He had indeed returned to the colorful world.
This colorful world was not the Misty Illusion Realm of the past.
It was the true Misty Illusion Realm.
"As I thought... I've returned to my domain." Ian murmured softly, his fingertips brushing past a luminous fern nearby, feeling the real texture of the leaves.
What he just experienced was anything but ordinary.
And he couldn't figure out what caused him to see the past of the Misty Illusion Realm.
After all.
Judging by the current situation, perhaps after the Misty Illusion Realm was established, it became a special domain transcending history and time.
Even in the Ancient Times before the Misty Illusion Realm was established, Ian could still connect with it — this was different from what he had guessed when he first entered the black-and-white world.
No way around it.
Ian still didn't understand much of the knowledge.
He didn't even know why he could witness the past of the Misty Illusion Realm just now.
"It must be related to that mysterious Female Titan."
Ian muttered to himself.
What he saw, seemed more like some deliberately shown "memory fragments" — perhaps it was the struggle between the God of Death and the Raven, or maybe the truth of the Misty Illusion Realm's formation.
But in any case, that phrase "there's another game" made the imagination run wild. This sentence raised a strong premonition in his heart — the struggle between the God of Death and the Raven was far from over. The God of Death hadn't truly failed, and the Raven wasn't completely successful. Their battle was just on pause, waiting for the next restart.
Was the God of Death hinting at this?
Is the next game referring to its contest with the Raven?
Or perhaps... with me?
Or did the God of Death never misidentify anyone?
Am I indeed the Raven?
And the body I'm using now is the baby forged by the Raven?
All of a sudden.
Numerous speculations sprang up in Ian's mind.
He looked up at the sky, where the unique aurora of the Misty Illusion Realm had resumed, with no trace of the God of Death. But the chilling gaze lingered, as unshakeable as a shadow.
"Hoo~"
The Little Wizard took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. No matter what the God of Death was plotting, at least for now, he had returned to his home turf. Beneath his feet was the soft grass, a lake in the distance mirrored the starry sky, while glowing petals floated on the surface, each shimmering with different lights.
The air was filled with a faint floral fragrance and an indescribable tranquil atmosphere.
Indeed.
After the black-and-white world shattered.
Ian was no longer at the volcano's mouth, but back to a place he was exceedingly familiar with. This wasn't the volcano, nor the black-and-white world, with neither Dementors nor the God of Death.
To the left, a gloomy castle stood on the cliff, with weathered walls and towering spires that seemingly held numerous ancient secrets, the pinnacles piercing the sky while the dark walls crawled with vines.
Occasionally, a streak of magical light flashed by.
The Ancient Giant Dragon dozed.
It was the home of his teacher Morgan, and where he once learned Dark Arts and Alchemy. To the right, sunlight poured over the cozy town, houses with red roofs and white walls scattered about, the scent of fresh bread wafted down the streets. In the distance, bedsheets dried in the wind in front of Ariana's cottage.
That was Ariana's home.
And in the middle.
A clear dividing line separated the two worlds.
On the left was the sombre and mysterious Magic Castle, on the right the warm and peaceful town home, divided clearly by an invisible force.
"Isn't this exactly my frequently traversed home turf?" Ian murmured, smiling inadvertently, as this was always the territory he traveled back and forth between the two worlds.
He was finally certain he had returned to the real Misty Illusion Realm. The world woven from destiny, independent of time, a realm that belonged solely to him.
"This is where I feel at ease."
Ian couldn't help but laugh, his taut nerves finally relaxing.
"Home at last..." he took a deep breath, deciding not to head toward Morgan's eerie castle but turned to stride into a spring-like forest.
He needed some quiet.
That was the perpetual spring Magic Forest.
It was his favorite place for exploration as a child. Trees
tall and lush, dappled light filtering through branches, colorful butterflies fluttering in the air, with deer or fox occasionally peering from the undergrowth.
Ian walked along the winding path.
In the forest, sunlight streamed through gaps in the leaves, shining on his face, finally allowing him to sense the issue he couldn't feel in the black-and-white world.
Beneath his feet was soft soil.
Occasionally, a few wildflowers poked their heads through, emitting a faint sweet scent.
Suddenly, a mischievous little monkey hopped down from a tree, holding a translucent fruit, winking at him before tossing it to him.
Ian caught the fruit, nodded with a smile, "Thanks."
He took a bite, and the sweet, juicy flavor burst instantly in his mouth — the juice was abundant, the taste a perfect blend of tart and sweet, exactly as he remembered, worthy of the monkey's careful selection.
The fruits of the Misty Illusion Realm were always either overly sour or exceedingly delicious, and this belonged to the delicious category, as if the whole of spring was condensed into this small fruit.
"Indeed, it's good here."
As Ian walked, he appreciated the familiar scenery, gradually feeling more at ease.