Standing in front of a large closed gate, Aurora gazed up at the gate's top. Just like the rest of the palace halls, the gate was made out of red wood. The gate was decorated with beautiful golden lines in the form of two dragons.
It was truly masterfully made, forcing one to truly appreciate its beauty. However, instead of feeling taken by the gate's beauty, what Aurora felt was apprehension. There, beyond those closed doors, lied the source of all that pressure that spread around this palace.
Letting out a complicated sigh, the small fox reached out towards the gate with her tiny paws. With no force needed whatsoever, the gate opened on its own with just a single touch, revealing a spacious hall.
The large room looked truly grand, made out of exquisite materials. Its walls were made out of the same red wood as the gate, and they were also lined with gold.
The floor was made of large blocks of some black material. The whole place was lit up with huge golden chandeliers that glowed with bright golden light.
But despite the captivating sight, Aurora's eyes automatically fell in front of her, locking onto the body of a large beast. It was yet another wolf, and it was precisely this wolf that released that incredible aura.
The wolf was nothing short of huge, even bigger than Aurus or Boreus. Its fur was multi-colored, with some parts being blue and some orange. Furthermore, various swirly and wavy patterns coiled wildly across the fur; they were even moving slightly.
The entirety of the wolf's large body was covered by a faint, mystical glow. Everything about the wolf looked magical.
Unlike the two previous wolves, this one wasn't lying down, nor did it appear to be sleeping. The wolf was fully awake, its eyes locked onto Aurora's much smaller body. It was obvious that the beast was awaiting her arrival.
"Small creature, what do you hope to find by coming to a place like this?" Suddenly, the wolf's mouth moved, his voice echoing around the grand hall.
Hearing the powerful voice of the beast before her, Aurora's eyes went wide in shock.
'This- he can speak?' She asked herself incredulously, not wanting to believe such a thing. She expected a lot, but she truly didn't expect the wolf to speak.
The wolf's voice was filled with immense power, each of his words dripping with wisdom. It was as if his words were filled with magic and mana, causing slight shifts in the air inside the hall.
"It seems you are yet to be able to speak, little one. However, you seem to understand my words. Or am I wrong?" The wolf asked another question, waiting for a reply from the small creature that made it this far.
Realizing that he expected her to answer, Aurora shook her head softly, shaking off her shock. Then, she looked back into the wolf's eyes and nodded, confirming she understood his words.
The strange thing, however, was the fact that she had no idea what language the wolf was speaking to her in. It definitely wasn't any language she knew from her past life, nor was it the system's language. Strangely enough, she could still perfectly understand what the wolf was saying.
"Good. My name is Aurelius Borealis, the oldest of the three guardians of this tomb. To get here, you must have already defeated my brothers, right?" The wolf's voice sounded out again, bringing Aurora out of her reverie.
Hearing his words, she nodded once again, assuming that his brothers were the two floor bosses. There was no point in hiding the truth. If anything, the wolf's question felt mostly rhetorical rather than serious.
"I thought so... truly interesting. I must say I'm impressed, little one. You had bested my brothers in combat despite being so weak. The power you wield at your level is truly commendable." The wolf praised honestly; there was even a twinge of surprise in his voice.
"However, with your intelligence, you surely know that you are still very far from being able to handle a being like me. Isn't that right?" Aurelius followed up with another question, but his tone remained unchanged despite his words.
What he said was plain facts; Aurora knew it. Even if she gave it her all, the chances of her winning against Aurelius were basically nonexistent. No, actually, scratch that. They were nonexistent. It was apparent that the wolf was no less intelligent than Aurora herself, which means that she had no advantage over him.
Upon hearing his words, Aurora showed no reaction. It was precisely because she already knew that she would lose a fight against the wolf that she didn't mind what he said at all.
"It seems you realize it as well. Even as we speak, I could easily kill you without you even knowing what happened. That's just how things are." Aurelius shook his head slightly, getting up from his sitting position.
"I am the final guardian of this. The final test for those who step inside this place. However, my goal isn't to kill everyone who comes here." Slowly, the large wolf began to walk around the spacious hall as he spoke further.
"The only point of my existence is to test whether those who enter this place are worthy or not." As he said those words, Aurelius stopped in his steps, turning his back towards Aurora.
"Tell me, small fox. Do you know who you are?" The wolf narrowed his eyes. Those multicolored irises locked onto the small body of the white fox; they seemed to stare into her very soul.
Hearing his question, Aurora felt very confused. However, after a moment, she sneered internally. Of course she knows who she is.
Yet, as that thought appeared in her eyes, the disdainful sneer that began to form on her lips suddenly disappeared. It was at that moment. She hesitated.
Aurora truly wanted to laugh at the foolish question; however, she couldn't. Because when she thought about it carefully, she truly didn't have an answer to this seemingly simple and pointless question.
Did she really know what or who she was? No, she didn't. She knew nothing about herself. Were those memories she had from a different life truly hers? Who was she? Why did she have those memories? She truly knew nothing.
