Chapter 434: The Mysterious Female Voice
The Fire Elemental Elder was now utterly berserk.
Its massive, molten form crushed through the crowd, devouring fleeing Players whole—turning them into fuel for its endless flames.
“Holy shit, run!”
“This thing can’t be rooted! Not even a scratch!”
“Touch it and you’re dead! What kind of AOE is this? This Trial’s way too hard!”
The Fire Elemental Elder was a true Flame Avatar—born to burn everything to ash. It instinctively sought to reduce all life and matter on the Prime Material Plane to nothing but dust.
Forced into restraint by Misha earlier, it had suppressed its full power. Now, finally unleashed, it poured out its fury without mercy.
All across Barras Volcano, rivers of flowing flame surged, magma churned like a volcanic eruption.
Facing a Challenge Rating of Gundam 13, and a monster with full Fire immunity, the Players were utterly overwhelmed.
In this Northern Winds and Storms update, most top-tier Players belonged to the Empire of Ashen, their abilities almost universally tied to fire. And among them, Sorcerers were dominated by Dragonblood Sorcerers—making the situation even more dire.
But Xia Ye Qiu Yu had already grasped the true purpose of this Trial.
She emptied every last Spell Slot, slapping on Flight, Protection from Energy Damage, Haste, and more—stacking every defensive and mobility spell she could muster.
“I have to survive. Only then can I earn my spot.”
That’s what she thought.
Then—familiar, blood-curdling battle cry.
From the peak of a distant volcanic rock, Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang leapt down, Battle Axe in hand, eyes blazing crimson.
“Die!”
With a thunderous roar, he swung his Great Axe at the Fire Elemental Elder’s head.
Boom!
A dull, crushing impact. The Elder’s stone-fist slammed into him—sending both man and axe flying dozens of meters through the air.
He crashed straight into the Lava Pool, sending up a scalding spray of molten “water.”
As a massive magical creature, the Fire Elemental Elder possessed Gundam 25 Strength—far beyond any mortal’s reach. And deep within the heart of a volcanic realm, it held a decisive home-field advantage.
Now fully unleashed, it was a true Player Killer, having already eliminated over fifty Players.
Only twenty-odd remained, darting frantically through the Sea of Flames.
Some used Magic Rope to flee into alternate dimensions. Others relied on Phantom Step to zigzag through space. A few vanished into invisibility, clinging to the shadows—each desperate to avoid the Elder’s wrath.
The battle had become a cruel game of hide-and-seek.
Once the Players realized the truth, they began to outmaneuver the clumsy Elder, taunting it, driving it into fits of rage.
And then came the Mechanical Divinity Sorcerer, the female Player known as [Art Is Explosion]—who was frankly ridiculous.
“Come on up, then!”
She zipped through the air on a spring-loaded flight seat, dodging effortlessly. Every few seconds, she’d drop a Lightning-emitting Bomb—Boom!—right onto the Elder’s head.
Zzzzzt!
Another violent Electromagnetic Explosion.
Finally, the Elder couldn’t take it anymore. It slammed both fists into the ground, roaring in fury.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
“Human! Destroy by Fire!”
Its massive body flared with a crimson glow, greedily siphoning energy from the Lava Pool—preparing for its next devastating explosion.
This time… it would reduce every last human to ash.
All of them.
Suddenly—
A clear, calm female voice echoed through the inferno, cutting through the chaos.
Silence fell instantly.
“Stop.”
“The remaining survivors… congratulations. You’ve passed the Trial. Welcome to the Tower of Conflagration.”
The surviving Players erupted in ecstatic cheers. Even those who’d barely survived were shouting, screaming in triumph.
“We passed!”
“We got the spot!”
“Hahahaha! The only mage class in this version—I’m invincible now!”
“Roar! Reclaim the glory of the Sorcerer!”
The Fire Elemental Elder glared at the celebrating Players—especially at the one still tossing bombs from the sky. It growled low, deep in its chest.
