Chapter 532  Mountain Fire

If properly processed, those materials could greatly increase a person’s mana reserves or be used in high-level magical crafting.

Of course, consuming them directly was another matter.

The raw mana within the tree was far too dense and volatile. If an ordinary human tried to eat any part of it without refinement, the uncontrolled surge of mana would overwhelm their body and cause a catastrophic mana backlash, potentially tearing them apart from the inside.

Monsters, however, were different. Their bodies contained far more chaotic mana and their body were naturally more robust, allowing them to endure the raw energy much better than humans.

Perhaps because of this constant threat, the banyan tree had developed a strong instinct for self-preservation.

Anyone who stepped too close was treated as a potential predator.

And so the tree attacked without hesitation, its countless vines lashing out at any intruder that dared approach its trunk.

The five mages spent nearly ten minutes gathering three feet of bark, but to them, it felt like an eternity.

Every second dragged painfully slowly.

By the time the mage responsible for collecting the bark finally returned, his entire body was soaked in sweat. It wasn’t from exhaustion alone, but from the overwhelming nervousness of working so close to danger.

Still, he had succeeded.

Zion, Maxwell, and the others had already figured out what had happened just by observing the situation. None of them asked questions; they simply didn’t have the time.

“Good job. Now let’s move. We still need to find the other materials,” Zion barked.

Without wasting another moment, he turned and shifted into his wolf form before sprinting forward. Maxwell immediately followed close behind.

The werewolves who had been assigned to carry the mages quickly moved to their respective partners. They lowered their bodies, allowing the mages to climb onto their backs, and once the riders were secured, they took off after Zion and Maxwell.

Throughout the journey, Zion and Maxwell kept a close watch on everyone. Thankfully, none of the werewolves showed any hostility toward the mages or tried to do anything suspicious, which eased some of the tension weighing on their shoulders. Only then were they able to release quiet sighs of relief.

After that, they repeated the same strategy again and again as they gathered the remaining materials.

Eventually, they were left with only one last ingredient, the Luminous Night Daisy.

They finally located it in a large clearing on the mountainside.

But the moment they arrived, everyone froze.

A mountain fire was already raging across the clearing.

Flames spread rapidly through the area, creeping closer and closer toward the patch of glowing Luminous Night Daisies, threatening to devour them completely.

Both the mages and the werewolves, including Zion and Maxwell, stood there in stunned silence, momentarily stupefied by the sight.

’What’s going on?!’ Zion thought as he frantically scanned the burning clearing.

Without wasting another second, he rushed forward, trying to salvage whatever Luminous Night Daisy stems were still untouched by the spreading flames. The fire was moving quickly, devouring the field bit by bit.

When he glanced around, however, he saw that the others were still standing there, stunned by the sudden disaster.

Only Maxwell seemed to have regained his senses as well.

The two exchanged a quick look, immediately understanding what needed to be done. Without hesitation, they began assigning tasks as quickly as possible so they could salvage as many of the precious flowers as they could before the fire consumed everything.

“What are you all standing there for?!” Zion barked loudly.

His voice rang across the clearing like thunder.

“Everyone, help the mages gather the Luminous Night Daisies! If we move any slower, they’ll all burn to a crisp!”

The sharp command finally snapped the others out of their shock. Zion’s thunderous voice shook their hearts, and the group immediately sprang into action, rushing toward the remaining patches of glowing flowers before the flames could reach them.

“Right, gather as many as you can!” the leading mage shouted.

“Now that this place has been engulfed by fire, it will be impossible for the Luminous Night Daisies to survive here. Even if a few seeds somehow remain, it would still take decades before they could grow again.”

He paused briefly before continuing, his tone firm and urgent.

“So instead of letting them burn, we’ll replant whatever we can salvage at our new chosen site, so we will have easy access to it whenever we need it. But first, we need to set aside some for the Teleportation Portal.”

The mage deliberately said this out loud to motivate the others.

If he hadn’t, the other mages might have simply taken the few flowers they needed and fled the burning clearing. That would mean wasting the rest of the precious plants that were now slowly being devoured by the mountain fire.

And just as he expected, his words worked.

The moment the other mages heard him, they looked around at the vast sea of glowing Luminous Night Daisies scattered across the clearing, flowers that were now steadily being swallowed by flames.

A sense of urgency surged through them.

It felt as if fire itself was running through their veins.

Without another word, they quickly crouched down and pulled out more of their tools, working rapidly to uproot the daisies along the outer edges of the clearing where the flames had not yet reached.

At the same time, the werewolves worked together to contain the spreading fire.

If they failed to stop it, the entire mountain could be reduced to a barren wasteland. And if that happened, the already restless monsters and wild animals living in the area would lose their habitats.

With nowhere else to go, those creatures might end up invading the werewolves’ settlements and territories, bringing chaos and danger with them.

“Warriors! Stay in your wolf forms and dig a deeper trench near the fire!” Zion shouted at the top of his lungs. “Stop the flames from spreading farther so we can save more Luminous Night Daisies and keep the fire from reaching the forest!”

While Zion issued orders, Maxwell had already taken action.

It was as if the two had read each other’s thoughts.

Even before Zion spoke, Maxwell had rushed forward and started digging a trench in the middle of the clearing, barely a meter away from the raging fire. His powerful claws tore through the soil as he carved a deep line into the ground.

The heat was unbearable.

Although Maxwell was a werewolf with naturally fast healing, the flames licking dangerously close to his silver fur were still scorching hot. He could even smell the faint scent of burnt hair coming from his own coat.

His brows knitted slightly in discomfort, but he didn’t stop.

Not even for a second.

At first, the other warriors were confused by Maxwell’s sudden actions. But the moment Zion shouted his command, they immediately understood.

Without hesitation, they rushed forward to join him.

Because they were in their wolf forms, far larger and stronger than ordinary wild wolves, the trenches they dug with their powerful paws were both wider and deeper. Dirt flew everywhere as a few werewolves worked together at incredible speed.

Within just five minutes, they had already carved a hundred-meter trench around the clearing, forming a barrier meant to slow the raging mountain fire.