T0 Gaming Guild Saves the World.

Chapter 637, Section 636: The "Shadow" Left at the Boundary Between Reality and Illusion

As Hei Lu slowly awoke from her coma, her consciousness was not yet fully clear. The earth-shattering roar of the dragon and its terrifying, sky-covering figure once again occupied her mind.

She was so excited she almost cried out, and sat up, drenched in sweat: "G-G-Dragon!"

Looking around, the scene before her took her breath away.

The once lush forest has vanished; all the tall trees within sight have been flattened by a terrifying force, leaving only broken branches and scorched earth.

Everywhere was shrouded in black smoke, and the air was thick with the smell of gunpowder and burning. The aftershocks of the frenzied magic still danced and crackled among the smoke and dust.

Just seeing this mess made her shiver involuntarily.

Hearing the rustling sounds behind him, and the sound of someone trying to suppress a laugh, Black Heron turned around sharply.

The Rainbow Rain members, gathered around the campfire, roasting food to fill their stomachs, looked disheveled.

Their once-shiny gear was now covered in mud and soot, and their hair was dry and curly from the heat.

His face and arms were covered in black and gray stains, making him look like a refugee who had just escaped from a fire.

Everyone except the Ghost Rat was injured, even the Slime King had shrunk a bit.

Gloria's dazzling blonde hair had lost its usual smoothness, and the ends were noticeably yellowed and curly.

Elsa had several clear scratches on her leather armor and was carefully trying to wipe the black ash off her face.

Hernira Kai's thick fur was darkened by the smoke, and a large bald patch on his arm made him look disheveled.

Plata's beautiful butterfly wings drooped limply, with what appeared to be some scorch marks on the edges.

Rona's robes were burned through, and he now resembles an exhibitionist.

Golovin was probably the most disheveled of all, with his hair, which was noticeably shorter and had charred edges, and... his eyebrows, which were inexplicably smoother.

"You, you all..." Black Heron stammered, "Where is Elena?"

"gone."

"Ugh?"

“It wasn’t easy, but we barely managed to get her approval.” Elsa began earnestly, “Irera has agreed to our request to visit our master.”

"what!"

The black heron was so shocked it was beyond words.

That's Eleravia, Anna's only Tier 9 dragon. Not long ago, she wreaked havoc on the Mage Tower, and even the legendary Space Master Dussel could only suffer in silence.

Looking back over the past century on the continent of Anna, the only person who could gain Elera's approval was another legend from 100 years ago—the witch Tina.

There's a saying that's been circulating among the Anna nobles.

"Tina put a collar on the dragon."

She was the one who turned Arela's hard dragon scales into soft fur that could be gently stroked.

Unlike Tina, Rainbow Rain earned Elera's respect through her combat strength.
Black Heron swallowed hard.

The assessment of rainbow rain and its "owners" was seriously flawed.

The magical messenger she had sent to her family this morning, containing all its deductions and conclusions, suddenly seemed ridiculous.

Gloria said apologetically, "This was an accident, I'm sorry to have dragged you into it."

Black Heron quickly waved his hand: "No, no, no... It really is thanks to you all that I was able to meet Elena. It's my good fortune."

"We may have to part ways for a while."

"Are you leaving Anna?"

This is the only possibility that the black heron can think of.

With Rainbow Rain's meteoric rise and soaring reputation, they are highly likely to gain the favor of the great nobles if they make a pilgrimage to the capital.

They never once considered switching sides, which shows that the prestige and power of the person behind them far exceeded expectations.

His departure at this time must be related to Elena's invitation.

With that in mind, the black heron decided not to linger any longer.

She must return to her family as soon as possible and tell her father what she had seen and heard during this time.

Perhaps even His Majesty Kurien was shocked by this major event that occurred on the southern border of the Empire.

Upon returning to Windpod City, just before parting ways, Black Heron was amused again by the rainbow rain.

Just as I was about to leave, I took on a commission along the way to help farmers on the border hunt down a giant rat that had recently become rampant.

Did the mouse know it would be attacked by the adventurer group that had just gained the dragon's approval?
Traveling through the night, Black Heron changed to a flying mount and returned to the capital.

The next morning, her father took her to the palace along the way.

In Kurien's study, Black Heron sipped the tea served by the maid and ate small bites of tea snacks, his eyes occasionally glancing at the two people whispering behind the desk.

In the general perception and rumors, His Majesty Kurion, nicknamed the Lion King, must be a stern and imposing monarch.

But that was just the attitude shown to his subordinates.

In private, he has always been gentle with those close to him.

