Embers of the Flame

A tree shattered, the bark, branches, and leaves flying in different directions from the sheer force and power of my punch.

That was the strength of a Creator god. I was currently testing my parameters. Checking out the differences between me now and me before.

While it was harder to see the difference between now and earlier in the fight against Bali I could check and know the difference between now and against the Destroyer, and the Elf.

I was stronger now. That was for sure.

Next, I had the divine energy flowing within me gather at my fist. I had never really thought about it, but the fact that skills and insights weren't name-activated, or gesture controlled was awesome. With will and understanding of the skills activating could be done. It made the game more realistic.

Divinity flooded my fists giving them an even more golden glow. Clenching the palm I turned with the same force and punched the next tree. The tree was pulverized. Nothing but ash blowing off into the wind.

Next, I took off running. My agility was already past four hundred yet my perception was low. If not for mind increasing my mental reactions in tandem with my agility then anything perceived would be useless.

I still didn't understand how I got an extra ten to my perception but I suspected it had to do with Eye of the Unseen getting an extra plus sign.

I didn't bother testing my endurance since I already knew it affected my health points. As long as no one had a sword like the one back in Aswingnir I could tank all hits with my Golem Armor.

I halted my run and settled down in a lotus style. The ground would break apart to fall into the smog below only when I moved. As was evident from the wide space left from where I had run from. It was pushing me forward always but never backward.

I could work with that but first, I inhaled and shut my eyes then exhaled.

Time to figure out my two elusive insights.

I entered into a calm breathing pace., letting the air in the atmosphere flood my system.

'Funny how devils use oxygen made by creator gods too' I mocked. 'Focus' I shook my head and tried returning to the exhale and inhale. Discarding all thoughts from within my mind I continued breathing.

'What's this, Ki cultivation?' I snorted then sighed. Hitting the side of my head softly I cursed. "Focus damn it ".

It took several minutes to finally activate what I wanted to gain. Once it happened I barely reacted as the system notification came.

[Skill learned - Meditation]

Cutting off all senses from the outside world and drawing one's will and intent within the host. A dangerous endeavor.

It was a surreal feeling. Darkness but with awareness. Unlike the beginning where I had no sight but could hear the notifications and know what was going on. Here I could see and it was all dark. Just like before I had neither arms nor legs or anything. There was just nothing.

I tried activating the first insight. Ember of the Flame.

I felt the familiar heat of energy within me. A pool that was hard to draw from. I used the energy sparingly during the fight with Bali due to this reason.

If Mellifluent was like an ebb and flow of water then this particular energy was chaotic. It wasn't rogue but it was hot and unwilling. It needed to be coaxed out, unlike Mellifluent.

Getting it to spark had just been due to the explosive effect.

'Explosive effect'

'Wait I can think in here' I was stunned at the realization.

'Where was here anyway?' I asked myself. Focusing back on the task I remembered that fire only worked when I had given it a task to accomplish. Unlike Meliifluent that moved in a path as long as it was never stopped.

Earth moved as I willed.

Divine purity did what it was made to do.

So what was Embers of the Flame?

[Embers of the Flame]

Heat. Warmth. Energy given life, a boisterous inferno, the cull, and the ebb of destruction.

A boisterous inferno. It made no sense. What did heat and warmth have to do with getting it to work? Sure I understood the basic principles. But it was like getting it to actually work that was hard.

Sigh.

'Cull and the ebb of destruction.' the flame did respond only when tasked to destroy. Was that its purpose? Destruction. The description termed it as energy-given life. Which meant the fire was sentient? Desiring only destruction?

'Let's just check'.

I pulled at the flame with my intent and then willed it to come forth and burn. The flow and push of heat within me rose. I watched in the darkness seeing nothing but black. Yet the warmth grew until it was a smoldering heat.

While it didn't burn or make me uncomfortable it was still blazing hot.

'Wow. To think I'll feel the heat of the fire without getting the burns'.

It was certain that the flame was burning. But I wanted to know how to control it better. So I mentally willed its flow of direction. I could still see nothing but I felt the heat and warmth shift from one body part of mine to another.

I instructed it to keep burning. Then I imagined a vortex of fire looming up and spreading in all directions. I felt the flame surge. There was excitement, naughtiness in it. I could feel it.

The heat around me intensified while the flame kept flooding out. I wasn't certain of how good the fire had been but regardless I continued.

This time as I commanded the fire asking it to wrap me up and burn my enemies it complied. It made me wonder though since there were actively no enemies to burn.

The flames complied and I felt the heat around me intensify. Yet I could feel that the fire had not left my skin like before. Instead, it immersed just below it.

'Let's see if I can find its Dome rune' I was already searching following the flow of energy. In my mind, it was dark lava red, like deoxygenated blood. The more I followed the more it dimmed almost fading out.

'So that's why'. When using the energy fire pulled from within me would brighten the link which I could follow. But unlike Mellifluent which kept a steady connection, the link would dim when the needed flame was sent out.

'Maybe due to my not having found the Dome rune.'

With the information, I had now, I urged the fire to burn again while sending an image of a circular wall. Having to always remind the embers of the flame that it was coming to burn and destroy something was apparently key to getting its interest.

Unlike the other insights, fire could not be tamed, directed, or controlled unless for the sole purpose of burning. Whether for good or bad, destruction or not. If it was not burning the sentient entity would ignore all directives.

The new pull of flame lit up the link into a blazing white that surged up to the outside. I darted down in the direction the flame came from following the link closely.

The link finally ended. Just like last time the white link was fading but fortunately, I didn't have to worry since I was here.

It was the same place as the Source Eternal. I knew because behind me the Dome rune for it glowed. Directly opposite to the Embers of the Flame.

I didn't remember being able to walk or move in here the last I came. Now though I feel a floor even if I didn't see it.

This was proving to me that the space I entered after unlocking the meditation skill was the same one as where I entered to find Mellifluent.

I drew closer to the fast-fading link. Now it was already back to its dark red and dimming fast. Still, I didn't rush. My finger stretched out as my will brushed against the spot the link vanished into.

It lit up. It was a Decagon. Each point having a rune for different flame colors. The moment my will brushed it the fire latched unto me. A desire to know scraped into my mind and heart. Literally. Like a finger seeking something. It was fast, barely giving me time to argue or notice. By the time I realized it was over and the finger was gone.

'That wasn't nice' I thought. Before I could find a way to speak my thoughts information filled my head. Secrets of the flame.

This took longer.

My gaze filled up with hues from every color spectrum I knew. It made sense yet made no sense. Like the knowledge that couldn't be taught no matter how you wished. But it didn't matter to me.

My eyes flew open. A world on fire surrounded me.

I was no more in the Soul space. That's what I'll call that place. Soul space.

Anyway, the forest before me was gone. Burned down to nothing but ash. Yet the flames persisted. There was a fire of every and all colors blazing high into the sky.

Looking around me I winced at the sight. The fire must have followed the link to the surface and every sort of color rose from my body burning everything to the ground.

Pulling up my notification I noted that everything had been blurred but one.

[YOU HAVE DESTROYED THE RING OF SHINOC]

Like the system was sure I had seen the message a new one appeared.

[Sending to new floor]

The bright light of the familiar dungeon teleportation filled my vision. The last thing the Rings of Shinoc heard from me was an apology.

'Note to self. Embers of the Flame was dangerous.' Like how could one destroy an entire space with just fire.