My mind was numb to pain. The researchers ramd yet another needle into my body for ‘research purposes’ and, of course, to make sure the evil Outsiders hadn’t infected with anything nefarious.
As much nonsense as they sputtered, they didn’t look worried. If anything, the doctors had been curious and confused about how the flas of an Emperor-ranked beast had washed over without inflicting any harm. The researchers, on the other hand, weren’t even trying to hide their excitent. They couldn’t care less about my well-being either.
If they did, they wouldn’t have kept in the research facility of the Grand Camp’s Sanctuary for the last few days, examining every inch of my body. They went as far as to extract my soul energy to analyze it. They studied my world and scrutinized from the inside out.
It was disgusting, yet my complaints and curses t deaf ears.
I was sure the researchers would have cut open if they were allowed to, and in a way, I guess I was lucky nobody had granted them that permission.
“His body is perfectly healthy. All physical paraters indicate he is an Expert. That does not match the last physical reports and statents, which put him at the higher end of the Journeyman Rank.” One of the researchers compared the notes and statistics displayed on several holographic screens. “If we take into consideration that his physique acquired a minor resistance to fire without forming any new Ether Gates, we can conclude that he has undergone significant physical empowernt in the last few weeks. Adding the strain on his muscles, skin, and weave, we can narrow the ti fra to one week–maybe ten days, to be on the safe side.”
“That aligns with the information we have about sacred flas,” a younger woman said giddily, ignoring my icy glare.
“That is correct. Our young patient, Adam Savier, seems to have acquired a sacred fla.” An older, third researcher nodded flatly, tapping the screens around him, revealing more information. “And depending on the potency of the Sacred Fla’s baptism, the empowernt and fire resistance may grow further as he nourishes it.”
Dismissing the screens with a wave, he approached , his long, bony finger pressing firmly against my chest. A mark resembling an azure fla was etched there, trailing up toward my neck.
“It’s cold,” he said matter-of-factly, cold and emotionless eyes swiveling to . “Can you conjure a fla for ?”
I felt like spitting in his face, but followed the request instead. A fla flickered to existence before . It was easy–natural. Much more than controlling the Earthheart’s elental Aspect.
The researchers nodded eagerly and made odd sounds, appearing more like Neanderthals than well-educated Blessed. They gasped, pointed at the fla, and then at the mark that had started to glow. It was a dim glow, but a glow nonetheless.
“That confirms it. A high-grade sacred fla,” the old researcher said, the faintest hint of emotion flickering in his eyes.
Not that it mattered to . He could be as giddy as the others for all I cared. I, for one, couldn’t have been more indifferent if I tried.
Fucking hypocrites.
We all were. How could we do that to the Caldera after they treated us so well? How could we–
eting the Caldera for the first ti had been a coincidence. My group had been out on a mission to finish the Group Combat class as quickly as possible when we were pushed into the depths of the Giant Forest. Too weak to fight the Unblemished beasts there, we had to run and hide–until we t the Caldera.
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It was also the first ti I had t one of the Outsiders. Truthfully, I had only learned about other sentient races a few months prior. The instructors said they were dangerous. Of course they would say that.
Reality was different. Sure, we fought the Caldera, but it was more like a spar between two honorable parties than a clash between enemies. There was no nesis. Just… curiosity.
If only we never t them, I thought, gritting my teeth in regret.
The Caldera had been kind. Too kind for their own good, as it turned out.
They invited us to the Katrak, which turned out to be a sacred battle that eventually developed into sothing akin to a tournant. I trained for months under Ruler Kazriel for the Katrak, after he had taken a liking to . I knew he only chose because of the Caldera’s interest in my strength, but his opinion of changed. If not for that, he would never have paid so much attention to my training, my World’s growth, and my Soulkins’ developnt.
If not for Ruler Kazriel, I wouldn’t have been strong enough to win the Katrak. The Caldera’s interest in would have never deepened, I would have never won the Katrak, and I would have never gained the respect needed to be introduced to the Elental Phoenix.
If not for the Ruler, nothing bad would have happened.
I told the researchers the sa things–not about the Ruler’s betrayal, but about his training and the ti I spent with the Caldera, swimming in the Pyrosh. There was no need to tell them everything, but it was not as if I could avoid talking about it forever. So I told the researchers what they wanted to know–just enough to satisfy their curiosity.
But a researcher’s curiosity was insatiable. So was their stupidity at tis. At least, that was what it looked like when one of them approached for the umpteenth ti to ask about the Pyrosh.
“How did you know you’d survive swimming in a pond filled with lava? Did you consu a Resistancy Serum? Please go through the process again,” she requested, batting her eyes.
The researcher was beautiful. She had bright eyes and a cleavage that could turn heads, but the hatred I held for myself and everyone around burned deeper than lust ever could.
mories of the Pyrosh washed over the tide of hatred, softening it–if only slightly.
“At that ti, I didn’t know the Pyrosh was liquefied ether. I just wanted to wash my filthy body. But maybe that was just an excuse.” I t the woman’s eyes with indignance. “It felt as if I already knew it would cleanse and that it wouldn’t kill imdiately.”
It had been the right decision to enter the Pyrosh, to cleanse my body over and over again. It had been perfect. Growing stronger was great, but the respect the Caldera showed when I succeeded had been far more valuable.
“If everyone who swam in the Pyrosh acquired a sacred fla…” the old researcher murmured and turned to the others.
“That would explain the Caldera’s fire resistance and physical prowess.” The fem fatale straightened up, her smile spreading wide. “Their Ether Gates are probably larger and reach deeper into their weave. I would love to analyze them!”
That would never happen. No Caldera would allow a human to touch them. But I didn’t think for a second that the researchers expected the Caldera to volunteer for their research program. They’d capture so alive or collect their corpses to experint on, and I hated that thought from the bottom of my heart.
But I was glad the researchers were ignorant. For all their ether machines, analytic tools, experience, and knowledge, nobody knew the truth.
Nobody knew I had not actually acquired a sacred fla in the Pyrosh. Maybe I had been on my way to forming a sacred fla in my World, but that was no longer important. I had sothing far stronger–far more dangerous–bound to .
It was not a sacred fla, but the very beast that killed Ruler Kazriel and Ruler Maximilian. The Elental Phoenix chose . It bound itself to when it killed itself to escape the Ruler of Fire’s tyranny and–just thinking about it made angry.
I didn’t understand the Phoenix’s decision, nor the Rulers’ betrayal. One day we were negotiating with the Caldera, hoping for peace and for both sides to prosper through trade, and the next, everything was over.
Maybe I should have been sad about the Rulers’ deaths, but they left unfazed. It was only just that they suffered the consequences of their actions. But if everyone were to suffer the consequences of their actions, why did the Elental Phoenix choose ?
Why did it bind itself to when I was the one who started the war?! Tears welled in my eyes as the thought carved itself deeper into my consciousness.
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