My bloodline is so eager to improve.

The product Una was referring to was naturally the one Otto had given her before: the corpse of the Blue Depression.

Although the item was incomplete, it contained astonishing magical power. Una was overjoyed for several days after obtaining it, saying she had found a treasure.

"However, you should be mentally prepared."

Wu Na paused, her tone becoming more serious.

"This stuff isn't cheap."

I'll be leaving here soon for Academy City, so I won't charge you for the crafting. As for Tessa... you can handle it yourself.

As an alchemist, Una is always short of money, which is probably a common problem for all alchemists, since alchemy materials are ridiculously expensive. But even so, she still wants to leave a gift for her friend before he leaves.

Although she hadn't known Otto for very long, this Iron Guardian of the Flame had left a good impression on her.

Moreover, Otto is currently burdened with debt, so every penny saved is precious.

Otto was simply touched by Una's words.

He was now heavily in debt, but with Una waiving the labor costs, he was finally able to save a small amount of money.

Thank you.

Otto said in a low voice, his tone gentle.

"No need to thank me."

Una waved her hand, her fingertips inadvertently brushing against Otto's neck, leaving a cool sensation.

"When you become successful in the future, just remember to patronize my business."

Rent in the academy city is expensive; I need to find a way to earn more money.

Just as the two were discussing the cost of alchemical items, an even more violent heatwave swept over them.

This heat wave is completely different from the previous ones.

If the previous heatwave was like a pot of slowly heated lukewarm water, then this one is like boiling oil that has been suddenly overturned.

Otto felt a blur before his eyes, and the temperature in the air suddenly soared several levels; he could even smell the burnt smell of his own hair.

The surrounding trees crackled under the heat, the moisture in the trunks evaporated instantly, and the bark burst open, revealing the carbonized wood inside.

Seeing that things were going badly, Otto immediately turned around and used his broad back to block Una.

The Silverfrost Armor proved its worth at this moment.

A chill emanated from his armor, but even so, Otto could still feel a burning pain in his back, as if countless red-hot needles were pricking his skin.

As for Maeve, she did not flinch at all.

The heatwave tore a small piece of her originally fair skin apart the instant it hit Maeve.

That small patch of skin spontaneously combusted without wind, clearly indicating that it had been completely eroded by the heatwave.

Black ash fell from his cheeks, revealing the pinkish flesh beneath, a shocking sight.

But Maeve didn't care.

She simply opened her spatial pocket without expression, took out a small ceramic bottle, uncorked it, poured some light green paste from inside onto her fingers, and smeared it on her face a few times.

Soon, her face returned to normal.

The charred marks disappeared, and the torn skin healed, as if nothing had happened.

"Alright, we've arrived."

Maeve clapped her hands, stuffed the ceramic bottle back into her spatial pocket, and spoke in an extremely calm tone.

"Put her down. After that outburst, she should be alright for now."

Only after hearing Maeve's words did Otto put Una down.

After landing, Wu Na stretched her ankles, her bare feet leaving a trail of muddy footprints on the warm ground.

Una's smooth feet, with delicate toes and neatly trimmed nails, gleamed with a faint pearly luster in the dim forest light.

Otto reminded Una with some concern.

“Ms. Una, although I don’t know if this is a custom of the elves, it’s better to wear shoes when going out.”

Otto's tone was very serious.

"Not only elves, but even hobbits don't like to wear shoes."

I really don't think this is a good custom.

Hobbits are born with thick pads of flesh on the soles of their feet, so they do not need to wear shoes.

But Una is an elf, and elves don't have legs as sturdy as hobbits.

In response, Wu Na simply waved her hand.

"Oh, it's not a custom, it's just that I'm used to not wearing shoes."

Una was cursed, which prevented her from putting her feet on the ground.

Over time, Una hasn't bought shoes in a long time, and now she always forgets.

“I’m not one of those free-spirited hobbits, I just… well, I have a bad memory.”

Una tried to defend herself, her cheeks flushing slightly.

The curse she had been under was quite troublesome; her feet would feel excruciating pain whenever they touched the ground. During that time, she either had to sit in a specially made suspension chair or be carried around by others.

Although the curse was later lifted, the habit of not wearing shoes remained.

Otto wanted to say something more, but while he was playing around with Una, Maeve had already walked forward, seemingly having found her way.

Seeing this, Otto quickly followed behind him.

The three of them walked through a thicket of scorched bushes, crossed a steaming stream, and parted several clumps of drooping branches whose leaves were all withered and curled, crumbling into powder at the slightest touch. Finally, the view opened up before them.

