The Fire God... Ignis!?
Was that guy really the Fire God Ignis!? How could that be?
Starlight shook his head violently, trying to cast the thought aside, but it wouldn't leave him.
Although time had eroded the statue of the Fire God in the temple, its facial features were still largely distinguishable.
And this entity, transformed from the Stone Troll Emperor, bore a face almost identical to the Fire God's.
Even if the physical resemblance was a mere coincidence, what about that aura? Starlight couldn't believe there was someone with the same appearance as Ignis who also possessed power so close to that of a god.
But hadn't all the gods disappeared ten thousand years ago? Why would He appear here now?
If that truly was the Fire God Ignis, why did He awaken from the husk of the Stone Troll Emperor? Why did He speak of a “battle from ten thousand years ago”? And who was this “Judge” He was fighting?
Amidst the deafening roars, the entire mountain range trembled violently. Burning flames and purple lightning tore the night sky to shreds, and the blinding light turned the surrounding hundred miles as bright as day.
Starlight strained to look up, but he could only see the falling snow swirling wildly in the energy turbulence. It formed a snow screen that blocked his vision, making it impossible to glimpse the battle high above.
A loud boom and a sudden tremor from behind interrupted his thoughts. He spun around and saw a terrifying sight.
The snowy peak where he stood was collapsing layer by layer like melting frosting under the impact of the battle's aftershocks! Tens of thousands of tons of snow transformed into a surging white wave, roaring toward them with debris and ice!
An avalanche...
“Damn it!”
Starlight grabbed the unconscious Stark with one hand and clutched Noah and the pendant with the other. He had just channeled his mana to teleport when he realized the space around them had already been warped by the divine pressure, making a spatial jump impossible.
“Then I’ll just have to try anything, no matter how desperate!”
As the roar of the avalanche drew closer, the cold breath of death brushed against his face. Starlight gritted his teeth, condensed a swirl of shadow mana in his right hand, and slammed it into the ground.
The Shadow of Annihilation sliced through the frozen earth and rock layers like a blade, quickly carving out a cave. At the very last second before the avalanche hit, he dragged Stark into the narrow, makeshift burrow.
RUMBLE—!
The entire world seemed to collapse at that moment. The roar from above made his eardrums ache, and the burrow shook violently under the impact of the snow. Dirt and ice shards rained down.
Starlight used his mana to create a shield above them, protecting himself and Stark.
The rushing avalanche completely blocked out all his senses; he could only feel the earth’s tremors in the darkness.
After an unknown amount of time, the roaring outside finally subsided.
Starlight pushed his mana again, digging a narrow passage upward. When he finally broke through the snow, fresh air mixed with a bone-chilling wind hit his face.
He gasped and looked around. The night had returned to silence, but the topography of the entire mountain range had changed because of the avalanche. The area where he stood was buried nearly ten meters deep.
The duel in the sky had ended. There was no more firelight, no more thunderous roars.
“Is it... over?”
Starlight looked up at the sky, where heavy snow was still falling, and sensed the power and auras around him.
The terrifying pressure of the Fire God Ignis had completely vanished. Only a few stray flickers of purple lightning occasionally flashed through the clouds, like the final echoes of that earth-shattering battle.
“Ugh... my head hurts... What happened? Starlight... where are we?”
Beside him, Stark let out a weak groan. Starlight looked down and saw that he had finally regained consciousness.
Although Stark was awake, he was still incredibly weak. It seemed that operating the console earlier had drained a massive amount of his mental power.
Combined with his naturally frail constitution, he could barely open his eyes and speak.
“Take it easy.”
Starlight quickly condensed water elements in his palm. Under the guidance of his mana, shimmering ice crystals intertwined and grew, constructing a hemispherical ice hut in an instant.
He then snapped his fingers, and a flickering flame lit up in the center of the hut, dispelling the biting cold.
Under the firelight, Stark’s face finally regained a hint of color. He struggled to prop himself up and suddenly grabbed Starlight’s arm. “Starlight! What about the Stone Troll Emperor? And why are we here? What happened outside?!”
Faced with Stark’s barrage of questions, Starlight signaled him not to get too excited. He took the pendant from his waist and handed it back to him.
“Here’s what happened...”
Outside the ice hut, the wind and snow continued as before. Only the purple lightning flashing on the horizon silently bore witness to the duel that transcended the mortal realm. Starlight didn't hold anything back, telling Stark everything he had seen after he passed out.
“You’re saying the Fire God... was resurrected within the Stone Troll Emperor?” Stark asked softly, his heart full of doubt.
“I can't say for sure. It’s possible I saw wrong, or it could just be a coincidence.” Starlight shook his head, his gaze falling on the pendant in Stark’s hand. “Speaking of which, what’s the deal with that necklace of yours?”
Ever since that bizarre resonance occurred, Noah’s consciousness had been in a strange state. It wasn't exactly sleep, nor did it seem like he was damaged, but no matter how much Starlight called to him, he didn't respond.
This phenomenon was clearly related to the pendant in Stark’s hand. If they could figure out the connection between the two, they might be able to explain it.
“This? I found this special gem a few years ago while looking for minerals. Come to think of it, I have my Xiao Qi to thank for that, though back then, he was called Number One...” Stark recalled, a look of nostalgia appearing on his face.
“At first, I thought it was a rare gem called a Time Crystal, so I excitedly brought it back.”
“However, after a detailed analysis, I realized that while it resembled a Time Crystal in color and texture, it seemed to contain a special energy. A real Time Crystal is just a highly ornamental gem.”
“Due to the limitations of my laboratory, I was never able to accurately analyze its information. Since it was so small, I just had a jeweler turn it into a pendant so I could keep it with me.”
“But it’s strange... ever since I got it, I feel like many of the ideas I used to struggle with have become clear. If I had to say, it’s my lucky charm!”
After hearing Stark’s description, Starlight quickly unfastened 《The Great Journey of Carlos》 from his waist and carefully held it out to him. “Look at this closely—”
He pointed to the rose-red gem embedded in the spine. “Is it identical to yours?”
“Huh? Isn't this that rare book of yours with the artifact spirit? What’s wrong with it?” Stark took Noah, his curiosity piqued. “Hiss! This pattern and color... they might really be the same thing!”
Stark turned Noah over and over, examining him several times, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper. After a long moment, he said hesitantly, “I haven't done a professional test, but I can see the general idea... it’s just... don't you feel like these two gems look a bit different now?”
Starlight looked down at where Stark was pointing and finally noticed something.
Although the color of the two gems remained the same, they did seem different. If he had to put it into words, it was as if they were missing a spark of life.
Was this why Noah wasn't responding? But what could they do about it?
“Do you think that guy who looked like the Fire God drained the energy from them?” Stark suddenly looked up and asked as the realization hit him.
Rate on N.U.
