The Herb King

Hearing this, Aethelwolf heaved a sigh of relief. The being inside the coffin didn't seem to have any ill intentions toward him, but he still didn't put down his vigilance. "Where can I find this Holy Treasure?" He asked while looking around the room. There was nothing inside other than the coffin.

"The Necklace of Heaven is buried underneath this castle. There should be some Runes protecting it, but I believe that the current you is capable of handling them. You just have to be careful of the Samsara Rune. It is the strongest Rune that is protecting Holy Treasure. It will trap you in an endless illusion and if you're unable to extricate yourself from the illusions, you might be trapped for eternity." The gentle voice warned him.

Aethelwolf furrowed his eyebrows upon hearing this. He didn't want to be trapped in an illusion because his wedding day was close by. However, the Holy Treasure was something that he must obtain so that the Regalis Continent would have a chance to defend itself against the fearsome might of the Underworlders.

After a moment of hesitation, Aethelwolf muttered. "Just tell me the exact location and I'll try to get it."

"Thank you, Leric." The gentle voice was filled with gratitude. "I'll use my power and it will guide you to the Holy Treasure. I hope you will take it to my descendants..."

Following her voice, a brilliant light flashed inside the room, forcing Aethelwolf to blink his eyes. When he lifted his eyelids, he noticed a small wisp of light floating above its head. It was stationary for a few seconds before it started moving.

Aethelwolf gave one last look at the coffin before he gave chase to the wisp of light.

After he left, an incorporeal figure of a woman appeared above the coffin. Her face was covered by a brilliant light, making it impossible for anyone to see what she looked like. "He might not be able to escape the illusion of the Samsara Rune..."

Aethelwolf moved down the castle and the wisp of light led him to a secret room. He was a bit surprised since he didn't find this room earlier.

The wisp of light hovered in a certain area inside the secret room and it seemed to be twinkling as if it was trying to tell him something.

"So it's here." Aethelwolf muttered and started digging. He didn't have a shovel in his storage space so he used the blade of a short spear to dig the ground.

Soon, he noticed a few Level 5 Defensive Runes, but he quickly disarmed them without making them activate. After becoming a Level 5 Esper, his other Talents and Skills also leveled up. He was now a Level 5 Engraver and these Level 5 Defensive Runes didn't stump him. However, there was one Rune that stood out among the Runes inscribed on the ground. Its inscriptions were difficult to analyze and he couldn't decipher them right away.

Aethelwolf tried all sorts of ways to deactivate the Rune, but the inscriptions suddenly lit up and the view in front of him started to change.

"Is this the illusion of the Samsara Rune?" He muttered as he observed the changes happening around him.

He was no longer inside the secret room of the castle. He found himself standing in the middle of a busy street filled with cars, tall skyscrapers, and people of all ages.

"This is my old world..." Aethelwolf muttered in surprise.

The familiar sight made him recall his past life.

He stood in the middle of the large crowd, listening to the honking of the cars and the chattering of the people.

Suddenly, he felt someone bumping into him.

"Sorry, dude."

Aethelwolf stared at the young person who bumped into him and unconsciously replied. "It's fine."

Aethelwolf looked lost as he started walking along with the crowd. He followed the familiar route and soon arrived at his old home. It was a big house with an underground laboratory. He was an herbalist so he constructed his own laboratory to make things easier for his research.

"I'm back..." He muttered with a smile as he entered the big house. He went into his room and found himself looking in the mirror. The face he saw was a handsome man in his twenties, but it soon transformed into a decrepit old man wearing a lab coat.

He grabbed the nametag on his left chest and stared at it.

Dr. Leric Harrison

A stream of memories flooded his mind as soon as he saw the name.

He clutched his head with a pained look on his face. After the pain subsided, he lifted his head and revealed a look of confusion. "I think I'm forgetting something..." He muttered to himself as he strode out of the room. He went inside the laboratory and inspected his research materials.

At this moment, the old man seemed to have forgotten everything about the Regalis Continent. He could recall a few scenes, but he thought that they were merely part of a dream.

Days passed by and the old man continued his daily routine. He woke up early in the morning and took a hot shower. He ate a small breakfast before going to the laboratory to resume his research.

Soon, months passed and the months turned into years...

Meanwhile, in the secret room of the frozen castle, the wisp of light hovered in front of Aethelwolf who was standing with his eyes closed. It looked as if it could penetrate the void as it released a bright ray of light that illuminated the entire secret room.

"The power of the Samsara Rune is truly unfathomable. Leric, I will help you for the last time." A sigh could be heard as the wisp of light activated the power of time.

Only a few days have passed outside the Frigid Snow Dimension, but years upon years passed inside the secret room.

"I hope you can escape the illusion soon, Leric..."