Theo stood on the edge of the encampment. The freezing night breeze whistling around his body was strangely pleasant. It was both freezing and warm at the same time. No matter how cold the wind turned, it was warmer than Val's ice, and it helped him regain his body heat and his focus. The night was silent. There was no wave of Fire Elemental, and most of the soldiers had gone to rest save for those on guard duty and those who chose to drink themselves till they faint. The few that chose to drink and have fun that night were far away from him. Their voice nothing more than a distant chatter. He sighed. He would love to waste himself away with cheap liquor the soldiers have. He refocused himself and observed the peak. The condition on the summit still hadn't changed. Ashes still smoked out from the caldera like a burning chimney in winter, only bigger, much bigger. Even if Val somehow changed her mind and decided that she wanted his help, she couldn't carry him to the peak or he will die due to the extreme heat. Not to mention that the peak should be heavily protected. Flying there was suicidal. "Theo." A whisper blew past his ears. The voice was so soft and small that he almost dismissed it as his imagination. He didn't recognize whose voice that was, only he knew that it was a woman's. Theo turned his head to see. When he realized who that was, he turned his head away instantly. "Why are you here?" He asked, his voice tinged with fear. "I-" The sound of Val swallowing the saliva in her mouth was audible even to Theo who stood quite a distance away. "Decided to help you- I mean! decided that you can help me if ... you apologize first. I still haven't forgiven you for what you did." Val wasn't lying. She was still angry at Theo, and just because she accepted her feeling, didn't mean she had forgiven him. "I'm sorry," Said Theo immediately. His voice was sincere and honest, though he didn't feel sorry. His [Heartbeat: Deus Ex Machina] was not for him to control, and there were so many factors contributing to the attack of the Flame-Born Knight that it wasn't fair to put the blame on him alone. "I'm sorry." "What the hell is that? that's a pathetic apology." Her voice was cold, causing Theo to shiver hearing that. "If you are truly sorry then show me that you do, instead of just ... saying it." "So, may I show you my face?" Val raised her brows, confused. "You said you'd kill me if I show you my face." "No," Val answered shortly. "No, you may not. You're not allowed to show your face, or I will kill you." Her words were threatening but her voice was soft and comforting, almost to the point of teasing and joking. "Okay," Theo turned his head to see Val. He wasn't sure whether Val was joking or teasing or ... not. He knew that Val was joking, but the fear in his heart wouldn't let go of the possibility that she was not, and that he would die because of it. Theo's blood turned cold. His mind and body froze when he turned and saw Val's frozen hand almost touching him. "Are you deaf?" Val asked. "Or stupid? Both? I told you, you can't show your face." Val pulled back her hand. "Don't push your luck, and don't push my patience." Theo's blood was drained from his face. "I'm sorry." This time, he was sincere. "I won't do that again." He turned his face away from Val and made a mental note not to mess with Val. Val stared at the back of his head when he turned. There was still some anger, some hate in her eyes, but this time, it also came with affection and longing she didn't have before. And it wasn't the strong forced reaction from his skill either. It was calmer and more ... normal. "If you want to help me, we do it MY way," Val said. "Okay, anything I should know about 'your way'?" Val smiled, then shot up to the sky, leaving Theo behind. Theo was left dumbfounded, he didn't know what had just happened. What was the meaning of her action? Did she change the term from killing him literally to killing his hope? "What the ..." Before Theo say anything, the wind hissed around his feet, grabbing it tighter than any hand could. Then the wind rose, cladding his body and creating a ball of raging wind. The ball soared into the sky, bringing Theo with it. The movement was so sudden and so fast that Theo screamed in surprise, and it made his head light. The ball kept moving, keeping a steady speed until it touched the cloud, where Val waited for it and for him. Then it stopped as suddenly as it moved. Again, making his head light. Theo grabbed his heart that was about to burst. He took a deep breath. "Warn me first, goddammit!" He yelled with all his breath. He flailed his arms around, but there was nothing to grab, only the winds. "I can dispell the ball right now if you want." Val smiled innocently at him. He still couldn't get the feeling out from his head that she would actually do that. Theo looked below his feet, his heart jumped. They were so high in the sky that the encampment looked so tiny and that any men were practically invisible to him. He wasn't afraid of height, but this was another thing entirely. If he was the one in control of the flight or if he had something to hold on to, he might not be as afraid, but he was stripped of both. "P-please don't." Val smirked. "Then, we do it MY way." She and the ball soared through the cloud just like before, explosive and sudden. Experiencing it one time before was not enough to make Theo ready for it again. They flew for a good five minutes without any trouble, but