Great Sage Azar, flanked by two Matra, arrived at the Haravatat Darshan where Faruzan was located.
Soon after, he reached Faruzan's research area and spotted the familiar cyan figure.
"Faruzan, you've finally come to your senses. I'm relieved," Great Sage Azar said calmly, looking at her.
"It's Madam," Faruzan corrected.
Great Sage Azar's expression darkened. "Don't play these games with me. Even with your seniority, funding will only be allocated to disciplines with tangible value."
"Disciplines aren't inherently good or bad. Someone has to do the work. Azar, as the Great Sage, can't you understand something so simple?"
Growing impatient with Faruzan's retort, Great Sage Azar demanded, "What exactly are you trying to say?"
"I came here because the Akasha Terminal informed me you'd changed your mind," Azar said, his voice laced with displeasure. "If you haven't fully decided, we can postpone this discussion until you have."
Faruzan, unfazed by his tone, replied calmly, "There was nothing wrong with my ideas."
She paused, then continued, "As for you, Azar... I have a question. What did the men you sent to the Restricted Zone today do?"
At her pointed question, Great Sage Azar's gaze turned icy. "Faruzan, you certainly know a lot. It seems you've truly betrayed us."
"Seize her," he commanded the two Matra beside him.
The Matra advanced on Faruzan. "Miss Faruzan, please do not resist. Cooperate with our investigation."
"I told you, it's Madam Faruzan!" Faruzan retorted, planting her hands on her hips without a hint of fear. "I received the Akademiya's Outstanding Scholar Award before either of you were even born! You're utterly insufferable."
Immediately after, Faruzan gestured to the side, and a shadowy figure leaped down from the roof.
Simultaneously, vines erupted from the ground, instantly binding the two Matra completely and gagging them.
Faced with such overwhelming power, the two Matra lost their ability to move before they could even react.
"Surrender now, Great Sage!"
"Under your leadership, the Akademiya has become a source of public outrage!" Paimon declared, making a grand entrance and pointing accusingly at Great Sage Azar.
Lumine, in perfect sync with Paimon, swung her Dull Blade. A cyan ripple of energy shot from its edge, carving a deep trench at Great Sage Azar's feet.
"You have no escape! If you don't want to get hurt, stay right where you are!" Paimon added.
Yet, even in this predicament, Great Sage Azar's expression remained devoid of surprise, as if he had anticipated all of this.
"Excellent, excellent! Colluding with outsiders—two foreigners, no less! Faruzan, you have some nerve!"
"Your actions are tantamount to treason!"
"If that's how you want to play it, then don't blame me for being ruthless."
Great Sage Azar laughed, his rage boiling over.
"Run? You're the ones who should be running!"
As Great Sage Azar finished speaking, a horde of Fatui soldiers stormed in through the door. Seeing this, Faruzan's expression grew even colder.
So it's true, she thought. What Lumine and Paimon told me was real. Great Sage Azar has forged a deep alliance with the Fatui.
Faruzan couldn't believe Azar was unaware of the Fatui's true nature. Yet, he had chosen to collaborate with them anyway. The thought sent an uncontrollable surge of fury through her.
"Azar, you're the real traitor!"
"Hah! What do you know? You're just an old relic left behind by time. You have no idea what a magnificent endeavor I'm undertaking!"
"I will usher in a new future for Sumeru!"
Seeing the fanatical gleam in Great Sage Azar's eyes, Faruzan felt a momentary daze.
"Have you gone mad, Azar?"
"Hahaha! Whether I'm mad or not... you'll find out in the end."
"Of course. You're about to spend some unforgettable time in a prison cell."
"You think you can lock us up?"
"It's just a few Fatui soldiers! We can take them out easily!" Paimon suddenly interjected, pointing forward.
"Go, Traveler! I choose you!"
Wielding her Dull Blade, Lumine charged into the ranks of the Fatui soldiers, quickly cutting them down and sending them flying.
A flicker of apprehension crossed Great Sage Azar's face as he watched Lumine. Her strength far exceeded his expectations.
However, Azar wasn't worried about her reaching him. He had arrived.
"Interesting. So the Traveler from another world has already reached Sumeru."
Dottore slowly walked in from outside the room. As he approached, an overwhelmingly powerful aura washed over them, impossible to ignore.
Lumine's expression shifted in alarm. She immediately retreated, grabbing the spectating Paimon and Faruzan, and prepared to escape through the window. But Dottore merely chuckled and snapped his fingers.
The next second, Lumine, Paimon, and Faruzan found their surroundings transformed. The window was sealed shut by thick vines, and the Fatui soldiers, Matra, and Great Sage Azar had vanished. Only Dottore remained, his figure radiating an immense, oppressive aura.
This is bad!
Lumine gritted her teeth, never having expected to face an enemy of this caliber.
Though she didn't know his exact rank, she could clearly sense his Archon-level power.
Her own strength barely touched the threshold of an Archon's power. Even if she fully mastered Dendro, she couldn't bridge the chasm-like gap between them.
Just then, Paimon clutched her dizzy head and asked, "What's happening, Traveler?"
"Don't be in such a hurry to leave. We haven't even properly introduced ourselves yet."
Dottore slowly approached the trio and began his introduction.
"I am 'The Doctor,' Second of the Fatui Harbingers. It's a pleasure to meet you in Sumeru, Traveler."
Hearing Dottore's introduction, Lumine and Paimon's hearts sank.
The Second Harbinger?
This difficulty spike is insane!
We got our asses handed to us by the Sixth Harbinger before, and now we've run straight into the Second?
We don't stand a chance!
Lumine's newfound sense of invincibility shattered instantly.
