Chapter 223

Chapter 223
Chapter 223: Calling Forth the Flame Sovereign

—

“Sigh.”

Even with the evidence right in front of me, the reality was hard to process.

What exactly was the Hand of the Imprisoned God?

It was an unholy entity that had usurped the status of a god by consuming countless divine limbs. It stood as one of Pride’s most terrifying creations, possessing a ghastly reservoir of mana that functioned like a divine authority, rendering it immune to all conventional harm.

And yet.

‘It’s actually catching fire?’

This shattered every law of logic I knew.

Flames had taken hold of a substance that was fundamentally unburnable. This wasn’t some minor magical spark, either. The youth standing there seemed to be the very personification of fire.

Initially, I suspected it was ‘hellfire’—the dark energy utilized by the masters of the underworld or the terrors of the deep abyss. But this was light-years beyond that. Hellfire was a mere shadow compared to the intensity of this conflagration.

It was something more raw, more ancient.

Something reaching back to the very start of time…

“The Primal Flame?”

…That was impossible.

Pride instantly dismissed the thought. The Primal Flame was a myth—a ghost story. There were fables about it, but they were nothing more than bedtime stories. The legend spoke of the very first fire ever lit, hidden somewhere in the corners of existence. A fire that could vaporize all malice instantly and prevent the very concept of nothingness—surely such a power couldn’t exist in the flesh!

However, if by some astronomical fluke—one in a billion—that truly was the original spark of creation…

‘Then this isn’t just a bad break. It’s a total catastrophe.’

This was the most lethal scenario imaginable.

Higher beings and underworld denizens were natural rivals, but even a cornered creature can fight back against a predator. This fire, however, was something a demon like myself couldn’t even look at, let alone touch. It was a level of divinity that was strictly off-limits.

—Stop! I beg you, make it stoooop!

The Hand of the Imprisoned God let out a never-ending wail. Its oppressive magical aura was being liquidated, burning away into nothingness at an incredible speed.

But the spectacle was only beginning.

*Roar! Rumble!*

*Whoosh!*

A titanic, circular gateway of light manifested behind the boy. The portal pulsed with heat, and from its flickering depths stepped a figure that Pride recognized instantly.

“How… how is this possible!?”

For the first time, King Friedrick, the demon serving Pride, sounded genuinely terrified. It was a reasonable reaction—the boy had just pulled something into this world that should have been impossible to call, and he had done so in a form more perfect than any historical record suggested.

—…Wait, what???

Even the being who had been summoned tilted his head in confusion, appearing totally lost as to how he had ended up there.

—

“Is he… is he doing okay out there?”

Deep within the heart of the leyline junction, Hana paced back and forth near the entrance, her expression clouded with anxiety.

“There is no need for concern, Your Majesty.”

“The two Sovereigns are more than capable of handling this.”

Hana, the Blade Dragon God, was surrounded by a massive gathering of demon bloodkin. By a quick estimate, their ranks exceeded ten thousand, though their appearances had shifted radically. They no longer looked like monsters; they were now almost indistinguishable from human beings.

Their primary deity—the Queen’s consciousness—had ordered the Scatterlings to completely overhaul the physical traits of the bloodkin. Though they were born from eggs and possessed unique internal biology, their outward shells were perfectly human.

“I know. Lukaria aside, Isera is incredibly bright…”

“And didn’t the Creator grant her the ‘Primal Flame’? No common demon would dare to even raise a hand against Lady Isera.”

It was true.

Isera.

Once the ruler of the Deepest Hell and the leader of the second great wave after the Lich King Ahram. She was a singular dragon deity of destruction who had been brought down by Hana herself. Her core had been consumed by a Scatterling, allowing her to be reborn as an Overlord. This new child carried the same name but was a fundamentally different soul.

Furthermore, the High God Randolph had marked her arrival with a peerless blessing: a fire that made her previous underworld flames look like a flickering candle. The Primal Flame.

‘She hasn’t mastered the full scope of that power yet…’

But when she did, she would be untouchable to any demonic entity. Hana gave a firm nod of agreement.

“And what about the missions the High God assigned us?”

“The process of settling onto Earth is going well. We are coordinating closely with that man, Oliver.”

The human-looking bloodkin had started to integrate into Earth’s society. This was another part of Randolph’s grand strategy. Their primary goal was assisting Oliver in his takeover of Britain, with similar movements happening in Korea.

‘The world’s defense systems don’t recognize us as outsiders.’

Usually, this would be impossible. When the Saint of the Sea had first arrived on Earth to help Oliver’s medical condition, the planet’s internal system flagged her as a hostile invader and tried to eliminate her.

The demon bloodkin were different. Because they were birthed directly from Earth’s own leyline energy, the system viewed them as native inhabitants rather than enemies.

‘Born of the world, belonging to the world. Is it a glitch in the system? Or a feature of the blueprint?’

