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Two damage numbers popped up in succession. The attack was terrifyingly powerful. After all, Iceflow Shield reduced damage by 80%. If the strike had landed with its full force, it would have easily shaved off at least 4,000 HP in a single blow.

“Invoke: Blazing Fire!” As the crisp voice rang out, a wall of flames surged upward, engulfing the two blazing spirits within its fiery curtain.

…

“…” A cascade of green healing numbers appeared, restoring the two flames to full health in an instant.

Treka stared at Zane in confusion.

‘How would I know this would happen!?’ Zane thought helplessly.

Yet the two Fire Spirits also stopped attacking. They drifted within the fiery curtain as if basking in a warm spring breeze, dancing happily in the flames with an almost carefree ease.

Even the previously violet-tinged fire gradually shed its strange hue, returning to a far more natural color. After a while, when the skill effect faded, the two spirits still showed no intention of attacking each other.

The moment the prompt appeared, the health bars above the flames turned a friendly shade of green. Not only that, the raging flames seemed to lose their sharp hostility. The spirits drifted over to Zane’s side, circling him as they fluttered and danced in the air.

A moment later, they floated gently before the blonde girl and drifted forward as if beckoning Zane to follow.

“Let’s follow them!” Even though Zane had no idea what was happening, any new lead was too valuable to ignore.

“Mm!” the Light Elf agreed.

…

It seemed the Fire Spirits understood that Zane had begun following them. Their speed gradually increased as they guided the way forward.

Little by little, they left the original forest behind. Before anyone realized it, the surrounding landscape had transformed into a barren expanse of rocky terrain. Vegetation was almost nonexistent. The only things that occasionally appeared were several fiery-red flowers growing stubbornly among the rocks.

“That’s… Rockflame Flower!” Treka exclaimed, recognizing it immediately.

“The rock what flower?”¹　

“Yes. It’s an extremely rare flower. They’re said to grow in scorching environments, surviving by absorbing the scarce moisture hidden underground. Their medicinal value is very high. When I was little, I once drank a bowl of soup brewed from Rockflame Flowers. I didn’t feel cold at all afterward!” Treka recalled.

“So they’re used to keep warm?”

“That’s actually the most wasteful way to use them. Besides resisting cold, they can also be used in brewing, alchemy, and even for enchanting weapons.”

“Then what are we waiting for!” Zane’s eyes lit up. Since they had stumbled upon such a treasure, there was no reason to let it slip away. He lifted his Mana Blade, eager to harvest them.

Then something suddenly occurred to him.

“Wait… do the things we take inside an illusion actually count?”

“…” The atmosphere instantly froze. “…Never mind. Let’s just keep following them.”

Before long, the air gradually grew scorching hot. The temperature of the ground had already climbed to an astonishing level. If the sensory settings couldn’t be adjusted lower, enduring such an environment would have been nearly impossible.

Even so, Starmew had already gained a Weakened debuff, forcing them to temporarily dismiss it. The blistering wind lashed against the three of them. Even though this was only a game, sweat still poured down their backs.

Cracked cliffs and jagged ravines stretched across the land, their dizzying depths making anyone who looked too long feel faint.

“Huff… huff… huff…” As if he had just run more than a dozen laps around a track, Zane breathed heavily. Starry, on the other hand, didn’t appear nearly as exhausted. Although beads of sweat occasionally rolled down her forehead, her breathing remained relatively steady.²　

Treka was the same.

**Creak—**

“Brother, are you okay?” Hearing the unusual heavy breathing from inside the room, Zina quickly pushed open the door and asked.

“I’m… I’m fine! It’s just a little hot.”

“Huh?” Zina shivered slightly and glanced at the air conditioner. The temperature read 23°C. “Brother, are you sure you’re okay? Are you sick?”

“Ah, really, I’m fine. Go do your own thing.”

“Really?”

“Really!” Zane repeated, though on the other side he felt like he was practically being roasted alive, which made him somewhat tense.

“Alright…” Zina nodded and slowly stepped back out, a thoughtful expression on her face.

She had heard that boys liked to do that sort of thing when they were alone in their rooms… but she hadn’t expected it to sound this intense! Or was her brother just that desperate!?

Thinking about it carefully, she realized that ever since they were young, she had never once seen him bring a girl home. Was it because she had been holding him back? That seemed very possible.

This couldn’t go on. She had heard doing that too often could harm one’s health! Zina looked worriedly toward Zane’s room, then suddenly thought of several girls from her class. “…But would that be inappropriate?”

…

Zane was certain that Elna’s body was simply too fragile. With that conclusion, he reverted to his original form.

“Huff—huff—huff.”

‘This isn’t helping at all! If anything, it feels even more exhausting! Again!’

The Swiftshadow Wolf stood proudly where he was. All the strange discomfort vanished from his body, leaving only a mild sensation of heat. It had to be said that the Wind Wolf’s adaptability was truly remarkable.

After passing through a narrow, low-lying ravine, the Fire Spirits finally stopped.

‘Have we arrived? Are they gifting me a treasure as repayment for the healing?’

Reality soon proved that he had been overthinking things. Chaotic and terrifying fire elements filled the air. Waves of scorching heat crashed forward, and explosions erupted from time to time. The entire scene looked like the aftermath of a volcanic apocalypse.

Countless elemental flames drifted and collided in midair, producing various damage numbers ranging roughly from 1,000 to 5,000. The flames themselves could be broadly divided into two kinds: pure crimson and violet-tinged red.

No matter how one looked at it, the violet-red flames were clearly the stronger of the two. Remaining here felt no different from being roasted over a charcoal rack.

“Human…?” A deep, weathered voice tinged with magnetic resonance echoed from above. Looking up, they saw a figure floating in midair. More precisely, it was a humanoid form composed entirely of flame.

A Unique boss!? And the health bar above its head was bright red.

Compared to Zedana, the two Fire Spirits that had guided them here looked like nothing more than tiny sparks.

The two small spirits spiraled upward, as if trying to explain something. But this boss clearly had no intention of listening. With a casual swipe of its hand, a 5,000+ damage number burst forth, sending the two Fire Spirits flying into a distant corner.

“Intruders who trespassed into the illusory realm… Since you didn’t die on the way here, I suppose I’ll personally send you on your final journey.” The moment he finished speaking, a blazing sphere began gathering in front of him, rapidly condensing.

‘Damn! Starting a fight without even finishing a sentence!?’

Treka hurriedly said, “We are merely travelers who accidentally wandered into this illusion. We had no intention of trespassing. We only came here hoping to find a way out!”

“…” Zedana had no interest in conversation. He continued gathering power as if they hadn’t spoken at all.

**Boom!**

In the next instant, the raging flames had already surged forward!

‘This is bad. Fire Spirits are scattered everywhere, there’s almost no room to dodge. And Blazing Fire has no effect on creatures like these. We will have to take it head-on.’ With that thought, Zane instantly transformed into the Wishkeeper. At the same time, a Blessing buff descended upon him, increasing his defense by 20%.

Starry raised her arm as well. A stream of icy currents surged forth, circling around Zane’s body. His confidence rose immediately.

‘Bring it on!’