Flame Monarch
The Alanore Labyrinth was a maze pattern that a rank 6 Breaking Dawn Magus had painstakingly set up. The Magi who wished to intrude would have to advance by passing through all of the stages, only then reaching the end.
Now, after withstanding all this damage, as well as two intentional attacks on Leylin’s end, the labyrinth had begun to crumble. Bit by bit, the walls split open, glowing runes turning to powder.
The lava lake from before was gradually drying up, revealing a surface full of cracks. The pathways were continuously crumbling with this area as the centre.
“The collapse of the Alanore Labyrinth is happening earlier than I expected,” Melinda furrowed her beautiful brows and sank into deep thought. A dark shadow then charged towards the heart of the labyrinth at a quicker pace.
Within the barriers of the boundless world crack was the Fiery World. It was like the sun, the exterior of which was the imposing and serene Alanore Labyrinth.
All of a sudden, the labyrinth creaked. It was like it could no longer hold its burden, and began to collapse inch by inch.
Once the foundations completely crumbled, the large building began to topple with a loud rumble, and the surrounding fire elementals fled for their lives.
Along with a tremendous rumbling sound, the labyrinth completely broke down, revealing a minor plane.
Light flashed in the air, and Melinda took the first step onto this minor plane.
This minor plane was like the Morning Star Area, a world that was yet to mature. This minor plane was obviously much smaller than the Morning Star Area, with only a single layer. One could even see it end to end.
With just one look, Melinda could see a flaming figure sitting on a throne of pure gold at the middle of the place. At the same time, the flaming figure turned and met Melinda’s gaze.
Terrifying energy that reached rank 6 emanated from the opponent’s body, hovering around him. This was a rank 6 Magus, a Breaking Dawn. It was a Monarch!
The Magus sitting on the golden throne had evidently grasped some bits of the laws of fire. This was the Blazing Flame Monarch, the ruler of an enormous territory and the one who almost caused the extinction of the bloodline Warlocks!
“You’re here?” The Blazing Flame Monarch asked, the voice androgynous.
“Yes. I’ve returned to take back what belongs to me!” Melinda muttered, her tone becoming increasingly resolute.
“You were mere emotions that I intentionally dispelled so that I could advance to Breaking Dawn. You’re just garbage I tossed out. What are you taking me back for?” The flames dissipated, revealing the figure of the Magus on the throne.
Yet, this Magus was obviously female. What’s more, her face bore some semblance to Melinda’s.
“No! I am the consciousness of the main body, you’re only a thief that took it over. A despicable thief!” Melinda’s face flushed red.
“So you’re making use of this opportunity and trying to steal everything back?” The female Magus on the throne chuckled, as if she was watching a mischievous child making a fuss in front of her, “But I have to admit, the allies you’ve found are excellent Magi. They’re powerful and hold the possibility of advancing further. They could very well become new Monarchs in the future!”
“Everything’s over! Return what’s mine to me!” Melinda took a step forward, her aura fluctuating abruptly, seemingly even exceeding the peak of rank 5.
“Having lost me, you’re at your weakest. And the more powerful I am, the weaker you get!” Melinda took several steps forward, eyes glimmering with light.
“As long as I can suppress you, I’ll be able to obtain everything!”
Pure golden flames rose once more, and the female Magus atop the flame throne slowly got up, “You’re wrong. No matter how weak a Breaking Dawn Magus is, they’re still a Breaking Dawn at the core. It’s already been three thousand years. Did you think I did nothing at all in this time?”
“It’s just an issue pertaining to the soul. With the support of fire origin force, as well as the amassed knowledge of the Magus World, I found a way to mend the loss of a part of my truesoul.” As if to verify her words, a golden sun appeared behind the female Magus. Boiling hot strength rippled out from the truesoul, emanating energy waves that put Melinda on the verge of suffocation.
This was a Breaking Dawn’s truesoul! The icy cold of moonlight had transformed into terrifying, boiling light; its volume and power showed that it had reached the peak!
“You’ve... recovered?” Melinda abruptly halted her footsteps.
“Not only have I recovered, I’ve even forged ahead to greater heights!” The Blazing Flame Monarch stated, an unquestionably terrifying energy held within her.
“Keke, I seem to have heard something amazing!” A translucent figure emerged, and Jin’s hoarse voice sounded from the shadows.
