Kasiper Village, West Gate.
The night was as dark as ink, flames dancing in the gloom.
Compared to the East Gate, where Sarah, a Fifth-tier Mage, served as an immovable anchor, the defensive pressure at the West Gate was just as heavy as iron.
Here, the defense was mainly in the hands of Rhea and Lien from Liyue Academy, but the true pillar—without a doubt—was the astonishing strength Rhea displayed.
She was no longer the embodiment of frost, but had become blazing flame itself.
Scorching fire-element magic fused with martial skill was executed flawlessly in her hands.
Each swing of her blade did not bring forth chilling frost, but trailed searing fire—a bursting fireball, or flames enveloping the blade—precisely and efficiently devouring goblin lives, leaving only scorched earth and ashes in her wake.
Lien followed closely at Rhea’s flank, his own fighting style equally agile and versatile.
Wind magic lent him swiftness, while earth magic would at times raise stone walls to block the charge, at other times conjure pitfalls to hinder the enemy. Now and then, with pinpoint lightning, he struck down goblins lurking behind the lines, those trying to cast enhancement magic.
Yet, most of the time, his gaze was locked firmly on the blazing and powerful figure ahead.
In that gaze was concern, but deeper still—a trace of excitement and anticipation he could barely restrain.
For just moments ago, that mysterious voice had once again echoed in his mind.
‘Today is the turning point in your relationship with Rhea. When she faces mortal danger, step forward and shield her… You will earn her immense favor.’
Where this voice came from, Lien did not know.
He only knew that since entering Liyue Academy two years ago, the voice would appear in his mind from time to time.
At first, he was on high alert, but as the voice’s prophecies came true again and again—helping him avoid danger, seize opportunities—his suspicion faded, and he even began to rely on it.
Thanks to this precognition, he had consumed rare Dragon Blood, obtaining the trump-card ability: Dragonification.
In Dragonification, his physical attributes would be terrifyingly amplified; even if he suffered grievous wounds from lord-level monsters, he could recover in an extremely short time.
This was his confidence in planning his “hero saves the beauty” moment.
As for Rhea… Ever since he realized she was not a man, his admiration had subtly transformed.
Two years of companionship only deepened his feelings, but Rhea always remained like a volcano covered in ice, maintaining the perfect distance, rendering all his overtures fruitless.
She never gave him a single chance to get closer.
Today, at last, the voice in his mind gave him a clear direction—one that could shatter this impasse!
At that very moment, chaos erupted!
“RoarL– -!!”
A roar, full of brutality and destruction, exploded like thunder, instantly drowning out all battlefield clamor!
A colossal black shadow, moving with terrifying speed beyond what the eye could follow, smashed aside every goblin in its path, charging straight at Rhea—the core of the defensive line—with the momentum to crush all before it!
It was a goblin far larger than its kin, its dark purple skin bulging with rock-like muscles. In its hand, a massive Bone Club wreathed in ominous black energy, which, with a single swing, whipped up a wind that tore at the ears.
The magical pressure it exuded was almost tangible—a suffocating force at the fearsome B-rank Lord level!
“Lord-level?! How could a Lord be born among the goblin tribes?!”
Lien’s pupils contracted, his heart surging with waves of shock. The fact itself was harder to believe than the mere appearance of a Lord-class monster.
Yet beyond his shock, an even greater excitement surged—another prophecy fulfilled! The opportunity had arrived!
This lord-level goblin had but one target: Rhea!
Sensing her as the greatest threat, it attacked with earth-shattering force, its massive Bone Club sealing off all avenues of escape. The chill of death, like a cold scythe, had already reached Rhea’s throat.
A hint of unprecedented gravity flashed in Rhea’s silver-gray eyes.
The Blazing Shield she hurriedly conjured before herself was as fragile as paper against such absolute strength.
She could clearly sense that the force in that Bone Club was enough to grind her and her shield to dust.
Now! Lien’s heart pounded, blood seeming to ignite in his veins.
Crisis! But this was also the long-awaited, heaven-sent chance to break the ice!
His mana surged at a pace he’d never known, the power of Dragon Blood boiling faintly within his veins. He pushed off with both legs, body lunging forward—ready to throw himself before Rhea, to take this killing blow with his Dragonification-forged body!
In that instant, he seemed to see her cold mask shatter, revealing worry and emotion.
He saw her caring for him “gravely wounded.”
He saw, after the breakthrough in their relationship, not only embracing beauty but also winning the support of the Yarseid family—a brilliant future.
But just as Lien’s feet left the ground, in the split-second before his body could fully leap—
“Buzzzz–!”
A deep, resonant hum, as if from the earth’s own pulse, sounded out with no warning!
Centered at Rhea’s feet, a complex magic circle, flowing with golden light, flared into being!
The radiance instantly condensed, becoming a sturdy and thick wall of light—precisely, perfectly—standing between Rhea and the destructive Bone Club!
