Lucavion’s eyes widened in genuine surprise as he took in the devastation around him. The once-solid ground had been reduced to a shattered landscape, and the air was thick with lingering traces of raw, chaotic energy. He turned to Vitaliara, his expression a mixture of shock and confusion.
“What the hell happened here?” he asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.
Vitaliara, still shaken from the force of the explosion, approached him cautiously, her eyes filled with concern. [It was because of you, Lucavion,] she replied, her tone serious. [The energy you unleashed during your breakthrough… it was far more destructive than anything I’ve ever seen.]
“Because of me?” Lucavion repeated, still trying to comprehend the extent of the destruction he had caused.
He looked down at his hands as if expecting to see some trace of the power that had just erupted from within him. But they were steady, and the energy within him had settled into a calm, controlled rhythm.
Vitaliara nodded, her gaze never leaving him.
[The power you’ve harnessed—the Flame of Equinox—it’s not just powerful; it’s volatile. The forces you’re dealing with aren’t meant to be tamed easily, and when they’re pushed too far, they can become incredibly destructive.]
Lucavion furrowed his brow, the realization slowly sinking in. “I see….. I was just trying to stabilize the vortex, to bring it under control, and was just too focused on my core; I missed what was happening outside.”
[Indeed.] Vitaliara acknowledged, her tone softening slightly. [You have already tapped into a power that goes beyond normal limits. The vortex within you… it’s a force of nature, a balance of life and death, and when that balance is disturbed, it can unleash chaos.]
Lucavion took a deep breath, trying to steady his thoughts. The thrill of the breakthrough, the surge of power—it had felt like nothing he had ever experienced before.
‘This is really different.’
He could feel the energy now wanting to go out of his body. After all, the moment one would reach the second-start realm, they would now be able to control the mana out of the core.
Lucavion took a deep breath, centering himself as he turned his focus inward. The devastation around him faded into the background as he honed in on the energy within his core. He could feel it—a powerful, swirling force, no longer just contained within him but now pulsing with a new level of intensity.
‘Let’s see…’ he thought, his mind zeroing in on the [Flame of Equinox].
As he peered into his core, Lucavion’s eyes widened slightly. The once flickering black flame that had represented the [Flame of Equinox] was now burning with a steady, fierce light. It had changed—grown.
The energy had solidified into something more potent, more tangible. The vortex that had been chaotic and uncontrolled before now spun with purpose and direction. He could see the layers of energy, each one representing a new level of mastery, spiraling together in perfect harmony.
The energy was no longer just something he could harness within his body—it was something he could project outward, something that could extend beyond the confines of his core.
Lucavion’s gaze shifted to his estoc, still stained with the blood of the Lesser Abyssal Wyrm. His hand tightened around the hilt, the metal cool and familiar against his skin.
‘Let’s try it.’
With a deliberate focus, he willed the [Flame of Equinox] to flow through him, directing the energy toward the blade.
He could feel the mana responding to his command, surging from his core and traveling through his reversed meridians, a sensation that was both familiar and new. The energy felt different now—stronger, more assertive, but also more controlled.
As the energy reached the estoc, the blade began to glow faintly, the dark metal taking on an eerie, almost ethereal quality.
The black flame of the [Flame of Equinox] licked along the edge of the sword, casting an unnatural light in the dim surroundings.
Lucavion felt a thrill of power as he watched the flame dance along the blade. It wasn’t just a visual effect—the energy was real, tangible, and he could feel it waiting…..
Waiting to kill.
‘Now… let’s see what you can do.’
With that thought, Lucavion took a decisive step forward, raising his estoc high before bringing it down in a swift, calculated arc.
SLASH!
The blade slashed through the air, aimed directly at the thick carcass on one of the skewers of the Lesser Abyssal Wyrm that lay scattered around him.
He could feel the resistance as the blade met the hardened flesh—dense and tough, even in the creature’s weakened state.
But then, something unexpected happened.
As the blade made contact, the black flame of the [Flame of Equinox] flared, sinking into the skewer.
The estoc cut through the tough flesh, not effortlessly, but with a noticeable resistance. It wasn’t the clean, effortless slice he had hoped for, but it was enough.
The blade passed through the skewer, leaving a deep, jagged cut in its wake.
Lucavion frowned slightly. ‘So, it’s not as smooth as I thought…’
He could tell that while the [Flame of Equinox] had enhanced his strike, it wasn’t quite the same as when he wielded the [Devourer of Stars].
