NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1179: Way of Fire
Soaring Rivers Secret Plane.
At the far edge of the horizon, where the grasslands touched the blue skies, a crimson-haired figure stood before a mountain scarred with deep burn marks.
Anna stood at the base of the mountain, a wide circle of scorched land marking the ground beneath her feet. Her crimson hair was tied back roughly, though a few strands clung to her sweat-covered face.
She raised her hands, fingers spread. In the next heartbeat, they blurred as she weaved the physical component for her spell. A stream of flame burst forth, striking the cliffside with a loud crack. The stone blackened, glowing faintly at the edges as cracks spread across its surface.
Without pause, she shifted her stance, feet apart and knees bent, as she weaved another set of hand seals and sacrificed material components, summoning fire into small condensed orbs. One after another, she launched them at the mountain, each impact scattering brilliant sparks and deepening the scars on the rocky surface.
Her movements changed rhythmically. Broad, sweeping arcs created waves of fire that washed over the stone, while tighter, controlled hand seals shaped spirals of flame that drilled into the surface.
The cliff face bore the results of months of training. There were charred streaks, crumbled rock faces, and molten stone cooling into jagged black crusts.
Every so often, Anna paused for a few moments, her chest rising and falling as she inhaled the hot, smoky air. Beads of sweat rolled down her face, but she refused to rest for long.
With a sharp exhale, she resumed her training, flames sparking at her fingertips once again as the mountain endured her relentless assault.
The cliffside smouldered as Anna sent another wave of fire crashing against it. A deep rumble echoed nearby, causing her to pause her training. She turned around and saw a massive tiger resting nearby, its striped fur glowing faintly like embers, and its golden eyes fixated on her.
Anna wasn't surprised to see this entity. She had already met him before in the time she'd spent in the secret plane. This tiger was one of the four great guardians of the secret plane, an entity at the Mana Core Rank!
The only reason this tiger had even made his presence known to Anna was because of the mysterious flames she commanded. He was quite fascinated by them.
The Song of Immortal Flame!
It was an advanced mana extraction technique sung into existence through will and fire. It was a dual-nature art born of contradiction, where the fire consumed and purified in equal measure.
When used offensively, the Immortal Flames erupted like the cries of a phoenix, incinerating all corruption and vanquishing all foes, burning not just flesh, but evil and curse alike.
Yet, when used for healing, the same Immortal Flames caressed wounds and shattered bones with gentleness, knitting together what was once broken.
The tiger observed Anna's haggard appearance, then the state of the cliffside behind her. Finally, he said, his voice rolling like thunder:
"You burn as though you are chased by death itself. Tell me, girl, why the urgency?"
Anna, not at all intimidated by the sudden appearance of a Mana Core-level beast, wiped the sweat from her forehead and replied, "Because there's no time to waste."
She lowered her head, thinking about what her little brother might be going through at the moment. This caused her hands to involuntarily clench into fists. She raised her head to gaze at the mighty tiger, then continued:
"If I don't push myself now, I'll be of no use when the time comes."
"And what time are you referring to?" Asked the tiger, his tone inquisitive.
"…There's a great war coming," said the princess after a long pause. "And I need to be ready for it to be able to help my little brother in any way I can."
"This little brother you speak of," the tiger began. "Is it the young man with the black pointy hat?"
Anna couldn't help but reveal a faint smile. "Yes, that's him."
The tiger hummed in response, his gaze shifting to the blackened cliffside. After a long time, he spoke once again, "Power gained in haste burns like dry straw… bright, but gone in an instant."
He shifted his attention to the princess once again, then added, "Do you know what makes flames strong?"
Anna couldn't help but slightly frown. After a moment of deliberation, she answered, "Mana and its precise control. The more I pour, the greater the blaze."
The tiger couldn't help but let out a deep, rumbling chuckle. "You are wrong. Fire isn't powerful simply because it is large. A wildfire devours everything, yes, but even a steady candle flame can outlast storms. Fire is will. It reflects the heart of the one who wields it."
Anna fell into silence, her brows gradually furrowing into a knot. She hesitated for a brief moment before turning to the giant beast and asking, "Then… what am I doing wrong?"
"Your rage," the tiger began. "Your fire rages. It lashes out without balance, wild and scattered. If you wish for true fire, learn its true nature. It warms, it guides, it consumes when you command it, not before. Shape it with your intent, not desperation."
Anna's expression turned grim, and her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Thinking of the state Adam might currently be in, and about the people who drove him into such a state, she said matter-of-factly:
"But I need destruction. I need my fire to burn down mountains and rivers for what's to come. For the people I'm up against… I need raging fire."
The tiger rose to his feet, then stepped closer, his heat washing over the princess like a furnace. "Then temper destruction with purpose," he said.
"Strike only when you mean to strike. Do not scorch the mountain. Pierce its heart. Fire without focus is a waste. Fire with direction… is destiny."
"…Destiny," Anna murmured in a daze.
She lowered her gaze, her flames flickering weaker around her hands. For the first time, she exhaled slowly and guided the sparks in her hands into a small, steady stream of gentle flames.
The tiger lay down on the ground, rumbling in approval.
"Good," he said. "Now, begin your training again. But this time, do not chase the mountain. Instead, make the mountain bow to your flames."
While the tiger guided Anna in the Way of fire, high up in the sky, the Joker lazily sat on a cloud and watched everything unfold. His gaze lingered on the crimson-haired princess for a long while before he finally scoffed:
"Tsk, so boring. She's not even suffering…"