[B3]Chapter 185: The Armored Man’s Fury

Following the armored man’s commanding voice, the tile beneath Liliana’s feet began to shift. It moved forward, with the gap behind her filling with a new tile.

Her white dress fluttered gently in the breeze as she was now placed just five steps ahead of Theo. The Thornwood Wardstone hovered before her, waiting to be claimed.

But instead of immediately taking it, Liliana turned around, her sharp gaze locking onto the boy with the whitish-cyan hair, who stood quietly on his own tile.

“Don’t you wish to return from this place?” she asked.

Theo, unbothered by her question, met her eyes and replied, “Does her highness want me to reveal my secret plan in front of him?” He tilted his head slightly, glancing toward the armored man, who visibly flinched at the unexpected turn of the conversation.

Liliana sighed, her expression softening with realization. It was clear now—this young man was far more cunning than he appeared.

From the very beginning, he had been playing a deeper game, holding far more cards than he let on. If not, why would he allow someone like her, a stranger, to leave in his place?

Even if he had ulterior motives or was trying to impress her, it made no sense to sacrifice his own escape. Surely, self-preservation would come first before trying to charm someone.

But Liliana was mistaken about one thing: she wasn’t a stranger to him. Even if Theo had no other option, he still would have chosen to let her go. There was something he knew about her, something he kept hidden, like an untold secret he refused to reveal to anyone.

Seeing that Liliana accepted his answer, Theo felt a small wave of relief wash over him. Still, he didn’t let his emotions show—his expression remained calm and composed.

Liliana finally turned away, reaching out to take hold of the Thornwood Wardstone. The moment her fingers wrapped around it, a swirling spatial door appeared before her, its edges shimmering like liquid light.

Before stepping through, Liliana glanced back one last time. “If you fail to come back,” she declared in a chilly voice, “I’ll rip open the gates of this realm and drag you out, no matter the cost.” With those final words, she stepped through the portal, vanishing from sight.

The white-robed man sneered at her declaration. To him, her words were nothing but foolishness. She had only escaped because of Theo’s manipulation of the die, and now she was gone, leaving him trapped. He cursed under his breath, frustrated by the unexpected outcome.

But Theo didn’t doubt Liliana for a second. He knew better than anyone what she was capable of. After all, she was the very reason he had been sent to another world from his primary one. If she said she would tear open the gates of this realm, then she would—one way or another. Even if it meant calling on others to help her.

As Liliana vanished through the swirling door, the tiles beneath Theo shifted. His position was reset, placing him at the very start, standing behind the white-robed man once more.

Theo didn’t ask why. He had already gotten what he wanted—Liliana’s safe passage with the Thornwood Wardstone.

“Now, before we begin the trial again, reveal the method you’ve used,” the armored man demanded.

Theo nodded, “Alright, I’ll show you.”

The white-robed man, still battered and bruised, watched with growing suspicion, his gaze locked onto Theo as he moved toward the die.

Theo placed his hand on it, letting his fingers linger a bit longer, just as he had done before.

“I’m charging it with my energy,” he said casually, as though explaining something obvious.

The die began to spin once again, the numbers blurring in motion. “And this is why,” Theo continued, “it will stop on six.”

And just as he predicted, the die slowed and stopped—on six.

The armored man’s eyes widened slightly behind his helm, surprised by the flawless outcome. Theo had explained each step as it happened, and the result was undeniable.

“I told you the first secret. That’s how I got six.” Theo said, walking forward as tiles materialized beneath him, bringing him closer to the white-robed man.

The armored man’s disbelief remained. “But it’s not possible to charge the die with mana,” he said, though his voice wavered. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

What the armored man didn’t know was that Theo hadn’t used mana at all—it was his abyssal energy, perfectly in tune with the die, though Theo saw no need to correct him. Let the armored man believe what he wanted.

Theo stepped onto the tile beside the white-robed man, who had been listening intently.

But now, the white-robed man’s expression darkened. The realization dawned on him: Theo had rolled a six, and his four-second attack window had already begun.

As if on cue, Theo pulled out a gleaming sword from his spatial space. The white-robed man’s heart pounded in his chest, panic seizing him.

But just as Theo prepared to strike, the darker shield materialized again, surrounding the white-robed man in a protective barrier.

The wounded white-robed man let out a breath of relief, his body trembling with exhaustion. He was once again saved by the Deathwhisper realm’s guardian.

Theo halted mid-step, his gaze locking onto the armored man. “You’re tipping the scales in his favor,” he said, “shielding him this entire trial. You even let him roll a six when he should’ve landed on a one at the eighty-ninth tile? This is beyond unfair.”

The armored man’s eyes glinted beneath his helm. “Fairness is not your concern,” he replied. “Especially when you have yet to explain how you managed to roll a one so consistently.”

