Kanoru groaned softly, his eyes fluttering open.
The faint morning light filtered through the windows, casting a soft glow over the room.
He blinked a few times, his vision slowly clearing.
Beside his bed, he spotted Gu Mingzhu sleeping on a chair, her arms crossed, her head tilted slightly to the side.
He stared at her for a moment, then frowned.
What happened? Why am I here?
The last thing he remembered was sitting on the floor, his body trembling with exhaustion after defeating the monster that resembled a Digimon from his previous life.
Then came the massive purple hand descending over him and the other six.
After that—
Nothing.
His memory cut off.
I must have lost consciousness.
And now, somehow, he had returned to his bed.
Carefully, he pushed himself up, wincing slightly.
His eyes drifted to the other end of the room, where Asuna sat cross-legged on a mat, meditating.
Her breathing was steady, her face serene, eyes closed in deep concentration.
Kanoru glanced at the light streaming through the windows and wondered,
How many days was I unconscious?
He thought back to the hunt he was supposed to participate in.
But instead, he had been pulled into another space—a twisted, eerie replica of a 19th-century amusement park from his previous life.
There, he learned the truth:
This world was called the Spirit World.
And it was under invasion—not by another world, but by a force from that world.
The Nightmare World.
The name lingered in his mind.
Nightmare... Dream...
He pondered the connection.
Nightmares are a type of dream—bad dreams.
Could there be a link between the Dream World and the Nightmare World?
But speculation would have to wait.
He clenched his fists slightly.
I have to reach the Spirit Realm if I want to investigate further.
But to do that, he first needed to advance to High-Ranked Samurai Realm.
Determined, he swung his legs over the side of the bed—but the moment his right leg touched the ground, a sharp pain shot through it.
He inhaled sharply.
The pain brought the memory rushing back—
Piedmon's vicious kick had struck his leg with bone-crushing force.
During the fight, the pain had been excruciating, but he had ignored it, pushing through the agony.
Now, however, the dull throb was unmistakable.
The bone must have snapped, he thought grimly.
Closing his eyes, he focused his chakra and scanned his right leg.
As his chakra flowed over the limb, he could feel the damage—the bone was indeed broken, though it was slowly healing.
Judging by the speed, it would take at least two days to fully mend.
Kanoru sighed, realizing he was stuck in bed for now.
He considered waking Gu Mingzhu or Asuna—but hesitated.
He didn't want to disturb them.
Yet, his body was aching for both food and a trip to the bathroom.
Just as he debated whether to call out or wait for them to wake naturally, he suddenly heard a soft voice.
"You're awake."
He immediately recognized the voice and turned his head toward the other side of the room.
There, Asuna stood, staring at him with calm, watchful eyes.
Kanoru nodded slightly.
"Come and help me," he said, his voice hoarse.
Carefully, he lifted his right leg with his hands, grimacing as he swung it over the edge of the bed.
Asuna quickly crossed the room and reached his side, wrapping her arm around him.
With her support, he hobbled into the bathroom.
Once inside, he handled his business, leaning heavily on Asuna for balance.
When he was done, she helped him back to the bed, guiding him gently.
As they approached, they found Gu Mingzhu already awake, rubbing her eyes.
She glanced at him, her face a mixture of relief and concern.
"How are you?" she asked softly.
Kanoru sank onto the bed with a sigh.
"I'm fine," he muttered, flexing his leg slightly, "except for the broken leg."
He turned to Asuna, remembering what she had told him while helping him in the bathroom.
"Did anything happen in the past few days?" he asked.
From Asuna, he had learned that he had been unconscious for two nights.
Gu Mingzhu shook her head.
"Nothing much," she replied, her tone turning somber. "Except the spread of the news about our world being invaded."
Kanoru's brows furrowed slightly.
He stared at Gu Mingzhu, his voice low but firm.
"Do you know anything about the ambush against me and the others? And about the Greyrose Circus?"
Gu Mingzhu's expression darkened.
"Except for Fifth Cousin, you seven are safe," she said. "Though with varying degrees of injury."
