The vision colored in—and there was Patriarch Azure Flame. Back facing him. Hands clasped.
"So," said the old man. "You've mastered Chain Combustion."
He turned, nodded, stroked a gnarled hand through his long white beard. "That happens to be the last of the Foundational Concepts of Stormfire."
His eyes flashed. "Now comes the true test. The Concepts that will elevate your Stormfire to a new stratosphere of power. The Concepts that opens the gate to Mid-Fusion!"
He paused. "This next step," he said slowly. "Is the critical juncture. Succeed here, and you have good chances of achieving full Mastery. Fail—and it is better you quit now. Forget you ever stumbled upon this treacherous path! Stormfire is not for you."
Weird thing—the Barbarian Sage said something similar. These old men liked to do this a lot. At this point Zane found it a little amusing. He stepped right over it.
The Patriarch took a deep breath. "Are you ready?"
Zane nodded.
"Then here lies the Concept."
And a new vision came to Zane.
The void of space. Glittering with distant stars here and there—mostly empty. Mostly black.
The main source of light was one glorious animal.
A Phoenix composed of all the colors of fire. The blue-white of Stormfire trailing from its tails. Its vast wings flaring yellow-red. Zane saw other kinds of fire flickering over its crown, over its back… whites and greens and blacks burning down its tail-feathers, each a font of vibrant color marked out stark against the darkness.
And yet each flame burned low. Like coals in a dying hearth. The creature moved slowly, shedding feathers, that smoked away in weak little embers…
"The Nine-Flame Phoenix," intoned the Azure Flame Patriarch. "One of very few god beasts gifted with the powers of Stormfire at birth. Along with two other Heavenly Flames, and six Great Flames as well. As Godbeasts go, it is the peak among the peak—Supreme-rank, rare as true Azure Dragons!"
They watched the beast silently for a bit. "This one has lived a very long life," said the Patriarch at last. A tad wistfully. "Its name is Iohui… it has been flying since before I was born, making a regular journey across the galaxy, there and back. It crosses the Azure Flame Galaxy every so often, and we see it like a comet. Streaking across our the night skies a few years every millennia, before vanishing into the void. It has lived a full tenth of a full Chaos Cycle, if you can believe it… but at last, it is coming to an end."
He fixed Zane with a serious look. "Its rebirth holds the key to your understanding."
Iohui let out a mournful cry. Closed its eyes. And little rivulets of tears dripped out, going up in flames, each a different color.
The scene panned out. And there—floating before it—was a star. A red giant. Burning just as low as the Phoenix. Two celestial flames, burning at the end of their lives…
The Phoenix folded its wings. And began to dive.
Slowly it picked up speed, started burning hotter, its whole body flaring with brighter colors—making a meteor of its form, burning one brilliant streak through the desolate night. Each of its flames melding to a single color as its intensity ratcheted higher and higher—
And somehow in that moment—all its weakness, all its tiredness, its frailty burned away too. It kept picking up speed, reviving, intensifying, until you could hardly even see the animal anymore—just a flame shining brighter than any Zane had ever seen.
And there in the midst of it, he saw the Concept.
Flickering within. He tried paying extra close attention—it felt like staring into the sun. Except in the Astral Plane. It hurt him just to look at it. But he forced himself on, frowning. Concentrating.
He traced the arc of its fall—right up until it dropped through the surface of that Red Star.
Blipping into the vast heat. Vanishing.
There was a silence.
Then a shiver ran across the surface of that star, upsetting those molten seas, choking off tongues of solar flares…
And the whole thing began to collapse. The whole realm fluctuated around it, warping, destabilizing, as space itself was pulled inward—all manner of matter, of energy, collapsing—
Stormlike currents spasmed along the surface, brightening, heating up, falling in, erupting together, untold tons of molten steel and plasma and fire all imploding toward a single infinitesimal point—
As Zane stared, he felt something familiar. Something exciting. A realization prickling at the edge of his mind, like sunrise coming over the horizon—
He tried looking deeper. Marshaling all his focus, all his soul. Bearing down upon that point, just like everything else in the vision.
Tried seeing past the cracks in the universe, seeing its true nature.
He felt close.
And yet—it felt like trying to grasp a river with open hands. He kept coming close to it—then it'd slip away, and he'd blink, and find it had vanished from his mind. The pain was nothing to him. He threw himself back into it again, and again, tireless, each try only making him more eager—
Tongues of shocking flame rose. Waterfalled down the center of the star. Matter and energy in essence shrank in, and in—it didn't seem possible that so much energy could fit in such a tiny space.
