"Have you been blinded by ambition and fame?" Mydei said incredulously. "I told you long ago, if we want to achieve victory, the only way is for the entire army to be mobilized."
"We are only one step away from Nikador. Once we defeat the source of evil, the conspiracy will dissipate."
"Just like that terrible blow, you and I are also arrows released from a bow. Nikador brought annihilation to Okhema, and conversely, so can we."
"Furthermore... I trust Aglaea and Teacher Tribbie. Okhema has two demigods guarding it, along with our companions; they can protect the holy city."
Xing nodded. " Dan Heng and March 7th are here too, so there's no reason for us to give up now."
Besides, Aglaea's Abyss Web didn't even reach Castrum Kremnos, so contacting her companions was pointless.
It's clear that the friendship and bonds they share are very strong.
"... Alright, I'll trust your judgment this once. Hopefully, we won't be pushed into an abyss of regret," Mydei said, conceding.
" Nikador... has your divine body truly been hollowed out by the hand of madness? Have you completely abandoned the dignity of a warrior...?"
The Titan ' rage ignited the air, and the further they went, the more oppressive the heat became. Combined with the long-abandoned Castrum Kremnos, the atmosphere here felt even more stifling.
"The temperature has risen again. Is this place still operating?"
"Pass through here, and you'll reach the Soulforging District."
"It's unbearably hot. Distracting thoughts are also arising in my mind..." Phainon looked at Mydei, "Now that I think about it, we really could die here, right?"
Be careful, your mind is being corrupted by " Strife ".
"Yeah?"
Phainon didn't feel affected, but just to be on the safe side, he still took a sip of the milk tea left by the senior ' Lycurgus '.
"Regardless, continuing to delve deeper is my commitment. And with Xing by our side, we will definitely complete our mission and emerge unscathed."
"Like the road before us, though it is broken and dilapidated, it will surely lead to its end."
"Making a promise at such a crucial moment always gives me a bad feeling..."
Xing's numerous " Trailblaze " experiences gave her an intuition that was hard for ordinary people to imagine... to be precise, she was infected by March 7th, but that doesn't matter!
Along the way, Xing saw many Titan familiars who still retained a shred of reason and were able to communicate, but Mydei completely ignored her and Phainon when it came to communicating.
"Sculpt an indelible body from steel that never rusts."
"Magnificent, Nikador... reigning over all nations. Magnificent, Nikador... the world trembles in awe."
"An indestructible body..." Phainon mused. " The Nikador who attacked Okhema was only half a body. According to it, there shouldn't be any more in Castrum Kremnos, right?"
The stars, however, have other ideas: Eternity and indestructible... This " Strife " among the Titan is a bit too mixed up.
With words like " Destruction " and " Eternity " appearing repeatedly, I wonder what the priestesses will think when they see this.
"At the end of the great war, Nikador inexplicably went mad, and his divine power continued to drain away. Now... the Titan's remaining power is less than one-tenth of what it used to be."
"Creating a skeletal body for oneself can indeed solidify one's power. But compared to a glorious death, it chose this method to prolong its existence... It's truly lamentable."
"It seems it has completely lost its warrior's dignity. You made the right decision to lead your people away, Mydei," Phainon comforted him.
"My choice needs no embellishment, Savior. It's merely a self-imposed exile, a relinquishment of pride, not worthy of being sung as a hymn."
"But if what it says is true, the match against Nikador is destined to be a tough one."
Phainon changed the subject. "But speaking of immortality, you're an expert in that field too."
Enough with the nonsense.
"Star, I haven't told you yet, have I? The Chrysos Heirs are all incredibly skilled."
"And according to rumors, the invincible crown prince of Castrum Kremnos, Mydei —his divine gift is ' the Death Denial.'"
" Death Denial... have you also been ' Abundance ' by the Emanator?"
"Never heard of it."
Xing stroked her chin. Those of them who drank Ye Yan's secret-recipe milk tea must be some kind of "immortal," right?
"Have you ever had similar milk tea?" Xing suddenly asked.
"Hmm?" Mydei glanced at the milk tea and snorted coldly, "You're overthinking it."
Further on, a large Titan companion blocked their path.
"Heroic spirits, offer your battle souls to the Spear of Divine Retribution... become Nikador's blade... piercing the heart and core of the enemy..."
"To become fuel for the Core Flame... to burn the decaying world to the ground..."
"Completely destroyed by fire? All through Trickery?"
As Phainon spoke, he pushed away the approaching giant blade. The scene was strangely eerie. The Titan's familiar did not show any hostility towards them, but he subconsciously placed his weapon in front of him.
"Slow and cuddly, so cute," Xing commented from the side, finding the " Strife " family quite "attractive."
"Like Castrum Kremnos, they were twisted by that madness. They still remember how to kill, but Enigmata the meaning behind the killing."
"But I've always felt that killing with a knife is no more noble than murdering by scheme. No other motivation besides duty and survival can justify violence."
"This is the difference between us. In the eyes of my people, glory and conquest are also legitimate reasons."
"But you don't truly agree with these things, do you?"
As soon as the words were spoken, the massive Heavenly Punishment Vanguard seemed to have caught some key information, and its rusty greatsword moved even closer to the three of them.
The scene shifts, Heavenly Punishment Vanguard lies paralyzed on the ground, completely wrecked and unable to rise again, having utterly lost its fighting ability.
"Sigh~ I've given up trying to understand these guys' logic. It's just utter chaos."
Phainon shook his head, turned around and said to the two of them, "You both saw it, he struck first."
"It's alright, we'll soon be putting an end to this madness."
" Savior, are you ready?"
"Always ready. Bearing the Core Flame of ' Strife '... that's my lifelong ambition. So close to the fall of a Titan... it feels unreal."
"No need to regard it as a god anymore. You, me, it—we are simply warriors trapped in a deadly battle, nothing more."
Before facing the " Strife " with Nikador, Xing turned on her phone, trying to send a message to Ye Yan.
[Star: Teacher Ye Yan, it's like seeing you in person. I wonder how you've been lately?]
[System message: Message sending failed]
[Star: By the time you see this message, I will have officially embarked on the " Journey of Flame-Chase " and am about to engage in a life-or-death battle with Titan Nikador Nicardo. Wish me luck.]
[System message: Message sending failed]
Xing stared at the message with the red exclamation mark, her lips twitching. The novel had misled her; the sentimental scenes were completely useless!
Sigh... let's face reality...
[Star: Teacher Ye Yan, the milk tea I left is almost gone, is there any left?]
[Beep!]
[System notification: Message sent successfully!]