The Author's Viewpoint-Chapter 57 - Chainbind Relic Enforce

Tave struggled to rise, every movement sending waves of burning pain through his limbs. The searing heat clung to his skin, the stench of scorched cloth and singed armor thick in the air.

He hated this.

Hated how powerless it made him feel. And still, the spirit looked at him with that cold, condescending stare, as if he were nothing more than a nuisance trying to bind her to a relic that wasn't even on her rank.

And yet, he'd prepared for this. He just hadn't expected the spirit to be a Unique-grade. That had thrown everything off.

Still, it meant he was lucky, incredibly lucky. But luck always demanded a price. And in this case, it came with risk and sacrifice.

If he wanted to bind her to his sword, he would have to earn it.

He stood tall again, straightening his spine. Ash clung to his armor, but he brushed it off with a sharp motion, eyes locked on the fire spirit.

Spirits... In this world, they weren't meant to exist in isolation. Their true potential only emerged when bonded to another being, creatures who could channel, wield, and command them. In essence, they were tools. Beautiful, terrifying, divine tools, meant to be used.

A cruel twist of fate, really. To be born with strength capable of eclipsing entire kingdoms, only to find your purpose tied to obedience. To be summoned and bound.

But as long as someone could prove themselves worthy, strong enough, resolute enough, then no spirit had the right to refuse. And that was exactly what Tave intended to prove.

He clenched his jaw and stepped forward. The heat licked at his skin, the fire spirit still unmoving, still watching him like an insect daring to approach the sun.

He just hoped he wouldn't burn to ash before the contract was sealed.

Tave stepped closer, his boots scraping against the scorched stone as he forced himself to meet the spirit's gaze. If it could even be called that. Her eyes held no pupils, just endless, living flame. Looking into them felt like staring into the heart of a wildfire.

And honestly? Just touching fire was already a nightmare enough. But this... This was a Unique-grade fire spirit standing before him. Something born from pure, unrelenting elemental wrath.

"WHO ARE YOU?!" Her voice thundered again, vibrating with raw energy, heat surging from her words like a furnace thrown open wide. The very air slammed against Tave's face. An invisible fist of scalding wind.

He hadn't signed up for this kind of trial.

Not like this.

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Still, he stood his ground.

"Tave," he said firmly. "A Gaia Apprentice."

For a moment, he saw it. A flicker in her expression. A shift that almost looked like ridicule. Like she was laughing at him. The arrogance of a spirit who couldn't believe a mere apprentice had dared summon her.

"I successfully summoned you," he continued. "At the Gaia Apprentice stage. Can you not see the potential I hold? The influence I can bring into this world?!"

"Ridiculous!" The fire spirit scoffed. "Such a foolish, weak soul dares to boast before me? KNOW YOUR PLACE!"

"I do know my place!" Tave snapped back, eyes fierce. "That's why I came here. That's why I summoned you. To make a contract. Live within the vessel I've prepared, and become my power!"

"WRETCHED LOWLIFE!" she roared.

Another surge, wild and brutal, tore through the chamber and crashed into Tave like a burning tidal wave. He braced himself, arms up, gritting his teeth as the flames consumed him and threw him backward.

Again.

He slammed hard against the rock wall, his armor hissing with heat, flames clinging to him like vengeful spirits. He writhed, rolling, beating at the fire, cursing under his breath.

HELL! This is HELL!!

He gasped, forcing himself to stand again, flames still licking at the edges of his coat. He tried to compose himself. Had to compose himself. Couldn't show weakness. Not now. Not in front of her.

He had to convince this spirit. Whatever it took!

"Look at me!" Tave roared, his voice echoing with raw defiance.

"A Gaia Apprentice managed to summon you! And you're going to stand there and tell me there's no greater reason behind all of this?"

Another wave of fire.

A searing wall of heat slammed into him again, merciless, explosive.

DAMN! DAMN—DAMN!!

He hissed, flames curling around his body, the force nearly driving him back to the ground.

"Submit to me!" he shouted, staggering forward. "You don't have another choice! I'll show you why!"

Another blast.

