"This is the only chance."
With a hurried voice echoing in his mind, Liam's gaze was fixed on the area ahead.
A large stone forest loomed before him, with towering stone pillars far bigger than ordinary buildings. Gazing deep inside, one could see countless jagged stone columns extending endlessly, resembling a labyrinth. The most important feature was how these massive pillars stood so close together, likely only wide enough for a child to squeeze through with ease. Naturally, this was the perfect place to hide from Matthew, whose massive form lacked the agility needed in such a cramped area.
It seemed Matthew had realized Liam's actions, but he showed no urgency.
"Go ahead if you want!"
Stopping before a large stone pillar after squeezing through the dense stone forest, Matthew gently stroked the rough surface, feeling its jaggedness, and took a deep breath.
"A shame I won't get to eat your heart, but I've already achieved my goal."
The flames around Matthew's body gradually shrank and then completely extinguished, revealing his large, mutated form and the face of a grotesque beast. But that was not the end—it was only the beginning.
"Boom… boom..."
The ground began to tremble, small stones on the grass shifting slightly. Then, steam rose from the ground for a few seconds. Looking down through the vapor, the small blades of grass slowly changed color from green to yellow, and finally, to black.
As the steam fully dissipated, large flames suddenly erupted, spreading everywhere, and engulfing a vast area around this narrow stone forest.
Inside the large stone pillars, Liam calmly watched from within as the walls of fire slowly crept closer.
"Do what you always do!"
Liam's loud shout echoed between the stone columns and escaped into the burning surroundings. He hoped that the signal would help James understand his intention. Yet Liam still felt uneasy, fearing that James, with his impulsive nature, might do something reckless in this situation.
With a quick glance around the area, Liam approached a large stone about three meters high.
"I hope everything goes as planned."
He climbed onto the rugged stone and surveyed the surroundings. A few minutes before the fire reached him, a spot that met Liam's criteria came into view.
Hastily, Liam headed toward it. Before him now was a gap between two adjacent black stones, wide enough for two or three people to squeeze through. However, there was a problem: a large stone was blocking the entrance.
Feeling sweat trickle down his forehead and hands, Liam didn't hesitate and moved to push the stone.
"Damn it! It's too heavy."
Even with the help of "Force" energy, pushing the stone was still a difficult task - it was clearly cumbersome.
He could easily destroy it to slip through, but if he did that, the only barrier protecting him from the fire would be destroyed.
Every second that passed, Liam's chances of survival decreased if he couldn't move the stone. And as fate would have it, the massive fire had finally reached him, just a step away.
The distance might have been safe, but only if it were an ordinary fire. However, this was the flame of an official [E-] level enemy. Yet, there was some confusion as to why Matthew had such a vast mana reserve. Matthew had been using techniques that consumed a lot of mana—such energy levels were typically only seen at E+ levels.
"Aaah…"
Liam screamed in pain as he finally managed to push the rough black stone aside, creating an opening just wide enough for him to slip through. Without giving his body any time to rest, Liam quickly squeezed into the gap. The sound of the large stone sealing the entrance echoed right after.
Seeing the fire being split in half by the stone, Liam let out a sigh of relief, sitting down with his back against the rocky wall. His "Force" energy began to recover his body, though the burns from the fire still lingered.
"Now I just need to wait for the fire to pass... I'll have to endure the most crucial phase."
The critical phase Liam referred to was the oxygen shortage caused by the fire consuming it all, along with the unbearable heat he would have to face. Although he had avoided direct exposure to the flames, now he had to endure it indirectly. In other words, Liam was being melted from the inside.
The next few moments were a brutal torment for Liam. Feeling the burning sensation spreading throughout his body, he tried rolling over to lessen the pain. He pulled out a small bottle of water from his spatial ring, taking large gulps and pouring the rest over himself.
"I can't hold on much longer..."
Liam grimaced in agony, then poured the last drops of a rainbow-colored potion into his mouth. He needed to conserve as much "Force" energy as possible, for after surviving this ordeal, he would still have to deal with Matthew.
The flames outside grew stronger, engulfing the entire area.
"Aaaah..."
Liam's scream echoed, but the surrounding stones muffled it, turning it into a meaningless, eerie sound if heard from outside. Now, Liam was like a prisoner being tortured by the hellish fire.
Finally, the peak of the flames arrived.
"Damn it... It's too hot! That mutant bastard!"
Liam rolled on the stone floor. He knew that the more he screamed, the faster he would die, but remaining silent and enduring the pain was unbearable. The only thing he could do now was try to conserve his breath, minimize water loss, and save as much oxygen as possible.
Thoughts raced through his mind.
"I should've killed him from the start before he had a chance to transform... ... I should've been more decisive... ... I should've taken the safer route and headed straight to Risevider Academy instead of staying here. ... or maybe surviving until now was a mistake from the beginning."
On the blazing hot stone floor, only Liam's charred body remained. His skin had completely burned away, exposing muscle tissue discolored from the intense heat. There was no movement. If one paid close attention, they could smell the stench of burnt flesh.
His last bit of "Force" energy had been depleted, instinctively healing his wounds. Liam had planned to use it for one final attack after the fire passed, but he made one miscalculation: underestimating Matthew's strength.
Outside the area, Matthew still stood, maintaining the massive flames. He smiled as he watched the fire engulf the entire zone.
"Looks like it's done. I should save 20% of my mana to escape from those old geezers."
He glanced toward the distance, where James was hiding. Matthew sneered.
"It seems they trust each other. But it's that trust that killed them."
"Hahaha... I'd love to see your face after witnessing Alex's death."
Indeed, it was Liam's confidence in his plan that led James to stop attacking Matthew. That allowed Matthew to maintain the massive flames that killed Liam. But had Liam not shouted for James to stop, perhaps James would have been in danger, and death would have come to him soon. Either way, the outcome was grim.
***
"Damn it! If something happens to Liam, I'll go all out against him!"
James furrowed his brows angrily, looking into the distance. He had been terrified when he saw the fire Matthew created. He couldn't believe it was possible for an [E-] level fighter, but the truth was always unfair.
James struggled with whether to attack Matthew after hearing Liam tell him to stop. In the end, he chose to trust Liam.