Estelle wasn't surprised by her parents' concern. She lowered her voice, speaking with a gentle but firm resolve. "It’s alright. Before leaving home, the family provided me with several Forbidden Artifacts that are quite capable."

  "Among them is a spatial-type artifact. Should I encounter any real trouble, I can teleport out immediately. Besides, I am now a Sequence 6. I’ve heard of the Domain of Sin in the Martigorton Mountains; as long as I remain cautious, there shouldn't be any significant problems."

  Hearing the phrase "quite a few Forbidden Artifacts," Earl Ulysses’s eye twitched. So this is how the truly wealthy live? Other clans struggle to scrape together a single artifact, yet here she is, carrying a 'few' just for a casual trip.

  He was even more shocked to learn she was a Sequence 6. The strongest member of the entire Bain Earldom was only a Sequence 7. How young is Estelle? Truly a pity... she belongs to another family now.

  With a silent sigh of lament, he ceased his opposition. To him, a Sequence 6 entering a low-level Domain used for training beginners was practically a walk in the park. Furthermore, the Bain family had been collecting data on that specific Domain for years; they knew every nook and cranny. He couldn't fathom anything going wrong for her. The case of her sister Elsa disappearing was a one-in-a-thousand-year anomaly. And even if lightning struck twice, didn't she have a spatial escape artifact?

  That night, Estelle prepared her gear. Eros tried to tag along—after all, he had never experienced a "Dungeon Instance" before—but his request was flatly denied.

  Seeing his bewildered face, Estelle laughed. "That is a Church-controlled Domain. Do you think just anyone can walk in? Even the Emperor would have to file an application. I’m only allowed in because Aunt Elsa disappeared there—it was the Church’s negligence, and this is their compensation to your grandfather. They allow one member of the Bain family to enter and search at any time until Elsa, or her remains, are found."

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  She shifted the conversation to their upcoming academy start date, telling them to stay put. Left with no choice, Eros could only nag his mother to be careful. The next morning, he "brushed" her with a [Life Blessing] buff—the longest-lasting skill in his current repertoire.

  The days that followed were agonizingly dull. Every night, he dove into his Soul Space to see if Barbara was there.

  Day 15 without Barbara... Day 16 without Barbara... Day 27...

  "Sigh... without Barbara, my heart feels empty. Nothing is interesting anymore. Even being alive feels like a drag."

  Finally, on the 27th night, Barbara appeared. Whether she was moved by his "sincerity" or simply driven mad by his nightly rambling trash-talk, she finally showed herself.

  Eros froze for a second, then immediately admitted his fault. "I was wrong!"

  Barbara huffed, though her face was dusted with pink. "Was everything you just said... true?"

  Eros nodded frantically. "Every word! I haven't even had an appetite for dinner these past few days!"

  "I’ll forgive you just this once," Barbara grumbled, "you insufferable junior! If you ever dare to be so reckless again, I’ll... I’ll... I’ll punch you into orbit!" She shook her tiny, delicate white fist at him.

  Eros let out a massive sigh of relief. His eyes instinctively drifted downward, landing on her slender legs clad in white silk.

  Barbara, still blushing, caught his gaze and snapped, "What are you looking at? Get over here and train!"

  That night, Eros was beaten miserably. Though it was painful, he was genuinely happy—Barbara had finally forgiven him.

  A few days later, a deathly pale Estelle returned. It was clear she was only standing through sheer willpower. Eros rushed forward to ask what happened, but as soon as she saw him, her tension snapped. She collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

  Eros scooped her up and carried her to her bed. Suddenly, Barbara’s voice rang in his head:

  "Her soul is missing one-fifth of its essence. It looks like it was forcibly erased by something."

  Panic seized Eros. "Is there any way to fix this?"

  A missing soul was no small matter. At best, one became a vegetable; at worst, they died. Eros could accept neither.