Eirian wrenched his thoughts back to the present and scanned the western horizon. His breath caught—the bridge of bones had vanished, just like the statues..!!
Was the true trial always in the lake of fire?His fingers twitched at the memory of molten agony. Was the bridge just an illusion? Did I survive by accident or design?
The lake's fiery surface still churned before him, defying logic.
"Everything was part of the trial," the Soulless Flame interjected, its voice lazy as drifting smoke. "Even this lake. It'll fade in a few days, starved of Starflow energy." A sigh escaped. "Pathetic, really."
Eirian's jaw tightened. Nothing here is what it seems.
A few moments passed before Eirian asked curiously, 'Why is your name Soulless Flame? Does it have any special meaning?'"
Within Eirian's consciousness, the Soulless Flame drifted in silence — weightless, dim. Whatever soul it once held had long been erased, leaving behind only its final, flickering state.
The flame answered calmly,
"Currently, I possess no soul. I exist in a state called Ashcore. The last ember of a soul consumed by power."
Its voice flickered like a dying wind, neither proud nor mournful — just truth.
What is Ashcore!? Eirian asked curiously.
"It is not a spirit, nor a memory, but a stubborn fragment of will that refuses to fade.
Forged from divine essence and scorched by forgotten trials, an Ashcore lingers where death should've claimed all —
a relic of identity without name, purpose, or past.
It is fire without warmth.
It is will without soul.
It remembers nothing… and doesn't feel anythin."
Eirian stayed silent for a moment, digesting the weight of those words. Then he muttered,
"It remembers nothing… and doesn't feel anything…"
A strange thought stirred in his mind. He narrowed his eyes.
Then why," he hissed, "do you act like a human and sound like you're smirking?
The flame giggled, its voice flaring playfully.
"Ohhh.. that?" It pulsed brightly, flared proudly.
"Because I'm special, of course! With unimaginable power, The one-in-a-trillion flame who clawed back personality from the abyss!
Eirian rolled his eyes and turned away, and said helplessly, 'God spare me from this flame with such ego.'
Ignoring the flame's dramatic boasting, he refocused on the path ahead, already planning his next move.
Eirian scanned his surroundings, confirming no immediate threats remained. Satisfied, he turned westward and broke into a run.
His speed shocked him.
Where before he could cover 100 miles in an hour, now—500 miles. The Soulspark Realm's power thrummed through his veins, the landscape blurring as he moved. *This could halve my journey to Vexillum Empire... assuming no disasters strike.
Six hours passed in a streak of motion. When Emberflesh beasts lunged from the brush, he dispatched them mid-stride—hardly breaking pace, their bodies falling before they registered death.
At last, he paused in a sheltered hollow, muscles singing with fatigue.
"Little boss," he prodded the flame, wiping sweat from his brow. "Any faster routes to Vexillum?"
"Catch a Morvex," the flame replied, as casually as suggesting picking a flower.
"A what?"
The flame's sigh vibrated through his skull. "Do you know nothing of non-human species?"
"I've heard of many," Eirian countered, drinking water from waterskin. **"But 'Morvex' is new."
"Flying terrors native to this valley," the flame explained with exaggerated patience. "Even the weakest are Emberflesh Five-Star. The strong reach Soulspark. And if you meet a king?" A dramatic pause. "Eight-Star Soulspark. You'd be carrion."
Eirian nodded slowly. Risky... but if it saves weeks of travel...
"Do you know how to—
THWACK!
A skull-fruit exploded against his face with cannonball force, leaving a faint mark on his cheek as he stumbled backward."
"Who dares—?!" He whirled, blade clearing its sheath in a flash of steel.
Above him, wings blotted out the sky.
Eirian, you glorious fool," the flame chirped, its voice equal parts amusement and alarm. "Meet your Morvex. Seven-Star Soulspark. And it looks... peckish. We're finished..."
The creature's eyes locked onto him, seven glowing sigils flaring along its wings.
Eirian's grip tightened on his blade. Well. This escalated.
The Morvex's wings—each spanning three meters, blazed with eerie blue light. Its beak glinted like curved steel, but its eyes burned deepest red, locking onto him with predatory focus.
With a piercing screech, it dove.
Eirian barely moved before talons ripped toward his chest—aiming to carve out his heart.
He twisted aside, but the Morvex adjusted mid-strike. Razor claws gashed his left shoulder, sending him skidding back. Pain flared, his arm going numb.
So fast! His breath came ragged. 4-Star Soulspark against a 7-Star? Insane. But survival left no room for doubt.
"Flame!" he hissed internally. "Do you know it's Weakness?"
The Soulless Flame's reply was terse, "Talons are steel. Belly's soft. Strike there—if you can."
Two seconds. That's all the time he had before the Morvex struck again—this time at his head.
