CHAPTER 32: JUDGMENT (5)

I don't know if it is because we asked our question at the same time, but I felt like time stopped for a moment. The woman then walks to the thrones and sits at the end at the far left.

"I have asked you a question." Don't ignore me like that.

She crosses her legs as elegantly as she can and takes an intimidating posture but with her look, she looks pitiful at best.

"Should you not present yourself first if you wish for answers?" The way she speaks is…solemn. I feel like I am compelled to answer without thinking too much.

"I am Will Otun."

"Will Otun? A coward then."

"What?!" Who are you to call me a coward?!! "I am no co-"

"Are you a wandering soul? Or did he send you to check on us? You smell like him after all." A wandering soul?

"Isn't this the after life? I thought I was dead." Could it be that this isn't the afterlife?

"I see. A wandering soul then. But from your smell and your presence…"

She stops speaking and simply looks at me. Hey, say something!!

"You still haven't told me who you are? What is this place?" If she says I am a wandering soul then I guess this is not the afterlife. If that's the case, then there is a chance I am not dead yet. Which means I can still do it.

"This is the realm of the spirits." She raises her left hand and shows the hall around like it is a piece of art. "This is the place we primordials created to bless and help the humans."

"We?" Who is she talk… "Wait, could it be…Are you that 'E'?"

" 'E'?" Her face finally changes, showing a bit of curiosity.

"When I received my blessing, it said that some 'E' was interested in me."

"It is impossible. He made sure that we wouldn't be able to do it. Those chains are here to prove it."

"I don't know who or what you are talking about but I do know that I have received a blessing when I practiced the dance of fire. Not only that, but I saw someone else with the same kind of blessing, the dance of wind."

"That's impossible, I said!"

Her voice resounds powerfully in the room while she stands up so fast she lose her balance. I run to grab her before she hits her head and when I hold her arm, my hand immediately starts burning.

"Argh!!"

I almost let go of her but without knowing why, I don't. I feel like if I let go of her, I will lose my only hope.

"Why? Why do you not let go when you are suffering?"

"Because you will get hurt if I let go. So stand up properly instead of asking stupid questions."

I help her with my other hand and the pain should make me faint. I wonder how I can still stay conscious with how much it hurts. When she stands up properly, I try to let go of her but my hands won't move anymore. What is happening?

"Are you perhaps that 'E'?" I think she must that 'E****'.

"I don't know who is 'E'. But I am Efreet. The primordial spirit of fire."

"I see. Then Efreet. Can you tell me? What I am doing here? What happened here?"

"What good will it have for you to know?"

"Just tell me."

She removes my hands by herself and goes back to her seat. Meanwhile, the burning sensation and pain has completely disappeared. My hands don't even look burnt. Efreet then simply stays sit, without saying anything. I sit before her, waiting for her explanations.

***

After staying for a while without speaking, Efreet looks at me once again and her mouth finally moves

"Are you sure you received my blessing?"

"Why would I lie about it?"

"Then this means his power has diminished. Perhaps the time has come. But if we fail, our world will surely be annilihated." And there she goes, talking to herself again.

"Hey! Are you still with me?"

"Listen to me, hero of another world, I need your help."

"I am not helping you until you tell me what happened here."

"I will. But first, I wish for you to accept my request. I cannot tell you everything unless you agree to it."

"And what is that condition?" Efreet's expression has completely changed. She looks full of life and hope now.

"I want you to save our world…"

"Yeah, that's what I was called here for anyway."

"By killing the first hero."

"Wait, what?" The first hero? "I am not sure he is still alive."

"Will you do it?"

"Hmm…Okay, I will. Though I am not sure what you mean." As I accept, my chest hurts like hell for a moment then the pain stops. What was that? "Did you do something to me?"

"This is the proof that you agreed to help us." She shows me the back of her hand and there is a crest on it now. It has the shape of a flame elegantly burning.

"What will happen if I don't help you then?"

"Your soul shall burn for eternity and you will forever wish the angel of death come to free you of your suffering."

"Eh? Wait, you didn't tell about all this before."

"If I did, would you have accepted?" Yeah, well, of course not.

"Anyway, can you tell me now?"

"Instead of telling you, it would be better to show you."

She stands up and comes to me then she touches my forehead with her finger and my vision goes blank again. Multiple scenes flash through at high speed in my head and I can see normally again, so many things are clear now that I feel like I was conned for a long time.

"I know it is an impossible task that I am asking of you but please, help us save our world."

"Don't worry. I will." If I can do something that he couldn't, then I will have definitively be able to go higher than him.

I stand back up and Efreet hugs me. Unlike earlier, my body isn't burnt when she does. On the contrary, I feel a somewhat warm feeling in my chest as she does. She then grabs my head with her hands and looks at me with sparkling eyes.

"I shall pray for your success, wandering child who has been chosen by fate."

Saying so, she kisses me and a surge of energy and power fills me up. Right when it feels like it is to overflow, I lose consciousness.

***

When I come to again, I am back at the castle. The dragon is standing before me and nothing seems to have changed. I look around and most people are still in the same state.

"You have given away half of your life for the sake of succeeding. I shall at least acknowledge your resolve." The dragon speaks to me but now, his voice feels less threatening, it is less powerful to my ears.

"Just wait a little more, okay, Viltrax?" When he hears that name, the dragon's eyes shine even more. His wings flaps a little and he shows a huge smile, even revealing his teeth now.

"I see. So it might start, huh. I shall go and tell my master, that your judgment was pass down."

Viltraxx flies up and goes back inside the hole. Then, the sky returns back to normal and everything with it. The weird air around that was filling the place disappears as well.

At the same time, a window pops up before me.

[

You have been judged by the apostle of the god of law and balance.

Your skills and status will return to normal.

]

I validate the window and another one pops up.

[

The spirit of fire, Efreet, has acknowledged you.

Your skills and status are independent of the god of law and balance's will from now on.

Your status and skills will be changed accordingly.

]

I validate that window as well and when my status window opens, what I see is crazy.

"Waouh…" Who could have ever believed it?

[

Will Otun

Age: 16

Title: The Heir of Fire.

Efreet, the spirit of fire, has deep feelings towards you.

Title Characteristics:

+ Fire is your ally. A wall of fire will surge to prevent any surprise attack.

+ Lightning is your ally. There is a fifty percent chance that your opponent may receive a lightning bolt when you are fighting.

+ The dance of fire will now increase the strength of your hits by 150%.

+ Fire will always be generated around you when you fight.

+ Fire and lightning can now heal you.

+ Magic naturally flows within you.

Magic points: 99999 pts (199pts/s)

Skill: Amplify (Rank F-S)

You can increase or decrease a property.

Current rank: S (100%)

Subskill: Amplify Maxima

You can increase your own body's vitality by 300%.

Duration: 1 minute.

Mana cost: All of your mana points.

Warning: Beyond the duration fixed, your own life will be withdrawn to maintain the skill.

Affliction: magic cancer (Altered)

Your body has absorbed too much magic and is slowly deteriorating. Your title has greatly reduced the effect of the illness. An overuse of magic will aggravate the illness.

The god of law and balance is watching you with ill intentions.

The spirit of Fire deeply trusts you.

The spirit of Water is watching you with close attention.

The spirit of Wind is watching you with close attention.

The spirit of Earth is watching you with close attention.

]