I stepped through the passage to the third level, and the view struck me like dawn spilling over jade—my mind blanked. It was too beautiful.

This level was nothing like the second. The sky stretched cloudless, a blue plate of porcelain. I stood in a forest where the air tasted like springwater, cool and clean. Lush trunks rose like pillars of green; leaves drank the gentle sun and poured back liquid light. Under the boughs, tender grasses and wildflowers crowded in, lively as a festival, turning a fair scene even fairer.

Farther off lay a pool, clear as polished glass, mirroring the blue vault and every tree like a painted fan. Birds nested in the branches; their chorus curled and flowed, a silk-soft performance as fine as any master’s, and with one listen my chest loosened. Above the flowerbeds, dozens—hundreds—of butterflies fluttered like drifting petals, while the blossoms swayed with the breeze, as if bowing to accompany their dance.

Even the soil under my boots felt welcoming—loose, soft, rich with the honest scent of earth. Each step pressed down like sinking into a warm quilt, and a thought rose unbidden: ah, this is the real ground.

It matched the Central Continent for beauty, yet carried a different flavor. The Central Continent was a hermit’s haven, a hidden peach garden; this was pure fairyland, the kind you see in old story scrolls.

“It really makes you want to settle down here.”

Anyone would think the same, I felt it in my bones. City glitter is loud; this kind of immortal quiet suits me better.

“How about you actually settle down, brat?”

FrostyLily Dream’s voice rang in my head, dry as frost and sudden as a bell. “Didn’t expect you to clear the second level in one piece. And now this old lady gets why my elder sister made you her maid. Watching you on the second level, even I almost tied you up and carted you off.”

“Ah-haha… I’m honored.”

Fear nipped at me, but pride warmed my chest. I worried she might truly kidnap me, yet liked that she’d noticed my skill. Something still felt off, though.

“Whatever. By tradition, this old lady will brief you on the third level.”

“Okay.”

She paused, then continued. “The third level’s called the Enchanted Forest. As you can see, it’s a place beautiful enough to be unreal. But besides ‘enchant,’ it has ‘maze.’ ‘Maze’ means getting lost, so watch yourself. What you see here is part true, part false—half-real, half-illusion. In other words, the Enchanted Forest is a vast illusion formation born from nature itself.”

“Oh—”

I breathed out, already sensing this wouldn’t be easy.

“That’s the overview. Now for the conditions. Like the Land of Lava, there are two ways to pass. First—walk out of the Enchanted Forest. Second—find the forest’s guardian and defeat it. As for hints, beware the illusions and mind your direction. Most of all, don’t let the beauty blind you. That’s it. Good luck, brat.”

Her voice snapped off, gone like a candle snuffed. Hey, no intel on the guardian at all this time?

“Ah! Can’t be helped.”

She’d already done me a favor with that much. Don’t ask too much; know contentment.

I steadied my mood, cooling it down to calm. From “just walk out” alone, you could tell how dangerous the place really was.

Fairyland beauty, yes—but danger braided right through it. Might even be worse than facing the Emperor of Flames alone.

“Mm, no point overthinking. Walk, look around, learn the lay.”

Nothing changes unless you move. My wrist chain shimmered back into the Shattered Light Sword, and I gripped it tight. I started forward, watching every angle with a hunter’s caution. No one could swear there wasn’t something waiting in the grass shadows or behind a trunk.

About an hour slipped by.

Nothing. It felt like an ordinary forest, just too lovely for its own good. But this place was woven from real and unreal; enemies could nest in the false. If that was true, it’d be trouble.

Worry didn’t help. The scene stayed what it was. All I could do was crank my vigilance higher.

I picked up my pace. Slowly, an itch crawled under my skin—this was too peaceful. I’d walked nearly an hour, and everywhere stayed quiet, gentle, harmless. It didn’t feel like danger at all… Wait.

I stopped dead. My eyes went wide, fixed on a slightly leaning tree beside me. Wasn’t that the same tree I’d seen when I first stepped in? Why was it here—and why did this whole view feel so familiar, like I’d watched it on loop?

“No way!”

A sour dread flooded me. I scanned the scenery and combed back through memory—then my stomach dropped. I was standing at my original entry point. That whole hour, I’d been marching in place.

Only now did the Enchanted Forest show a sliver of its teeth—just the tip of the iceberg. I couldn’t afford another careless stroll.

I didn’t hesitate. I poured everything into my Sword Intent, pushing my senses sharp.

“…”

The world flipped, sky and earth grinding like a wheel—I almost hurled, but forced it down. Something peeled away at the edges, and the view snapped cleaner, lines and colors biting true.

“Whew—”

A moment later, I caught my breath. In here, you can’t spare even half a thought. Lose it for a blink, and you’ll wander until you drop, like I would’ve just now.

“Right. Once more.”

I didn’t linger. Holding Sword Intent chews through stamina; I couldn’t waste a heartbeat.

So I set out again, drifting the paths with care, every step more cautious than the last.

…