Just as Will was still recovering from his astonishment at the sudden disappearance of General Lei and Jin, the two of them suddenly reappeared in the room. General Lei was holding Jin's right fist with his left hand, while Jin's left hand was blocking the right fist that Lei had swung at him. Both were exerting all their strength, neither gaining the upper hand.
"Remarkable... that was incredibly fast," Will exclaimed, standing to the side, awestruck.
"Hmph, not bad," General Lei remarked, eyes fixed on Jin. "But your strength has shown no improvement. Haven't you been taking the Fire Thorn elixir as prescribed?"
"That concoction... I told you I'd never use it again," Jin replied disdainfully.
"Bastard! You are a disgrace to the Jiliu family!" General Lei's anger flared. With a swift motion, he pulled his right fist back before suddenly driving it toward Jin's face. Despite Jin preparing for the blow, Lei's strength was overwhelming. Jin was struck and sent flying across the room, landing hard on the dilapidated bed, which collapsed under the force of the impact.
"The Fire Thorn elixir is a proud treasure of the Jiliu family, and yet you refuse to take it? It seems you have completely forgotten the honor of our family," General Lei snarled as he quickly moved to Jin's side, seizing his collar, eyes blazing with fury.
"Cowards like you, always relying on that," Jin spat, still unbothered despite the blood dripping from his mouth.
"You!" General Lei, infuriated, extended his right hand, preparing to strike again.
"That's enough! We didn't come here to watch you two quarrel," Lisa, who had remained silent until now, interjected suddenly. With a snap of her fingers, she whispered the word "Hypnosis," and General Lei collapsed, his body going limp as he fell to the ground, utterly powerless.
"Well done, Lisa," Will said, turning to her with a smile. He then hurried to Jin, gently lifting him up and helping him sit in a chair.
"Actually, you drank the Fire Thorn elixir, didn't you?" Lisa remarked to Jin. "Back when you fought Pix in the arena."
Jin looked at her in surprise. He didn't speak, but he nodded slightly, his expression tinged with a hint of shame.
Lisa's mind drifted back to the moment in the Broken Bones Arena. Jin had been surrounded by a white aura, his eyes filled with crimson blood as he moved at a speed beyond human capability to save the unconscious Will, and then defeated Pix, who had the Demonstone.
"Jin," Will said softly, sitting beside him, "tell us about your family."
"I can tell you don't really have any issues with General Lei," Will continued. "He's just upset that you don't listen to him."
Jin wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and looked up at Will.
"The Jiliu family is an ancient lineage within the Arus Empire," Jin began. "Our family excels in two fields: alchemy and martial arts. These arts might seem commonplace, but our ancestors recognized early on that the two could be perfectly combined. One day, deep in the mountains, they discovered a plant with the same bright red color as flames. It stood out like a beacon against the white of the snow-covered peaks. They called it the Fire Thorn. After using alchemical methods to refine it, they consumed the Fire Thorn and found their bodies changed. Their strength grew exponentially, their speed improved, and they began to exude a white, ethereal energy—just as you saw, Lisa." He glanced at his brother, General Lei, lying in bed.
"But the Fire Thorn is not without its side effects," Jin continued. "Its effects forcefully enhance your reflexes and strength in a short period, but at a great cost. Every time it's used, it rapidly depletes your physical energy. Prolonged use leads to death from overexertion."
Jin paused, then added, "Thus, while the Jiliu family is known for its strength, its members die young. They either perish in battles against the enemy or from their own bodies breaking down."
"Is that why you ran away from your family?" Lisa asked, standing at the corner of the room.
"My brother wanted me to be his successor, to become a general in the Arus army," Jin said, his tone softening with a tinge of sadness. "But..."
"But you didn't want to be trapped there forever," Will said, his voice sympathetic. "You wanted to see the world, to experience the entire continent of Roland."
Jin's voice grew passionate once more. "Exactly! That's why I left without a word."
Will sighed as he walked over to General Lei's unconscious form. "I thought I was rebellious, but you, Jin, you're far more impulsive."
"Alright, Lisa, wake him up," Will said as he gently placed General Lei in a chair opposite Jin.
Lisa snapped her fingers again, and as the sound rang through the room, General Lei's eyes fluttered open. The first face he saw was his brother, Jin, whose swollen eyes met his with a solemn and troubled expression. Lei stared at him silently, his gaze unwavering, and the two simply locked eyes, sharing an awkward silence.
"Alright, Jin," Will said, breaking the tension. "We'll talk more about your family later. Now that you understand why we're here, will you help us?"
Will's face lit up with a confident smile. He knew that with Jin's personality, he would never turn a blind eye to this matter.
"It seems like a lot of trouble," Jin remarked nonchalantly, gesturing toward Lisa. "There are so many mages. The two of us can hardly deal with one mage, let alone an army."
Will, watching Jin's laid-back demeanor, couldn't help but grin. Just as Jin finished speaking, a small flame flickered at the tip of his finger.
"Ah!" Jin yelped, hastily placing his finger in his mouth and glaring at Lisa with an exaggerated look of reproach.
"Next time you want to badmouth someone, remember to do it behind their back," Lisa sneered.
"You've got no sense of humor, you woman," Jin grumbled through clenched teeth, still nursing his singed finger, as Will stood by, laughing at the scene.
"So, Jin, will you help us? Will you help us drive out these evil mages?" Will asked, trying to suppress his laughter, still smiling at the antics between Jin and Lisa.
"Of course," Jin replied, suddenly serious. "If we don't get rid of them, the people of Arus won't be able to live in peace."