Free Web NovelChapter 577: Chapter 567: Fire Seeds
"Diplomatic mission?"
A dwarf officer with a captain insignia on his armor took the passage document handed over by Bromm. He took out a badge set with runes, pressed it onto the Lord’s seal, and emitted a weak wave of magic power.
"The passage permit is fine," the officer returned the document, "but passage is currently prohibited here. You need to circumvent from the trail at the foot of the southern mountain."
That meant at least two more days of rugged travel.
"Why is the road suddenly closed?" Bromm asked puzzled, "People were still traveling through this route to and from Ash City a few days ago."
The dwarf officer glanced at the delegation, thought for a moment, and did not hide:
The dwarf officer’s gaze swept over the delegation, pondering momentarily, and then decided to speak frankly: "Those slags from the Underground City... that is the fire elements, have not given up. We were forced back by a counterattack a few days ago; a big fellow rushed out and self-destructed, scattering a lot of ’fire seeds’ around Goldflame City."
He pointed to the charred, twisted wilderness behind him: "When they are hidden, their magic power fluctuations are extremely weak, making them difficult to detect. But when triggered, they can foster complete fire elements within a few breaths. We are thoroughly clearing them, lacking manpower to escort you through this area."
The officer paused, and although his tone was polite, there was an unmistakable meaning: "If anything happens to the diplomatic mission here, we can’t bear the responsibility. Therefore, please divert."
Facing the long-journeyed delegation, his wording was already quite polite, but the subtext was clear: Don’t cause trouble.
"We can protect ourselves," Inanna said.
The dwarf officer cast a troubled glance at the pink-haired woman.
He naturally noticed the well-equipped guards and mages in the delegation who were clearly from a regular army.
The combat power of this team was at least stronger than their clearing squad.
But is it about whether they can protect themselves?
If the delegation were allowed to pass through on their own, should anything go wrong, they’d inevitably be held accountable afterward.
Who would want to bear an extra risk for no reason?
Just as the officer was considering whether to respond with a firmer, perhaps even slightly harsh attitude, the surrounding magic power suddenly converged towards a scorched piece of land!
"Fire seed!" a dwarf mage warned loudly.
The words had barely left his mouth when two fire elements composed of swirling flames emerged from the scorched earth, sending a wave of heat rushing in.
The delegation’s well-trained shield guards immediately stood out, protecting Ronan and Inanna in the center.
The dwarf warriors quickly formed a battle array, ready for combat.
Only the three Puki remained unmoved.
The so-called "hiding" of the fire seeds, in Lin Jun’s sensory vision, was nothing more than two panels clearly marked with a [Dormant] status floating above the scorched earth.
He had already reviewed the detailed information.
Although Lin Jun didn’t tell anyone, the Sword Saint also discovered the existence of the two fire seeds through Qi Sensitivity early on, judging that they posed no threat to the delegation and thus did not take action.
As for No. 4, who was comfortably lying in Inanna’s arms, neither Fourteen nor the knight made a move. Why should it hurry?
Lin Jun found the [Dormant] status, labeled by the dwarves as "fire seeds," quite intriguing.
Watching the entire process of transformation as the two fire elements emerged and took shape, he could see that they didn’t manifest from gathering magic power out of nowhere but somehow turned into complete fire elements through deep dormancy, becoming a "fire seed."
However, after thoroughly reviewing the panels of the two fire elements in front of him, Lin Jun did not find any related skills.
Evidently, converting them into a "fire seed" status was achieved by another type of special fire element, most likely the big fellow mentioned by the dwarf officer that burst out and self-destructed.
Lin Jun noted this information, intending to investigate further later.
He only hoped that such a special fire element could have a core entity like the Flame Demon in the Deep Area previously.
If it was purely elemental form, Lin Jun wouldn’t be able to consume it.
The sudden appearance of the two fire elements initially raised alarm for the dwarf officer, but he felt a trace of delight.
A mere pair of ordinary fire elements clearly posed no real threat to them, but the unexpected attack would undoubtedly allow the delegation to witness the danger firsthand.
Thus, they would likely retreat and sensibly choose to circumvent, saving him a lot of words.
"Hold on!"
Just as the dwarves gripped their weapons, preparing to deal with the two fire elements, Inanna suddenly spoke out, stopping everyone’s actions.
Aside from Ronan, who vaguely guessed something, the rest of the delegation displayed expressions of bewilderment.
Some dwarves even ignored the unknown human and continued the attack.
However, they were stopped by the suddenly jumping No. 4 waving its tentacles.
"What are you doing? Looking for trouble?" The dwarf officer asked in frustration, turning towards the delegation. ƒreewebɳovel.com
But his question got stuck in his throat due to the scene unfolding in front of him.
The two fire elements, which should have rushed towards living creatures first, displayed exceptionally odd behavior at the moment.
After fully emerging from the scorched earth, they did not attack but instead cautiously, inch by inch, moved forward. The surging flames seemed restrained, as if fearing to disturb something.
Then an even more astonishing scene unfolded. Inanna gently parted the guards before her and stepped to the front of the team, standing there without any protection.
The two fire elements immediately responded. Their flames noticeably contracted again, with even the emitted heat weakening significantly, and then began to slowly orbit around Inanna.
Maintaining a not-too-close and not-too-far distance, the flickering fire tongues sometimes probed closer to her, while other times retreated in apparent fright, their posture...
It was as if they both longed to approach and instinctively feared harming her!
The officer rubbed his eyes; these were not the fire elements he knew.
Everyone showed confused expressions, except Ronan, who knew more of the situation and was trembling with excitement, murmuring inaudibly, "This is... the Elemental Spirit’s favor, perhaps just like... their master..."
The two fire elements gently circled for several rounds and eventually stopped quietly at a slightly further distance behind Inanna, the glow of their flames calming down.
Inanna turned around, the crackling sound of burning flames accompanying her movement as she addressed the dwarf officer, who was stunned: "Dwarf sir, you see, I believe these fire elements are not dangerous. Now... can you allow us to pass through here? I promise not to trouble you."
"Well..." The dwarf officer swallowed hard, his gaze shifting between the docile fire elements and the calm pink-haired woman for some time before finding his voice, "In any case, please follow me to report to our superior first..."
...
When General Duvalin, responsible for reclaiming the Underground City in Goldflame City, was urgently brought to the temporary fortress wall by his subordinates, he almost thought the slags were launching an assault on the camp upon seeing the long line of nearly a hundred fire elements...