Seeing that slight smile being replaced by a crestfallen expression, Aurelius received his answer even without Auroea saying anything. There was no need for words or gestures. Her expression said all he needed to know.
"White fox, you who dared to step onto these grounds. As the final and true guardian of this dungeon, I present you with a challenge." He spoke in a voice much deeper than before.
Aurelius's sudden words brought Aurora out of her stupor. She looked back at him, only to see the wolf standing at the other end of the hall straight across from her. His face carried no expression, but from his stance alone, Aurora knew that it was just about enough talking by now.
"I shall test you myself. Face me with everything you have. Fight, and find out who you are. Find yourself; only then you will be able to overcome the challenges ahead." And with that, he said nothing else.
He only said a few things. All in all, he didn't even say anything of value. However, those words seemed to have strangely resonated with Aurora. Those words had struck a cord in her.
Her previously dim eyes now regained their glint. The fire inside her that was slowly dying out ever since she stepped onto this floor began to reignite again, burning even brighter than ever before.
With the falme inside her awake again, Aurora took her stance, the determined gaze of her eyes falling onto the large wolf in front of her.
Truly, no more words were necessary, indeed. The eyes of the two beasts, one small and the other one big, locked onto each other, and the next moment, the two disappeared from their positions.
*BOOM!*
With an explosion even louder than that of a grenade, the two beasts collided mid-air, their claws clashing against each other. Bright orange and red flames erupted from the collision, shooting out across the hall.
The next moment, the equilibrium broke and a small white object came flying across the whole hall, crashing into one of its farend walls. This object was obviously Aurora, who had completely lost the previous clash.
Spitting out a mouthful of blood, the small fox fell back onto the floor. Her four paws faltered momentarily as she almost fell onto the floor; however, she managed to keep her balance.
Despite her very clear loss in the previous clash between the two, she still had a small smile on her lips, and her eyes still shone as brightly as before.
Without even waiting for her body to recover from the previous crash, the small fox shot out towards the middle of the hall once again.
'Leadership!' With a single thought, she activated her title skill, further boosting her strength.
Seeing the small white object approaching him at fast speeds, Aurelius couldn't help but smirk slightly. It wasn't a smirk of arrogance or disdain, but one of actual happiness.
The wolf charged in again as well, this time slashing with his left claw instead of the right one.
*BOOM!*
With another terrifying explosion, they crossed their claws once again. A wave of freezing energy spread throughout the grand hall, freezing everything inside and extinguishing all the burning flames.
Unlike before, Aurora managed to stand her ground, not getting thrown away. Instead, while still in the air, she slashed forward with her other claw, not even aiming at Aurelius.
The wolf responded immediately, bringing his claw out as well, meeting Aurora's midway.
*BOOOM!*
With an explosion even more powerful than before, flames once more erupted from the clash of the two beings. The burning mana shot out, filling every corner of the hall and melting all the ice in an instant.
The hall shook, the pillar that connected the floor to the roof barely able to hold on. The sudden change of temperatures and elements inside the room made the incredibly resistant wood crack ever so slightly.
As an aftermath of the second clash, Aurelius was forced back about twenty meters. Of course, he didn't put all his strength into his strikes; otherwise, Aurora wouldn't be alive anymore.
And the fox in question? She was sent flying in the same direction as before, crashing into the very same spot on the wall as before.
After a moment, she fell back down onto the floor. However unlike before, she didn't land on her paws this time. Instead, she fell straight onto her chest and belly.
Right now, the fur on her back was colored red with her blood that seeped out of the wound on her back. Blood was also dripping from the corners of her little mouth, staining her pink lips red.
Yet, despite all the injuries and her miserable state, Aurora had a smile on her face. She seemed completely oblivious to all the wounds that riddled her body. Heck, even her ribs got smashed to pieces, yet she didn't mind anything at all.
'Haha. I'm truly an idiot! Who am I? Why do I exist? Who cares!?' The fox laughed internally, the smile on her lips widening further.
'I'm many things. A fox. Someone who has memories of a different life. Maybe even an anomaly. But above all these things, I am me. ME!' She exclaimed inside her mind, as if arguing with someone.
'You are you, idiot! You are Aurora. It was always like that, and it will forever be the same. Because no matter how much I change and evolve, I'll still be me!' As if all the dark clouds that plagued her mind had disappeared all at once, Aurora slowly got onto her feet.
Completely ignoring all the pain she felt, she gazed forward at the large wolf. Her eyes burned with a flame so bright that it outshined all. Never has things been clearer to her.
Aurelius, who was merely watching everything unfold, smiled even more than before. This was what he wanted to see!
As if all the walls that blocked it had suddenly disappeared, a bright blue flame erupted from inside Aurora's body, covering the entirety of her small form.
The next second, all the wounds on her body disappeared basically instantly. Her eyes were as calm as a frozen lake, a stark contrast to the flame of determination that burned inside them.
[The Flame of Conversion is reacting to the user's current emotions. In response to the user's desires, the flame takes on a new form.]
[The Flame of Conversion temporarily changes into the Flame of Burning Desire.]