[12 Hours Later]
Libinea was no longer feeling the refreshing breeze of the sky on her feathers or the intense heat of the Phoenix tribe on her fur. Instead, she was aware of an unpleasant, fishy substance nudging at her beak.
"Who dares!"
As she opened her mouth to protest, the odd substance slipped in, and she inadvertently swallowed it. She quickly spat it out, glaring at the man who had dared to treat a queen in such a way.
"You will not recover if you continue to spit it out," Raiking advised.
Medicine? Wait, why does he appear so tall? she wondered, gazing at his enormous head. Or perhaps... why do I feel so tiny?
Panic began to consume her as she realized her predicament. It wasn't just the awful aftertaste of the fish but also the realization that her body was no longer the mighty form that soared closer to the sun than any other being.
"My wings?" she cried out, desperately trying to flap them to take flight.
Her effort was met only with a feeble thud against Raiking's shoulder.
"What does this mean? Why can't I—"
Her words were abruptly cut off as another piece of Void Koi was pushed into her mouth. She choked, reacting with the same outrage as before.
"You mortal! Why do you keep putting things in my mouth!"
"Didn't I mention before? It's for your recovery."
Indeed, he had mentioned something about recovery earlier... So, was he the one who saved me? If that's the case, he must know what happened to me.
"Who are you, mortal?" She paused to observe her surroundings, finally taking in the unfamiliar landscape. The trees resembled those of any other forest, yet the sky was a bruised purple. Strange creatures flew among the clouds, emitting a dark aura that sent chills through her blood. "Where am I exactly?"
"The Void Realm."
How did I end up in the Void Realm? She desperately tried to recall her last memory. I was on my way to the Divine Realm.
"I cannot stay here," she insisted, attempting to move.
"In your current state, what are you capable of?" Raiking inquired, stopping her abruptly. She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes, delving into her mana reserves. A wave of relief washed over her when she discovered a glimmer of energy.
"I can still perform magic," she declared, though she kept her other thoughts to herself; I barely have enough mana to protect myself, she mused, and truthfully, I might even lose a battle to this... mortal.
She studied Raiking as another unsettling realization dawned on her. Although she had never ventured into the Void Realm, its stories were familiar to her, for no mortal could enter this place since the entrance was under the vigilant guard of the Divine Realm.
"So, who exactly are you?"
"I am a wanderer."
That .. tells me nothing...
"Does the wanderer have a name?"
"Many, but the name most often used is Raiking."
I've never heard of him...
"Are you not aware of the dangers of this realm? How can you be here?"
"The Void Realm poses no threat to me."
Arrogant as well...
"Then do you know the way out?"
"I do."
"Can you show me?"
"I cannot."
"YOU—"
Libinea took another deep breath before anger could take hold.
Do not stoop to a mortal's pettiness, she reminded herself. Perhaps he seeks a reward.
"Do you know who I am?"
"No," Raiking replied plainly.
"If you guide me safely out of here, I will bestow upon you riches beyond measure. Would that interest you?"
"Not really."
Libinea opened her mouth to argue, but words failed her as another piece of Void Koi found its way into her beak.
Gulp.
This time, she did not resist, allowing it to settle in her stomach, where a strange sensation coursed through her mana reserves.
I never knew void creatures could have such a profound effect on one's mana, she thought, watching him fish. He truly wasn't lying about the recovery. So perhaps he isn't such a bad mortal.
"Then what will it take for you to guide me out of here?"
"I will help you after one month."
"Why not now?"
"Because," he said, his right eye seemingly piercing into her soul, "sometimes a long journey provides an opportunity to reflect on decisions made in haste."
"Speak plainly, mortal."
"Don't worry, Phoenix. Time will unravel the mystery, and your answers will come in a month. For now, let's focus on fishing."
He expects me to fish while my people are in distress? If he hadn't saved my life, I would have pecked his brain out by now. However, I don't even have the strength to touch him...
She pondered her predicament, staring into the shadowy river. Enormous creatures swam below, yet once Raiking caught them, they transformed into small, harmless fish.
She glanced at the rod and then at herself. Was there a distinction between that fishing line and the Divine Realm? Was she truly different from the Void Koi?
"Hasty decisions won't help my people," she murmured.
Raiking remained silent, offering only a slight smile as he tossed a piece of koi into the air. A sharp snap sounded by his right ear as she accepted the offering.
---
A few miles away, Raiking and Libinea were fishing, unaware of the threat looming on the horizon. Atop a jagged cliff, two figures watched their prey. One was seated on the edge, his cloak revealing black trousers beneath, while the other stood upright with arms encased in purple, crystalline shards.
"Are those the targets?" the seated man inquired.
"Just the female," the standing figure replied.
"And the male?"
"The instructions were clear. We are to capture her only when she is alone."
The seated man licked the edge of his blade, narrowing his eyes at the distant figures. "So I can deal with him however I want?"
"When mortals enter here, they know the risks."
"Shall we attack then?"
The standing figure nodded, but before they could move, the world suddenly drained of color. The wind stopped, the sky turned a dull ash, and everything went grey.
"What the..." the seated man gasped, scrambling to his feet, his blade trembling.
"I am a Lieutenant of the Void Army," the other said, stepping forward with his head bowed, terror replacing his arrogance. "Which Great Lord has graced us with their presence?"
Silence was their only answer, a suffocating silence that seemed to crush their lungs.
"We must report back," the Lieutenant whispered.
The other nodded, and they vanished into the mist, fleeing the oppressive air.
---
At the fishing location, Libinea noticed Raiking seemed to be staring into nothingness. "What are you staring at?" she asked.
"Some nuisances," Raiking replied.
Libinea followed his gaze yet saw only empty sky. Since she had forgotten the horrors of the Divine Realm, she remained ignorant of her pursuers and could only hope that the sole man capable of escorting her out was not going senile.
Poor mortals, she thought, pitying his fragility. They are truly incapable of surviving such a maddening place without their minds fracturing.
She puffed out her chest to offer him some comfort. "Do not worry, I will protect you."
Raiking glanced at the bird that was currently small enough to fit in a teacup, then back at the horizon where he had just crushed the will of two void assassins with a mere thought.
"..."