As one of the people closest to His Majesty besides Wick, her father once told Black Heron with a smile that when she was a child, Her Majesty had also held her.

After the hushed discussions on political matters concluded, Wick, acting as secretary, recorded His Majesty's requests.

Observing the situation, Black Heron immediately put down the tea and snacks.

She tried to straighten her back, but Kurien's voice rang out.

“Don’t be so formal.” He gestured for Wick to take the fruit from his table to Black Heron. “Try it. It’s from Brendan. He said it’s oranges that were obtained through trade with the elves in the west. They’re nourished with elemental essence and are very sweet.”

The heron didn't rush to eat; instead, it tilted its head and pondered for a while.

"Brendan...is that the lord His Majesty sent to reclaim the Kekri Fortress and ease border tensions?"

"It's amazing that you remember his name."

“My father once told me about some people that His Majesty values, and that if I were to travel around, I should keep an eye out for them.”

“Your father is very thoughtful.”

Black Heron was puzzled: "I went to the vicinity of Kekri Fortress about four years ago. At that time, the northwestern border was still very chaotic. Although Lord Brendan was trying his best, the local conditions were complicated and the border relations were tense, so he could only complete the reclamation needs to a limited extent."

She looked at the orange in her hand: "Why are those elves suddenly willing to openly trade with Lord Brendan?"

It wasn't Black Heron trying to save face for Brendan.

Brendan's abilities are among the best of the best among the bloated nobles of Anna.

His ability is evident in the fact that His Majesty Kurien promoted him from the bottom and entrusted him with important responsibilities.

Yet, this very person was sent to the northwest border and failed to make any outstanding contributions for more than a decade. He was like a pebble dropped into the ocean, unable to make a splash. Anyone would make a misjudgment.

Kurien also thought he had misjudged the situation.

Only after sending in the inner guards to investigate on-site could one understand Brendan's efforts.

This man, who only does nothing and never speaks, prioritized addressing the local conditions after arriving at the northwestern border.

To effectively integrate the diverse ethnic groups in the area and foster an inclusive environment as much as possible.

Then, he boldly launched a decade-long reclamation project, turning the entire area around Kekri Fortress into fertile, arable land.

Despite his nightly revelry and his fondness for having a group of beautiful women singing and dancing every day, he actually got things done.

Black Heron's father once said that His Majesty Kurien did not mind the nobles' extravagant lifestyle, provided they could solve the problem.

Brendan is undoubtedly the one who can solve the problem.

Yet even such a person found it difficult to navigate the deep forests of Northwest China.

The Empire's aggressive expansion during its great expansion period fueled deep-seated hostility. Even though Kurien had long since ceased his conquests after taking power, the lingering grudges and new hatreds were not easily resolved. The Forest Elves were a long-lived race; what the Empire had forgotten after two or three generations had passed was, to them, merely a bloody memory from a year or two ago.

"The nobles of the empire are all parasites."

This is a fact known to everyone on the continent of Anna.

No matter how Brendan tried, the other party's attitude remained the same...

"Pooh!"

Black Heron couldn't understand what Brendan had done to soften the attitude of those forest creatures.

Wick explained.

"Three years ago, the monster riot in Dimir City brought out a tribe that tried to incite hatred between the forest elves and the empire, escalating the friction."

"In this incident, a young man named Tetraphysic, who later reported the incident, exposed the conspiracy and single-handedly prevented the conflict from escalating."

"His courage, decisiveness, and character have all been highly praised by the forest species."

“Afterwards, Brendan appointed it as the governor of the Keklinan district to assist in governance and oversee the post-disaster reconstruction of Dimir.”

"In two years, the locals were completely convinced of the Tetra, and the Forest Seeds, thanks to his reputation and guarantee, completed their first normal diplomatic contact with Brendan."

"Since then, exchanges between the two sides have normalized."

"This year, Brendan personally went to the Forest Festival with only two close aides. After communicating the agreement, the two sides reached a cooperation agreement on the trade of the highest-grade materials."

“Brendan, who only does things and doesn’t talk, also had a breakthrough in the incident three years ago. This time, he immediately purchased tribute-grade fruit and sent it to His Majesty.”

"Yes, I was just replying to His Majesty's letter, preparing to criticize his act of offering tribute."

The black heron's beak curls upwards.

It's easy to see that His Majesty approves of Brendan; what sounds like a scolding is more like encouragement.

She picked up a piece of orange and put it in her mouth. The juice was plentiful, sweet but not cloying, leaving a lingering fragrance on her lips and teeth.

Even when diluted with water, it still tastes like delicious orange juice.

so good.

Kurien sighed, "What a pity, what a pity."

