Chapter 63: Military Advisor

“Yes, I was wondering--” Kutch chipped in, he also saw how Kardon tried to chop Safo’s leg down with a plasma sword, but it didn't or couldn't cut off the limb. Only after that Kardon started bombarding the leg in a frenzy.

“I didn’t ask you, boy.” A stern look from Muan Drew, the Military Advisor, brutal general of psiora made Kutch shut up and hide his eyes like a guilty kitten.

Yon shook his head in disapproval, in the army, it was considered a rude action to talk when the higher rank didn’t ask you to talk.

Safo snapped out of his shock when he saw that Maun was still waiting for an answer from him. “No, sir. I don’t know. I blacked out. Sorry, sir.” In a military tone, Safo answered.

“I thought so. I suspect that you are fireproof.” Maun paused to give his audience to digest the news.

Safo’s face wore many expressions, shock - how could he miss that sort of important matter, disbelief - it sounded like another resource though, excitement - if it was true - he is more awesome than he thought. He stood motionless, frowned.

“There is only one way to prove if I’m wrong. I will try to burn you. Come closer.”

Safo stepped back, creating an opening for retreat. His palm inside the Torch was wide open, ready to defend himself. “What? No. Can we start from something less deadly?”

Loud, deep laughter. “Haha. I’m not trying to hurt you, boy. Come give me your hand, I will use only one finger.” The top of his index finger had a small blue flame.

Helplessly Safo stretched his left hand, free from Torch, and squinted his eyes in expectation of pain. Maun Drew took a cowardly shaking hand in his and was about to touch it with his flaming finger.

“Tell me when you feel the heat--” Maun didn’t finish his sentence when Safo cut him off with a plea. “I feel, I feel the heat already.” It was 10 centimeters between his palm and the index finger of Maun. The blue flame was at least three thousand degrees hot.

“I see, I guess you are not fireproof.” Maun turned his head letting Safo know that he wanted to let go of him when in one abrupt motion he placed his blue flamed finger in the middle of Safo’s palm. “Ha.” Maun voiced his actions.

Safo screamed and tried to pull out his burning palm from Maun’s grasp. Kutch and Yon started to run towards them, lost in thought. They didn’t know what to do. They couldn't let Maun hurt Safo, at the same time it was one of the Advisors.

“Aaaaargh, help. Aaargh, huh?” He stopped. Safo looked at his hand. The blue flame was on top of his skin burning even more than just before. But he didn’t feel pain, only heat, and even that wasn’t near enough to be three thousand degrees.

“What? What is? Happening? “ His voice gave up his fear. Safo didn’t know what to think.

“I was right. Your resource is double-sided like mine. I do not fear flame too. In the rational portions, of course.” Maun let go of Safo, who didn’t pull back his hand. He just stood with his arm stretched.

“Do it again.”

“What, no! Do not try your luck, Safo. What if you hurt yourself?!” Kutch came running to Safo.

“It is ok. Please do it again.”

Maun and Safo walked to the military’s armored room. Well...Maun walked, while Safo had been sitting on his wheelchair pushed by Kutch. Safo’s body was shaking, his heart pounded blood to the walls of the veins. The faint grin on his face scared Kutch and Yon, they didn’t understand how one could be so enthusiastic about fighting an army general.

It was hard to call it a fight, Maun just proposed to check who’s fire will be hotter. He bragged that the blue fire that he had could reach up to fifty thousand degrees, with the help of the Torch, obviously. Safo immediately asked if his body could endure temperatures so high. And currently, they were about to test.

Safo undressed leaving only his fireproof clothes, fishnet t-shirt, and tight shorts. Maun took off his jacket, confident enough in his abilities.

First of all, Maun decided to teach Safo how to shoot fireballs using the Torch. It took almost an hour to learn for Safo, which was praised by Maud. He confessed that it took him a week to get used to the cannon jar.

Safo called the attack Cannonballs.

Kutch and Yon could only hear sounds of explosions and wild wire burning sounds along with weak quakes coming from the room. They almost started biting their nails out of nervousness.

“Are you ready? I will be shooting fireballs towards you. Small ones first, gradually increasing the size of the ball. Tell me to stop.” Safo was sitting on the corner leaning against the walls, he couldn't walk properly. Maun decided not to allow a wheelchair in the room due to the high temperature. It could simply meltdown.

Maun pointed his index finger towards Safo and a tiny fireball flew out. Despite being the size of a walnut, it flew fast. Safo was ready with his arm stretched, he was dedicated to catching the tiny ball.

Safo’s heart played a drumroll. The moment of truth came closer with the blazing ball. It flew right into Safo’s palm which jerked back from the impact. The flaming ball on its turn had been flattened and disappeared, turned to a firework. Display on the wall, thermometer, showed [3195 Degrees].

{“Oh my god, I thought my heart would stop. And I’m already dead… Be careful please”}

“Sorry, Luna. And thank you.”

“Are you fine, boy? It is your turn. Bring it on.” Happy grin on Maun’s face.

“I need to learn to use this thing, so I won’t hold back. Brace yourself.” The same exact grin on Safo’s face.

Safo readied his Torch and focused his energy on it, it was different from making fire. He had to restrain himself from the urge to give certain forms to his resource. He had to gather pure soul energy first.

Safo directed as much as he could control, to his right fist, which was inside the cannon. It was similar to blowing air from the lungs, there was a limit to lungs capacity, producing a limit of the air that one could exhale in a single attempt. When Safo reached his limit, he stopped.

‘I did it, as Maud taught. The next step is… wait did I catch this “step” thing from Miloud? Do not distract yourself, Safo, focus. Next, create a ball.’

Safo unfolded his fist and the accumulated sheer soul energy took a form. A basketball-size fireball, almost perfectly spherical, appeared from the hole of the Torch.

‘Ok, now, keep focus, keep your vision on the ball. Do not blink. Nice! Now, PUSH!’ Safo couldn’t help but think every step through. And talk to himself to gain better control over his resource.

With the sound of an explosion, Cannonball flew off from the Torch, right to open the hand of Maun. The collision was loud. However, Maun didn’t even flinch. He just closed his hand making a fist and crushing the Cannonball in one motion.

‘Damn, too weak.’ Disheartened, Safo looked at the thermometer monitor.

[5944 Degrees]

‘Daaamn.’

{“Yes!”}

“Good, good. Now it is my turn.”

In that manner, they continued for a long time until Safo’s hand almost snapped from the impact. Maun didn’t want to break Safo’s bones so they stopped.

“I saw that you have future sensing ability or something. It is a bit hard to guess those Mind Abilities. Try to implicate it to the Torch. It was tuned to fire resource but who knows, maybe it will work.” Maun Drew shrugged his shoulders.

Safo totally forgot about his other resource, all this time while playing with Military Advisor he didn’t feel any bad intentions from him. Meaning that either Maun was a genuinely good person or he could hide his real intentions like Kardon.

Anyway, Safo was determined to learn everything from the former general of the psiora army. He guided his energy to the fist, directed the muzzle of the Torch towards Maun, and launched his Mind Ability resource.

In a second, Maun’s face palled, He went several jolted back and looked at Safo in clear fear. His legs started to shake and he almost lost his stance. For some time he was looking down panting and sweating. Finally, he couldn't bear it and dropped to his knees. If he didn’t put his hands in front of him in time Maun could drop down face first.

Confused, Safo turned off his Torch and started to crawl to the Adviser.

“Are you alright? What happened?“ Safo worried about Maun and what his resource could do that the huge army guy lost his posture and was trembling in fear.

“What does your resource do, boy? Maun didn’t lift his head. Safo saw saliva drooling from his mouth to the floor.