A short while ago, as soon as Tiffany sensed Levi approaching, she quickly hid her children in an underground shelter, together with a few days of supplies. Adrian and Winnie anxiously awaited for their parents in it as the ground rumbled from the clashes of the battle. They were scared when they heard their mother screaming "No!" However, because Tiffany told them not to come out no matter what, they stayed inside the shelter.

  A moment later, they saw their mother hurried to the shelter and picked up a first aid kit. "Keep hiding in the shelter, do NOT come out!" said Tiffany to the children while she ran back to Bob. She planned to perform first aid on Bob away from the children to keep them safe.

  However, the children of course wouldn't listen to their mother when they saw her covered in blood. The siblings struggled to make their way through the forest, striving to reach their mother. Levitation and Enhanced Strength spells enabled their parents to swiftly traverse the treetops. The Stoneskin spell made them impervious to sharp branches. However, for the children, casting those spells would drain all of their stamina in a few minutes. Crossing over roots, branches, tall grasses, and shrubs was challenging. Sharp branches could easily cut them and large root trunks were difficult to climb over. Adrian walked protectively in front of Winnie. He did his best to flatten the vegetation as he advanced, making the path slightly easier for Winnie to walk through. Using his short sword, Adrian also cut off sharp branches that blocked their way, albeit clumsily, since this was his first time cutting with his sword.

  It took many grueling minutes for the children to reach their parents in an open area with fallen trees and flattened ground, a result of the fight between Bob and the Behemoth. N and Levi were fighting nearby. Compared to the shelter, the rumbles of the ground became literal quakes, and the vibrations in the air turned into shockwaves that trembled their whole bodies. Sway Stone Bullets and flying slashes occasionally caused debris to fall from the trees around them. From afar, Adrian and Winnie saw Tiffany crying as she tried to stop Bob’s bleeding. They immediately ran to their parents and started crying.

  "Do you have anything to say to your dad?" Tiffany asked the children as she wept.

  "Is Dad going to be okay?" Winnie asked, her voice trembling with distress.

  "No, he's not... If you have anything to say, say it now. He can still hear you, but he can’t talk anymore." Tiffany said, her voice cracking as she struggled to speak clearly.

  Winnie knelt down, held his hand in hers and wept, "Dad, you can’t leave us..."

  Suddenly, the Leviathan and the Behemoth emerged not far from the family, towering over them. Tiffany immediately extended her Divine Power to shield Bob and the children from the immense pressure.

  Tiffany, Adrian, and Winnie looked upon the godly beasts in awe. Winnie looked back down, gripping her father’s hand tightly as she fought back tears. "Dad…."

  "Two godly beasts at the same time? Is this the end?" Tiffany felt utterly hopeless. She held onto the other hand of her husband, closed her eyes and prayed. "Our ancestors, if you’re still there, please help us."

  Adrian looked at his dying father, then shifted his gaze to the two godly beasts towering over them behind the trees, and finally turned to his weeping mother and sister. His chest throbbed as he closed his eyes and began thinking, searching for a way to save his father and his family.

  In a few seconds, it was as if his entire life flashed before him. Adrian remembered the time his father gently made toys for him; that time after he cut his fingertip, Tiffany carefully gave him a bandage; there was another time when Bob scolded him in a stern yet loving lecture for hitting Winnie over a toy; he also remembered his time in prison just a few days ago. Lastly, Adrian recalled the cleric telling him that if he prayed to Goddess Liliana, she would answer. Then, he suddenly prayed. "Goddess Liliana, please help us, where are you when I need you?"

  Adrian suddenly felt himself falling upwards into the sky. In a few seconds, he saw ground above him and felt himself falling into it. Adrian then felt an invisible force catch him and gently place him onto the ground, safe and sound.

  "That piece of sheet is not going to help you," a woman in a white dress said haughtily, with disdain for the Goddess, yet with confidence, she added, "But I can."

  "No foul language in front of the children," a man wearing a black robe next to a water fountain scolded the woman.

  "I said sheet!" the woman responded without any remorse; and the man rolled his eyes.

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  Adrian suddenly found himself standing in a garden. Winnie was sitting on the ground next to him, who stood up after noticing where she was. The children could hear the water fountain, smell the flowers and hear the wind blowing on the tree leaves. The warmth of the sun was very comfortable compared to the cold morning rain earlier. It was a calm serene place, unlike what they were experiencing just seconds earlier.

  Adrian looked around and asked. "What is this place?"

  "This is a space inside Mana; or more specifically within the two of you." The man answered. "Siblings often share the same space. Isn't that your home?"

  Adrian and Winnie looked at where the man was pointing, and they could see the house they had left behind just a few days ago. Sadly, that was no longer their home.

  "Demons! They just insulted Goddess Liliana!" Adrian thought as he realized.

