Chapter 319 -: 318 Endless persuit.
Julius was still brimming with mana. The reserves he had borrowed from his future self through Event Horizon remained almost completely untouched, as he had barely expended any of them after activating the spell.
The overwhelming flow of mana coursing through his body was more than enough to deal with the pursuers closing in from every direction.
Without sparing them even a glance, he continued moving forward, his sword tracing cold arcs through the air.
Each swing left behind a crimson trail as blood splattered across the sky.
The invisible spell casters hidden among the empty air launched attack after attack, blades of wind, concealed projectiles, and silent spells aimed at his blind spots, yet none of them came close to succeeding.
Julius couldn’t see their bodies with his eyes alone, nor could he properly sense their carefully suppressed presences, but it no longer mattered.
The moment the golden light of the All-Seeing Eyes bloomed within his pupils, every hidden figure, every incoming attack, and every movement unfolding moments into the future became as clear as if they stood directly before him.
The pursuit quickly turned into nothing more than a slaughter. It didn’t even take a few minutes before the last of the hidden guards lay dead among the trees.
One after another, their bodies lost the concealment wrapped around them and became visible as they collapsed onto the blood-soaked ground, expressions still frozen in disbelief.
Julius looked at the corpses with unconcealed disdain, his gaze lingering only for the briefest moment before he resumed his journey without the slightest hesitation.
His destination remained unchanged. Far to the east stretched an immense wilderness known as the Nightmare Forest, an endless sea of ancient trees so vast that it swallowed nearly the entire eastern region.
For reasons no outsider truly understood, every Zlycon avoided the forest as though it carried a curse.
Even though the land was rich with resources, no settlements had ever been established within it, and no one dared cut down its trees.
To Julius, that made it the perfect refuge.
Before midnight arrived, he had to reach that forest, find a secluded place where he could endure the horrifying backlash of Event Horizon over the following weeks, and ensure Rosalina remained safe while he was rendered powerless.
Without wasting another thought, Julius pushed himself even faster. The rushing wind tore at his clothes as the scenery blurred past, but just as he accelerated, a sharp instinct screamed inside his mind.
An arrow streaked through the air with frightening precision, aimed not at him, but directly at the unconscious Rosalina resting against his shoulder.
Julius came to an abrupt halt, the sudden stop sending air bursting around his feet.
He clicked his tongue in irritation before shifting slightly to the side, allowing the arrow to whistle harmlessly past them.
During that single instant, however, he had already located the attacker. A faint snort escaped him as he extended his free hand.
Golden mana condensed before solidifying into a long, heavy javelin, its polished shaft gleaming beneath the fading sunlight while its razor-sharp tip pointed toward a distant section of the northern treeline.
Julius didn’t hesitate for even a heartbeat. With a single fluid motion, he hurled it forward.
The weapon vanished almost the instant it left his hand, traveling so quickly that it seemed to erase the distance altogether.
A heartbeat later, a pained groan echoed through the forest, followed by the heavy sound of a body crashing from the branches.
Satisfied that the threat had been eliminated, Julius resumed his flight without so much as glancing back.
Unfortunately, the ambushes only grew more frequent.
As word of their escape spread, more and more spell casters emerged from the surrounding wilderness to intercept him.
None of them possessed the strength to truly threaten Julius in his current state, yet their sheer numbers became increasingly irritating.
He found himself letting out a quiet sigh as another group blocked his path, their expressions filled with hatred and determination.
There were at least twenty of them standing between the towering trees, each prepared to throw away their lives if it meant delaying him.
Julius didn’t bother speaking. Weapons continuously materialized within his grasp as he charged forward, abandoning one after another the instant they fulfilled their purpose.
A sword severed a man’s arm before being discarded for a spear that pierced another’s chest.
The spear disappeared, replaced by twin daggers that flashed through the air before a battle axe split apart a defensive barrier.
His movements flowed together so naturally that they resembled a dance rather than combat.
The hatred filling the eyes of those waiting for him gradually disappeared, replaced by unmistakable fear as they realized the terrifying gap separating them from the man they sought to stop.
Their carefully prepared formation collapsed almost immediately, and by the time Julius finally passed through the clearing, silence had reclaimed the forest.
Not a single pursuer remained standing behind him.
Several hours slipped by before the sun finally began its slow descent toward the horizon, bathing the sky in shades of crimson and gold.
Julius continued flying across the endless wilderness without slowing, but despite maintaining such relentless speed for most of the day, the Nightmare Forest was still nowhere in sight.
The distance separating him from his destination was far greater than he had hoped.
Letting out a tired sigh, he admitted to himself that fatigue had finally begun catching up with him.
For seven or eight consecutive hours, he had done nothing except run, fight, and continue running again.
Even with the enormous reserves of mana borrowed through Event Horizon sustaining his spells, his body remained flesh and blood.
The exhaustion accumulating inside his muscles grew heavier with every passing minute.
His clothes had long since been stained dark crimson, though fortunately not a single drop belonged to him.
His gaze eventually lowered toward the woman resting peacefully against him, and for the first time since escaping, a gentle smile appeared across his face.
At last, he was looking upon Rosalina’s true appearance once again.
He had imagined this moment countless times over the past five years, though in those dreams he had always expected it to happen after they reached the Three Floating Continents once more.
Reality had reunited them far earlier than he anticipated, and despite the danger surrounding them, Julius found that he couldn’t bring himself to complain.
How could he? He had spent five long years longing to see this face again.
Her long eyelashes rested quietly against her cheeks, hiding those extraordinary eyes behind closed lids while a faint crease remained between her brows even in unconsciousness.
Her delicate nose seemed sculpted with impossible perfection, and her soft lips curved naturally into a shape that drew his attention despite the circumstances.
With her long black hair now freed instead of being tied back, it flowed gently with the wind, framing a beauty Julius had never once forgotten, no matter how many years had passed.
Unable to resist any longer, he lowered his head and gently pressed his lips against hers.
The kiss lasted only a brief moment before he pulled away, a quiet smile lingering on his face.
He honestly couldn’t remember the exact last time they had shared such a simple moment together.
Five years, perhaps a little more. Somewhere along the way, he had stopped counting altogether.
"I must admit...you two really got me good... huh?"