"Do you have any more heart's desires?" Andrew asked.

The woman was startled and looked at him through tear-filled eyes.

She hadn't expected Andrew to ask such a question.

After regaining her senses, she vaguely understood that the young man in front of her had awakened her, so she instinctively thought, "A Water Mage specially awakened me, a Flame Warrior. Perhaps there's something he wishes to ask before I die?"

Thus, she naturally assumed Andrew had some ulterior motive.

But now, Andrew was merely asking if she had any unfulfilled desires.

Wiping her tears, the woman looked at Andrew and asked, "Are we not adversaries?"

As she said this, her eyes narrowed slightly, and a sharp light emitted from them.

Finally, she revealed a hint of the past aura of a top-tier expert!

She did not know that Andrew had already seen her memories; what she remembered, Andrew was already clear about. What she forgot or couldn't recall, there was naturally no need to ask, as asking wouldn't help.

Andrew merely shrugged and said, "So, there's no heart's desire left unfulfilled?"

"?" The woman was stunned for a moment and promptly replied, "Yes, yes! I... I do have unfulfilled desires!"

If Ivan were to wake up at this moment and see this scene within the space-time realm—Andrew and the woman facing each other, not fighting but conversing—he would likely be shocked.

The woman composed herself and slowly said, "Other than me, there were others with the same issue, those who lost control due to Dragon Transformation. Since you were able to awaken me, then, if possible, could you also..." She didn't finish, but her meaning was evident.

She wished for Andrew to awaken other Flame Warriors transformed into Desolate Beasts, just as he had awakened her.

That was her unfulfilled heart's desire.

"I see, you want me to help other Desolate Beasts find liberation as well?"

Andrew's affection for the woman instantly rose to another level.

He didn't expect that after regaining clarity, her first thought was for other suffering Flame Warriors like her, rather than seeking revenge against the Magic Guild.

The problem is, do you know how long you've been transformed into a Desolate Beast? Over all these years, aren't there more than just "a few" Flame Warriors transformed into Desolate Beasts like you?

With this in mind, Andrew's thought flashed: after Flame Warriors lost control and transformed into Desolate Beasts, why were they thrown into this Inner Sea Desert? Could it be that the Magic Guild's Earth Fire Mages continued to exploit their value even as Desolate Beasts, making them patrol in the desert?

Yes, patrol.

Before becoming a desert, the Inner Sea Desert was the origin and stronghold for Water Mages. The Lake of the Ocean was the holy ground for Water Mages!

Even if the lake dried up and became a desert, the Earth Fire Mages of the Magic Guild feared the Water Mages' strength would one day return, so they threw the Desolate Beasts into the Inner Sea Desert to quell any possibility of the Water Mages' resurgence.

With these thoughts in mind, Andrew didn't reveal everything but merely nodded, saying, "Alright, I promise you."

The Desolate Beast problem is one of the three major issues of the Inner Sea Desert, something Andrew naturally had to address.

Understanding the truth behind the Desolate Beast issue, essentially being a fire-related problem caused by Molten Rock Fire, he, as the Fire Extinguishing Saint Son and bearer of the name "Andrew Xifa Lin," felt even more compelled to intervene. It was a responsibility that could not be shirked.

"And earlier, when I awakened this ancient woman, I hadn't considered the 'Fire Extinguishing Value', but the Fire Extinguishing Value materialized surprisingly abundantly!" Andrew thought, "Even if I think pragmatically, I would still address other Desolate Beasts' issues."

Desolate Beasts are transformed Flame Warriors, enemies of Water Mages and accomplices to Earth Fire Mages.

Andrew is not a Saint, nor a fool who simply sympathizes with the enemy. Yet, even without sympathy for the Desolate Beasts, the sheer reward in Fire Extinguishing Value would compel him to fulfill the woman's unfulfilled heart's desire.

"Thank you, truly... thank you." The woman whispered, "Also, I'm sorry."

"Thank you" was for Andrew awakening her and promising to awaken other Desolate Beasts.

"Sorry" was for her past killing of Water Mages.

Andrew responded with a soft sound and said no more.

Neither did the woman speak further.

Her body slowly began to fade.

In her final moments, she was serene and peaceful. To leave this world with a clear mind was, to her, the best result—a form of liberation.

"By the way..." Just before fully dissipating, the woman said, "My name is Shanhai."

She finally answered Andrew's previous question: "I am Andrew. And you?"

Shanhai, is it? Such an ancient name.

"Though you are a Flame Warrior and I am a Water Mage, and we are supposed to be enemies, I will remember your name." Andrew said, nodding at the last remaining shadow of Shanhai.

Shanhai smiled faintly before fully disappearing.

As her soul dissipated, the space-time realm vanished as well.

Andrew took a few steps, protecting Ivan within the nearby water sphere.

He noticed the surrounding scene slowly changing.

The dark red space-time gradually receded, and the scene of the underground warehouse reappeared.

"Phew..."

Andrew sighed in relief.

Both Ivan and he had been drawn into the space-time realm and now returned to the warehouse, feeling like they had woken from a dream.

Compared to earlier, the only change in the warehouse was the desolate beast's corpse, which was spontaneously burning into ashes. Previously, the desolate beast's physical body was killed; now, it had, in a sense, its soul exorcised. This proved that what happened in the dark red space-time realm was real, not a dream.

Ivan's injuries were serious but not life-threatening.

Moreover, Ivan, as his Soul Guard, also enjoyed some benefits from the Fire Extinguishing Upgrade Method. In the battle with Shanhai, he played a significant role. Andrew only entered the space-time realm to face Shanhai after Ivan was defeated.

Despite everything, Ivan was crucial to the process.

Though still unconscious, Ivan's aura subtly indicated he was advancing towards Tier Four's peak.

"It won't be long before he regains his Tier Five strength, will it?"

Andrew smiled faintly.

As for himself, returning to the underground warehouse, seeing the beast's head and corpse burn into ashes, a substantial amount of Fire Extinguishing Value naturally materialized—the reward of awakening Shanhai and her liberation.

Furthermore, the "Gate of Enlightenment" within him pulsed, rotated, and propelled Water Magic Power to flow and surge throughout his body.

Having recently broken through to Tier Two, he found himself now quietly and rapidly reaching Tier Two's peak.

Just one step away from crossing the threshold into Tier Three.

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