After a bit more teasing and playful laughter with Rosel, Julius gently scooped her up and carried her toward the door.

The castle was huge, with long hallways that seemed to go on forever, so he walked her all the way to his mother’s side himself.

He gave Rosel one last kiss on the forehead, handed her over with a grin, and turned back.

A few minutes later, he stepped into their room again.

Click.

He closed the door with a soft click. A tired but happy sigh slipped from his lips as he looked across the room at Rosalina.

She stood in front of the dressing table, running her hands through her long black hair.

It poured all the way down to the floor like a silky dark gown, so thick it looked almost like liquid night.

"Do you think I should cut it?" she asked, lifting the heavy strands with both hands and letting them slide through her fingers.

Julius walked over with a small smile. He reached out and caught a few strands in his palm.

They felt cool and slippery, slipping away like water.

"As long as you don’t feel any discomfort, you can keep them," he said softly.

"They look really good on you." He stepped closer, slid his hands around her waist, and rested his chin on her right shoulder.

Their reflections appeared clearly in the mirror, his strong jaw against her smooth skin, both of them looking a little older, a little sharper, but still perfectly together.

Rosalina stayed quiet for a moment, thinking.

Then she gave a slow nod. The long hair really did suit her new look. It was beautiful, even if it would be a little annoying to carry around.

She would find a way to manage it. She let the thought of cutting it go and leaned back lightly into him.

"Anyway... what now?" Her fingers moved gently across his right cheek.

"We got some good treasures from the tower, but our main goals are still hanging there unfinished."

In the mirror, Julius’s eyes met hers. He looked thoughtful.

"We went in for the time path inheritance," he said, "but we didn’t get it. We didn’t get the invincible path either. And even if we had grabbed the time path, it wouldn’t help us much now."

He pulled his head back from her neck, gave her waist a light squeeze, and stepped away toward the bed. "The academy is closed anyway."

He dropped onto the soft mattress with a small bounce and lay back, arms spread.

A tired chuckle escaped him. "Still... it was risky as hell and we almost died, but it wasn’t a bad harvest."

His voice stayed light, a hint of humor dancing in it. "At least now we know we can’t just rush in and kill Crypian without a proper plan. And we have the soul severing sword... even if it’s no longer usable."

"So what do we do now?" Rosalina asked. She stepped away from the mirror and turned around.

With that single step, her long black hair flowed behind her like dark water, sliding smoothly and elegantly across the floor.

Julius stared at her with a thoughtful look on his face. He stayed quiet for a moment, then spoke slowly.

"We don’t have the materials for the soul severing sword," he said. "And we don’t have the full theorem for it either. Without those, it’s almost impossible to kill Crypian."

His words came out a little unsure, but he kept going. "There isn’t much for us to do here anyway. Uriel and Mom and Dad can handle the next part on Auranel."

He gave a small shrug, his lips curving into a faint smile.

"The whole future feels like a mess right now. It’s better if we don’t follow it. The stuff with the Holy Empire and the Valentina clan will be taken care of by them. So the best thing we can do is get stronger."

Julius paused, then looked at her directly. "But there’s another matter. Should we start our spirit core cultivation now, or hold off for a while?"

"There’s a big problem with that," Rosalina replied almost immediately. She walked over and sat beside him on the bed.

"If we choose a certain path now, we might not be able to switch to the invincible path later when the time is right. And the invincible path is all the way in the four stationary continents. If we..."

Julius glanced at her from the corner of his eye. A small worried frown appeared on his face.

"We’re only at the spirit core stage right now," he said. "Going there would be a death sentence."

"But didn’t you say Crypian went there in your previous life?" Rosalina asked, tilting her head.

"He even entered the 101 Treasure Tower. If we use his methods, can’t we do the same?"

Julius fell silent. He thought about her words. She was right.

Crypian had gone there and used the special competition that happened every hundred years.

That event was only five years away now. If they went, they would have plenty of time to explore the place, make preparations, and use everything he already knew.

"But even then," he said after a moment, "we would need to cultivate all the way to the void core stage. And we have to make sure we don’t go through any heavenly trial, so we can still switch paths later."

He thought for a bit, then let out a soft breath. "Looks like that’s the only thing we can do right now."

"Well, we don’t have anything else to do either," Rosalina said. She stroked her chin lightly, thinking.

"If we just sit back and let things happen, we’ll never kill that bastard." Her voice came out rough, full of the raw frustration of everything they had been through.

They had pushed themselves to the limit trying to take down Crypian, but that bastard always seemed to have heavenly luck on his side.

Now that his system was back, it would be even harder. Still, they knew they could beat him, if they destroyed his soul completely.

And for that, they needed the soul severing sword with its full theory. Which meant only one path forward.

"We will go," she decided. There were real risks. They could die. But this was also their biggest chance, the one that would shape their whole future.

"Hmm... that’s right," she thought to herself, feeling more sure with every second.

"It’s our only option, and we will make it work!" Her eyes shone with strong determination.

She slowly turned to Julius and gave a firm nod. "We will go there and enter the 101 Treasure Tower. Our next destination is the 101 Treasure Tower!"

Julius stared into her fiery gaze. He could see how deeply she understood the threat Crypian posed, and how important it was to get rid of him for any real happy ending.

"Very well then... we will go," Julius said.

He shifted closer to her on the bed and nodded. It really was their best, and only, real chance. There was no reason to hold back.

He slowly reached out with his left hand and caressed the soft skin of her neck. Rosalina turned her head toward him.

Her cheeks flushed a pretty pink. Julius felt his own face grow warm too.

"Now that we’ve decided what to do next..." he murmured, voice dropping low, "should we continue what we were doing?"

"Do whatever you want," Rosalina answered.

Her voice shook just a little, but she offered herself to him completely, open and ready.

Julius didn’t wait another second. He moved fast, pushing her gently but firmly down onto the bed.

His hands quickly pulled the shawl off his body, revealing his bare chest and shoulders.

The cool air touched his skin, but the heat between them burned hotter.

Rosalina’s eyes locked onto him, dark and full of desire. A small grin tugged at Julius’s lips as he hovered over her.

"Let’s have a duel, babe," he said, voice playful and rough with excitement.