“So Melinda, you’re my enemy as well!” Joanna and Leylin hurried over around the same time. Joanna was quite different from before, and Clarke hadn’t appeared, as if he’d disappeared.
Joanna was now glaring at Melinda with hatred, “I trusted you so much in the past, but you betrayed me?!”
“Hm?” Leylin observed Joanna’s state, ‘So it’s her. I’d thought the first vibrations were from Jin or Melinda... This appearance, she looks quite similar to one of the twelve top-grade bodies written down in ancient records...’
The A.I. Chip completely recorded down Joanna’s external appearance, and presented it to Leylin with a projection. The Joanna in the projection had completely dark purple hair, and a strange flower-shaped pattern appeared on her forehead like a tattoo. Yet, it rippled with some sort of lustre.
[Beep! Detected abnormal radiations from target’s body. Vigorous increase in ability to attract energy particles with runes seen on the surface of the body...]
The A.I. Chip began to present the results of its scanning, and in Leylin’s eyes Joanna’s body seemed to turn into a gigantic magnet, attracting the free energy particles in the air. They formed a mysterious circuit in her body, allowing her spiritual and magic power to replenish itself continuously. It even seemed to rise, breaking through a bottleneck.
“I really want to...” Leylin lowered his head, eyes flickering with an intelligent glint.
‘I really want to study her! It’s not just her physique. This ability clearly has something to do with a natural ability to increase the aptitude of the soul itself. I can increase elemental affinity, but a natural gift like this to strengthen the soul has practically gone extinct in the central continent...’
“Whatever she did to your clan occurred after I separated from her. It’s the same with the bloodline Warlocks. I am not your enemy!” Melinda glanced at Joanna and Leylin, smiling wryly as she gave an explanation.
“Her strength slightly exceeds my expectations. I’ll need your help!”
“I don’t care about that!” Jin was the first to retort, “You promised to share the Law Comprehension Crystals with us once we killed her. Was that all a lie?”
It was only at this point that Leylin remembered that Melinda had promised to split the Law Comprehension Crystals from the Blazing Flame Monarch’s death evenly. She didn’t even seem to mind losing her own share.
At that point, they had all been against the Blazing Flame Monarch, and Leylin had assumed Melinda was like them as well, only satisfied with the Monarch’s death.
However, by the looks of it, she had left behind a loophole that wasn’t quite a loophole.
She was part of the Flame Monarch’s soul, and once Melinda returned to her main body and gained control over the Blazing Flame Monarch, that meant the Monarch was ‘dead’.
Yet, as the other party had not truly died, it was impossible for there to be any Law Comprehension Crystals, and even more impossible for there to be any distribution.
‘This woman harboured terrible intentions from the very beginning and wanted to use us as labourers!’ Leylin shook his head inside, ‘Though I never did expect much from her, this is still quite upsetting!’
He could tell that if Melinda succeeded, their only gains from this mission would be what they got from Düz City, nothing more.
On the other hand, Melinda would have become the Blazing Flame Monarch. Even they wouldn’t dare to complain about a rank 6 Magus even if they had thoughts against it.
Melinda’s plan was very perfect, but she had not thought Leylin and Joanna would have strength surpassed her expectations. On top of that, the Blazing Flame Monarch had actually eliminated the issues from the breaking up of a truesoul, and was perhaps now at her peak!
“All who have the audacity to violate my city are to kneel and repent before me!” Boiling hot soul force was like steel that sealed the space around them. The Blazing Flame Monarch’s low voice resounded through the area, putting Leylin under immense pressure.
Melinda’s expression was first terrible but quickly brightened up. “No, that’s not it! We still have a chance! If her injuries were really completely healed, she wouldn’t hide here and watch us invade and destroy Düz City, even letting her subordinates be massacred at our hands!
“Leylin, Joanna, I’m depending on you now. No matter what requests you have after this is over, I’ll agree to them!”
Before, Leylin and Joanna’s strength had been too outstanding and caused there to be some changes in Melinda’s calculations. However, it was these changes that gave her hope!
“How ridiculous!” Before Leylin and the rest could reply, the female Magus in front of the throne snickered.
Golden rays of light were like a world of their own, dazzling gold soul force pouring out with large amounts of flames. It led Leylin to almost believe he was watching the rebirth of the Sun’s Child here.
In the midst of this scorching first sunrise, a pitiful cry rang out. When Leylin opened his eyes once more, Jin was now raised and held in the Blazing Flame Monarch’s hand.