Ren and Evie held their breath as they surveyed their surroundings, anxiously wondering about Azazel and the others' well-being.

As the dust settled, Ren and Evie's eyes widened in astonishment as they beheld the scene before them. Where the dense and ominous Cloudy Forest once stood, there was now nothing but an expansive blank lot stretching as far as the eye could see. The oppressive mist had dissipated, replaced by the crisp air of an open field. Instead of the twisted and eerie trees that had filled the forest, there were now only normal trees, their branches swaying gently in the breeze. The ground beneath their feet was covered in lush green grass, a stark contrast to the cloudy terrain that had dominated the forest.

Ren and Evie exchanged incredulous looks, unable to believe their eyes. It was as if the Cloudy forest had never existed in the first place, as if it had been nothing more than a figment of their imagination.

But perhaps the most surprising sight of all was the figures standing in the center of the newly revealed landscape. Azazel and the warlords stood rooted to the spot, their faces a mix of confusion and bafflement at the sudden disappearance of Cloudy Forest.

Desira couldn't help but voice her frustration. "What the hell? I was just chasing a fluffy wool a while ago! I need it to make clothes. What happened? Where did the forest go? Give it back!"

Malifira echoed her sentiments, her tone tinged with annoyance. "Hmm . . . did the forest just disappear? I'm still foraging for materials. How rude."

"I was just fighting some monsters. Who ruined my fun?" Iraelyn chimed in, her voice filled with irritation.

"And I was enjoying that strange cloudy fruit. It had a unique taste," Vivi added wistfully.

Azazel shared their sentiments and complaints, his brows furrowed in confusion. "Where did the forest go? What happened? I still need to sample a lot of food in there!"

However, their grumbling came to an abrupt halt when they felt an oppressive aura enveloping them. They turned to see Ren, his gaze intense as he eyed them all critically.

Ren crossed his arms over his chest, his expression stern. "I'm glad that you're enjoying your time in there while I risk my life fighting a god, trying to get out."

Azazel and the others shifted uncomfortably, and avoided to meet Ren's disapproving gaze.

"I-I just . . . you know, was enjoying the place," Azazel stammered, attempting to deflect Ren's scrutiny.

"It's not like we're not taking this seriously, you know," Desira added defensively, shooting a glare at Ren.

"T-that's right. We just got sidetracked!" Iraelyn interjected, her tone defensive.

Vivi shrunk back a little, feeling the weight of Ren's gaze. "I was . . . I was only eating . . ."

Ren's patience wore thin as he raised his voice, his frustration evident. "Enough!"

The warlords flinched at his sharp tone, realizing the severity of the situation.

"You all need to take this seriously. We're not here to sightsee and sample all the foods in here. We're here to find Lorelai," Ren asserted firmly, his eyes piercing as he addressed each of them.

Azazel approached Ren, attempting to diffuse the tension by patting his shoulder. "Calm down, Ren. Don't worry too much. You should ease up a bit. We will find Lorelai sooner or later."

Ren's glare intensified as he turned to face Azazel. "You too, Azazel! You're the leader of this group, so you should be responsible of their actions. If you're not serious, then neither would they. So straighten up and let's find Lorelai as soon as possible."

Azazel faltered under Ren's stern gaze, unsure of how to respond. "R-right. Sorry. I will be serious from now on," he muttered, feeling chastened.

Desira couldn't resist a smirk. "Don't count on it," she muttered under her breath, earning a warning glance from Ren.

"Ren!" Elena suddenly appeared in the scene and jumped into Ren's embrace. "I was so worried about you that I cleared half the forest just to find you!"

Evie quickly intervened, breaking them apart. "I thought you were sightseeing, considering you seemed to have stayed in a single location."

Elena forced a laugh and glanced at the others. "Ahahaha. That can't be. I'm just taking my time to search for Ren in every corner of the forest, making sure that no corner was left unchecked."

Evie raised a skeptical brow. "I bet you are."

"By the way, who's she?"

Malifira's sudden inquiry caught Pamela off guard, causing her to freeze in her tracks as she contemplated her next move. She felt all eyes on her and she didn't know what to do.

With Ren's formidable display of power fresh in her mind, Pamela realized that sticking around might not be the wisest decision. Not to mention that his other friends appeared stronger and menacing than he was. However, she also understood that fleeing would only raise suspicion among the group, especially with the curious eyes of the others fixated on her like she was a piece of meat, waiting to run so they would give chase for the fun of it.

She was sure that they wouldn't let her go. Reluctantly, Pamela turned back to face the group, her heart pounding in her chest as she prepared to introduce herself.

"H-hello, my name is Pamela. I'm the Goddess of Fortune and Luck. How are you?" she stammered sheepishly, trying to appear confident despite her nerves.

The reaction from the warlords was mixed, ranging from awe to skepticism.

"Whoa, a real Goddess?" Vivi's eyes sparkled with fascination, clearly impressed by Pamela's divine status.

"Are you really a Goddess? You're not that remarkable," Desira remarked bluntly, eyeing Pamela up and down with a critical gaze.

"Are you strong? Let's battle!" Iraelyn exclaimed eagerly, her excitement palpable.

"Now, now, be nice to the Goddess. We don't want to scare her off now, do we?" Malifira interjected with a chuckle, attempting to diffuse the tension.

Azazel scrutinized Pamela with a thoughtful expression, causing her to shift uncomfortably under his gaze.