Free Web NovelChapter 19: The Sun-Fire Divine Seal
Ethan turned back to look at the hundreds of Blind Boxes floating before him.
Weapons.
Equipment.
Skills.
Talents.
Special items.
Monster eggs.
Partners.
There were even symbols he had never seen before.
After the battle with the Orc King, Ethan understood clearly that the floors ahead would surely be far more dangerous. [The Eye of Truth] could help him see an enemy’s weak points or death points, but he himself still hadn’t opened his Heaven’s Gate. If they met an opponent with too high a speed, or if Laira were forced to face multiple strong enemies at once, the situation would become dangerous.
More importantly, Laira was still sealed.
Each time she forcibly released her power, the black chains around her wrists and ankles trembled violently. Ethan didn’t know how great the price of breaking the limit would be, but he didn’t want her to keep wasting her power.
After a few seconds of thought, Ethan slowly made his choice.
"Special items."
The cold voice of the System immediately rang out.
[Reward type confirmed.]
[Special Item Blind Box.]
The boxes bearing the symbols of weapons, skills, talents, equipment, Partners, and monster eggs all dimmed at once. Only the thirty-some Blind Boxes bearing strange symbols continued floating before Ethan.
There was a box carved with the symbol of a silver eye. There was a box bearing the image of a heart covered in vines. Another was wrapped in patterns like lightning. Some symbols were so completely unfamiliar that Ethan had never seen them in any of Aurora Academy’s documents.
Ethan slowly drew a deep breath.
Then he activated [The Eye of Truth].
A faint white light flickered across both pupils. The familiar pain immediately appeared. The mist covering the Blind Boxes before him began to grow thinner, revealing lines of information only Ethan could see.
[Special Item Blind Box.]
[Item inside: Blood Crystal Stone.]
[Rarity: S.]
[Effect: Enhances blood energy for a short time.]
Ethan only looked for a brief moment, then moved on to the next box.
[Special Item Blind Box.]
[Item inside: Spatial Ring.]
[Rarity: S.]
[Effect: Stores non-living items.]
Not bad.
But not suited to the current situation. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
Ethan kept observing.
[Thunder Ward Talisman.]
[Rarity: S.]
[Effect: Reduces lightning-element damage.]
[Holy Light Recovery Stone.]
[Rarity: Epic.]
[Effect: Heals serious injuries.]
[Void Key.]
[Rarity: S.]
[Effect: Cannot yet be determined.]
The pain in his eyes gradually increased. Ethan actively narrowed his field of observation, skipping over the boxes with unsuitable effects. He didn’t need an item that only had long-term value but couldn’t help in the floors ahead. What Ethan wanted to find was an item that could immediately strengthen Laira while also easing the pressure brought on by the seal.
At that very moment, Laira tilted her head slightly.
She looked toward the outermost edge of the Blind Box area, her amber-red eyes narrowing slightly. "There’s something over there."
Ethan immediately looked in the direction of her gaze.
In a spot almost completely obscured by the other boxes, a dark red Blind Box floated quietly. It wasn’t large, nor did it give off the strongest energy fluctuation. But the surface of the box was carved with red patterns like moving flames. In the very center was a circular symbol, inside of which was an eight-rayed sun surrounded by curving flame.
Just at a glance, Ethan could already sense the faintly warm heat radiating from inside.
Laira also stared fixedly at that box. Unlike her indifference when observing the other items, this time a hint of interest clearly appeared in her eyes.
Ethan focused his mind.
[The Eye of Truth] immediately pierced through the red layer of mist. The pain in both pupils intensified, but the lines of information also slowly emerged.
[Sun-Fire Divine Seal.]
[Type: Special item.]
[Current rarity: S.]
[Status: 5/5 layers of seal.]
[Description: Increases the power of fire-element energy fivefold. Weakens the target’s fire resistance by 50%.]
[Special effect: Can consume energy crystals to remove a layer of the seal.]
[Each layer of the seal removed raises the quality of the Sun-Fire Divine Seal by one tier.]
[The user simultaneously receives a corresponding type of Variant Flame.]
Ethan fell silent.
Rank S.
If he only looked at its current quality, [The Sun-Fire Divine Seal] didn’t seem all that much more special than the other items. But its true value couldn’t be assessed with the two words "rank S" at all.
