"Uh?"
Seeing the seemingly endless sea of magma, Fang Mo's excitement surged.
He flipped his hand and directly took out the refined firestone.
In the midst of the boundless realm of molten lava, the gleam flowing within the refined firestone shone even brighter. Fang Mo could feel that it was slowly absorbing the surrounding heat.
"Fang Mo, what's going on?"
Thor wasn't sure what Fang Mo was up to. He was focused on dealing with Surtur: "There's no path ahead, we might as well fly over."
At this point, Thor raised Mjölnir.
"No, no, hold on."
Fang Mo stopped Thor, who was preparing to take off, and then shook the refined firestone in his hand: "Let me first deal with Surtur..."
"What did you say?"
Thor puzzledly stopped his hammer.
Fang Mo didn't say anything, he just threw the refined firestone in his hand forward.
This exquisite gem, the size of a ping pong ball, turned into a streak of light, flying straight ahead like a rainbow, until it landed about several kilometers away into the magma with a plop.
"Fang Mo, what is this..."
Thor was puzzled by Fang Mo suddenly throwing a gem and couldn't make sense of it.
But before he could finish speaking, the refined firestone that had fallen into the magma suddenly flew up on its own.
Then came the astonishing scene.
A magnificent glow suddenly rose above the entire sea of magma.
Thor focused his gaze and saw that it was a tide of light formed by countless orange-red sparks.
The essence of the molten lava gathered together, forming a pure river of flames, surrounding the central refined firestone, creating a giant vortex resembling a galaxy.
As the essence from the magma continued to be absorbed, the sea of magma ahead started to cool down visibly to the naked eye. The boiling molten flows turned into scorched black waste rocks. In the blink of an eye, the sulphuric sea of fire transformed into a barren plain, and the temperature in the air began to drop rapidly.
Although there was no frost, for Muspelheim, this was an unprecedented coldness.
The strange fish in the magma were instantly frozen, and nearby fire spirits screamed as they fled.
But that wasn't all.
The refined firestone seemed to transform into a black hole, continuously devouring the essence of the surrounding magma.
Not just the sea of magma, but also the nearby tributaries, the molten lava in the rifts, and even the energy within numerous active volcanoes around gradually dimmed the once orange-red sky.
"Fang Mo, what are you doing..."
Thor looked at the scene before him in astonishment: "Are you planning to drain all of Muspelheim?"
"It's not to that extent."
Fang Mo looked at the refined firestone in front of him and shook his head: "The storage capacity of this thing should have its limits. It's unlikely to drain an entire planet..."
That's actually true.
The refined firestone was just an item from the mod "Railcraft." Compared to the game-breaking artifacts forged from red matter and dark matter, the storage space of the refined firestone was limited.
And as Fang Mo thought, when the entire sea of magma gradually cooled down, the refined firestone also stopped, quietly suspended above the scorched rocks.
"It looks like it's over."
Seeing this, Fang Mo commented to Thor.
Then he waved his hand slightly, and gravity pulled the refined firestone back into his hand.
Fang Mo looked at the refined firestone in his hand and found that it seemed somewhat heavy, as if it was filled with energy, apart from its surprising glow and heat.
With a slight thought, Fang Mo activated the refined firestone.
Instantly, it began to emit light and heat.
Its heat was so intense that the ground around Fang Mo began to melt slowly.
"Oh my god!"
Seeing this, Thor quickly stepped back several steps.
In just an instant, his hair started to smoke. Fortunately, he had the royal bloodline of Asgard. Otherwise, just now, he might have turned to ashes.
"Fang Mo, what on earth are you doing..."
Thor extinguished the flames on his cloak behind him and couldn't help but say to Fang Mo: "Is this the magic you mentioned before? The one that requires the lava lake?"
"Yes."
Fang Mo nodded, then closed the refined firestone in his hand and said with a slightly furrowed brow: "It's just that this thing's power... is a bit weak."
Indeed, after testing, Fang Mo was somewhat disappointed with the effectiveness of the refined firestone. It seemed that its only function was to extract the essence from magma on a large scale and release energy outward.
In terms of emitting light and heat, it almost overlapped with the Volcanite Amulet and the Ring of Arcana.
Moreover, the refined firestone needed to absorb magma energy to be usable, whereas the Flameguard Amulet and Arcane Ring could be used without consumption.
It was a bit troublesome; even if Fang Mo really wanted to play with the industrial mod and generate power by boiling water, there wouldn't be much use for the refined firestone. Wouldn't it be better to just use the Ring of Arcana?
"Is this thing... just junk?"
Looking at the refined firestone in his hand, Fang Mo couldn't help but hesitate.
However, before he could come up with an answer, a deafening roar suddenly came from not far away. Fang Mo turned around to see a black flame giant dragon flying towards them.
It wasn't a traditional dragon because it had no wings, but its ridges and tail were engulfed in flames. It was somehow able to fly rapidly in mid-air.
It's worth noting that there was a gigantic humanoid creature standing on the flame giant dragon's back.
The figure was entirely composed of ashes and semi-cooled lava, crowned with a huge crown. One hand was holding an iron chain on the dragon's body to control its direction, while the other hand held a flashy red giant sword.
"Fang Mo, that guy must be Surtur."
Seeing the commotion in the distance, Thor turned to Fang Mo and said: "My father told me, flame giants are characterized by their giant swords and huge horns on their heads."
"Big brother, that's definitely a crown."
Fang Mo explained, "He can't be killed because his core, the crown, is almost indestructible. Even Odin could only take away his source of power, not completely kill him."
"Oh? Is that so?"
Thor was surprised, hearing this for the first time.
