For Cirrus, this was only the beginning. Under Pei Guang's lead, and after three consecutive rounds of chaotic "Idle Death Gamble" dances, they forcefully broke through the space and returned to the outside world.
When Huohuo stepped out of that space and saw the sky again, tears welled up in her eyes.
Seeing Huohuo about to cry, Tail took a deep breath. "Huh? This time you dealt with Cirrus and even found the right exit with them. What are you crying for?"
Huohuo: "I'm crying because I'm happy."
Tail: "You cry when you're sad, then you cry when you're happy. Seriously..."
As Tail complained, on the other side, Xueyi's tone eased upon seeing everyone return safely.
"You have returned safely: seems like the Ten-Lords Commission's luck won't be too bad today."
Pei Guang looked toward Xueyi. "Earlier, when we were inside, you mentioned something happened outside? What happened here?"
Xueyi: "Fyxestroll Garden was dragged into an illusion by a more powerful Heliobus. The Judges sent to suppress it have all lost contact…"
Pei Guang nodded at her explanation. "Got it. So next, we'll have to defeat that powerful Heliobus, right?"
Xueyi nodded. Technically, outsiders shouldn't get involved in the Ten-Lords Commission's matters, but Pei Guang's status was special. Plus, his flame was practically the nemesis of Heliobi. With him around, their next steps would be much easier.
Seeing Xueyi nod, an idea sparked in Pei Guang's mind. "I have a question! That Heliobus called Furynox: can it split into smaller Heliobi?"
Tail: "A form like mine is already the smallest. Any more split, and it becomes what humans call will-o'-the-wisps. At that point, our consciousness vanishes, and we have to start from scratch, absorbing human emotions again."
Pei Guang: "So you can get smaller. In that case…"
Pei Guang suddenly thought of a nesting doll-style tactic. Capture a Heliobus, break it down, and use the mini-Heliobi to synthesize a transformation device! But he wasn't sure if he could use the mini ones—and dismantling Tail...
Honestly, Pei Guang found Tail pretty likable. And even though he was a tsundere the whole way through, his dynamic with Huohuo really looked genuine.
If Tail were ever to betray them, Pei Guang might first consider whether he'd been mind-controlled. So he didn't really want to dismantle Tail.
But aside from Tail, there was another Heliobus: Cirrus! That one wasn't on their side. If he broke down Cirrus and tested whether the mini-Heliobi could be synthesized, it'd be perfect, right?
Thinking that, Pei Guang turned toward Huohuo. "Huohuo, where's Cirrus?"
Huohuo: "On the flag—eh?"
She raised her flag, but when she did, she realized Cirrus was gone.
Huohuo: "Huh? Where's Cirrus…"
Tail: "You dummy, it obviously ran off!"
Huohuo: "Ran off…"
Pei Guang waved his hand. "No big deal. I expected it to escape. Not just you: even I didn't notice it slipping away!"
Stelle pulled out her bat. "So this was premeditated?"
Pei Guang nodded. "Definitely. Heliobi get stronger by devouring others, yet that thing stayed safe inside a space dominated by a stronger Heliobus? No way it's not scheming something. It's definitely one of the enemies we'll face next…"
Xueyi spoke up then. "But the Heliobus has already taken control of all of Fyxestroll Garden. The Ten-Lords Commission's Judges also…"
Pei Guang: "Don't panic. We're here, we'll make sure to get your people back. Besides, we've got~ special medicine! I've got special countermeasures. I tested them before: my skills are super effective against Heliobi."
Stelle looked at Pei Guang. "But that skill is only yours. How are the rest of us supposed to fight them?"
Pei Guang: "Us? Easy—use this."
Pei Guang pulled out a bucket of coffee. Seeing it, Stelle gave him a thumbs-up, while Huohuo looked at him, puzzled. "That… actually works?"
Pei Guang: "Of course! Trust me. We're pros at non-lethal captures. If Bailu were here, we could literally sit down and finish the mission with no sweat."
Stelle lit up at that. "Huh? Then let's go get Bailu!"
Pei Guang looked at her, half exasperated. "Sure, putting the little chicken-head in the party would make it a cakewalk, but where's the fun in that? Also, think about Huohuo: we've gotta teach her how to fight, otherwise she'll be stabbing us in the back later! If every enemy just gets mowed down in one hit, where's the enjoyment?"
