[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-born-as-a-witch":3,"chapter-born-as-a-witch-born-as-a-witch-chapter-369":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Born as a Witch",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1702636,2172,"Chapter 369: Eternal Ember Potion Mission","born-as-a-witch-chapter-369",369,"\u003Cp>Ingredients of the Eternal Ember Potion,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Great Tree projected images directly into her mind—soft glowing visions:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>1. Starblossom Petals\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silver-blue flowers that bloom under starlight only, found on cold mountain cliffs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>2. Solar Resin\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sap-like substance collected from sun-stored crystals in the Desert of Shifting Light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>3. Emberfruit Hearts\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep-red fruits that hold small living flames. Dangerous to harvest without fire resistance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>4. A Single Phoenix Down\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not plucked, but gifted voluntarily. A token of trust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>5. Spiritwater\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The purest form of enchanted water, taken from the Grove’s inner spring—once Lira unlocks it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the images faded, Lira exhaled slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s... a lot.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Renkaí, who had been eavesdropping from behind a tree, peeked out with wide eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You want her to go to a desert, a mountain, a dangerous fruit patch, ask a phoenix for a feather, and then dive into the sacred spring? All in one mission?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thalanir clapped him on the shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Better start packing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I DIDN’T AGREE TO TRAVEL TO A DESERT!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serelyth snorted. \"You hardly agree to travel anywhere.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because you always take us to danger!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira hid a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Relax. We’ll plan everything. One place at a time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Great Tree’s branches lowered again, draping her in gentle shade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lira... the phoenixes grow weaker with each passing day. Their new trees help, but not enough. You must begin this journey soon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Grove will protect itself while you are gone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira sighed softly, pressing one hand to the ancient bark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll go. I’ll gather everything. And I’ll brew the potion.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ground hummed warmly—approval, gratitude, hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serelyth rose from her lounging place, stretching her wings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I will go with you. Phoenix fire is sacred to my kind too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thalanir placed a hand on his twin daggers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And I am not letting you climb a mountain alone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Renkaí groaned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If there are scorpions in that desert, I swear—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira laughed, feeling strength returning to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Sign from the Phoenixes emerged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they spoke, a phoenix glided down from the highest branch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its wings shimmered like molten gold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It landed before Lira and bowed its head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single feather—pure, glowing, alive—fell at her feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The phoenix had given its down willingly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira gently lifted it, feeling the heat pulse through her fingers like a tiny heartbeat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serelyth whispered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s a blessing. A promise. And a plea for help.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira met the phoenix’s deep-burning eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll help all of you,\" she said softly. \"I promise.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The phoenix spread its wings and soared back to its tree, leaving a trail of glittering sparks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As The Beginning of the Eternal Ember Quest, the Great Tree’s voice whispered through every leaf:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Go now, child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gather the pieces of flame and light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the Grove grows, but only with balance.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wind stirred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The phoenix flock sang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Grove felt alive—expectant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira tightened her cloak, looking at her friends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Pack your things,\" she said. \"We leave at dawn.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the Quest for the Eternal Ember began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The morning Lira prepared to leave, the Grove was unusually still. Even the Fénix flocks—normally lively and melodic—watched her with a strange, quiet intensity. They sensed what the Giant Spirit Tree had already told her:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mountain she was going to was alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it did not welcome visitors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Great Tree’s branches drooped low as its ancient voice whispered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lira... the Cliffs of Khar’Zuun are old. Older than most kingdoms. They were carved by fire, shaped by storms, and devour the unwary. Be cautious, child of many elements.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira nodded, heart steady but tense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll return. And I’ll bring what the Fénix need.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Renkai threw himself dramatically onto the moss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why does EVERYTHING lately involve danger, cliffs, heights, or creatures that want to eat us? Why can’t we—for once—just go pick flowers in a meadow?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thalanir clapped him on the back so hard he coughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We did pick flowers last week. And the week before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They just... tried to eat us.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"THAT DOESN’T COUNT.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serelyth stretched her dragon-woven limbs, tail flicking. \"Cliffs are no problem for me. And Lira can fly. Thalanir can cling to anything with his climbing gear. The only one with a problem is—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They all looked at Renkai.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Renkai crossed his arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh no. No no no. I am NOT hanging from a cliff. I like soil. I like ground. I like things that stay where they belong.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serelyht smiled softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’ll be fine. I’ll secure you myself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Renkai froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...I should have never agreed to be part of this group.