Her words were steady, but Kanoru noticed the flicker of unease in her eyes when she mentioned Fifth Cousin.
Asuna added, her tone cold,
"Our Spirit Realm experts managed to kill two of theirs."
Kanoru's eyes narrowed.
A question that had been gnawing at his mind finally slipped out.
"Isn't the upper floor of the Spirit Forest supposed to be the territory of the Spirit Fox Clan?"
Gu Mingzhu nodded.
"It is," she confirmed, "but they reside on the lower floor."
Kanoru's eyes sharpened.
"Then how did the Greyrose Circus infiltrate the upper floor?"
Gu Mingzhu's lips pressed into a thin line.
"There are only two ways to enter the upper floor," she said.
"One is through the cave passage, and the other is from the lower floor. The Spirit Fox Clan guards both entrances. They shouldn't have been able to infiltrate the forest."
Asuna's eyes narrowed.
"Then... the Spirit Fox Clan?" she asked cautiously, leaving the sentence unfinished.
Kanoru immediately understood what she was implying.
Are they in on it?
Before he could voice his suspicion, Gu Mingzhu shook her head firmly.
"No," she said with certainty.
"They can't be. One of their Spirit Realm experts was the one who rescued Kanoru and the others."
Kanoru's fingers curled slightly around the bedsheet.
His mind began racing, piecing together the fragments.
If the Spirit Fox Clan isn't involved…
Then how did the invaders bypass the guards and spirit formation?
Then, a chilling thought surfaced.
What if everything had been planned from the start?
What if they were bait—lured into the ambush as part of a larger scheme?
It would explain how the invaders had been able to enter the forest undetected.
The realization sank deep into his chest.
"We were bait," he muttered under his breath.
He let out a slow exhale, then lay back down, his head sinking into the pillow.
Without another word, he closed his eyes, his mind still swirling with suspicion.
One month later, Kanoru, Asuna, and Gu Mingzhu left the Desert Kingdom.
Gu Mingzhu joined them because she had no close ties in the capital. With the royal hunt canceled and the eldest prince becoming the crown prince, set to take the throne in a few months, she had no reason to stay. She also wanted to visit Kanoru's parents.
Inside a large white carriage, Kanoru peeked outside the window. A sign ahead marked Ren County City as the carriage rolled toward it.
"Asuna, should we rent an inn?" Kanoru asked.
"We'll stay with my brothers," she replied.
Kanoru smirked. "I left for the Desert Kingdom with one wife and now I've brought back another."
"They will understand," Asuna said without hesitation.
"I will explain the reason for our marriage," Gu Mingzhu added.
"No need, Sister," Asuna reassured her.
Kanoru shifted the topic. "Your brother sent a letter a few days ago. Did he mention anything about the investigation? And has Bai Yue advanced to Middle-Warlock Realm?"
"They found the main branch base of Nine Reverse Palace, but it was empty," Asuna said. "Bai Yue will advance to Middle-Warlock Realm in a month."
Kanoru nodded, then froze.
His senses screamed danger.
Without a word, he grabbed both Asuna and Gu Mingzhu's hands and leapt out of the carriage.
The moment they crashed onto the ground outside, the carriage and driver were frozen solid in ice.
A pained groan came from Gu Mingzhu—among the three, she was a warlock, meaning her physique was only slightly stronger than an ordinary person.
Kanoru quickly stood, pulling both women up. His eyes snapped toward the source of the attack.
He had felt it—the movement through the wind.
The battle against Piedmon had pushed him to master both Cat and Eagle Sword Styles, leaving Mantis Sword Style unfinished. A week after his injuries healed, he mastered it, further refining his body control and wind perception.
That heightened sensitivity allowed him to sense the attack traveling through the air.
His gaze locked onto an old man standing on a tree branch.
The man had a long white beard, a tall staff in his right hand, and most strikingly—glazed purple eyes devoid of emotion.
Without a word, the old man raised his staff.
A barrage of sharp icicles shot toward Kanoru.