MM - Chapter 128 - MORE!

Raine checked Fizgore's projected landing zone and was relieved it wouldn't be on any of the many drops appearing from the rapidly disintegrating boss. The tunnel was illuminated by shimmering blue and golden orbs, each containing some of the best items in the current ZionLine. Raine went to work, zipping to and fro, the cavern growing dimmer with each acquisition. 

Meanwhile, Fizgore managed to stick a beautiful superhero landing. He hopped to his feet, patting his body, “I-I’m alive!” He hollered, fists pumping the air.

Raine chuckled, shaking his head.

I've been rushing them. They have almost no grasp of their limits. Or more accurately, lack thereof. After this, I'm throwing them in the arena for a week. No better place to learn right now.

Raine picked up the last drop, then shot his brother a disapproving glare, “Richtor, why haven't you brought Melbelle back yet?”

Similar to the rest of his party, Richtor was a panting, delirious mess. He turned wide, uncomprehended eyes at Raine, then the remains of Mel, “Oh. Right. Sorry.”

Mel didn’t die alone. TwistedReligion and Kevinsbakon also didn't make it. Richtor rushed to her burnt, shriveled body. When his glowing fingers alighted on what was left of her, celestial light surrounded them both in a brief flash.

[Celestial Touch: (Beginner) Lay hands upon the physical remains of a target to restore their life at 5% health and 0% resources. Death penalties reduced by 90% (Cost: 100 CP) (No cooldown) (Cannot be used in combat)]

When the glare receded, Mel was lying there, relatively in one piece. She immediately turned and retched with full force. Being at zero Discipline felt like death, and 5% health wasn't any better. Each resource pool came with its own downsides for being empty. The combination of waking up to them all being drained was often eloquently described as having one's intestines slowly pulled from their nostrils. Mel emptied her stomach until her heaves turned to gags and coughing chokes. Raine knelt over her, pushing a bottle to her lips. She greedily gulped down the potion. He then pushed a gray, palm-sized stone into her hands.

[Minor Celestial Recovery Potion: (Common Grey) Restores 20% Celestial Power over sixty seconds (15-minute shared potion cooldown)]

[Regeneration Stone: (Common Grey) Boosts resource gains of regenerative stances by 1000% for 10 minutes (Uses: 4) (no cooldown) (cannot be used in a combat state)]

She blinked up at him, confused and delirious with pain, “H-healing potion?”

Raine knew she wouldn't be able to fully understand him. His soothing tone helped nonetheless, “This way is better. A healing potion will only make you conscious enough to feel the agony in detail. Since you’re a healer, restoring your CP will let you hit max health faster.”

Besides, the full effects won’t fade until all your resources are topped off again.

He could have used Healing Burst on her, but that would have been detrimental to her mentality in the long run. He had witnessed far too many healers in the past with zero pity for those suffering from resurrection sickness. After all, it was a rarity for healers to receive a resurrection; once they died, the rezzing tended to be concluded. The worst offenders were those who withheld the last of their Celestial Power just to recover their resources a few seconds sooner. The flimsy excuse was enough to send anyone suffering the sickness into a rage that rarely faded with time. Experiencing resurrection sickness at least once was the best way to gain a little empathy.

Raine gently rubbed circles on her back, then approached Kevinsbakon, who was in a similar state. Healing Burst brought him over half health. Raine dropped a Regeneration Stone in his hands as well. TwistedReligion was last, and Raine's steely look was all it took to convince Richtor to heal the man.

With the raid's completion, they were on a clock before they were kicked out, so Raine passed through the opened portcullis, toward the shimmering golden glow in the tunnel beyond. On his way by Celeste, she climbed to her feet, limbs shaking uncontrollably. He’d seen her kneeling, staring at her staff since the fight ended. Using it as an oversized walking stick, she hobbled after him.

“I… Did you… How do I…” She paused, swallowing loudly. When she spoke again, her voice was clear and held a hint of awe, “All of it. Everything. That… was so amazing! It was so hot, and I didn’t know if we would win or die. I couldn't see, but I could feel everything! The hot air, the whooshes, and bangs; its growls, the shaking ground, the smell of blood. Seriously. That was the best adrenaline rush of my life ten times over. Am I crazy for wanting to do that again?”

