The forest fell into an eerie silence.
Only the faint rustling of leaves and the uneven breathing of the girl on the ground broke the stillness.
An Suling's eyes slowly regained focus. The first thing she saw was the dim outline of the night sky above her—dark, vast, and impossibly distant. For a brief moment, she didn't understand what had happened.
Wasn't she… dead?
Her lips trembled slightly, and a weak breath escaped her chest. The suffocating darkness that had swallowed her consciousness earlier was gone, replaced by a strange warmth flowing through her body.
Alive.
The realization struck like thunder.
Her gaze shifted downward, and she saw Alex crouching beside her, his expression calm—too calm, as if what had just happened was nothing extraordinary.
But An Suling knew better.
Her fingers twitched. Strength was returning, slowly but unmistakably. Even the deadly poison that had been eating away at her organs seemed… gone.
Completely gone.
"How…" Her voice was hoarse, barely audible.
Alex glanced at her, then stood up, brushing dust off his clothes. "You were lucky."
Lucky?
An Suling stared at him, her sharp instincts screaming that the truth was far more complicated than that. She clearly remembered her heart stopping, her consciousness fading… and that final desperate wish.
Then—
Her hand instinctively rose to her lips.
A faint warmth lingered there.
Her pupils shrank.
"You—" She stopped herself midway, her expression turning complicated.
Alex raised an eyebrow. "What?"
An Suling looked away, her usual cold demeanor cracking for just a fraction of a second. "Nothing."
Silence fell between them again.
The corpse of the enemy lay not far away, eyes wide open in death, as if still unable to comprehend what had happened. The metallic scent of blood lingered in the air, mixing with the damp smell of soil.
An Suling slowly pushed herself up. Her movements were shaky at first, but soon steadied. She looked down at her own hands, clenching them lightly.
Strength. Real strength.
Not only had she recovered—she felt even better than before.
That was impossible.
Her gaze returned to Alex, sharper this time, filled with scrutiny.
"Who are you?"
Alex didn't answer immediately. Instead, he walked over to the fallen enemy, crouched down, and picked up the small vial that had dropped earlier. The remaining liquid inside shimmered faintly under the moonlight.
"Someone who just saved your life," he said casually. "Isn't that enough?"
An Suling narrowed her eyes.
"If you wanted me dead, you wouldn't have bothered," she said coldly. "But saving me… comes with a price. Speak."
Alex chuckled softly. "You're quite direct."
He stood up and tossed the vial aside.
"Fine. Since you insist—tell me everything about Freya."
The moment those words left his mouth, the temperature in the air seemed to drop.
An Suling's expression turned icy.
"I can't."
"Can't, or won't?"
"Both."
Alex sighed, rubbing his temples. "You're really troublesome, you know that?"
"And you," An Suling shot back, "are far more dangerous than I initially thought."
Their eyes met.
For a brief moment, tension crackled between them—sharp, silent, and suffocating.
Then, unexpectedly, An Suling spoke again.
"…Thank you."
The words were quiet, almost reluctant.
Alex blinked, slightly surprised.
An Suling turned her head away, her voice returning to its usual coldness. "This doesn't change anything. I still don't trust you."
"Likewise," Alex replied without hesitation.
Another pause.
"But," An Suling continued, "as long as you don't harm her… I won't make a move against you."
Alex smirked. "That sounds less like a threat and more like a request."
An Suling didn't deny it.
Instead, she took a step back, her figure gradually blending into the darkness.
"Tonight never happened," she said. "For your sake… and hers."
Alex watched her retreating silhouette.
"Wait," he called out.
An Suling stopped but didn't turn around.
"You owe me one," Alex said lightly.
A faint pause.
"…I know."
And then she was gone.
Standing alone in the forest, Alex let out a long breath.
Everything that had happened tonight felt surreal—the fight, the death, the resurrection.
Especially the last part.
He looked down at his hand, clenching it slightly. That overwhelming power from earlier had already faded, leaving behind only a faint trace.
"Third-Party Wish Ball…" he murmured.
So it could even bring someone back from the brink of death.
That wasn't just powerful.
That was terrifying.
After a moment, Alex shook his head and turned toward home.
No matter how complicated things were becoming, one thing was certain—
Freya was at the center of it all.
And from tonight onward…
Nothing would ever be simple again.
-------------------------------
Hope you enjoy this fanfiction if you do and would like to read the next 50 chapters in advance, pls do check out my Patreon:
patreon.com/MariaLight
Also don't forget to give me a Power Stone if you do like this fiction. Your support really motivates me to continue doing my best in translating, Thanks!!