Chapter 455

A wisp of dark red flame rose again, entered the body, and healed some of the injuries.

Immediately afterwards, she left the auditorium and rushed to the next location.

The third fire beast was located in the Shen'ao Academy library.

Once, this place housed all sorts of precious magical tomes and rare books from the Mist Continent, but now only ashes remain.

An elderly man dressed in a black robe sat at a charred wooden table, staring blankly ahead, as if waiting for something.

Leina recognized the figure as well; he was the librarian, a strict old man she remembered who often scolded students for overdue borrowings.

The old man sensed the presence at the doorway and slowly raised his head.

Upon seeing Leina, a complex expression also appeared in his eyes.

He didn't say much, nor did he show any emotion; he simply stood up slowly.

Then it quickly transformed into a fire beast with withered skin and a distorted appearance, and pounced on her.

Leina's gaze sharpened, and she immediately entered battle mode!

This fire beast seemed to be more powerful than the previous two, not only agile in its movements but also possessing extremely high magical proficiency.

It can cast various spells to interfere with Leina, and can also unleash some extremely mysterious forbidden techniques.

It took her a tremendous amount of effort to finally defeat the fire beast.

After this battle, Leina's injuries became even more severe.

The fire beast had scratched his body with more than a dozen shocking bloody gashes, which were burning with a special kind of flame that seemed impossible to extinguish in a short time.

She dragged her battered body away from the library.

They then arrived at the location of the fourth pillar of fire, which is the location of the academy's Arcane Spire.

On the first floor of the spire, Leina experienced her fourth battle.

This was also a fierce battle; the fire beast was even stronger than the administrator, and a single blow from it could severely injure her.

Leina used all her skills, even unleashing the power of her Overlord Domain, to barely defeat her opponent.

"Boom..."

The fire beast's massive body collapsed, turning into black ash in a short time.

Familiar dark red flames rose up and merged into the red-haired mage's body, rapidly healing her injuries.

"Four are left. Just one more to pass the trial."

Leina murmured to herself, her gaze becoming incredibly resolute.

Then, she slowly climbed up the charred steps.

Because the fifth fire beast is located right above this Arcane Spire.

When she reached the top floor, a spacious and magical hall appeared before her.

The floor-to-ceiling windows around the room are inlaid with deep blue star-patterned glass, with stars floating and sinking within them, making you feel as if you are in the starry sky.

Beside the observatory stood a tall, thin middle-aged man wearing a tattered robe.

Sensing the movement behind them, the other person slowly turned around, revealing their true face.

Like the four people we encountered before, he also had burn marks on his body, although the symptoms were slightly milder.

Half of his face was completely disfigured, making him look extremely ferocious.

The other half of his face was perfectly preserved, with a gentle smile on his lips.

"You're back," the middle-aged man said in a calm voice, as if greeting an old friend.

"Dean Xi'ao," Leina responded softly.

"Long time no see." The middle-aged man, known as Dean Xi'ao, smiled. "I remember last time, I was the one who personally saw you off from the academy."

"I never expected you to come back after all these years."

Leina frowned slightly and asked softly, "Dean Xi'ao, what happened at the academy? And why are you sending me away from here?"

Although she knew this was Master Trial and the person in front of her was most likely an illusion, she still couldn't help but ask the question.

She knew perfectly well that she had lost an important memory, but she just couldn't remember what had happened.

Perhaps, we can find some answers here.

Upon hearing this question, the middle-aged man smiled again, the corners of his mouth tugging at the scars clinging to his face.

"You've already guessed it, haven't you?"

He said calmly, "Back then, the power of fire within you went out of control, triggering a terrible disaster that destroyed the entire Shen'ao Academy."

Your parents, relatives, friends, mentors... all died in that fire.

"I... I brought disaster upon myself?" Leina's eyes showed confusion. "But... I can't remember anything about it."

"Hehe, that's normal." Xi'ao Theo explained slowly, "Your condition is called post-traumatic stress disorder."

"When a person suffers a huge blow, they will selectively forget that painful memory."

"So you still remember your life at the academy, and you remember what happened after you left, but you don't know why you left."

Upon hearing this, Leina's confusion deepened. "Selective amnesia...?"

"Yes." Xi'ao Theo nodded, then said with some emotion, "Actually, after I sent you away back then, I've been regretting my choice ever since."