It tore across the cavern, lashing at his skin, hurling him backward. His muscles screamed, his breath ragged.

"You can see it, can't you?" he yelled through the fire. "I'm not just some ordinary human! Look at me! Really look at me!"

"Someone who rejects even his own fate as a human?" The spirit's voice rose like an inferno. "Pathetic!"

Another explosion. Another brutal strike. His armor cracked, his vision blurred, and yet, he stood again!

"I can do more! I will do more!" he cried. "I know things more than anyone else in this world ever could! I'll prove it! I'll surpass them all! I'll show you!"

And again.

And again.

Six, seven times the fire struck. Each blast more violent, more punishing than the last. By now, Tave could feel it, truly feel it. His skin blistering, muscles torn from heat, the very air dragging burnt flesh from his limbs.

He could smell it, his own charred skin. Taste it. Ash in his mouth, smoke in his lungs.

He hated this. Hated the pain, the helplessness. Since when did proving himself require burning himself alive? If he didn't gain high Fire affinity after this, he'd personally scream at the gods.

The spirit had branded him over and over again, kissed him with flame until he'd become part of it.

And yet, she hadn't budged.

Not a flicker of doubt. Not a spark of compassion. No tremor in her expression.

The spirit remained unmoved, unshaken. Still standing like a divine sentinel, untouched. Untouched by all his defiance, all his pain.

And seriously. Tave was done. Absolutely done.

The pain, the humiliation, the repeated rejection. It was enough to break most people. But for him? It only sharpened the edge of his will.

"I tried to do this the right way," he growled, his voice raw. "But clearly, you don't value that. You don't value anything I've shown you."

"So," the spirit said, her tone taunting, "are you ready to be burned to ash?"

Tave's hands moved in a blur, forming a rapid sequence of complex hand seals.

For a second, the spirit's expression changed. Her burning eyes narrowed, sensing something deeper stir.

But...

[ Hand Seal Sequence Failed. No ability triggered. ]

"Damn it!"

Tave cursed under his breath. He'd used this combination before, but the seal was unstable. Too risky. Too wild.

Still. He knew it could work.

He tried again. This time, his fingers moved faster, more deliberate. The sequence was long, brutal on his already battered body.

[ Skill Activated: Chainbind Relic Enforce – Binding Rite ]

[ A forbidden Gaia Technique that forcibly binds a summoned spirit to a designated relic vessel. ]

[ Warning: Excessive use can result in permanent affinity imbalance or mental backlash. ]

The chains that had long lain embedded in the ritual circle snapped to life, glowing with the raw force of binding magic.

They lashed outward. Clamping around Kaelira's ankles, her wrists, her waist, her neck. Locking her in place midair.

"How dare you!" Her voice thundered, wings flaring as she thrashed violently.

Flames exploded from her body, but the chains held. They glowed hotter, burning with elemental force not just from Tave. But from the ritual site itself.

"You forced my hand!" Tave shouted, stepping forward.

"I gave you a choice. I let you see me. I showed you what I could become. But you didn't give me a single chance. Now. You will burn with me or rise with me."

The truth was... This method wouldn't conquer the spirit. It wouldn't win her loyalty, her trust, or her full strength. No, this would only force the bond, not earn it. The spirit would be bound to the sword, yes. But far from tamed.

Tave would still have to prove himself. Still have to earn her reverence, her acceptance. But right now? Right now, it was this or die in fire.

The spirit screamed. A voice like an infernal trumpet, echoing through the cave walls as the chains tightened. Her form blazed brighter, flames whipping around her like a storm. And then, the pull began.

The relic sword at the center of the ritual started to hum violently, vibrating as if it were about to shatter under the sheer pressure. The chains began dragging her toward it. Forcefully, inch by inch.

But the fire. The fire fought back.

Her flames erupted in defiance, surging outward, scorching the walls, the air, the very ground. The temperature in the cavern spiked, making it almost impossible to breathe.

Tave felt the skin on his arms blistering again, sweat instantly vaporizing as it left his pores.

It was not going to be easy.

But the chains held.

And he... wasn't going to give in that easily!