Hana, having glimpsed the ultimate truths upon her birth from the Divine Egg, understood the nature of the ‘system’—and its flaws. Or perhaps, its intentional gaps.

‘The common people of Earth might find their own power one day.’

Currently, humanity was split. There were the Dimension Warriors who crossed into Pangeniar, and then there were the billions of ordinary people. The Warriors made up less than a fraction of a percent of the population.

‘Protecting the world from endless waves with just a handful of heroes? It’s a fantasy.’

There were only a few hundred thousand Awakeners. Even during this massive Isera crisis, they couldn’t muster more than 200,000 fighters. Relying on them to stop the infinite armies of the Demon Realm was a losing game. There had to be a backup plan.

‘Just as the High God suspected, we must find a way to trigger the awakening of the masses.’

Randolph had seen the long game. An incomplete system. Hidden protocols that hadn’t been triggered yet. If they used those gaps correctly, a new type of power could emerge. If they succeeded, Earth would change forever.

‘Setting that aside…’

Hana looked back toward the leyline mouth. She was worried about Isera for a very specific reason.

‘She has to successfully tap into the strength of the Fire Sovereign, Agnis…’

—

At the highest point of the Spirit Tower sat the Great Sovereigns who ruled the elemental planes. Among them was Agnis, the Sovereign of Fire.

“You look far too comfortable, Agnis.”

“Equarel. Have you come to pester me again today?”

Equarel, the Sovereign of Water, had dropped by to check on Agnis while he rested. He was currently submerged in a spring of violently bubbling, scalding liquid.

“All the water is gone; how can you even call that a bath?”

“Always looking for a fight.”

“No, I’m just being logical, Agnis.”

“It’s about the atmosphere, Equarel.”

“…Here, take this. It will keep your heat in check.”

Equarel held out a fabric wrap. Agnis’s eyes widened at the gesture.

“The Shroud of the Water Deity? That’s one of your prized artifacts, isn’t it?”

“It’s a loan, not a gift.”

“What’s the occasion?”

“You’ve looked miserable since your previous contractor passed away. You’re acting out of character.”

“Well, that’s…”

Agnis stopped himself. This spring was actually a collection point for celestial impurities, and he was only soaking in it to burn them away. But he decided to let her believe what she wanted. Besides, the idea of a proper soak using the Shroud was enticing.

“…Thank you.”

“A bath is for letting your guard down. My spirits always dive in completely bare to wash away their stress.”

“Is that so?”

“Your rowdy fire spirits wouldn’t understand. But try it. I know how empty it feels after returning from the mortal plane after so long.”

She was suggesting the heat would fill the void in his heart. Agnis just shrugged. There was no point in winning an argument with Equarel.

*Flash!*

The fiery armor surrounding Agnis vanished. As he wrapped the Shroud of the Water Deity around his waist, the wild flames calmed down. His powerful, muscular frame was revealed. He hadn’t fully extinguished his heat, but the Shroud kept the water from turning to steam instantly. The water level began to rise.

“Mmm.”

“Well? How is it?”

“It’s actually quite pleasant.”

“Told you. It’s a luxury your kind usually misses out on.”

“Fire spirits have magma flows… Wait?”

“What is it?”

In that moment.

*Roar!*

A flaming rift tore open the air, dragging Agnis inside. He was gone in a heartbeat, leaving the spring empty and still. Equarel blinked in shock.

“…A forced summons?”

Dragging a Spirit King across dimensions against their will! It was a feat unheard of since the tower was built. Even the mutated Isera had failed to call him before. Yet, she had seen it with her own eyes.

‘Who has that kind of power…?’

—

A tall man with hair made of dancing embers stood there, wearing nothing but a towel around his hips. Agnis looked around, stunned.

—Wait, what???

His mind raced. What was happening? Why had he been dragged here? This had never happened in all his years as the Fire Sovereign. There were no legends of a Sovereign being summoned by force. To do so required an elemental affinity higher than the Sovereign’s—an impossible feat, even for the gods of fire.

And yet.

“…Why is he undressed?”

“That man is kind of weird.”

He heard the quiet voices of two children nearby. Turning his head, Agnis finally saw the one who had called him.

—You… I understand now. You hold the contract of Isera.

That explained the link, though it didn’t explain the power behind it. The bond of the hell ruler had clearly migrated to this red-haired boy. And the connection was terrifyingly strong.

‘This is insane.’

Usually, spirits lose most of their power when summoned to the mortal world. Even the original Isera could only draw out 20% of his strength. But this child? He was pulling at least 50%—maybe even more.

—What are your orders?

A summoner of this caliber was a once-in-an-eternity event. Agnis had to show respect.

Isera, who was carefully shielding Lukaria’s eyes with her hand, looked up at him with a dead-serious expression.

“To start with, please find some clothes. This isn’t appropriate for Lukaria’s eyes.”