Even without removing a single layer of the seal, the Divine Seal could already increase fire-element power fivefold while weakening an enemy’s fire resistance by half. The Sage Skeleton on the third floor had once possessed the trait [High-level Fire Resistance], but before Laira’s absolute power, that trait had been almost useless. If she were further enhanced by [The Sun-Fire Divine Seal], opponents of the same tier would have almost no ability to resist her flame.
More importantly, this was only its initial state.
Five layers of seal.
Each time a layer was removed, the quality of the Divine Seal would rise by one tier. At the same time, the user could also receive a type of Variant Flame.
Rank S.
Epic.
Legendary.
Mythic.
And then the tiers that surpassed humanity’s current understanding.
Ethan didn’t know how strong the five types of Variant Flame hidden inside the Divine Seal were. [The Eye of Truth] couldn’t yet see through the deeper layers of the seal either. But the information currently displayed alone was enough for him to make a decision.
This was an item perfectly suited to Laira.
Not only would it immediately boost her combat power, but it also possessed enormous potential for growth in the future.
Ethan didn’t hesitate any longer. He reached his hand toward the dark red Blind Box.
"I choose this box."
[Selection confirmed.]
The remaining Blind Boxes all dimmed at once. The dark red box slowly flew toward Ethan.
Laira stepped closer. Her long red hair stirred gently. Her amber-red eyes looked at the box with undisguised curiosity. "Is it a gift for me?"
Ethan nodded faintly. "Yeah."
The corner of Laira’s mouth immediately curled up. "Then I’ll open it."
She reached out and touched the surface of the dark red Blind Box.
Crack.
A small crack appeared right beneath her fingertip. The red patterns on the surface of the box all lit up at once, like a flame gradually awakening after a long sleep.
Crack. Crack.
The cracks quickly spread wide. The temperature in the arena began to rise. But unlike Laira’s flame that erupted with fierce violence, this heat carried a solemn and ancient feeling, like the first light of the sun slowly piercing through the darkness.
Boom!
The Blind Box blew apart into countless red particles of light.
A colossal magic circle appeared in midair. The outermost layer was made of blazing red patterns interwoven into a complete ring. Inside were countless small symbols like ancient script, continuously rotating along complex trajectories. At the very center of the Divine Seal, an eight-rayed sun gave off a dazzling light, surrounded by red-white flames slowly curving.
Above and below the circle were two sharp points like spearheads. The four directions around it were also inlaid with complex fire-element symbols, making the entire [Sun-Fire Divine Seal] look like a small sun floating in the middle of the dark arena.
Laira narrowed her eyes slightly, then slowly reached her hand forward.
The instant her fingertip touched the center of the Divine Seal, the entire arena immediately trembled.
Boom!
Red flame blazed up, but it didn’t spread out of control. The magic circle quickly shrank, turning into a dark red seal and imprinting itself on the back of Laira’s right hand. The dazzling light gradually faded. On the smooth white skin appeared a small sun symbol surrounded by flames.
Laira looked at the seal on her hand for a brief moment, then gently clenched it.
A stream of blazing red flame immediately appeared around her fingers. The air distorted. The temperature surged. But in just one breath, the flame quickly drew into her palm and then completely vanished.
Laira was silent for a few seconds, as if sensing the new power flowing through her body. Then she turned to Ethan. Her amber-red eyes were clearly brighter than before.
"I really like it."
Ethan curved the corner of his mouth slightly. "As long as it suits you."
Laira looked at him, the smile on her lips growing a little deeper. "Then what about your reward?"
Ethan looked at the beautiful face that was very close, then looked at the black stone door slowly rising up out of the ground.
Above the door was a blazing red number.
[6.]
[Entrance to the sixth floor opened.]
Ethan was silent for two seconds, then said: "Get through the trial first."
Laira blinked, then let out a soft laugh. "Alright. But I’ll remember."
She let go of Ethan, but still naturally took his hand. Her gaze shifted toward the black stone door. Behind the gradually widening crack of the door, a gloomy current of cold air slowly poured out.
The free smile returned to Laira’s face.
"Then let’s go on."
Ethan nodded faintly.
"Continue."
