Chapter 25: The Reason Krach Was Driven Out...

"Did you destroy the Great Magic Circle, intruders!"

Sauta’s voice was like rolling thunder, his rage soaring. The sheer volume of air expelled in a single breath was enough to ruffle their long hair—a testament to his impossibly powerful lung capacity.

His bull eyes were already scarlet and manic. Gripping a giant axe as sturdy as steel, he surrounded them with a dozen minotaur subordinates.

Looking at this group of towering, ferocious minotaurs, even with Tana the dragon present, they still felt a flicker of nervousness and unease. These were minotaurs afflicted by the "Black Nightmare." Were it not for the Minotaur King's command, they would have lacked all reason, hacking at anyone they saw.

The most surprising thing was that Sauta alone seemed to retain a shred of sanity.

"It wasn't us. We heard the Great Magic Circle here was broken and came specifically to repair it."

Among those present, only Tana remained calm. In truth, to her, the difference between these seemingly formidable minotaurs and humans was merely that the former yielded more blood and gore when trampled.

"You can repair the magic circle! Who? Who is it?"

Sauta’s breathing grew heavier, visible jets of air spurting from his nostrils as his scarlet eyes darted back and forth across the group.

Seria was about to speak, but Yelin stepped in first, declaring in a ringing voice, "It is I. I know the Great Magic Circle inside must be malfunctioning, which is why the monsters of Grand Flores have become increasingly chaotic. I came here specifically to resolve this."

The one who fixes the Dark Thunderland magic circle must not be Seria—that was the most crucial step!

"Repair it, repair it at once! You must not let what is inside get out."

Sauta’s words sounded like a plea for help, but his actions were anything but. He raised his giant axe—as large as a door—and swung it down at them with lethal force. The biting wind that met them caused Yelin’s expression to change completely.

As expected, even Sauta could not escape the encroachment of the Black Nightmare.

"Little one, your state is very unstable—alternating between good and bad. It’s hard on you."

Tana raised her hand lightly, catching Sauta’s bloodthirsty axe with a single palm. She didn't even sway, her face carrying a gentle smile.

"Uh..."

Yelin smacked his forehead, speechless. Seria’s expression remained normal, but only Hyatt and Krahn looked as if they had seen a ghost in broad daylight, their faces filled with disbelief.

Catching a giant axe with one hand—is she even human?

Oh, right, she isn't...

"This forest is blessing him, which is why even the Black Nightmare cannot completely consume Sauta. However, as the evil aura deepens in the heart of the forest, being completely devoured is only a matter of time."

"Yelin, give me the World Instrument and Remi’s Aid. Seria, come and help."

Tana rarely set aside her flippant air; she was now grave and acted with lightning speed. With one motion, she bound all the surrounding minotaurs tightly with vines.

This was a tool of Luke, the Ninth Apostle, the Root of Nightmare. Even though it was only part of the energy radiating from the Seed of Nightmare—a sub-entity of the root—it still exerted terrifying pressure on her.

Sauta oscillated between states of manic rage and tranquility, one moment roaring to kill all intruders, the next begging Yelin to hurry and fix the magic circle to save Grand Flores.

Even Hyatt, who had no personal connection, felt filled with sympathy for Sauta. Ten years had passed like a single day, yet he still could not forget the forest that had raised him. Even while influenced by the Fifth Apostle, Sirocco, and eroded by the Ninth Apostle, he kept the memory of Grand Flores in the deepest part of his heart.

"The elves who sacrificed themselves willingly back then must have felt the same way."

Yelin was silent for a long time. He knew part of the ending, but not the entire process—like the anomaly that was Sauta. Usually, he would have advocated for killing them to farm loot; after all, it was a habitual way of thinking—no matter who you are, as long as you drop better gear, I’ll chop you down even if you’re an Apostle!

But seeing Sauta like this, his mindset began to waver. It turned out that this world had more to offer than just loot.

After a long while, Tana shook her head with regret, causing Hyatt and Seria’s hearts to sink as intense panic surged within them.

"I can't do anything about it. This is the power of an Apostle. It is already a surprise to me that he has survived until now. There are only two ways to resolve this..."

The two women let out a long sigh of relief, joy appearing in their eyes—as long as there was a way to save him, that was enough.

"First, find someone stronger than me who can forcibly expel the second stage of the Black Nightmare. I suspect no such person exists in the entire Elvenguard. Or, use Myre’s Great Magic Circle to purify him. For now, the second option seems more practical. We must hurry."

Though Sauta hadn't said many words, he had revealed an important piece of information: the magic circle of Grand Flores could not hold on much longer.

Tana dragged the Minotaur King, Sauta, toward the direction Krahn pointed. As for his subordinates... they lacked the blessing of the forest and were beyond saving. They became Yelin’s experience points—Level 14, one step closer to becoming a true Professional.

The further they traveled west toward Grakka, the more a stifling heat began to emerge. The plants underfoot withered and yellowed, tree bark cracked and died, and the ground showed signs of turning into a desert.

As they drew closer, the Grand Flores beneath their feet had turned into a desert. The dense jungle was now reduced to bare stumps, with no trace of vegetation or streams.

"This is where my sister, Bianos, is—in the middle of the flames of Grakka..."

Krahn still couldn't understand why Bianos had kicked her out back then. Was she perhaps picked up from a trash can?