Stelle: "Huh? You're right! But I feel like if we go full power, it's basically the same as bringing Bailu along?"
Pei Guang looked at Huohuo. "Sure, if it's just the two of us, it's the same thing. But we can treat this like a training game! Look at Huohuo, our team's adorable newbie. Training her into a competent Judge who can face Heliobi? That'd feel super rewarding!"
Stelle silently gave Pei Guang another thumbs-up. With his words, she imagined Huohuo, still scared but managing to defeat a powerful enemy under their guidance—and that was just amazing!
Thinking of that, Stelle urged him on. "Then what are we waiting for, Ah Guang? Bring out the good stuff!"
Huohuo more or less understood the exchange between Stelle and Pei Guang. She swallowed nervously and said in a trembling voice, "I… don't think I can? I just let that Heliobus escape, didn't I?"
Pei Guang's expression turned serious. "Who said you can't? It wasn't that you let it escape: it was that thing being too cunning, tricking all of us and slipping away. Besides, you were the one who caught that Heliobus in the first place, which proves your strength is extraordinary."
Stelle nodded. "That's right! You're just a tiny bit short in terms of gear and skill support compared to someone who can defeat a Heliobus."
Pei Guang agreed, "Exactly. Don't be fooled by how strong we might seem cutting through everything: we're not strong, our gear and skills are. Here's the deal, Huohuo! I'll get you a full set of unbeatable equipment. I guarantee that once you're geared up, you'll show overwhelming power in battle."
Stelle nodded again, "That's right! If you don't believe Ah Guang, you're missing out: Ah Guang helped us eat Phantylia, a Lord Ravager!"
Huohuo wasn't scared by that, but the tail got startled. "Hiss… You guys are that scary? You ate the Phantylia?"
Hearing that, Stelle puffed up proudly. She took out the biggest piece of Phantylia meat from her storage. "See this? I hacked this off Phantylia myself. More commemorative than edible, so I kept it."
Pei Guang also pulled out some consumables. "And these: full attribute recovery items, top-tier effects, also from Phantylia."
After the introduction, Pei Guang suddenly remembered something and pulled out some gear and gear effects from his storage. "Perfect timing! I've got some equipment we no longer use—Huohuo, take them all! Trust me, fully geared up, you could slap around even a revived Phantylia, let alone a Heliobus."
Upon hearing that, Tail perked up. "What? I can slap Phantylia?! If I get the chance, I've got to try it!"
Seeing all the items and listening to the explanation, Huohuo started to feel a bit embarrassed. But before she could say anything, Pei Guang jumped into action.
Though Huohuo's current gear looked ordinary, they were actually customized pieces issued to judges by the Ten-Lords Commission, so Pei Guang didn't need to worry about her core equipment. He just needed to provide useful effects.
What he prepared was a "cutesy effect." He applied the effect to the little flag on Huohuo's head and had her wear it.
After applying it, Pei Guang explained carefully, "This headpiece effect boosts your mental strength, weakens the enemy's mental strength, and enhances your willpower. The downside is it makes you look really cute, so just take it off when you're not fighting or investigating, and put it back on for battles."
This was actually a top-tier effect he accidentally synthesized a few days ago when working on Jingliu's gear and he only had two left. But it wasn't hard to synthesize more: so long as there were enough enemies to loot, he could farm tons easily.
However, Huohuo still lacked confidence. "But I…"
Her fear ran deep—carved into her very bones—something words alone couldn't change.
Pei Guang said, "Don't worry, Stelle and I will support you. I'll demonstrate once first, and then you just follow our training. You remember how dancing with us increased your luck and helped us find the right exit? If we can manage that, I think we can teach you combat too. I mean, we've packed so many mechanics in here: if we didn't throw in a bit of character progression, I'd feel like we failed."
Huohuo turned to Xueyi. "Lady Xueyi…"
Xueyi nodded. Seeing her nod, she said, "Huohuo… is in your hands now…"
Huohuo held up her little flag to encourage herself. "Okay. I can do this. I will do this."
Her voice was full of determination and courage—but her trembling legs betrayed how she really felt inside. Pei Guang didn't mind, though. Facing unknown fear without any real experience was completely normal.