Sunset Glow

Why are you here?

Moriel looked at Ronan with a strange expression and asked a question.

When I saw her again after a few years, she seemed to have grown taller and her figure had become more slender.

Ronan still remembers the first time he met Moriel — the Mechanical Heart Ruins, the Ash Witch.

Back then, Moriel still had a bit of baby fat on her face, but now it's completely gone.

"I"

Ronan hesitated before replying, "I came to the Fire Leaving Realm to find a few things."

He looked at Moriel, and the same question came out of his mouth once again.

What are you doing here?

"You barged into my house out of nowhere and you're asking me?"

Moriel gripped her cane and answered with amusement.

"Your home? The Fire Leaving Realm is your home?"

Ronan was stunned for a moment when he heard Moriel's words.

"Otherwise, what do you think this place is? A no-man's-land that anyone can explore at will?"

Moriel kept sneering.

"It's perfectly reasonable for people of Phoenix blood to take over the fire-themed ranch left behind by O'Brien as their home."

Alazan whispered in Ronan's ear, "This place can't stay empty forever."

All right

"I had no idea this was Phoenix Family territory."

Ronan thought for a moment, then took out the Golden Slate inscribed with "Golin's Hammer" and said frankly, "I came here following the clues to the treasure."

"Show me."

Moriel said quickly.

Ronan hesitated for a moment, then handed over the Golden Slate.

Moriel stared at the Golden Slate for a while, then quickly looked up and tossed it back to him expressionlessly.

For some reason, Ronan clearly sensed that Moriel's attitude towards him seemed to have suddenly become cold.

The smile on her face vanished completely. She had seemed to have a hint of peculiar expectation, but now her eyes showed unusual disappointment and indifference.

"This place no longer exists."

Moriel said in a flat tone, "You've come all this way for nothing. Get out of here before I really hate you."

Ronan couldn't help but frown at Moriel's order to leave.

"Do you know this place marked on the map?"

"Could you take me to see it? I need another piece of Fire Dragon Marrow."

He tried to communicate with Moriel in the calmest possible tone.

To be honest, Ronan really disliked dealing with Moriel. She was capricious and unpredictable; she might be all smiles one second and turn her back on you the next, which often gave Ronan a headache.

And because the two had once Soul Symbiosis, it was difficult for him to harbor any real hostility towards Moriel.

If given a choice, Ronan would rather encounter an ancient evil spirit that disagreed with him in the Fire Leaving Realm, and fight it to the death.

Instead of standing here having an awkward, forced conversation with Moriel.

"You don't believe what I'm saying?"

Moriel said to him quickly in a rather impatient tone, "Do you know that my family hates uninvited intruders the most, especially someone like you who reeks of strong frost?"

If they find you, you'll most likely be thrown into a lava crevice and burned to Scorched Corpse.

"Given the relationship between us, I don't think you would let them treat me so badly."

Ronan answered calmly.

Moriel was taken aback.

After a moment, her eyes flickered, and she spoke in a low voice, "You really think so?"

Ronan nodded.

Moriel lowered her head, seemingly deep in thought and weighing something.

After a while, she looked up and said, "Never mind, come with me."

After saying that, he turned and walked in one direction.

Ronan's expression relaxed, and he slowly followed.

That's just how Moriel is. You never know where you might accidentally offend her, or what you might say that might suddenly strike a nerve. She's like a fickle fire, sometimes violent, sometimes gentle.

"Are all Phoenix Family members like this?"

Ronan walked behind Moriel, communicating with Alazan's consciousness in his mind.

"I have had little contact with the Phoenix Family wizards, but I have certainly heard many rumors about their arrogance."

The Phoenix Family wizards have always prided themselves on their ancient and noble lineage, being extremely picky in all aspects. The fact that this bloodline would willingly reside in a dilapidated pet ranch in Upper Ring their strength is probably not very high.

"A fallen member of the Undying Bird family?"

"You'd better not let them hear you say that."

Ronan walked silently, often staring at Moriel's back until he was lost in thought.

It wasn't that Moriel's figure was particularly alluring, but rather that she couldn't help but think of her own death prophecy.

The prophesied flames, abyss, and Moriel are all gradually manifesting.

In the prophecy, it was Moriel herself who pushed him into the abyss of fire.

He had an urge to leave the Fire Leaving Realm immediately and get as far away from here as possible.

