Chapter Twenty-Three: Heart of the Rainbow?

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“Are you asking me why my surname is Zhao?” Elder Zhao Ming looked at Zhao Tianhe, his face full of bewilderment as he retorted, “Then why is your surname Zhao?”

“I just wanted to ask if your ancestors came from Earth,” Zhao Tianhe replied with a smile.

“Hmm… probably not. My ancestor was indeed a legendary hero, quite formidable, but the family records say he came from some place called the Divine Land of the East…” Zhao Ming recalled. “Earth? I’ve never heard of it.”

“Oh, I see.” Zhao Tianhe nodded, finally unraveling the mystery that had troubled him for so long. ‘So even people from ancient times were summoned here. I suppose most humans and humanoid races, as long as there are no reproductive barriers, would settle down and start families in this world.’

‘But me…’ Zhao Tianhe glanced at Lanice, who was nearby, and shook his head. ‘Too young. In every way, far too young.’

“Uncle Zhao, I’m going to get some sleep. I’m exhausted from today. The dungeon mutated so badly, over ten elite monsters appeared—we nearly wiped out the whole squad,” said a burly red-haired man, lifting the tent flap where the three were gathered and massaging his shoulder.

This was Bullron, one of the E+ dungeon hero squad members. Today happened to be the elite monster refresh day, and the sudden surge had left one of their archers gravely wounded, now undergoing limb regeneration magic at the town’s medical bureau.

“Rest for a while, all of you. My shop’s been quiet all day; nothing to do,” Zhao Ming said as he stood, addressing Zhao Tianhe and Lanice. He then picked up a long spear and stepped outside.

Zhao Tianhe did not protest, instead lying down and forcing himself to sleep, closing his eyes. Lanice did the same.

It was a sign of their trust in Zhao Ming.

The silver-haired man, spear in hand, made his way near the cave entrance and climbed a tall tree. He donned a cloak enchanted with a low-grade concealment spell and watched the entrance in silence.

The cave’s light barrier flickered constantly, clearly being tested by monsters, but unless the force exceeded a certain threshold, the seal would never break, no matter how many times it was attacked.

So, it wasn’t until a dazzling red light burst forth that Zhao Ming tensed and gripped his spear tightly—this meant the seal was about to be shattered!

‘Is it the super elite “Molten Steel Slime” split from the second layer’s suspected Lava Slime, as the reports mentioned?’ Zhao Ming had gotten a rough outline from Zhao Tianhe earlier, but as a seasoned veteran who had fought in C-level dungeons, he felt compelled to give it a try.

Zhao Ming leapt down from the tree canopy, adopting a battle stance.

Boom!

A scorching sphere shot forth, and Zhao Ming’s gaze sharpened as pale blue light surged across his body!

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The light flowed swiftly, instantly converging at the tip of his spear.

This was an ability unique to those who had undergone the Class Awakening—combat skills!

“Flowing Water Breaks Flame!” Zhao Ming muttered, his figure flickering as the spear tip traced a bright blue arc in the night sky, thrusting straight at the charging steel orb!

Clang!

The spear pierced the orb, water-element magic surging into it, detonating with a thunderous blast that shattered the Molten Steel Slime!

“You’ve gained 700 points of class experience.”

“This is… an elite of C-level, no, even stronger!” Zhao Ming frowned at the notification. ‘This isn’t good. Too long without a real fight—just that move drained all my mana, and my hand and waist ache… But according to them, there was only one… Damn!’

Another orb exploded from the slime cave!

Zhao Ming took a deep breath, bracing himself as he charged forward.

‘Insight!’ His mana was depleted, but he still had his passive combat skill—a technique that allowed him to spot flaws in the attacks of enemies whose agility was inferior to his own.

He jabbed the spear tip at the lower side of the orb, instantly altering its trajectory, causing it to veer sharply left and roll back.

‘No good. As Zhao Tianhe said, its body structure is elemental, brute force won’t kill it easily.’ Zhao Ming retreated, planning to wake the others, especially the spellcasters, to help encircle the monster.

But as the steel orb rolled back, it crashed right into Pixie’s cottage.

The little tree was crushed and scorched, and the cottage exploded into a shower of fragments…

Crack!

A strange, brittle sound echoed in the ears of everyone within a hundred miles…

It was as if something vitally important had been shattered…

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Pixie’s cottage and the charred remains of the small tree slowly dissolved into glimmering green light, drifting away. At the same time, where the tree once stood—now scorched earth—a seven-colored rainbow light began to shimmer…

Clap, clap, clap…

Zhao Tianhe felt something slapping his face. He opened his eyes to see Pixie hitting his left cheek with a small twig.

“Hey, what are you doing…” Zhao Tianhe asked, somewhat helpless.

Meanwhile, outside, Zhao Ming was calling for the others to come help.

“Enough messing around—I have to go out and help,” Zhao Tianhe said seriously, patting Pixie’s hair. “Stay here… No, go hide in a nearby tree.”

“Foolish Tian! I remember now! I was guarding something very important! I’m something great—I deserve your respect! Listen to me! Listen to Pixie Mama!” Pixie slapped Zhao Tianhe’s hand away and flew up to his face, tapping his nose angrily.

Her words were as odd as ever, but her expression was earnest, which piqued Zhao Tianhe’s curiosity.

“Alright, I’ll listen,” he sighed, resigned. “So, what should I do? Lanice, you go first.”

Truthfully, Zhao Tianhe knew he was useless against that strange Molten Steel Slime—Lanice was more useful, at least able to heal burns and restore stamina.

“The Rainbow Heart is about to appear—go gather it! That so-called Seven-Colored Slime you mentioned isn’t a slime, but the Rainbow Heart!” Pixie said sternly. “Although I don’t really know what the Rainbow Heart is, it must be very important.”

“Alright…” Zhao Tianhe nodded, feeling something was definitely off with Pixie.

And to be honest, this little sprite’s background and past were a tangled mess, and she occasionally produced rare items out of nowhere, like that Dragon Blood Essence before. Who knows, maybe this time it’d be something special too.

‘And if the slime I killed before was the Rainbow Heart, maybe I’ll get another Summon Token this time?’ With Pixie in tow, Zhao Tianhe left the tent, heading to her former dwelling.

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