Chapter 138: Fire Consumes Fire

Among powers made of attributes, there was no power that devoured or was devoured more than fire, depending on its superiority.

“Devour it.”

-Gladly.

Fwaaaaack!

The Fire Spirit became fire itself and poured toward the artificial lifeform of fire.

Crunch, crrrruuuunch.

What was happening inside? The artificial lifeform, which never screamed, finally let out a sound.

–AAAAAAAAGH!

The most painful scream in the world filled the ruins.

The scream and the pain did not last long.

Gulp.

A satisfied resonance was transmitted to Rayrn, who was contracted with the spirit.

-It has been a long time since I have had such a feast.

“Did you devour them before too?”

-I did before I became a spirit.

“Hmm…”

‘What kind of existence was this calculating Fire Spirit in the past?’

While spirits were said to be born and raised in nature, this spirit might be different.

‘That is not what is important right now.’

Suppressing his rising curiosity, Rayrn looked at the gap that had been created.

The gap the Fire Spirit made was still small. Only one out of twelve had disappeared.

He had no intention of leaving this small gap alone.

‘Just widen it. On to the next one!’

-Gladly!

Since they were connected by a contract, there was no need to give commands out loud.

The spirit, receiving Rayrn’s will immediately, moved to find the next victim.

Wheeeeee-

The next target was wind.

“You are quick to notice. Where do you think you are running! WIND!”

Fwaaaaa-

Rayrn boosted his mana and caught the artificial lifeform of wind that was trying to escape.

While his body tirelessly dodged the enemy’s attacks, Rayrn showed his prowess by capturing the wind with his mind!

He refused to lose.

-Fire consumes fire… and wind also becomes a sacrifice for fire.

The Fire Spirit, which had become flames itself, rushed toward the creature of wind.

Whooooosh!

Fire and wind mixed.

The wind gathered its momentum as if resisting.

Sometimes, a strong wind resisted with all its might as if to extinguish a fire!

However, the spirit had already devoured one fire.

-It only helps me instead.

Fwaaaaa!

It began to grow even more momentum after devouring the wind!

Goaaaaa-

The energy grew larger and larger, its size increasing in an instant.

‘…It must have surpassed the intermediate level long ago.’

The Fire Spirit, growing stronger in real-time, did not know how to stop.

‘Growth in this manner. As expected, there are many things in this world I never could have imagined.’

Instead, it became greedy.

Sometimes, fire was an existence that greedily devoured everything.

It might be that the spirit’s inherent attribute was being manifested.

-Next?

“It is earth. And metal as well!”

-I shall follow that command!

The spirit, which had grown in power by consuming the wind, was shot forward.

The target was earth. It headed toward the metal that accompanied it.

Hiding within the moving earth, the metal that rushed as if to pierce through everything was always fatal.

However, fire…

‘Can also be the natural enemy of metal.’

It was an existence that always melted metal.

Even the earth was burned away and crumbled before the overwhelming firepower.

The problem was…

Chiiiiiiiiick-

The artificial lifeform of water rushed in as if it would no longer watch this situation!

“A rebellion, as I thought.”

Woooooom-

As if he had anticipated it, Rayrn infused aura into the sword he was already holding.

Physically, water could not be cut, but aura could cut water.

Rayrn found some breathing room as two of the attributes vanished.

Step.

He rushed forward and thrust his sword straight ahead.

Clang!

The water instantly formed a wall.

‘…Good application.’

By the nature of the water attribute, it could become harder than iron if struck forcefully.

But if a cutting force strong enough to cut even iron was applied…

Crrruuuuuunch-

“Even water can be cut.”

The water, split in half, tried to merge again.

It intended to combine its body and return to its original state.

Rayrn had no intention of allowing that opportunity.

“Stay apart!”

Woooooooom-

The moment he infused aura into the sword to its maximum, the aura did not take the form of a finished sword.

Instead, it grew into the shape of a massive membrane.

Crunch, crunch.

As Rayrn’s sword grew larger, the gap widened further.

When its size reached the limit!

Slaaaaaash-

The water homunculus dissipated into water as if its life had ended.

The Fire Spirit did not miss that opening.

-Burn it all!

Before long, it was devouring the body of the earth spirit.

Fwaaaaa-

Using the earth as fuel to burn, it melted the metal homunculus hiding inside.

It was a situation where attributes could clash and cancel each other out.

Gulp, gulp.

-Heh, there are many ways to apply power.

Whatever it was swallowing, the soulforce possessed by the Fire Spirit grew even greater.

‘Strange fellow.’

Spirits were beings that lived as nature itself and grew by gaining experience.

The Fire Spirit, who had been with Rayrn for a long time, might have learned a different growth method.

He might have learned by watching him. That might be why this predation was possible!

Ssssssssss-

The earth burned into ashes, and the metal became molten liquid, flowing onto the floor.

“Keep them. They will all be useful!”

-If you wish!

Whether because it was full and feeling generous, the spirit carried out Rayrn’s words without asking for a greater price.

While the metal and ashes gathered in one place…

“I will take care of the rest.”

Baaaaang!

Rayrn reached the body of the homunculus that used electricity.

Unfolding resistance magic to its limit, he swung his sword and was already cutting through the center.

-It is useless!

“It would be useless if it were just once. But…”

Swish. Swish.

