake."

Under the gloomy sky, the boy's cheeks were filled with a smile, like the clear sunlight of early morning, dispelling the fear in Kiana's heart.

The distorted dark aura was like an illusion, he was still the boy standing in the sunlight.