The fire essence sliding down my throat burned. And the moment it came into contact with the mana flowing within me, it reacted for the first time.
Fwoosh! Fwoooosh!
The fire essence responded to the mana, turning into a fierce blaze that grew wildly, spiraling out of control. The scent of flame embedded deep within the bead was unmistakable—pure, potent, and overwhelming.
Boom…!
It was just the first, faint reaction. And yet, my body bulged and flared, unable to contain the erupting blaze. This was proof that it couldn't absorb the sudden surge and was instead expelling it outward. Every time my body twitched, sparks scattered, and I convulsed involuntarily.
Maybe seeing my state, Seraph began chanting a spell. I barely managed to raise a hand in her direction—wherever she was—to signal her not to interfere.
She wasn't wrong. Trying to control the fire essence with my own ability was practically impossible. I might have had a chance if I used the ancient priestess's tattoo, but I hadn't planned to. In fact, my intent was never to suppress the fire essence with it. The tattoo was meant to serve as a resting place—a vessel—for the fire's energy. Nothing more.
What I wanted wasn't suppression or control. After all, who could possibly contain a force that rivaled the infernal flames of hell?
But if we reframed it—as borrowing power, not subjugating it—then the situation might change.
When I opened my eyes briefly, I saw Seraph faintly, nervously shifting in place. It was almost refreshing to see an angel look flustered. But I quickly twisted my face. That was just the beginning. I knew what was coming. The true storm was about to start.
It's wrong to compare the fire essence's explosion to a normal one. It's not a physical blast, but an eruption of pure force—and it comes with pain like nothing else. Now, the fire essence began moving in earnest.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
"Ugh. Gghhh."
The pain from the ensuing explosion made my eyes roll back involuntarily. The torment was on a different level. I'd suffered countless injuries and agonies over ten years in the Whole Plane, but none of it compared to this. Just thinking about the pain intensifying made me break out in cold sweat. Still, I gritted my teeth.
I kept repeating it to myself. I'm Kim Soo-hyun, the one who reached the end of the Whole Plane. I endured endlessly to get here. Those ten years—gaining the Zero Code wasn't some lucky scratch-card win.
There was noise all around me—whether it was from the blasts or Seraph's voice, I couldn't tell. I could barely hear anything. And each moment, the fire essence was growing more stable, more rooted in my body. Then, just before another burst, I pushed with all my might—pouring my mana into it, empowering it.
With nearly 90 points of mana backing it, the fire essence paused, suppressing its next explosion. It lasted only a moment, but I smiled faintly. My mana had blended seamlessly with its energy.
A collection of pure flame. An eternal blaze. The fire essence wasn't just energy—it had intent. Like ego weapons, it chose its owner. But unlike them, it didn't have a true consciousness—it acted on emotion. And now, through mana unison, I was communicating with it.
What I felt from the fire essence was confusion. When something stirs destructively inside you, the natural response is to control it. But I had done the opposite—I'd welcomed it, reached out my hand. Not to subdue, but to ask for strength as an equal. I called out earnestly from within.
'I need you. So go wild. Do what you want. Judge me—decide if I'm worthy to borrow your power. Show me your answer.'
And just like that, it paused, letting me catch my breath. I exhaled hot air through my nose—literal fire flowed from my nostrils.
'Alright. I get it.'
I'd earned the fire's permission.
After composing myself, I guided the excited fire essence to a new playground—my arms. I split the flow and sent it in both directions. As it flowed through my circuits and meridians, it surged with glee, instantly occupying even the tiniest pressure points at my fingertips.
Bubble! Bubble!Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!
I felt the satisfying pain of blocked meridians bursting open. Even those I couldn't reach before—no matter how seasoned my body was—were now completely cleared.
As the essence passed through, pus-colored discharge and black impurities bubbled to the surface of my arms, only to be scorched away by the heat. These wastes, long hidden in the corners of my body, had been obliterated simply because they obstructed the fire's path. I should've been thrilled—but I had no time for that.
Even though I'd only flooded my arms, the pain left me dizzy. I coaxed the energy back toward my core, and fortunately, the fire essence followed obediently. Once it exited, my arms fell limp—numbed from the shock.
I feared I might lose them, but I didn't regret a thing. I soothed the fire spirit, asking it to head toward my legs next. The moment I gave the signal, it rushed downward like a wave, eager to play again.
Bubble! Bubble!Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!
No difference in the process or result. As the energy vacated my legs, they too lost all feeling. I collapsed. My Endurance, Stamina, and Mana were only just enough to keep my body intact under this pressure.
Not that the fire essence cared. It rampaged joyfully inside me, detonating again and again. I was on the verge of madness. The overwhelming pain made me want to faint, but my sheer willpower kept me tethered.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each explosion made my heart race, my blood boil. As the fire essence asked, 'Is there anywhere else to go?' I gathered my focus once again—for the final destination: my head.
This was the first time I felt fear. It wasn't just caution—this was instinctual dread. Whether the path cleared or not, I knew what awaited me. And then—
'Want to stop? We don't have to go all the way. Isn't this enough?'
It felt like the fire spirit was whispering gently in my ear. For a second, I almost nodded—but I shook my head immediately. My rational side screamed "stop," but my instincts gathered the energy and guided it toward my head.
'You're a fool. You could die, you know?'
"Like hell this is enough."
I was ready.
Stop. Don't. Not the head.
But I ignored it, following only instinct. As I sent the fire essence upward, I screamed with all my might:
"Don't look down on me!"
It was instinctive, but my will was clear. At that moment, the energy gathered at my core began spinning violently, building, drawing down to my lower abdomen—and then I launched it upward.
BOOM!
A brutal impact shook my whole body. The blocked channel to my head burst open, and the fire essence surged, flooding every corner of my brain.
My vision went blank. Everything turned white. For a moment, I couldn't feel a thing—as if a piece of time had been snipped out.
Fwoosh! Fwoooosh!
The fire spirit rampaged inside my skull like a tantrum, upset I had resisted. It felt like my brain was melting.
Pain? When it first burst through, it actually felt refreshing—like a blockage clearing. But as my vision slowly returned and sensation crept back in…
The pain was unlike anything I'd ever known.If I could scream, I would have roared at the top of my lungs.This was beyond the threshold of human tolerance.
It felt like my head was dipped in molten steel. Or as if I'd soaked myself in oil and jumped into a bonfire. Despite everything I'd endured—warfare, magic, life and death—this moment made me truly want to die.
The explosive surge of energy engulfed my entire body. It wasn't like the earlier detonations—this one started in my head, and the eternal flame within it began claiming my insides. Each cell it touched sizzled with pain—but strangely, it started to feel… warm.
After some time, my vision returned, hazy. I still couldn't move. As I lifted my heavy eyelids, I saw Seraph's pale face looking down at me.
'Am I… still alive?'
If I had to experience that again, I'd rather just die.
Compared to piercing the head, the final step—sealing—was relatively easy. I gathered the fire spirit now spread throughout my body and guided it gently toward my heart. Maybe it liked me after all, because it followed without resistance.
And then, the ancient priestess's sealing magic activated. The fire spirit, seemingly satisfied after running wild, quietly entered my heart. I could feel it settling down.
"Soo-hyun! Soo-hyun!"
I lost consciousness before I could even feel relief.