As Bishop Na’thir and Va’ren stared at Levi’s burning figure, they felt their breath stall in their throats... then, two words escaped their shaking lips simultaneously.
"Aether Flames..."
Around them, lesser viewers only saw strange fire that left them hyped up... but these two had studied forbidden archives and read sealed codices and etchings carved by civilizations long reduced to dust.
There was only one flame described like that... Aetheric Flames.
The fire that did not consume matter, but the boundary between soul and existence. Their fingers trembled at the sheer weight of the implications, their gazes slowly drifting toward the Soulleech Maw coiled around Levi’s weapon like an ancient predator guarding its chosen master.
"No... no, that is impossible..."
"How... is that? It can’t be..."
The last recorded wielder of such flames was a calamity that had spilled terror down the spines of the most powerful beings in the universe.
A devourer so abhorrent that everyone had celebrated once its existence was proved to have gone extinct, reducing its name to a myth.
And yet... it wrapped around Levi like a loyal serpent... controlled, obedient, and alive.
Na’thir felt something inside his chest tighten at the sight of Levi’s burning figure stepping through the storm with the same cold smile.
"If those are truly Aetheric Flames..." His gaze hardened, but carried a tint of dread. "Then the Maw is not extinct... it has found a vessel."
For the first time, Bishop Na’thir did not see Levi as an annoying brat whom he regretted showing mercy to... or even a hidden Half-Radian.
He saw him as a relic of an age the universe had tried... and failed... to bury. This realization unsettled him more than anything else, as it made him understand at last: he couldn’t afford to have him remain alive unless he caught him while he was still weak.
Otherwise, he couldn’t handle the consequences.
Wielding Aetheric Flames had launched Levi, in the eyes of all the spectating powerhouses, into a special tier... the same tier as Half-Radians, Half-Oblivars, and other Half-Ancient Races.
In fact, Bishop Va’ren felt that he had surpassed them in uniqueness.
A sea of emotions coursed through him... and for a Tier 8 powerhouse, this reaction wasn’t normal.
’Soulleech Maw Wielder... I believe there is only one in the entire universe, and it’s him!’ Bishop Va’ren’s gaze was fixed on Levi. ’I have to get him on my side... I must... before the nutcracks from that Organization get to him first.’
Bishop Va’ren initially sought to use Levi as a pawn... but then, his opinion changed to owning him as a slave after seeing the Lantern of the Lost Keeper.
Now... under the realization of the possibility of Levi owning the extinct mythical creature Soulleech Maw, Bishop Va’ren wanted nothing more than to have Levi join his side as a subordinate or even an equal!
That’s the immense importance of being a 1-of-1 entity in the universe... he understood more than anyone else that once Levi survived this Game, his life would never be the same... for the better or for the worse, he was no longer a common Human.
Meanwhile, unconcerned about the powerhouses’ thoughts, Levi instantly dashed toward Xorr’Vaedryn while dragging behind him the enflamed crown... Xorr’Vaedryn’s visage went pale in fear as he tried to run away.
He was already scared of Levi after he used the Lantern to dismantle his undead army... now? He was utterly terrified. His teammates were no different.
As summoners, most of their power stemmed from their creatures... However, after Levi wiped out their last army, none of them dared to summon more since their energy levels were already too low.
They thought that their safety was guaranteed inside the Toxic Kingdom... alas, none of them imagined that Levi was a freak of nature whose spleen had mutated into Abyssal Filtrum. A Divine Grade Oblivar Mutation that filtered curses, corruption, foreign energy, poisons, and lingering intent.
It gave him more or less immunity to almost any type of negative energy or matter that harmed either his soul or body.
Toxic Kingdom? It was more harmful to its creators than Levi!
’Argh!!! Sir Fang, save me!!’
’Arghhh!!!! My soul!!! It buuurns!!’
