Chapter 40:Between Embers and Ivory

A few days passed. On the training field, I dedicated myself to combat alongside Ignis and Astrel.

Ignis had evolved—and with him, his flame.

Since he awakened the blue fire, his offensive power multiplied. Even with combined strength from Astrel and me, our flames were swallowed by his.

It was impressive.

Only a stronger fire can contain another stronger fire.

And Ignis's fire… always prevailed.

That blue flame wasn't just intense—it felt alive. It burned with fierce vigor, similar to the purple flame in our transformation, but rawer, more instinctive.

Ignis still needed concentration to conjure it, but each attempt became more natural. As if he were rediscovering something that always belonged to him.

Stepping back, I summoned a fire arrow and winged it toward him.

Ignis replied with a slender blue flame.

My arrow was consumed instantly.

"Frustrating power…" I thought, watching the flame approach me.

I scrambled up a wall of fire.

It was consumed without effort.

That blue flame absorbed heat and returned it in force—like it defied the normal rules of fire.

The flame dissipated, and I quickly summoned five spheres of fire and hurled them.

Astrel lunged forward, aflame in his charge.

Ignis didn't hesitate.

His eyes shone with intensity, and he mimicked Astrel.

He cloaked himself in blue flames and dove forward in a fierce flight.

My spheres were negated by the impact.

In physical confrontation, Astrel had the advantage—larger, heavier, more experienced.

But in elemental mastery… Ignis reigned supreme.

Astrel neighed, spun mid-air, and brought down a fiery kick.

BOOM!

Ignis was knocked away.

He flapped his wings and steadied himself.

Opened his mouth, and a dense sphere of Vitae began to coalesce.

Energy swirled like a vortex until a blue flame flickered at its center.

It was a blade of condensed fire.

It swelled and trembled in the air, then launched at us with brutal speed.

"Shit…" I muttered, pulling Astrel back into the spiritual collar.

I flew upward as fast as I could.

BOOOOOOOM!

The explosion consumed half the training field.

Below, Ignis roared in that adorably vicious style—but now filled with pride.

His roar was a proclamation. A victory.

---

Descending slowly, I surveyed the training ground, now charred to cinders.

Smoke spiraled skyward, cracks marked the earth, and shards of black stone still glowed with residual heat.

At the center of the devastation stood Ignis.

Roaring in triumph, inflating his chest as though he'd won an entire war.

I sighed and removed Astrel from the spiritual collar.

The fire-horse neighed in irritation, its flaming mane flickering.

"Ignis… how did you do that?" I asked, genuinely curious.

The young wyvern met me with those lively, arrogant eyes.

Now that mental speech wasn't too difficult, he replied confidently:

"I felt a BOOM… so I did BAAM!"

Silence for two seconds as I tried to decode his logic.

"What the hell does that mean…?" I murmured, confused.

Astrel huffed beside me, as if sharing my frustration.

Ignis, in turn, roared a satisfied roar, as if his explanation were irrefutable.

"Do it… slowly," I requested, sitting before him, eyes fixed on his.

Ignis nodded, bobbing his head up and down. His eyes gleamed with excitement as he opened his mouth slowly.

A faint flame started to gather at the center.

Unlike before, he wasn't using Vitae to amplify the attack.

It was pure fire.

I watched, fascinated, as he gathered and condensed the flame.

Its core centered, smaller tongues flickered around it, like guardians of the essence.

The edges compressed gradually, forcing even the smallest spark inward.

Little by little, the color blue formed—not abruptly, but like the natural result of precise refinement.

In the human world, I knew blue fire meant more complete combustion.

A flame that burns hotter, purer, more intense.

But there, in that magic realm, the rules were different.

The hue didn't arise from fuel efficiency…

It was the result of absolute condensation of the base flame, reaching a higher combustion level.

A flame transformed by compression, not purity.

And when that flame touched Vitae...

It became a brutal weapon.

So dense, so scorching, it could cleave the air, devour other flames, and leave a training ground in ruins—as we had witnessed.

For Ignis, this was simple.

He was born able to breathe fire, and conjuring that blue flame didn't require Vitae. It was as natural as breathing.

But for me... the story was different.

Concentrating a flame that far demanded insane control, time, and an insane amount of Vitae.

Still... I decided to try.

I remained seated, body weary but spirit steady.

I extended both hands and activated a power that had become a trusted ally:

— Ignium Spiritus.

The same fire spirit that had aided me against the monitor lizard appeared before me, a small burning entity.

With shimmering eyes and an ethereal body aflame, it perched in front of me, ready to assist.

I put out my hand and began condensing the flame, infusing it with Vitae.

The fire spirit responded—fueling my flame with its own essence.

At first… everything went smoothly.

The flame began to form—vibrant, unstable, alive.

But as I forced it further, trying to replicate what Ignis did easily, the Vitae cost skyrocketed.

My breathing grew heavy. My fingers trembled.

And then...

Boom.

The flame exploded before it could fully form.

I was thrown back, engulfed in a hot, chaotic wave of energy.

Beside me, Ignis roared strangely, as if laughing.

Astrel just cast me a look... the kind that meant, "You idiot."

The smoke cloud dispersed slowly.

And the fire spirit... had vanished, consumed by the blast.

I exhaled, brushing ash from my face.

