Chapter 43: Chapter 42: Trial of Fire (1)

Withered clouds curled in the sky, while ash blanketed a wasteland of fire and brimstone. A volcano in the distance erupted with an echoing boom as if a series of bombs were set off simultaneously. This volcano was just one of the many that surrounded the base of a much larger one.

At the top of the largest and most prominent volcano, an orange glow dyed the blackened clouds above, signifying that it was both active and full of molten liquid.

Adventurers of all types were scattered across the land, searching fervently for any clues. As if they all shared the same mind, each of them desperately clung onto a stone token—a device that would teleport them away once injected with mana.

Far away from everyone else, Meysi stumbled through a burnt field, leaving footsteps in the settled ash behind her. The smoke and soot within the air was repelled by a thin veil that surrounded her, which constantly rejuvenated itself through the small sapphire bead resting in her palm.

“I’ve been marching for hours, but this pales in comparison to the water trial. Those final steps were much more tasking.”

Meysi stood still and scanned her surroundings. It was difficult to see through the haze, almost as if she were walking through a blackened sandstorm. She let out a sigh of dejection.

“If the Trial of Water didn’t reward me with that elixir of stamina… or this bead… this trek would have been much more annoying.”

A strong gust of wind pounded against the blue barrier, causing it to wax and wane in resistance. In the end, the barrier held strong and restored its shape. She snuck a hand into her pocket and withdrew a red cube. Looking at the face of the cube, it looked as if a fire were trapped within, performing an erratic dance against the surface.

“And the B rank Trial of Man gave me this strange cube, which is different from the tokens that the other adventurers received after only defeating the C rank clone.”

She let out a deep sigh, debating whether to rest her wary legs or to push on. Glancing around for a place to sit, a flicker of green and red flashed within her peripheral vision.

“Is that… grass?”

Meysi’s eyes widened as she broke out into a sprint. At last, the destination she had been searching for was right in front of her.

“Wow, it’s oddly… beautiful?”

A massive hill of uniform grass swayed in the wind, while the tip of each individual blade was lit ablaze. Their brightness increased and decreased in ripples across the hill, creating a vibrant scene of ruby shimmers.

Meysi stood before the hill in awe before remembering the words of her new idol.

“Lady Elsie said to climb to the top of the hill…”

She gave herself two light pats on the cheek before staring at the hill with a steely gaze.

“I’m ready!”

However, the moment she placed her foot on the hill, a yelp of pain rang through the air.

“Ouch! It burned me!”

Tears formed in her eyes as she glanced at the bottom of her shoe. No traces of burns or damage could be seen along the outsole.

“There’s no burns… was it my imagination?”

She stepped again, crying out once more.

“Ow! Ow!”

This time she took her shoe off completely and inspected her foot. Sure enough, hundreds of little burn marks were riddled over her bare foot.

“Why does the grass only burn my foot? How am I supposed to climb to the top of the hill?”

She sat on her ankles and rested her chin over arms as she stared glumly at the smoldering hill. The sapphire bead in her hand never once stopped spewing forth its water, but it seemed that it wouldn’t be protecting her during this climb.

“Elsie said to not be afraid…”

Meysi let out a deep sigh and stood tall. She sucked in a deep breath, filling her chest with soot-free air. Then without another complaint, stepped onto the hill once more—this time refusing to remove her foot.

The grass seared her foot underneath, but instead of withdrawing away, she took another step! Two streams of water gushed from the corners of her eyes, but she trekked on regardless. She mentally pictured the people most important to her, the same people she wished to protect by growing stronger.

Before she knew it, Meysi had already marched halfway up the hill! The pain beneath her feet reduced to an almost soothing sensation, causing her face to light up in happiness. With renewed energy, she wordlessly climbed upward. Eventually, she stood at the top of the hill, looking out over her surroundings.

The sun beamed down through the ashen clouds, landing directly at the hill’s peak. It was a surreal moment for the young girl as the view wasn’t the one that she expected.

“The volcanoes… they’re gone!”

The land of scorched earth and red-hot meteors was no longer. Instead, it was replaced by a majestic mountain range that spanned endlessly across. Lush fields surrounded her on all sides, filled with flora and leafy trees.

The grass below rippled with fire once more, but this time the waves originated from where Meysi stood. It was as if she had stepped into a still lake made of embers.

“Everything seems so… pure.”

Meysi mentally pictured the dark skies from before, tainted by the constant volcanic eruptions underneath. She compared the gritty scene to the one before her now, which was as lively as an ancient forest. Her thoughts raced back and forth, when she noticed the cube in her hand had changed colors.

“The cube! It’s green?!”

Within the cube now flickered a lush green fire, still trapped within as it pushed against the walls. As if it could sense Meysi’s stare, the flame suddenly straightened up before pulsing in a circular pattern.

Lost in a trance, Meysi tilted her head curiously at the cube before reaching her hand out.