Otto finally saw the paladin who was rumored to have died at the hands of goblins.

What kind of monster was it?

Otto saw only flames scorching the earth, setting all the surrounding trees ablaze and turning them to ashes.

The ground was covered with a thick layer of black ash, which felt soft and yielding underfoot, like stepping on a carpet of death.

The air was filled with a strong smell of sulfur and burnt odor, making people cough involuntarily.

In the center of the flames, a giant suit of black and red armor sat upright in the middle of the open space.

The opponent's shoulder armor was as wide as a shield, and the breastplate was engraved with intricate patterns, but those patterns had been eroded and blurred by the black and red flames.

Flames flowed continuously from the surface of the armor, like lava, and sizzled as they hit the ground.

Two eerie green lights flickered in the eye sockets of the helmet; those were the flames of the dead, unique to necromancers.

He seemed to be trying his best to control the black and red flames and prevent them from spreading, but with little success.

Flames continuously spewed from the gaps in the armor, licking everything around them.

Otto noticed a huge circular magic circle carved into the ground, with runes flashing a ghostly blue light, forming a semi-transparent barrier that trapped the flames within.

If it weren't for Maeve's magic circle locking the flames, the Blackthorn Forest would probably have been completely devoured by him.

"Hey buddy, remember our previous deal?"

Maeve stepped forward, raised her chin at the massive suit of armor, and spoke casually as if greeting an old friend.

"I've brought the right person; now it's your turn."

Without saying another word, Maeve pushed Otto into the fire.

Caught off guard, Otto stumbled forward a few steps, and by the time he regained his footing, he was already in the core area of ​​the magic circle.

A violent heatwave surged in from all directions, more intense than ever before.

His armor hummed under the high temperature, emitting a faint blue light to protect him from the surrounding heat.

Immediately afterwards, Maeve activated the magic circle.

The magic circle, which was originally almost translucent, solidified completely at this moment, turning into a blue pillar of light that completely enveloped the area.

The beam of light shot straight into the sky, tearing a hole in the dark red sky.

The runes spun rapidly within the pillar of light, emitting a buzzing sound. A powerful binding force squeezed in from all directions, firmly suppressing the raging black and red flames within the magic circle.

Meanwhile, Una and Maeve stood outside the magic circle, cheering for Otto and giving a reminder to the paladin.

"With two mages present, the flames will not escape and endanger the surrounding area, so you can cast the spell with peace of mind."

Upon hearing this, the giant armored creature finally seemed to make a move.

He slowly stood up.

The joints of the armor creaked, as if it hadn't been used in a long time.

Black and red flames flowed down his body, gathering into rivers of fire on the ground.

He turned around and faced Otto.

It wasn't until he stood in front of him that Otto realized he even had to tilt his head back to see his helmet.

"Is this really a normal person?"

Otto couldn't help but mutter to himself.

But Maeve didn't seem to care much about this.

"Ah, don't worry about the details."

Maeve's voice came from outside the magic circle, with a hint of smugness in it.

"I added some seasonings during the refining process."

Clearly, the colossal object before them was Maeve's masterpiece.

This made Otto's lips twitch involuntarily.

If I hadn't had the money to pay off my debts back then, would I have been drastically altered by Maeve, just like the paladin in front of me?

That scene was absolutely awful.

The thought of being transformed into a monster over three meters tall sent chills down Otto's spine.

But before Otto could continue to pursue Maeve's mistakes, a gentle voice came from the giant armor in front of him.

"Hello, adventurer."

The man's voice was incredibly gentle, like melting snow in spring, or like a hymn being softly sung in a church.

This contrasted sharply with the ferocious flames on his exterior, making him seem like a gentle and mild-mannered gentleman who had been forcibly stuffed into the body of some kind of monster.

"I am Herarek of the War Order."

I'm sorry to have troubled you.

The gentle tone of his voice caught Otto off guard for a moment.

He opened his mouth, but his mind went blank, and he had no idea how to respond.

A necromancer engulfed in black and red flames apologized to him in such a gentle tone?

This scene is so jarring.

After an unknown amount of time, Otto finally asked the question.

"Mr. Helarek, are you alright?"

Otto didn't think Maeve would show any mercy.

But Helarek took a surprisingly open-minded view of it.

“Even if I become an evil being, the Lord still has not abandoned me.”

Herald's voice was calm, without the slightest hint of resentment or bitterness.

"From this perspective, I might be doing quite well."

Hearing Helarek's words, Maeve said smugly.

"Hmph, this is a rare collectible."

She crossed her arms and raised her chin slightly, as if showing off her most prized work.