Little Igni continued to tirelessly pour his flames into the Crucible, wanting to do everything he could to help his father and end this as quickly as possible.
Even if it meant running out of flames and exhausting himself, the little Dragon was prepared for it all.
And then,
BOOOOOOOOOOOM
Then, it happened.
The Heart of Crucible, which was no different than a dead volcano, flared up with the Primordial Fire Igni bathed it with. Then suddenly, as if it was some sort of magical equipment, the flames it was bathed with started… mutating.
The Primordial Flames, known for being the purest form of flames, started becoming… even purer.
It started becoming… something more…
Something… Eternal.
Then suddenly,
It all surged up and,
Whooosh
The Heart of Crucible erupted and its flames instantly surrounded Igni.
“What- FATH-“
The little Dragon tried to get away, but no matter how much he struggled, the Fire acted like vines that captured and held him down, not allowing him to fly away. Even Igni, with his speed and agility, was helpless against the Fire, and very quickly, he was engulfed by the flames. Even his voice was cut out.
And the Heart of Crucible didn’t stop there, it continued to spew out more Mutated Lava, which very quickly fell on the ground and connected with the Lava Veins below.
The Lava Veins, now mixed with the Eternal Flames, became redder and redder, and this red lava quickly spread all over the Crucible.
Even the Titan of Crucible wasn’t spared. As this red lava made its way inside its Lava Veins, the mindless Titan calmed down. Its movements slowed down before finally, it stood still, acting like the guardian it was meant to be.
The red lava continued moving, quickly reaching the Eternal Flame Wolves that were constantly thrashing and trying to get away from the Titan’s attack. It quickly climbed inside their bodies, and they calmed down as well.
Even the unstable realm with constant eruptions didn’t have any more eruptions. The boulders that fell on the ground didn’t cause any more explosions.
Everything seemed to have… calmed down.
It was a sight that surprised Kael.
However, it wasn’t over.
Suddenly, the giant Titan, who was standing still all this while, moved and turned towards Kael. The Hero was alerted and prepared to run and dodge the death ray, but then, the Titan crouched on the ground and extended his arm towards him.
It wasn’t just him. One of the Eternal Flame Wolves, the strongest of the pack, walked towards him and lowered itself.
It was almost as if it wanted him to ride it.
Kael hesitated for a moment, but then,
He heard a voice.
[Ding!]
[Mission Completed]
The System message appeared in front of him.
It was almost as if the System was telling him that everything was safe. Kael calmed his mind and climbed on top of the wolf.
The wolf then rushed towards the Titan and stopped in front of his hand.
The Titan and the wolf waited for Kael to move. Kael, understanding what they wanted, stood on top of the Titan’s hand, and the Titan moved, bringing Kael towards the Heart of Crucible.
There, his eyes fell on it.
An Egg.
An Egg similar to Igni’s Egg, only this time…
It was much bigger compared to before, even bigger than Kael himself. The instant Kael laid his eyes on the Egg, his expression changed.
He could sense it.
“Igni!”
He shouted, rushing towards the Egg, touching its surface that was unbelievably hot but didn’t burn Kael’s hand for some reason.
“IGNI!!”
Kael raised his voice even further. His eyes instantly turned golden, wanting to know more about this.
[Igni]
[Description:]
[A Primordial Fire Dragon undergoing the Baptism of the Eternal Flame, a sacred trial marking his evolution into Phase Two.]
[Properties:]
[Baptism of the Eternal Flame: Within his Egg, Igni is engulfed by Eternal Flames that will burn away his current limits and temper his body, soul, and power, pushing him toward his true potential.]
[Shared Agony: Due to your deep connection, you will experience the same pain as Igni, and your body will be scorched from inside.]
[Rebirth: If you two withstand the Baptism, Primordial Fire Dragon Igni will enter Phase Two of his evolution, and because of your connection, you will reap a small part of the Baptism’s benefits.]
…
“Phase Two…?”
Kael blinked. However, before he could even read the entire thing, another screen appeared in front of him.
[Mission Reward: Baptism of Eternal Flames]
Then suddenly,
“AAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!”
It began.
Kael screamed in agony as he felt searing heat coming out of his body, burning everything inside of him.
As he stood next to Igni’s Egg, his flesh started to melt, his bones cracked, his muscles were torn apart—it was as if his entire body would melt away.
Just before he was about to fall, like a puddle of scorched something he had turned into, his body started healing.
New flesh, new bones, new muscles, and new blood were created—only for the process to be repeated again.
“AAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!”
And Kael continued to scream until his throat was burnt, taking his voice again.
Once again, he was turned into a filthy puddle, but not wanting him to fall, his body regrew again, and…
The Cycle of Purification continued.
It happened again, and again, and again, and then again. Every single time Kael’s body was reforged, he was burnt again, and every single time, he screamed in endless agony.
“AAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!”
Of course, all of this wasn’t without benefit. With each cycle, his bones became denser and denser. His muscles twisted and reformed, growing leaner and sharper, filled with explosive power. His skin became clearer, smoother, but far more resilient.
Every impurity, every weakness—it was all incinerated.
Badump Badump Badump
His heart pounded, echoing throughout the Crucible. His blood now glowed with a faint golden shimmer. His senses sharpened, allowing him to perceive what he normally couldn’t.
He was Faster.
Stronger.
Sharper.
He was…
Reborn.
Just that…
Kael was in no position to realize that.
He could only scream.
“AAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!”
The Cycle still hadn’t ended.