Lilith felt as if struck by lightning.

"No humans in the Sakend plane?!"

"No settlements," Snowball clarified. "But scattered humans do exist—just extremely, extremely rare. Most cling to the protection of major races or… live in very poor circumstances."

Lilith's heart sank to the bottom. No human power meant no kin to rely on.If she truly were the only human in this plane… the loneliness made her shiver.

She couldn't delay. "I have to go."

"Ah? My lady, where are you going?" Snowball asked in a panic.

Lilith gazed at the vast, bleak world outside the ice hut, trying to imitate the poise her father wore when he commanded all under heaven.

She forced a deep, solemn tone. "To measure the breadth of this world, to follow where the stars point, to witness—"

"Witness what?" Snowball asked, curious.

By the time he finished the question, Lilith had already turned into a streak of starlight and shot into the wind and snow.

She really couldn't keep improvising that speech.

"Chief, why did the lady leave?"

"What if the foxfolk come bully us again?" a snow cat asked anxiously.

Snowball stared toward where Lilith had vanished.

The goofy, honest look on his face faded, replaced by a gravity and wisdom that didn't match his fluffy exterior.

"The fate bearing down on Lady Lilith is too heavy—far heavier than our snow cat clan can shoulder. She has already done us a great kindness by dealing with the foxfolk threat. Her leaving is best for both her and us."

Of course, even if he wanted to keep her, he couldn't.

Far away, dozens of miles out, Lilith suddenly stopped.

She smacked her forehead. "No. This Sakend plane is too dangerous. I can't rely only on the Sacred Tortoise Shell's passive defense and the few remaining active uses. I need more life-saving options."

Her spirit sank into the storage ring Leo had given her.

Treasure piled like mountains lit up in a hundred hues, dazzling her eyes.

All the "pocket money" Leo had stuffed into her ring—now her greatest crutch in a strange world.

"Huh? This one looks good." Her gaze locked onto a palm-sized tortoise shell inscribed with natural, mysterious patterns.

Unlike the earlier phantom shell that had auto-activated to protect her, this piece was solid, its aura deeper and more restrained—pure guardianship.

With a thought, the ancient shell streaked like light and sank between her brows.

At once, a steadier protective force spread through her, quietly wrapping soul and body alike.

Feeling that stabilizing power suffuse her, Lilith calmed. She looked toward the snow-blurred horizon, and battle-fire rekindled in her eyes.

"All right then.""Sakend—Lilith Grey has arrived!"

Somewhere in space-time.

A colossal hall floated in silence, like a slumbering primordial behemoth.

Suddenly, a low, sustained hum resonated through the dead silence.

At the deepest point of the temple, a dull voice, tinged with doubt, rumbled forth: "The fluctuation of the star-track of fate… so pure and vast, bearing the breath of destiny?"

"An illusion, or…"

A probing will swept toward the source it had sensed.

All it found were a bunch of snow cats scuffling about in the tundra—so weak they were hardly worth noticing—and a few lingering energy traces, embers of a clash between the foxfolk and some unknown power.

"Hm? Gone?"

"Have I slept too long—has my perception drifted…?"

The voice lingered in uncertainty. "Or is that one hiding on purpose, evading my search?"

The probing consciousness withdrew, leaving only silence—and a seed of doubt.

Snowhawk City, a border megacity under wingfolk control.

After days of trudging across desolate icefields, Lilith finally reached the magnificent city.

Soaring walls were crowned with carvings of giant eagles poised to take flight.

At the gate, traffic surged—races of every shape and stripe flowed in a constant stream.

The bustle made Lilith think of Dalton Town in its earliest days.

A wave of homesickness rose in her chest; a fleeting sadness flashed through her blue eyes.

Fiona still slept.

Her father—where was he now?

For the first time, she truly understood what it meant to be alone in a foreign land.

She drew a long breath, steadied herself, and entered with the crowd.

Inside was a riot of the strange and marvelous.

Lizardfolk vendors with trailing tails hawked their goods at full volume; stocky hill-trolls staggered under enormous bales; even a few high-bred elves glided by…Many beings retained roughly human silhouettes—just different skin, hair, or eye colors, or a few notable traits.

The familiarity soothed Lilith a little.

They seemed merely… more diverse.

Her arrival caused no real stir.

A human girl—silver hair, blue eyes, striking looks, weak aura. In a metropolis of myriad races like Snowhawk City, hardly unique.

At most, a few ill-intentioned glances sized up the value of this "fat sheep."

Before long, she stopped before a relatively clean shop sporting a sign: Windwhisper Flower Tea.

It wasn't the scent of tea that drew her—it was an old man by the window.

A human old man.

White hair and beard, a face weathered by years, cupping a steaming floral tea with quiet enjoyment.

A human!

Lilith's heart leapt. She slid into the seat opposite him, nerves taut, hope shining faintly in her voice. "Sir… are you human?"

The old man flinched and nearly spilled his tea.He lifted his lids and glared at her. "Little lass, mind your tongue. If I'm not human, am I supposed to be a goblin?"

Confirming he truly was human, Lilith brightened as if she'd found an oasis in a desert.

"Wonderful! Sir, I finally found a fellow human!Along the way it was all… all kinds of strange folk." She conveniently forgot that, well, Snowball and company had been rather cute.

"Are you alone, sir?" she asked.

He nodded mildly, sipped his tea, and gave her a sidelong look. "First time far from home, is it?"

Lilith nodded honestly.Far from home? More like an entire universe away.

"Thought so," he muttered, unsurprised.

Seizing the chance, Lilith put on her most plaintive look. "Sir, I'm new here and know nothing. Could you tell me about this place?"

He snorted, playing coy. "Little lass, don't think I'll waste my breath just because we're the same race. Around here, knowledge is expensive—"

Before he could finish, Lilith set a fist-sized crystal on the table.

The ambient magic in the air stirred the moment it appeared.

The old man's words died in his throat. His eyes went perfectly round.In the next instant—so fast Lilith almost missed it—his hand shot out, scooped up the crystal, and tucked it into his robe in one fluid, well-practiced motion.

Every trace of aloofness vanished from his face, replaced by the warmest, kindliest smile imaginable.

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