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Alita Miller narrowed her eyes slightly but still agreed with a smile. "Ace, please accompany us."

"At your command, my lady!" Ace responded immediately, his gaze toward Dean Bruce now filled with respect.

If someone could command such deference from his superiors, their status must be high indeed. Ace thought that if he could build a connection with Dean Bruce and establish a good relationship, he might advance further within the organization.

Horton Martin, having witnessed the power of Dean Bruce\'s high-level magic, understood his immense strength. He knew that Dean Bruce was merely a collaborator and not under their command, so naturally, he had no authority to impose too many restrictions.

For now, all Horton could do was manage both sides of their team while waiting for Dean Bruce and the others to return.

After walking for a short distance, Dean Bruce and Alita Miller stopped and turned to Ace.

Ace knew what they expected. He immediately closed his eyes, waved his staff, and began muttering an incantation under his breath.

Buzz—

Soon, a soft yellow light coalesced into a glowing orb, which exploded into countless tiny sprites that scattered in all directions.

After a while, Ace suddenly opened his eyes and said in a low voice, "To the left, about a thousand yards away, there are six people: four women, all likely over thirty, and two men, both around forty, and quite muscular. Judging by the patterns on their magic robes, they\'re all from Stanlow City!"

"To the right..."

As Ace described each person, Dean Bruce nodded slightly, impressed by the spell\'s effectiveness. Though it couldn\'t provide highly detailed information, it could still detect general appearances and clothing from a great distance, making it quite useful.

If time weren\'t so pressing, Dean Bruce would have considered negotiating to acquire this spell as well!

With Ace\'s help, locating people became much simpler.

In less than fifteen minutes, Ace had pinpointed Barnis George\'s location. Dean Bruce\'s eyes narrowed with cold determination as he immediately headed toward him.

Alita Miller followed, chuckling softly. "Your earlier disguise was quite convincing. I always thought you were just a harmless young man, but I didn\'t expect such a strong killer instinct!"

Dean Bruce didn\'t respond to Alita Miller\'s comment. Instead, he shifted the conversation and said, "My target is only Barnis George. I need you to help me by luring his teammates away, giving me time to deal with him alone."

"Time?"

Alita Miller paused, surprised. "What kind of grudge do you have with him that you even want to take your time torturing him?"

"I\'m curious about that too, so I want to get some answers." Dean Bruce had a pretty good idea why Barnis George was targeting him, but with the danger all around him, he needed to confirm it.

Alita Miller gave Dean Bruce a quick glance and, seeing the seriousness in his expression, nodded in agreement.

They picked up their pace, and soon enough, the voices of Barnis George and his companion reached their ears.

"Hahaha, we\'re in luck! There\'s a trace of the Red Sun Fruit inside this beast!"

"That means there\'s probably a Red Sun Tree nearby. Let\'s hurry and find it. If we can locate a whole tree, the points we\'ll earn will be substantial!"

Upon hearing this, Alita Miller, who was about to cast a spell, paused, her eyes lighting up.

The Red Sun Fruit might not be particularly rare, but a Red Sun Tree was a different story. If the tree was carefully uprooted and wasn\'t entirely dead, it could be transplanted into the human world, providing a long-term source of Red Sun Fruits. Every so often, it would even produce a Red Sun Core, which significantly enhanced a person\'s affinity with fire elements.

In simple terms, absorbing the Red Sun Core would make it easier to cast or comprehend fire elemental magics, while also amplifying their power!

Dean Bruce hadn\'t been wasting his time reading over the past few days. He also understood the importance of the Red Sun Tree. Meeting Alita Miller\'s gaze, he whispered, "No need to rush. Let\'s keep him alive a little longer. We\'ll deal with him after he leads us to the Red Sun Tree."

For now, the three of them held their breath and hid among the dense foliage, quietly trailing behind Barnis George and his companion.

With Ace\'s abilities, there was no fear of losing track of them. Keeping a good distance, they remained undetected.

After a while, Ace finished his spell and whispered, "They\'ve entered a cave. This should be where the Red Sun Tree is located!"

Alita Miller smiled and said, "Well done. You stay at the entrance and keep watch. If anyone else comes, make a ruckus and alert us."

"As you command!"

Ace had anticipated this outcome. He knew he wouldn\'t have a chance to share in the treasure, so he silently grumbled to himself while outwardly agreeing with the utmost respect.

