Chapter 102 - Trial (3)

I looked down from a floating earth platform more than two thousand feet above the central volcano. Beside me, Aqua was following my movements, watching what I was watching.

“So,” Aqua asked, “what is a Lesser Fire Elemental anyway?”

“In this regard, I am as clueless as you, Aqua,” I replied, while measuring the central volcano's activities. The timing between each burst of molten fire from the craters were becoming longer and longer. Even more unpredictable. It was as if the Lesser Fire Elemental was angry.

A few more minutes passed by while I kept measuring the central volcano and trying to formulate plans on how to bind the Lesser Fire Elemental. Navra had told me that even he had failed in binding the Lesser Fire Elemental, so the act of binding the elemental must have nothing to do with defeating it. There was most likely another method.

I turned around, seeing Navra sitting like an impassive statue on a throne-like chair made out of earth. He had created this ten feet by ten feet earth platform and was holding it floating through magic alone. Magic which I could not sense or even feel.

“What is a Lesser Fire Elemental, anyway, Navra?”

“Hmm...I suppose I will be accommodating enough to give you a lesson.”

I stood in a relaxed stance while Aqua sat cross-legged on the platform. Half-naked and no longer using Virdus Vict Sangius, I was taking some time to recover my loss of magic and blood.

“There are various realms connected to the realm we are in,” Navra started. “The Midling Ethera of the Court of Domination, for example, hails from the Ethereal Realm. You can also call it the Fae Realm, if you prefer.”

Multiple questions came into my mind at that.

If that four-horned woman had come from another realm, why did she try to kill me? The only vague and immediate answer I could form to this question was that perhaps it had something to do with the Deathwalker.

It was worth a try to ask the Eldest, since I wasn't too sure myself. I could only hope he would answer my question.

I asked, “Why did that Ethera kill Efari and try to kill me?”

“That is due to a deep grudge between the Deathwalker and the Ethera.”

I felt confused. “Then why did she not try to kill me when she first found out that I was marked, when I had first met her inside a forest?”

Navra smiled at that. “You were lucky then. She must have only thought you were marked by my magic, or perhaps she did not sense the Deathwalker soul in you, only sensing the soul of the Demon Lord.”

In a way, I suppose that made sense. The mark of the Deathwalker had only appeared later after that Midling Ethera had touched me inside the forest, and became more distinct when I met Efari.

These thoughts shed a light inside my mind.

Perhaps Efari, the Matriarch Devourer, had formed and strengthened her bond with me to awaken the Deathwalker soul, who had been sealed away. Then when she had been killed, the broken bond had forced the Deathwalker soul into awakening. And my trust toward Efari was most likely due to a subtle influence from the Deathwalker's soul.

Speculating from that, the Midling Ethera must have only decided to spare my life the first time due to her thinking that I was marked by some different being other than the Devourer's Goddess. She was most likely observing me from far away while confirming whether I was the Deathwalker or not. And as the Deathwalker soul slowly started awakening from its slumber, the Ethera attempted to kill me.

Then why had she not recognized Efari? Was it due to some special ability? Just what was the grudge between the Deathwalker and the Ethera?

There were too many unanswered questions inside my mind.

For now, I forced these questions into the back of my mind. I had the trial to focus on.

When I broke free from my thoughts, I saw Navra patiently waiting for me with an amused smile on his face. Aqua, however, had a worried face.

I had been deep in my thoughts, and had not even realized it.

“It's nothing. Do not worry about it, Aqua,” I reassured her.

“Another realm that is connected to ours is the Elemental Planes,” Navra continued. “That is the realm where the elements can come to life, even forming entities and consciousness. The main five elements that govern those planes are fire, water, earth, air, and the lesser known darkness. There are others, of course, but these five are the most abundant.”

“And you want me to bind to one of these Lesser Fire Elemental,” I almost said with a fervent voice. The trial I was to do seemed more and more impossible to accomplish each second that passed by.

“Do not worry. The Elementals only occasionally cross into this realm and that is only because of an interesting and mysterious phenomenon. The kings, queens and some of the Greater ones, however, can cross at their will, popping out in places where their respective elements are the greatest. But they will never do that, as they are content in their own realm. They would also be severely restricted if they cross into our realm. This fire island is just one of their hidden territories and a likely place for fire elementals to come, as rare as that happens.”

“That said, you need not worry about the other realms. Only the Realm of the Dead, the Elemental Planes, the Ethereal Realm, and Nilfloria are the closest to our world.”

I felt curious.

“Have you ever traveled to these other realms before?” I asked.

Navra fell silent at my words. It was as if he was digging up some ancient memories, long-forgotten, and long covered in dust and cobwebs.

He looked—if I could even dare entertain such a thought—sad. His ancient-looking dark brown eyes slightly changed. The pair of eyes almost looked as if they were about to cry.

Then the expression disappeared in a blink of a moment.

“I think that is enough questions for now,” Navra said. “I will give you one more clue. This Lesser Fire Elemental is bound to the central volcano, and it can never leave it. Being a Lesser Fire Elemental and being restricted by a phenomenon, it can also never go back to its realm. ”

“Thank you,” I said, turning toward the central volcano.

It seemed like such a sad story, never being able to leave this island. Who knew how long that Lesser Fire Elemental had been bound and trapped to the central volcano?

And now that I think about it, Navra had indeed given me multiple hints already. He had said that the third tribulation was “a matter of persuasion, determination, and the will to survive.”

Except this was not the third tribulation anymore. The original third tribulation had become this small trial.

“Are you going to go again?” Aqua asked with a slightly worried tone from beside me. She had been silent for quite a long time, most likely filled with dread or digesting the information Navra had told us.