  "We can save your father. However, to work with us, you will have to believe in us and forsake Liliana. In the past, we'd never ask you to abandon your faith in her, but she has gone too far recently." The woman shook her head in contempt as she told the children. "If you want to save your dad, the two of you, hold hands."

  "No. I won't follow a demon’s orders." said Adrian without a thought. "Why are we here? What do you want?" Adrian quickly moved in front of Winnie to protect her from the demons.

  The woman and the man exchanged glances and gestures. Before they came to an agreement, however, the woman spoke up to explain to the boy, "True, from your perspective, we are demons. However, would you let your father die? We are your ancestors and we are only here because of your intense will to save him." She appeared to be the more headstrong of the two.

  "We'll leave now if you insist." The man added. He seemed to be the more amicable of the two.

  "Please save dad, Adrian, please?" Winnie said with a begging voice. She tugged on Adrian’s sleeves and looked at him with red eyes and tears all over her tiny face.

  Just several days ago, Adrian had promised himself never to betray the Goddess. He thought demons were always evil, greedy, and easily swayed by money or temptations. "What is temptation, anyway? Is my wish to save Dad a temptation?"

  "What do you want in return for saving Dad? Why are you trying to help?" Adrian asked the demons, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.

  "Nothing. Do we need a reason to save our children and descendants?" the man said gently, shrugging.

  "I don't believe you. I don't know you, you must have some hidden agenda." Adrian insisted.

  "If we need a reason, is love toward our children not enough?" the man asked, posing another question to Adrian.

  Adrian's mind swirled with doubts and questions. "Aren't demons supposed to be greedy and evil?" he thought. "Why aren't they asking for something in return? And what's with this talk of love? What even defines a demon, anyway? Is someone a demon simply because they don't believe in the Goddess?" As he pondered, his eyes remained closed, his brow furrowed in concentration.

  "Even if they are evil and are really tempting me using Dad, should I watch Dad die just to stay true with the Goddess? Well, why am I staying true to the Goddess, anyway?"

  Adrian continued to think. "To go to Heaven? Do people stay true to the Goddess just to go to Heaven? Well, if Heaven is full of people who would watch their fathers die without doing a thing, do I still want to go there?"

  As his father's gentle smile appeared in his mind, Adrian slowly opened his eyes.

  Throughout the past week, the boy had been confused and conflicted, as if navigating a haunted maze alone in total darkness, feeling lost and scared, and unable to find a way out. Suddenly, upon reaching a conclusion, Adrian felt as though he had stumbled upon the exit in the maze. The radiance of the exit illuminated him, dispelling the darkness within. His mind was now clear, and he had a newfound clarity on what he desired and what his priorities were.

  Feeling enlightened, Adrian looked into Winnie’s eyes with his newfound determination, smiled, and gently said, "Okay, let’s save dad." He held hands with Winnie, who happily nodded at her brother with tears and snot on her tiny face.

  After seeing Adrian and Winnie holding hands, the woman continued and spoke solemnly, "We will forcibly awaken the Inherited Skill, Resurrection, within the two of you. Both of you are still young, you do not have enough Mana to complete casting the spell. However, it should be enough to sustain your father until he arrives."

  "Who is he?" Winnie asked as the man gently cleaned her face with a handkerchief.

  "Your cousin. I know you have a lot of questions, but your father is dying. Let’s get started, and we'll talk next time." The woman smiled as she put her hands on top of the children’s heads. The children nodded.

  At this moment, the man also gently put his hands on the children’s heads.

  "Hopefully, the next time we meet, you won't call us demons again," the woman said with a warm smile to Adrian.

  All of a sudden, Adrian began falling into the sky again, and he was soon back in the forest. Adrian and Winnie found themselves kneeling next to Bob, holding hands with each other. Silver colored Aura emanated from them, enveloping Bob’s body. Silver sparkles danced in the air.

  "Resurrection!" Adrian and Winnie exclaimed in perfect synchrony as their eyes shone with a radiance silver glow. Magical glyphs in silver color manifested on the children’s arms and bodies. Slowly, the sword on Bob’s chest was withdrawn by the spell, his wound slowly closed by stitches made of silver colored Aura. During the process, the children began panting heavily, their small bodies trembling with exhaustion.

  "Relax, keep breathing. Let us handle the surgery." Adrian and Winnie could hear the gentle voice of the black robed man.

  "Just keep on breathing." the woman in white dress also said to the children, but with an anxious tone.

  "Thank you, our ancestors!" Tiffany closed her eyes, prayed for a brief moment as she wept. Then, suddenly, her composure returned and her expression turned serious. The mother swiftly wiped away her tears, unsheathed her sword, readied her shield, and stood firm between her family and the godly beasts.

  After about a minute, the children collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air.