Apex Mountain, long a symbol of the Tidal Empire, always evoked a sense of sanctity. Now, however, it appeared utterly terrifying. Nearly half had collapsed. Lava surged forth, turning it into a true doomsday volcano.
Citizens fled in panic. Warriors exhausted every effort to find barriers and halt the lava’s spread.
Thick smoke and steam nearly engulfed the entire capital.
Fiorre stood dazed at this moment. He had stopped his prayer dance, staring blankly at the dreadful scene. Several city guards stood beside him, not daring to disturb casually. They only tried their best to block falling molten rocks from the eruption. Though Fiorre’s power had caused some mishap, it still left a strong impression in others’ hearts.
Just then, Debbie walked past Fiorre and patted his head. “Alright, you have done enough. After all, you have only just mastered this power. It is understandable to lack full control. So, leave the rest to our president. No need to blame yourself.”
Fiorre looked at Debbie: Big sister, are you shifting blame? You lot caused this from start to finish, right?
Yet Fiorre knew Debbie’s words were for the city guards to hear. Though he failed to save everyone perfectly and leave an image of strength and benevolence, at least those mad beasts were definitely dead now. His overwhelming power was evident to all. That sufficed.
Fiorre nodded firmly. He trusted Ye Chui unconditionally. Then he and Debbie hurriedly turned back to the others. When he looked again, he just caught sight of Ye Chui riding the black-gold flame dragon rushing into the smoke and steam.
Dense smoke and steam parted automatically before the fearsome giant dragon.
Boom. A cluster of lava shot skyward, heading straight for the airborne dragon.
Countless people cried out in alarm. Yet the dragon neither dodged nor shifted. It allowed the lava to strike its body. It even opened its massive jaws for a resounding roar. Mastering the most terrifying black-gold dragon flame, Dragon Baby innately feared no flames.
Lava washed over Dragon Baby’s body, amounting to little more than a hot bath.
Dragon Baby even rolled in the skyward lava sprays, as if bathing in it. Soon, though, people realised it was not playing. Its rolls prevented splattering lava from flying everywhere. It deliberately gathered the lava below the Apex Palace.
Ye Chui stood steadily on Dragon Baby’s back, enveloped in spatial defence. He flipped through the magic book screen, face showing distress. “I gained many ice spells from Boss Li, but their power seems insufficient against an erupting volcano. Must I use that one after all? A spell that can freeze the ocean. Will it freeze surging volcanic lava?”
Ye Chui had made his decision.
Meanwhile, with the eruption, the main hall of Apex Palace atop the mountain teetered on collapse. The Apex Palace was a vast fortress encompassing the entire mountain. At the very summit stood the main hall, residence of Emperor and Empress. Amid the eruption, the main hall miraculously remained intact, though relatively so. Most palaces here had crumbled. The ground split into terrifying fissures. Flames roared upward from them.
Attendants, maids, and guards huddled trembling together. Last night, when believer remnants led mad beasts into here, most had hidden in the main hall. Maze Lamp Dapra raised mist to protect everyone. Some mist still lingered around the main hall, but this will-affecting mist could not block lava and thick smoke.
Shouts and sobs rang ceaselessly. Scorching heat nearly melted people.
Some among them knelt before a large bath pool in the hot spring palace, praying loudly for something. Tidal Empire worshipped the ancestor god, but now they prayed not for ancestor god’s blessing, but for Goddess Akuya.
Leading the kneelers was the effeminate Maze Lamp Dapra, appearing most devout.
Akuya, Ye Chui’s summoned spirit, had been forgotten here by him. Days ago, when Ye Chui entered the puppet graveyard, the different world space isolation caused Akuya, lording it here, to vanish suddenly. Yet her bewitched Akuxis cult believers remained utterly loyal. These days, they had continually prayed for her return.
Now, with Apex Palace on the brink of destruction, even those slightly doubting Akuya’s faith joined loyally, grasping her as a lifeline.
They called for the goddess’s descent, her protection. Thus, the goddess answered their summons.
