Fire Mage-Chapter 701: Origin of False Flame

Chapter 701: Origin of False Flame

"No wonder that brat thinks so highly of you. I’m Azolla, keeper of Itera and Abium’s personal assistant. Your badge is a replica of the ’Fire Angel of Time’s Ring’ and links to the Divine Throne Room. I’m here to warn you: don’t use the False Flame recklessly. The more you use it, the more it will gain consciousness—and it might consume you."

Charles frowned. "Explain."

"False Flame is an invisible flame that manipulates all other elements. It’s the root of other flames—Mind Fire, Soul Fire, Hell Fire, Lawful Fire, Chaos Fire, and Rebirth Flame. At the Universe’s birth, there was only one fire—the Origin Fire. But part of it grew a consciousness, becoming invisible like a shadow, searching for other elements to satisfy its curiosity and greed. It tried to consume many elements, but they rejected it. Eventually, it absorbed a fragment of a higher being’s consciousness, creating the ’Star of Purple’—a fire that devours memories and even consciousness."

Star of Purple? Charles thought of the strange endless star inside a bead from the bracelet he found in the Star Tombs Dungeon.

Azolla continued solemnly, "Then it consumed powers of Life, Death, Chaos, Justice, and Wicked thoughts, creating Soul Fire, Rebirth Fire, Chaos Fire, Hell Fire, and Law Fire. The Phoenix you saw inside the star is a creation of False Flame. That Star of Purple is sealed inside that bead because it’s so dangerous. The ’Chaos Eye’ you carry in the crystal dimension is part of a being called Pyralis, born through the same process as the Phoenix. Unlike the Phoenix, Pyralis has a volatile temper and has caused great destruction. If I’m right, Seiyon killed that being long ago and scattered its body parts across the Universe."

Charles’s eyes darkened with wariness.

It might be a coincidence I got the Chaos Eye, but the Purple Star in the bead? He stared into the empty space. "It’s all Abium’s doing, isn’t it? What’s his plan? I doubt his mission to bring the ’Wisdom Heart’ to some coordination is the real objective."

Azolla fell silent for a moment before replying, "I can’t say much. But a war this Universe has never seen is coming. Prepare yourself. Improve as much as you can, and wait."

As she finished, the strange Present Time inside the badge began to fade. Charles’s frown deepened.

In an instant, Charles returned his consciousness to the real world and fixed his gaze on the ’False Flame’ spell option.

"Zera, bring out the ’False Flame’ spell model," he ordered.

"Yes, Master." With a wave of her hand, Zera conjured a complex hexagonal cube-like box from thin air and handed it to him.

Before Charles could touch it, a sudden burst of invisible energy surged from the cube, directly appearing above his forehead.

The next moment, the energy slipped into his mind, passing through the dark space and entering his Inner World.

At the same time, information about the spell flooded his consciousness:

False Flame’s Will: The last remnant will of a certain False Flame Consciousness. It can manipulate Spatial Elements. If the user absorbs the False Flame Essences within this Will, they gain the ability to travel instantly between spatial points. Caution: The more the False Flame is used, the more it develops into a separate existence.

A stunned expression crossed Charles’s face.

Without hesitation, he dove into his Inner World and searched for the remnant Will of the False Flame Consciousness.

Almost invisible to the naked eye, he could barely discern the faint traces left behind.

Frowning, Charles infused his entire Inner World with Wisdom Power and soon spotted the elusive False Flame spell model.

So, it wants to become part of my spell model and then gradually take control from me, huh? Though he didn’t fully grasp the nature of spell models and their ties to his soul and body, the remnant Will’s plan became clear instantly.

First, he cast [Accelerate Thoughts] on himself, then wrapped the whole Inner World in Rebirth Flame, speeding up the flow of time by over twenty times.

Without delay, he shot toward the dark sky at an incredible speed, closing in on the ’remnant Will of the False Flame.’

It resembled a blob of burning slime, flickering and writhing continuously.

Noticing his approach, the Will tried to escape by manipulating space, but Charles gripped it firmly with both hands.

"What a fascinating being," he murmured solemnly.

He probed it directly with his Wisdom Power. Over four thousand flame essences fused within it, forming a cluster of invisible flame.

