Chapter 76
Chapter 76
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: Chapter 24: Queen of Fire
-----------------------------------------------------------------
But forget about meeting the Spirit King—the island itself rejected my approach.
Psssh!
The moment I neared the island, fissures erupted all across the volcanic isle, spewing flames and lava into the sky.
What the hell? This never happened before.
Dodging the surging obstacles with my skilled flight maneuvers, I curved toward the towering peak looming ahead.
Fwoooosh!
As if it had been waiting, the crater exploded violently.
“Ugh!”
Worse than the gushing lava and volcanic bombs was the scorching steam.
If I dove in there bare-skinned, I’d end up like a Thanksgiving turkey roasted in an oven, huh?
I cast Protection Magic and a wind barrier simultaneously to shield my body, then added an inner layer of chill magic before plunging into the crater.
Ugh, but the smoke and steam make it impossible to see...
Then, at some point, the thick haze filling the space vanished in an instant.
What appeared was a furnace. The crater’s floor was a massive lake of molten lava, boiling bright red.
The lava lake churned wildly.
In its center protruded a single black mass.
A colossal chunk of lava rock, frozen solid while everything else roiled.
Atop that enormous rock sat a lavish throne, woven as if from flames themselves.
But no matter how ornate the throne, it paled in comparison to the dazzling figure of the woman lounging languidly upon it.
I landed on the rock, and she frowned at me.
That was the Fire Spirit Queen, Ignis.
She took the form of a beautiful woman about three meters tall, gigantic yet perfectly proportioned.
Her blazing eyes resembled miniature suns compressed into orbs.
Her long, fiery red hair danced freely through the air as if in zero gravity...
“...”
Awestruck by her sublime presence for a moment, an even fiercer heat than before pierced my wind barrier.
“What kind of insane heat is this...”
Right then.
A voice emanated from the queen’s lips, beautiful even in its distortion.
“An uninvited guest...”
The sound bored through the heat into my eardrums.
Ugh, my head’s getting foggy.
What did she just say?
Is it because my spirit affinity is still too low? I can’t make out the queen’s voice properly?
“...death. My mood... death. A mere human dares...”
Each fragmented word felt like it would melt my mind.
No!
Dragging this out will kill me! It’s not just my mind—my body will literally liquefy!
“Wait!”
I shook my head wildly and declared my challenge first.
“Queen of Fire, Ignis! I want to contract with you! So let’s fight! If I win, you contract with me!”
Her eyes flashed with sudden change.
“Absurd!”
Huh?
Her voice sounded clearer this time?
“You dare challenge and defeat me? Ha! Haha! A human spouting such nonsense. Do you strut with pride just because that puny body holds a sliver of power? Challenging the very origin of power itself?”
No, I’m not actually saying let’s fight for real. I’d die.
More importantly, stick to your script! Hurry up and state the victory conditions!
“...”
“But your spirit pleases me. Very well. I shall indulge that recklessness.”
Still lounging on her throne, the queen crooked a finger.
“Then come at me, foolish human. Make me move even a single step from here, and I’ll concede your victory.”
Yes! That’s it. I’d been waiting for that line!
“Deal!”
With a curt reply, I unleashed magic from both hands without hesitation.
Ice Orb Tempest.
Of course, this alone wouldn’t twitch a single eyebrow of the Queen of Fire.
But what if I maneuvered three lich mana crystals into it simultaneously?
Whooooom!
Chunks of ice formed in the empty space ahead.
They swirled and compressed in unison.
That made three Tempests crafted hands-free.
Plus the two already finished in my hands.
Five ice orbs launched straight ahead at once.
Quintuple Magic, in the name of.
The surrounding temperature plummeted as sharply as the queen’s narrowing eyes.
“...What?”
Fwoosh!
Fierce flames erupted around her body.
But the instant my five Tempests struck and detonated simultaneously.
Krrrrrrack!
Everything froze solid in a flash.
Flames trapped in a massive ice block.
A raging storm of frost continued whipping around it.
Fwoooosh!
“Lukkar!”
The rock spirit I summoned charged at the colossal ice mass.
“Push! Shove it wholesale! Just make her move one step and we win...”
Boom!
“No!”
Why crash into it like that, you idiot! I said push, not smash!
My heart sank. What’s he doing? Defying orders?
At least the ice didn’t shatter.
The spirit, slamming into it with full momentum, didn’t stop—instead, it poured every ounce of strength into shoving the mass backward.
Ah. So he calculated from the start that this much wouldn’t break the ice.
“Yeah! Keep pushing! Shove it right back!”
But even so, the massive ice block from five Tempests didn’t budge an inch.
Damn.
Too much magic? Should’ve fired four instead.
But then she might have...
Boom!
Exploded the ice like this.
Fwoooosh!
Blazed flames across her body like this.
Fwoooosh!
Generated horrific steam from the melting ice like this.
Kaboombaboombaboombaboom!
Unable to withstand the sudden pressure, it’d trigger a steam explosion?
“You dare! Trap me in mere ice!”
The moment the queen’s rage peaked, I was already flung from the rock’s edge, crashing down.
“Ugh...”
Thought I was dead.
That single blast shredded all my guards, leaving me exposed. The Fire Spirit Queen was on another level.
