Chapter 168: Chapter 168: Lucia’s Spirit World

The Nine-tailed Red Fox was incredibly weak, but when it sensed someone approaching, it instantly became exceptionally violent, unleashing a series of deafening roars.

With each roar, more and more red energy radiated from its body until the entire dungeon seemed to be engulfed by the violent force.

Su Yaoyao watched this unfold. Seeing so much blood, her heart ached, and tears welled in her eyes.

’How did it come to this?’ she wondered. ’Was it because I didn’t choose him last night that Lucia went completely berserk?’ The thought stabbed at her heart like a sharp knife, leaving a dull, persistent ache.

"For the safety of the Empire, we had no choice but to trap it like this," Augustine explained, seeing Su Yaoyao’s distress.

’In truth, if I weren’t worried that Su Yaoyao would hate me for killing Lucia, I would have run my sword through its heart last night. From my position as the Empire’s sovereign, it would have been the right thing to do.’

"But he’ll die if he bleeds out," Su Yaoyao said anxiously.

"He’ll die if his berserk energy runs out, too," Augustine replied helplessly.

Su Yaoyao’s breath hitched, her eyes filled with resolve. "I have to save him."

With that, she started walking toward the Nine-tailed Red Fox.

However, the moment she drew near, the Nine-tailed Red Fox roared wildly at her, the sound so powerful it seemed as if it would devour her.

Augustine immediately stepped forward, pulling Su Yaoyao protectively behind him as he watched the Nine-tailed Red Fox with caution.

Tears streamed down Su Yaoyao’s face as she watched Lucia in agony. It felt like a knife was twisting in her heart.

She gently lowered Augustine’s arm and said, "I believe Lucia won’t hurt me. Just let me try."

Augustine helplessly released his grip. Su Yaoyao advanced slowly, step by step. A warm, white light began to emanate from her, drifting like a gentle curtain toward the Nine-tailed Fox to envelop it.

As the white light entered the Nine-tailed Fox’s body, its violent state receded slightly. It was as if the light possessed a magical power that made the fox feel warm and comfortable, and its roars gradually softened.

Su Yaoyao slowly drew closer to the Nine-tailed Red Fox. The warm, white light radiating from her body grew increasingly intense, until it completely enveloped the creature.

Su Yaoyao closed her eyes, focused her mind, and tried to establish a Spiritual Link with Lucia.

Beads of sweat gradually formed on her forehead, and her breathing grew ragged, but her expression remained one of absolute focus and determination.

Finally, the Spiritual Link was established. Su Yaoyao’s consciousness felt as if it had passed through a layer of mist and entered Lucia’s Spirit World.

She had expected to find a barren wasteland, but inside Lucia’s Spirit World, a dreamlike, fantastical scene unfolded before her eyes.

It was a world filled with sunshine and the fragrance of flowers. Across a lush, green meadow, Lucia was strolling hand-in-hand with a woman.

Su Yaoyao could see clearly that the woman looked just like her, though her face was still hidden behind a mask.

They gazed at each other with deep affection, their eyes full of love. The scene was warm and beautiful. Lucia’s face was alight with a blissful smile—a smile so pure and genuine that Su Yaoyao had never seen anything like it from him before.

Su Yaoyao was filled with a swirl of emotions. ’I understand,’ she thought. ’This is all an illusion, but in this beautiful dream, Lucia has found the happiness he craves. That’s why he doesn’t want to wake up.’

"Lucia..." Su Yaoyao called out softly, her voice echoing through the Spirit World.

Lucia seemed to hear her call, but he only tightened his grip on the hand of the "masked Su Yaoyao," refusing to turn around, as if looking back would shatter this beautiful dream.

"Lucia, wake up. You can’t stay lost in this dream forever," Su Yaoyao said anxiously, trying to get closer to him.

However, Lucia turned a deaf ear, remaining lost in the beautiful dream. He spun the "masked Su Yaoyao" through a sea of flowers, their laughter drifting on the air.

Su Yaoyao knew that if she didn’t wake Lucia, his consciousness could be trapped in this illusory world forever, while his physical body would fall into even greater danger from the berserk energy and blood loss.

She took a deep breath, mustered all her spiritual energy, and shouted, "Lucia! Look at me, I’m Yaoyao! This isn’t real, wake up!"

Her cry seemed to carry an infinite power, and it finally shattered Lucia’s obsession. He slowly stopped moving and turned his head, his eyes revealing a trace of confusion and struggle.

"Yaoyao..." Lucia’s voice was filled with reluctance. "I don’t want to wake up. Only here can we be together."

"Lucia, we can be together in reality, too," Su Yaoyao’s voice was gentle yet firm. "Wake up. Didn’t you say you would always be by my side?"

Lucia’s eyes filled with pain, and he looked utterly fragile. "You’re lying to me," he said, his voice trembling as if laden with endless grievance and despair. "You made it clear you don’t want me. You left me all alone in that cold room."

His voice rose steadily, each word forced out from between clenched teeth and laced with deep resentment.

The moment of his abandonment replayed endlessly in his mind. The chill of that room seemed not only to have seeped into his body, but to have frozen his very heart.

"I’m sorry." Su Yaoyao’s eyes instantly reddened, and tears welled within them. Her voice was thick with guilt.

She slowly reached for Lucia, but her hand couldn’t touch him. "I just needed some time to accept it. It’s not that I don’t want you."

In that moment, Su Yaoyao finally confronted the feelings in her own heart.

She realized that her feelings for Lucia weren’t a momentary impulse but had slowly taken root and blossomed over the time they had spent together.

It was just that everything had happened so suddenly, leaving her at a loss and causing her to act in a way that hurt Lucia. Her heart was filled with regret.

She took a deep breath, gathered her courage, and continued, "Lucia, I was overwhelmed by these sudden feelings. I was afraid to face my own heart, and even more afraid of hurting other people. But I understand now that running away solves nothing. I care about you, I really, really care. Give me a chance to prove it to you."

Su Yaoyao’s gaze was filled with sincerity and determination, as if she were making an eternal promise to Lucia.

Lucia froze for a moment, complex emotions churning in his eyes like a raging tide.

He stared intently at Su Yaoyao, trying to discern the truth of her confession in her eyes. The long-held fear and pain of abandonment were like heavy shackles, making it difficult for him to simply let go.

"Prove it?" Lucia’s voice was low and hoarse, as if dredged up from the depths of his long-sealed heart. "Do you have any idea what I went through when you left with him? That feeling of being abandoned by the entire world... it followed me like a shadow and nearly devoured me."

His body trembled slightly, every word carrying an unforgettable, bone-deep anguish.