"Your Majesty, what is it that you regret?" Black Heron asked curiously.

"The young man called the Four Primal Bodies is unwilling to stay in office for long for some subtle reasons." Kurien smiled wryly. "What a wonderful ability he has. If he were placed in the right position, he would definitely be able to demonstrate even greater value."

Wick added, "His Majesty had actually considered combining the administration of the area around Dimir and entrusting it to the Four Primarchs for management, so that he and Brendan could work together to manage the Empire's northwestern frontier."

Eager to find talented people.

It is no secret that His Majesty Kurion's health is not what it used to be and that he is already making plans for his successor.

This is why the Glenn family immediately went to see the Black Heron after hearing its description.

Black Heron gave a perfectly timed and detailed account of what he had seen and heard in the southern part of the empire.

Having only heard a brief overview before, Kurien now fully understands all the members of Rainbow Rain and the interlude involving the dragon Elerave. Kurien's brow furrowed.

"How could such a powerful magician have been unknown before?" The Lion King's judgment was astonishing as ever. He narrowed his eyes and looked at Wick. "An outsider?"

Black Heron said, "At least, we can sense that Rainbow Rain has no ill intentions toward the Empire. Their original intention seems to be to find Eleravia. Their actions along the way are just incidental and spontaneous."

Kurien's expression softened slightly.

"They're quite like us back then."

Wick laughed along with him.

"Well, you go back first."

Upon hearing this, Black Heron stood up and bowed.

Just as she was about to leave, Kurien called out to her.

"Brendan sent some fruit, pick some to take back and try."

As he spoke, Kurien glanced at Wick again.

"Remember to write in your reply that he should spend less time on this and just do his job properly. The empire has plenty of fruit to offer."

After Black Heron left, Kurien slowly rose from his seat and went to the study room.

Before the map of the empire hanging high above, he slowly moved his finger to the vicinity of Fengjia City.

"Rainbow rain..."

Wick's gaze fell on a portrait in the corner, and his eyes became dreamy and gentle.

Two men and two women sat around a towering tree, holding hands and shoulder to shoulder.

The soft, hazy morning light pierced through the forest mist and gently fell upon their young faces.

They nestled together and fell into a deep sleep.

The entire painting exudes an almost dreamlike innocence.

This wasn't the first time he'd seen the painting, but every time his eyes fell upon it, his thoughts would inevitably drift back decades.

"The prison guard's paintings are truly...exquisite."

He couldn't help but sigh, causing Kurien to turn and gaze back at him.

"If you want it, you can go and make an appointment yourself."

“That’s not easy. The Jailer Master is currently in the southern part of the Empire, busy at his manor.” Wick suddenly frowned. “Speaking of which… the Jailer Master seems to have said that he comes from another continent.”

In the cubicle, the two stared at each other for a long time, the mist in their eyes seemingly pierced by the morning light.

“Brendan also said that the Primarchs were transported from another continent due to a magical accident and were looking for companions. He said goodbye after learning this information.”

In my thoughts, fragmented and chaotic thoughts slowly come together.

"The construction of the Jailer's Manor occurred around the time the Four Primal Bodies left."

"The area where the Rainbow Rain is active is also in the city-states surrounding the Jailer's Manor."

"Suddenly, so many high-level mages have appeared on the southern border of the empire... Strange."

Wick murmured, "The only problem is that, according to Brendan's description, the Primarchs appeared at a very low rank, and the Jailer Master seems to be the same."

Kurien pondered, "They were probably all temporarily reset to zero because of that magical accident, but they were all extremely talented mages, so their journey back was exceptionally smooth."

Wick stroked his chin: "So... what is their relationship with Rainbow Rain? Why do they want to find Elena Vie?"

After a brief silence, Wick suggested, "Should I go take a trip there?"

Kurien shook his head.

"Since they have no intention of contacting us and are deliberately avoiding us, then we will not disturb them for the time being."

"Judging from the prison guard's portrait and the personalities of the four primal beings... they are an interesting group of magicians from another continent. There's no need to overreact; just keep an eye on them."

As I left the cubicle, there was a light knock on the study door.

"Enter."

An inner guard entered, knelt on one knee, looking somewhat uneasy.

“Speak,” Wick said coldly.

The guard swallowed hard: "Upon investigation, it has been confirmed that... some of the bandit groups that were wiped out not long ago because of Rainbow Rain's hunting in the south of the empire were related to the Fourth Prince, Golan."

"The Fourth Prince... seems to have been running a huge human trafficking network, but... he is sending Anna people out."

Kurien couldn't catch his breath, and in an instant, his eyes became bloodshot.

(End of this chapter)