I nodded at her. “Do not worry.”

“Good luck,” she said.

I jumped off the floating earth platform, instantly spreading my black, leathery wings as soon as I began to fall.

Determination and a will to survive, huh...I thought to myself.

I had plenty of those two qualities.

As for persuasion?

I wasn't too sure. Would seduction count? Not that I was a great seducer or anything...

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Going by what Navra had told me, this Lesser Fire Elemental was most likely intelligent and conscious, an entity which I could most likely speak to.

Navra had also given that one final hint. He had told me that the elemental was bound to the central volcano. This meant that I only needed to persuade the elemental into binding with me.

“Virdus Vict Sangius,” I muttered. In just a brief second, I was covered in a crystallized blood armor and surrounded in my black aura of magic. Drops of blood dyed my wings scarlet, while a few orbited around in unpredictable paths.

I flew straight toward the central volcano, but before I even descended five hundred feet, a large burst of molten fire sprouted out from the largest crater at the summit. The stream of fire and the few rocks mixed within it came straight for me, its trajectory defying the natural path a real burst of molten fire would have undertaken.

I charged straight toward the molten fire, and at the last moment, dodged to one side. From the corner of my eyes, I instantly saw the molten fire change its path and follow me. But by then, I already had a big lead.

“Stop! I do not want to fight with you!” I yelled out in the strongest voice I could muster.

There was no reply.

A few seconds passed by as I tried to outdistance the chasing stream of molten fire, flying closer and closer toward the central volcano.

Then I received a reply.

Four bursts of molten fire shot toward me from the volcano's largest and smaller craters. I dodged to one side, instantly covering every inch of my body in Living Dragon Blood Armor, except for where my eyes were at. To keep my vision clear, I wore a scarlet crystallized blood helmet with two holes for where my eyes were at.

The fire was relentless.

I did not even have time to take a small breath before the other three bursts of molten fire, side by side, came at me. I instantly knew that even if I dodge one of the flare, another would slam into me. This would also make me waste precious time, allowing the first stream of molten fire, which was still chasing me, to catch up.

So be it. The Lesser Fire Elemental wanted a fight.

There was no way to contest with a Lesser Fire Elemental with fire magic, so I would have to rely upon something else, as much as I hated that something else.

I summoned the Flames of Interitum, and jet-black flames soon covered every inch of my body and my wings. At the same time this process was completed, molten fire slammed into my body, surrounding everything and blocking my whole vision.

I was, however, not even burnt one bit by the molten fire. The jet black flames, which were hungrily cold to the touch, protected my whole body. The dark flames were devouring every single last inch of molten fire that collided into me. It was like a stream of water flowing into an underground cave, no longer able to be seen, disappearing forever into some deep, dark abyss.

Ten more seconds passed by and my magic reserves were already consumed more than halfway as more and more molten fire relentlessly slammed into my body, only to be futilely eaten by the Flames of Interitum. It took an insane amount of magic power to cover my whole body with the devouring, black flames.

And although my magic reserves had increased, I was still far, far away from being able to reach even half of its true potential. At most, I could only use the dark flames for thirty seconds. That was my limit.

Six more seconds passed by, and I finally landed at the summit of the mountain, throwing up dirt and dust everywhere. Having devoured all of that insane amount of molten fire, I instantly stopped the consumption of magic by the black flames.

“How dare you!” a voice screeched outward from the very top of the summit. No, it reverberated from the insides of my mind!

The Lesser Fire Elemental must have been mentally communicating with me.

“Stop! I do not wish to fight with you!” I shouted into the crater.

Another burst of molten fire was the only response I received. Just how much fire could the fire elemental shoot out? It was just inconceivable. I would have long consumed my entire magic if I shot out that much fire.

“Die!” the Lesser Fire Elemental mentally shouted inside my mind.

“I want to be friends with you!”

My words gave the Lesser Fire Elemental a brief pause, and I saw the molten fire stop in midair for a few seconds.

“I refuse!”

The molten fire started rushing toward me from the heart of the volcano.

So be it, I thought to myself. I would just have to beat the Lesser Fire Elemental into submission.

Using almost the entire last remnants of my magic reserves, I broke off a large chunk of the volcano from the other side of the edge of the summit and dropped it into its heart. The earth, mixed within it a few rocks, collided with the burst of molten fire and stopped it entirely for a few seconds.

Using that chance, I jumped off from the edge of the summit and started ascending as quickly as I could. I turned my head back a little and immediately saw torrents of molten fire chasing me, quickly closing the distance.

It was only after I was more than three thousand feet high above the air that the molten fire stopped chasing me. The molten fire stayed floating in the air for a few seconds, as if it was fuming in anger, before finally returning inside the volcano.

A thousand feet below to my left were Navra and Aqua sitting peacefully on the floating earth platform. The Lesser Fire Elemental had ignored the both of them entirely.

Seeing this, I felt as if I was dealing with an angry child.

Except I would beat this child into submission. I would break each and every earthen rock of the central volcano into tiny pieces. I would level the whole volcano flat, even if it took me days, even if it took me weeks. I would break the central volcano, until the Lesser Fire Elemental would no longer want to stay bound to it. Then I would forcefully make the elemental bind with me.

For now, I would need to take a few hours, about a little below four hours, to recover my magic.

Down below, I saw Aqua waving at me cheerfully with a smile on her face. Navra, however, was sitting impassively, as if deep in his thoughts. He was as still as a statue. I felt as if nothing could shake him from his stillness—from his reverie. The conversation I had with him had most likely brought up ancient memories.

I was curious about it, but knew that it would only be futile to try asking.

“Hah...This is going to take a while,” I could not help but say out loud to myself.