like Theo had predicted before, it was impossible to go to the summit without anyone or anything noticing them. The ground was littered with countless red dots. They were bombarded with [Greater Fireball], hundreds of it if not thousands, and the number kept getting bigger and bigger the closer they got to their destination. While Theo worried that one of the fireballs would hit them, Val didn't even bat an eye to the rain of fire around them. Val wasn't sure who shot those fireballs, but no matter who shot it, it was not a problem for her. Be it hundreds, or thousand, or hundreds of thousands, a tier 3 spell simply wasn't powerful enough to pose a threat to her. She masterfully flew between the massive fireball, dodging without reducing her flying speed in the slightest. The few that she couldn't dodge was simply blocked or flicked away by the raging wind around her and Theo. That was until they reached four-fifth of the way to the summit. A black shadow approached from the distance, hidden behind the thick column of ashes. So large that it made Theo and Val looked like an ant compared to it. The creature's gargantuan wing whipped and crackled each time it moved. Its breath was fire and its blood lava. And with a single roar, the cloud of smoke and ashes were pushed away from it. A lava gargoyle. Twice as big as the previous one, and much scarier looking. But it bothered Val no more than the rain of fireball. A spear of ice formed next to her body. It was long and shaped like a normal spear ... if looked from one side. The spear was so thin, it was invisible if seen from the right angle. Winds roared, and the spear tore the gargoyle's brain faster than the speed of sound. The ground trembled and the sky shook when the massive body of the lava gargoyle crashed to the ground, flattening any unlucky elementals who didn't watch their head. Val watched the dead gargoyle. Strange, she rarely felt any sense of accomplishment when she defeated a weak foe, but killing the gargoyle brought a smile to her face. Maybe she counted every enemy slain as a form of revenge for hurting her friend, or maybe it was something else entirely. "VAL!" Val turned her head. But before she could even see him, she knew why. Val slammed her head on her own shoulder. A spear of fire whistled past her head, grazing her cheek. One moment too late and she would have lost her head. She dove down like an eagle about to catch a rabbit. The ball followed close behind her, including the person inside it. Far below them, a lone Flame-Born Knight stood tall. He was not different than the previous three knights they encountered before. If there was any difference to their appearance, only they could notice it. While the difference in their appearance might seem trivial, it was not the case for Val. Her blood boiled when she saw the Knight. She would love to rush headlong and crush the knight in one attack, channeling all her rage and once more avenging her friends. But the burn on her cheek taught her something, she will die if she was careless. Another spear of fire formed in the Knight's hand. He was about to throw it when Val launched a much faster ice spear. The knight jumped back, letting the ice spear hit the ground in front of it. The hole it created spoke of the power the spear carried. It was big enough for a grown man to lie down with room to spare. And it wasn't just that, the ground it hit was frozen solid despite the boiling air and the lava flowing near it. Countless spears formed all around Val and rained down on the Knight. For each spear missing its target, two more appeared next to her body. The knight dodged at first but soon found that the sheer number left no room to dodge. He created a shield of golden fire and hid behind it. The shield shook and trembled each time a spear hit it, but the knight stood firm and held his ground. Val didn't stop her assault. She knew that her ice spears were not strong enough to penetrate the shield, and even though she couldn't cast another spell while she did that, she kept bombarding the knight without stop. She must keep the Knight busy for a safe landing. She didn't worry about her safety, she could handle any attack the Knight threw at her, but she couldn't say the same for the man behind her. The moment Val touched the ground, another Knight showed up from her right. He rushed at her with a halberd in hand. Val created a wall of ice between them, but the wall was nothing for the Knight, he melted it with his flame halberd. But it did gave her enough time to divide the bombardment of spears into two. And like the first Knight, the second one dodged at first but then resorted to his shield. "Val, I think I can be a good enough distraction," Theo said. He knew how powerful Val was, he experienced her power firsthand. But her enemies were two Flame-Born Knight. He was worried she might not be able to fight both at once. Val's ear twitched when she heard his suggestion, did she heard him right. "What?" "I know I'm not strong enough. My blade barely cut through their armor, and my armor is useless against their flame-forged weapon, but I know the area. I think I can use it to my advantage. I think I can help you." "WHAT?" Val shouted on his ears. She couldn't believe what he said, but when she saw his face, she knew he was serious with his idea. She turned away from him, facing the two knights. She clenched her fist. The enemies in front of her weren't something that a level 30, Class 