“I understand now… just like the grass.”

Tendrils of emerald flames burst forth from around her arm and swirled around her. The grass no longer rippled but instead chaotically burned without rhyme nor reason. Meysi smiled as she played with her newly attributed flames.

“Fire doesn’t need to be a tool of destruction, but sometimes destruction is necessary to bring new life. Is this the secret to the Trial of Fire? The secret no one has ever figured out? Or is this merely a distraction? Elsie… just who are you?”

----

Sans stomped his foot into the side of a mountain. The rock underneath shattered into pieces and crumbled down the slope.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

“Hate this place…”

He grumbled as he stomped on another stone.

“Hate this trial.”

“Don’t worry, we don’t have much further to go!”

Elsie called out cheerfully from up ahead. Surrounding her was a thick and luminescent barrier of water and ice that breathed a cool stream of air across her body.

“What do you mean! We’re only a quarter way up this gigantic volcano!”

Sans cried out in despair as he followed behind. He was without any type of barrier or protection, relying on sheer tenacity and endurance to brave the harsh climate. A falling ember sizzled in the air and landed on his shoulder, burning a new hole through his ragged suit.

“Ouch. And why can’t you form a barrier around me? At least teach me the basics!”

He grumbled as he crushed another rock underfoot.

“Dumb volcano. Why if I ever meet the person who created this place. The words I would have with them.”

Sans scolded his imaginary opponent and held up his hands as if he were ready for a fight. Elsie stifled a laugh as she beckoned him upward.

“Come along now. Mind your step.”

“Yes, yes, yes. Huh, what’s that?”

His eyes lit up and he stomped his way a few paces across the mountain. A crevice was formed between two massive boulders, and tucked within were the charred remains of an adventurer.

“Oh… He’s dead... I think?”

Sans and Elsie stared at the body, waiting for any signs of moment. Just as they were about to leave, a weak cough sounded out. A soot covered hand twitched before going limp once more.

“Hmm, not dead. He’s lucky, and foolish.”

Elsie stood over the body and rummaged through his pocket. She procured a grey token and curled it within the man's hand. She then held her hand over his head and let loose a subtle jolt of energy that coursed throughout his body.

The token buzzed to life and whisked the body away instantly.

“Maybe he’ll get treatment outside the trial. If he survives, then it’ll be a lesson that he’ll never forget.”

Elsie continued her hike up the volcano with Sans following close behind.

“And what lesson is that?”

“Not to overestimate himself, obviously. Not just anyone can brave this harsh environment.”

Elsie shrugged nonchalantly while Sans gave her an odd look.

“You say that… and yet you’ve isolated yourself from it with layers of water and ice.”

She snapped her head back with a frown.

“I don’t count! This barrier is a necessity!”

“Uh-huh. A necessity?”

He sarcastically questioned back, but just as he was about to probe further, the image of Elsie’s soulless body shot through his mind. His mouth immediately clammed up and didn’t comment further. Who was he to judge her actions?

“Yes, a necessity. It keeps my skin looking plush and pure. I can’t let such disgusting ash touch me! My secret techniques of looking forever young start at an early age.”

Sans’ mouth hung open as he heard her reasoning.

“T-That’s nonsense!”

“Hmpf! What do you know? Never question the lengths a woman is willing to go through for the sake of appearances.”

Elsie snapped her finger, amplifying the effect of the barrier around her. Sans could feel a frigid chill sweep past him, making it seem like winter had blessed the devastated land.

Just how cold does she need it to be?!

Sans sigh internally and followed along with his eyes cast to the ground. Each monotonous step was followed by a grumble or an exhausted sigh. At some point, he became painfully aware of something.

I need spells from the other elements. I can’t fight with fire alone forever.

Streaks of lightning sparked through his memories as he recalled Elsie’s duel with her clone. The speed at which they moved was beyond his own physical limitations, and this didn’t include the enhanced ferocity of each blow. He wrinkled his nose in dejection as he realized that the more he knew about Elsie, the less he truly understood her.

“Oh! We’re almost there.”

“You said that hours ago.”

“I’m serious this time!”

Sans glanced up to the summit and his eyes blazed in excitement. After aimlessly scaling the volcano for so long, he didn’t even notice how close to the clouds he had become. It was almost as if he could jump into the air and scoop the black cotton right out of the sky.

A low rumble sounded from above, followed by a handful of tremors. A spark of orange fire shot into the air and sailed through the clouds, disappearing into the distance.

“That’s our destination! Let’s go!”

“Wait, wait. I thought the reward was towards the top of the volcano—not the actual top of the volcano!”

“Shh, you’ll see when we get there.”

With a pep in her step, Elsie bounded upward, only pausing once she reached the lip of the volcano. Sans ambled after her, kicking rocks out of his way as he saw fit.

