The light that had been blazing in Ryu's gaze dimmed. Something that even the Heavens above couldn't accomplish was done by the single action of a single woman. It felt as though everything in his heart was being hollowed out, a sinking feeling pouring into his gut followed by a slowing of his blood and heart.

Ryu suddenly became hyperaware of the rhythm of his breathing and chest. It was hard to breathe as though a stone rested on his lungs, refusing to allow him a deep breath. Every beat of his heart was like a wave of pangs coursing through his veins. It was like something was twisting his insides up.

From the outside, it felt almost impossible to tell that something was going on. It looked as though Ryu had gazed toward a newcomer and said newcomer walked by him. There were no sparks nor were there any fireworks. It was too difficult to tell just how pale Ryu's face had become given its usual complexion.

For the first time, Ryu looked down instead of upward. He didn't seem to realize that that Isemeine who was following Elena's steps had opened her mouth to say something, only to close it once again.

Isemeine truly hated Ryu and it could be said that her only goal in life right now was to defeat him. But, the instinct she had when she saw that look on his face was to reach out. It was only after she remembered that she hated him that she pulled back, her brows furrowing.

While everyone else didn't seem to realize that something was wrong, Isemeine, who knew Ryu well at this point, was almost hyper sensitive to his change. His face might not have warped to an extreme, but everything from his posture, to the color of his skin, even down to the aura around him had suddenly plummeted.

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Not to mention the fact that this was the absolute worse time for something like this to happen, Ryu didn't show any sign of recovering any time soon. What the hell was he thinking? It was just a woman, wake up!

Isemeine harrumphed to herself. She didn't have the time to waste on this. Whether she would rise to a new level or never reach her goals and aspirations would all depend on this day. Why would she waste mental space on a man who just saw her as some sort of flesh sleeve.

Ryu suddenly closed his eyes, catching Isemeine completely off guard. If originally Ryu had been like a blazing sun, and just now he had been like a withering flower, right this moment it felt as though he wasn't there at all, like he had vanished completely.

"Queen Elena, this situation has changed! We must work together"

Galkos, who had decided to swallow his discontent and call out to Elena froze. Of all the sights he had seen in his life, this was maybe the most shocking. It wasn't even that the actions this person took were so ridiculous, it was just that the combination of the situation at hand, and who his target was, left him completely speechless.

Ryu had disappeared in an arc of lightning and appeared before Elena again. Though Elena reacted immediately and came to an elegant stop, the result was the separation between the two being barely over two feet. With the difference in their height, Elena would have to look up just to meet Ryu's gaze.

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Let alone Galkos, the ones who were the most stunned by this change were Elena's entourage to the point they didn't even react immediately. The last person of note was Tybalt whose gaze was suddenly shining quite bright at that moment as though he felt like he was on the verge of understanding something.

Considering how Ryu had acted up until this point, no one had expected such a move. Moreover, even if he was suddenly infatuated by beauty, was this really the best time to act like this? Heaven's Punishment could descend at any time and Elena wasn't known for her kind temperament. Even if she wasn't as fiery as Isemeine, that was only because very few dared to piss her off like they might the former. This was both a difference in status and power.

"Hello." Ryu smiled lightly.

The curve of his lips was objectively dazzling. It was the kind of smile that made most forget what was going on around them, and that most definitely was the case for the entourage following behind Elena. And yet, the lady who this smile was aimed toward in specific hardly reacted at all.

For the first time, her gaze met Ryu's. Though she was looking up, she somehow still managed to carry the demeanor of an individual who was looking down on others. At the same time, she said not a single word.

Her eyes were truly beautiful, twinkling like two pink diamonds. Ryu's gaze was sharp enough to see his reflection within anyone's eyes, but he knew with how crystal clear Elena's own were, even if he was a mortal he would be able to do the same.

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"My name is Ryu, might I know your name?"

Everyone was completely speechless. Even Tybalt's smile faltered as he choked on air. Their lives were on the line currently! Couldn't you be a little bit less thick skinned?!

Galkos was stunned before he sneered. He had already been planning to have Elena's help just to get rid of Ryu first. He thought that maybe if Ryu died, this Punishment would marginally weaken and that might leave them a chance for survival.

As for Elena actually answering Ryu? Was that a joke?

Even though they were all in the Awakening Realm right now, what right did a Dao Pedestal Realm ant have to speak with a World Sea Realm genius? Of course, Galkos had no idea just yet that Ryu was actually in the Immortal Ring Realm still.

However, Galkos didn't have much time to hold onto this fantasy when something he could have never guessed happened.

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"Elena."

The voice was short and succinct, but it reached their ears like a gentle spring breeze. Galkos had heard Elena speak before, but for some reason it hit him like a ton of bricks this time.