4 Swordsman could defeat. Why didn't he understand his position? Why didn't he understand her feeling? She searched her head for an excuse to stop Theo from engaging this fight, or any fight at all. If it was possible, she didn't want him to fight at all. This Fire Invasion was something far above his power level. And when a dog tries to fight a lion, everyone knows how that would end. "You must be joking! You? trying to distract him? You'll only get in my way!" Val chose that answer. She was, after all, the one with power and authority here. He came here because of her help and because she allowed him to. She could use that to her own advantage. "If you want to help, take ten steps back and just ... stand there and watch!" Theo raised his brows, but he didn't say anything. He did what he was told. She got a point, if she fought while trying to protect him from dying, she couldn't fight using her full power. Knowing that Theo followed the order and that he was at a safe distance, Val's gaze returned to the Knights. She dispelled the rain of spear. Val took a deep breath. Her eyes shimmered and mana exploded outward. The temperature fell, far below the freezing point of water. The ground in a fifty meters radius turned to solid ice, not excluding the fire and molten rock within that area. The wind of winter blew in every direction. Snow and ice fell from the sky, and the moisture in the air slowly crystallized. Theo watched with awe at the sudden change of environment. That was [Eternal winter], one of Val's many unique skills. The spell drastically changed the area around Val to a frozen wasteland with her as the center. The area followed her wherever she goes, freezing anything caught within its radius except when Val specifically told it not to, such as Theo. Inside that area, Val's and her allies' magical power were increased a significant amount. Not to mention the cold and the wind constantly haunted her enemies and drain them of their strength. It was one of the most powerful spells in her arsenal, and one of the most powerful spells ever cast in the history of the Continent. She could create an area with the radius of more than one kilometer if she wanted to, but that was not necessary. And she rather not use the spell if possible. The effect of the spell reminded her clearly of the Field of Dawn and the horror that transpired there. The spell was classified as a tier 7 spell, making it one of the few known tier 7 spells. And making her one of the very few people capable of using a tier 7 of ... anything. Tier 7 spells, skills, and miracles were considered to be in the realm of myth, beyond what mortals were capable of using. Though from times to times, an individual, or some individuals, appeared to defy that common logic. The knights appeared from behind their shield with a fire sword on their other hand. Wings of fire were ablaze on their back, smaller and weaker than usual. The knights realized the danger of the cold. They must kill the dark elf as soon as possible. The flame inside their body started to wane, and the stole heat from their skin. And every attempt to increase the temperature of their body or surrounding ended up in a failure. The temperature kept dropping and dropping without any hint of stopping. The cold was unnatural, like a gaping pit that swallowed any form of heat and never let go. The two knight charged with their wings spread out. The frozen rock and the frigid wind was not enough to slow them down. Theo could only stand back and watch as the two monsters tried their best to end the life of Val. And Val trying her best to end the two. Among the sound of howling wind, of blazing flame, of cracking ice, Theo heard a distinct sound clattering metal in the distance. Two metals clashing against each other and a few other sounds that were too faint for him to hear. While he was mesmerized by Val fight, the falling snow and the amount of water vapor created from their fight hindered his vision. He was curious about the sound, but he was worried of a trap. Theo observed and scouted the area around him, careful to not get caught in the battle of three monsters. The area was filled with huge rocks. Some, rose more than five meters to the sky. Molten lava flowed through the crack and crevice, and ashes spew out from every hole in the ground. Other than the two knights, there was no other fire elemental around there. None that he could spot. He slowly walked towards the source of the foreign sound, while watching his surrounding for any sign of enemy. Then he saw, not too far from where Val was fighting, another fight. On one side, a Flame-Born Knight, and on the other side, a party of eight people. But not just any party, it was the group of Setanta, the new Chosen One. Theo wondered what kind of coincidence it was to meet the Chosen One again there. With the Chosen One's personality, Theo didn't expect he would get that far. Though he was the Chosen One in the end, maybe it was fate or destiny or whatever that guided him there. Setanta himself was leading the party with his legendary crimson spear. He was wounded all over his body, though the smile on his face showed that he enjoyed the fight. Around Setanta were six women, his women most likely. One was holding a massive shield and acting as a tank, though her shield barely blocked the attack from their enemy. One acted as a melee damage dealer using a sword. Two acted as a ranged damage dealer with a bow and a staff. The