477 Alchemists Must Be Gifted Arsonists

"I did tell you to throw it as soon as you pinch it." Leon shrugged in response.

Shortly after, he chilled the exploding pills to harden the outer coating layer, preventing accidents from happening before storing them in a larger pill bottle.

"Here, take these exploding pills and go nuts." Leon shortly tossed the pill bottle over to Supreme Elder Haldir, giving the person a huge fright. 

"Don't worry. These ones won't be as easy to crush as the previous one." Leon chuckled slightly before working on the next batch of pills. 

Supreme Elder Haldir was a little dismayed before he recovered and nodded. 

The half-blue half-red color gave the exploding pills an appearance similar to candies, but one would be in for one hell of a surprise if they were to consume them—a surprise trip to the netherworld, that is.

Boom! Boom!

Explosions were shortly heard after the Supreme Elder left. 

The brilliant burst of flames sent numerous rats squeaking in retreat while their unlucky brethren burned in agony.

The rats were like oil; once set aflame, they would keep burning, even in death, until their bodies that fuel the flames run dry.

As a dweller of the forest, Supreme Elder Haldir was naturally not a fan of the flames. 

However, at this moment, he could not help but admire the brilliant flames that burn these wretched vermin in all its beauty. 

"The young prince sure is full of surprises. To think small pills like these can produce such large devastation." Supreme Elder Haldir sighed emotionally before glancing at the pill bottle containing roughly three dozen exploding pills. 

Boom! Boom!

Most exploding pills were tossed out, burning rats in its wake and quickly clearing a path towards the distant passageways for the Supreme Elder. 

Once an area was set aflame, the rats could only avoid it—lest they burn along with their unfortunate brethren!

The flames made their way to one of the passageways, and the rats' advancement was halted by fire, immediately cutting the influx of rats from the said passageway.

Supreme Elder Haldir formed a long blade made from vine armor and immediately slashed the passageway's entrance into pieces, causing it to collapse. 

After forcefully closing off the passageway, he made his over to the next closest passageway while clearing the path with the exploding pills in his hands. 

Meanwhile, Aria continued to slay rats with uncanny skills and graceful movements that Leon had never seen Aria displayed before. 

The longer Leon watched her fight, the more he found her movements familiar as if he had seen them before—in his past life. 

'No, they're not just familiar. Those are the exact same set of movements Aria uses!" Leon confirmed. 

Of course, the Aria he was thinking of was not the one before his eyes but the one engraved in his memories!

'How can Aria know the same set of movements?' Leon pondered. 

Although Aria was not performing to the set of intended movements to the same acme of perfection, he could see that she was quickly improving. 

His heart was shaken by what he had discovered. 

Perhaps, the people of Gaia with spitting images of people from the Divine Realm were more than just people who looked the same? 

There seems to be a profound yet deeply hidden and intricately linked relationship between the two. 

'I must confront Aria and get to the bottom of this at once after the situation here is dealt with.' Leon decided with a resolute look.

Perhaps, it was time to share secrets of his origins with his loved ones.

Shortly after, he began speeding up his pill refinement process, not intending to stop until he completed a few hundred exploding pills.

Over at the foot of the bridge, rats were being diced to pieces left and right by the 8 Elders. 

It was not long before the last batch of evacuating elves made it to the surface before the ground rumbled from the large movements of the tree roots pulling back. 

"The elves have evacuated, and the Guardian Spirit have pulled back its roots. Let us regroup with the Supreme Elder and—"

Boom! Boom!

The Elder suddenly paused to look at the sudden explosions rumbling in the distance.

"What on earth is the Supreme Elder tossing at the rats?" 

"I don't know, but it's very effective!"

The Elders quickly nodded in agreement, "That's for sure!"

Their eyes flickered with awe.

There were a particular pleasure and enjoyment in watching these wretched rats squirm and burn in agony.

…

Great Forest Outskirts.

A group of informants quickly arrived and greeted, "Third Princess Thessalia!"

"Report!" Princess Thessalia barked after acknowledging the elves' greetings.

"Yes! The surrounding elven warriors have exhausted their powers and began to retreat under their assigned captains' orders. We can no longer control the spread of the forest fire, Your Highness!"

"Understood."

Princess Thessalia nodded.

Shortly after, the group of elves was suddenly startled by the nearby explosions. They quickly realized the source came from the reddish-blue pills the elven warriors were throwing.

"May I ask what those things are, Your Highness?" One of the elves asked while they all gulped in amazement. 

Mountains of scorched-black rat carcasses could be seen ahead. 

"Those? Those are exploding pills." 

"Pills can also be used like this?" The group of elves was both shocked and surprised. 

Princess Thessalia nodded and said, "Well, what can I say? Alchemists must be gifted arsonists."

Shortly after, she refocused her eyes sternly. She called over an elven warrior and asked, "What's the inventory on our exploding pills?"

"Report to your highness, we are down to three dozen pills left." The elven warrior answered.

Princess Thessalia nodded. 

"I see. Go inform all our warriors that we will be retreating."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Shortly after, a personal guard beside Princess Thessalia asks, "Are we going to leave the Skysilver Beast King to fend for himself?"

Princess Thessalia shortly gazed back into the distance, where the Skysilver Beast King could be seen standing atop the black mountain of rat carcasses without much trouble.

The surrounding sea of rats was unable to come close due to the fires burning in the area. 

"The Skysilver Beast King will be fine on its own." Princess Thessalia said.