The energy didn’t seem to project beyond the blade as he had imagined. Instead, it was contained in a weird way. If the starlight was like a compressed laser, this one was a fire that would ignite.
And it did just that.
The black flame, which had sunk into the flesh, was spreading. The point where his blade had made contact was starting to smolder, the fire eating away at the carcass.
It wasn’t a fast process, but it was relentless.
The flame slowly consumed the skewer, eroding the dense material and reducing it to a blackened, crumbling mess.
Lucavion watched with a mix of curiosity and satisfaction. ‘It’s not just a simple enhancement… this flame has a corrosive property.’
The skewer continued to disintegrate, the black flame devouring it from the inside out. Where the blade had made its mark, the fire spread, melting the flesh as it went, leaving nothing but ash in its wake. It was a slow, creeping destruction, but there was no denying its effectiveness.
‘The flame of death…..A fitting name, is it not?’
He thought with a smile. There was something weird with that flame, something that was far more dangerous than he could see.
But, he did not know what it was for the time being.
For the time being.
‘So, this is how the [Flame of Equinox] works now…’ he thought, his mind racing with possibilities. The power was there, potent and deadly, but it required a different approach.
He couldn’t just rely on brute force; he needed to be precise and strategic, using the flame’s corrosive nature to his advantage.
He glanced down at his estoc, the blade still faintly glowing with the remnants of the black flame.
‘Hmm?’
But then he noticed something.
[Your blade… it cannot hold your flames,] Vitaliara’s voice echoed in his mind, her tone laced with concern as she observed the estoc. She was right—the weapon was clearly struggling to contain the power of the [Flame of Equinox]. The corrosive nature of the black flame wasn’t just devouring his enemies; it was slowly consuming his blade as well.
Lucavion ran his fingers along the blade’s surface, feeling the rough texture where the metal had started to degrade.
The estoc had been his companion through thick and thin, but now it was clear that it couldn’t keep up with the demands of his newfound power.
The thought of losing the weapon, of it shattering in the middle of a crucial fight, sent a chill down his spine.
‘It’s already starting to break down…’ Lucavion thought grimly. He could see the damage spreading, the cracks widening ever so slightly as the corrosive energy continued to eat away at the metal. ‘I haven’t been able to take proper care of it in the forest… and now it’s paying the price.’
His time in the wilderness had been grueling, with little opportunity to maintain or repair his gear. The materials he needed were scarce, and the battles had taken their toll.
The estoc, which had been his companion for many years, was now reaching its limit.
Vitaliara’s voice broke through his thoughts again, this time more solemn. [The techniques you’ve been using, Lucavion… they demand too much from your blade. Especially that last one. It’s a technique that’s far more advanced than you’re ready for, and you didn’t execute it well.]
“Never forget….If you ever break a sword….It is not because of the blade but because of your lack of ability.”
He remembered what Gerald had said to him once. Vitaliara’s words just meant the same thing.
“Indeed, that is right.”
Vitaliara watched Lucavion closely, her eyes narrowing slightly as he spoke. His determination was clear.
As Lucavion looked at her with a slight smile, saying, “Indeed, that is right. But there is not much that can be done about this, is there? Next time… I should put more effort into perfecting my technique,” she couldn’t help but feel a pang of worry.
Vitaliara shook her head slowly, her gaze softening as she considered his words. She knew how much time Lucavion had already spent honing his skills, how he had poured every ounce of his being into perfecting his swordsmanship.
And now, even after all that effort, he was saying he needed to do more.
‘He’s indeed crazy when it comes to the sword,’ Vitaliara thought, her tone inward, almost affectionate in its exasperation. But she kept the thought to herself, not wanting to dampen his spirit.
She understood his drive, his need to push beyond his limits, but it was still difficult to watch him be so hard on himself.
Lucavion, unaware of her internal musings, continued to examine the estoc, his mind already turning over new ideas and strategies.
Vitaliara sighed inwardly. ‘He won’t stop, not until he’s perfected every last detail… and even then, he’ll find something else to strive for.’
Despite her concerns, she couldn’t help but admire his tenacity. It was what had brought him this far, after all, and she knew it would continue to drive him forward, no matter the obstacles.
“Now, let me rest a little,” Lucavion mumbled as he grabbed the one last healing potion that he had in his pouch.
“And then we will leave this forest.”
It was time for him to leave this place.
———————–
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