last two took the role of healer and support. Theo couldn't say that their teamwork was any good, but at least they had teamwork. And each one of them was powerful on their own and was equipped with powerful gears from the church that even the Miracle would have a hard time getting their hands on. The Knight was pretty overwhelmed. It was obvious he was going to lose if he didn't run or if he didn't get any help. But he didn't run or get any help. If he turned his back from Setanta, he would be skewered by his crimson spear. Theo took one step closer to get a better look. His blood ran cold. His heart about to pop and his mind went into overdrive. Theo jumped back as far as he could. "Impressive." A voice came from behind a rock, it was another Flame-Born Knight. "Most impressive. No one should be able to detect me, but you did." Theo's body shivered. He shook his head and steeled his will. Why was he afraid? He was prepared for this. The knight stood, watching Theo. Theo couldn't see the Knight's eyes, but he was sure the Knight was eyeing him up and down, Observing him. "Ahh, even more impressive. You're the same party who defeated three knights yesterday, right?" The knight asked. There was no enmity or hostility in his voice. Neither was the proud and arrogance tone of the Flame-Born Knight he faced before. The Knight bowed. "I hope that your previous encounter didn't ruin your image of us. We were trained to be an honorable fighter, a ... Royal Guard in mortal terms. But sometimes our pride and arrogance, and the pressure of duty got the better of us. Some of us paid the price dearly." He raised his body. Spear appeared and he gripped it with both hands. "I will not make the same mistake as my brothers." The Knight dropped to a stance. "Come! Raise your weapon and fight me!" Fiery aura erupted from the knight's body, it was tremendous. The ground shook and Theo felt his skin burning from the heat alone. Theo couldn't stop his legs from shaking. It was the same terror and dread he felt when he faced the Knight from the day before. The same preservation instinct running wild just like the day before. Theo took the special potion he had prepared and put the vial on his lips. He gulped it down in one go without thinking. He didn't give the chance for his mind to doubt itself. The potion was thick and viscous, almost sticking to his throat. The smell was horrible and the taste was even more so. His stomach churned, but he held it all in. He held the overpowering feeling of wanting to vomit for a few minutes until it was gone. And when it was gone, he felt it. The power. Energy radiated from his stomach, filling his muscle and organs and every fiber of his being. His muscles bulged, his skin hardened, his mind cleared. Every joint in his body became more flexible. His mind had never been in more clarity. His heart had never been at more ease. And all the pain he felt was nothing but memories. He felt he could do anything right now. He felt he could take on the world alone. But he knew that was not true. He doubted he could defeat the Knight in front of him at this state. He needed more. He took the ring of the Wolf God and put it on his left pinky finger. The moment he put it on, the ring turned red. Theo roared and growled as a foreign substance entered his body from the ring and spread throughout his body. His chest turned hot, his whole body turned hot. Fur grew on every opening of his skin. His nails and finger grew longer and larger and sharper. His legs deformed and reformed with a weird proportion. His teeth all turned to fangs and his jaw elongated to the front. He took off his armor before he grew too big and made his own armor a death trap. It wasn't like the armor could block the attack from a Flame-Born Knight anyway. Their fire can go through any armor that was not inherently magical or extensively enchanted. When the transformation finally over, Theo stood twice as big as before with fur covering ever part of his body. Panes was really short when compared to his body, making it looked like a shortsword. The power he got from his werewolf transformation added on top of the potion was overwhelming. His aura was overflowing, rivaling even that of the Knight. He was confident he could take on the Knight, though he chose to stay careful and not take an uneccesary risk. But a voice whispered in his mind, telling him that he was powerful enough to take on the Knight alone. That he could crush the Knight with one hand behind his back. Theo dismissed the voice. It was obvious that it wasn't his own voice but the voice from the ring. "Done?" The Knight asked after waiting through his transformation. The Knight could have killed Theo during the transformation, but he didn't. Whether it was the 'honor' the Knight spoke about, or his self-confidence, Theo didn't care. "Done. Sorry to make you wait." Theo rushed towards the Knight. His body disappeared for a moment and reappeared in front of the Knight with Panes in the middle of a swing. The Knight blocked it with his spear. But his reaction showed that he didn't expect an attack at such speed, Theo was elated. Too focused on the sword, the Knight didn't see Theo's leg coming. The Knight was thrown back, and his body didn't stop moving until it crashed against a rock, just like the way Theo was thrown by the Knight from the day before. Theo smiled and chuckled. He never felt this way. This overpowering feeling of strength. He could get used to it.