Theo sighed deeply, “The die was controlled by a default mechanism, and there was magic cast over it to manipulate the outcome—most likely by you. All I did was nullify the magic, and it gave me one each time. As for why it did that,” he shrugged slightly, “it’s not my job to figure out.” His calm explanation revealed another layer of the unfair trial, but Theo had turned the situation to his advantage.

“You’re lying,” the armored man retorted, refusing to believe that Theo could have nullify the magic so easily.

But before the armored man could react further, Theo’s sword flashed through the air in a swift arc. A moment later, the white-robed man’s head flew from his body, spiraling downward before it rolled to a stop on the ground in front of the armored man’s feet.

Though the body remained shielded by the protective barrier, the head was gone.

For the first time, the armored man was struck speechless. Shock held him frozen as he stared at the gruesome sight before him. Theo had killed the white-robed man effortlessly, even while he was under the shield’s protection.

Realizing he’d been played, the armored man’s eyes narrowed in fury. His fingers clenched, and instantly, dark chains shot out, wrapping tightly around Theo’s body.

Theo was bound in place, his limbs restrained as the chains constricted with brutal force.

“How dare you kill him without my permission!” the armored man roared, his voice shaking with fury.

Theo, his face contorted in pain as the chains tore into his skin, struggled to stand on a single tile. But even under the crushing restraint, he managed to speak, “Why were you so desperate to save him?”

The armored man tightened his grip, and the chains grew even tighter, digging deeper into Theo’s flesh. Blood began to seep from the wounds, staining the tiles beneath him as his strong defense finally started to give way under the relentless pressure.

“Simply answer,” the armored man hissed, his voice dripping with malice, “if you want to stay alive.”

The chains cut into Theo’s body, shredding his skin and spilling blood with each tightening twist. Yet even as the pain surged through him, Theo’s lips curled into a faint smile—a smile that only deepened the armored man’s fury.

Before the armored man could react to his provoking smile, Theo’s bound figure vanished.

Stunned, the armored man whipped his head around just in time to catch sight of Theo as he waved casually with a friendly smile while disappearing into the shadows of a dark door that had materialized behind him.

“Impossible!” The frustrated yell of the armored man echoed through the Deathwhisper Realm as Theo departed, leaving the realm on his own terms.

***

Stepping into the familiar landscape of his Demonic Farm, Theo felt his legs give way beneath him. He collapsed onto the blood-red soil, his gaze lifting toward the sky, where the blue moon bathed the land in an eerie, serene light.

The fresh, bloody air brushed past his skin, soothing him with its familiar, chilling embrace. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Theo allowed himself a moment of relief—he was finally back.

From the beginning, he had the option to return here at any moment, but he knew Liliana needed the Thornwood Wardstone for the Canorians. Ensuring she had it was his priority. Now that the task was done, he wasted no more time lingering in the Deathwhisper Realm.

And he had made sure to deal with that white-robed man—the one responsible for dragging both him and Liliana into that ominous place.

Though it hadn’t seemed particularly challenging for Theo at the Deathwhisper realm, the memory of Liliana nearly brought to her knees by her own haunting memories weighed heavily on him. The realm had affected her more than him, and he wasn’t going to leave without settling the score with the white-robed man.

With a weary sigh, Theo pulled out an advanced healing elixir from his spatial space and downed it in one gulp. Slowly, he felt the warmth of the potion mending his torn skin, the searing pain of the wounds dulling with every passing second.

A familiar presence appeared beside him. Soft hands gently cupped his face, forcing him to meet a pair of fiery, concerned eyes.

“Who did this to you?” Lilith demanded, her tone sharp as she knelt beside him.

Theo couldn’t help but gently smile, his voice soft but mischievous. “I might’ve provoked the guardian of the Deathwhisper Realm… just a little too much.”

Lilith’s blazing anger dimmed, her eyes narrowing slightly as she sensed the playful tone behind his words. Her gaze flicked to his healing wounds, concern still evident but less intense. “And what exactly were you doing there?”

“To protect an important piece of the puzzle that’ll help us get back home,” Theo said.

Lilith frowned, clearly unimpressed by his cryptic explanation. “Can’t you speak like a normal person? Easy words, please.”

Theo chuckled softly, sitting up despite the lingering soreness. He reached out and gently placed his hand on her head. “Just wait a little longer, Demoness and you’ll know everything.”

Lilith’s eyes met his, searching for more answers in his teasing expression, but all she found was his warm, loving smile. He wasn’t going to give her more—at least not yet.

Satisfied that Liliana had returned safely to the Northern Woods, Theo allowed himself some time to recover at the Demonic Farm.

The chains had cut deep, leaving him battered and scarred, but there wasn’t an ounce of regret in his mind. He had provoked the armored man on purpose, testing his limits. If he’d had more strength, he would have killed that man too. But he knew—deep down—the armored man was beyond his current abilities.