“Look there…”

Elsie beckoned Sans closer. A murky orange hue reflected off her barrier, and the source only revealed itself once Sans stood at the very peak.

“That’s… impressive.”

Sans felt his heart drop as he stared into the depths of the colossal volcano. Lava bubble and frothed at the very bottom, while the space in between shimmered and distorted due to the extreme heat. It was a grand view, one that he would gladly appreciate more if he stood further away from the ledge.

“Isn’t it? What are you doing? Come closer, over here.”

Elsie pointed right by her side. As if her entire being was synonymous with danger, she was naturally positioned at the most extreme edge of the volcano—just a single step away from tumbling to her fate.

“Uhh… I really don’t want to. That doesn’t look safe.”

“Don’t be silly. I’m standing here, aren’t I? Come!”

She pointed to her side once more, which Sans begrudgingly moved toward. His feet dragged like molasses as he carefully positioned himself by her side.

“Alright, I’m here. Can we go now? I don’t see the reward room anywhere up here.”

“Hmm? That’s because it’s not up here.”

Elsie gazed into the lava with her bright and clear eyes.

“If it’s not up here, then why did we come here?”

“That’s because it’s down there.”

Elsie pointed downward, prompting Sans to follow her finger. However, he only saw the massive pool of lava and destructive heat.

“Where-”

Before he could finish his question, Elsie pushed him into the volcano.

----

Although somewhat of a porky and underhanded fellow, Berel had always turned up positive when following his hunches. The moment he entered the Trial of Fire, he knew for certain that the secret to the trial had to reside at the top of the largest volcano.

For hours and hours he worked his way up the side of the mountain, pursuing the distant orange glow that kissed the blackened firmaments. With a final and desperate push, he made it, alone and exhausted.

Nothing could have possibly prepared him for the rigorous trek. In fact, if the hadn’t received the elixir of stamina from the Trial of Water, he would have had to tap out long ago.

With the intense journey behind him, Berel now stood at the summit of the ashen world. In his hand, he grasped the reward token that he received from the Trial of Man. This token was his ticket to escape, should his life ever be in danger.

Berel gazed across the lip of the volcano with rapt attention, greedily digesting any details he could to unearth any hidden secrets. His knack for finding special encounters was in full force, and he refused to believe that he couldn’t solve the Trial of Fire.

However, as luck would have it, as he was scanning the top of the volcano, he spied two distant figures who he recognized instantly. Berel gasped in fear as he hid behind a massive rock.

“T-That’s her! That demoness!”

He poked his head out with a solemn expression.

“And her little henchman too! Blast it!”

Berel fiddled with the token in his hand out of anger. There was no way that he would be forced to escape after coming so far, right?

“Wait… that girl seems like she knows something. Hmm. She also knew about that secret defense system in the Trial of Water.”

He stroked his chubby chin with sausage-like fingers. His lips curled into a greasy smile as he saw Elsie pointing down into the volcano.

“I knew it… there really is something special here. I’ll play it safe and watch from a distance…”

Berel positioned himself further behind the rock, leaving only his two greedy eyes visible. As he was speculating on what the duo would do next, the girl did something incredibly shocking!

“S-She just pushed him in!”

Berel scrambled out from behind the rock to get a better view, but before he could look below, something even more surprising happened.

“She jumped in after him! She’s insane!”

The man crept to the edge of the volcano with wide eyes, refusing to miss a single detail. His mouth opened in awe as he watched Elsie pretend to swim through the air, catching up with her flailing partner.

Down, and down further they went—into the belly of the volcano. Eventually, Berel lost sight of them completely due to the distortion of space and extreme heat. Even if he could see clearly, he speculated that they must have already dove straight into the lava below.

“That’s the secret…”

Berel muttered in shock and awe. Although he wasn’t the one to have figured it out, he could certainly take advantage of it!

He stood at the very edge of the volcano and nervously looked below.

“The lava… the heat… it’s all an illusion! I can’t believe this illusion has fooled everyone for thousands of years! And here I am… ready to uncover the deepest secret that the Tomb of Ambrosia has to offer.”

Berel steadied his rapidly beating heart. He knew something was down there, but he couldn’t shake the sense of impending disaster that bled from his soul.

“I can do this. And one. And two. And three… Jump!”

With the bravery of a tempered soldier, he leaped into the volcano!

“Hot! Hot! Okay, pretend to swim!”

Berel swished his arms through the air desperately as the heat kicked up its intensity. He couldn’t even cry tears of pain due to how swiftly all moisture was evaporated from the surface of his body. The nerves in his arms screamed as if they were on fire, but he fortified his resolved and continued his fake swim through the air.

It doesn’t hurt anymore! It’s working!

Berel tried his best to smile as he turned his head, but that’s when he realized something was off. His arms no longer existed, having been long incinerated.

Before he could spare another thought, the man named Berel was erased from the world, becoming one with the ash that swayed in the winds.