Noan had countless questions swirling in his mind, but he had no idea what the answers were—nor did he know where to find them.

    With a sigh, he instructed Urlgan to bring the mysterious machine back to the territory for further study later.

    He didn''t stop there. Instead, he continued to venture farther. However, contrary to his expectations, he only encountered a few zombies along the way.

    Night fell quickly. Noan had no intention of returning to his territory and decided to stay outside.

    As the night deepened, the temperature plummeted to an unbelievable degree. Worse still, there was no moon tonight. Darkness stretched endlessly like a black veil, consuming every trace of light.

    Noan shivered slightly. He hadn''t expected such an extreme temperature difference between day and night.

    During the day, the temperature was likely around 30°C, but by nightfall, it had dropped drastically—perhaps below 10°C. The biting wind made the cold even more unbearable.

    Even his breath turned into visible wisps of white smoke.

    Seated beside the campfire, Noan tried to warm himself. Though his body had been enhanced by the Almighty Fusion talent, even that wasn''t enough to completely resist this bone-chilling cold.

    Whoosh!

    Suddenly, Vylyss sat beside him, spreading her wings and wrapping them around him like a protective barrier against the wind.

    She smiled softly, resting her head on his shoulder. Her arms wrapped around his, pulling it into the warmth between her soft, ample curves.

    A wave of warmth spread through Noan''s body as if he were being shielded from all the harshness of the outside world by Vylyss''s embrace.

    "Do you feel warmer now, Master?"

    Noan nodded. "Mhm! If you spoil me like this, I''ll become useless."

    "Really?" Vylyss chuckled, her laughter like a dark rose swaying in the wind. "Then I''ll have to become stronger to protect you."

    "Master, no matter how useless you become, I will always be able to protect you."

    As she spoke, her delicate fingers traced lazy circles on his thigh.

    Noan said nothing more. He simply pulled her into his arms.

    Seeing this, Urlgug and Urlgan silently walked away, giving them their space.

    After all, both of them were High Orcs. The cold barely affected them.

    It was only because Noan was here—and because he couldn''t endure such frigid temperatures—that Urlgug had even bothered to light a campfire.

    In the heart of the darkness, beside the flickering flames, Noan and Vylyss shared a moment of warmth and sweetness.

    ...

    Morning arrived, and when Noan opened his eyes, he was met with a pitch-black veil surrounding him.

    Vylyss was already awake, lying beside him. He had no idea how long she had been watching him.

    She propped her head up with both hands, her gaze fixed on him as if she had admired him for a long time.

    Noan sighed. "You don''t have to stare at me like that. I''m not going to disappear."

    Vylyss smiled—softly, tenderly, as if she were gazing upon the most precious treasure in the world.

    "Master, I want your face to be forever engraved in my memory."

    But for now, he was still too weak—too vulnerable. He wasn''t willing to take such a risk.

    "Alright, let''s head back," Noan said decisively, and the others followed his lead without hesitation.

    After all, both Vylyss and Urlgug shared Noan''s thoughts.

    If something truly terrifying lurked in this place, staying longer would only put them in unnecessary danger.

    Returning was the wisest choice.

    Leading the way, Noan retraced his path back toward his territory.

    And, of course, throughout the entire journey, Urlgan continued carrying the Angel Zombie''s mechanical core on his back.

    ...

    At the Teleportation Hall, the place resembled an airport—only far larger and far more advanced.

    Lylia walked through the vast hall, her eyes scanning the surroundings as if searching for something.

    "Strange..." she muttered to herself. "Where exactly is Noan?"

    She had already checked all the places he used to stay, yet she still couldn''t find him.

    Today was the day everyone would be transported to the new area—there was no way he wouldn''t show up.

    Taking out her phone, she checked her messages.

    All the ones she had sent to Noan still hadn''t gone through.

    She sighed, frustration creeping into her heart. "Noan, where on earth are you? I sacrificed my second chance to become a Lord for you, yet you haven''t even thanked me."

    Lylia pouted, her face filled with irritation.

    "Lylia!"

    A voice suddenly called out.

    Lylia turned her head excitedly, only for her expression to immediately sour. Her face darkened in an instant, her mood shifting 180 degrees.

    Jankos, seeing Lylia''s initial smile when she turned around, felt even more confident.

    ''See? She must like me. Otherwise, why would she look so happy when she heard me call her name?''

    ''Tsk, how quickly she changed her expression. Women truly are complicated creatures. She''s probably just being shy.''

    He walked up to her, grinning. "You were waiting for me, weren''t you?"

    "Come on, let''s head to the new area together. Don''t worry—I''ll protect you."

    Lylia frowned, her voice carrying unmistakable annoyance. "Jankos, do you understand what I''ve been telling you?"

    "I don''t like you. I will never like you. Please, stop following me. You''re seriously getting on my nerves."

    With that, she didn''t wait for his response and turned to leave.

    Jankos didn''t get angry.

    Instead, he licked his lips, his face filled with twisted amusement.

    "Lylia... you''re getting more and more interesting, I will definitely make you mine."