"Huh?"

Under the Water Tower Tree in Tara Town, seventy miles from Wildfire Town, a young mage opened his eyes and frowned slightly.

He was the "Desert Speaker" Rose that Barbara spoke of.

"What's wrong?" a female voice came from the side.

Rose wasn't alone under the tree; there was also a heavily made-up young woman.

The woman was stepping on the head of a knight.

Not far off on the short, sparse branches of the Water Tower Tree, hung someone dressed as a Warm Fire Mage.

"The president of the Warm Fire Commerce Association truly loves his little daughter.

Even in 'this situation,' he's secretly dispatched forces to support his little daughter, tsk tsk."

The young woman shook her head, kicked the two dead Warm Fire Commerce Association reinforcements aside.

She casually clapped her hands and looked at Rose: "How about your side? Going smoothly?"

Rose said: "'Scout' was blocked again, this is the second time."

The "scout" he referred to was, of course, the desert Gray Lizard.

The first time it was blocked was when Andrew released the "Mini Water Demon Puppet" before, discovering the controlled Gray Lizard, so Rose withdrew his Soul Will attached to it before they made contact.

The second time was just now.

The young woman wasn't surprised, laughed: "No wonder Barbara is so good. Among the younger generation, she is the one most proficient in Soul Magic alongside you. Her 'Heart Fire Series' is no less than your 'Desolate Language Series', and she... is also the owner of the 'Eight Strange Fires'!"

She didn't really understand Soul Magic, but she knew well that the only one in the younger generation who could compete with her partner in this domain was Barbara.

Rose's nickname was "Desert Speaker."

Barbara's nickname was "Pupil Witch!"

Despite getting cornered by Humboldt, Barbara was actually very strong.

"No, it wasn't Barbara."

Rose shook his head.

The young woman was stunned: "What?"

Then she seemed to think of something, couldn't help but purse her lips: "Are you joking with me?" Clearly not believing, not taking it seriously.

She thought Rose was unwilling to admit defeat, hence refusing to acknowledge it was Barbara.

So she didn't press further.

Instead, Rose thought silently, "The fact that my 'Desolate Language Soul' could be erased, well... it's nothing. It was just a Gray Lizard after all, not fully compatible with my magic. If I were controlling a true Desolate Beast, it wouldn't be so easily erased.

The real issue is... the power that erased mine wasn't from the Heart Fire Series! Both times, what blocked the scouts I sent wasn't from the Heart Fire Series at all. That's what's odd."

Due to the presence of "Invisible Enchantment," all current water magic methods of Andrew were invisible and traceless.

The downside was that the outstanding water's restraining effect on fire was somewhat weakened.

Rose couldn't detect the water attribute in Andrew's measures.

Instead, he wondered, "Is there a second soul magic inheritance in the Warm Fire Commerce Association on par with the Heart Fire Series?"

Wildfire Town.

Over at the temporary camp.

Andrew, after quietly setting up two newly unlocked Water Magic Arrays, one large and one small, one attack and one defense, withdrew his finger from the ground.

"This is the benefit of having intelligence, after all."

Andrew smiled slightly, "Being targeted, efficiency becomes much higher. Although I'm still at Tier One for now, unable to match their Tier Three, these two Magic Arrays I just unlocked are absolutely the most suitable for the current situation and also the ones that best restrain the opponent."

The array guarding around the Water Tower Tree "Shire" belonged to the "Deep Blue Armament Series."

This series is peculiar; the water magic it includes is named after "Inner Armor," "Chest Armor," "Belt," "Arm Guard," "Knee Guards," "War Boots," "Tactical Gloves," "Double Ring," "Headband," "Shield Blade"... and other "Armor Part" components.

It's as if mastering the entire Deep Blue Armament Series would collect a complete set of Water Magic Artifact Set.

Andrew just chose to unlock the 'Chest Armor,' the foundational part of this series.

As for breaking the larger Water Magic Array on the scout Gray Lizard with the "Desolate Language Soul," it was from the Lifebound Series "Fingertip Series."

The array is named: Cicada Wing.

A poetic name, and as for the effect... Rose surely felt it by now.

In short, the enemy faces nothing if they don't come, but if they dare, they will encounter relentless soul water blades, invisible as cicada wings, cutting them!

The soul cutting power isn't domineering, but rather focuses on precision.

It erased Rose's "Desolate Language Soul" without harming the Gray Lizard's own soul consciousness! That is the awesome part of the "Cicada Wing" array.

While unlocking the "Cicada Wing" array, Andrew thought of when Barbara performed "Flame Butterfly" in front of him, turning Raymond into dust. There seemed to be similarities between the two.

"Of course, tier level still matters."

Andrew knew, "No matter how much water restrains fire, if the tier difference is too large, it's still unbeatable. So next, I need to unlock more targeted water magic, increase magic proficiency, and produce magic power, striving to reach Tier Two before the Sand Tide arrives!"

With that thought, Andrew glanced at the remaining Fire Extinguishing Value: 4096 points.

Still a decent amount, but knowing the enemy he's facing, Andrew knew it wasn't enough.

More abundant Fire Extinguishing Value is needed to ensure tier promotion while unlocking enough powerful means to fight, to extinguish the fire!

To take down Desert Speaker Rose!

"Hmm? Did you do something?"

Barbara was very perceptive, vaguely sensing a trace of the "Fingertip Series" magic ripple.

Mages practicing soul magic like the "Heart Fire Series" and "Desolate Language Series" are more sensitive than other mages. Warm Fire Mages and Earth Fire Mages are similar.

Andrew couldn't help but tense.

He thought it wasn't easy to explain his methods if he told Barbara.

So he shook his head, continuing the previous topic: "As I was saying, Rose can control Desolate Beasts, making him invincible in the Inner Sea Desert.

So Miss Barbara, do you have any good countermeasures?"

The two magic arrays he just set up were more to prevent another assault on the Water Tower Tree.

Not used for confronting a massive influx of Desolate Beasts head-on.

The real contest — the fire-extinguishing operation against Desert Speaker Rose — hadn't even started!

Feeling invigorated inside, ready to extinguish Rose's "fire," Andrew still valued Barbara's opinion. She knows Rose better after all, so it's best to hear her "fire-extinguishing strategies" first.

"Are you sure you didn't do anything strange?"

Barbara looked at Andrew suspiciously for a few more moments before returning to the previous topic: "As for what's next, I do have some thoughts, but honestly, it's not really a plan, more like a last resort, summarized in one word: Stall."

Stall?

Although outwardly calm and eager internally, Andrew was taken aback.

Then he frowned.

Faced with fierce fire, she wanted the Fire Extinguishing Saint Son Andrew Xifa Lin... to stall?

"This... is a bit pushing it," Andrew thought.

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