On the projection screen, Max continued advancing deeper into the tenth layer. The flames there were no longer merely chaotic. They were oppressive, heavy with refined law intent. The deeper he moved, the denser they became, pressing down upon him like an invisible mountain.
"The pressure on the tenth layer has risen again," Max muttered softly as he walked forward.
His pace was no longer the swift surge he had displayed in the ninth layer. It had slowed noticeably. Each step required more effort. The ground beneath his feet seemed to resist his advance, and the flame laws twisted around him in thicker formations.
Yet he did not stop.
Within his body, the mysterious bud on the flame branch of the Chaos Tree continued to devour energy at an astonishing rate. Golden strands flowed into it continuously, nourishing it.
