In the dark woods, among the gnarled trees, snakes with fierce eyes slithered and froze like statues. They stood still, staring into Edulis's face.

"Damn it! That snitch, Ambrosia, has been in Karnak?"

Edulis knew that, but Akale did not, and that was as it should be. Laotou had spun a thin web across the Karnak Mountains to protect the Forest of Spiders, and when she felt it break, she knew Ambrosia's army was stationed there. Akale, on the other hand, had not encountered Ambrosia because she had rushed straight into the Forest of Spiders without hesitation.

"Granadilla... Granadilla..." Akale's face, which had been relaxed for a while, contorted.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Should I devote myself to obtaining the heart of the goddess? No, this hindrance will only take more time. Moreover, it's taking too long to assimilate the heart with my power due to contamination.

Akale glanced around at Edulis' group.

'Damn it, I've lost too much time. Ambrosia should have already reached Granadilla… and if Granadilla knows what I've done...'

Even if she swallowed a piece of the goddess, Akale couldn't defeat Granadilla in her current state. If Akale was like the swamp of Laldura, Granadilla was like the deepest ocean, with no end in sight. If Akale was the shadows of the night, Granadilla was the darkness that filled the universe.

"You've rolled a lot of dice, Edulis." The slithering serpents slithered back into Akale's blue orb. "Next time, I hope to meet you in a more candid form."