After bidding farewell to the Serpent Queen and leaving the Black Tower, Aria walked silently ahead, her mind a whirl of complex emotions. The cold morning light bathed them, casting a gray outline around their figures. The surrounding forest shivered in the wind, the branches making eerie sounds as if whispering.

The recent encounter made Aria realize that Neven was a man who flirted everywhere. The thought made her increasingly angry—she had given her first kiss to such a person. Not only was she furious, but she also started wondering what she had done during the 280 years she couldn't remember. Did her first kiss even exist? She had no recollection of it. Occasionally, drops of melting dew from the branches hit her shoulders, the cold touch sending chills down her spine.

"Wait up, I need a rest," Neven suddenly complained from behind, his voice tinged with fatigue.

Aria stopped, took a deep breath, and then turned around. She saw Neven's pale face and the cold sweat on his forehead. Her voice remained icy: "So why didn't you ask the Serpent Queen for two horses? And by the way, you need to explain to your queen that I'm not your girlfriend. I won't be jealous of you two."

Neven moved a bit closer, a hint of helplessness in his voice. "What do you think you have to be jealous of?"

Aria turned her head impatiently, her expression scornful. "You know perfectly well." Her voice was sharp and piercing. "Actually, you don't need to explain anything to me. We are not..." She trailed off, her heart burning with a mix of anger and cold despair.

A provocative smile tugged at the corners of Neven's mouth, his expression knowing. "I and the Serpent Queen haven't developed into what you think..." His tone was playful, almost mocking.

Aria's face instantly flushed with embarrassment. "Stop it." Her voice squeezed out through clenched teeth, filled with shame and anger.

"No wonder you haven't spoken since you came out. I thought you were scared by what happened yesterday." Neven cleared his throat, his tone low. "I didn't explain the second option clearly. Why didn't you ask me about it?"

"What else could it be?" Aria bit her lip, trying to hide her unease. "Your Serpent Queen is quite fond of you, isn't she?"

Neven sighed, a trace of helplessness and resignation in his voice. "We're familiar, but not in that way. Of course, I can't deny that the queen is very fond of me..."

"See? So you agreed... Otherwise, why would she let you in after you gave your name?" Aria's voice was filled with a mix of anger and sarcasm. She felt foolish for even listening to his explanation.

Neven reached out to grab her, but she pushed him away harshly. "Ugh." He squinted in pain, his face twisting slightly.

Aria felt a pang of guilt and worry seeing his reaction. "Did I hurt you?" she asked, her voice softening a bit.

Neven shook his head gently, his eyes revealing a hint of bitterness. "Actually, that tower is the entrance to the Abyss of Ancient Serpents. The Serpent Queen rules over it and manages the Arena of Asura."

Aria's heart skipped a beat. "The Arena of Asura?"

"Yes, it's an illegal gladiatorial arena." Neven explained, his tone somber."The first option was a more personal reward, but I chose the second one—to fight in the gladiatorial arena for her and win a match. I didn't explain it clearly before because it's illegal. I didn't want you to worry."

Aria's brow furrowed deeper, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and fear. "Are you crazy? You don't even have Essence Power, and you're already injured. Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

Neven shrugged, showing a hint of weariness. "It's not like she wants me to go right now."

"Right, she admires you too much to send you to your death."

"Arena fights pay well, and I'm not exactly wealthy. I've been there many times before." Neven tried to explain, his voice tinged with a hint of helplessness.

Aria's anger slowly gave way to concern. She bit her lip, her eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions as she looked at Neven. "How can you be so reckless with your own life?"

"Sometimes you have to make tough choices to survive." Neven's voice was low and firm, his eyes reflecting a stubborn resolve.

Aria pressed her lips together, the turmoil inside her growing stronger. She felt they should keep their distance, at least until she calmed down. Turning away, she continued walking without speaking.

"Why won't you let me finish... Hey, Aria... Stop... For the sake of my injury... Listen to me..." Neven called out from behind, his voice carrying a note of pleading and frustration.

The shadows of the forest gradually faded behind them as the morning sun filtered through the treetops, casting its light on them. In that moment, despite the doubts and uncertainties in their hearts, they both knew that their relationship, whether in turmoil or affection, was like a kite in the wind. It flew far in the sky, yet was held together by a single string connecting them.

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During dinner, Alexander sternly reprimanded Aria. "You used two strikes to kill the Heartworm?"

Everyone gasped in disbelief. Sable, with a sharp voice, criticized her, "He's lucky to be alive. When enraged, that thing would burrow into his organs. Alexander always finishes it with a perfect single strike; there's never a need for a second one."

"But he said Alexander might need two..." Aria's voice trailed off, realizing Neven had lied to comfort her the previous night.

Aria rested her chin on her hand, fiddling with her spoon in dejection, her mood growing more sullen by the minute.

"Why isn't Neven here for dinner again?" Oak asked.

"Probably doesn't want to face those looks. These people, who are now kicking him while he's down, used to rely on his help." Sable said with disdain.

"Go check on him, bring him some food." Alexander handed Aria a plate of food and leaned in to whisper, "He was treating his wounds earlier and told me he got infected because of you." He smiled knowingly, his eyes twinkling, "Go on, he probably hasn't eaten yet."

"What are you two whispering about?" Sable asked.

"I asked her to take him some food. He's in the room at the end of your floor." Alexander said, pushing Aria gently to hurry her along.