“BOOM!!!!!!”
The lord-level goblin’s full-powered blow slammed solidly into the light wall!
The deafening crash brought the entire West Gate battlefield to a standstill.
The light wall trembled violently, but did not so much as crack.
…Not only that! The magic circle’s glow flowed like living things, several Chains of Earth formed from pure elemental energy and glinting with metallic luster shot from the ground in a blink, binding the lord goblin’s thick legs and club-wielding arm!
Enormous binding force erupted instantly, bringing the rampaging lord-level monster to a dead halt, its actions forcibly frozen!
It let out a roar of rage and shock, struggling madly, but for the moment could not break free from this sudden imprisonment.
Lien’s forward charge was left awkwardly suspended mid-air, his outstretched hand frozen just short of the “hero saves the beauty” scene he had pictured—lacking only that tiniest step.
The look of determination, resolve, and hopeful longing for the future on his face was instantly replaced by shock, confusion, and an indescribable sense of frustration.
A magic circle?!’ Lien’s mind went blank, ‘Where did it come from? When…?
He could see clearly—this was not Rhea’s work; its energy signature was calm and solid, completely unlike Rhea’s explosive fire-elemental magic.
It had appeared too perfectly timed!
Who? Just who was it?!
Who could set up such a subtle, powerful, and perfectly timed defensive array without anyone noticing?!
Rhea, too, was momentarily stunned by this unexpected assistance; in her clear, cold eyes flashed a swift glimmer of surprise.
But years of rigorous training had honed her combat instincts. She forced down her doubts in an instant, cold killing intent once again taking shape, replaced by unwavering resolve to counterattack!
No time to lose! Without hesitation, she poured all her mana into her sword.
The blade instantly glowed red-hot, as if just drawn from the forge, distorting the air with heat and making it crackle softly.
“Fifth-tier Magic: Dragonfire Slash!”
Her crisp shout merged with the sword’s roar.
Her figure became a crimson meteor tearing through the night, man and sword as one, bursting forth with the might to incinerate all!
Where the blade passed, a searing, fiery trail twisted the very air.
Seizing the moment the lord-level goblin was bound by the magic array—completely exposed and defenseless—her fire-laden slash, condensed from all her spirit, struck with pinpoint precision at its vital point!
“Splurt–!”
Unable to defend, facing no real resistance, the ultimate heat and sharpness instantly vaporized fur, ripped through muscle, pierced bone!
Wild fire magic exploded inside, wreaking havoc from within!
The lord-level goblin’s huge body jerked violently, its blood-red eyes filled with disbelief and endless unwillingness. Its dark purple skin blackened and charred, the stench of burnt flesh filling the air, until finally it was burned to nothing.
Only then did the suddenly appearing magic circle fade, its light vanishing as silently as it had come, leaving no trace behind.
Seeing their chief instantly killed, and receiving vague retreat orders from the East Gate (stemming from the goblin high chieftain’s fear of Ize), the goblins at the West Gate lost all morale. Chaos erupted as they scattered like headless flies, quickly vanishing into the forest’s darkness.
The battle ended, abruptly.
Lien slowly, stiffly lowered his arm from midair, standing frozen in place like a statue.
Crisis averted, Rhea unharmed, the village saved—this should have been a moment to rejoice and give thanks.
But…the “serious injury” that should have been his, the “glorious sacrifice” he’d envisioned, the long-anticipated “relationship breakthrough,” the immense favor the voice in his mind had promised…all of it, because of that magic circle—from who-knows-where and vanished without a trace—turned to nothing!
A strong, almost suffocating sense of loss, mixed with fury at being toyed with by invisible hands, and a deep dread and suspicion toward the mysterious spellcaster, churned and collided within him.
For the first time, he’d brushed past “opportunity” at arm’s length, and he didn’t even know what kind of existence had so easily erased his chance.
Rhea steadied her breathing, calming the surging mana within from casting Fifth-tier Magic.
She looked down at where the magic circle had disappeared beneath her feet, a fleeting, almost imperceptible confusion crossing her cold eyes.
This array had saved her, but she truly did not know its origin.
In the end, she could only attribute it to some meticulous, array-specializing fellow student’s prior preparation.
She composed herself, turning to the silent Lien. Her tone, calm as ever and giving nothing away, said, “Clear the battlefield, watch for any remaining monsters. Then, check the other sides and see if support is needed.”
Lien took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his turbulent emotions, lowered his head to hide the complexity in his eyes, and answered as steadily as he could:
“Yes, Senior.”
As Rhea turned, her gaze landed on something odd on the ground where the goblin had just turned to ashes.
She bent down, picked it up, examined it for a moment, and frowned, “Is this a scale?”
There was nothing like this on a goblin.
Then where did this scale come from? Or could it be from another magical beast?