NOVPUB<Oh crap, I honestly forgot I did that.>
’Yeah, its kind of hard for me to for that moment,what with you apparently inscribing it into my soul and everything. I’m fairly certain Logos said that what you did wasn’t exactly safe.’
=Not even in the slightest, but this does lead to an opportunity.=
’Opportunity?’
=You know how some alchemists and cultivators refine [Beast Flames] and other such elementally weird treasures to boost their powers?=
’...you want me to try and refine the...don’t I need like an elemental affinity, a formula designed to do that or a weird body constitution or all fucking three to do that? Also, wouldn’t it be better to have someone like say, Nepherage refine this thing? She does have an Ignati affinity.’
<=We can improvise you refining it thanks to how your body’s built.=>
=It’s also not recommended for the kaijin to refine any particular treasures or energies that have the ability to change one’s soul due to their...transient existences.=
’Right...what do I need to do?’
=Nothing to extraneous milord, just...=
<How good are you with spicy/bitter foods?>
’I can never just fucking meditate to absorb this shit, can I?’
<No, now bottom’s up!>
’At this point, I might as well learn how to shoot a laser from my mouth...OH SHIT!’
Before Zhen Liu could gripe any further, the [Ghost Flame Sphere] exploded.
A jet of sickly green flames proceeded to fire in Zhen Liu’s face, following the funnel that he and Frosttusk had created just moments ago.
While he wasn’t entirely sure about this thought, Zhen Liu believed that if he hadn’t equipped Frosttusk to his person, his face would’ve definitely burned off.
’Welp, nothing we can do now but try to forcefully refine this thing...at least now I understand why most cultivation protagonists just steal from others...’
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<<You filthy brackborn brat! How dare you attack me!>>
<<Oh I am not going to be condescend to by someone who betrays their kin!>>
<<Huh? The fuck are you talking about?!>>
<<Your armor, numb nuts!>>
<<Shit!>>
Zhen Hai’s sneak attack did not result in an instant KO as he had hoped, due to his current opponent being somewhat tougher than he had anticipated. However, his attack did manage to destroy part of his target’s robes and reveal that he was indeed a member of the Zhen Clan via the armor he was wearing underneath those robes.
Zhen Hai didn’t know why someone who was a traitor would wear such an obvious piece of identifying clothing, but he didn’t really care at this moment. Right now, he wanted blood...or at least answers.
<<Alright, I caught you red handed and I’m fairly certain I just foiled whatever contingency plan you just tried to achieve. So why don’t you just do us both favor and surrender already? Not that I would mind kicking your teeth in right here and now.>>
<<Wait, what?!>>
Instead of surrendering, the traitor proceeded to look around himself until he spotted something and paused.
Zhen Hai followed the man’s gaze until he saw what the latter was looking at as well.
It was the strange clicky device he had saw the traitor was fiddling with earlier. Granted, he didn’t remember the damn thing being ablazed with a sinisterly green fire.
As both Zhen Hai and the traitor stared at the burning device, the former had no idea what to make of it while the latter let out an audible sigh of relief. Apparently, Zhen Hai had not actually foiled the traitor’s plan.
’Dammit.’
Feeling a touch annoyed at this revelation, Zhen Hai thought of going for yet another sucker punch at the traitor, this time aiming for the face, but stopped himself. He wasn’t entirely sure why, but he had feeling this traitor was one of the types to gloat.
<<Phew! You had me worried there for a moment,>> the traitor said with a hint of laughter in his voice, <<thank the abyss that you were wrong.>>
<<How so?,>> Zhen Hai asked in a supressed, disingenuous tone.
Depending on the traitor’s personality this was either a moment that would allow Zhen Hai to either buy time or get an answer from the source itself. Thankfully, it was the latter.
