Naily felt that chilling sensation creep over her again, involuntarily drawing her shoulders together. Carl quietly observed everything, lowering the corners of his mouth. Then, he took her hand, leading her through the tangled forest with an attitude that brooked no refusal.
It was less like Naily was guiding the hero, and more like the hero was guiding a bewildered Naily. Naily felt something strange. But at this point, she couldn’t return to the city alone and could only see what Carl was planning, step by step.
Despite holding hands so intimately, an uncontrollable doubt grew in Naily’s heart; the temperature in her palm and her inner sense of vigilance were like ice and fire.
At that moment, the view suddenly opened up. Gloomy clouds, a flock of ravens circling, a tall tower standing, the wind howling coldly. Carl had crossed the Magic Forest and arrived at the stone steps in front of the demon’s lair.
Naily was already numb to the continuous surprises of the day, tugging her mouth, asking a pointless question dryly: “Are you planning to just go up like this?” The black-haired boy casually brushed back his bangs, drawing his beginner’s sword, preparing to climb the towering steps, answering her question through action. Naily stared at the sword in his hand, feeling the wind at the demon’s lair was particularly noisy. She wondered what expression the Demon Lord would have seeing such a hero approaching with a broken sword. While entertaining these thoughts, Carl had already pulled Naily up the steps, the rusty red gates of the demon’s lair suddenly before their eyes. A creaking sound, the gates of hell slowly opening. Naily’s heart was beating fast. She was almost ready to cheer: Finally, after a hundred arrivals, she would be able to escape the constraints of this game and go home! But another part of her trembled as the massive door gradually opened. She once again felt a chill. Carl’s expression was indifferent, holding a sword in one hand and Naily in the other, walking in without hesitation. The door closed behind them with a dull, heavy sound.
