BXBX NOVEL Chapter 45: Could it be that he really has feelings for me?
Despite his words, Oliver didn't let his guard down.
The aura he had sensed from Timothy was bizarrely powerful, not at all like someone who had just entered the Mystic Core.
Oliver signaled his two companions with a glance.
In an instant, the three of them made their move.
No matter how strange the aura emanating from Timothy was, Oliver couldn't believe he could hold off three people on his own.
The combined force of three Mystic Core practitioners was formidable, enough to rival the armies of a mundane dynasty.
Moreover, all three were top fighters from the Phoenix Kingdom, skilled in combat and far more capable than they appeared.
However, facing the trio, Timothy, under the enhancement of the Ancient Saintly Body, was enveloped in a golden light, moving with incredible speed, turning into a blur that was hard to catch.
"He's so fast!" Oliver was shocked, unable to spot Timothy at all.
He frantically looked around, only to suddenly notice countless lights above his head.
Golden light rained down from the sky, filled with a divine and overwhelming power.
Oliver felt as if he was being choked, his body trembling with fear.
With bloodshot eyes, he poured all his spiritual power into the Crest that was suppressing Emily, and faced the onslaught from above.
The two forces collided explosively, and the golden Crest, formed from the blood of a great princess, offered no resistance.
The sky full of golden light was like a majestic holy figure, inspiring nothing but awe and fear.
Oliver screamed, but he was already being swallowed by the endless golden light.
His body twisted and contorted, turning into a mass of flesh that crashed heavily to the ground, his body and soul utterly destroyed!
Thinking they had found an opening, the other two tried to sneak attack Timothy from behind.
But their swords hung in mid-air, unable to strike.
"What in the world is this?" The two trembled with fear, utterly horrified.
They noticed a thick grey mist enveloping their bodies.
This mist was eerily cold, like ice, and extremely chilling.
Any spiritual energy that came into contact with it was silently devoured.
"Could this be the legendary extreme cold?" Their eyes widened in terror.
The extreme cold was a phenomenon that hadn't been seen for many years.
They had never expected to encounter it here.
Their faces twisted in fear, they tried desperately to get away from Timothy.
But they found their bodies completely bound by the invisible aura, unable to break free no matter how hard they tried.
"Damn it, who the hell are you?"
"Wait, I've heard that this extreme cold is linked to the Ancient Saintly Body."
"Could it be... you!"
Fear crept into their voices, making them tremble uncontrollably.
The cold deathly aura spread throughout their bodies, contorting their faces in grotesque and painful expressions.
Their life force and vitality drained away rapidly, and they were helpless, simply succumbing to the overwhelming force.
"Crack, crack."
Amidst agonized screams and curses, their bodies gradually dried up and turned cold, completely devoid of life.
With a gentle force of the extreme cold lingering in the air, their bodies shattered like ice, scattering on the ground.
[Congratulations, host, for successfully completing the mission. Reward: +3 skill points.]
Timothy shook his head in disdain.
These three really weren't worth much.
Those half-baked Umbral Tyrants could each provide a skill point, but these three Mystic Core practitioners together were only worth three points. That was pretty cheap.
Looking at Emily, suspended in mid-air by golden threads, Timothy paused, "I didn't expect you to use a disguise technique. Honestly, you look much prettier without it. Wait a minute."
It took him a moment to remember, "Aren't you the third princess of the Phoenix Kingdom?"
Emily, who was just feeling a bit flattered by the compliment, nearly passed out from frustration.
It took Timothy so long to recognize her!
In a huff, Emily inadvertently twisted her body, which only made the golden threads tighten even more, binding her in an awkward position.
Strange sensations kept coming, and she bit her lip, her face flushing, "Just get me down, please."
The sunlight cascaded down, spreading her long hair behind her.
The thin golden threads tightly bound her scant clothing, outlining her graceful curves.
Timothy coughed awkwardly.
If possible, he would have liked to keep looking a bit longer before freeing her.
But to prove he wasn't weird, he used his spiritual energy as a blade to cut the surrounding golden threads.
Emily's body immediately fell, thankfully caught gently by Timothy.
Feeling the warmth from Timothy's chest, Emily's breathing became a bit rapid.
"Don't worry, I'll help you get untangled."
Although the golden threads were easy to cut, they were extremely difficult to untangle.
To avoid hurting Emily, Timothy had to carefully try to unravel them bit by bit.
But the threads were wrapped around some very awkward places.
In the dense forest, their voices could be heard, but they were unseen.
Soft, melodious, yet embarrassingly shy voices floated through the air.
"Focus on what you're doing, and don't look anywhere else!"
"Hey, not there!"
"Don't touch that!"
"Ah~"
"Ah..."
Finally, after freeing her from the golden threads, Emily felt weak all over, her cheeks flushed with a rosy hue.
She could only lean shyly against a tree, wiping the sweat from her forehead.
Yet, even though the physical discomfort had subsided, the fluttering in her heart wouldn't stop.
Emily could clearly feel her heartbeat racing much faster than usual.
Biting her lip, she finally managed to calm her tumultuous thoughts and approached Timothy, asking softly, "Weren't you on your way to the Sky Sanctuary? Why are you here?"
Timothy paused.
He couldn't exactly say it was to complete a system task.
Unsure how to explain, he awkwardly made up an excuse, "Uh, don't worry about it. I just happened to be passing by."
But hearing this, Emily's gaze shifted subtly.
In that moment, time seemed to stand still.
She realized she was wrong.
And terribly so.
All along, she thought Timothy didn't care about her at all.
But the truth was far from it.
Two paths leading in completely different directions.
How could Timothy just happen to appear here?
It couldn't be a coincidence.
It must be that Timothy had anticipated she might be in danger and had been quietly following her all along.
No one would do such a thing for someone they didn't care about.
'Could it be that he really has feelings for me? And that I hold a high and irreplaceable position in his heart?'
Her eyes sparkled, and in that moment, Emily's heart skipped a beat.