Reon immediately rushed toward the voice that called out to him—and froze the moment he saw her.
"W-What?!"
Xu Liang stood with trembling legs, barely upright, leaning against a crumbled pillar.
Her robes were torn in places and stained with soot and blood, her face pale, breath shallow, and eyes clouded with exhaustion.
'Senior Sister…? How did she become like this?'
"J-Junior Brother…"
She took one weak step toward him—
"Aah—!"
She stumbled, her knees buckling.
Reon flashed forward in an instant, catching her in his arms before she hit the ground.
"Senior Sister!" he called out, concern etching every word. "What happened in the Secret Realm? How did you end up like this?"
Xu Liang gave a faint smile, her voice barely a whisper.
"Something unexpected happened… I had to use a secret technique… drained all my Elemental Energy… and now… the side effects are… setting in. Please… let me rest…"
'What? That means the opponents were clearly far more powerful.'