That Concept came clearer than ever before…
Yet it hurt more than ever to try for it. His soul started to scorch. Started burning. Pain lanced white-hot between his brows. His teeth clenched hard.
He sensed he just needed a little more—just a little—
His body came back to him then. A cluster of sensations in the background of his mind—and he felt it in there too. Burning up his insides. Scorching them, cleansing them, fortifying them. Just as he felt it in the scene… the two made a harmony.
Stormfire flared bright in that star. Rushing to an extreme. White blue intensifying and intensifying and intensifying until it couldn't stand itself anymore, went off its some unknown spectrum—
And a new light flowed forth. A shining purple. Mesmerizing.
And a new cry issued from within. Not mournful. But joyful. Another Phoenix lifted off from the ashes of that dying star—a smaller one, a baby, soaring out triumphant, blazing pure purple… it vanished in a stream of light. Streaked into the distant void. And was gone.
Leaving behind only the impression of it. Shining in Zane's mind…
***
He opened his eyes at last. Took a deep breath.
His body felt scraped raw inside. He looked around, touched a hand to his sweat-matted hair. He seemed to be sweaty, red all over.
His head still throbbed awfully.
That was… painful. Surprisingly so. He had never been hurt trying to grasp a Concept before. But right now it was like he'd taken a bare soul attack. A soul attack he'd opened himself up to—where there was no defense.
He blinked.
The Patriarch hadn't been exaggerating, which surprised him. That was… not easy. It had punished him some. But it probably punished smaller souls more—they would take longer to get it. And expose themselves to that heat longer. No wonder.
He felt fine though otherwise—good, actually. Full of energy, pumped up. His heart was beating strong, his blood already running hot…
He searched inside him.
The Plasma Sunflower had done its work, burned out. His essence channels, were noticeably thicker and denser—and he felt new purple energies fused deep inside, like metals grafted into an alloy, making something far more robust… each channel pulsed hot now. Primed for new heat.
𝔸𝕗𝕗𝕚𝕟𝕚𝕥𝕪 𝕘𝕒𝕚𝕟𝕖𝕕!
ℙ𝕝𝕒𝕤𝕞𝕒 (𝕊)
ℂ𝕠𝕟𝕔𝕖𝕡𝕥 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕡𝕣𝕖𝕙𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕕!
𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℂ𝕠𝕟𝕔𝕖𝕡𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝔼𝕩𝕥𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕖 𝕀𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕟𝕤𝕚𝕥𝕪
Zane stood slowly, breathed out. And purple sparks flickered on his breath…
The sky was lightening. Going back from purple to red, he noticed. As close as it came to sunrise down here.
"Well done," said Reina softly, one hand on his shoulder.
"Err—hey big fella?" It was Avery. She sounded rather nervous. "It's looking like we might need you soon. Really soon. Reina said not to disturb you, so we didn't… but we could be in a bit of a pickle?"
"What is it?" he said, frowning.
He noticed Reina was already wreathed in essence and aura. Flowers blooming at her feet. Evan had his sword out, looking to the horizon, looking determined. Avery looked battle-ready too.
"We're about to be under attack," he said.
"There's three coming straight for us," confirmed Avery.
"Monster Knights?" said Zane. It was as he suspected.
"Monster Armies," said Avery, wincing. "As for Nascent monster Knights… there's, um. Four."
Hm.
"What are the Levels?" said Zane.
"Low Level 300s."
Zane stayed silent.
"We could go for the same strategy," Reina said to him. "If you can break through the front, we can outrun them. Circle around the other armies—if we make a good pace we might be able to make a clean escape."
She hesitated. Saw something in the set of his jaw. "Unless…?"
Zane shook his head.
He had felt the power of those Monster Knights. Felt the new power in his veins… and he felt very confident in what he was about to say.
"We are not running."
He looked her in the eyes feeling the bloody daylight slash hot across his face. "Do you believe in me?"
Instantly she nodded.
"Then stay by my side."
"...You're sure?
Zane nodded. She searched his eyes.
"Alright," she said, nodding too—it was good enough for her. And like that she was bought in. She had seen him like this before. Knew what it meant.