Dean Bruce and Alita Miller didn\'t care what Ace was thinking. They quietly made their way toward the cave.

The cave was well-hidden, concealed beneath a tangle of green vines. If it hadn\'t been for the traces left by Barnis George and his companion, Dean Bruce and Alita Miller might not have even recognized it as an entrance.

Of course, Barnis George had been tracking the scent left by the beast they had hunted. Otherwise, they wouldn\'t have been able to find this place either.

After waiting for a moment, Dean Bruce and Alita Miller stepped forward, pushed aside the vines, and entered the cave.

Boom—

As soon as they stepped inside, Dean Bruce immediately noticed the temperature rise within the space, with the ground beneath them glowing a faint red.

Alita Miller licked her lips, her excitement palpable. "I can feel it—the intense fire elemental magic! If I can absorb all that into my body, my power could increase once again!"

Hearing this, Dean Bruce furrowed his brow slightly. He had seen Alita Miller cast spells twice before, and they seemed related to water elements and the moon. If she was also proficient in fire elemental magics, he would need to be extra cautious in their upcoming collaboration.

After all, why would anyone hide their true strength unless they were planning something?

Either she intended to double-cross him, or she had other schemes in mind!

"How will we divide the Red Sun Tree?" Dean Bruce asked directly. It was better to discuss the distribution now than to fight over it later when the tree was in front of them.

Alita Miller smiled softly, "I may not know your true identity, but cultivating a Red Sun Tree requires considerable resources. Leave the tree to me. I\'ll give you a third of the fruits each time it bears fruit. As for the Red Sun Core, I\'ll give you one every three years. How does that sound?"

"…"

Hearing this proposal, Dean Bruce frowned.

It sounded fair now, but what if she decided to go back on her word later?

"A contract!" Dean Bruce thought of one of the unique benefits of this world: contracts enforced by divine power.

Alita Miller chuckled, "No problem, but for now, let\'s focus on securing the Red Sun Tree first!"

They quietly ventured deeper into the cave. As the temperature continued to rise, they both shed their magic robes. Sweat began to flow naturally from their skin under their light clothing.

As they moved further in, Barnis George\'s exclamation suddenly echoed through the cave, "My god, this Red Sun Tree is enormous! Hurry, let\'s start picking the fruits!"

"That\'s right! We\'ve hit the jackpot this time. We might even secure a spot in the top two and win a place in the Advanced Magic Academy!"

As soon as Barnis George finished speaking, Alita Miller\'s lips curled into a smile. Instead of drawing her staff, she floated into the air, a soft purple light shimmering around her. As her melodious voice echoed, the light transformed into a mist that began to spread deeper into the cave.

"Sleep now, let sleep ease all your burdens, and enter a world of sweet dreams."

In that moment, Alita Miller radiated a violet glow, resembling a nightmarish enchantress. With a gentle breath, she exhaled a mist capable of lulling anyone into a deep slumber.

The mist flowed through the passage, gradually advancing.

"Something\'s wrong, Barnis! There\'s mist behind you!"

"This is bad, someone\'s followed us in! We have to fight our way out!"

Bang! Bang!

Instructors held the highest ranks within the city, and almost instantly, they sensed something was amiss. However, the mist spread rapidly and took effect even faster.

Within ten breaths, a series of crisp sounds echoed.

Alita Miller\'s smile widened in pride. "They\'re down."

Nodding slightly, Dean Bruce refrained from praising Alita Miller. Instead, he strode forward down the passage. As he rounded a corner, a vast cavern came into view.

The purple mist had already dissipated, and Barnis George, along with another instructor, lay motionless on the ground.

Looking further ahead, Dean Bruce\'s pupils contracted sharply as he finally understood the reason for Barnis George\'s earlier astonishment.

Ahead of him was not solid ground, but a shimmering red pool of water. In the center of this pool stood a towering tree, its branches spreading wide to fill the entire cavern ceiling.

The tree\'s fiery red leaves hung thickly, each adorned with fruits that glowed with a crimson light, illuminating the dark cavern as if it were daylight. The heat was almost unbearable.

This was Dean Bruce\'s first time witnessing such a scene, and he was struck with awe, momentarily frozen in place.

And it wasn\'t just him. Alita Miller, who had followed closely behind, gasped in amazement. "My god, is this... could this really be the legendary Red Sun Sacred Tree? If someone were to consume its core, they might even have a chance to ascend to the level of a Sage Magus!"