Miracle of Flame

The blizzard howled through the deep mountains of Drum Island.

Lin Nuo flew at high speed, following the information captured by the Voice of All Things.

He passed through a pine forest coated in ice.

Ahead, in a mountain hollow, a house of wood and stone came into view.

Smoke rising from its chimney was instantly shredded by the raging wind.

Lin Nuo landed on the snow-covered path before the house, with Moria and Kuma close behind.

The moment he pushed open the door, the pungent scent of medicinal herbs rushed at him.

Yet more striking than the smell was the sight before them.

Dozens of villagers lay curled beneath wool blankets, their faces dark and bluish as their bodies convulsed uncontrollably. The worse-off patients were still coughing up blood.

Despair filled the air.

A tall, thin woman with a hooked nose had her sleeves rolled up as she rapidly mixed medicine at a wooden table.

Several assistants wore equally grim expressions as they hurriedly changed the patients' filthy bandages.

This was Kureha's shelter, and that irritable, busy doctor was the "Witch" herself.

Kureha noticed the cold air pouring in from the doorway and barked without turning around.

"Who is it?! Shut the door! Hurry!"

Lin Nuo shut the door behind him, his gaze sweeping over the roomful of patients before finally settling on Kureha.

Only then did Kureha turn around. At the sight of the three uninvited guests, her eyes filled with wariness.

"Who are you? How did you find this place?"

Kuma silently stepped forward and set down the bulging backpack he had been carrying.

When he opened it, it was packed with Beli.

Moria poked his head out from behind Lin Nuo, looked Kureha over, and bared his sharp teeth.

"So this old hag is the legendary