But whether it was the message that the Prophet Eve specifically sent him here, or a voice deep within his heart, it kept telling him—running away wouldn't solve any problems.

"Man's greatest fear is the unknown."

Ronan took a deep breath, his eyes gradually hardening, and his expression returning to calm.

"Where is this place?"

Ronan snapped out of his daze and realized that Moriel seemed to have led him down a path completely different from what he had expected.

This place is covered with a strange golden-red dandelion, like tiny, glowing suns.

A calm lava river meanders through the dandelions covering the mountains and fields. A gentle breeze blows, and the golden-red umbrella-shaped flowers drift everywhere, making a melodious sound like wind chimes.

The previous location of the Flame Demon Hive was nowhere to be found. Ronan had no idea where he was and asked Alazan, Alazan as well.

"If you don't want to stay with me, you can leave on your own; no one will stop you."

Moriel turned her head, looked at him with a cold smile, and spoke. Ronan frowned but did not say anything.

The two walked in silence for a while, when Ronan suddenly heard Moriel's voice, as if she were talking to herself.

"This is my favorite place."

"It is indeed very beautiful."

Ronan offered timely praise, attempting to ease the awkward atmosphere between the two.

But Moriel did not respond at all, still ignoring him, and simply led the way, occasionally stopping to quietly admire the fiery red dandelions drifting all over the mountain, then taking off her boots and hooking them with her cane, wading barefoot into the shallow lava river.

Ronan watched Moriel act like a child, and his mood gradually calmed down.

The warm breeze blowing across the dandelion-covered hillside seemed to connect his soul with Moriel's once again, and he sensed the deep loneliness that lingered in Moriel's heart.

He was somewhat moved, his eyes flickered slightly, and he couldn't help but say, "You've met all my relatives on the East Coast, but I've never heard you mention your own family."

Would you mind telling me?

Moriel stopped upstream of the lava river, her robe haphazardly tied around her waist, revealing her two pale legs.

She looked at Ronan with her back to the light. Ronan couldn't see the expression on her face clearly, but he could hear her speaking softly.

"I have always lived with my uncle, who is a very great Fire Magic Wizard."

At least on this continent, no one can rival him.

Moriel turned and walked step by step toward the top of Dandelion Hill, talking to Ronan as she went.

Then came a few servants.

You've met Vivian; she took care of me. Then she died, and old Laubner took her place. He was a little old man who looked like a white-haired old man.

Ronan, imitating Moriel, stepped barefoot into the lava river.

The scorching lava reached over my feet, causing a burning sensation, but fortunately, my [Innocent Body] was strong enough that, apart from feeling a slight discomfort, my skin and flesh were not burned.

The two walked one after the other against the flow of lava up the hillside, with Moriel talking incessantly and Ronan listening attentively.

As they neared the top of the hill, Ronan asked, "What about your parents?"

"I have no parents."

Moriel emerged from the lava, her bare feet stepping onto the ground covered in dry, soft, fiery lichen. "My parents died long ago."

Ronan's eyes flickered slightly, and he said softly, "I'm sorry."

Moriel, however, remained remarkably calm. "There's nothing to apologize for; it's just the truth."

The two stood side by side on the hilltop covered with fiery red dandelions, gazing at the distant sky Fire Leaving Realm, speechless for a moment.

As they walked together, their relationship improved considerably.

Ronan secretly observed Moriel's profile. He had never seen Moriel so quiet and gentle before, almost unrecognizable from the Moriel he remembered.

Ronan felt he had grasped a bit of the knack for getting along with Moriel; all he needed to do was...

"Ronan, look!"

Suddenly, Moriel tugged at Ronan's arm and called for him to look at the sky somewhere.

Ronan fixed his gaze on it.

It's the sunset.

A rare sight of sunset.

In the crimson sky of the Fire Leaving Realm, vast expanses of magnificent golden-red sunset clouds inexplicably appeared.

Ronan had never seen such a magnificent sunset; it was as if a drop of divine blood had fallen into crimson water, slowly spreading and giving rise to numerous wondrous phenomena.

The Blue-Gold Water Drop containing the Primordial Frost Whale Bloodline at the center of Ronan's brow suddenly twitched slightly. Ronan's eyes flickered as he sensed a different kind of fluctuation.

"Ronan, have you ever heard a saying?"

Moriel's voice suddenly rang in my ears.

"The sunset glow exists in the sky for only two hourglasses, but in some people's eyes, it can last for two hundred years or even longer."

