Ryan woke to a soft sensation, and the moment he opened his eyes, his heart almost leapt out of his throat.

  He was actually holding Evelyn, lying together on the bed, and she still carried a faint, pleasant fragrance.

  "This is it. I'm really dead this time!" Ryan's mind went completely blank.

  How did he end up rolling from the haystack onto the bed? And daring to sleep while holding Evelyn?

  With Evelyn's temper, the moment she woke up, her ultimate ice sword would definitely pierce his heart.

  The thought of fleeing instantly filled his mind. Ryan held his breath, carefully lifted his arms, and slowly moved his legs, afraid of disturbing her.

  Using the momentum of his body, he rolled backward, his back hitting the ground heavily. Fortunately, he reacted quickly and rolled to the side of the haystack, putting some distance between himself and the bed.

  At that moment, Evelyn on the bed fluttered her eyelashes and slowly opened her eyes.

  She stared blankly at the ceiling for a moment, seemingly not fully awake, then rolled off the bed. Her gaze landed exactly on Ryan, who was lying face down on the ground.

  "What are you doing?" Evelyn's voice carried the huskiness of just waking up, yet still retained a cold edge.

  She studied Ryan's posture. He was supporting himself on his hands, his body subtly rising and falling, movements awkward and clumsy, completely unlike any magical training she knew.

  "I'm doing basic close-combat training. It's a physical exercise method." Ryan hurriedly accelerated his movements, pretending to train seriously, keeping his gaze fixed on the ground, avoiding eye contact with Evelyn.

  "Nonsense! This is clearly a case of magic emotional resonance going out of control!" Evelyn said.

  In her understanding, only when someone experienced intense emotional fluctuations toward another person while deliberately suppressing them would they make such strange bodily movements.

  Ryan froze mid-motion, his entire body stiff."Magic emotional resonance out of control?"

  He never expected a simple push-up to be interpreted this way by Evelyn.

  Who else could he possibly have an"emotional resonance" with here besides her?

  He could imagine Evelyn right now, fantasizing that the honest and naive young man before her had secretly been in love with her all along.

  This thought made Ryan's scalp tingle. He quickly scrambled to his feet, forcing eye contact with Evelyn."No! This really is just a physical training exercise!"

  Their eyes met in the air, locked for over ten seconds.

  Evelyn stared into Ryan's eyes, trying to detect any sign of deception. But his gaze was so straightforward, with no hint of evasion, that it did not seem like he was lying.

  Could this actually be a type of close-combat training she did not know about?

  Seeing Evelyn's eyes soften slightly, Ryan immediately came up with an idea.

  He placed a hand on his chest and spoke solemnly,"I swear by my magical essence that the previous actions were indeed physical training. If there is even a single lie, I am willing to endure magical backlash and damage to my magical essence!"

  This was one of the most solemn oaths in the magical world. Using one's own magical essence as proof, breaking it would not only cause backlash but could also affect one's future ability to learn magic.

  "No need." Evelyn's voice softened, and she raised her hand to stop him.

  She knew well the weight of a magical essence oath. Since Ryan dared to swear such an oath, it proved that she had indeed misunderstood the situation.

  Ryan scratched his head with a feigned awkwardness, secretly relieved. Fortunately, he had reacted quickly and used the oath to dispel Evelyn's suspicion.

  If she knew that he had spent the entire night holding her, not even ten magical essence oaths would save him.

  He stole a glance at Evelyn and noticed her lowering her head to adjust her skirt, still somewhat uncomfortable about the earlier misunderstanding.

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  Ryan felt a wave of relief. Fortunately, Evelyn had slept deeply last night and had not noticed his small movements. Otherwise, by now, he would likely have been turned into an ice sculpture.

  After getting ready, Ryan and Evelyn walked out of the cabin side by side, each lost in their own thoughts.

  Ryan's mind was occupied with plans to find the hunting party. The Misty Forest's terrain was complex, and he needed to get the exact route from the village chief first. Otherwise, three days would not be enough.

  Evelyn, on the other hand, was calculating how to restore her magical energy as quickly as possible and head to the Glacial Arcana Academy in the northern territory.

  Glacial Arcana Academy was one of the most prestigious powers in the entire magical world.

  In her previous life, she had started as a magic apprentice and, with her rare talent in ice magic, had broken through all the way to Grand Magus.

  Her achievements had greatly elevated the status of Glacial Arcana Academy, allowing it to rival the Sword Mage Academy, the top academy on the Esoth Continent.

  However, the academy had always valued peace and was unwilling to compete for first place with the Sword Mage Academy, so it had voluntarily settled for second.

  In this life, she planned to return to the academy, reclaim her rightful glory, and begin a new extraordinary life.