— If only I had a true fire spirit… everything would be easier... I muttered, frustrated.

But it wasn't time yet.

Not the moment.

But it would be. I would make it.

---

However, finding a fire spirit is already rare. Forming a contract with one… even rarer.

Besides, Tenebris is not a realm suited for summoning them. Here, spirits of wind, ice, and blood thrive—and in special zones, water.

Fire spirits? Nearly impossible. Fire inherently suppresses vampires.

"Too bad…" I thought, conjuring fireballs and tossing them at each other.

Boom. Splash. Pahh.

They collided and exploded.

"But why do they explode on contact if they're my own magic?" I began to wonder.

Watching Ignis, I questioned why he never failed.

Maybe it was because—unlike me—he maintains a continuous flame while I cast it repeatedly.

He doesn't cast spells; he breaths fire.

There's no energy conflict.

My magic clashes and destabilizes without absolute control.

I stood and called Ignis and Astrel to restart.

We launched into another fire magic duel—testing boundaries and improving our dominance.

After an hour's training, we walked into a nearby forest.

We came to hunt a beast—we needed at least one 2-star level creature.

Under the trees, I moved like a snake. Though I left the forest, the forest never left me.

Ignis flew overhead, scanning. Astrel galloped fiercely through trunks. We felt each other as we hunted.

I'd purchased large blood flasks at the garrison; every drop from level-1 beasts or above would be collected.

I needed blood for alchemy—purification being the easiest method.

Kills of level 1 or nearly level 2 beasts were instantaneous—without attracting attention.

But this forest still harbored level-2 leaders. Getting surrounded… meant death.

Dashing through shadows, I spotted something unusual:

A black elephant with golden ivory.

A giant creature—even as a near-level-2, its power matched or exceeded full level-2 beasts.

A rare beast, extremely hostile but immensely valuable. Its horns and hide could refine top-tier spirit weapons.

"If I bring this corpse to Many… maybe he can forge that advanced-grade level-2 armor."

I thought while attacking.

In one motion, I dove like a snake's fatal strike, aiming for its neck.

My black lance appeared, slicing a vertical arc.

Pahh.

The impact was solid. The lance… bounced off as if hitting solid metal.

"Impossible…" I muttered. "Is black-lance made from black-elephant hide?"

I recoiled, inspecting the lance.

The elephant didn't pause—it charged like thunder.

Its steps were heavy, the earth sank; the ground shuddered.

A terrain aura enveloped it; its ivory gleamed.

Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.

Each step echoed like war drums.

I poured Vitae into the lance and charged.

Our strikes rung with violence. A stalemate.

"Even those two whirlwind tigers of level 2 couldn't create this block," I thought, astonished.

A near-level-2 beast… capable of holding my attack?

I leapt back quickly.

Ascending high, I called Ignis and Astrel.

I launched fireballs at the beast.

It simply waved its trunk, extinguishing them.

"What is this creature?" I whispered.

"Six meters tall… twelve meters long… This is insane for a non-level-2 beast."

Without hesitation, I struck again—this time aiming behind its knee.

My speed was superior; I cut sharply.

The effect—unexpected, but added enough pressure.

It moved sluggishly, allowing pursuit. I continued targeting its knees.

I tried feinting at its eyes—its hide was nearly impenetrable.

I could kill it. But I wanted to test something.

And… I was awaiting Ignis.

As I fought, I sensed its strength.

If it reached level 2, even with full power—including transformations with Astrel and Ignis—I wouldn't beat it.

This beast must die today.

If it kept growing… it would reach near-Baron level.

And having such a creature roaming the forest… was like sleeping with a cannon under your bed.

Without hesitation, I activated my Black Armor.

I charged with all my strength.

We clashed.

But now, I held the advantage.

I pressed the attack.

Couldn't let it go.

It would grow. It would conquer territory. Dominate.

Our attacks collided like strikes from steel hammers:

Cuts. Thrusts. Fireballs. Charges.

It defended fiercely. Its violence was palpable—not only because I attacked but for violating its territory.

But its situation worsened.

And now… with Ignis and Astrel joining,

They flanked the beast—bombarding it with fire and magic.

"Shit…" I thought, sweat beading.

"What an insane monster."

— Ignis, try that! I commanded mentally.

Without hesitation, he launched into flight, circling, gathering flame.

Meanwhile, Astrel and I kept the beast engaged.

It staggered under our pressure—no time to breathe or retreat.

Explosions of collision echoed like thunder in the wood.

The ground trembled; tension vibrated through the air.

But Ignis hadn't finished.

"What is he doing?" I wondered, evading another savage strike.

He never let me down.

A roar shattered the sky.

Low, primal.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

Then came the strike.

A jet of blue flame descended like a divine judgment, slamming into the beast's head with absolute precision.

The elephant tried to resist.

But the blue flames… weren't normal.

They were sinister, dense, almost solid.

Their heat didn't merely burn… devoured.

The creature staggered, reeling under the hit.

Its gigantic form began to crumble.

BOOOM!

The blast shook the forest.

As smoke cleared... the colossal beast lay fallen.

Dead.

Ignis, still airborne, belted out another roar of victory:

— GRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

I watched from above… couldn't help but grin.

"What a monster..." I whispered, laughing softly.