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Journey Began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They traveled for hours, leaving behind the safety of the Grove’s warded edge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By afternoon the landscape changed—becoming jagged, broken, cruel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dark stone jutted from the earth like broken teeth. Winds hissed through crevices like whispers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Serelyth became guarded, wings half-lifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"These cliffs... they smell like old fire,\" she murmured. \"Like something ancient still sleeps under the stone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thalanir crouched, touching the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s warm. Too warm for this altitude.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Renkai gulped. \"Does that mean something is boiling under us?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes,\" Serelyth said cheerfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"STOP SAYING IT LIKE IT’S A GOOD THING!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time they reached the first cliff ledges, clouds had started to gather unnaturally fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A storm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not from the weather—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>from the mountain itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira felt the magic press against her skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t angry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was testing them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sharp wind hit the group, nearly shoving Renkai off the edge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He screamed and clung to Lira’s arm like a terrified cat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"NOPE. NOPE. TAKE ME HOME.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thalanir drove a climbing spike into the stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Everyone tether up. The mountain wants us to fall.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lightning cracked—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>but instead of white, it was fiery red, sizzling across the sky like molten veins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serelyth shielded them with her wings as rocks tumbled down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Move!\" Lira shouted. \"The storm is following us!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was true—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the lightning kept striking behind them, pushing them upward, higher, closer to the inner cliffs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Renkai ran while sobbing, \"WHY ARE WE EVEN HERE!?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To get Eternal Ember!\" Lira yelled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The storm roared louder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"WHICH WE NEED FOR THE FÉNIX!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I THINK THE FÉNIX SHOULD COME GET IT THEMSELVES!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They reached a section barely wide enough for one foot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wind howled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below them—the abyss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A chasm so deep the world vanished into darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira went first, pressing her hand against the cliff to channel Earth magic into her balance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thalanir followed with sure steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serelyth glided across.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then came Renkai.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He flattened himself against the cliff like a starfish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I CAN’T DO THIS! I—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A rock broke loose under his foot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He slipped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thalanir grabbed him instantly, anchoring her feet with magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Renkai! Look at me. Breathe. You’re safe.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His breath hitched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hands shaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...I hate cliffs.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know. But you’re with us. Look—I have you secured with rope.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Renkai peeked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Screamed again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"THAT DOES NOT MAKE ME FEEL BETTER!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time they reached a small stone outcrop to rest, the storm had eased, but the mountain remained hostile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strange clicking noises echoed through the rocks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shadows crawled where shadows shouldn’t be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serelyth sniffed the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We are not alone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Renkai curled into a ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I want my bed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira leaned beside him, smiling gently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’ll get back to it. After we survive.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"THIS IS NOT HELPING, LIRA.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She laughed softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But her eyes kept drifting toward the dark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something was watching them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something that lived on the cliff walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something that moved like a predator adapted to vertical stone...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the Eternal Ember?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It lay even deeper within these cliffs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Closer to whatever lurked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira opened her book.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The page shimmered with a drawing of the mountain and a glowing path leading deeper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We go down,\" she said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Renkai pretended to faint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thalanir caught him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serelyth sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is going to be a long journey.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the night around them answered with a low, echoing growl from the depths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The night wrapped itself around the cliffs like a living thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cold winds cut through the narrow ledges, carrying strange echoes—sharp clicks and hollow growls that bounced between stone walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira sat beside the small protective fire she and Serelyth built.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thalanir sharpened his climbing hooks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Renkai lay slumped in Serelyth’s lap, still recovering from fainting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He is going to have a heart attack before this mission is over,\" Serelyth muttered, petting his hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He’ll be fine when morning comes,\" Lira said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A loud click-click-click echoed from above them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Renkai immediately woke up screaming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"WHAT WAS THAT?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thalanir stood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s coming closer.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira rose slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air shifted—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a pressure like many small bodies crawling along stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the peak of the cliff, a creature dropped down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They moved like spiders, but were the size of wolves—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>long limbs adapted to clinging to stone walls, bodies sleek and armored with dark rock-like plates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their eyes glowed molten orange, like shards of magma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Renkai pointed at them with a trembling finger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"NO. NO NO NO. NO. WHY. WHY DO THEY EXIST?