As Moriel spoke, she seemed to be staring intently at him.

But Ronan's entire focus was on sensing the strange fluctuations flashing within the dazzling light, and he didn't pay any attention to what Moriel was trying to say, simply replying casually:

"Yeah?

"Then your memory is considered quite good even among the Dawn Wizard."

He pondered for a moment, "But this doesn't seem to be a real sunset. Does such a spectacle always occur in the Fire Leaving Realm?"

He turned his head, trying to get some clues from Moriel, only to find Moriel looking at him with a smile on her lips, but her eyes were colder than ever before.

Ronan felt a chill run down his spine, followed by Moriel's voice, each word uttered through gritted teeth.

"Ronan Damien... you really deserve to die."

"Call--"

For some reason, Moriel was very angry. She abandoned Ronan and walked quickly forward.

She seemed to pass through some invisible barrier in an instant, and her entire body quickly disappeared from Ronan's sight.

Ronan's eyes flickered slightly, and he hurriedly followed.

When he caught up with Moriel's retreating figure, the sky in his field of vision had changed, and the sunset on the horizon had disappeared.

Ronan frowned slightly, but then he saw Moriel suddenly stand still, a faint look of doubt on her pretty face.

He walked up to her and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"

Moriel shook her head, squinted, and looked around.

"If it were any other time, old Laubner would have already come out and arrested you."

I can't even sense his presence now.

That's strange.

"Perhaps he knew that our reunion as friends didn't want to be disturbed by others."

Ronan's answer earned him a big eye roll from Moriel.

"Who said you're friends?"

Once you get there and completely give up, just take your broken stone slab and get out of here. Just looking at you annoys me...

Moriel snorted and walked quickly forward with a cold face, leaving Ronan standing there in astonishment.

"What a beautiful sunset."

In the valley overgrown with golden thorns, the woman gazed wistfully at the dazzling, burning sunset in the sky outside the valley, and couldn't help but speak softly.

This is a tall woman, as agile as a cheetah.

She wore a light white short armor, her dark gray hair was tied into short braids, and her skin was a healthy wheat color. She wasn't particularly beautiful, but she possessed a unique, wild beauty.

The woman stood amidst a circle of broken and messy thorns, surrounded by splattered blood. At her feet lay a hunched and hunched old corpse, its hair withered and its limbs thin, like a sadly deceased old man.

The gray-braided woman was completely immersed in the infinitely beautiful glow of the sunset. She murmured in amazement as she slowly pulled the two short daggers covered with twisted golden runes from the old white-haired man's corpse.

During the process, a blurry shadow of a soul twisted and stretched, roaring angrily, but was eventually swallowed up and pulled into the dagger little by little by a force.

The twisted golden runes on the dagger seemed to have increased somewhat.

As the brilliant sunset faded, the woman awoke from her reverie.

Without even glancing at the corpse at her feet, she quickly ran towards a higher location.

There stood a tall and slender figure, his entire body concealed within a heavy gray robe, obscuring his features except for a pair of deep, dark silver eyes.

"How lucky."

The woman with the gray braids stood smiling in front of the man in the gray robe, her hands behind her back, and said with a cheerful expression, "The second time we met, we watched the sunset together."

The sunset is still so beautiful.

"That's the flame of the Undying Bird, Cersei."

A young and calm voice came from beneath the gray robe. The man in the gray robe stared at the spot where the sunset glow had disappeared in the sky and said in a low voice, "It seems they have already begun their attack."

"Yes."

The woman with the gray braids used her hand as an umbrella, gazing at the same spot as the man in the gray robes, and murmured, "Once this is over, you'll be able to get the things you've always wanted. Father's plan can also proceed quickly..."

"Thank you, Cersei."

"I hate hearing the word 'to me' from your mouth."

The woman with the gray braid shook her head solemnly, then closed her eyes and nestled contentedly beside the man in the gray robe.

The latter remained silent and did not stop the woman's actions.

Suddenly, a crisp "pop" sound came from the golden thorn bushes beneath their feet.

Immediately afterward, a dark figure darted out like an arrow, grabbed the old corpse from the ground, and rushed out of the valley.

The gray-braided woman suddenly opened her eyes, and a short dagger covered in golden runes silently appeared in her hand. All the gentleness on her face vanished, leaving only endless cruelty and chilling coldness.

Just as she was about to give chase, the gray-robed man gently pulled her back.

"Let him go."