A blue light flashed, and several figures took shape within it: Sifa, Kardashian, Mr. X, and Lina of the Snake-Haired Folk.
Setting foot on the ground, Sifa looked up and saw scorched earth and trees burned down to nothing but trunks. Wind blew in from afar, carrying waves of an acrid, burned smell.
Sifa had agreed to Lina's request and used Mr. X's "Travel" to reach Blue Tree Island and save the Snake-Haired Folk.
After hearing Lina's account of the surrounding waters, especially the existence of the Dark Corridor, he had developed a few ideas.
To put those ideas into practice, he needed to spread his reputation as the "Savior." Saving the Snake-Haired Folk was the first step, and a particularly crucial one.
Faint battle cries drifted from the distance, with flames or flashes of lightning rising from time to time. Looking in that direction, Lina's expression tightened. "That's the temple. Elder Anan has already fallen back to defend it. Things must be going badly."
Sifa nodded. "We'll head over right away."
Kardashian controlled Mr. X and had him use "Teleportation," making all four of them vanish into blue light. When the light reappeared, Sifa and the others stood on a hilltop. Looking down, they could see a dense mass of creatures attacking the mountain.
On the mountain path, Snake-Haired Folk warriors with pale blue skin and thick strands of hair used the terrain to stubbornly resist the invaders' attacks.
Seeing that the invaders would not break through anytime soon, Sifa did not rush into action. Instead, he studied these enemies first.
These enemies were likely the Half-Beasts Lina had mentioned. They possessed both human features and signs of beasts. Some had tiger bodies and human faces, while others had bear heads and human bodies. Their appearances varied, but every