Ryan's heart pounded wildly, his palms slick with sweat, but he forced himself to stand straight and meet Evelyn's gaze.

  After only a second, he quickly lowered his head, pretending to be as frightened as the rest of the villagers.

  Evelyn studied him for a moment. Seeing nothing unusual—his expression timid, his magical aura faint and weak—she dismissed her suspicion.

  Her brows furrowed slightly."Have any of you seen someone whose face looks like a goblin?"

  Earlier, she had been too blinded by rage to remember the man's exact features—only that his face was grotesquely hideous, like that of a goblin.

  "You're looking for someone with a goblin-like face?" Ryan said, feigning curiosity as he stepped out of the crowd, pretending to be eager to help.

  Evelyn's eyes lit up slightly."Yes, that's him. You saw him?"

  "He ran that way just now." Ryan pointed toward the misty forest beyond the barrier."I saw him rush through the breach in a panic and flee deep into the woods. He's probably long gone by now."

  Evelyn followed his gesture. Outside was nothing but darkness—the thick canopy blocked even the moonlight, leaving only the faint outlines of trees.

  Clenching her jaw, she muttered coldly,"I will kill him."

  But she knew it was pointless to go after him now. In the forest, magic beasts and undead roamed freely, and the night mist distorted one's sense of direction.

  Taking a deep breath, she forced down her fury and sat cross-legged on an open patch of ground, her hands forming intricate seals as she began channeling the Codex of the Primeval Frost to restore her magical power.

  The last time she studied the Codex of the Primeval Frost, she had only two-thirds of its contents.

  This time, she had finally gathered the complete Codex of the Primeval Frost, and she firmly believed that mastering the full text would allow her to regain the rank of Grand Magus quickly.

  However, the price of rebirth had exceeded all her expectations. She had not only lost all her magic energy, but most of her enchanted artifacts had also been lost in the turbulence of the void.

  Now, she had only three magical artifacts, her ultimate ice sword, and a few low-grade potions.

  A rough calculation told her that these resources would be enough to support her up to the Adept Mage level at best.

  At present, she was merely a Magic Apprentice, her body too weak to endure the power of magical potions. She would have to reach Adept Mage before she could safely use them.

  During her earlier clash with Ryan, she had already exposed two of her defensive artifacts—the sheer undergarment she wore and the flying needle hidden in her mouth.

  The third and final one was her last trump card, something she would never use unless absolutely necessary.

  Ryan stood still, watching as Evelyn entered her meditative state. He let out a silent sigh of relief.

  He knew better than to disturb a mage in the middle of spellwork—especially someone as terrifying as Evelyn.

  In one of his previous lives, he had accidentally interrupted her mid-practice and paid for it with his life.

  He had learned his lesson well: disturbing a mage's study was one of the greatest taboos in the magical world. At best, you'd be maimed; at worst, you'd die on the spot.

  "Come to think of it, Evelyn did teach me quite a few survival lessons," Ryan thought bitterly.

  Except every one of those lessons had been paid for with his own life—each death, a bloody reminder.

  Turning back to the others, he clapped his hands."It's fine now. She's just practicing magic. Don't bother her. Let's keep roasting the meat."

  The villagers finally relaxed and gathered again around the bonfire.

  Ryan picked up a sharp dagger and began cutting the beast meat with practiced ease, slicing the flesh cleanly from the bones and cutting it into even chunks. He skewered them on sharpened sticks and set them over the fire.

  Before long, the rich aroma of roasted meat filled the air. The children danced around the fire in excitement, and smiles—genuine, long-forgotten smiles—spread across the villagers' faces.

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  Ryan stood, dusted off his hands, and was about to invite everyone to taste the meat when he suddenly looked up—only to meet a pair of icy blue eyes.

  He froze instantly. His body stiffened, and he stumbled backward, his foot slipping on a greasy piece of beast meat.

  With a dull thud, Ryan fell flat onto the ground.

  Ryan finally realized that the person standing before him was Evelyn. She had finished her spell practice at some point and was now quietly staring at him.

  He had been so focused on cutting the beast meat that he hadn't sensed her approach at all. When he suddenly looked up and met her eyes, the memory of his eight past deaths surged up like a nightmare, and cold sweat instantly drenched his back.

  "You seem afraid of me?" Evelyn's gaze locked onto Ryan's face, as if trying to read the truth in his expression.

  "It's not that." Ryan quickly pushed himself up from the ground, his heart still racing."I just didn't notice you standing there. When I suddenly looked up and saw you, it startled me, that's all."

  Inside, he was cursing in panic: Why is she staring at me like that? Did she recognize me?

  But he had already restored his original face, and Evelyn had only ever seen his disguised, hideous one before. Logically, she shouldn't be able to recognize him.

  "Is that so?" Evelyn studied him for a few seconds, then slowly shifted her gaze toward the roasting meat over the bonfire.

