Leaves rustled on the branches of trees and the blades of grass as the wind blew from east to west. Two individuals with red hair stood mesmerized by the colors of nature surrounding them.
"Whoa, look Reggie, the leaves—they're green! And the flowers too—they come in so many colors. Oh my, Earth is just as colorful as the stories said," Nivea said, mesmerized.
"Indeed. Look at the sky—it's blue, with white clouds floating beneath it, and the yellow sun," Reggie said, his eyes glittering with awe.
They both looked around in wonder. Birds chirped happily on the branches, some flying off; squirrels munched on nuts high in the trees; butterflies flitted from flower to flower...
"The Golden Realm really doesn't fall short of its name."
Lying on the ground with his face in the dirt, Iode raised his head to greet the warm, tender sunlight touching his skin. His white hair ruffled in the breeze. He was stunned by what he saw.
"Am I back home?" he muttered.
"No, Methuselah. This is the Golden Realm—this is Earth," Reggie replied.
"I'm pretty sure this is what Heaters looks like," Iode said.
"Don't compare that ripoff to Earth. Earth is the original—the others are just doppelgangers," Reggie scoffed.
"Ripoff? Tsk, why am I even having a conversation with a demon?" Iode muttered as he stood up and stretched. "Seems my strength is back."
' Whether this is Heaters or not, Valier was stupid enough not to put a restriction on me. If this really is Earth, its similarities to my home world might just give me enough strength to return.'
"So, Iode," Nivea asked, "where do we go? You're our chaperone, after all."
"To hell with chaperoning. Your stupid dad denied me the chance to see my kids, then dragged me to a distant world to babysit his children? To hell with you and him. Ask him where to go!" Iode snapped.
"Go your way, and I'll go mine. Do whatever you want—I don't care. We're not bound to each other, and I never agreed to take care of you. You're on your own." Iode turned around and began walking.
The demon twins followed behind him, though they left some distance between them.
"Seriously—leave me alone! Go your own way!" Iode yelled sharply as he turned, but the twins just looked away and started whistling.
"Ugh!" Iode grunted and turned back, walking faster. The twins followed. Seeing this, he broke into a run—and so did they.
' What's with these two? Why won't they leave me alone?' Iode frowned. While running, he noticed a large river, its banks tightly lined with trees. He ran toward them, planning to use the cover.
The twins followed close behind. Seeing his bait worked, he muttered, "Blink!" And right before their eyes, Iode vanished.
"Where did he go?" Nivea asked.
"I don't know—don't ask me. We both saw him disappear," Reggie replied.
At the middle of the river, a siphon moved silently across the water. It reached the opposite bank, and from it, Iode emerged, breathing heavily.
"My mana's been replenished. I couldn't use Blink during the fight with Dagon and Kaisellin because the spell's range is too short—barely ten feet. Those two were way too fast, especially with those raining spears. But here... I've got cover to hide from those damned brats," he muttered, walking deeper into the woods.
Though he moved unimpeded, something felt off. His movements grew sluggish, and his vision blurred. He felt dizzy.
"What the hell... everything feels fuzzy. Damnit—Hades' curse must be kicking in," he said. He staggered to a tree trunk and sat down. "I think I need to rest a bit. I don't feel right..." He closed his eyes slowly.
Not far from him, two figures approached.
"What was that about going our separate ways again? He can't even take care of himself. It's like he doesn't even know his own body."
"Yeah. Let's go—"