"We've arrived," Emperor Kaelith announced, stopping in front of a massive steel door.
The throne room was bigger than Raelis had expected. It was divided into multiple sections, and the two of them were currently on the lowest one.
It was dark, and the air felt suffocating.
Added to that, there was this warmth that he couldn't seem to shake away, no matter how much he used his Lesser Heat Control.
"Raelis." Emperor Kaelith's voice cut through the silence. "It's not too late to back out. I'll respect your courage for even making it this far."
Raelis shook his head. "I'm fine. Just a little nervous."
A faint smirk tugged at Kaelith's lips. "I'd have been disappointed if you weren't."
I know, Raelis thought with a sigh. But I'm not doing this for him. This is for me.
If he could prove to himself that he was not the same powerless child who hid away from his siblings and watched his mother die in his arms, then that would be enough.
Just thinking about it made the anger inside him boil.
He tried his best to calm down, then slowly approached the giant metal door.
Emperor Kaelith nodded and placed his hand on it, pushing it open just enough for Raelis to squeeze through.
"Final chance to back out," Emperor Kaelith said in a low tone.
Instead of replying, Raelis took a step forward, entering the room where the Ancient Flame Remnant was stored.
The door was thicker than he'd expected. It took him a few seconds to get inside, and the moment he did, a surprising feeling enveloped him.
I'm cold...? Raelis's brows furrowed as he took a few glances around.
The room was massive, easily mirroring the size of the throne room above, but stripped of all regality. The walls were bare stone, with many places being cracked. The ceiling loomed so high above that he couldn't even see it through the darkness.
Even so, the main reason he'd come here was at the very center of the room.
There was a faint golden-white flame suspended in the air and encased in ice. It pulsed steadily, emanating waves of heat. At first, Raelis ignored them. But with each passing second, the temperature rose swiftly.
Alright... ten minutes. I can just stay here, and... Raelis's thoughts trailed off.
He realized what he was doing.
He was taking the easy way out again.
The closer he got to the flame, the greater the benefits. He knew that.
Raelis sighed. I guess a week isn't enough to change my mindset. But it's fine... I'll start here.
He took a single step forward. And in the very next instant, the wave of heat he'd expected to feel upon entering the room slammed into him.
"Kugh..." Raelis's eyes widened as he staggered back to where the temperature wasn't so overwhelming.
I see... His brows twitched. 52 meters. That's where the heat from the remnant actually begins.
He paused for a few moments.
Less than five seconds later, the heat caught up to him, reaching even where he stood now, and forcing him to take another step back.
At most, he had ten steps left before hitting the sealed door.
And at this rate... it'll corner me in under a minute.
Having no more options left, Raelis decided to forcefully endure it.
He took a step forward and immediately dissipated all the heat that had entered his body. Yet he could only do this for a few seconds before once again backing away.
Still, it was enough.
Lesser Heat Control (☆ — Mastery: 81% → 84%)
This time, he was able to take two steps before staggering back.
A few seconds later, four steps, then five.
With every attempt, his body adjusted more and more to the unbearable heat.
Lesser Heat Control (☆ — Mastery: 84% → 88%)
Lesser Heat Control (☆ — Mastery: 88% → 91%)
Lesser Heat Control (☆ — Mastery: 91% → 93%)
His mastery rose rapidly, and so did his heat resistance.
Raelis took ten steps forward, and when the heat finally overwhelmed him again, he stepped back the way he came.
Lesser Heat Control (☆ — Mastery: 93% → 96%)
The door was behind him, and the flame's searing pressure pressed from the front.
There was no running now.
Raelis took a deep breath and, without further hesitation, stepped forward.
The heat washed over him, but he ignored it, taking another step, and then another.
He was 15 steps in when he finally felt the heat again, but it wasn't as unbearable as before.
As he glanced ahead, he realized the Ancient Flame Remnant was still over 30 meters away from him.
I see... Raelis clenched his fists, feeling the heat increase by the moment. So this is my current limit?
He scoffed at that thought and took a few more steps forward.
Lesser Heat Control (☆ — Mastery: 96% → 97%)
Lesser Heat Control (☆ — Mastery: 97% → 98%)
Lesser Heat Control (☆ — Mastery: 98% → 99%)
The mastery was nearly at 100%. With each percent increase, he felt a firmer grasp over the heat entering his body.
When he reached the 30th step, something changed.
The golden-white Ancient Flame Remnant pulsed rapidly, cracking and melting the ice around it.
The moment it did, a wave of heat several times stronger than what he'd felt at the start hit Raelis, causing the dust around him to catch on fire.
Only then did he take a glance at his body.
His skin flushed red from the heat, and every vein in his body was bulging.
But he didn't panic. Instead, Raelis took this chance to focus on the heat.
Since the start, and even during his training, he had always let the heat enter his body, and only then did he disperse it.
But what if he created a miniature barrier around himself? One that blocked out a certain amount of heat from passing through.
With that wave of inspiration, Raelis controlled every bit of heat that he could feel, and then, he expelled it from his body.
Without wasting a moment, he gathered the expelled heat and made it cling to his skin.
At first, it burned, yet with each passing second, it felt as if the heat had begun assimilating with his body.
And after just a few moments, it settled completely.
Raelis took a deep, warm breath, then raised his hand.
It seemed as if tiny embers danced around his skin, fighting off the incoming heat, and only letting a certain amount through.
A faint smile appeared on his face as he glanced at the Ancient Flame Remnant which was only 15 meters away from him.
But before he went any closer, there was something else he needed to check out.
Lesser Heat Control (☆ — Mastery: 99% → 100%)