"Die, insects!"
The Flame Demon Virgil burst out of the magma, his upper body colossal—nearly ten meters tall.
With furious rage, he seized one of the players in his grasp. In an instant, searing flames swallowed the player's body whole.
"AAAH—!"
A shrill scream rang out before the player was reduced to ash, forcibly expelled from the game world.
"T-this…"
Virgil's massive, blazing form filled everyone present with sheer terror.
And when players checked his data, true panic set in. The thought of fleeing immediately took root in their minds.
[Virgil (Epic)]Level: 49 (22000/24500)Race: Flame DemonStrength: 900 / Agility: 636 / Mana: 652 / Vitality: 1005Growth: 10 (Gains +10 to all attributes per level)Skills: (Expand)
"W-w-what?!""A Flame Demon close to level 50?!""What the hell! This was supposed to be the lowest-risk demon nest! How is there a nearly level-50 Flame Demon here?!""We're finished! We couldn't even handle a level-40 one—doesn't that mean a level-49 is just instant death for us?!""Retreat! Retreat now! I'm not letting my adventurer team wipe here because of this mission!"
The players began backing away en masse. Virgil's combat power was far beyond their expectations.
"Damn it!"
Unlike the players, the knights showed no intention of retreating. Glen cursed under his breath, then roared,"Knights! Formation!"
"Yes, sir!"
The fifty knights responded in unison, raising their swords. Golden light erupted from their bodies, transforming into countless luminous particles that rose into the air.
Those particles gathered together, forming a massive golden greatsword in midair.
"Daring to run wild on Lady Baroness's land!" Glen spat, pointing his blade at the distant Flame Demon without a hint of fear."Today, I'll break your arms and legs, you fire mutt! Die!"
"Kill!"
The knights roared as one, and the golden greatsword came crashing down toward the Flame Demon standing amid the magma.
"Ants."
Virgil's deep voice shook the battlefield. He drew a flaming sword hidden beneath the lava and clashed head-on with the golden blade forged by fifty knights.
A terrifying shockwave of magic exploded outward, rippling through the cavern in waves of fire.
Taking advantage of the brief stalemate, Ivsha and the others immediately launched their magical assault.
A golden phantom of a nun detonated above Virgil's head as water and fire magic poured down upon his massive body simultaneously.
"Sister! You can't bombard a Flame Demon with fire magic!" Flora cried urgently."That's just feeding him energy!"
"Huh? I-is that so?"Fuli instantly halted her spell.
"Use my water magic instead!"
"Okay!"
Fuli quickly began chanting a water-element spell. As twin souls, she and Flora shared elemental mana—meaning they could jointly wield each other's magical power.
"Divine Grace!"
At the same time, Lucia completed her chant. She lightly tapped the air with her staff.
Golden ripples spread outward, warm and sacred power washing over everyone present.
[Your Adventurer Ivsha has gained Temporary Status: Radiant Blessing (1h)!][Radiant Blessing: All attributes +20%, Mana recovery +50%, HP recovery +50%, All elemental resistance +30%!][Your Adventurer…]
"A party-wide buff?"
A glint flashed in Akira's eyes. Lucia's divine magic really was formidable.
Meanwhile, Loserine unfurled her wings of soul-light and flew straight toward the Flame Demon. Her immunity to elemental damage made it difficult for Virgil to harm her—but his greatest pride lay in his regenerative abilities. Even Loserine's advanced sword techniques struggled to deal fatal damage.
Under the combined assault of the knight order and Akira's guild, the Flame Demon Virgil actually began to show signs of disadvantage.
"No way…""They're really holding their own against a level-49 Flame Demon?""Are we overestimating this thing?""Hurry! Join in! If we assist in killing a Flame Demon of this level, the contribution points will be huge!"
The players were stunned. They never imagined that the knight order and Akira's guild could truly fight a level-49 Flame Demon.
Akira paid little attention to their excitement.
If Virgil were really this easy to deal with, Idys would never have entrusted him with such a precious Flame Magic Stone.
And yet, up until now, Akira still hadn't seen the legendary Undying Flame.
There was only one reason for that.
Its time had not yet come.
"Damnable insects!"
Under the relentless assault, cracks began to spread across Virgil's massive body of flame. The blazing intensity of his fire gradually weakened.
"His HP's almost gone!"
Seeing the fractures spreading and the life-flame dimming, the players immediately realized Virgil's health was nearing depletion.
"All-out attack! Finish him now!"
They frantically ordered their adventurers to unleash a final barrage.
But Akira frowned.
Something felt wrong.
Virgil's weakness seemed… deliberate.
In the next instant, the battlefield was turned upside down.
Virgil's flaming body suddenly exploded outward.
"Foolish creatures! My flames are undying! Use your deaths to fuel my evolution!"
Virgil laughed maniacally. He had deliberately lowered his HP to its limit to lure these greedy insects closer.
Not every player rushed in—but some were deceived by the illusion and commanded their adventurers to close in, trying to land the killing blow.