Raine held in a laugh, eyes twinkling with shared kinship, “Not at all. There are three kinds of people. Those who can’t handle it at all, those who can barely stomach it, and then there’s people like you and me, who crave it. You did great. Good job on your first raid, Crimson Nebula.”

Celeste bit her lips to hide her smile at the honest compliment - delivered without the slightest hint of snark. Raine understood how detrimental excessive praise could be; he also knew how significant the right amount was when earned. He could have told the whole group at once, but it always felt hollow when the words weren’t directed at the individual. The others would get their turn soon.

Raine didn’t have to go far down the narrowing tunnel to discover the origin of the glow. It wasn’t from a treasure chest as he’d initially assumed, but four treasure chests surrounded by a sphere of gently dancing golden fire. One of the chests was even snaked with veins of pulsing, black power. Seeing it sent a thrill of excitement dancing through his chest. But what really made his heart beat like mad was the sphere of flames itself. 

From within, the occasional faces of screaming men and women could be seen. Their agonized howls came out as nothing more than the flickering roar of the fire. Even twenty meters away, Raine felt as if his skin were melting. 

Celeste had to stop ten paces behind him. She held an arm in front of her face though no normal methods could ward off the heat of this particular kind of flame, “Shit that burns! Is it a trap?”

“Nope. Better,” Raine smirked, pulling out an item he’d given up on completing any time soon.

[Soul of Amanesh (doused): (Marvelous Gold) In his final years, Amanesh was subjected to extensive torture that doused the flames of his soul. Reignition requires a soul-drenched flame of significant intensity]

The sphere of flames blocking access to the chests was none other than the soul-drenched flames Raine needed. Getting through them would generally require a monstrous force of will, as soul flames did not burn the flesh but the mind. The pain they delivered was excruciating beyond measure; even approaching close enough to touch could cause severe mental trauma. Passing through them was an order of magnitude more challenging, and could even force ZionLine to force a logout.

The lump of coal sucked at the faux heat in the air like a black hole. Raine made it another ten meters before he once more felt his skin sloughing off in molten goo that pooled at his feet. Of course, it was all in his mind, yet knowing one wasn't taking damage or dying did absolutely nothing to dull the very real sensations of agony being pumped into his brain.

By now, the sphere of golden flames was being directly consumed by the soul. It created a vortex of fire that rushed toward his open palm. The soul turned cherry red, growing warm enough to make him regret having to hold it.

“Mor…” A desperate voice wheezed directly into Raine’s mind. It was so faint as to be confused with a gentle breeze. Except there was no wind, only the flames rushing toward the item in his hand.

Raine never had a soul flame in the past and certainly never knew anyone unlucky enough to find a doused one. However, he knew enough about how ZionLine worked to understand what was happening. People didn’t come up with the law that challenge meets rewards for no reason, and this was a genuinely impressive jackpot, which meant it must be accompanied by an equivalent challenge.

The soul pulsed rhythmically. Raine knew it was time to make the choice. He could stay where he was, and the soul would eventually absorb enough energy to ignite. If he went that route, the results would be mediocre at best. If he dared to face the pain by stepping closer, it would gain a larger burst of flames, creating a superior completed soul flame. 

But was that enough for Raine’s greedy heart?

Of course not.

Raine had briefly skimmed each of the drops from the boss, hoping for a way to ignite the soul. While disappointed to not see one, there was an item that would turn this situation into both an unparalleled opportunity and a curse.

[Flames of a Passing Raksha: (Marvelous Gold) Temporarily upgrades the tier of any heat source by +1 (Uses remaining 10/10)]

While an item meant to assist with crafting, it would undoubtedly work to boost the soul-drenched flames before him into something that could easily see him kicked from ZionLine before managing to loot the chests. With the mandatory five-minute re-log timer, fifteen minutes would have passed, and he would return to find himself outside the invasion heart. Raine decided long ago not to back down from chances to gain power; while he wouldn’t be signing any contracts with demons, this was hardly that kind of situation. Removing the little orb of fire from his inventory, he held it in the opposite hand and lifted it toward the sphere of flames.

