Another Love at First Sight?

When Faust turned back and found his white horse had been disemboweled and dismembered into chunks, his brain indeed lagged for a few seconds.

Then came an explosion of absolute, unadulterated fury!

The Prince of Qingxi wasn't some veteran horse enthusiast. He wouldn't give royal steeds nicknames like Tokai Teio, Symboli Rudolf, Gold Ship, or Oguri Cap. In fact, he didn't particularly like horses as mundane mounts.

However, he had ridden this beast for so long that even if there was no "glory," there was certainly "toil." Now, the moment he looked away, his horse had been slaughtered and turned into a shape that couldn't be put back together.

This wasn't just kicking a horse’s backside; this was a slap in his face!

Faust immediately drew his longsword and short blade, scouting the surroundings for the horse-slayer. Judging by the scene, the white horse had been victimized only a few minutes ago. Within that time frame, no one could hope to escape his pursuit.

The Prince of Qingxi had eyes like a hawk. He pushed the techniques of the 【Martial Saint】 path to their absolute limit, instantly capturing a movement.

Without a word, Faust charged. Not far from where the horse lay dead, he saw a tall figure by the riverbank, entirely encased in exquisite plate armor.

Faint blue patterns flowed across the metal surface, and steam rose as it washed bloodstains from the armor's surface.

It was him!

Fueled by rage, Faust accelerated further, thrusting his sword straight at that back.

Clang—!

The armored horse-slayer was equally quick to sense the Prince's murderous intent. Its reaction was remarkably fast, turning to parry just an instant before the longsword could pierce its torso.

Bang—!

Blades ejected from a tactical case clashed with the Prince’s longsword. A crimson light emanated from the slit in the center of the armored helmet, and the faint blue furnace core beneath the breastplate spun rapidly, emitting a roaring engine sound:

"Attacker... Unknown... Activating... Defense Mode..."

"Wait? Not human?"

Faust realized this thing wasn't flesh and blood but some kind of autonomous intelligent mechanical construct—a weapon. Although he had heard that high warlocks could create alchemy dolls that were nearly indistinguishable from humans, he had never seen one in person.

But his hesitation lasted only a second. Regardless of whether it belonged to a great warlock, Faust had to give it a beating first.

It must be said that this autonomous construct possessed exceptionally skilled combat techniques. It utilized various weapons flying out of its tactical case as if they were extensions of its own body, fighting Faust while retreating along the river. Its combat module was clearly of a very high caliber.

However, who had Faust been training with? It was Mystoria! The legendary Elf Martial Saint of the White Court!

Setting aside rank and power, in terms of pure combat technique, few in the mortal world could rival Mystoria. Under the grueling training of his elven teacher, Faust had mastered several peerless skills.

The 【Martial Saint】 path is about reaching the pinnacle, the absolute limit.

How was this reflected?

Faust swung his longsword and thrust his short blade continuously, but the recovery animation of every single strike was canceled. The Prince's movements seemed to "frame-skip" back to their starting positions instantly.

Backswing cancel! Backswing cancel! And more backswing cancel!

Though it only saved a fraction of a second each time, the cumulative effect—combined with the "second-hand" Berserk skill he learned from his father—allowed him to firmly control the rhythm of the battle.

Pressing the Frost-walker all the way, Faust finally found a flaw and kicked the armored construct away. He then lunged forward, pinning it down and dragging the construct across the riverbank like a plow.

"Aaaargh! You dared to kill my horse?!"

Faust looked up, tossing the construct aside, prepared for the next round of combat. However, after the construct regained its balance, its first instinct wasn't to attack him. Instead, it dashed across the river with lightning speed and stood protectively in front of a young girl.

"Princess! Please retreat for now, I will stop him!"

The high-pitched mechanical voice of the Frost-walker naturally drew Faust’s attention to the girl standing on the opposite bank.

"!!!"

The moment he saw her, Faust’s pupils constricted, and his breath hitched.

Her long, straight black hair was as supple as if the night itself had been woven into it, fluttering gently in the breeze. She wore a black pleated skirt with over-the-knee socks, contrasted against her snow-white skin and top. At first glance, the color palette was simple, yet the extreme contrast of black and white didn't clash; rather, it created a perfect harmony on her body.

The girl stood with her hands behind her back, tilting her exquisite face slightly upward, delivering an unparalleled visual impact.

The first impression was simply "beauty." Even before discerning her features clearly, the concept of "beauty" was implanted in his mind. It felt as though failing to use that word to describe her would be a great sacrilege.

A powerful urge surged in the Prince’s chest... he wanted to hear her voice, gaze upon her face, and touch her skin...

Wait, why does this feeling feel so familiar? I think I experienced this a few months ago.

"Dammit, another love at first sight, huh?!"

Faust was so angry he almost laughed. The Wheel of Destiny was clearly cutting corners when weaving this Witches' Feast, resorting to straight-up asset reuse. It didn't even bother to modify the script; it was just trying to fool him!

For an Awakened One who had already broken free from destiny once, escaping again was much easier—especially with such a strong sense of déjà vu. Faust snapped out of the trance almost the second he fell into it.

But this was fine. Faust wouldn't be like he was with Viviana, sinking into the vortex without realizing it until he had to be "educated" in a basement to distinguish who the witch was.

So, this one... must be the 【Snow White】 of the Midwinter Kingdom? He thought it would take more effort to find her—or that by the time he saw her, she’d already be lying in a crystal coffin.

Faust calmed his anger and sheathed his weapons.

Seeing Faust suddenly cease hostilities, the Frost-walker, which had been ready for a life-and-death struggle, increased its processing power to analyze his intentions, unable to figure out what he was doing. However, it didn't dare move recklessly; the core code to protect Snow White kept it pinned to the spot.

"Alright, can't you see he's stopped?"

Selena patted the Frost-walker’s shoulder and said with a light smile, "So, you just killed his horse?"

"I chose the most suitable large-bodied beast in the vicinity. Analysis suggests that the beast was the property of this human male," the Frost-walker replied. Despite possessing high-level intelligence, it lacked human morality.

Faust rested his hand on his sword hilt, looked at the black-haired girl, and asked:

"Are you the master of this doll? Why did it kill my horse?"

Even though he had already identified her through the "love at first sight" illusion, Faust knew he had to follow the "script" of destiny.