"Xia Nan!?"
Blasted apart by the force field energy, the orange-red flames from the Fire Elemental turned into a luminous blue mist of Life Energy in the air.
Before the black aura around him had completely dissipated, Xia Nan heard a hoarse, familiar voice coming from his side.
Looking toward the light, he saw the Thorn Demon he had rescued—the one capable of controlling shadow energy—staring at him in astonishment.
Clearly, the Thorn Demon had recognized Xia Nan through the highly distinctive chain of Combat Skills he had just used.
Seeing this, Xia Nan was already mostly certain that the Thorn Demon before him was possessed by Lorraine, Captain of the Oath of Vengeance Blades.
He did not hurry to reveal their identities, however, and instead remained patient.
After confirming that there were no other adventurers nearby, he exchanged several bits of information with her that only the crew members, or the two of them themselves, would know, such as "the scene of their first meeting" and "who had introduced them."
Only after confirming everything did Xia Nan call over Sasha and Sarisa, who had been hiding nearby.
Lorraine was clearly surprised to learn that Xia Nan had already gathered two teammates.
After hearing from Xia Nan how they had met, she was even more amazed by the strange workings of fate.
At the same time, Xia Nan and the others also learned about Lorraine's experiences after her arrival. The Thorn Demon possessed a vocal structure similar to that of intelligent creatures and could speak normally, making communication much more convenient.
Lorraine could be considered lucky. When she was first drawn into the Secret Realm, she possessed an adult Shadow Demon Bat with a Challenge Rating as high as 0.5. With the protection of a huge colony nearby, she safely