"Once the crown combines with the Eternal Flame, he will regain his full strength. His body will grow even larger than mountains and rivers. It's no problem for him to destroy Asgard."
Fang Mo explained.
But as they chatted, the flame giant dragon had already flown over and landed on the scorched ground not far away, roaring menacingly at the two.
Surtur, on the back of the flame giant dragon, slowly descended as well.
"Odin's son, Thor..."
Surtur spoke slowly, "Did you come to my realm to steal energy? Are you trying to provoke a war?"
"I just want to resolve the issue of Ragnarok," Thor looked at Surtur, "I heard you want to destroy Asgard, is that true?"
"No one can prevent the coming of Ragnarok,"
Upon hearing this, Surtur immediately spoke, "You've merely foreseen the coming of the end, son of Odin. You cannot prevent all of this from happening."
"You don't seem that powerful."
Thor stared at Surtur and suddenly chuckled, "All I need to do is snatch your crown and lock it away in Asgard's treasure vault forever. It's such a simple task, isn't it?"
Indeed, as a warrior, Thor had a certain level of perceptiveness. He could tell that Surtur wasn't very strong. Despite being a fire giant, his body was composed of ash and partially cooled lava. This was clearly different from the legends, suggesting that he might have been stripped of the eternal flame's source of power, making him very weak. Even without intervention from anyone else, Thor could probably take care of him on his own.
Thinking along these lines, Thor was about to tell Fang Mo, considering taking care of Surtur himself. However, just as Thor turned his head, his expression changed abruptly. He even felt a sense of foreboding.
This was because, at some point, Fang Mo had opened a portal and gleefully pulled out a massive metal basin from which fierce flames were burning.
"What the heck, Fang Mo?! What are you doing!?"
Shocked to the point of swearing, even Thor couldn't help but lose his composure. His eyes widened in disbelief as he exclaimed, "How did you get the Eternal Flame out?! Are you crazy?!"
"We're here to defeat the boss, right?"
Fang Mo seemed quite content, holding the Eternal Flame, and said, "Of course we have to fight at full strength to make it satisfying. Otherwise, what's the point of bullying someone weak and helpless?"
"But that guy can destroy Asgard!"
Thor hurriedly interjected.
"I can do that too." Fang Mo shrugged, "I managed to kill Malekith who controlled the Aether particles. Do you really think I can't defeat someone like Surtur?"
"Can't we just handle this properly?"
Hearing Fang Mo's words, Thor felt a headache. "I understand that as a warrior..."
"As a mage."
Fang Mo reminded him.
"I understand that as a mage, having your own sense of honor and wanting to defeat the most powerful enemies to prove yourself is important," Thor said with frustration, "but the fate of Ragnarok is significant, and I don't want to gamble..."
"It's not really gambling."
Fang Mo patted Thor's shoulder with a smile, "It's about believing in your friend, right?"
"Well..."
Hearing this, Thor was momentarily taken aback. Yes, after hearing that sentence, he realized. From Loki's initial plan to destroy Jotunheim to the later invasion by the Dark Elves, and even Queen Frigga's assassination, the Dark Elves taking the Aether, it seemed that Fang Mo had solved everything. Thor suddenly realized that Fang Mo might have the ability to foresee the future, which was why he acted this way. Perhaps only by following Fang Mo's approach could they truly resolve these troubles. Otherwise, even if they brought back Surtur's crown, there might be unexpected incidents in the future leading to Ragnarok.
"I better keep my distance this time."
Thinking this through, Thor sighed, "At least this time, I don't want to be pelted by rocks from head to toe again. The mages in Asgard think I've been through such tough battles, but I didn't even dare to tell them that I was just being hit by stones..."
"That's your own business."
Fang Mo chuckled and then shifted his attention back to Surtur.
"The Eternal Flame..."
Surtur gazed at the fiery basin, his molten eyes reflecting a yearning look. But upon noticing Fang Mo's gaze, he lifted his head to look at him, "Unknown creature, what is your purpose?"
"Destroy you at your peak."
Fang Mo was straightforward and handed the basin over, saying, "Here, have a bite!"
"... "
Surtur didn't say anything; he simply stared at Fang Mo as he held out the basin.
For some reason, he felt humiliated. It was as if he were being fed by a master, and he felt somewhat embarrassed about taking the Eternal Flame back like this.
However, the source of power that had been taken away by Odin hundreds of thousands of years ago was now right in front of him.
Surtur couldn't control himself.
"You'll regret this." Surtur said to Fang Mo in a harsh tone, then he lifted his massive sword and walked forward, bending down to reach into the fiery basin.
But it was precisely at this moment that a sudden change occurred.
Originally, Surtur was about to touch the Eternal Flame, but the flames seemed to be attracted by something. They veered away from Surtur's hand, moving straight toward Fang Mo's right hand.
The Ring of Arcana that Fang Mo wore on his right hand had somehow switched to its ignition mode.
"Damn it!?"
Seeing this scene, even Fang Mo himself was bewildered, "No, big guy, I didn't tell you to eat it. I was talking to Surtur."
But it was already too late; the Eternal Flame in the metal basin seemed almost conscious, continuously surging towards the magical ring. Surtur also attempted to grasp a strand of flame, but the Eternal Flame seemed to avoid his hand, rushing into the Ring of Arcana instead.
In just a few moments, the metal basin was entirely empty.
The Eternal Flame had been completely absorbed by the Ring of Arcana.
The entire scene suddenly became awkward, and all three, including Thor, fell into silence, as if even the sound of a falling needle could be heard clearly.
"So..."
Finally, Surtur broke the silence, "Were you just trying to make fun of me?"
~~~
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