<<Because you silly brackborn, can’t you feel that surge of heat and dread? This little device let’s me activate a very special treasure that is going to help me to burn not only this stupid arena down to the ground, but every single Zhen Clan cur and their mongrel allies in a single fell swoop! Not even that painted bitch will be able to withstand the heat from the [Ghost Flame]. In other words, you would-be wannabe hero, you lost. Hahahaha!>>
<<Huh...>>
Zhen Hai decided not to ask the obvious question of, "why aren’t you worried about being burned by this aforementioned ghost fire, since he was in the blast zone too," instead he decided to ask something that made the traitor’s expression stiffen and falter.
<<So...is it safe for me to assume you didn’t notice that something is eating your cursed fire?>>
<<Hahaha-wait, what?>>
The thing about people is that when they’re looking for something specific or focusing on something small, they have a tendency to ignore the more obvious sources of danger or changes.
Case in point, the traitor somehow didn’t notice that his [Ghost Flame Sphere] was in the process of being eaten by some kind of monster.
As to what this monster looked like...well...it looked like something out of a nightmare.
<<What the fuck...>>
Enshrouded by mist and smoke, a giant with massive tusks and clad in strange leather armor was standing in the middle of the arena floor, looming over everyone like a force of nature.
<<Wait...it’s actually eating the flames? What the fuck?!>>
Zhen Hai wasn’t exaggerating in the slightest when he said a monster was eating the aforementioned [Ghost Flames], but what he didnt mention was that he recognized the monster in question.
’Zheb Liu, you crazy motherfucker...I owe you big time!’
<<No way, no way, no way...>>
Seeing an opportunity in the fact that the traitor was dumbstruck by the sight of a fire eating giant, Zhen Hai took this opportunity to attack once more. Only this time, he aimed for the back of the neck.
<<Thunder Chop!>>
<<Gurk!>>
_____________________________________________
<<What the fuck...>>
<<What is that thing?!>>
<<I don’t know, but what are those green flames it’s eating?>>
At this point in time, most of the people in the arena had been evacuated from the premise in order to avoid being caught up in the crossfire between the Zhen Clan and the Fallen. Therefore, not many people knew what was going on inside exactly.
They could feel the fluxes in aether, they could hear the sound of fists and kicks being exchanged and they could make out the occasional death scream of a slain warrior. They could not, however, see the crazy turn of events that had occurred inside.
They didn’t know about the arrival of the Fallen Clan’s War Elder, they didn’t know about the exchange of blows that occurred between the matriarch and the aformentioned elder, and nobody had any clue as to why the creepy blood fog that had been choking out the Zhen Clan had suddenly disappear like a bad dream.
What everyone did notice/see was something a bit more...nightmareish.
That nightmare being a giant black and white cloud of smoke, rising from the arena and showing off the shadow of some giant, horned monstrosity, devouring what appeared to be a sickly green fire.
Not a lot of people knew what to make of this strange sight, as they had no idea what the figure or what the flames were exactly. However, there were multiple bystanders who recognize the latter and a slightly smaller group that had a vague idea of what that shadow was. Or rather, who that shadow belonged to...maybe.
<<Wait a minute...that tint, this feeling...that’s [Ghost Flame]!>>
<<[Ghost Flame]?>>
<<Yeah, it’s a type of aether flame that can only occur in places with high concentrations of death and Ignati aether. It’s rare, but deadly! Unless you got the right constitution for the stuff, it can burn your soul!>>
<<Seriously?! Then, wait...how is that big thing up there...eating it then?>>
<<I...don’t know...>>
"Xiao Liu..."
Amongst the crowd of bystanders and injured, the branch Zhen Clan had managed to reunite with one another, grouping together for safety.
They were all worried, as they had guessed that the shadow belonged to Zhen Liu’s puppet mammoth man.
However, Patriarch Zhen Shi was a touch more worried, since he was one of the few that had a touch more insight as to the nature of that mammoth man. Well, he and two other people.
’Xiao Liu...Frosttusk...I hope you know what you two are doing...’
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’Welp...this was a semi-terrible idea. I feel like I’m eating volcano noodles mixed with extra stinky bleu cheese. Frosttusk, how you holding up buddy?’
[For the first time in my entire existence, I am now uncomfortably warm.]
’GREAT!’