The Morvex lunged, wings shrieking through the air. Eirian ducked, feeling the gust of its passage ruffle his hair.
Close. Too close.
He rolled, gritting his teeth as his injured shoulder protested. The creature banked sharply, talons outstretched— Eirian pivoted.
Instead of retreating, he *charged*, blade angled upward. The Morvex's eyes flared in surprise as steel met feathers. A shallow cut scored its underbelly—not deep, but proof: It could bleed.
The creature roared, blue fire erupting from its wings. Heat seared Eirian's face as he backflipped, barely avoiding a torrent of flame.
Think. Faster.
The Morvex hovered, circling. Taunting.
Eirian feigned exhaustion, letting his stance slacken— The beast took the bait.
As it swooped, he leaped, using a nearby boulder as a springboard. His blade flashed—
A direct hit to its belly.
The Morvex screamed, blue ichor spraying. But victory was short-lived. Enraged, it spun midair, its tail whipping out like a scorpion's sting.
CRACK!
The blow sent Eirian sprawling, ribs aching. Blood trickled from his lip.
The creature loomed above, wings blotting out the sky.
Not done yet.
Eirian grinned through the pain and raised his blade. Blood dripped from his lip, but his grip never wavered.
The Morvex shrieked, its seven sigils blazing brighter—preparing to dive.
Eirian moved first.
He slammed his palm onto the ground, unleashing a shockwave of Soulspark energy. Dust erupted, blinding the creature momentarily.
"Flame!" he roared internally. "Now!"
The Soulless Flame surged through his body, its power mingling with his own. Violet fire wreathed his blade, not just steel now, but a conduit of annihilation.
The Morvex struck like a comet, talons outstretched—
Eirian vanished.
Not from speed. From technique.
Shadow Rex Technique..!!, a move he'd barely grasped. His body dissolved into smoke, reforming behind the beast.
RAH!
His blade bit deep into the Morvex's unprotected back, just above the wing joints. Blue ichor fountained. The creature screamed, its flight wobbling.
Got you!
But the Morvex wasn't done.
Its tail whipped around, too fast to dodge, Eirian took the hit.
Bones cracked. He flew backward, skidding through dirt. His ribs screamed. Three broken. Maybe four.
The Morvex landed heavily, one wing dragging. Its breaths came in ragged, fire-tinged heaves.
Both wounded. Both furious.
Eirian spat blood and laughed.
"Come on, you overgrown chicken!"
The creature's eyes burned. It lunged— and Eirian let it.
At the last second, he dropped, sliding beneath its belly. His blade pierced upward, driven by every ounce of Soulspark left in him.
The blade erupted through the Morvex's chest.
A final, ear-splitting shriek—
Then silence.
The beast collapsed, its wings twitching. Eirian rolled away, gasping, his body a tapestry of pain.
The Soulless Flame's voice was uncharacteristically quiet, "Well... That happened."
Eirian stared at the sky. "Yeah. It did."
Eirian took a few deep breaths, his body battered from the fight. Broken bones screamed in protest, but he ignored them. With deliberate calm, he addressed the wounded Morvex.
"Be my mount, or be dead. The choice is yours."
A flicker of red flame danced across his palm—the Soulless Flame's power made manifest.
The Morvex's eyes widened. Instinct screamed at it: This fire could erase me. With a defeated chirp, it lowered its head in submission.
Eirian nodded. Drawing his blade, he sliced his finger. "Drink the pact binds us." He commanded.
The creature hesitated, but the flame's ominous glow persuaded it. As it swallowed Eirian's blood, a pulse of energy sealed their bond—master and servant.
"Stop posturing, you idiot," the Flame sneered in his mind, and sarcastically said. "Without me, you'd be crow food by now."
Eirian ignored the jab, settling into a cross-legged position to cultivate. His injuries demanded attention—but first, he'd gained a winged steed.
Silence settled, broken only by the wind.
Eirian and the Morvex sat motionless, cultivating to heal their wounds. Even the Soulless Flame stayed quiet—perhaps bored, perhaps conserving energy.
A full hour passed before Eirian opened his eyes. His injuries had nearly vanished, and his cultivation pulsed deeper, teetering on the edge of 5-Star Soulspark. Fast. Too fast.He frowned. The trials changed me.
The Morvex stared back, its crimson eyes unblinking.
"Healed?" Eirian asked.
The creature screeched—a sound that somehow meant yes—and ruffled its wings.
Without ceremony, Eirian vaulted onto its back. "West. Full speed."
The Morvex launched skyward, its wings churning the clouds. Eirian gripped its feathers as the ground vanished beneath them."Gods— This speed dwarfed his own. Tenfold? Maybe more?" He was slightly surprised by its speed, but happy.
"With this," he murmured thoughtfully, "Vexillum's border in ten days."
The wind stole his words as they pierced the horizon.