"I heard Bianos is a fire-attribute mage. It’s no wonder she likes this strange place. You are ice-attribute; fire and ice don't mix, so she chased you away," Hyatt muttered, analyzing a seemingly plausible answer.

*Whoosh!*

A scorching flame brushed their faces. The terrifying temperature forced them to retreat repeatedly until the woman descending from the sky reined in her flames, making it slightly more bearable.

"Intruders, it is dangerous here! Those without strength will be swallowed whole by the darkness!"

Bianos wore a red flame-colored outfit, and her figure was just as fiery, but she held her staff with a hostile expression, threatening them to leave at once. Yelin and the others, seeing this, breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Bianos was indeed still in her right mind; she was a normal person they could communicate with.

"Hello, I am Yelin. Would you like to exchange business cards?"

He had written his name on a small scrap of paper to make a simple card, all for the sake of trying to trade for a fire card.

"Business card? What is that?" Bianos blinked.

"It’s a photo of you, containing fire-attribute power, which can be used to—ouch, ouch, ouch!"

Hyatt pinched a bit of flesh on his waist and pulled him back forcibly. *Don't embarrass yourself! Can't you see Krahn is about to cry from excitement? The sisters are reuniting, and you want a business card? Shameless!*

"Sister, it’s me, Krahn!"

The two sisters hadn't seen each other in many years. Krahn felt terribly wronged; she had to get an explanation today for being kicked out!

"Krahn?"

Bianos was visibly startled, then looked up and down at this person wearing jeans and a fashionable jacket. She couldn't connect her to the silly younger sister from a few years ago.

"Your weapon is the epic-grade 'Moon of Magic Flame,' which has the opposite attribute to my 'Moon of Frost!'"

"It really is you, Krahn. Aren't you... insane?"

Bianos felt a little awkward. Calling one's own sister insane always felt a bit strange.

"I’ve been awakened by Seria and the others. Sister, is the magic circle really broken?"

"Yes, there is a major problem inside, but I cannot let you in. You have no idea how terrifying it is inside."

Bianos pointed in a certain direction, her words filled with helplessness. "It is a desolate ruin, once a village, I believe. Now, strange zombies have appeared inside, and a mysterious power shrouds the entire region."

"My fire has burned outside for many years, but the village shows no sign of being scorched. And the scariest part is that even with flames filling the sky, it remains as dark as night inside, yet plants still grow. I can only block the exit to barely control the situation."

At this, Bianos shuddered violently. That evil aura was truly hair-raising. If no one stronger stopped it, it would eventually escape.

"I will repair the magic circle. Let us in."

The situation was now imminent; the evil in the deepest part was intensifying, waiting for the moment Bianos could no longer hold on.

"No."

Bianos refused point-blank, sternly adding, "I cannot accompany you inside. Those without strength will only find a dead end if they run in... eh, suit yourselves..."

When she caught sight of Tana dragging the Minotaur King Sauta over with one hand, she knew this group was not as simple as they seemed.

This minotaur king, who oscillated between manic and calm, still had some skill, and yet he seemed to have been knocked out by someone with a single punch to the chin?

Who had such immense power?

"Bianos, what is inside?"

Seria asked cautiously and nervously. She didn't know why, but her heart was pounding violently, as if there were something inside that terrified her.

"Inside remain the tragedies of the living beings who once loved this forest. You will understand when you see it."

Hyatt and Seria chewed on this philosophical statement, unable to grasp its meaning for a moment. Tragedies of living beings?

Tana remained in 'playing dead' mode; she knew much, but was never willing to speak.

Yelin’s gaze turned somber. *So that’s how it is. It is the tragedy of the Elves...*

"Follow me. I will carve a path for you through the flames. Good luck."

Minotaur King Sauta was left casually in the Flaming Grakka. No one dared to come here, and the place they were heading next was not suitable for dragging such a massive creature along.

Before long, Bianos led Yelin and the others to the edge of a sea of roaring flames. The fire was so intense that they couldn't see what lay within.

Bianos waved her staff, and a path slowly parted through the raging inferno. A bone-chilling coldness pierced through the flames, hitting them in the face—it was an evil force of extreme density.

Only then did he understand why the Flaming Grakka was so barren; the trees had all been chopped down by Bianos to use as fuel.

"Let’s go. Hyatt, protect Seria well."

"Krahn, you go help as well. If we solve this, we can go back..."

Bianos’s eyes were filled with profound exhaustion. If these people could fix the Great Magic Circle, the burden she had carried for years could finally be lifted.

"Sister, why did you drive me away back then? Was it because our attributes didn't match?"

Krahn didn't understand; she felt pitiful and wronged.

"You have the nerve to ask!"

Bianos gritted her teeth in frustration, grabbing Krahn’s cheeks and pulling them until they were almost swollen before letting go.

"During that time when you went mad and lost your mind because of the Grand Flores fire, you grew to hate flames so much that you would snuff out even the tiniest spark."

"Coincidentally, I discovered the evil aura here. I couldn't investigate the source alone, so I could only use flames to block the exit. And you? Every time I started a fire, you would put it out, causing me nothing but trouble. If I hadn't driven you away, I wouldn't have been able to do my work at all."

Krahn: "Ahahahahaha, so that’s what happened... (*￣3￣)╭♡"