The sharp blade light, resembling a crescent moon, swiftly sliced through the massive body of the "Rock Python," leaving a deep trench in the ground.
In the next second, Therese stared in astonishment as the giant beast, known for its rock-hard skin and formidable defense, was cleanly split in half right before her eyes!
But that wasn't the most shocking part. What truly left her dumbfounded was the familiar figure that appeared before her after the Rock Python was cleaved in two.
"Aunt Therese, it's been two years. Not only have you become more beautiful, but you also seem to have developed a taste for hunting magical beasts in the forest at this hour?"
Hearing the boy's teasing tone and playful expression, Therese was momentarily stunned. Then, overwhelmed with joy, she rushed toward Wood and tightly embraced him.
Even though two years had passed and Wood's appearance and height had changed significantly, Therese recognized him instantly.
Two years had gone by, and now Wood was only slightly shorter than Therese. He no longer had to endure the "face wash" from her chest as he did in the past.
"You're really Wood, aren't you? Why did you suddenly appear here? Two years ago, Sister said that you..."
"That I died, right? Well, two years ago, I did die, but due to some special circumstances, I came back to life."
Hearing Wood's words, Therese couldn't help but roll her eyes. She thought Wood was joking. After all, how could someone come back from the dead?
Clearly, her sister Zenith must have lied to her and their mother for some reason.
The Wood in her arms was warm and carried the same pleasant scent as before. There was no way he could be some kind of undead creature.
"Roar——————!"
While Wood and Therese were catching up, the other magical beast, the "Saber-Tooth Tiger," seeing an opportunity, pounced toward Therese from behind.
But as fast as the tiger was, someone was even faster. Almost the moment the Saber-Tooth Tiger let out its roar, Wood, still in Therese's embrace, struggled to extend a hand and conjured a red magic circle.
"Saint-Level Fire Magic: Crimson Nova!"
As the red magic circle rapidly expanded, the air around them grew scorching hot. In the next instant, a spear-like tongue of fire shot out from the magic circle, engulfing the leaping Saber-Tooth Tiger in flames!
In less than a second, the Saber-Tooth Tiger was reduced to a charred corpse, falling from the air and emitting a faint smell of roasted meat.
The ground, scorched by the intense flames, had turned into a wasteland of ash, with some areas even melting into glowing magma.
The Saber-Tooth Tiger and the Rock Python, beasts only slightly inferior to dragons, had been effortlessly annihilated. And the Saint-Level magic used to kill the Saber-Tooth Tiger had been cast without an incantation!
From the moment Wood appeared, to his conversation with Therese, and finally to the Saber-Tooth Tiger's demise, less than a minute had passed.
The "Holy Maiden," who had been standing there in confusion, was still pondering who Wood was. But before she could figure it out, Wood had already sliced the Rock Python in half, exchanged familiar banter with Therese, and then casually incinerated the Saber-Tooth Tiger with a Saint-Level spell—all without chanting!
"Therese, is this boy an acquaintance of yours?"
Seeing that Therese seemed to have forgotten about her in her excitement over Wood, the Holy Maiden couldn't help but feel a bit neglected. Still, she had to ask the question burning in her mind.
"Oh, right! I almost forgot to introduce you. This is my nephew, Wood Greyrat.
Don't let his age fool you—he's only about thirteen or fourteen, but he's incredibly reliable. With Wood here, we might actually make it out of this forest alive."
Hearing the Holy Maiden's question, the somewhat scatterbrained Therese finally remembered the little girl they had been escorting. She quickly introduced Wood, wrapping her arms around his neck from behind with a proud expression.
Her nephew had already been a "Sword Saint" two years ago, mastering three sword styles and even creating his own. Not only that, but his talent for magic was equally monstrous. By the age of eleven, he had already mastered multiple Saint-Level spells and even developed a unique "Ice Magic" by combining different elements.
Even her strict mother, Claire, had once said that compared to Wood, so-called "geniuses" were like fireflies trying to outshine the sun.
Two years had passed, and Therese was certain that Wood's abilities had only grown. She had complete faith in her adorable nephew.
Hearing Therese's introduction, Wood couldn't help but roll his eyes. He then politely bowed to the Holy Maiden in a noble's greeting and said, "My name is Wood Greyrat, the second son of the Greyrat family.
As Aunt Therese... no, as *sister* Therese said, I'm her nephew. I'm not sure what's going on, but I'll do my best to ensure your safety."
When Wood initially called Therese "Aunt," the knightly girl behind him clenched her fists and began pounding his temples, forcing him to change his address to "sister" as she preferred.
"I don't have a name, but people call me the Holy Maiden. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Seeing Wood's impeccable noble etiquette, the Holy Maiden nodded and introduced herself politely. For some reason, even though the boy seemed to be around her age, she felt as if she could see a depth of experience in his eyes.
Despite Therese and Wood being aunt and nephew, the Holy Maiden couldn't help but feel that Wood exuded a far more reliable and mature aura.
"Therese... sister, why are you in the forest at this time? I was actually on my way to the Latria family when I ran into you."
At the mention of the "Latria" family, Therese's joy at reuniting with Wood dimmed. She sighed and said, "The Holy Kingdom of Millis is in chaos right now. It's too dangerous for you to go there.