Just then, the lava lake sloshed behind me. One more meter and I’d have plunged right in.
“Unforgivable! To inflict such humiliation upon me! Atone with your death, foolish human!”
Screaming, the queen conjured fresh fireballs in both hands.
They looked like ordinary fireballs at a glance. But their power edged out even a Tempest—that was the trap.
And she’d hurl those monstrosities endlessly in succession. Before the massacre unfolded, I thrust up my hand desperately and yelled.
“Stop! I win!”
“What? What nonsense from this impudent human!”
“I win! You moved!”
I jabbed a finger at her legs and shouted for dear life.
“You said one step and it’s my victory! So I win! Honor the deal!”
“What... What did you say?”
Only then did the queen look down at her legs.
She had risen from the throne—not one step, but several—standing forward.
“No...”
“You have to keep your word! You’re a Spirit Queen, after all!”
“That was... Ha.”
Suddenly, her expression softened into laughter.
“Ha, ha. Haha...”
She dismissed the fireballs and kept laughing.
“Hehe... Haha. Hahaha! True. I moved. Definitely moved. Can’t even remember the last time I rose from this throne.”
“So...”
“Yes. Your victory, human. A deal’s a deal.”
As if her fury had never been, she nodded with a refreshed expression.
Yes!
It’s over! Fire Spirit Queen route cleared!
“Feels good after so long. You made me laugh heartily. What’s your name, human?”
“The prince of the Payud Empire...”
Tension released, my body went limp, pitching forward.
“...Claude. Just call me Claude.”
“Claude, then. You acted as if you knew this would happen. Did everything go exactly as you calculated?”
She asked with intrigued curiosity. I shook my head honestly.
“Nah. Plan was to freeze you and shove you off position.”
But Lukkar failed the task, and I got caught in her explosion. Speaking of, what happened to Lukkar?
Which is...
Holy crap.
Lukkar’s remains lay scattered like gravel. Gonna take days to reform properly.
“Is that so? Impressive regardless. To think I’d be trapped in ice.”
“Only for like five seconds, though.”
“Not ‘just’ five seconds— a full five seconds. In the pinnacle of fire, my very home. An astonishing experience. And...”
Smiling, the queen stepped toward me.
“To think the one who made it possible is such a small, young being.”
“Wait! Stop!”
It’s hot!
I hastily redeployed Protection Magic and defenses. Only then did she dial back her blazing aura and chuckle.
“Hehe. Sorry. For a moment, I forgot you were human.”
“You can’t forget that...”
“I won’t next time. Up close, you really are...”
She halted, bending deeply to peer into my face.
“So tiny. Claude.”
“I’m not tiny—you’re huge. Queen.”
“My name is Ignis. But ‘Queen’ isn’t bad either.”
Pursing her lips, she blew toward my face.
“Fwoo.”
A tiny ember flew from her mouth.
Sizzle!
It pierced my forehead and seeped inside. My whole body ignited in sensation as I feigned ignorance.
“Ugh. What was that? The contract?”
“Yes. You won. So I lend you my power as due.”
She straightened up tall.
“From now, you command all flame spirits. You may summon me, Ignis, Queen of Fire. This contract lasts until your life ends. You’ve contracted others, so no need for basics? Just one precaution in advance.”
“Precaution?”
What’s this now?
Previous contracts vanished right after—no chit-chat.
“Summon me from a safe distance. Or you might harm your contractor body like just now.”
“Got it. I’ll remember.”
Fair point—crucial even.
Last regression, I summoned her up close and nearly died first.
“And know this: I take no harm from fire.”
“Huh?”
Why say that?
Like the Queen of Fire would burn?
“On the contrary, fire amplifies my power. Use fire magic on me, and I’ll unleash even greater might briefly. Remember that.”
Really? First I’ve heard.
Recalling the ninth loop, she barely spoke after contracting.
Why’s she so chatty now?
Contract’s done, yet she’s spilling everything? Super friendly? Look at that gaze—totally...
“Hehe. The more I see, the more I like you. Utterly adorable.”
...What?
She leaned in again, staring piercingly. Hey? A woman twice my height doing this is trouble. Seriously.
“Up close, I see what dwells within you. I take back my first words. Your power isn’t small at all. Housing this much in such a fragile frame can’t be easy.”
“Thanks for the praise. Contract’s done, right? Time to wrap up...”
“Hold on.”
Her red eyes swirled with golden flash.
“Hm. Yes. Something special mixed in. This aura... an Ancient species?”
Ancient species? The Ancient Wolf?
“Uh... I ate an Ancient Wolf core recently. That it?”
“I see. You’ve absorbed an Ancient species’ power. Explains the unique vibe.”
Smiling, she nodded.
“Ancient species arose when the line between creature and spirit blurred. They’re intimate with spirits.”
News to me.
“Might explain why I’m so drawn. What if you absorbed one more? Could you handle me better?”
“...Pardon?”
Honorifics slipped out unwittingly.
She just dropped something terrifying back-to-back... What’s this queen planning?
“Claude. Care to absorb one more right now? If you wish, I can prepare a new core instantly.”
“Core? What core?”
“An Ancient species dwells in my Fire Archipelago, serving me. Know what an Ancient Seal is?”