Sipping on Immortal's Delight Tea.
Huohuo wasn't the least bit nervous now.
Her large eyes reflected the live-stream footage.
At this moment.
In the story.
The temporarily sealed Tail couldn't keep quiet either.
He proactively struck up a conversation with Huohuo:
"Little girl, a Heliobi like me should be lurking in human settlements. Yet here we are, stuck in this desolate garden. Do you know why?"
"...Team-building exercise?"
Tail was taken aback.
As if choked by Huohuo's response.
After a pause, he continued: "Because over a thousand years ago, this garden was the battlefield where the great Heliobi 'Ignamar' clashed with a certain general of the Luofu!"
As he spoke.
The corresponding scene appeared on the screen.
A wolf-shaped Heliobi was locked in combat with the Divine Foresight.
The Divine Foresight's weapon was already piercing the wolf-shaped Heliobi's abdomen, its blade pressing down with overwhelming force.
This bit of history was something Huohuo was familiar with.
Back then, because of Tail's incident, she had done quite a bit of research on the subject.
Tail added: "With the Furnace shattered, the Heliobi escaped. The fragments that once formed 'Ignamar' have all returned, driven by their desire to face the general once more."
"Speaking of that great battle—it shook the heavens and moved the earth! Ignamar transformed endlessly, unleashing floods, scorching flames, crumbling mountains, and thunderous strikes, fighting the general to a deadlock, evenly matched!"
"Really?" Huohuo in the story asked.
The live-stream chat echoed the same doubt.
"Were they really evenly matched?"
"From this scene, it looks like the Divine Foresight one-shot it?"
"Final score: General—total victory. Ignamar—reduced to wall decor."
"Tail's got a silver tongue—maybe he should consider becoming a storyteller?"
Huohuo then recounted her experience when she first encountered Tail.
"When I was little, I once found a flickering flame in some corner of the Luofu..."
"I took pity on it and placed it on my tail... But then—then Tail actually tried to eat me! Thankfully, the judges arrived in time to stop him."
As Huohuo spoke.
The scene unfolded!
On the screen was a frail little girl—none other than a young Huohuo.
Her wide eyes fixed on the dying flame before her.
Timidly reaching out a hand.
Huohuo gasped, covering her mouth in shock!
She never expected!
Her childhood self would appear in this storyline!
Tail burst into laughter.
"Look at you back then!"
"Hahaha! You were just this tiny, like a little matcha cupcake!"
"And now... well... still pretty much a matcha cupcake."
Huohuo glanced at the chat.
And immediately felt the urge to turn it off.
Tail's "matcha cupcake" comment?
Totally picked up from the chat!
"Her face looks so soft and squishy!"
"Aaaaaah so cute!!!"
"Too adorable!! Want to pinch those cheeks!"
"Fluffy child."
"This is making me hungry."
"Why offer your tail first?"
"She's a Foxian—when they like something, they instinctively wrap their tails around it. Plus, she was just a kid. Kids love playing with fire."
Recalling those days, Huohuo's grievances resurfaced:
"The tears I've shed in regret over the years... must be the water that flooded my brain when I made that decision..."
This line.
Instantly became one of the most quoted phrases among netizens.
Even Guinaifen in the live-stream couldn't stop laughing for a solid half-minute.
The next task was to find a way out of this environment.
After some twists and turns.
With Judge Xueyi's help.
They navigated through the bronze mirror maze and escaped the illusion.
But the situation was growing increasingly dire!
Xueyi's expression was grave as she said:
"Fyxestroll Garden has been dragged into an illusion by an even more powerful Heliobi. The judges can no longer suppress it alone."
"Huohuo, if I and Hanya cannot restrain the creature, the responsibility will fall to you."
Huohuo panicked:
"M-me? I... I can't! I'm not as capable as the two judges. All I do in battle is hide and tremble!"
"Do not underestimate yourself. A Heliobi cannot possess a vessel already bound to another—this is your absolute advantage as a judge."
"Though fierce, Heliobus cannot resist their craving for mortal flesh. Yet you have tamed one for 38 years in service to the Ten-Lords. You are a qualified judge—have more confidence."
"We judges are the last line of defense against the darkness."
Seeing Xueyi's words in the story.
Huohuo's jaw dropped.
"So..."
"This is how Judge Xueyi sees me..."
"Maybe... just like Big Brother Tatsuke said... I really do have potential?"
Tail materialized a hand to rub his nose.
Grumbling:
"Tch! I've said the same thing before, but you never believed me! Yet you take that Tatsuke guy's words as gospel?"
"What's in this 'Immortal's Delight Tea'—some kind of brainwashing potion?"
"N-no!"
Huohuo's face flushed as she waved her hands.
"I-I came to this conclusion through the game's story!"
"Besides Big Brother Tatsuke, the developers... Yu Ling must also think I have potential, right?"
"Yeah, yeah, 'potential'... At best, a 4-star character."
Tail scoffed.
At this point.
Tail claimed to know Huohuo's nature inside out and proposed a solution.
Selecting [Hear Tail's Plan].
The challenge interface appeared.
[Challenge Conditions: Team must include Huohuo. Minimum 4 members.]
[Recommended Team Level: 80]
After Guinaifen clicked [Challenge], she began assembling the team.
The first character on the left-side roster was the trial version of Huohuo.
Guinaifen froze.
"Wait, wait!"
"Huohuo's character background... it's gold!"
"Am I seeing things!?"
"This means our Huohuo... is a 5-star character!!"
The moment these words were spoken.
Both Huohuo and Tail were stunned!
"I'm... a 5-star character...?" Huohuo murmured in disbelief.
Back when she confided in Tatsuke.
She thought that, given her abilities, she might not even qualify as a 4-star...
She even considered asking Yu Ling to design her as a 3-star instead.
But now!
Yu Ling had actually made her a 5-star character!
This wasn't just "potential" anymore.
This was straight-up favoritism from the developers!
"I... Can I really live up to being a 5-star character...?"
Though she'd regained some confidence.
It wasn't much.
Right now, she was overwhelmed!
She couldn't even imagine what her in-game skills would be!
Tail was equally baffled.
Why would Yu Ling give a runt like Huohuo such preferential treatment!?
Suddenly.
Tail's eyes lit up.
As if struck by inspiration—he let out a booming laugh!
"Hahaha! Now I get it!"
"It's obviously because I replaced your original tail! With my power boosting you, you got
upgraded from a 4-star to a premium 5-star!"
"Now that's what I call attention to detail!"
To be continued…
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