The greater the hidden secret, the more likely it is that the risks behind it multiply; before seizing an opportunity, it's better to ask yourself if you truly have the strength.

As for Fang Hong, he clearly believed he lacked such strength.

Moreover, there was another important task line he had to consider—the task line of the Dragon's Witch, which, unless he had lost his mind, he could tell was intricately linked to the so-called arrival of the third Star of Calamity.

But about this task, he approached it with the attitude of understanding more yet intervening less.

Of course, avoidance was meaningless; when he left Traveler's Rest, the task he took over from Mazak might have still had a chance to turn back, since at that time he was merely an insignificant messenger.

But after the trip to Dolifen, having met the Dragon's Witch face to face, and after the Phantom Realm vanished, he wouldn't naively think her threats were just bedtime stories to lull him to sleep.

Nor would he believe that either Nikopolas or Misu would simply forget about him; that was obviously not going to happen.

And the half of the Crown Mark in his possession, referred to by the other party as the Pale Glory, looked to be quite the trouble as well.

In any case, his current plan was to take it step by step, trying not to provoke these troubles and being careful not to get himself too quickly caught up in the center of the vortex and overplay his hand. But if he could understand some relevant information that would allow him to prepare and be vigilant in advance, he would naturally welcome it.

While Sophie was momentarily stupified,

Fang Hong also fell silent for a moment, trying to make sense of the cause and effect regarding this matter.

He had a vague sense that Fenris, the legendary giant dragon, seemed to hold some insider knowledge; otherwise, it would not have mentioned specifically that Tainaric would cross the sea to Fenris Isle during this season.

Moreover, according to what the princess from Silver Weslan had said, it wasn't just the Lizardmen of Andasok who had come to the island.

This was quite interesting.

Because the ancient culture of the Lizardmen had splintered thousands of years ago, and different Lizardmen today have formed distinct civilizations across Eteliria, with many having long severed their contact. For instance, the better-known Andasok and Saint Hugon represent two vastly different cultures.

And the Night Lizard People on Fenris Isle would not recognize Tainaric as one of their own, and the reverse would be true as well.

Speaking of the Night Lizard People, an anomaly involving those creatures flashed through Fang Hong's mind. According to Grant, the attacks by the Night Lizard People had been particularly frequent this year, and they seemed to have colluded with the Blood Oath Alliance, bringing to question whether this was connected to the current matter?

Lastly, regarding what this insider knowledge was actually about—whether it concerned the 'Shining Sea' Tainaric mentioned, or the third Star of Calamity, or if both were interconnected—Fang Hong couldn't help but feel curious.

Of course, whether to meet the legendary giant dragon or not wasn't ultimately his decision to make.

Therefore, Fang Hong turned to look at Tainaric.

But the prince from Andasok appeared exceptionally humble before him, using its elongated pupils to glance at Sophie, and hissing, "I can go to meet the Guardian, but this is my respected human brother, and he is also a Chosen Candidate; his decisions here are as good as my own."

Upon hearing this, Sophie curiously glanced at Fang Hong, as if trying to discern what was unusual about this not-so-tall youth wearing a mask. Chosen Candidate—this was the first time she had heard the term, and since Meijeli and them hadn't shared much with the higher-ups of Silver Weslan, she didn't understand how significant the term was.

But judging by Tainaric's attitude, it seemed indeed quite solemn.

She thought for a moment before responding, "And who might this be?"

"Xiaya," Fang Hong coughed, rushing to answer for fear that the stubborn Lizardman might accidentally reveal his real name. He knew that the Grand Guild had a cooperative relationship with the military, and if they happened to be searching for him, information regarding him could already be in the hands of these guilds.

"Xiaya Aznable."

"Well then, Mr. Xiaya, if you're interested, you're welcome to join us as well," she said.

Fang Hong naturally was interested.

In fact, even without this interlude, his purpose in coming to Fenris was to meet that legendary Giant Dragon face to face. If there were any living legends like Colin Ishurian, the heroes of the Battle of Bain might not count, but the wealthy Green Dragon Meijeli certainly did.

His renown had reached Fang Hong even before he entered this world.

Meijeli was one of the few in the current age who had seen the three founders of Colin Ishurian—the owner of the Morning Light Holy Sword, the Elf King Aixinger, and the possessor of the Hailin Crown, the Holy White King Colins—along with the legendary Dwarf hero Dragon Slayer Valit.

The era in which it existed, with elves departing from the world, Aithelin falling into decay, and the entire world in tumult, was itself a legend. And the Dragon was a direct witness to this legend, perhaps the only one who truly understood the truths that had been buried beneath the long scroll of history.

"However, it seemed you were previously in a dispute over wanting to buy something," Sophie said politely, "Now that those people have left, I am not in a rush. You can attend to your matters first."

Reminded by her, Fang Hong remembered the sequence of events that had unfolded.

After Sophie had revealed Tainaric's identity, the members of the Blood Oath Alliance seemed to lose interest and left first without a care for purchasing any Explosive Crystals.

Unexpectedly, this turned out to their advantage. The Explosive Crystals might have been of little importance to the Blood Oath Alliance, but to Fang Hong and his companions, they were exceedingly vital, as they did not have the support of a Grand Guild behind them.

The Female Knight seemed to realize this as well, hence her kind reminder.

This gesture greatly increased Fang Hong's good impression of her, suggesting that not all members of the Grand Guild were arrogant and rude. There indeed were those who were considerate of others. He quickly thanked her and then went to negotiate with the seller.

The Crossbowman, confused by the sudden turn of events and preparing to leave, did not expect Fang Hong to still be interested in his goods. Perhaps startled by the identities of Tainaric and Sophie, he even offered a discount.

This came as a pleasant surprise to Fang Hong.

As for the Female Knight, she truly seemed to be in no hurry, but her Companion Star Knight frowned and bit her lip, looking as if she wanted to say something. The young girl, seeming to anticipate this, turned around and stopped the redhead with a ponytail from speaking:

"Be patient, Xi."

"But—"

"It's alright, I know you're worried about me, thank you, Xi. But there's still time," she reassured.

"I'm not..." the young girl seemed embarrassed as if her thoughts had been seen through, lowering her head to gaze at the tip of her War Halberd, her agate-colored eyes motionless.

...

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