Chapter 719: Winds of Change

The Void. The Fire Passing Hall.

An imposing figure sat at a table, both arms resting on its surface, his interlocked fists rhythmically tapping against the wood—one beat after another.

His brow was furrowed tight. After a while, he picked up a pen and wrote two words on the paper beside him:

Prosperity.

But almost immediately, he crossed them out and wrote two different words:

Decay.

Staring at these two Divine Names, his expression grew heavy.

"What's the matter—still haven't made your choice?"

Just as the figure lapsed into wordless contemplation, a voice suddenly rang out from above his head.

"Why do you always insist on sitting upside down in the air? And we had an agreement—you knock before coming in."

"Qin Xin, perhaps you should consider who you're speaking to. Standing before you is the great Flame of Hope, who risks everything to shield you from the gods!

This is truly heartbreaking."

As he spoke, the Candle Man actually began to weep with little sobs—only his tears weren't water. They were tears of fire.

Those fiery droplets traced a path across his forehead and through his hair, dripping down like melted wax onto the crown of Qin Xin's head.

The seemingly playful little flames instantly ignited Qin Xin's hair. With a helpless, bitter smile, Qin Xin shook his head and transformed his own hair into flames to ward off the prank.

Normally, the melodrama would have ended there, because the Candle Man knew full well that his fire couldn't actually harm Qin Xin. But today was different. Watching Qin Xin's reaction, he doubled over with laughter.

Qin Xin sensed something was wrong, too. The fire atop his head seemed to be burning bigger and bigger—his War flames couldn't immediately overpower the Flame of Hope.

???

Qin Xin stood frozen, because he distinctly remembered being told that the Flame of Hope's strength hadn't fully recovered. Shielding the Torchbearers had already drained every last ounce of his power, leaving his flames with form but no substance—a truly ethereal, illusory fire of hope.

But today, this fire... suddenly had warmth!?

"You've recovered!?"

Qin Xin's shock gave way to elation. He sprang to his feet, stepped aside to clear his line of sight, and gazed up at the Flame of Hope hanging inverted above. He stared at the brilliant firelight radiating from the entity's body, felt the searing heat within that glow, and his expression grew more joyful by the second.

"You've reclaimed your lost power?"

"Some of it. Only a portion—don't make such a fuss," the Flame of Hope said modestly, though the fire blazing ever brighter across his form made it abundantly clear that he was happier than anyone.

"What happened?" Qin Xin was elated too. What could possibly be more thrilling than the being who sheltered the Torchbearers growing stronger? He instantly cast aside his earlier worries, leaned back against the table's edge with arms folded, and asked with a broad grin.

"It's complicated, and it involves too many of Them. For the sake of keeping this place hidden, I'll keep it brief.

Put simply—when They were pushing forward with their Faith Fusion, I managed to snatch an opportunity and reclaim a portion of my power. Now, I might be able to offer you all a small measure of help inside the Trials."

"Truly!?" Qin Xin's eyes flew wide. He felt that having a divine being's aid would be nothing short of monumental for the Torchbearers.

Of course, he wasn't thinking of himself. Whether operating as a disguised Mirror Person or a true Hawk Eye Scout, he had more than enough strength to handle any trouble the Trials could throw at him.

But not every Torchbearer was Qin Xin. The vast majority of them were ordinary players whom the Fire Seekers had discovered when they were still nobodies—and those players were the ones who truly needed the Flame of Hope's help.

"Absolutely." With that, the Candle Man hopped down from his inverted seat, waved a hand before Qin Xin, and let a few more droplets of flame fall.

Those droplets gradually cooled as they descended, and by the time they touched the tabletop, every last one had crystallized into Flame Crystal Diamonds shimmering with a mysterious, fiery light.

"These little trinkets are for all of you. Whenever danger strikes, remember to hurl one as far as you can. That way, hope's fire can help you burn away every obstacle and reach whatever shore lies within sight."

"An offensive item?" Qin Xin picked up one of the Flame Crystal Diamonds and examined it closely.

"Not just that. If you're wounded, you can also crush one and press it into the injury. The little flame will soothe your pain and rekindle hope. Pretty impressive, right?" As the Candle Man said this, the look he directed at Qin Xin was laden with meaning.

"Impressive!"

Qin Xin's praise was entirely genuine. How valuable a dual-purpose offensive and defensive item could be—any player would know the answer in a heartbeat. He nodded solemnly, carefully pocketed the Flame Crystal Diamonds, and then asked one more question:

"Got any more?"

"?" The flames roaring across the Candle Man's entire body stuttered. He fixed Qin Xin with a long, flat stare. "What did you just say? You don't seem like the type to say something like that."

Qin Xin froze for a moment, instantly realizing he'd been influenced by a certain someone. He let out an awkward chuckle, slapped his own cheeks, and then apologized with a hearty laugh: "Sorry—we really do need these."

The Candle Man sighed. "I'm not some inexhaustible mine, you know. I can spare you a few more, sure, but use them sparingly. Until I reclaim more of my power, I can't possibly arm this many people."

There really were more!?

Qin Xin's face was a picture of astonishment. He suddenly realized that asking for extras every now and then might not be such a bad habit after all.

"Praise be to the great Flame of Hope—it is You who let hope rise once more from the smallest ember."

"... ycophant. Forget it—you're no fun at all. I'm going to find Qing Qing. At least she's cute."

"Shiqing? She's here?"

"Mm-hm. Just arrived. Why—want to see her?"

Qin Xin's expression hardened with gravity, and he gave a solemn nod. "Yes. There are things I need to discuss with her properly."

The Candle Man shot Qin Xin a displeased glance, but there was nothing to be done. He obligingly played the role of messenger. Before long, Fang Shiqing walked into the Fire Passing Hall looking thoroughly puzzled. The moment she stepped through the door, she asked:

"What's wrong with him? He seems happy and unhappy at the same time."

"?" What kind of description was that?

Qin Xin laughed. He shook his head without answering, beckoned Fang Shiqing over, and once she stood before him, addressed her with an utterly serious expression:

"The Torchbearers can't function without a Fire Seeker. I'm planning to—"

"!!??" The words hit Fang Shiqing like a thunderbolt. She seized Qin Xin's hand, terror flooding her face. "Ming Yu—what happened to her?"

"... elax. She's fine. She just has other matters to attend to for a while, so I need to find you a new partner."

Qin Xin's expression was complicated, but there was no grief in his tone, and that let Fang Shiqing breathe again.

She threw him an exasperated glare. "Since when did you start playing the suspense card?"

"... y bad." Qin Xin smiled. "So—want to meet the new one first?"

"Ming Yu, she..."

"I told you, she's fine. She'll still be one of us—she's just stepping down from the Fire Seeker position for now."

Fang Shiqing frowned. She was confused, but she knew that everyone was entitled to their secrets. She nodded, then asked curiously: "Who's the new Fire Seeker? Don't tell me it's another fresh recruit you just pulled into the Torchbearers."

Well—there had indeed been a new recruit recently. But that particular newcomer wasn't suited for the Fire Seeker role. He was... better fitted as a pure enforcer. A Silence enforcer, at that.

"It wasn't me who brought her in. It was you.

She's in the next room. Go say hello to our new City Builder. I'm tired—I need some rest."

Fang Shiqing didn't doubt him for a second. She waved goodbye to Qin Xin and headed to the adjacent room. There, seated in the center of a circle of chairs, she found a silver-haired beauty dressed in a blazing crimson mage's robe.

"Long time no see, Lady Fire Seeker."

The instant the woman turned around, Fang Shiqing gasped and clapped a hand over her mouth. "It's you—Ji Yue!?"

...