Ye Chui had returned to this world. Before leaving, Akuya was in summoned state. His departure counted as offline. Now online again, the summon persisted. Plus believers’ faith summons. Amid splashing pool water, Akuya’s figure appeared.
She yawned strangely, feeling she had slept an eternity. After dazed confusion, she sensed something wrong. Ground shaking, heat scorching, sulphur stench wafting in. Surprised Akuya leapt from the hot spring pool. “What happened?”
“Goddess Majesty!”
Dapra looked up joyfully. Holy light veiled his eyes, automatically shielding Akuya’s nude form. Tears of excitement filled his eyes. “Goddess Majesty, Apex Mountain has erupted. This place is in peril. Please save us.”
“Huh? How could this happen?” Akuya was shocked too. Hastily dressing under holy light cover, she rushed outside.
Believers followed excitedly. Was Goddess Majesty about to perform a miracle? chapter_content();
Outside the main hall, most structures had collapsed. Akuya reached a precarious flat area, lying prone to peer down. Due to forward collapse, it resembled a cliff. Below, lava roared. It even vaguely formed fire spirit shapes. Apex Mountain was active, but Tidal people used magic arrays to control the volcanic heart for millennia, suppressing it. Now thoroughly roused, the angry fire spirits within raged freely.
“Impressive. Seems tricky. This should be left to Ye Chui. Not my problem. Better slip away quietly. Too dangerous, too dangerous,” Akuya muttered to herself, preparing to return voluntarily to Ye Chui’s summon world.
But as she readied to leave, she caught sight of Dapra leading believers gazing gratefully at her. Some knelt tearfully, hands clasped. Joy and confidence shone on their faces, so sincerely believing in their goddess.
Even those previously indifferent to Akuya now joined her faith.
Feeling those sincere gazes, Akuya fell momentarily silent.
How could she be a goddess abandoning her believers?
At this moment, resolve appeared on Akuya’s face. She patted her chest firmly towards her believers. “Leave this to me. You must forever remember your goddess’s heroic pose.”
She turned, raising arms high. “It is just a volcano. Watch me extinguish it.”
Goddess of Water’s innate skill.
Water Summon!
Ye Chui had unlocked the powerful ice magic needed. He waved his arm, using wind spells to disperse nearby thick smoke, preparing to cast. But suddenly his body swayed. He felt massive magic drain from within. Shocked, he wondered if this was some believer power.
He quickly contacted iPad in the magic book. “What is going on?”
“Sorry, master. A background spell program is running secretly, draining much magic,” iPad replied.
“What background spell program?”
Damn, though the magic book was iPad-like, did spells have rogue apps too?
“It is a normal water summon spell.”
“Water summon spell? I did not use it. How did it activate?”
Using water to extinguish flames was simple, but extinguishing volcanic fire required oceanic volumes. Ye Chui could summon such now, but poor control might flood the capital disastrously.
iPad’s voice sounded weakly in Ye Chui’s mind. “Master, that background spell is privately run by spirit Akuya. Since Akuya remains summoned, I have no defence against her. She seems to have reverse-invaded the magic book’s magic storage system, drawing massive stored magic to use Water Summon!”
Ye Chui’s summoned spirits generally retained original power traits, but some strong abilities needed his points or magic support. Akuya’s Water Summon was such. Using it essentially meant Ye Chui casting enhanced water summon.
This Ye Chui understood. But a spirit could reverse-invade his iPad!!!
Almost simultaneously, sky above opened like a floodgate. A water column fully covering Apex Mountain range cascaded down, splashing onto the volcano.
Ye Chui’s mind collapsed in that instant.
Powerful flow instantly quenched the roaring volcano, turning into scalding hot water flowing everywhere. Ye Chui felt this slightly worse than lava.
“This is not what I planned… but the ice spell unlock was not wasted.”
Ye Chui leapt from Dragon Baby’s back, instantly activating the newly unlocked powerful spell.
Inspired by One Piece Admiral Aokiji’s spell.
Super Ice Spell: Ice Age!
