"Good morning," William greeted Lilith as soon as he saw her in the living room of his Villa.
"Good morning," Lilith replied as she looked at William's face.
She could feel her cheeks heating up as the sights, sounds, and sensations that she had felt yesterday once again resurfaced.
William frowned when he saw the flushed expression on Lilith's face. He immediately walked towards her, and pressed his palm over her forehead, to check if she was sick or having a fever.
The Half-Elf thought that the Amazon Princess had been infected by a disease that was exclusive to the Forbidden Ground, due to how red her face was.
"I-I'm fine," Lilith said as she pried away William's hand from her forehead. However, instead of releasing the Half-Elf's hand, she held it firmly in her grasp as she faced William with a beet-red face. "Thank you for your concern. I just didn't get much sleep last night so I might not be at my peak performance."
"I see," William replied. "That's good to know."
Since Lilith was holding William's hand, the red-headed teenager asked Optimus to use a Diagnostic Spell on Lilith's body to ensure that she was as fit as a fiddle.
< There is nothing wrong with Lilith. All her vital signs are good, and I don't see any abnormalities aside from a slightly higher heart rate, which I think is normal for girls her age. >
'That's good to hear,' William replied.
The Half-Elf smiled at the Amazon who was looking at his face with a serious expression. Her gaze was so intense that it made William feel uncomfortable. Although he didn't mind being stared at by a beautiful girl, Lilith's stare was different.
Her gaze was like those of a thief that was looking for ways to steal a treasure that was housed inside a crystal casing. William didn't feel safe under Lilith's gaze, and he had a feeling that the latter would tie him up and carry him back home with her.
"Is there something on my face?" William asked as he tried to keep the calm expression on his face. "Or do you perhaps find me so handsome that you can't keep your eyes off me?"
William's words broke Lilith out of her daze, and the latter reluctantly let go of his hand, before briskly walking towards the dining area.
The Half-Elf scratched his head because he didn't understand what had just transpired between him and the Amazon Princess.
Princess Sidonie, Ashe, and Chiffon, were still sleeping inside William's room. The three had fought William until dawn, and all of them were quite exhausted. This was not the first time that this had happened, so the Half-Elf was confident that his three wives would be waking up around noon.
For the time being, he decided to have breakfast before he continued to explore the Seventh Sanctum alone.
His goal was to go to the place where the lightning bolts were active. Although there was no evidence, William thought that the Hall of Thunder was more likely to appear in a place where lightning storms rampaged unhindered.
After eating breakfast and leaving a message with Lilith to pass to Chiffon, William left the Villa and headed back to the real world.
As soon as William appeared inside the make-shift cave that he had made the night before, he came face to face with a robed figure that almost made him jump up in fright.
"Relax, it's just me."
The person standing in front of him said and removed the robe that was covering his body. Even though the interior of the cave was dark, William's Dark Vision allowed him to see the familiar face of the young man he had seen the day before.
"Your Excellency, please, don't scare me like that," William said as he pressed his hand over his chest. "You almost gave me a heart attack."
The young man gave William a bitter smile as he made a gesture for the Half-Elf to take a seat.
William obeyed and observed the young man in front of him. He was quite certain that the latter had taken the golden fruit from the tree, but after a good look, he didn't see any particular changes in the Diabolical Hell Ape's looks and aura.
The young man understood William's appraising look and sighed deeply.
"I was able to get the fruit thanks to your help, but I wasn't able to keep it," the young man said with a trace of sadness. "In the end, I was forced to give it up in order to survive. I greatly underestimated the golden fruit's attraction to the creatures inside the Seventh Sanctum."
William felt sorry for the young man in front of him, but he also knew that the Diabolical Hell Ape made the right choice in letting the golden fruit go in exchange for his life.
"Do you have any future plans, Your Excellency?" William inquired.
"No," the young man replied dejectedly. "Also, stop calling me 'Your Excellency'. From now on, you can call me Aldric."
"Understood, Lord Aldric."
"Good."
William stared at the young man in front of him and answered the question that he was dying to ask.
"Lord Aldric, how did you find me?" William inquired. He was very curious on how the Diabolical Hell Ape was able to pinpoint his location.
"Good question. I was able to find you because I can trace your aura," Aldric replied. "This is an ability I acquired after spending a month inside the Seventh Sanctum. My senses made a breakthrough and I can lock on the auras of any individual of my choosing. I already said that whether I succeeded or not, I would owe you a favor.
"I memorized your aura so that I could find you, and repay you for the help that you have given me. Now, tell me, what is it that you search for in this Forbidden Ground? Don't tell me that you're just out for a stroll in this dangerous place?"
After pondering for a short moment, William decided to tell the Diabolical Hell Ape that he was looking for the Hall of Thunder. He was hoping that Aldric had come across this place during his two-month stay inside the Seventh Sanctum.
"The Hall of Thunder?" Aldric frowned. "You're also looking for it?"
"Also?"
"Well, to tell you the truth, I am also looking for it. I was supposed to head there after acquiring the Golden Fruit. My plan was to consume the fruit, while undergoing the trial of the Heavenly Thunder.
"According to that person, my chances of achieving my goal would be higher if I had the golden fruit in my possession. She was also the one that gave me this bracelet that allowed me to temporarily take human form. If I remember correctly, her name should be Ariadne."
William's body stiffened after hearing the familiar name. He hadn't seen the Oracle since he left the Southern Continent, and he found this whole situation baffling.
"Aldric, do you remember her face?" William inquired. He wanted to know if the Diabolical Hell Ape was referring to the Oracle that served under the God of Shepherd, or a lady that only shared the same name.
Aldric shook his head. "This is also the reason why she gave me a lasting impression. Aside from her name, I can't remember her face. During our entire conversation, I felt like my focus would lapse from time to time whenever I observed her face. It was quite a mysterious encounter.
"Ah! I almost forgot. When she met me, she wasn't alone. There was this young girl, with red hair beside her. Actually, the little girl was also holding a wooden staff, similar to the one you own.. If memory serves me right, her name is Eve."