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serelyth stepped in front of him, wings half-raised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They’re cliff maulers. Predators of the mountain.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thalanir sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course they are.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira inhaled deeply, steadying her heartbeat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The maulers circled them, moving in eerie silence except for the clicking of their hooked claws on stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t provoke them,\" Lira whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They’re territorial... but not mindless.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the maulers hissed—a deep, vibrating sound like stone grinding against stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira lifted her hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gentle fire danced from her fingers, not attacking, just illuminating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The beasts recoiled slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They don’t like bright flame,\" Serelyth noted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then let’s give them a reason to keep distance,\" Lira said, raising her palm higher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flame grew brighter—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>white-hot at the center—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>casting a wide circle of light that pushed the creatures back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the mountain had other plans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sudden gust of wind blew across the ledge, nearly extinguishing the light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The maulers leapt instantly—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Thalanir was faster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He drove his climbing hook into the ground and slashed upward, creating sparks that forced two beasts back. Serelyth exhaled a burst of controlled fire to shield Renkai while Lira reinforced her flame with a sudden surge of raw magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The maulers retreated, forming a semicircle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We need to keep moving,\" Lira said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They’ll try again if we stay in one place.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Renkai whimpered fanning himself with his fan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I hate this mountain.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Book guided them to a narrow crack in the stone, glowing faintly with red markings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serelyth sniffed the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fire magic. Strong. Old.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thalanir peered into the crevice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It widens inside.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They squeezed through—Renkai muttering curses the entire way—until the narrow entrance opened into a massive cavern glowing from within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira gasped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cave walls were streaked with molten veins—rivers of orange and gold running like glowing roots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heat radiated silently from them, but not enough to burn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s like the mountain has a heart,\" Lira whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serelyth nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Eternal Ember grows here. We’re close.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as they stepped deeper, the ground trembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not a collapse—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a pulse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thalanir tapped the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This mountain feels alive.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is,\" Lira said quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The tree spirit told me... the mountain is a guardian. And it tests those who seek its heart.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Renkai grabbed her sleeve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I really, REALLY don’t want to be tested!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A shadow moved beneath the molten veins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then a massive shape rose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A creature, shaped like a giant salamander but made of obsidian-like plates glowing with light between cracks. Its eyes were liquid fire. Its breath shimmered with heat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Ember Goliath,\" Serelyth whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Renkai screamed in the background.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I VOTE WE GO HOME!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Lira stepped forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No. This is the guardian. And we’re not here to steal—we need to show respect.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Goliath lowered its head, molten saliva dripping onto the stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira bowed deeply, palms open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We seek the Eternal Ember to heal and strengthen the Fénix of our sanctuary. We take only what we are permitted, and nothing more.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Goliath studied her with blazing eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence stretched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heat rose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It rumbled deeply and shifted aside, revealing a hidden tunnel glowing with pure light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thalanir exhaled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That... was terrifying.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serelyth smirked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Told you she’d handle it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Renkai slowly peeked over Lira’s shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did... did it just let us pass?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira smiled gently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes. It recognizes the Grove’s purpose.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stepped into the glowing tunnel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At its end lay a large crystalline structure embedded into the rock—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>glowing like a captured piece of sun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Eternal Ember.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira approached slowly, hands trembling from awe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is what the Fénix need.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as her fingers reached toward the shining crystal—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the cave walls began to shake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thalanir shouted,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Something else is waking up!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serelyth spread her wings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Take the Ember and move!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lira pressed her palm to the crystal—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It melted into her hand, becoming liquid light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the cavern roared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The real danger had begun.\u003C\u002Fp>",2157,"2026-06-06T14:30:21.781Z",1,"novelbin.me","844253dbbd81bbb61c15b92ed6e08cdfde719b4bc307a70b7f745b030b7b2cc4","born-as-a-witch-chapter-222","born-as-a-witch-chapter-221",479,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fborn-as-a-witch-cover.jpg"]