The swinging sword drew countless lines in an instant.

Infinite.

That itself.

If you draw lines and draw them again, they become a plane.

If that plane spreads in all directions, it becomes a barrier.

‘In the end, a sword membrane can be unfolded even with extreme speed.’

The sword membrane Rayrn created!

No matter how much a homunculus could spread everywhere, it could not spread if there was no gap.

-AAAAAAAAGH!

Thud.

One homunculus fell just like that.

The homunculus, which he thought would completely disappear, left behind a body similar to a human.

‘That is strange. Why does a body remain when it has the electricity attribute?’

Quickly bagging the corpse, Rayrn immediately aimed for the next one.

The gap he had tried to open briefly had already become massive.

The remaining seven after five had disappeared looked pathetic compared to when twelve had gathered.

“I will take four.”

-Then I will take three.

“Let’s go.”

-Anytime!

Rayrn and the spirit shot forward toward the hesitating seven.

Baaaaaaaaang!

At the moment of impact, the clash toward the final moment was heading for the end.

Crrrunch-

-The t-test is…

Without even being able to leave its final words, the last remaining homunculus fell.

The homunculus that remained until the very end was a quite fascinating existence.

It exercised physical force and possessed endless regeneration.

Its near-immortal regenerative power finally disappeared only after the Fire Spirit devoured it.

“Whew… There will be so much to research later.”

The war ended only after Rayrn swallowed even the last remaining traces.

The Fire Spirit, which had benefited as much as Rayrn…

Goaaaaaa-

-My rank has changed thanks to you. Thank you.

It possessed a massive soulforce like never before.

“Does your way of speaking change just because your rank changed?”

-Perhaps a little… I might have been influenced by the things I devoured.

-But it is not bad.

“Hmm…”

At the very least, it was advanced.

It was a power that might even give a glimpse into the supreme grade.

He had not encountered spirits often, but none of the spirits Manar used possessed that kind of power.

‘I just cannot tell. I will have to look into it more.’

The Fire Spirit before his eyes was an existence that seemed to break common knowledge about spirits.

Spirits might have personalities just as much as humans do.

And that personality might manifest as power.

Rayrn felt joy in the fact that a new experimental subject had appeared.

Then, he looked directly ahead.

This place was where he had used the power of a master with his aura and fought while unfolding magic.

Nevertheless, the temple that looked like a ruin when it first appeared was perfectly fine.

“As expected, even after all this chaos, that place is fine.”

-Is it not obvious that it was made by a crazy being?

It still looked like a ruin, but what mattered was that it remained exactly as it first appeared.

“Maybe. Maybe not. I will have to go in first.”

-Just destroy it instead. It is a place that creates wicked things.

“Now, now, who would that benefit?”

The Fire Spirit still seemed to feel a sense of repulsion, but he did not hesitate.

Vwooom-

While recovering his body by drawing in the surrounding mana, he walked tirelessly and reached the ruins.

“It is a temple, after all.”

-It is an old style. Still… it is amazing.

-Aren’t there magic circles engraved all over it, just like the ones you make?

“Certainly. It is impressive.”

The temple he saw up close was filled with all kinds of magic circles.

Protection. Resistance. Regeneration.

Based on those three, other magic circles were engraved in various places to support them.

‘It is a different method from mixing Jinbeop.’

It seemed like the people at the Enchant Magic Tower would be thrilled even if he just gave them these.

However, Rayrn had no intention of doing something for the benefit of others right now.

Remembering the magic circles meticulously, Rayrn stepped inside.

And inside…

“…It is incredibly flashy.”

Contrary to the exterior, the interior was decorated with all kinds of luxurious things.

The moment he stepped inside…

Shoooooook-

The space began to expand again.

The space became even more massive than the outside.

‘It played around with space when I entered the dungeon… and here too.’

‘Just what level do you have to be for this to be possible?’

A case of folding space over and over.

Space itself was a power difficult to coordinate even for a high-class magician.

How high of an understanding would be needed to coordinate it doubly or triply?

‘It is dizzying.’

The level of Jinbeop Rayrn had learned and the Mugong he remembered.

It might be even more than that.

“Hmm…”

Countless magic tools, magic books, and materials were overflowing, but he did not even spare them a glance.

As if his goal were set, he just walked straight toward the center of the temple.

Woom, woom, woooooom-

A massive power was shimmering as if glowing in the center.

“This is…”

It was a thick book.

The book emitted its own light, floating from what appeared to be an altar, half-opened.

-It might be cursed.

“Surprisingly, there is no trace of a curse.”

He grasped the book in his hand.

Was it because he had passed all the tests and entered? Or was it because they were destined?

The book that touched Rayrn’s hand accepted him without any resistance or curse.

It was as quiet as if its scattering of massive mana had been a lie. Instead…

“Ugh…”

All that mana concentrated on Rayrn.

Vwoooooom-

The entirety of the massive mana poured into Rayrn.

-As expected, a curse!

“Be… be quiet.”

Countless things.

Knowledge and wisdom. Secret techniques. Concepts of magic.

Things that someone must have forced in began to flow into Rayrn’s head.

“Ah…”

Like a hungry ghost that had starved for weeks.

Rayrn enjoyed and indulged in that knowledge.

It was an indulgence that lasted for a long time, so long he could not even perceive it.

‘This is…’