  Ryan quietly exhaled in relief and hurriedly said,"Yes, exactly! I should check the meat—don't want it to burn."

  He turned and almost ran toward the fire. In front of Evelyn, he could never stay calm; every glance from her felt like balancing on the edge of a blade.

  Grimoire, what do I do? Does she suspect me? Am I going to die at her hands again this time?

  Ryan flipped the meat anxiously, speaking in his mind. The memories of his eight deaths had left him with a deep, instinctive terror of Evelyn.

  【Don't be afraid. For now, she hasn't recognized you.】

  【In fact, I have a suggestion: her magic source hasn't fully recovered yet. You should pursue her—try to form a magical resonance with her. If you can build that bond, it will not only erase her hostility toward you but also let you enhance your own power through her magic.】

  "I should pursue her? Form a magical resonance with her?" Ryan's eyes widened in disbelief, and he accidentally blurted it out loud.

  All the villagers froze mid-action, turning to stare at him. Even Evelyn, standing not far away, looked at him with puzzled eyes.

  Ryan's heart leapt into his throat; he thought fast and pointed to the meat on the fire with an awkward smile."It's nothing! I just meant… the meat's getting a little burnt, better flip it quickly."

  The villagers, realizing it was nothing serious, turned their attention back to the meal.

  Ryan exhaled deeply, then said silently to the Grimoire, Form a magical resonance? Are you insane? She's killed me eight times!

  【It's the only way for now.】

  【Your magical sources are actually complementary.】

  【Think about it—her beauty, her power… do you really feel nothing?】

  【You saw her naked before. Don't tell me you didn't like what you saw.】

  【You held her hand. Didn't you notice how soft her skin was?】

  【So why not try pursuing her? See if you can form a magical resonance with her.】

  Ryan was stunned into silence by the barrage of questions. In his mind, vivid memories surfaced uncontrollably—Evelyn's breathtaking face, her flawless figure, and that cold, ethereal aura that surrounded her.

  He had to admit, the Grimoire was right. Evelyn was the most mesmerizing mage he had ever seen.

  "Then I'll give it a try," Ryan said at last.

  He pointed toward Evelyn, who was sitting not far away, and lowered his voice to speak to the little girl."She must be hungry too. Could you help me take these smoked bird eggs to her?"

  One of the little girls raised her tiny fist and said,"Okay! We promise to deliver them!"

  Watching the girl hop away toward Evelyn, Ryan quietly stepped back a few paces, hiding behind a group of villagers by the fire, his eyes following the little girl's every move.

  It was the safest way he could think of to test things—a small act of kindness delivered through the hands of an innocent child. It would not arouse Evelyn's suspicion, yet he could still observe her reaction.

  Evelyn had been sitting with her eyes closed, regulating the remnants of her magical energy, when she suddenly heard light footsteps approaching. She opened her eyes to find a small girl standing before her, holding up a few bird eggs, her young face full of timid anticipation.

  "These are smoked bird eggs from Ryan. They're really tasty!" the girl said softly, extending her hands toward her.

  Evelyn blinked in surprise, her gaze falling on the warm bird eggs. Her magical core was still empty, and she indeed needed food to replenish her strength.

  After a brief hesitation, she reached out slender fingers and gently took one egg.

  When her fingertips brushed against the warm shell, she instinctively looked up in Ryan's direction.

  The area around the bonfire was bustling; Ryan seemed busy turning the meat with the other villagers, showing no sign of noticing her.

  Evelyn quietly exhaled, peeled the egg, and revealed the tender white inside.

  She took a small bite—the delicate texture melted in her mouth, and she swallowed unconsciously.

  Before she knew it, all the eggs were gone. As she lifted her gaze absentmindedly, she met Ryan's eyes.

  He was smiling at her, cheerful and unguarded. Evelyn's heart skipped a beat, a strange flutter of panic rising in her chest.

  She quickly looked away, pretending to gaze toward the forest in the distance. Her fingers brushed the corner of her robe—there was a smudge of charcoal dust from peeling the eggs, starkly visible against her fair skin.

  At least he doesn't know who I really am, Evelyn comforted herself silently.

  Pride had always been her armor, and she had never imagined finding herself in such a disheveled state.

  Taking a slow breath, she closed her eyes again and resumed circulating the energy of Codex of the Primeval Frost.

  Only this time, she failed to notice that some of her usual icy aura had softened ever so slightly.

  【That reaction—she was definitely shy! Send her more food! You might just break through her emotional defenses!】

  Grimoire's voice rang excitedly in Ryan's mind.

  "Which part of that looked like shyness to you?" Ryan rolled his eyes inwardly."She's probably just embarrassed. A former Grand Magus, caught eating low-level beast meat—it must be humiliating for her."

  After eight lifetimes of conflict with Evelyn, he knew her nature all too well.

  Evelyn was proud to the core, her dignity everything to her. That fleeting panic earlier was nothing but instinct—a reaction to her pride being shaken. It had nothing to do with shyness at all.