"So—just to make sure," said Avery, voice a little high. "That's five Nascent Monster Knights! And almost a hundred Core Monsters..."
"I know," said Zane. "I've got this."
"…" Avery blinked. "Must've been some upgrade, huh?"
"It was." The image of the Nine-flame Phoenix still scorched hot in his mind.
"I believe in you!" Evan piped up.
Avery threw up her hands. "Ah, screw it—okay. Let's do this! You've got that look in your eyes."
"What?"
"That look," she said, squinting at him. "Like stuff's about to go down. Every time you get that look, stuff goes down."
"Stuff will go down," Zane promised.
"If we're decided," said Reina, looking over them all, "We should make the most of it."
And she brought out the treasures they'd been awarded at the end of the last floor.
ℕ𝕦𝕨𝕒'𝕤 𝔼𝕝𝕚𝕩𝕚𝕣 𝕠𝕗 𝕋𝕒𝕝𝕖𝕟𝕥 [𝔼𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕙 (𝔹)]
𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕚𝕘𝕟𝕒𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕖 𝕓𝕣𝕖𝕨 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝔾𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝔸𝕝𝕔𝕙𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕤𝕥 ℕ𝕦𝕨𝕒, 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝔼𝕝𝕚𝕩𝕚𝕣 𝕤𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕡𝕝𝕪 𝕓𝕠𝕠𝕤𝕥𝕤 𝕠𝕟𝕖'𝕤 𝕔𝕦𝕝𝕥𝕚𝕧𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕒 𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕠𝕕 𝕠𝕗 𝟛 𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕤.
They had two—enough for each of them to get a half brew.
Right—if they were to face down three armies' worth of Monsters, they might as well get their money's worth.
They took out some glasses, gave each other little toasts. "Alright, team!" cried Avery. "Let's get 'em!"
They drank. The elixir tasted like crisp fresh air on a cold dawn morning. He felt it trickling down his throat, down his Core... and instantly felt hot all over. His Core started spinning faster. Suddenly hungry. Suddenly ready for lots and lots of new essence.
Zane clenched his fists.
***
It didn't take long for the demon Monsters to show up. They came from all sides, hemming them in.
The first came from the North. A wolf the size of a barn. It had no fur, just rotted skin leaking acid pus, patched through with splotches of pulsing dark energies. Its eyes burned furious purple. Most of its teeth were missing but the few that were left were big as scythes, dripping pure black. Pure corruption. Smoke drifted from its ruin of a mouth...
𝔹𝕝𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝕎𝕠𝕝𝕗 (𝕄𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕂𝕟𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥)
𝔼𝕤𝕤𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝕃𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝 𝟛𝟙𝟚
And as it appeared, its brethren came with it. Lesser, smaller, stringier versions—though filled with just as much hate, just as much bloodlust...
Nearly at the same time, a second army. A seething mass—not one creature but a hivemind, a swarm of fat black bees, bellies sagging with Corruption. They had vicious stingers as long as fingers. Their drones drowned out the world, swallowed up all other sound...
ℍ𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝕠𝕗 ℙ𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕝𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖 (𝕄𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕂𝕟𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥)
𝔼𝕤𝕤𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝕃𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝 𝟛𝟘𝟞
And with it came hordes of gruesome creatures that vaguely resembled insects. Giant ants, spiders, bees, made of the same dark necrotic stuff, their shells split, pores oozing... corrupted. And somehow stronger for it.
The third army blocked off all escape. A reaper in tattered cloak, necrotic fingers wielding a wickedly sharp scythe rippling with Corruption. And a giant reanimated, stumbling up some seventy feet tall, hairless, nearly toothless, all blackened skin and sallow watery red eyes…
𝔹𝕝𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 ℝ𝕖𝕒𝕡𝕖𝕣 (𝕄𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕂𝕟𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥)
𝔼𝕤𝕤𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝕃𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝 𝟛𝟙𝟞
ℕ𝕖𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕 𝔾𝕚𝕒𝕟𝕥 (𝕄𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕂𝕟𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥)
𝔼𝕤𝕤𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝕃𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝 𝟛𝟙𝟟
Behind them trailed what looked like ghouls and zombies, splattered in tar, frothing at the mouth.
They had them surrounded.
They began closing in.
Zane took out his Chains. His Axes.
"Stay close," he told his friends. In the eye of the storm.
The demons began rushing. From all directions. Corruption energies pooling in their mouths, their fangs, their stingers—
Zane's pupils flashed purple.
And a new Stormfire flared to life.