Part I — The Sealed Flame
DING—
«[Second Stage Cleared]»
The notification came through clearly.
Sharp.
Undeniable.
But—
The Tower screen didn't appear.
I frowned.
"…Is it just me…"
I glanced around the volcanic domain.
"…or is something messing with my head?"
The environment had fallen silent.
Too silent.
Like a graveyard.
Even the magma—
Stilled.
No bubbling.
No flowing.
No crackling.
Nothing.
I remained motionless.
My instincts were already screaming that something was wrong.
Then—
BOOOOOOM—!!!
The center of the molten sea collapsed inward.
Not an explosion.
A collapse.
Like something beneath the surface had opened its jaws.
The magma spiraled violently toward the center, forming a massive vortex.
Every river.
Every stream.
Every drop—
Dragged toward it.
As if guided by invisible hands.
I didn't move.
I didn't interfere.
I simply watched.
"…Again."
The same feeling as before.
Something was controlling this place.
Something was deliberately changing the trial.
BAM—!!!
The volcanic mountains in the distance trembled.
Then erupted.
BOOM!!!
BOOM!!!
BOOM!!!
Multiple eruptions lit up the dark sky.
Columns of magma shot upward—
Then curved.
They didn't fall.
They moved.
Controlled.
Precise.
Every stream flowed toward the vortex.
Smoothly.
Perfectly.
There was no turbulence.
No randomness.
Only control.
My eyes narrowed.
"…So this is deliberate."
Not natural.
Not environmental.
Engineered.
Every drop of magma condensed toward the center.
The vortex grew smaller.
Smaller.
Smaller—
Until the enormous mass of molten rock had compressed into a single sphere.
It floated silently above the ground.
Dense.
Heavy.
Terrifying.
The once-vast magma sea was gone.
Completely drained.
What remained beneath it was a barren circular pit.
Cold.
Lifeless.
I stared at it.
That alone was unnatural.
Magma didn't simply lose its heat.
Not like this.
Not instantly.
"…Something consumed it."
My senses remained locked onto the sphere.
I could feel an enormous amount of energy compressed inside.
But there was something else.
A presence.
Faint.
Restrained.
Waiting.
I narrowed my eyes.
Then—
CRACK!!!
The sound split the silence.
The sphere trembled.
CRACK!!!
Another crack appeared.
Then another.
CRACK—!!!
Heat surged outward.
Not violently.
Controlled pressure.
Measured release.
My expression became serious.
BOOOOOOM—!!!
The sphere exploded.
A shockwave swept across the volcanic field, flattening everything within dozens of meters.
Dust and ash were thrown into the air.
The ground itself was smoothed beneath the pressure.
Then—
Silence.
I stepped forward.
My blue eyes remained fixed on the center.
Where the sphere had been—
Someone now stood.
A man.
Humanoid.
Still.
Silent.
My gaze moved across his body.
Red skin.
A powerful physique.
Heavy armor covered his entire body.
Layer upon layer of dark metal surrounded him, engraved with glowing runes.
The runes pulsed faintly.
Once.
Twice.
Like something beneath the armor was breathing.
My senses sharpened.
The armor wasn't protecting him.
It was containing him.
Sealing something inside.
"…You've been hiding."
The man's eyes slowly opened.
Red pupils.
Black sclera.
They locked onto mine.
For several seconds—
Neither of us moved.
Then—
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Not friendly.
Not hostile.
Certain.
A blue information screen appeared before me.
«[Info]
Name: Kragar
Title: Bearer of the Sealed Flame
Threat Level: High
Divine Realm: First Stage
Affinity: Fire / Earth
Law: Fire, Earth
Core: Unknown»
My eyes paused on the final line.
Unknown.
Interesting.
I studied him again.
The energy surrounding his body was strange.
Powerful—
But restricted.
Something was suppressing his strength.
No.
Not suppressing.
Sealing it.
The runes were doing exactly that.
My gaze settled on his chest.
There.
A faint pulse.
Something was buried beneath those layers of armor.
Something much hotter than the surrounding magma.
Kragar finally spoke.
"…Someone wants you dead."
His voice was calm.
Flat.
Almost emotionless.
"And I am the one chosen to carry it out."
I stared at him.
Then a faint smile appeared.
"…So I'm being hunted now."
Interesting.
Very interesting.
I wasn't frightened.
If anything—
I was curious.
The Tower had brought me here to undergo trials.
Yet now someone had appeared who wasn't simply behaving like a guardian.
He had a purpose.
A target.
Me.
Before I could ask who had sent him—
DING—
A blue screen appeared.
«[MISSION]
Defeat Kragar
[Reward: 5,000 Points]»
I glanced at it.
Then back at Kragar.
"…That's all?"
Five thousand points.
After everything?
After the previous trials?
My eyes narrowed slightly.
That alone told me something.
This wasn't simply another ordinary trial.
The reward didn't match the opponent.
Which meant the Tower wasn't measuring this battle by the reward alone.
There was something else behind it.
Kragar took a step forward.
BOOM.
The ground beneath his foot darkened.
Heat spread outward.
Even through the sealed armor, the temperature around him rose.
The runes flickered.
Straining.
My pupils contracted.
The seal was weakening.
Kragar looked down at his own hand.
He slowly clenched it.
Crack.
A tiny fracture appeared across one of the runes.
Then—
Another.
Crack.
His smile widened slightly.
"…You should be grateful."
He raised his head.
"…Most die without knowing why."
The air tightened.
Pressure descended.
Not overwhelming.
Focused.
Condensed.
Dangerous.
My body responded instinctively.
The Tiger God Physique awakened beneath my skin.
Every muscle tightened.
Every sense sharpened.
My heartbeat remained steady.
I exhaled slowly.
Then—
My stance shifted.
Lower.
Balanced.
Controlled.
My blue eyes remained fixed on him.
"…If someone wants me dead…"
A faint smile formed on my face.
"…they should've come themselves."
For the first time—
Kragar's expression changed.
His smile widened.
Interest appeared in his eyes.
"…Good."
The runes across his armor began glowing brighter.
One after another.
The seal was opening.
Heat poured through the cracks between the armor plates.
The air around him distorted.
The ground beneath his feet began melting.
BOOM—
A small crack appeared beneath him.
Then another.
BOOM!!!
The pressure suddenly increased.
My clothes fluttered violently.
My hair moved in the heated wind.
Yet—
I didn't retreat.
Neither did he.
We simply stared at each other.
Two predators.
One waiting to attack.
The other waiting to see exactly what would emerge.
Then—
Kragar lowered his body slightly.
The runes across his armor flared.
A violent wave of heat erupted from his body.
His eyes burned brighter.
"…Then don't die too quickly."
BOOOOOOM—!!!
The ground shattered beneath him.
Kragar vanished.
My pupils contracted.
My instincts screamed.
Danger.
I moved.
SWISH—!!!
At the exact moment his fist appeared where my head had been—
I disappeared.
BOOM!!!
His fist struck the ground.
The entire volcanic field shook.
I reappeared several dozen meters away.
My feet touched the ground.
My eyes narrowed.
That speed—
It was completely different from Lithovar.
And the battle hadn't even truly begun.
A faint smile slowly appeared on my face.
Finally.
Something worth taking seriously.
Kragar raised his head.
Our eyes met across the burning battlefield.
The sealed flame within his body pulsed once.
BOOM.
And I knew—
The third battle had begun.