A tiny flicker of green shot from the ball and zipped into the sphere. Upon combining, the sphere went from a gentle glow to a raging bonfire. Raine keenly felt his skin evaporate in an instant rush of heat that pushed him back two paces. Raw, exposed nerves were subjected to blistering heat that stole his breath. He dug in his heels, sliding through the dirt.

“More!” The soul demanded, its voice a little clearer in his head.

Raine swapped fractions, and the currently useless boosts to Finesse and Acuity faded, replaced by a jump in Connection. He firmed the air and ground around his feet, then forced the wall of heat apart.

[Fraction of Elemental Might: (Elemental Power +20%) (CNC +20%) Upon command unleash the Elemental Finger dealing 2500% elemental damage in a 15-meter tower AOE (Cost: 200 EP) (Cooldown: 5 minutes)]

With gritted teeth, Raine took five large steps in one go and was rewarded with the sensation of his muscles vanishing in a flashfire. He cried out, unable to bear it silently. The absorbing vortex from the soul intensified. Instead of helping with the heat, it grew hot enough to cause his gauntlet to smoke. He started taking real damage from holding it, which did the opposite of help.

“That’s it! A little more!”

Why does this feel so familiar? Oh yeah. It’s almost exactly the same as the scythe. Still my best item. Too bad I can’t use it yet. Hope this doesn't turn out the same.

At this point, any distracting thoughts were a poison that could easily lead to mental surrender. Raine cast everything in his head aside with a vengeance. He pressed forward as quickly as he could. Each step bathed him in ever more painful flames that were brushed off with the determination born from a lifetime of brutality. Unfortunately, the regeneration Raine often relied on did nothing to mitigate his suffering. The soul would ignite any second, and the closer he got before then, the better. Raine took several more steps while knowing he was dying and that nothing in either world could save him. 

The mental trick was the only one he knew that could overcome rationality under extreme duress. Why retreat when you know it's already over? Instead, rush forward and go out with everything you've got.

Two more paces and he lost the ability to scream, he couldn’t breathe. Tears streamed down skin he didn't have. His vision went dark, brain convinced his eyes had melted to uselessness. The souls within the fire assaulted his mind, demanding he give up and run. There was one thing in the world Raine wanted more than to back away from the flames: the power waiting for him if he just held out another few seconds.

Stronger than ever, the soul roared inside Raine's skull. “You can do it, child! Do not give up! Do not relent!”

Raine didn't know how close he was now. All he could do was take another step, and another. His entire being was agony. In the darkness, the flashing yellow of the system's warning was all the brighter. Raine would not allow that message to turn red. His feet halted; this was his limit, and he wanted to collapse in relief for having reached it. Thrusting out an arm, Raine held still through sheer force of will, refusing to step back for what could have been a decade. Then, the pressure and pain suddenly vanished.

For a moment, Raine thought he died, but his sight returned, revealing the sphere of flames was no more. He fell to his knees, eyes unable to look away from the gently flickering golden flame cradled in his hand.

[Soul Flame of Amanesh: (Chaotic Gold - Binds on use) These flames are all that remain of the once-mighty Amanesh. As a seventh circle elementalist of the Lateshi Conclave, Amanesh had no peers within the thousand-year Age of Reclamation. When his experiments unwittingly trapped him in the Demonic Realm, the demon’s discovered the meaning of fear and suffering. Against insurmountable odds, Amanesh annihilated five demonic dominions before the remaining overlords united to extinguish and douse his soul]

“At long last, one has come to set me free. Thank you, child. May what little remains of my soul be enough to bring your enemies to their knees,” with each word, the proud and domineering voice of Amanesh faded until the last words were silent as a grave.

Considering death within the next two hours would result in him losing the item he suffered so much for, Raine didn't hesitate for a nanosecond. Opening his mouth wide, he swallowed the flames whole. After the expected notification of the item being bound, he was greeted by a slew of notifications that made closing his gaped jaw an impossibility. Even Celeste's screaming, and the stomping of her approach couldn't force him to take his eyes away from the tantalizing text.

It was worth it. It was all worth it.