What was most remarkable was that the black smoke around them had begun to dissipate slightly.
Could it be that the Angel's Flower was the natural counter to the Underworld Flower—capable not only of suppressing it, but also of purifying the black smoke?
But the problem was... there was no time to let the Angel's Flower grow naturally.
Was there a way to make plants grow faster?
Faster plant growth...
Right! There was someone who could help with that.
"Jura-san, if I'm right about this—then this method will definitely work. I'll leave the rest to you."
Noel looked at Jura with resolve in his eyes.
Seeing the confidence on Noelle's face, Jura nodded.
"Understood. I won't let you get hurt."
Meanwhile, the four members of Blue Pegasus had managed to break through the horde, with a wave of mindless villagers still chasing after them.
"Iron Rock Wall: Chain Formation!"
Jura summoned layer after layer of reinforced stone barriers, holding back the advancing tide of people.
"We're finally safe..." Ichiya sighed with relief.
"All thanks to Master Jura." The Blue Pegasus members all bowed in gratitude.
Elsewhere, Noel had already started digging through his bag, pulling out a variety of alchemical materials—each one top-tier and extremely rare.
If sold in a shop, these materials could easily purchase an entire estate.
But now wasn't the time to worry about cost.
Noel picked out all the materials he could use and began preparing a summoning ritual.
It would be his first time summoning a spirit, and he was a bit nervous.
The summoning ritual required specific components, precise alignments, and sometimes even celestial timing.
But right now, there was no time for precision. He needed something special—a token guaranteed to summon Tias.
Tias… what did she like again?
Right—ice cream.
She'd once said she refused to appear unless given ice cream.
But where would he get ice cream now? That was way too difficult!
Well… shaved ice is close enough, right? Tias probably won't notice.
"Eve! I need a favor!" Noel called out to the panting mage.
"What is it?" Eve asked, confused.
"You use ice magic, right? I need you to make me some shaved ice. My pack has a temperature-preserving container. Just shape the ice and store it in there."
"Wait—why? What do you need shaved ice for…?" Eve stared blankly.
"You'll find out soon enough." Noel replied with a mysterious grin.
Eve was filled with disbelief. We're in the middle of a crisis, and this guy wants shaved ice?
Is he serious?!
"Quickly! I even have strawberry syrup. Just sprinkle a little on top. Make sure it's fast."
Noel reminded him.
Eve felt his whole worldview crack.
What kind of normal person carries strawberry syrup on them at all times?!
He still didn't understand Noel's plan, but followed through anyway.
Worst case, if we can't escape, we'll treat it as a last supper...
Soon, Noel's magic circle was nearly complete.
The moment the shaved ice arrived, he placed it at the center of the summoning array.
A bright green light flashed—then, a door opened within the circle.
Out stepped a green-colored spirit.
"Tias, long time no see." Noel greeted her.
"'Long time'? Hmph. I thought you'd completely forgotten about me!"
Tias huffed, clearly upset.
Everyone else stared in disbelief.
Summoning magic?!
An alchemist who could also summon spirits?
But the two seemed to be in deep conversation, so the others respectfully stayed silent.
"There's ice cream," Noel pointed toward the center of the circle.
"Well... in that case, I'll forgive you."
Tias picked up the temperature-sealed container, noticing the elegant spoon beside it—also made of ice.
She took a bite.
"Mmm, delicious. All right—what do you need help with?"
But then she sensed something odd around her.
"Wait—what happened here? This place is super dangerous! Don't tell me... you summoned me to say goodbye?! Aww, I'm so touched..."
Noel's face twitched.
What kind of story is she telling herself now...?
"My lovely lady, please accept this flower!"
Ichiya plucked the rose from his chest and offered it dramatically.
"No thanks," Tias replied flatly.
"I hate humans."
Her words struck like thunder—instantly rendering Ichiya emotionally incapacitated.
"How… how could such a beautiful lady hate humanity…"
He slumped in a corner, muttering to himself.
The Blue Pegasus members quickly tried to console him.
"It's okay, Ichiya-sensei. You're still charming…"
"Wait—don't tell me I was summoned to accept his flower?" Tias groaned.
"Of course not! That was just an accident!" Noel quickly clarified.
"I need a seed to grow into a full flower and bloom across the entire mountain. Can you do it?"
Noel stole a quick glance at Tias, worried he was asking for too much.
"That's a tall order… I might not have enough mana," she started.
Then suddenly shifted tone—
"But! I'm happy with the offering this time, so I've got enough juice."
"Wait… you're saying you do have enough power?"
"I'm Tias, the wood spirit! Of course I can do it."
She glared at Noel for doubting her.
Tias took the sprouted seed from his hand.
A glowing green magic circle appeared, and the seed began rapidly rooting and growing.
"Incredible..." Jura murmured in awe as the Angel's Flower blossomed.
"So amazing…" Ren added.
In moments, the tiny sprout bloomed into a pristine white Angel's Flower.
Tias placed it gently on the ground.
The moment it touched the earth, empowered by her magic, it began to spread wildly.
One after another, the Angel's Flowers covered the entirety of West Hill.
The Underworld Flowers were completely replaced by the glowing white blossoms.
Even the clouds parted—sunlight pierced through the sky, shining down like a divine revelation.
The black smoke was absorbed into the flowers, and West Hill began to return to its natural state.
The lifeless, decayed trees began to regain their vitality.
"How… how is this happening?!" Cole cried out in frustration.
But then something strange happened—
He was finally able to remove his mouth from the flute.
Could this mean... he was saved?
Cole was momentarily ecstatic.
I'm not going to die! I made it!
"Multi-Pillar Rain!"
A barrage of stone pillars crashed down on him like a storm.
"Ow! That hurts—stop, please stop!" Cole begged.
But Jura didn't stop until Cole was knocked completely unconscious.
Then Ichiya and Hibiki, both still upset, went over and each delivered a few extra punches.
Meanwhile, Noel was chatting casually with Tias.
"You should summon me more often. The forest's boring." Tias pouted.
"The materials are expensive..." Noel winced.
He had just burned through a huge chunk of rare alchemical ingredients.
My heart is bleeding…
"Then come visit me in the forest instead."
Tias teased.
"I'll visit when I can," Noel nodded.
"Bring ice cream next time."
With a giggle, Tias vanished into the summoning circle.
Suddenly—
"What's going on?"
"Why are we at West Hill?"
"This is so weird!"
From the other side of the Iron Rock Wall came the sounds of the villagers regaining their sanity.
It seemed the mission was now truly over.
Jura waved his hand, and the Iron Rock Wall crumbled into dust, scattering gently in the wind.
The villagers looked around.
"This scenery… it's beautiful."
Gasps of awe filled the air.
"But West Hill looks like it's been torn apart... must've been a fierce battle."
Some villagers commented.
They rushed over—only to collapse in pain with every step.
Bones aching, joints popping…
The fight had clearly taken its toll on them.
The team spent quite some time explaining what had happened before the villagers finally calmed down and let them go.
As for Cole—he was handed over to the law enforcement team, and the Magic Council would take care of his judgment.
Elsewhere, a mysterious man in a ceremonial robe and eerie mask stood watching everything unfold.
He held a high-purity magic crystal in his hand.
"This magic crystal's quality is outstanding... This will greatly advance our research on the Tower of Paradise."
But then, his gaze shifted toward Noel at the foot of the mountain.
"That alchemist… he's going to be a problem. He may interfere with our plans."
"Still," he sighed, turning away.
"He's not the only variable."
With that, the masked man disappeared from West Hill.
After everything had been resolved, Noel purchased the development rights to West Hill, and the magic crystal mining operation began smoothly.
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