Unhesitating, Charles moved before the False Flame spell model and began to comprehend the essence trapped in the remnant Will.

Though it struggled and attempted to flee repeatedly, Charles held it fast, focusing on understanding a single essence at a time.

He hovered before the spell model for more than six hours before fully comprehending the first False Flame Essence.

As he absorbed it, an invisible flame essence seeped from his consciousness, entered the hexagonal model, and fused seamlessly.

He pressed on to the next essence, continuing his comprehension. Meanwhile, another part of his consciousness took control of his physical body, handling daily tasks.

Time passed as he unraveled the nature of the False Flame and began reconstructing his False Flame Spell model.

Hours became days, days turned into weeks, and soon more than forty months had passed.

By then, Charles had absorbed every False Flame Essence and crushed the writhing blob in his grasp.

In the next moment, his invisible False Flame Spell model expanded dramatically, resembling a gigantic hexagonal glass structure.

After absorbing the remnant Will, Charles discovered its innate power.

I can tap into Space Points with the False Flame and travel much farther than before. For instance, it’s possible to traverse tens of light years in just seconds. Though questions about Space Points lingered, he resolved to ask Runeth later.

Having completed the spell model, Charles left his Inner World quietly.

Moments later, he opened his eyes in his bedroom—and noticed Zera was nowhere to be found.

"How many days have passed?" he asked aloud.

A second later, Zera appeared and bowed her head.

"Sixty-two days, Master."

"Exactly two months, huh?"

Charles nodded and rose from the bed.

"Can you prepare some food for me? It’s been over three months since I last had a proper meal."

"Yes, Master. I’ll get it from the canteen in two minutes." Zera nodded and vanished.

Charles walked to the wardrobe, pulled out a white robe, and headed to the bathroom to wash up.

When he stepped out, Zera appeared in the dining room carrying a large plate piled with various dishes.

Charles took his seat at the table as the aroma of the food filled the air.

Zera placed the plate gracefully before him — a colorful array of delicious and visually enticing dishes.

Taking the first bite, flavors exploded on his tongue. He closed his eyes, savoring the meal — it truly had been a long time since he enjoyed such good food.

Standing nearby, Zera watched him with a satisfied smile, then asked, "Are you planning to construct other spell models, Master?"

Charles nodded. "Yes. I need to build the remaining spell models soon and comprehend them slowly. But first, I need to rest."

He resumed eating and finished every dish.

Later, he returned to the bedroom and lay his head on the soft pillow.

As Zera cleared the table, Charles suddenly asked, "Did that old man return from the Ember Kingdom?"

"Yes, Master. He came back over forty days ago, bringing your family members with him. He also asked me to enroll all the Nightwind Family children as students of the Rebirth Tower," she replied promptly.

"Good. Though I don’t particularly like helping the Nightwind Family, they share my surname. Take good care of them," Charles said with a faint smile.

This time, Zera remained silent instead of responding, causing his brow to furrow.

"Is something on your mind?" he asked.

"Yes, Master. I believe Master Runeth plans to perform False Reincarnation. When he returns from isolation, I have a feeling he’ll undergo it—and disappear from us," Zera said, a trace of worry in her voice.

Oh? That old man managed to create a Tower Spirit with emotions? Charles hid his surprise and focused intently.

"How do you know this?"

"For years, he’s been focused solely on creating a powerful array circle, one strong enough to stop Mind Fire from entering his Inner World and erasing his memories. He completed the full array circle just two days ago."

"But he’s not planning to do False Reincarnation yet, right? Isn’t he reconstructing the ’Erase Existence’ spell model? When we returned from the Easica Plane, he said he’d be in isolation for a decade to rebuild his spell model. So, I’m not worried he’ll leave the Tower so soon." Charles waved his hand reassuringly. Though he understood Zera’s feelings, he also knew Runeth had little choice.

If he didn’t undergo False Reincarnation, he’d be trapped forever as an artifact in the Crown.

Even Charles didn’t want that fate for him.

"He’s not rebuilding his spell model. Instead, he’s analyzing the strange spear he brought back, Master," Zera’s words startled him.