After bidding everyone goodbye, Aria walked to the end of the corridor in the North Tower. She had never noticed that his room was there. Neven always liked to avoid everyone; his presence was rarely felt in the halls.

She stood at the door, hesitating, worried that Neven might be resting. The events of last night had been a harrowing ordeal for them both.

"Neven isn't here," a young soldier from the regiment said, gripping the doorknob as he was about to enter his own room.

"Where did he go?"

"The library. I saw him there just now."

Aria knew the way well. She left the North Tower and headed straight for the South Tower. Passing by patrolling soldiers, she eventually reached a massive, towering circular hall. The ancient stone walls of the hall exuded a strong sense of history.

Inside, countless rows of bookshelves stretched from the floor to the ceiling, filled with books of all sizes and ages. The spaces between the shelves were densely packed. Next to each shelf stood an old wooden ladder on rails, allowing easy access to the higher books.

High above, moonlight streamed through large windows, casting beams of light on the books and ladders, creating an almost magical glow that illuminated the vast collection of knowledge.

As Aria stepped through the doorway, a thunderous shout echoed inside. Several Tailsting soldiers had dirtied some ancient texts, and a stern-looking librarian was scolding them fiercely.

Aria shivered and quietly slipped past them. She walked through the towering shelves and finally found a figure sitting on the floor in the last row. Neven was leaning against a shelf, engrossed in a book bound with chains. He was so absorbed that he didn’t notice Aria approaching.

"I went to your room but was told you were here," Aria said.

Neven looked up, slightly surprised, then smiled. "It's quiet here. I came to do some research."

"Here... this is for you." Aria handed him the plate. "Alexander asked me to bring it to you."

Neven smiled gratefully at the plate. "I was starving. These damned books are all locked up." He rattled the book, making the chains clink.

Neven took the plate, shifting slightly, his expression stiffening with pain. He rubbed his injured shoulder, squinting in discomfort. "The Elder doesn't allow food in the library. How did you sneak it in?"

"He was busy scolding someone, didn't notice me at all," Aria said, sitting down.

"Lucky you." Neven grabbed a piece of almond pastry and ate it in one bite, devouring the food as if he hadn't eaten all day.

"Alexander told me everything," Aria said, ashamed, glancing at his bandaged hand. "I didn’t kill the Heartworm with one strike. They said I almost got you killed. I'm sorry for what happened last night..."

"Hey, you saved me," he said softly.

"I also want to thank you. If it weren't for you, I might have been killed by that stranger."

"You've already thanked me," Neven touched his lips, a sly smile in his eyes. "But if you feel that guilty, I can accept another apology."

Aria bit her lip, not wanting to argue with him over his life-saving deed. She looked at the book in Neven's hands; it was very thick. "What are you reading?" Aria asked.

"The list of missing people," he said, pointing to rows of Lunar Essence Script. "Remember the person I chased last night?"

"Yes, you went after him. What happened then?"

"We fought, and I accidentally killed him. The heart of the celestial deer was found on him. When I came back, I saw the cloaked figure sneaking up on you."

"Who are they? Why do they want that heart?"

"I still don't know," Neven said, frustrated. "The man I killed was a rider from the Starguard Legion who disappeared a few years ago." He pointed to one of the names. "This is him. I remember he once tried to corrupt his Soul Stone and was punished by the Lunar King."

Aria suddenly realized, "Could the hooded person be on the list too? Maybe they were sent by someone, possibly Alpha. He might be using them to kill you."

Neven pressed his lips together, hesitating before saying, "Wouldn't that be too obvious? But Alpha does hate me, so maybe he really does want to kill me."

"What did you do to make Alpha so hostile towards you?"

"Maybe... I'm just too good," Neven boasted. "But Alpha should reflect on himself. Too many people in his Legion have disappeared. Look, Damian Blackwood's cousin, Daphne Blackwood, also went missing." Neven pointed to a name. "In the three years I've been gone, the list of missing people has only grown."

"Alpha is so vicious. Why would he care how many of his legionnaires die?" Aria said with disgust.

Neven closed the book, lost in thought. He knew his existence threatened certain people's power, but he had never expected such hostility to escalate to this level. The thought sent a shiver down his spine.

"I found a book for you," Neven said, pulling a yellowed, leather-bound ancient book from beside him and handing it to Aria with a hint of pride. "You'll definitely be interested. It's a book in the common tongue."

Aria's eyes lit up as she flipped through a few pages. It was a history of Sovereign Bastion. She looked up excitedly but then quickly restrained her smile. Neven was staring at her face, as if deciphering her every subtle expression.

"It seems you like it," Neven said, smiling.

"Not bad, at least it's not Lunar Essence Script," Aria said, letting out a breath of relief, pretending to nonchalantly place the book on her lap. In truth, she was somewhat suspicious of Neven, feeling that he always had something to hide. "After all these years, who wrote these books while you were trapped in Sovereign Bastion?"

"They were written by the sages of the Lunar Essence clan," Neven said, pointing over to a section. "The outermost shelves have a few books written by the Elder Gu. Don't even think about touching them; you'll regret it. But most of these were left by the original inhabitants and have been well preserved, just like the one you're holding."

"Yes, people outside all use the common tongue," Aria said, but her mind was on every detail of the book. She knew these books might hold the answers she needed.

Neven stood up carefully and returned the chained book to the shelf. Rubbing his sore shoulder, he said, "My back is getting stiff from all this reading. Let me take you somewhere."