Seeing the light gate at the end of the passage, Ashe didn’t feel relieved-instead, he grew even more tense.

The first day had been a chaotic melee at Cicada Lurk Hall, and the second day brought a scattered battle at Cicada Hall. Who knew what kind of tricks Chrysalis Hall would throw at them today?

Perhaps the hall would turn into a narrow passageway, forcing them to squeeze past each other shoulder to shoulder. Or maybe the hall would plunge into complete darkness, with a few Trial phantoms thrown in, forcing them to fight blindly. Or worse, the hall could become a confinement room where they couldn’t leave without… mating.

But nothing happened.

When Ashe and Yolan entered the hall, they saw Observer and Vesser already waiting inside. Then, a light gate appeared on each side of the hall. The Trial didn’t force them to stay here-anyone who was in a hurry to use the restroom could leave early.

Of course, there was still danger. From this moment on, Ashe and Yolan, Observer and Vesser were no longer teammates but had returned to their roles as competitors and enemies. And with them standing so close, the teammates who had once trusted each other with their backs could turn into assassins in the blink of an eye.

Yet, not only did Ashe and Yolan refrain from attacking, but even Observer and Vesser seemed to have lost the will to fight. They exchanged a silent glance, as if they could see each other’s exhaustion.

Without any unnecessary words, Observer stepped forward toward Ashe, while Yolan left Ashe’s side and walked toward Vesser.

The mismatched team pairings were finally returning to normal.

Just as Observer and Yolan passed each other, Yolan instinctively glanced at the man beside her. However, he kept his gaze straight ahead, his right hand resting on the hilt of his sword the entire time, not even sparing a second to glance at her fox Mask.

Then, Observer saw the corners of Ashe’s lips curve upward, revealing a sincere smile as he spread his arms wide. This scene once again reminded Observer of his nightmares, causing him to hesitate for half a second before Ashe embraced him.

“Welcome back, brother!”

Observer’s grip on the hilt of his sword tightened slightly.

“I thought you’d either been killed by Silver Lantern or had taken the chance to stab her in the back,” Ashe said. “I’m glad you’re both okay.”

For a moment, Observer didn’t follow his train of thought and calmly asked, “Why is it a good thing that Silver Lantern is okay too?”

“Because Silver Lantern must be killed by me,” Ashe said seriously. “It has to be me.”

When did he develop such a boring and foolish sense of responsibility and mission… Just as Observer was reconstructing Ashe’s personality model in his mind, he heard Ashe continue, “You’ve only been alive for a few days. Trial phantoms are one thing, but real lives… they must be taken by me.”

“How could I let you carry the burden of life’s debt for me?” Ashe said. “Blood Moon, Gospel, Senlo… so many people have died, directly or indirectly, because of me. I don’t feel guilty about it, but still, my hands are no longer clean. After I die, I might have to wander hell with Igor and Harvey for ten thousand years. Ten thousand years… can you imagine?”

“But you’re pure and untainted,” Ashe patted Observer’s shoulder. “Though you probably don’t care about such trivial things as moral purity…”

“But I do care.”

Ashe gave himself a thumbs-up, half-joking and half-serious. “As an older brother, of course, I have to protect my younger brother as much as possible.”

Hearing these words, even the usually unshakable Observer couldn’t help but feel a ripple in his heart. There was a mix of mockery, scorn, pity, and even disgust, but… the heaviness that had been lingering in his mind moments ago quietly dissipated.

On the other side, Yolan returned to Vesser’s side, but Vesser seemed not to notice her. Her eyes, hidden behind the fox Mask, were fixed intently on Ashe’s figure.

Seeing this, Yolan felt an inexplicable impulse and reached out to gently pat Vesser’s head.

Vesser instantly took two steps back, her gaze sharp and wary.

Yolan spread her hands and smiled. “What, not welcoming me back? Or do you want to switch teammates again?”

Vesser, as if unwilling to answer or tacitly agreeing, turned and walked toward the closing gate. Just then, Ashe called out loudly, “Silver Lantern!”

“The next Cicada Transformation Hall will be the end of this chapter of our story,” he said.

The Chrysalis Hall had two passages, but the next Cicada Transformation Hall would obviously have only one. Even if there were no mechanisms in the hall, they would have to fight to the death. Only the victor could continue the Trial, while the loser would remain underground-forever.

Vesser turned to look at him, and from behind the fox Mask, her voice carried a hint of vulnerability. “Is that so?”

“I spoke with the Mirror Master for a long time last night,” Ashe said. “I know your ideals, and I understand your situation. Silver Lantern, you truly are an extraordinary person. Your willpower, your determination, your talent, your luck, and even your almost unrealistic dreams-no one I’ve ever met can compare to you.”

Vesser glanced at Yolan, then turned back to Ashe. She instinctively took a step forward, her light tone tinged with surprise and excitement. “Is that so?”

“So,” Ashe tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, his voice resolute, “I must stop you here. I can’t let you succeed in the Divine Fire Trial and return to the surface. Even if we set aside our past entanglements, the competition at this moment, and even the disasters you’ve caused, I can’t stand by and watch you succeed!”

“This isn’t about good or evil. I don’t need righteousness to justify my actions. My resolve comes solely because you stand on the opposite side of me,” he declared. “The next time we meet, I will completely shatter your dreams!”

Vesser exhaled deeply, feeling as though her body had become lighter, almost as if she were about to float away. She opened her eyes, her voice calm once more. “Is that so?”

With that, she didn’t spare Ashe another glance. She walked with Yolan into the light gate and disappeared from the hall.

Ashe and Observer followed suit. This time, there was no chaotic mechanism swapping teammates, and they arrived normally at the rest area. However, since the teams hadn’t changed, the rest area reverted to its one-room setup, no longer offering separate bedrooms.

Observer naturally had no need for specific living conditions, but when Ashe slung an arm over his shoulder, he strongly realized that separate bedrooms were indeed a great invention-at least they could physically prevent all forms of conversation.

“Observer, I have a friend…”

Seeing Observer’s expression gradually turn cold and disdainful, Ashe quickly corrected himself, “Alright, fine, since there’s no one else here, it’s me. Last night, when I entered the Virtual Realm, although the Sword Princess seemed to act like nothing had happened, I felt that if I didn’t respond to her feelings, I’d be a real jerk…”

Observer raised an eyebrow, continuing to listen to Ashe’s recount of last night’s stormy events.

“…After the Witch took my hand, I didn’t understand what they were saying, and they didn’t make any further statements,” Ashe said, his arms crossed, his expression deeply conflicted. “I mean, is there any possibility, any chance at all, that the Witch might, perhaps, even a tiny bit, like me too?”

Impossible. Absolutely impossible.

Though Observer wanted to say this outright, he realized his attitude wasn’t appropriate. This wasn’t the time to tease Ashe and fuel his desire to talk.

But watching Ashe so troubled by his love life, Observer couldn’t help but let the corners of his mouth curl upward. He calmly said, “You already have a judgment in your heart. Why are you asking for my answer?”

“Don’t brush me off with that line! I’m scared right now!” Ashe scratched his head. “What if they start fighting? What if, after cooling off for a day, they realize they don’t actually like me that much? And right now, I like the Sword Princess, but I also have this inexplicable fondness for the Witch, and I don’t want to hurt her. Plus, they’re both teammates who’ve fought alongside me. If they end up…”

Listening to Ashe’s rambling, Observer suddenly thought that maybe having no separate bedrooms wasn’t so bad after all.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay