The Old Turtle Bus landed on the summit of Erastus Hill with a creaking sound. Dust flew everywhere. The cold night wind immediately ambushed them the moment the bus door opened. Kevin stepped out together with his six companions, and for the first time, he fully felt—directly, not from behind a window—the presence of Shin.The pressure was immense.Not merely physical pressure, but spiritual pressure that made the air feel like molten lead. The spiritual atmosphere around this hill was polluted by Shin's aura—an aura that was dark, dense, filled with wails and screams that could not be heard by the ears, but could be felt by the soul.Kevin stared at the creature.Shin stood at the center of the hilltop, surrounded by the wreckage of the previous battles. The remains of the Sky Root Team's vehicles were still smoking. The corpses of the Dawn Sword Team's members were still scattered, some in conditions no one wished to describe. And Shin... Shin simply stood there, as if waiting."Fo

The next day, after ensuring all his teammates received proper care, Kevin gathered everyone together.He used the remnants of his healing abilities—the same technique he had used to heal Princess Amelia—to accelerate the recovery of Adam, Zeph, Talia, and Bram's wounds. Golden energy flowed from his hands, closing wounds that should have taken weeks to heal, speeding up the process to just a few hours."How can you do this?" Talia asked in amazement as she felt her wound closing before her very eyes."Long story," Kevin answered shortly while continuing his treatment on Bram.After everyone had recovered, Kevin looked at his four new friends with a serious expression."I need your help to take me to the point where Sin was first seen—where according to legend he 'meditated' before transforming into the monster we see now."Zeph, who had the best navigation skills among them, nodded. "There are ancient records in the royal library about that location. A point in the Inner Sea, about t

Kevin stood alone amidst the rubble of buildings already destroyed by Sin's initial attack, staring at the giant monster with eyes full of resolve.Sin, as though realizing there was only one opponent before it now, roared with a voice that shook the entire city."Come back to me," Kevin whispered, though he knew the creature would not understand his words. "I will free you."Sin attacked.Its massive tail swept toward Kevin with a speed that was surprising for a creature of that size. But this time, Kevin did not simply dodge—he met the attack with a fist filled with the pure energy of the Spirit Stones he had just absorbed.CRAAAAASH!!!The impact created a shockwave that destroyed the surrounding buildings, but to the shock of everyone watching from the city walls, Kevin was not thrown back.He held the attack."HE HELD IT!" One of the soldiers shouted in disbelief.Sin, as though startled by this unexpected resistance, stepped back before launching its next attack—a wave of dark e

Kevin let out a sigh. "I am also afraid... that on this journey to gain the power to protect them, I will lose myself. That I will become someone they no longer recognize when I return."Silence enveloped them for several moments. And then, the old woman smiled—a smile different from before, warmer, more sincere."Pure honesty," she said. "This mist responds to your heart, young man. And your heart, though filled with fear, remains true and honest."She raised her wrinkled hand, and the mist around them began to thin."The right path will always be open to those who do not hide from their own fears, yet are not mastered by them either. You have acknowledged your fear without letting it paralyze you. That is the key to passing through this forest."Before Kevin, a clear path began to appear, cutting through the mist, leading straight north."Thank you," Kevin bowed with respect."Before you go," the old woman added, "I want to tell you something. The Forbidden Sky Mountain will not tes