  Ryan led the way toward the village chief's house. He glanced at Evelyn, who was staring intently at the Misty Forest, and felt quietly confident.

  Even with his current level as a Ninth-tier Magic Apprentice, he could not traverse the forest shrouded in magical mist alone. Evelyn, a Sixth-tier Magic Apprentice, would not get far if she tried to escape.

  He quickened his pace and arrived at the village chief's door, gently knocking.

  The wooden door opened, and Barret peeked out. Seeing Ryan, his eyes showed a hint of puzzlement."Ryan, coming to see me so early, is something wrong?"

  "Village Chief, I want to ask about the village hunting party. Do you know their last departure route, or did they leave any clues?"

  Barret quickly grabbed Ryan's arm."Ryan, don't act rashly! The hunting party's captain is a Journeyman Mage, and even he didn't return. Even if you're strong, you can't risk going! Our village already owes you too much—how could we let you risk your life again?"

  "Don't worry, I'm not going alone." Ryan quickly explained, pointing toward the village entrance."I'll take her with me. You've seen her ice magic—it's powerful enough to even break a gap in the Life Tree's defensive barrier. With her help, the chances of finding the hunting party are much higher."

  Barret followed the direction of his finger and happened to see Evelyn's figure.

  He recalled the ice sword energy Evelyn had unleashed that day and a trace of caution appeared in his eyes, but he then nodded."Her power is indeed impressive."

  He shifted his tone, adding a hint of mystery."Did you know? The Life Tree's magical level far exceeds that of an Adept Mage."

  "There's a former Adept Mage in the village who once tried to spar with the Life Tree. Its branches bound him and disciplined him as if he were a trainee. Unfortunately, the Life Tree cannot move, or it would not allow undead creatures to cause trouble around the forest."

  "Come inside and let's talk." Barret gestured for Ryan to enter.

  The cabin's interior was very simple. There was only a wooden bed covered with animal skins, two legless wooden chairs, and a few clay jars on the table containing herbs. Apart from that, there was no other proper furniture.

  The most valuable items in the cabin were probably the few pieces of Flamefang Beast roast hanging from the beams, leftovers from last night's bonfire party.

  "I don't know why the hunting party hasn't returned, but according to the rules of the Misty Forest, they're probably already dead," Barret said, his voice tinged with unavoidable sorrow, his aged face full of worry.

  "Without the hunting party, ordinary people like us, without magical talent, can barely collect basic magical materials. The village will be doomed sooner or later."

  "No! They must still be alive!" Ryan said, his tone unwavering.

  Barret looked at him with a hint of doubt, shaking his head."Impossible. The Misty Forest has a magical time law. Anyone who enters its depths and doesn't return within three days is usually swallowed by the mist or becomes nourishment for undead creatures. This rule has been passed down by the elders and has never failed."

  He picked up a clay cup from the table, poured some cool spring water, and took a sip.

  "They must still be alive," Ryan insisted, stepping forward with earnest determination."Village Chief, tell me everything you know. Within three days, I will try to bring them back."

  Ryan's confidence left Barret stunned. His cloudy eyes were full of confusion. Why was this young man so certain?

  Did he possess some special magical ability that allowed him to sense the hunting party's fate?

  "I only know one thing," Barret said after a moment of hesitation, speaking honestly.

  "Before their last departure, they said they were going to the eastern mines to collect magical ore, and after that, there was no news. That's all I know."

  Ryan froze, repeatedly confirming,"There really isn't anything else?"

  "No," Barret shook his head."The hunting party always left in a hurry, and recently the village has been short on food. They didn't have time to give more details."

  Ryan's heart sank instantly. Only a direction to the east, in the complex terrain of the Misty Forest, was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

  Just then, Barret suddenly slapped his forehead, as if remembering something."Right! There's a hunting party member who managed to escape back to the village. He was found by villagers three days ago, covered in injuries, and hasn't woken up yet."

  "Take me to him immediately!" Ryan's eyes lit up, speaking urgently.

  As Barret was about to get up, Ryan lifted him onto his back."You just point the way. Let's move quickly and not waste time."

  Even at his current Ninth-tier Magic Apprentice level, Ryan could carry an elder with ease, moving so fast that Barret could not help but exclaim in surprise.

  "Slow down! My old bones are going to fall apart!" Barret's voice was cut by the wind as he clutched Ryan's shoulders tightly, afraid of being thrown off.

  Ryan did not slow down. He knew that every second wasted increased the danger for the hunting party.

  A few minutes later, Barret finally shouted,"Stop! It's the wooden cabin just ahead!"

  Ryan stopped, set Barret down, and looked up at the cabin in front of him.