?


    Evan swung his sword with lightning speed, slicing the serpent in half. Blood gushed out from the point of separation as the serpent''s lower body fell into the murky water, while its upper body remained attached to Evan''s flesh through the fangs it had sunk in. Nheless, Evan yanked it off and tossed it away.


    Enzo, standing still in disbelief, asked, "How is this possible? How are you still able to move after being bit by the ck mamba?!!!"


    Evan shed a light smile and responded, "Isn''t it clear? I''m immune to poison."


    Evan and the triplets stood frozen in a stalemate, their gazes locked in a tense standoff.


    "He''s using soul skills. I think he''s broken through your curse," Kian remarked to Liam, eyeing Evan warily.


    "That''s unlikely. I felt it when the curse was ced on him. And the curse can''t be undone before the imposed time limit." Liam replied, his brow furrowed in confusion.


    "Well, how do you exin it then?" Kian snapped, growing increasingly frustrated.


    "I''m not him. How would I know?" Liam retorted with a shrug, the absurdity of the situation not lost on him.


    The situation was so absurd that even if they twisted their brains like a pretzel, they still wouldn''te up with a believable answer. It was like trying to exin why pineapples belong on pizzas – a mystery that baffles and disgust most of mankind to this day!


    "Should we just call off the hunt?" Enzo piped up, trying to diffuse the tension.


    "No!" Kian eximed, his voice sharp and resolute.


    "All our efforts will be for nothing if we do. I don''t want that. I believe none of us do," Liam said firmly.


    Meanwhile, Evan was sweating bullets on the inside. Using the movement technique had depleted his thirteenth soul pocket by half, and the rest of his soul pockets remained sealed, with another ten minutes before the seal would be lifted. His soul refining skill was still on cooldown, and thus, he couldn''t restore his energy either. Basically, he was in a tight spot with only 50 units of soul energy to rely on.


    "Let''s suppress him with our battle formation. We got no better choice."


    The triplets began to surround Evan.


    "I can''t let them have their way. If they surround me, it will be the end of me."


    Quickly, Evan activated his Frost Barrage Skill, but he could only summon five ice bullets before his soul energy waspletely drained.


    With a flick of his finger, the ice bullets zoomed towards the triplets like a pack of hungry wolves. But just as they were about to get hit, the triplets teleported.


    Enzo had used his skill crystal with his sensory-type soul te to swap their position with the insects and other tiny, powerless creatures of the swamps. His ability was not limited to a specific number of people. As long as he could sense them and they were willing to be teleported, he could execute the skill wlessly.


    The triplets breathed a sigh of relief, feeling relieved as they had evaded the ridiculously fast ice bullets.


    But little did they know Evan was far from over. He tapped into the power of his Skill Weaver Soul te and redirected the ice bullets towards the trio like a boomerang on steroids.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Enzo''s skill crystal was on cooldown, leaving them with no choice but to run like a pack of scaredy cats!


    The triplets scampered away like three blind mice, using the trees and terrain to dodge the ice bullets that were hot on their tails.


    Even though he had managed to chase them away temporarily with his ice bullets, it didn''t do much to improve his current situation.


    Evan was still in a tight spot.


    After all, it was like spitting in the wind.


    He was still trapped in the barrier.


    It was at this moment that a sudden and unexpected voice rang in Evan''s mind, causing him to jump in surprise. It was as though lightning had struck him, jolting him to the core with its force. He felt a rush of adrenaline surge through his veins, making him acutely aware of his surroundings, but even then, he failed to find who had spoken.


    "Your Highness," the voice seemed to belong to a boy who was undergoing puberty, its tone unpolished and childish, "I possess the ability to lift your curse, but in return, you must promise to coborate with me until the end of this trial. If you''re willing to ept my offer, please provide me with a sign of your agreement." The voice of the boy had an almost immature quality to it, brimming with a type of youthful energy that did nothing to reassure Evan of the offer''s authenticity.


    Instead, it made him think whether it was even real.


    However, beggars can''t be choosers. They could also not be thinkers.


    His options were really limited. The triplets were close to dealing with the ice bullets that were keeping them at bay. It was only a matter of time before they woulde after him. The situation was dire, and the gravity of it weighed heavily on his mind, forcing him to make a decision immediately.


    Thus, although reluctant, Evan gave a slight nod, signifying his agreement to the childish voice''s proposal. Although he had no idea who this person was or what they wanted, as long as they could lift the curse that had befallen him, their identity was inconsequential to him.


    "Your Highness, I''m about to use my skills to lift the curse that has befallen you. It might feel a little strange, but I assure you that it won''t cause you any harm. Please don''t feel rmed," the boy mentallymunicated to Evan from his hiding spot.


    "Do it!"


    [A purification skill had been used on the yer!]


    Immediately, Evan felt a strange sensation wash over him as though a warm light was enveloping his body.


    Suddenly, the notification of the system appeared in front of him once again.


    [The curse guing the yer has been lifted!]


    The curse that had been sealing 12 of his 13 soul pockets had dissolved away!