Chapter 85: Into the Hollow Flame
The crimson light of the descending sun bled across the horizon, casting long shadows over the ridge that concealed the newly awakened Hollow Flame Cavern. Kael stood at its edge, peering into the spiraling descent of obsidian stairs veined with glowing runes. The heat rising from below wasn't physical—it was spiritual. Wrathful. Ancient.
The group had camped briefly, resting after the revelation of Serenthiel's grave. Now, as night crept in, there was no room for hesitation. The truth lay buried deeper, and only through fire could it be unearthed.
Kael's wives stood behind him, veiled and armored. Selene's moonlit hair shimmered in the dim glow, Evelyne's frost aura pulsing with slow-burning embers. Thalaria's golden gaze was sharp, and Valeria's cloak fluttered in an unseen breeze. Nysera—whose past haunted this place most—stood silent beside Kael, her hands clasped tightly.
Emberfang padded forward first, his steps confident. Divine flame curled along his fur in rhythmic pulses, almost as though the beast felt at home in this cursed place.
[Location: Hollow Flame Cavern - Inner Descent Level 1]
[Ambient Corruption: 5.3%]
[Warning: Flamebound Entities Detected - 17 Signatures Approaching]
Kael glanced at the alert, eyes narrowing. "They're already waiting."
He took the lead, and the group followed as they descended step by step. The further they went, the more the air shimmered with tension. This was no ordinary heat—this was spiritual pressure forged through torment and time. The air reeked of bound wrath, of curses never spoken aloud.
The stairs opened into a narrow antechamber—a pocket of carved stone embedded with burnt elven runes. The walls were scorched. Bones littered the corners, long turned to ash. Then came the flickering forms.
Flame wraiths. Their bodies barely held shape, composed of burning grief, howling hunger, and chained pain. They moved like storm winds, rushing the intruders with shrieking violence.
[Skill Activated: Infernal Domain]
Kael's aura erupted. Divine fire rolled from his core like a sun had bloomed within his chest. A searing circle of light consumed the front line of wraiths—seven disintegrated into nothing, their howls silenced.
Selene whispered a spell, her shadows slithering like tendrils. Evelyne joined, crafting spears of condensed lunar frost. Together, they painted death in synchronized elegance.
Thalaria darted forward in a radiant streak, her lightning blade cleaving through two in a single motion.
Valeria's vines wrapped around incoming specters while Nysera hexed them with blood-fused glyphs, freezing them in place for Emberfang to finish.
[Skill Activated: Infernal Pounce - Tier 3]
The cub leapt and slammed down with a burst of blazing energy. The last few creatures screamed before dissolving into curling smoke. One shape lingered.
A spectral elven man, bound in ghostly chains, stared at Nysera before fading. Her breath caught.
"That was him," she whispered. "Serenthiel."
Kael placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "He's guiding us. He wants you to see it through."
The corridor expanded into a vast chamber suspended over a pit of molten essence. Platforms of floating stone hovered above, leading toward a lone crystalline sigil, suspended midair. It pulsed darkly.
[Quest Objective Located: Sigil of the Bound Flame]
[Warning: Guardian Presence Detected]
Without warning, the chamber ceiling cracked open.
From the breach descended a colossal draconic figure—its wings torn, scales like shattered obsidian. Black fire dripped from its jaw, and its eyes were hollow sockets, filled with Serenthiel's locked rage.
Kael took a step forward, his flames answering the drake's call.
"Form up," he commanded, his tone calm but absolute. "We end this together."
STATUS WINDOW: KAEL VIREN
System Level: 46
EXP: 53,822,850,000 / 58,982,400,000
Realm: Skyshatter Realm — Tier 9/9
HP: 75,800 / 75,800
Mana: 86,200 / 86,200
Stats (with buffs):
Strength: 870 × 2.4 × 2 = 4,176
Endurance: 820 × 2.4 = 1,968
Willpower: 845 × 2.4 = 2,028
Charm: 912 × 2.4 = 2,188
Intellect: 750 × 2.4 = 1,800
Dexterity: 850 × 2.4 × 2 = 4,080
Sin Points: 263,480,000 / 100,000,000,000
Sin Tier: Warlord Rank
SKILL WINDOW
Active Sin Skills:
• Sovereign Flame Crush [+]
• Wrathflare Lance [+]
• Flamebind Chains [+]
• Infernal Domain [+]
Passive Traits:
• Crown of Dominion [+]
• Sovereign Union [+]
• Nullfire Core [+]
Bloodline / Physique Traits:
• Carnal Sovereign Core [+]
• Sin Catalyst Matrix [+]
Bonded Wives:
Selene — Skyshatter 9/9 (Moon/Shadow)
Evelyne — Moonglade 8/9 (Ice/Lunar Flame)
Thalaria — Sunbound 6/9 (Lightning)
Nysera — Skyshatter 1/9 (Blood/Curse)
Valeria — Skyshatter 3/9 (Nature/Wind)
Pet Panel:
Emberfang — Infernal Flamebeast Cub (Tier 5)
Vira — Sky Serpent Hatchling (Tier 2)
Cultivation Realms:
Initiate → Essence Drawn → Veinwoven → Soulroot → Starforged → Sunbound → Moonglade → Skyshatter ← Current (9/9)
Next: Worldpiercer (Unlocks at System Level 47)
Heaven's Echo → Celestiaflame → Worldbreaker → Eternal Crown → Primordial Ascendant
Origin Flame (Locked)
Next: Chapter 86 — Guardian of the Cursed Flame