“Why are you willing to help me like this?”
Brock asked, puzzled. Purple Copper had saved his life twice already. Not only that, she was even willing to continue providing him with assistance.
“Do you wish to pursue the Forbidden Fire? How much do you crave it?”
Instead of answering Brock's question, Purple Copper threw two questions back at him.
“In the Well of Eternal Imprisonment today, is there anyone who doesn't crave the Forbidden Fire?”
“Even you intelligent monsters living here are pursuing it, aren't you?”
Brock wanted the Forbidden Fire too. It was a symbol of power; obtaining it meant gaining a frenzied, destructive strength.
“As you say,” Purple Copper said slowly.
“We purple-skinned blacksmiths also pursue the Forbidden Fire. The brave warriors among us who seek it have already set out on their journey.”
“Though you are human, you lack their typical greed and ingratitude. If you wish to repay my kindness, please lend our tribe's brave warrior a hand on your path to the Forbidden Fire.”
“That is my goal.”
Brock fell into thought at her words, but it only lasted a moment.
“Fine, I promise you, Purple Copper.”
“I swear in the name of the Goddess of Light. If I break this oath, let me suffer the Holy Light's decree of judgment.”
Such an oath, of course, would not actually bother the Goddess of Light herself to descend and burn a person with holy light just for a broken promise.
But as a believer, swearing in the Goddess of Light's name was the highest oath one could make—the ultimate vow for a human.
“Similarly, Brock...”
“If our tribe's brave warrior is no longer able to seize the Forbidden Fire in the struggle and loses the chance entirely...”
“...then do not hold back your own strength. Go ahead and pursue the Forbidden Fire yourself.”
“I believe you will use its destructive power wisely and not let it bring ruin to all living things.”
“I am willing to trust your character.”
Hearing Brock accept the promise, Purple Copper's tone became even kinder.
“Go and pull out the Nail of Sealing.”
Brock nodded and walked toward the Forbidden Fire Sealing Pedestal step by step.
By now, the Forbidden Fire was completely gone from the pedestal. Only the melted marks left by its burning remained on the stone surface.
At the center of the pedestal, the Nail of Sealing was still embedded.
The portion of the blade inserted into the pedestal seemed to have melted under the heat of the Forbidden Fire, fusing into one with the stone.
At the same time, Brock could see the complex runes carved into the pedestal crawling all over the blade, which had slightly melted and then solidified again.
Brock had seen the power of these sealing runes before and didn't know what impact this change would have.
It will probably take some effort to pull it out, though.
Just in case, Brock pulled out a monster card and summoned the wood armor monster.
The wood armor monster landed on Brock's chest and grew rapidly.
Soon, it formed another layer of wooden armor over the surface of Brock's leather gear.
Feeling the all-around enhancement the wood armor monster provided to his body, Brock stepped forward and gripped the hilt of the Nail of Sealing with both hands.
First, I exhausted myself trying to drive the sword in, and now I'm exhausting myself trying to pull it out, Brock lamented inwardly. He then began to exert force with his arms.
His physical body, already modified and strengthened by the Forbidden Fire Stone, erupted with unprecedented power under the enhancement of the wood armor monster.
The muscles beneath his armor bulged instantly as power surged forth.
In an instant, the Nail of Sealing gripped tightly in Brock's hands began to tremble, bearing the immense tension.
At the junction between the nail and the pedestal, the fused rock began to crack under the massive force.
As Brock exerted more strength, the cracks spread across the entire pedestal.
Soon, the entire structure began to shake.
Even with his strengthened body, Brock clearly didn't possess this level of power.
It seemed the massive force of pulling the sword had triggered some kind of chain reaction.
And this chain reaction also triggered the power of the pedestal.
The sealing runes spreading onto the blade began to glow one by one as Brock exerted force.
They were actually converting Brock's pulling strength into sealing power.
As each rune lit up, the sealing power grew stronger.
If the pedestal's power were fully activated, Brock wouldn't have the slightest confidence in extracting the Nail of Sealing.
Brock quickly pulled out another card and threw it, summoning another monster: the heroic gargoyle.
The heroic gargoyle's massive body approached. Its stone-clad gauntlets grabbed the crossguard where the blade met the hilt, and its immense strength erupted.
With the two forces combined, the bond between the Nail of Sealing and the pedestal shattered completely, and a section of the nail was jerked upward.
The complete shattering of the bond seemed to trigger the full sealing power of the pedestal.
Every sealing rune lit up brilliantly, transforming into runic chains that connected the Nail of Sealing to the pedestal.
No matter how much force Brock exerted now, the extracted blade would not move another inch upward.
At that moment, Brock's arms turned bright red.
A burning sensation erupted from his limbs.
This was... the Forbidden Fire!
The Forbidden Fire particles in his arms, distributed like cells through his bones and flesh, all began to burn at once.
They granted Brock unparalleled strength.
The Nail of Sealing was pulled out another section by this overwhelming force.
As if sensing a familiar aura, the sealing runes spread from the hilt to Brock's hands, sealing the Forbidden Fire within his arms.
His arms, which had been on the verge of being burned to ash, suddenly cooled down.
As the sealing runes turned toward Brock's arms, the force tethering the Nail of Sealing dropped significantly.
In that instant, Brock pulled the entire blade of the Nail of Sealing out.
He held the massive blade above his head. Runic chains drifted in the air, and as if drawn by an attraction, they all flowed from the pedestal into the Nail of Sealing, winding around Brock's arms.
The crack-riddled Forbidden Fire Sealing Pedestal collapsed completely as the nail was removed.
Brock leapt back, dragging the Nail of Sealing with him to avoid the crumbling pedestal.
The Nail of Sealing, once heavy and unwieldy, could now be swung with effort thanks to his physical strengthening and the wood armor monster's boost.
Brock landed steadily. The Nail of Sealing hit the ground with a loud clang, smashing a small pit into the floor.
Ignoring everything else, Brock hurriedly checked his arms.
The erupting Forbidden Fire in his arms had been suppressed by the sealing runes within the Nail of Sealing.
However, the burns caused by the fire still remained.
His arms were still beet-red, slowly recovering under the healing of the wood armor monster.
The sealing power of the pedestal had been transferred to the Nail of Sealing.
And this sealing power could suppress the Forbidden Fire within his body!
Was he saved?
No, Brock quickly calmed down. The burns on his arms were very real.
The Nail of Sealing could suppress the Forbidden Fire, but it couldn't stop the fire from damaging him.
If the Forbidden Fire erupted fully, even if the Nail of Sealing's power suppressed it afterward, he would likely be turned to charcoal.
And how did the Forbidden Fire erupt just now?
When he pushed his arms to their absolute limit, the Forbidden Fire particles were triggered, providing him with power far beyond his constraints.
Burning his own flesh to break his limits?
He had gained yet another desperate technique like this, even though he just wanted to be safe.
Rate on N.U.