Boom!
Its rage could no longer be contained. It pounded the ground again, shaking the very earth.
Fire Elementals, even when not fully drained, could not remain calm until they had fully unleashed their fury.
But then—
“Master Huhu… these… Trial Participants…”
The Elder panted heavily, black smoke and white vapor spewing from its head.
“Oh?”
“Afar… are you defying my orders?”
The voice carried a hint of irritation.
“No, Master.”
“No… it’s not—”
Before it could finish, a sharp, agonized cry of pain rang out.
The Elder clutched its chest—its towering, ten-meter-tall Elemental form flickered violently, then collapsed in size.
In seconds, it had shrunk down to a mere three or four meters tall—reduced to a vague, flickering humanoid shape, no different from a common Fire Elemental.
Its body trembled, flickering like a dying flame. The terrifying aura it had just radiated was gone.
“Lead them forward.”
The voice remained cold, indifferent.
“Yes…”
The Elder’s voice was weak, drained. The loss of its immense power had left it hollow.
This time, it had no complaints. It turned and walked ahead, cautious, patient—guiding the survivors without a word.
Xia Ye Qiu Yu stared, shaking her head in awe.
“Wow… even this Fire Elemental Elder obeys like a servant.”
“Guess the NPC for this Advanced Quest is someone important. Gotta treat this with respect.”
One Player even dared to sneak behind the Elder and mock it, grinning.
“You were so tough, right? Wanted to burn us all to ash?”
“Come on! Burn me!”
“I’m so scared~!”
The Elder’s flames shivered violently—clearly furious.
Xia Ye Qiu Yu couldn’t help but sigh, rubbing her forehead.
“Don’t push it. What if things go wrong?”
“Relax,” the Player shrugged. “There’s a Game Mechanism. We’ve cleared so many Trials—how could we be eliminated over something like this?”
He waved dismissively, then even stuck his rear out, deliberately targeting the Elder.
Xia Ye Qiu Yu just looked away, unable to watch.
“Come on then?”
“Burn me, little Flame?”
The Elder was panting now—white smoke pouring from its body, the telltale sign of Red Heat.
It was a Noble of the Elemental Plane of Fire, serving as a servant to a terrifying Sorcerer—now forced to endure mockery from a mortal?
The clear female voice returned—cold, disdainful.
“If you can’t even follow basic protocol, you don’t deserve to be a noble Dragon Oath Mage.”
“What? What does that mean?”
The Player blinked, confused.
“It means… you’ve been eliminated. Afar.”
“Huh?!”
The mocking Player froze. His face went blank.
Then—
“I obey your orders!”
“Death!”
The Elder’s pent-up fury erupted at last.
Boom!
With every ounce of strength, it swung its blazing fist—shattering the Player’s skull like glass.
The charred head rolled across the ground, tumbling several times before finally stopping.
It had been a long time coming.
Even restrained, the Fire Elemental Elder could still kill a Player with ease.
Afterward, it glared at the others—its eyes blazing with warning. Don’t end up like him.
“Holy—”
“Did it just kill him?!”
“Bro, you actually did it… after all this, you just jumped into the final trap?”
“Yeah… like acing the final exam… then tearing up your answer sheet!”
Some Players laughed with Schadenfreude. Others were shaken, silent. All were stunned—this Trial was far more unpredictable than they’d imagined.
But that was Alerzage.
Every Non-Player Character had high intelligence, unique logic, and no rigid programming.
That was what made it so captivating.
“Hmm… this NPC’s personality is very particular,” Xia Ye Qiu Yu mused, stroking her chin. Her eyes narrowed slightly, thoughtful.
“Probably a perfectionist. Arrogant. Can’t stand a speck of dirt in their eyes.”
She glanced ahead, her expression serious.
“Guess we’ll have to be careful from now on.”
—Requesting Monthly Tickets—
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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