I left the Holy Kingdom with the Holy Maiden because we were planning to seek refuge with your mother."
Hearing this, Wood was taken aback. He then asked, "The Holy Kingdom is in chaos? Are you talking about the beast horde gathering nearby?
And if you sensed the danger and decided to leave, what about Grandma? Why isn't she with you?"
Therese fell silent for a moment before finally explaining the current situation in the Holy Kingdom of Millis and the instructions Claire had given her.
"In that case, let's go back and find Grandma," Wood said. Throughout his many simulations across different worlds, he had encountered few true relatives.
Claire, his grandmother, had left a deep impression on him. She was stubborn, serious, yet incredibly kind—a typical strong-willed woman.
If he were powerless, he might have had no choice but to let things be. But since he had the ability to save her, there was no way he would stand by and do nothing. After all, she was family.
"It's no use. The Holy Kingdom of Millis isn't just facing an incoming beast horde. There's also internal strife within the Church itself.
The Latria family, being one of the largest families in the Holy Kingdom, is bound to be caught up in this. Even if we go back now, Mother would never choose to flee with us."
No one understood Claire's personality better than Therese. She was incredibly stubborn, and once she made up her mind, it was nearly impossible to change it.
Moreover, when it came to the honor of the Latria family, her mother Claire would never back down, not even an inch.
"Who said anything about running away with Grandma? If Grandma is determined to defend the honor of the Latria family, then we'll stay and help her."
Like Therese, Wood also had a good understanding of Claire. Trying to convince a stubborn, menopausal woman—who had been at odds with her own daughter for over a decade, yet still cared deeply for her in her own prickly way—to abandon her family and flee was no simple task.
"No, Wood, you don't understand. The problems facing the Holy Kingdom of Millis aren't just limited to the beast horde.
There's also the conflict between the Pope's faction and the rebel faction. Neither the Holy Knights nor the former high-ranking members of the Church who joined the rebels are pushovers. This isn't something that can be changed by one person alone."
Hearing Wood's words, Therese shook her head with a look of resignation. She knew Wood was incredibly strong, but taking on an entire Holy Kingdom single-handedly was simply unrealistic.
Both she and her mother deeply cared for Zenith's second son, and precisely because of that, Therese didn't want Wood to take such a risk.
"Sister Therese, do you really think you know everything about me?
You're right. The Church of Millis and the impending beast horde are indeed formidable challenges, and they can't be resolved by individual strength alone.
But that's only true for ordinary people. When one's power is great enough, not even a nation, not even an entire continent, not even causality itself is beyond change!"
Returning to the world of *Mushoku Tensei*, Wood felt far more confident than before. He had grown much stronger since his last visit.
Back then, even if he had given it his all, he could only manage to make the second-ranked of the Seven Great Powers, the Dragon God Orsted, take him slightly seriously.
But now, Wood was confident that even if he faced Orsted again, he could at least hold his own.
The reason he couldn't outright claim he would win was simply because he wasn't sure if Orsted had been using his full strength back then.
However, even if he wasn't entirely certain about Orsted, Wood had no doubts about his ability to handle the Millis Church and the beast horde stirred up by the rebels.
After all, the Millis Church and the beast horde were nothing compared to Orsted.
Orsted was the second-ranked of the Seven Great Powers, the son of the first Dragon God, and a man who had mastered a secret technique allowing him to retain his memories and traverse timelines at will. He had already lived through over two hundred cycles.
With the first Dragon God and Laplace long gone, Orsted was now the undisputed strongest being in the world.
If Orsted was the benchmark, then the Millis Church and the beast horde weren't even worthy of licking his boots.
Seeing Wood's determination to head to the Holy Kingdom of Millis, Therese could only sigh in resignation. Even when she tried to assert her "auntly authority," Wood refused to back down.
Left with no other choice, Therese and the Holy Maiden had no option but to follow Wood as they turned back toward the Holy Kingdom of Millis.
They simply didn't have a choice. Due to the beast horde stirred up by the rebels, the areas surrounding the Holy Kingdom had become extremely dangerous.
Even if Therese trusted her nephew to handle himself, she doubted she could safely escort the Holy Maiden out of the kingdom on her own.
She had brought the Holy Maiden with her, and she was responsible for her safety. But on the other hand, Wood was her beloved nephew, and she couldn't bear to let him go alone.
Just as Therese was torn between her options, the Holy Maiden spoke up, saying she was willing to accompany Wood. She didn't want to put Therese and Wood in a difficult position.
As the Holy Maiden put it, if it weren't for Wood, they might have already died back there. So now, they had no right to make selfish demands of him.
Wood couldn't help but feel a bit of admiration for the Holy Maiden, who, despite her young age, displayed remarkable maturity and resolve. He then calmly reassured them, "Don't worry. I don't take risks I can't handle.
As long as I'm alive, I'll make sure you're both safe. Unless we're up against someone on the level of the Dragon God Orsted, I'm confident I can win."
To further reassure Therese and the Holy Maiden, Wood added this as a final reassurance.
When they heard Wood mention Orsted, both Therese and the Holy Maiden were stunned. For most people, the Seven Great Powers were nothing more than legends.
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