"I regret being too soft-hearted and not ending your life sooner, which led to the destruction of the Shen'ao Academy."

"Over the years, you must have noticed your own jinxed constitution."

"You will bring disaster wherever you go, harming those who are close to you and those who protect you."

"So... Leina Yenet, my most outstanding student."

"To avoid hurting more people, please end your own life."

Upon hearing these words, a brief moment of confusion flashed in Leina's eyes, but she quickly regained her resolve. "No... I will not end my own life."

"The lord said I am not a person of misfortune; I am his most important family member!"

"Lord?" A hint of surprise flashed in Xi'ao Theo's eyes, then he said with a start, "It seems... you've found a new place to stay recently, and it seems to be treating you well."

"But that's precisely why you need to end your life as soon as possible."

"Otherwise, you will bring new disasters to this place, just like Shen'ao Academy, where everything was reduced to ashes."

He paused, then lowered his voice, "I know you don't believe what I'm saying, and that I'm just a figment of your imagination."

"But we didn't appear out of thin air; we are real memories in your mind."

"Leina, have you looked in the mirror all these years?"

Leina didn't speak, but looked at him with a slightly blank expression.

"Look behind you." The middle-aged man waved his hand lightly, and a smooth mirror appeared out of thin air behind her.

The red-haired mage quickly turned his head.

When she saw her reflection in the mirror, she froze on the spot.

The image reflected in the mirror was of a huge and hideous monster.

The monster was engulfed in dark red flames, its red fur danced in the wind, and its eyes gleamed with the same confusion.

What's even more bizarre is that no matter what Leina does, the monster moves in sync with her, even down to the micro-expressions.

It's as if... this is her true nature.

"No, these are all fake, illusions you created!" Leina looked at the mirror in front of her, her voice gradually trembling slightly.

"Whether it's an illusion or not, you know it in your heart." Xi'ao Theo's voice was calm. "I bet you haven't looked in a mirror all these years, because you've been subconsciously avoiding it."

"Leina, admit it, this is your true form, a fire beast that brings calamity."

Listening to his words, and seeing the ferocious and terrifying fire beast in the mirror, Leina gradually fell into confusion.

Shen Xing, who was watching the trial scene in his territory, also showed a look of emotion.

"These S-level Master Trial are definitely not easy."

"They even designed such realistic scenarios and perfectly logical lies, luring you into their trap without you even realizing it."

"If I hadn't known how capable Leina was, I probably would have fallen for her tricks too."

Shen Xing didn't believe that guy's claims at all; the calamity beast and the ominous person were completely unfounded.

Since Leina joined, good things have been happening frequently in the territory.

He played a crucial role in several key battles, including the previous ones.

It's fair to say that without this red-haired mage, the territory wouldn't have been able to develop so quickly.

Meanwhile, after her initial confusion, Leina quickly came to her senses.

"Don't try to fool me, this is just your little trick."

She said firmly, "No one can stop me from breaking through to the Master, and I am not some calamity beast!"

As soon as she finished speaking, towering red flames erupted from her body, and a destructive aura rose up.

Upon seeing this, disappointment appeared in the middle-aged man's eyes.

He sighed and said regretfully, "As expected, you're still so stubborn, refusing to admit that you are a beast of calamity."

"To prevent you from harming more people, I have no choice but to personally end your sinful life."

As soon as he finished speaking, an astrological staff appeared out of thin air in his hand, its surface inlaid with numerous star gems.

With a gentle wave, Heavenly Star appeared, hurtling towards Leina!

The red-haired mage remained expressionless, raised his staff, and cast a magical mark on himself.

"Ding! Ding ding ding!"

The stars bombarded her without causing any harm; instead, several flame marks appeared on the middle-aged man's body.

This is precisely the effect of [Spell Counter].

After blocking the attack, Leina immediately charged up Greater Fireball and quickly threw it forward!

"Call--"

Greater Fireball, trailing a thick tail of flame, hurtled towards the middle-aged man.

Just as the attack was about to erupt, the opponent raised their staff and tapped it lightly.

The fireball, having accumulated to its maximum size, rapidly shrank and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"I was the one who taught you this spell," Xi'ao said calmly, looking at her. "You still want to use it against me?"

With that, he flicked his staff, and the vanished Greater Fireball reappeared, standing right in front of Leina.

"Boom!"

The fireball exploded instantly, and the terrifying impact swept outwards, sending a red-haired figure flying backwards.