"Teacher, what do you mean?" Yuga was puzzled. He couldn't accept the idea that the protector of Guru Mountain would be defeated.

"Secrets cannot be held forever, Yuga. Even if we safeguard them this time, what about next time?" The Great Mentor was unsurprised. The creatures of Guru Mountain were battle-hardened warriors who had experienced too many ups and downs. Deep down, they knew that victories and defeats were the norm for Adventurers with Class, but predicting defeat before the battle even began seemed rather ominous.

"When has Guru Mountain ever failed?" Simon, like Yuga, could not understand the Great Mentor's words. He, too, found it incredible that they would consider failure before the battle even began.

Simon and the others believed that they should be sharing their experiences in dealing with the Dark Wizard at this moment, exchanging information to identify the enemy's weaknesses. This way, they could strike where it hurt and be much more effective!

But the Great Mentor seemed to disagree, continuing to speak about the possibility of failure as he had before. "Failure isn't what we should fear, but the despair that could follow," he began to reflect again. His reflections were profound, requiring considerable thought to understand.

"No matter the outcome, we must fight to the end. I know the Black Crow, and I know a thing or two about that traitor Willem." Estev, a Soul Guardian who had lost an arm, spoke urgently about the Dark Wizard's organization.

Milo and the others had now calmed down. They saw the Great Mentor's doubts dispel, and they gradually emerged from their previous emotionally charged state. They were seasoned veterans, accustomed to such circumstances. The current situation indicated that this wasn't the time for reminiscing with the Great Mentor.

Having composed themselves, Milo and the others felt a chill run down their spines when they heard Estev mention the Black Crow.

The Alchemy Workshop, of course, knew their opponent was Wizard Reed, a member of the Black Crow. They had collaborated with the Black Crow in the past but had never understood the group's true intentions. Now that they heard what Estev had to say, they finally had a clue. It seemed the Black Crow had come prepared, their goal being the secret treasure hidden in Guru Mountain.

Wizard Reed knew about this hidden treasure, Estev knew, and the Great Mentor knew. The Alchemy Workshop, however, had been kept in the dark, a fact that puzzled them.

In other words, Milo and the others felt humiliated. They felt that the Alchemy Workshop had been played for fools by the Black Crow. The Black Crow had used the Alchemy Workshop to clear obstacles surrounding the mountain, forcing those pesky Treasure Hunters to leave early. If it hadn't been for the Alchemy Workshop's Heaven and Earth Bind Array, the Treasure Hunters wouldn't have left the mountain so readily.

Being used was one thing; they could be more careful next time. What infuriated Milo was the realization that they hadn't merely been used once, but multiple times by the Black Crow.

Dastan, the guardian of Dawn Peak, had been defeated by his, Milo's, own hand...

And the agreement between Witch Bigas and the Chief—wasn't that also an exploitation?

The Black Crow had exploited the relationship between the Chief and Witch Bigas, directly causing Witch Bigas to abandon resistance and hand over the seal of Dawn Peak. What a brilliant scheme...

The more Milo and the others thought about it, the angrier they became. Their minds seethed with resentment and frustration, keeping them from participating in the discussion among Simon, the others, and the Great Mentor.

"Mentor, while what you say isn't wrong, you must consider this: the enemy is in the dark while we are in the light. If we don't start preparing now, we'll truly suffer a great loss."

"We have to take it one step at a time and not overthink things. Great Mentor, you're thinking too far ahead, even about what comes after. We haven't even taken the first step, so how can we think about the second?"

"Mentor, Yuga is right. Right now, it's best if we can find the enemy's position and strike first. We need to catch them off guard, make it so they can't anticipate or see through our plans. This way, we'll surely have a chance of victory. How could we possibly fail?"

The group argued incessantly. Their clamor seemed intense enough to make the Stone House boil over.

The Great Mentor sighed helplessly. He found himself reminiscing about Igor. If Igor were here, he might have been able to persuade these people.

Am I really getting old? the Great Mentor wondered. I can't even express what I want to say clearly. This is so baffling to me.

These people argued back and forth, but their point was simple: they needn't worry, for they could not fail.

The Great Mentor knew they were all proud and unwilling to utter words like 'defeat.' He simply wanted them to reflect deeply on *why* they were guarding this place. Why must this power be protected? What makes it worth guarding? Even if it's stolen by others, are we truly out of options?

That was what the Great Mentor wanted to know, but these people didn't seem to understand. They kept arguing in circles, which was pointless.

"We won't fail!"

"That's right. We need to be cautious, but there's no need to be timid and hesitant at a time like this."

The group continued to express their blind confidence. The Great Mentor watched them, suddenly feeling older and wearier than ever before. His heart felt heavy, so heavy he didn't want to utter a single word.

"We will... fail!"

Suddenly, a short and forceful voice rang out.

"What? What did you say?" Simon was the first to identify the source of the voice. It was Stan Sol. He looked grave, as if he had recalled a tragic memory.

"My... family... collapsed... under... circumstances... just like these."

They all knew something of the Sol Family's story. Once, the family had been a legend across the continent. Now, they were almost extinct. Many believed this was due to the rise of new, stronger families. But those who had interacted with members of the Sol Family knew that they were not as weak as rumors suggested. In fact, they were considered very powerful. Yet even such powerful beings had retreated from the stage, with no one able to witness their former glory.

"The Great Mentor... is right. Secrets... cannot be kept. Failure... requires... a response." Stan Sol spoke haltingly, very slowly, yet each word rang with power and resonance. "Otherwise... we will only... fail... again and again... unable... to rise."

The Great Mentor felt a sense of relief. Finally, someone had listened to his words and understood his meaning.

The weather of the extreme winter was harsh, but as long as one possessed a fiery heart, anything could be imbued with warmth.

Stan Sol's words made the others reflect and gradually understand the Great Mentor's earnest intentions.

So they sat down and listened to the Great Mentor's teachings.

Meanwhile, not far from the White Swamp, near the Moonflow Stream, Wizard Reed, covered in snow like a snowman, rose from the snowy ground.

He gazed at the moon in the sky and the falling snowflakes, then smiled with satisfaction.

The dead of winter had finally arrived, something he had been awaiting for a long time.

I won't see the sun for quite some time...