Chapter 21: The True Essence

In the room, Angelina nestled in Ethan's arms, carefully asking, "Why did you suddenly say those things to me? Did my sister say something to you?"

"Sister?" Ethan scoffed. "She's not your sister, and she doesn't deserve to be called one. She's just a self-righteous, cold-blooded snake!"

"Why do you say that? Although I don't like her, I still admire her in my heart. I dream of becoming like her."

"Forget it!" Ethan sighed bitterly. "You are unique. Why try to be like someone else, especially your sister? She's a disaster for everyone around her, both materially and spiritually! Enough about her. Just thinking of her makes me sick!"

"Alright!" Angelina chuckled. "By the way, what's in your clothes? It feels hard."

Ethan suddenly remembered the object he had been given. He took out the wooden box containing the Force stone slab from his pocket.

"A Force stone slab!" Angelina exclaimed upon seeing the box.

"Why are you reacting like this?" Ethan asked, puzzled. "You should have seen one before, right?"

"No, no, no!" Angelina took the wooden box and examined its patterns closely. "Of course, I've seen one before. But there are many types of Force stone slabs in our family. Usually, knights are given other types. However, this box seems to contain our family's exclusive Ancient Giant Bear Force stone slab. That's very unusual!"

"Well, let's open it and see!" Ethan laughed. "Just because the box looks the same doesn't mean the contents are authentic."

Angelina quickly opened the box to reveal a palm-sized rectangular gray stone with a red bear symbol faintly glowing with silver light.

"It's definitely the Ancient Giant Bear Force stone slab," Angelina confirmed. "Our family hasn't given out one of these in years. The last person to use it was my cousin, the genius Sario Lawson, who died. You know about that. I can't believe the family has given this to you. They must value you highly."

"Who knows?" Ethan said. "Maybe they just see me as an experiment, right?"

"That's still an honor!" Angelina said, handing him the stone slab. "Try it, my fiancé. I hope you soar to great heights!"

Ethan forced a laugh and took the slab. The moment his fingers touched it, he felt a powerful force pulling his mind into an unknown realm. When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a completely different world. Smoke filled the sky, the ground was shattered, volcanoes erupted, and tsunamis surged...

In this primeval, hellish world, a colossal red-furred bear roamed. It occasionally roared skyward with a defiant cry that shook the soul.

Suddenly, strong, rhythmic heartbeats echoed throughout the land. It was the bear's heartbeat. The bear saw Ethan and invited him to join in resisting this harsh, ancient world. Ethan felt the bear's unyielding determination and his own heart began to beat in sync with the rhythm...

Boom... Boom...

Without hesitation, he joined the fight against the ancient world. Years passed—one, two, three, ten, a hundred. Ethan and the bear fought side by side, defeating one formidable foe after another, until they established a solid foothold in this primeval world.

But then, Ethan realized he was exhausted, too tired to even lift his sword. He didn't know what to do next because no enemies dared approach his territory anymore.

At that moment, he heard someone calling his name.

"Ethan!"

"Ethan?" Angelina gently shook his shoulder, calling his name.

Hearing her voice, Ethan gradually awoke from the illusion and found himself back in the familiar yet strange room.

Seeing Ethan awake, Angelina was overjoyed and threw herself into his arms. "Thank goodness you're awake, Ethan. You scared me. You were glowing red, and your sword flew to your hand on its own. It was so eerie!"

Ethan shook his head vigorously to clear his mind.

"How long was I out?"

"About an hour. Have you awakened your Force?" Angelina asked, a mix of lingering fear and joy in her voice.

"Only an hour? It felt like hundreds of years!" Ethan exhaled heavily. The memories of a century began to recede like a tide, leaving only the distilled essence he had mastered.

As his mind cleared, he smiled at Angelina and said, "I think I've fully awakened my Force!"

"Really?" Angelina was ecstatic.

"Yes!" Ethan nodded. "And I have you to thank. Without you, I might still be trapped in that illusion."

"Phew!" Angelina patted her chest. "You looked like you were struggling to breathe, with a pained expression on your face, so I called your name. I was worried I might disrupt you, but thank goodness I didn't!"

"Thank you! You saved me!" Ethan said sincerely. He had felt himself nearing his limit before waking.

Although awakening his Force was a good thing, Ethan didn't want others to know, so he added, "But please, don't tell anyone about my awakening."

"Why not?" Angelina asked, puzzled. "Once you've awakened your Force, you're an extraordinary being, a symbol of status and power. If you don't want to go to the frontier, you now have the strength to refuse."

"Haha!" Ethan laughed heartily. "How do you know I don't want to go to the frontier?"

"No one wants to go there," Angelina said, a bit angrily. "I didn't mean to deceive you, but I had no choice."

"No, no, no. You didn't deceive me. You didn't explain everything because you didn't know everything. I knew from the start it was dangerous there, but I didn't realize it was much worse than I imagined. However, I didn't want to go before, but now I do."

"I'm not crazy!" Ethan said firmly. "Their deaths don't mean I will die too. Honestly, if staying here means certain death, going there gives me a fighting chance. And in three years, I'll have my own territory. It's a deal worth taking. Plus, I want you to come with me. I promise to protect you, but I need you to be faithful to me. I can overlook your past, but I won't tolerate it in the future. This is my bottom line. Of course, it's your choice. I won't force you."

"I'm willing!" Angelina responded without hesitation. "But I'm worried the family won't agree. You might not know my status in the family..."

"Don't worry about that!" Ethan interrupted. "I only care about what you want. Others' opinions don't matter to me. If they disagree, I'll find a way to make them agree. So, will you join me in building a home for us?"

"I will!" Angelina's eyes filled with tears as she nodded firmly.

Ethan smiled with relief. As he was about to wipe away her tears, an unexpected guest suddenly barged in without knocking.