When Aria looked at Neven, her heart was filled with a myriad of conflicting emotions. Especially after he shaved off his beard, his features became sharper, resembling Thanatos from the realm of death. But Neven's gaze conveyed a different sentiment, far from Thanatos' cold ruthlessness, instead radiating warmth and tenderness, full of humanity.

They hastily bid farewell to the innkeeper and departed from Longhorn Town.

Due to the limited magic range of the exorcism candles, they decided to ride the same horse to cross the boundary. Additionally, Aria was penniless, unable to afford another swift mount. Despite Longhorn Town being the closest to the boundary, they still traveled quite a distance. It wasn't until noon, after passing through dense forests, that they entered the withered woods.

Neven halted the horse, and before them lay the end of the dense forest, accompanied by a putrid smell, while in the distance, the demonic roars reminiscent of creatures from hell echoed, sending shivers down Aria's spine.

"What will happen after we cross the boundary? Will we still find a safe place?" Aria asked, her voice tinged with worry.

Neven glanced back at her. "I thought you understood the situation."

"I certainly don't. How would I know what Sovereogn Bastion has become? The people in Longhorn Town said it has turned into ruins, with nothing left."

"You know nothing of the situation, yet you're insisting on going in?"

"Lucius told me. He said to find you and return to Sovereogn Bastion together."

"Who is Lucius, anyway? How does he know my name is Neven and send you to find me? And you... seem to know nothing..."

"I thought you knew each other."

"No," Neven said firmly. "I've never been to the Celestial Sanctum, and Longhorn Town has no demi-gods."

"Then why are you willing to go in with me?" Aria asked, puzzled.

"Because you've been begging me to take you in. So, as a gentleman, how could I let a lady face danger alone?" he said with humor, then reined in the galloping horse. "Aria, come in front of me. I don't want to lose you and the exorcism candle when we cross the boundary."

Aria let out a mocking laugh, knowing he was teasing her for being timid. However, she didn't refuse Neven's help, instead pulling his hand and climbing back in front. When she picked up the necklace from around her neck and unfolded the pendant with golden wings, revealing the small candle, Aria remembered the three exorcism candles Hawk had once given her. They were meant to help her escape Sovereogn Bastion in times of peril, yet now, she carried them back in search of answers.

"If all goes well, we'll reach the Moon Tower before dark," Neven said.

"The Moon Tower? We're going to Sovereogn Bastion," Aria reminded him.

“Did you come out from the graveyard? Who still calls it Sovereogn Bastion? The ancient city no longer exists; it's now the Moon Tower. I thought you would have known all this from the demigods, which is why you insisted on going in.”

“And how did you know?” Aria asked.

“Didn't they tell you I came from the Land of the Dead?”

“How did you get out?” Aria asked, surprised, momentarily forgetting the reason for Neven's omniscience. “Isn't it only the exorcism candles that can pierce through?”

“I'm not sure either. I was unconscious after being bitten, and when I woke up, I was already in Longhorn Town.”

“So, there are other ways to pass through the demigod's magical barrier?”

“We'll talk about this later; let's wait until we're inside to discuss it further. Here, take this back.” Neven handed her a heavy object, and Aria looked down in surprise, saying, “You've got my purse back, but wasn't it stolen by those thugs?”

“I snatched it back for you.”

Accepting the purse, Aria looked at Neven gratefully. Her heart seemed to swell with a warm feeling of gratitude, wanting to express it with a simple thank you, yet finding words inadequate.

Aria shook the money pouch, but the tightly knotted strings remained intact. Before the group could even open it, Neven had snatched it back. "There were so many of them, how did you manage that?"

"I asked them to return the coins to you, but they refused, so I had to take matters into my own hands."

"You mean you fought them off all by yourself?"

"That day, I was following you to return the coins. But you seemed a bit... temperamental, and I didn't get a chance to explain."

Holding the pouch, Aria felt a warm surge in her heart. Despite Neven's appearance at the time, it seemed unlikely that he could have won against the others. Nevertheless, Aria felt inexplicably moved.

"Are you sure that's a genuine demon-repelling candle?" Neven asked.

"I'm sure. I've used it before, and The Oracle confirmed it at Celestial Sanctum."

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"How many demon-repelling candles do you have?"

"I used one, lost one, and now only have this one left." Aria tightened her grip on the candle, having no recollection of the one she lost.

"If it's fake, we won't be able to pass through the barrier at all," Neven worriedly remarked. "I hope you've got a genuine demon-repelling candle, and I hope we make it through the barrier safely."

"I assure you, this is my candle." Aria had carefully inspected the candle before; it was the one Hawk had given her.

In Aria's fleeting memory, she had never heard of a barrier, and she couldn't imagine what it looked like. But when they arrived at the demi-god's barrier, all her illusions were shattered. The silvery-sand barrier was a towering, invisible wall reaching into the sky. They stood under dim light, while on the other side, there was a storm of snow and wind.

"Are you afraid?" Neven held the reins, and they both looked at the flowing silver light.

"No, I'm not afraid," Aria bravely replied.

"Let's light the candle here. Once we're inside, don't let the flame go out until we reach the Moon Tower."

Aria used a dagger to cut a scale, catching Neven's attention. Under his enigmatic gaze, Aria lit the demon-repelling candle, and a flickering black flame ignited.

Neven shouted loudly, and the steed surged forward like a bolt of lightning toward the barrier ahead. Suddenly, a wave of cold wind swept over Aria, and she couldn't help but feel a surge of fear, her hands instinctively gripping the horse's mane. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her emotions. The blizzard struck them fiercely, carrying with it a biting cold that seemed to mock their courage. Neven let out a hearty cheer, but it was quickly drowned out by the howling wind.