Fang picked up on their beseeching cries, and yet... he refused to step up. Not until he understood Levi’s fearsome green flames in detail. He retreated to the far back of the Toxic Kingdom and spectated as Levi massacred the nightcrawlers one by one.
Sael’Drakk, Deyss’Vael, and even the Shadow Mercenary... they tried their absolute best to defend themselves, using their most potent poisonous ultimates. Yet, Levi pierced through them without a change of expression or a single wound.
It was as if he was born from poison, molded by it... In reality, the Abyssal Filtrum was working overtime to purify his bloodstream while at the same time transferring the poison into dark energy, storing it within the Void Seed.
This scene alone left the viewers, the nightcrawlers, and even Levi’s allies utterly confounded... unfortunately, Gamemaster Envy refused to explain the situation as he also had no clue how Levi was pulling it off.
All he saw was the poison getting erased from Levi’s bloodstream in less than a millisecond by some foreign force... the system blocked his scanning ability, leaving him with a vexed expression.
’First Aetheric Flames and now poison immunity... what is he hiding that the system approved his appeal on two separate powers?’
Gamemaster Envy swiftly manifested Levi’s profile. With his administrative authority, the profile showed many more details than the public version.
He swiftly tapped into the approved hidden details, only to freeze mid-motion as the truth dawned on him... Levi hadn’t been granted clearance for just two powers.
’Eight... he was approved for eight.’ His eyes widened. ’How is this possible?’
Gamemaster Envy knew that the system was pretty strict about granting its approval... unless the Rifter’s reasoning truly deserved the protected anonymity of his powers, the system usually turned them down.
It was a big deal since Nocturn was the sole entity with access to view these hidden details... not even a Murinori Clan could view them without Nocturn’s approval.
Hence, such approvals were usually given to Tier 7+ powerhouses.
’Is he really a human or some elusive entity from the Aether Realm reincarnated in human flesh?’ Gamemaster Envy knitted his brows in puzzlement.
Questions and doubts roamed his mind nonstop... yet, he could only speculate about Levi’s origin without a chance of getting answers. As a Gamemaster, he couldn’t share these details with anyone or ask Levi personally about them unless he wanted to disobey his master’s rules.
Soon, the realization hit him that even if he had gotten answers, it meant nothing to him... besides soothing his curiosity, there wasn’t much to gain from looking into Levi’s situation.
For he was just a servant to Nocturn, eternally housed in the Boundless Expanse.
Boom! Boom! Boom!...
Gamemaster Envy’s expression returned to its forced, hype professional appearance... then, he commented with an excited tone at the sight of Levi devouring three additional souls.
"Raiders Captain has shown the monster within him!! Who can stop him? Who can stand before him?! Just who?!" he shouted. "We saw Orry’Xel dominating the Raiders solo, and now, it’s Levi’s turn to repay the debt!"
Whooooaaah!!! Levi!! Levi!! Levi!!...
Most viewers had absolutely no clue how Levi was able to dominate the nightcrawlers so easily within their home ground... yet, they didn’t care as they kept cheering his name at the top of their lungs while watching him slay the nightcrawlers until only one remained.
Fang.
However, just as Fang began considering leaping off the rope to escape the Toxic Kingdom... now that his protectors were dead... his pupils constricted sharply at the sight of Levi’s Aetheric Flames flickering and beginning to die out.
Within a second or two, the Soulleech Maw retracted its long tongue and burped two final bursts of flames... then, it went into Levi’s palm, appearing as if it had exhausted all of its energy.
’Is this a chance?’ Fang’s thoughts shifted at once.
"I know what you’re thinking...and no." Levi uttered indifferently as he walked towards him, "I already have everything I need to kill you... no flames needed."
Hearing this, Fang’s expression turned stern... he understood that Levi had eliminated the nightcrawlers to erase any protection he had for their poisons.
Now, the Toxic Kingdom was no longer the nightcrawlers’ domain.
It was... Levi’s!