Volume Two: Life and Death in the Northern Realm - Flame Dance
Burn, my passion!
My body became scorching hot, and a ferocious power instantly filled my entire being. My body trembled uncontrollably, like a car vibrating when the clutch is half-engaged. Thin red steam escaped from my pores; it was a byproduct of the blood burning for energy. I tried my best to control the flow of the burning blood, allowing my body to fully absorb the energy.
Unburnt blood seeps into the bone marrow, crystallizing and enveloping the bones inside and out.
Bone reinforcement... Completed.
Blood seeps from the skin, spreading into a membrane that covers the fists, feet, major joints, and vital organs. After crystallizing, it forms a thin yet sturdy armor.
External reinforcement... completed.
"Um..."
As I observed the movements of the four Black Abyss Tribe, I checked my body for any areas that might restrict my movement. With a thought, another layer of liquid blood appeared on the blood crystals covering my arms and legs, emitting wisps of heat.
Silence fell, and for a moment I stared at the four demonic beasts.
Then--
"ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Two Black Abyss Tribe, one a giant purplish-black bat with two heads and the other a giant lizard with a snake's tail, attacked me simultaneously! As the two behemoths charged forward, the shadows surrounding them coalesced into countless ferocious creatures that attacked me. The giant bat's shadow condensed into countless smaller bats, while the lizard's shadow became hundreds of millions of thorns.
Inhale, exhale, and maintain rationality amidst the hellish heat.
Lightly touch the ground with your toes, and press an invisible switch in your mind—
"Flame Step!"
Countless shadow bats and shadow needles blasted away the ground I had just stood on, sending up clouds of rubble and dust. Amidst the chaos, a red humanoid figure wreathed in flames flashed past—
"Flame Fan!"
The arms, driven by Blood Flame, drew sharp arcs in the air, and a fan-shaped Blood Flame tens of meters long tore through the darkness, transforming into a crimson arc of light that slashed out! The giant bat screamed in agony, one side of its body turned into charred charcoal, and most of its wing spun as it fell from the sky, turning into countless black fragments!
"There's a chance— Flame Step Void Walk!"
The liquid blood covering the outside of my feet burst into flames, and I used the fierce propulsion to run through the air. As the old blood burned out, new blood immediately filled the gap. With each step, brilliant flames exploded beneath my feet. In the blink of an eye, I broke through the shadow's multiple defenses and successfully got close to the giant bat!
Sensing impending doom, the giant bat, in a frenzy, unleashed the shadows around its body. At the same time, three other shadows of the Black Abyss Tribe transformed into countless blades, attacking from all sides! To escape unscathed, one must move at high speed while attacking!
The scattered blood all gathered together, compressed to its limit, thick and sticky like mud, clinging tightly to my right wrist! My fingers curled into a bird's beak shape, and the fuel in my wrist and leg exploded simultaneously—
K God, grant me power!
"Crow Bite!!"
Take off, rotate, explode!
Fierce Flame swirled in the air as I spun and lunged upwards, narrowly avoiding attacks from all four directions! My right wrist, enveloped in raging Blood Flame, traced a dazzling, whirlwind-like trajectory, transforming into a sharp beak that pierced through the shadows and struck the giant bat's throat!
"Hiss--Awoooo..."
Too shallow! The killing move that I thought would be a decisive blow didn't work as expected at all. The initial upward thrust wasn't strong enough! The giant bat screamed and struggled, its body beginning to disintegrate into black mist—it wanted to hide in the darkness to recover its strength!
"I won't give you a chance— Heavy Crow Bite!!!"
Using the momentum that had not yet dissipated, the Blood Flame on my feet erupted again. I flipped in mid-air, and my hand, wreathed in Blood Flame, stabbed fiercely at the giant bat—this time with my left hand! I was like a burning giant bird, soaring into the darkness above!
The claws pierced through the giant bat's skin and buried themselves deep inside its body. The compressed, thick blood revealed its sadistic nature and exploded violently within the giant bat's body!
With a deafening roar, the giant bat was burned to ashes from the inside out by the raging flames before it could even merge into the darkness! However, the crimson Fierce Flame did not stop there. Riding the aftershocks of the explosion, the Blood Flame scattered in all directions. Sensing something was wrong, the other three Black Abyss Tribe immediately fled, and even the two that were entangled with the others stopped their movements.
"Hey A Ye, what are you doing—"
Before the word "What?" could be uttered, the shockwave blew everyone away. Splattered blood hit the ground, triggering another explosion, and deep cracks appeared in the ancient rock.
I had a very bad feeling.
The next second, my premonition came true.
The third floor collapsed with a deafening roar, and Ally, Ailin, Givinia, and Sirius fell into the pit along with countless rubble.
"Oh no!"
In the nick of time, I ignited almost all the blood in my body and swooped down! Countless blood tentacles stretched out rapidly, protecting the three of us and the car in mid-air. Then, like a strangely shaped octopus, we fell into the lower level.
Rumble rumble rumble~~~~~~~
The ground beneath their feet shook noticeably, and the seven people who were on the verge of drawing their swords stopped.
"That's strange, an earthquake?" Kilga frowned, looking displeased.
"It seems the vibration is coming from below..." Alba mused. "... Looks like those unlucky guys down there are driven to desperation and are about to self-destruct?"
"What idiot would play with explosions in these ruins that could collapse at any moment? Are there any morons like that among the contestants?"
So, unbeknownst to many, our protagonist was treated like an idiot.
"Ahhh, Ally! Ally and the others have fallen!"
Having narrowly escaped death, Emilia paced anxiously on the third level of the pit, staring intently at its deep depths, wishing she could jump in herself.
"Don't worry, Amy. Didn't you see? At the last moment, Miss Ye protected them all. They'll be fine," Messiah quickly reassured her.
"But... but... but~~~"
"Calm down, Amy! As the captain, you need to stay calm, especially when facing big problems!"
"I--"
"Besides, don't you hate Miss Ally the most? Wouldn't her death be exactly what you want?"
"But... but... I... sob... I don't want anything to happen to her..."
Emilia, contrary to her usual haughty demeanor, began to sob and cry, leaving even Messiah dumbfounded.
"Sigh... alright, since you've insisted on going this far, there's no harm in searching the lower levels."
Messiah sighed heavily, then glared sharply at Emilia.
"But you should also understand that contacting them would waste a lot of time, and you might miss out on the victory. I have to ask you—which is more important, the champion or Miss Ally?"
"Ally!"
Without hesitation, Emilia gave her answer.
"Is that so... Haha, well then, let's set off."
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I woke up this morning to find it was past 11 a. m., and I was the only one left in the dorm. It startled me, so I quickly went to study.