That was exactly what Virgil wanted.
To the players, his HP was at death's door—and indeed, he had suppressed it to the lowest possible point.
What they didn't know was that the Undying Flame granted Virgil true immortality.
Even if his soul dispersed, he could resurrect through the Undying Flame.
"Die, insects!"
Boom!
A tidal wave of raging fire erupted outward, engulfing the nearby adventurers in scorching flames.
"AAAH!""Damn it! He was acting!""Run! Get out of here!"
The adventurers fled in panic, but Virgil's counterattack exacted a terrible price. More than a dozen were consumed by the inferno, dying instantly.
"I feel it! I feel it!" Virgil roared in ecstasy."I will evolve!"
After slaughtering over a dozen adventurers, his experience surged, reaching the threshold for level 50. With the Undying Flame sustaining him, he was on the verge of becoming a greater demon commander beyond level 50.
"Damn it! He's about to hit level 50!""I remember—after level 50, growth doubles and there's a full transformation!""There's no way we can beat a level-50 greater demon!""It's over… everything we did was pointless!""Run! Now!"
Despair spread rapidly. According to the game's rules, reaching level 50 triggered a metamorphosis—massive stat increases and a special enhancement.
A demon beyond level 50 was utterly unbeatable.
The players decided to flee while Virgil was mid-advancement, unwilling to throw their lives away.
Unlike the others, Akira stared intently at Virgil's intensifying flames.
Inside Virgil's blazing body, he saw it—
A deep crimson flame burning at the core.
"That's the Undying Flame…"
Akira instantly understood. It had been hidden inside Virgil all along.
"Kid! We can't hold on much longer! What do we do now?!"Glen shouted, barely resisting the relentless waves of heat with his mana. His body was at its limit.
The other knights were in the same state. If Akira didn't act now, the entire knight order would be wiped out.
That undying flame filled them with utter despair.
It was an unsolvable problem.
At that moment, Lucia fixed her calm, expectant gaze on Akira, waiting for him to find the right path forward.
If Akira failed… she could intervene—but then…
"Lucia!"
Akira's voice rang out sharply.
He looked at her with urgency."Can you use that divine spell from before to restrain Virgil? Just a few seconds will be enough!"
"Yes."
Lucia nodded without hesitation. Her binding magic was powerful enough to restrain a level-50 demon—and even a level-60 demon would be unable to break free.
"Ivsha! Fuli! Flora!" Akira barked orders."Focus your fire on the Flame Demon's heart! With your magic output, you should be able to break through!"
"Understood!""Yes, Guildmaster!"
"Loserine!"
Akira handed the Flame Magic Stone to her."You're in charge of sealing the Undying Flame!"
Only Loserine, with her immunity to fire, was suited for this task.
"Alright."
"Begin!"
At Akira's command, everyone moved at once. As for Alice—she wasn't suited for this battle, but she could cheer from the sidelines!
Lucia raised her staff and pointed it toward Virgil.
In an instant, massive magic circles formed above and below him. Golden chains manifested from nothingness, binding his enormous body tightly.
"Struggling in vain, insects!" Virgil roared mockingly."Once I evolve, you'll all turn to ash!"
The legendary Undying Flame filled him with boundless confidence.
"Fallen Radiance!""Water Spirit's Kiss ×2!"
Following Akira's instructions, Ivsha and the others unleashed their spells, striking precisely at Virgil's heart.
Boom!
A deafening explosion tore through the cavern. A massive hole was blown open in Virgil's chest, revealing the crimson Undying Flame hidden within.
"I told you already!" Virgil howled viciously."Your attacks are meaningless!"
Even as he spoke, the wound on his chest began rapidly regenerating under the power of the Undying Flame.
But just before it fully healed—
Loserine charged fearlessly into the breach, enduring the searing flames as she thrust the Flame Magic Stone toward the crimson fire.
The moment the two made contact, golden waves of magic burst outward, instantly sealing the blazing Undying Flame.
Only then did Virgil truly feel fear.
"No… impossible!""What is that?! How can it seal my Undying Flame?! No—!"
"Kill him!" Akira ordered decisively.
In an instant, dazzling magical light engulfed Virgil's massive body.
"No—!"
With a furious, unwilling roar, Virgil—unable to regenerate or advance—fell beneath the combined assault.
His colossal body shattered into sparks, exploding into the sky before vanishing into endless darkness.
At the same moment, system notifications filled Akira's vision.
[Flame Demon Virgil defeated! EXP +20000, Contribution +100!][Side Quest Completed!][Obtained Ultra-Rare Trait — Undying Flame!][Obtained Material — Flame Core (Epic)!][Obtained Equipment — Blazing Demon Bracers (Elite) ×1!][Blazing Demon Greaves (Elite) ×1!][Blazing Demon Cuirass (Elite) ×1!][Blazing Demon Helm (Elite) ×1!][Blazing Demon Iron Boots (Elite) ×1!]