Aria tightened her hood and lowered her head. "I said it was a genuine..." She was rendered speechless by the wind, her inner conflict growing stronger as she began to doubt her decision.

"Get down, the wind is fierce here," Neven said, pressing his body down to shield them from the wind. Aria almost lay flat on the horse's back, clutching the burning candle tightly. She felt a warmth spreading from her palms, as if reminding her of the necessity to persevere.

The terror of the Deathlands far exceeded her memories. The extreme cold made it almost unbearable. The howling wind, mixed with snow, was like a frigid sandstorm. Aria struggled to breathe under her cloak, her exposed skin stinging from the wind. Her heart felt like it was encased in ice.

They rode alone in the icy wilderness, Neven urging them on relentlessly. The horse's breath grew heavier, and white frost formed on its mane. Aria felt as though she was trapped in an endless darkness, her fear intensifying.

"Our horse, it's about to collapse. Let's stop and rest," Aria shouted anxiously, beginning to doubt whether they could reach their destination safely.

"We can't stop. We have a long way to go before the candle burns out. Our time is limited. We must reach the Moon Tower before nightfall, or we'll all be doomed," Neven said loudly, but his voice seemed tinged with uncertainty.

As they gradually moved away from the shimmering barrier and closer to the heart of the North, the fierce wind began to soften. However, Aria's inner turmoil only grew stronger.

Before long, shadowy figures began to shuttle through the barren forest, emitting a tearing roar, with more shadows trailing behind them. Aria shielded the candle flame with her hand, trying to keep the small flame stable. She felt surrounded by invisible danger, suffocating her.

In the cold weather, Aria surveyed her surroundings and realized that at their current speed, they could reach the Moon Tower. However, their horses began to slow down in this chilly weather. To make matters worse, a large white mist enveloped the forest ahead, casting it into a dim and murky state. The sun pierced through the wind, snow, and mist, casting a faint white light in the sky. The surroundings started to blur, and their horses noticeably slowed their pace.

"We have to take a detour through the plains; the mist is too thick for me to speed up the horses," Neven said, turning the horse's head towards the plains.

"Can we still make it on time?" Aria asked.

"I hope so," Neven replied vaguely, his tone revealing underlying anxiety, which only added to Aria's growing unease. They detoured into the plains, the only route to the Moon Tower being through the Northern Forest. Aria started to worry about what would happen if the enchanted candle extinguished in that terrifying forest.

As the last hint of sunlight vanished from the horizon, the dense mist gradually thinned out as they entered the plains. Neven urged the horses to speed up until they leaped into the dark Northern Forest, filled with the stench of decay. Aria anxiously watched the flickering flame of the candle in her hand, realizing they still had a long way to go through the vast forest. The candle was already perilously close to burning out, with only a small flame flickering in the wax.

Aria wanted to remind Neven, but when she saw the deeper furrows on his forehead, she silently bit her lip. Neven noticed Aria's gaze and tried to feign relaxation by smoothing out his brow. However, when his gaze fell to Aria's palm, his brow furrowed again. The candle, which had been on the verge of extinguishing, was now reduced to a lump of wax. Aria couldn't help but feel afraid, unable to imagine how they would escape the Night Ghouls without the enchanted candle.

Neven pulled out a bow and arrow from behind, drawing out a feathered arrow. Before Aria could react, the bowstring made a sharp twang, and with a scream, a Night Ghoul fell to the snowy ground with an arrow in its head.

Even with a thousand arrows, it was challenging to kill all the Night Ghouls in the darkness of the night. When he used the last arrow from the quiver, Neven set aside the bow. With a crisp sound of the sheath, he drew out his sword and placed it at Aria's head. Aria buried her head in the horse's mane, listening to the whistling of the sword as it slashed through the air. Excited Night Ghouls approached, and Neven swung his sword, stabbing at the oncoming Night Ghouls. Aria stiffened, huddled on the horse's back, watching as more and more shadows emerged around them. Their horses paced nervously, surrounded by Night Ghouls, their green eyes flickering eagerly.

"Don't worry," Neven said breathlessly, his voice tinged with a hint of strained confidence.

As Neven swung his sword, the entire scene seemed frozen in time. Aria's heart pounded like an intense drumbeat, each beat bringing a wave of intense anxiety. Every nerve in her body tensed, as if she were facing a life-or-death trial at any moment.

At the moment Neven swung his sword, the Night Ghouls surged towards them like a tide of darkness. Suddenly, a powerful force struck, knocking them and their horses to the ground. Aria felt herself being pulled to one side by an invisible force, as if the entire world was violently shaking. She screamed, but her voice was drowned out by the wind, snow, and the chaos of battle, becoming just another part of the tumultuous scene.

In the midst of the chaos, Neven quickly broke free and stood up. His eyes burned with anger and determination, as if a blaze was raging in his eyes. Gripping his sword tightly, everything around him became clear, as if he had entered a whole new state of battle.

Night Ghouls, like demons in the darkness, surged from all sides, their roars resembling the fury of hell. Aria felt the breath of death upon her, her heart pounding wildly, every breath filled with despair and struggle.

The horses neighed on the side, engulfed by the black-skinned Night Ghouls. They struggled to escape, but the surrounding Night Ghouls seemed endless, leaving them helpless and plunged into despair.

In this chaotic and terrifying environment, Aria felt as if she were trapped in a nightmare. The only hope lay in Neven's sword, their sole path to redemption.