A few days later, Okhema, Garden of Life.
Phainon was training alone as part of his daily routine. Sweat dripped down his resolute cheeks, and each swing of his sword cut through the air with a sharp whistle.
Suddenly, the serene atmosphere was broken by a series of hurried, yet still light, footsteps.
"Snowy! Finally found you!" Tribbie's figure appeared from behind a cluster of glowing luminous ferns, a rare urgency on her face. "We just received a message from Dei from the Castrum Kremnos frontlines—a small group of Black Tide spawn has broken through their defensive line and is heading towards the Grove!"
"What?" Phainon immediately stopped his movements, his brow furrowed tightly, his eyes filled with shock and concern. "Teacher Tribbie, aren't Lady Hysilens and Lord Terravox stationed at Castrum Kremnos with Mydei? With three demigods combined, there are still Black Tide that can escape from their defense? Has the battle situation changed?" Worry for his close friend tightened his heart.
"Ah... well, about that," Tribbie's expression became somewhat subtle.
"According to the battle report, the situation is a bit... special. They said it was because their own offensive was too ferocious, and they accidentally completely scattered the main force of the Black Tide."
"Some small units fled in all directions, and this one just happened to head towards the Grove." She paused, as if choosing her words carefully. "In their own words... they were 'slaughtering them too efficiently.'"
Tribbie now spoke solemnly: "Ciphy has special duties that require her to remain in the holy city and cannot leave. The other demigods also have their own responsibilities and can't disengage immediately. The most suitable person we can entrust with this rapid support mission right now is you, Snowy."
She looked at Phainon, her eyes full of trust. "Although, with the Grove's own foundations, this small group of Black Tide spawn could never shake its core, this incident itself is a warning—it tells us that even the Grove, revered as a sanctuary of wisdom, is not an absolutely safe harbor."
"So," Tribbie's voice was low and clear, "we need you to head to the Grove immediately to assist and cover the scholars and residents there in a precautionary evacuation, ensuring nothing goes wrong. And at the same time... take this opportunity to safely bring the 'Reason' Coreflame stored in the Grove back to Okhema."
"I understand." Phainon nodded heavily without a moment's hesitation. "Don't worry, Teacher Tribbie, leave it to me. Just nice, I can call my partner Stelle and the others to come along. I believe they would never miss such a 'trailblazing' opportunity."
...
The Grove.
Passing through the Infinity Gate opened by Trianne, Stelle and Welt's feet landed on the soft, grassy-scented earth of the Grove.
Stelle looked around at the wondrous sights, especially the treetop in the distance where the 'Reason' Coreflame was specifically placed. She couldn't help but let out a sigh tinged with a bit of teasing:
"Ah, I mean, it's only been a few days, right? How come we have to collect another Titan's Coreflame? All counted, the Express has only been on Amphoreus for about a week, right? And this is already the third Coreflame we're collecting! Was your Coreflame collection speed always this... frantic, like going to a market fair?"
Phainon, walking ahead of her, couldn't help but chuckle softly upon hearing this. He glanced back at her, a touch of reflection in his eyes. "Haha, now that you mention it, it does seem that way."
"But, Stelle, if you're interested, I can tell you about the history as I've seen it. The path to collecting Coreflames in the past was far from this 'efficient' and... smooth. Behind each Coreflame, there was often long preparation, brutal sacrifice, and the blood of countless warriors."
"You should stop trying to influence these sky-faring guests' perception of Amphoreus with your pile of unofficial histories."
It was Anaxa. He wore an impeccably neat scholar's robe, his short emerald-green hair particularly striking under the Grove's unique glow.
His sharp gaze first landed on Phainon.
"You're almost late, Phainon." His criticism was direct and merciless. "Just like when you attended my 'Analysis of Ancient Titan Rune Logic' class here at the Grove, always arriving right at the last moment."
Without waiting for Phainon's response, he turned around decisively, speaking in a tone that brooked no argument. "Dispense with unnecessary pleasantries. Follow me. I'll take you to carry out the retrieval procedure for the 'Reason' Coreflame." With that, he strode off towards the depths of the Grove.
...
"Pleased to meet you, pleased to meet you! So you must be Grayie and Snowy?" Anaxa led them to a pink-haired girl. Her smile was brilliant, as if she carried her own light, instantly livening up this area filled with serious academic atmosphere.
"First time meeting. I'm Hyacine from the Twilight Courtyard, currently serving as Professor Anaxa's teaching assistant." The girl introduced herself with graceful ease, her voice clear and pleasant.
"Do not use those casual nicknames in front of them, Assistant," Anaxa immediately corrected, his tone carrying the stubbornness particular to a scholar.
"My relationship with them is not familiar enough for mutual nicknames. Especially you, Phainon." His gaze was sharp.
"Grayie? Snowy?" Stelle blinked, feeling a bit novel at this sudden, cute form of address. She instinctively turned to the steady Welt beside her, her mind making a creative leap as she asked: "Then... is there a 'Welty'?"
"Bold! So bold!" Hyacine immediately imitated the tone of ancient drama, putting on a serious expression as she waved her hands, but the laughter in her eyes was unmistakable.
"Mr. Welt must be addressed respectfully as 'Mr. Welt'! That's basic etiquette, you know!" She quickly became naturally familiar with Stelle, the atmosphere relaxing.
"Enough. Reminiscing and joking can wait." Anaxa interjected, pulling the topic back to business. "The priority is retrieving the 'Reason' Coreflame."
He pushed up his glasses and began issuing clear instructions. "To ensure the Coreflame's safety, the 'Reason' Titan used its wisdom to split the complete 'Reason' Coreflame into three parts, storing them in three different locations within the Grove. For efficiency, we will split up. Phainon and I will retrieve the first part."
"Assistant, you and these two sky-faring guests will go to obtain the second part. We will finally regroup at the location storing the final fragment—the 'Throne of Enlightenment.' There, we will reassemble the three fragments into the complete 'Reason' Coreflame and leave immediately."
"Understood, Professor." Hyacine reined in some of her playfulness, nodding seriously to accept the mission.
...
However, just as they were finalizing their action plan and preparing to set out separately, they were completely unaware that an uninvited guest had already silently infiltrated the Grove.
A black shadow stood quietly before that ancient throne symbolizing reason and wisdom, seeming to have long since merged with the silence there, patiently awaiting the group's arrival.