Of course, sitting back and waiting for death wasn't her style. The Dull Blade in her hand began to glow with a purple light, crackling with the faint rumble of thunder. Raising the sword high, she watched as its blade extended several meters before she swung it down at the vine-sealed window.
To her utter shock, the impact produced the clang of metal on metal.
Her full-power strike hadn't left even a scratch on the vines.
His power is far greater than I imagined... Only an Archon could possess this level of strength...
No, wait... what I'm seeing probably isn't real!
With this realization, Lumine flooded her body with Elemental Power. The scene before her twisted and distorted before shattering like a mirror.
As the Fatui soldiers and Great Sage Azar reappeared, Lumine knew she had broken free from the illusion.
But the immediate crisis was far from over. The pressure radiating from Dottore was immense.
"I must say, I'm surprised."
Despite his words, Lumine saw not a flicker of surprise on Dottore's face.
"To break through my little trick so quickly... It seems their assessment of you was well-deserved."
Lumine frowned, having no intention of engaging Dottore in conversation. She charged toward the window again.
This time, however, Dottore made his move.
An unimaginably powerful impact struck Lumine's side almost instantly. She didn't even have time to see the attack coming, only managing to use the last of her strength to shield Paimon and Faruzan.
Lumine finally left the room—by being blasted through the wall.
Staring at the gaping hole, Great Sage Azar glared at Dottore in annoyance.
"Dottore, that's Akademiya property!"
"Hmph."
Dottore didn't even spare the Great Sage a glance, striding directly toward the direction Lumine had been sent flying.
Though his pace seemed leisurely, his speed was astonishing. In just a few steps, Dottore stood before the trio once more.
Lumine clutched her aching back, which felt as if a vital part had been ripped out. She pushed Paimon and Faruzan away, then raised her Dull Blade and faced Dottore alone.
She had to buy time for the other two to escape!
"Traveler!"
Paimon anxiously flew after Lumine, but before she could get far, Faruzan grabbed her and bolted toward the exit without looking back.
"We can't help her! Our only priority is to get out of here!" Faruzan shouted, using her Anemo Energy to speed herself up.
The moment Dottore had attacked, she had felt the overwhelming stench of death. In that instant, she had been completely paralyzed, her entire life flashing before her eyes.
Though Lumine's protection had left her unscathed, Faruzan knew with chilling certainty that she was no match for Dottore. She couldn't even pose a threat to him. He was so powerful, he hardly seemed human.
Paimon struggled for a moment, but after hearing Faruzan's explanation, she stopped resisting. Her eyes fixed on Lumine's retreating figure, filled with worry, and she screamed:
"Hang in there, Traveler!"
The next moment, Lumine was sent flying by Dottore once more. They were in completely different leagues.
Just then, Paimon saw Dottore turn his head toward them. A chill ran down her spine.
Paimon immediately scrambled up Faruzan's arm and onto her head, grabbing her twin tails like reins.
"Madam Faruzan, can you go any faster? He's targeting us!"
"I'm already at full speed!"
Faruzan's face was flushed red as she pushed her power to its absolute limit.
"Stop pushing this old lady! Don't you know you're supposed to respect your elders?!"
"I don't think he knows that! He's about to attack!"
Faruzan's heart sank. She braced herself to dive to the side, leaving her survival to fate. But at that moment, Lumine charged back into the fray, unleashing her full power. Her body erupted in a dazzling, multicolored aura.
Lumine's reappearance made Dottore change his mind, redirecting his attack toward her instead.
Goosebumps erupted all over Lumine's body. Without a moment's hesitation, she swallowed the pill Dr. Edward had given her.
The instant the pill settled in her stomach, Lumine saw a green sky!
After a brief pause, countless green motes of light surged toward her. Her affinity for Dendro Elemental Power had reached an absurd level—it was as if the Dendro Archon herself had descended!
Seeing this astonishing transformation, Dottore's face finally showed a flicker of surprise. But the shock quickly vanished, replaced by an even deeper, more sinister smile.
Countless thick branches, each several meters in diameter, erupted from all directions and surged wildly toward Dottore.
Faced with such a massive assault, Dottore finally moved to evade, yet his expression remained effortlessly calm.
"Hmm. I don't know how you managed this, but your control over the elements is still crude."
"After all, this isn't a power you should possess. It's understandable that you'd struggle."
"If you want to defeat me, this level of power is far from enough."
Just as Dottore was about to make a move, he suddenly froze, then shot back several dozen meters.
The instant he retreated, the thick branches before him swelled violently again, sprouting countless sharp thorns. These thorns, in turn, grew even more thorns...
Lumine, the one wielding this power, was even more aware of its limitations than Dottore. She pushed her current advantage to its absolute limit.
Expending all her Dendro Elemental Power in a single burst, Lumine immediately turned and chased after Paimon and Faruzan. Behind her, a dense wall of interwoven branches and thorns erupted, blocking Dottore's path.
Dottore watched Lumine's retreating figure, his brow gradually smoothing out.
"Fine. I'll let you go this time."
"I've already found a worthy opponent for you, Traveler."
After muttering these words, Dottore turned and departed.
Meanwhile, Great Sage Azar stared at the devastation before him, clutching his hair in despair.
"This is all Akademiya property!"
"Damn Dottore! Damn Traveler!"
"Go! Find them and bring them back to me!"
"That person must be injured; she can't have gotten far!"
"And surround the [Restricted Zone]!"
"Yes, Great Sage!"
Upon receiving Great Sage Azar's orders, the Matra, now freed from their restraints, immediately rushed away from the scene.
Azar's face twitched as he looked at the buildings, riddled with holes like hornet nests from the plant growth.
He desperately needed funds right now; where was he supposed to find the money to repair all this...?