Sudden heat radiated from the golden orb into Long's hand, bringing an uncanny warmth that stood in stark contrast to the cold metal from moments ago.
"Huh?!"
Long's eyes widened in astonishment. Glowing fissures began to spiderweb across the sphere's surface before it abruptly shattered into a hundred pieces. The shards didn't fall; instead, they drifted in mid-air, orbiting a swirling vortex of deep violet light.
The light condensed, shrinking until it took the form of a tiny girl, as exquisite as a porcelain doll. She possessed translucent, silk-like wings that fluttered delicately, scattering shimmering stardust into the air.
The sight was so breathtaking that Long's guard vanished completely. His intuition whispered a single truth: She is safe.
"Bloodline confirmed. Proceeding with master identification."
The voice was sweet and smooth, like honey drizzled into his ears. As the violet shroud dissipated, it revealed porcelain skin flushed with a soft pink and a face so beautiful that Long believed any movie star would wither in envy.
Was Long shocked? Absolutely. But after nearly dying at the hands of a Goblin, a hovering fairy didn't seem too far-fetched anymore.
"Oh~? Who's this little brat?" The tiny girl narrowed her eyes at him, tilting her head. "Hey kid, what's your connection to Alex?"
Long blinked, his mind filled with question marks. "Uh... who is Alex? I've never heard of him, Miss!"
The little fairy immediately knitted her brows, her expression turning sour. "Listen here, brat, don't play games with me. Only his bloodline could have awakened me."
"I really don't know! I don't know any foreigners... except for an old friend," Long pleaded earnestly.
Before he could finish, the tiny figure blurred. Two miniature hands reached out and pinched Long's cheek with surprising force.
"Ow! That hurts!" Long yelped.
"Don't push my buttons! Talk..." She barked, but then hesitated as if a memory had resurfaced. She peered deep into Long's eyes and muttered, "He had another name, a less common one... Do you know a man named Nguyen Phuong Nam?"
Long froze. That name hit his mind like a bolt of electricity.
"That... that is my grandfather's name."
The little girl's face brightened instantly, like a child given candy. She flew closer, cupping Long's cheek and peering at him as if he were a long-lost treasure.
"Ooh, so you're his grandson? No wonder you have that same look about you..."
However, the brief joy was cut short. Her beautiful face suddenly darkened, and an ominous aura filled the air.
"Hahaha... he actually has a grandson now? Hahaha!"
A chill raced down Long's spine. He thought to himself: That laugh does not sound okay at all.
"That cheating bastard! Alex, you absolute jerk! You womanizing, unfaithful, heartless scoundrel!"
To Long's utter bewilderment, the tiny fairy burst into tears, wailing like a child whose favorite toy had been stolen.
"Waaaaah! Hức... I hate him! He was always surrounded by women... I... I absolutely hate him! Hức... but I also love him!"
Long stood paralyzed. This scene was more traumatic than his encounter with the Goblin. Grandpa, what on earth did you do back in the day?! his mind screamed.
Despite his confusion, Long couldn't ignore someone sobbing in front of him. He fumbled through his pockets and pulled out a strawberry candy. Since the fairy was only slightly larger than a human hand, he carefully crushed the candy and offered a small fragment to her.
"Would you like some candy, Miss? Sweets always make things better."
The girl stopped, staring at the fragment. Long looked at her with sincere, gentle eyes and offered a warm smile.
"I don't know what happened between you and my grandfather, but if he hurt you, I apologize on his behalf. Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?"
Long's warm tone made the little fairy pause. A flicker of something soft touched her resentful heart. She let out a small giggle, bit into the sweet strawberry candy, and smiled radiantly, poking Long's cheek with a tiny finger.
"Well, well. You want to take responsibility for me? Whose cute little kid is this? Did Alex teach you how to flirt?"
Long scratched his head, answering honestly, "Not at all. I'm just glad you're happy. By the way, may I know your name?"
The little fairy puffed out her chest with immense pride, her face turning uncharacteristically solemn. She hovered in the air as if standing on a grand stage and proclaimed:
"Listen well, brat. I am the Twelfth Princess of the noble de Valerius Royal Bloodline. My full name is Liana Vesperia Solari Evangeline de Valerius!"
Long went blank. The endless string of foreign syllables caused his exhausted brain to "system crash." He stared at her, mouth agape, unable to utter a single word.
Seeing his "dumbfounded" reaction, Liana Vesperia Solari Evangeline de Valerius let out a long, weary sigh, her pride deflating.
"Sigh, you really are just a kid. If you can't remember, just call me Lia. And you? What's your name?"
Long scratched his head with a sheepish grin. "Miss Lia, my name is Truong Long. By the way, what do you know about my Grandf—"
Slice!
He whipped his head toward the sound. He scanned the area, but found nothing.
"Wait... nothing? Where is the Goblin's corpse?"
Suddenly, a massive pressure weighed down the air.
"Long! Move!"
A shockwave from Lia's tiny hands shoved Long aside. She screamed at the top of her lungs:
"RUN! RUN NOW!!"
A massive black shadow, as large as a car, lunged forward with terrifying speed, swallowing the hovering Lia whole. Long's flashlight trembled as he shone it upward. A Great Serpent of impossible proportions was staring down at him with glowing amber eyes.
Without hesitation, Long bolted. The serpent hissed, tearing through the air in pursuit. Long's leg muscles burned as if dipped in boiling oil; his lungs felt like they were on fire.
It's right on my heels.
"Dammit, I'm going to die if I keep this up. I have to live to save Lia. Think... wait, it's a creature of the dark. It must hate the light, just like the Goblin!"
Long pointed his flashlight backward as he ran. The direct beam struck the monster's eyes, causing it to hiss in pain and slow down.
"Yes!"
But then, the flashlight began to flicker. The battery was dying.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me..."
The distance closed again. The serpent was snapping at his heels. But just ahead, the violet glow of the portal appeared. Long hurled the dying flashlight directly into the monster's eyes as a distraction and dove into the light.
The serpent, driven by hunger and rage, lunged after him. But what greeted it on the other side wasn't a meal—it was the excruciating itch and overwhelming nausea of the world-crosser's curse.
While its head thrashed in a disoriented convulsion, it found its prey standing firm, a heavy pickaxe gripped in his hands.
"Hello there. I just finished vomiting too!"
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Long swung the pickaxe repeatedly into the top of its head, channeling his monstrous strength into a single point. The serpent shrieked in agony, but it could neither advance nor retreat—because inside its belly, Lia had activated a forcefield to pin it in place.
"Go to hell!"
The final blow pierced the skull, obliterating the monster's brain. The massive carcass slumped. A slime-covered Lia crawled out from the serpent's maw and threw herself into Long's arms.