Fire Mage-Chapter 637: Chaos Eye

Chapter 637: Chaos Eye

Once again, he was pulled into the dimension and floated near the chaotic fire. This time, he focused on a single essence strand, activating his Rune Eye. The hidden intricacies of the Chaos Fire revealed themselves in layers of glowing detail.

Concentrating, he fixed his attention on one essence and began to study it.

Time lost meaning.

He floated like a statue, unmoving. Oddly, he felt no hunger, no need for air. His elemental form seemed to bypass all bodily needs.

Hours passed. Then days. Then weeks.

His body endured, but his mind bore the burden. With every strand of Chaos Fire Essence he studied, waves of information poured into him. Understanding came slowly—and painfully. The deeper he delved, the more mentally exhausted he became.

But never—not even once—did Charles think of giving up.

After two relentless months of immersion, he had mastered thirty-one distinct Chaos Fire Essence streaks.

When he finally opened his eyes, the firelight of the cavern greeted him.

Only ten hours had passed outside.

But to Charles, it felt like an eternity.

Heart still pounding with fresh knowledge, he stood and sharpened his senses.

After leaving the dimension, he checked the surroundings first.

With a quiet sigh of relief, Charles confirmed the absence of any lurking creatures nearby. Acting swiftly, he packed away the chair, stopwatch, and every trace of his presence, leaving the cave to appear untouched and abandoned.

He then ventured deeper into the cavern, the reddish crystal held securely in his grasp. Each footstep echoed softly through the dark hollow as he descended. At last, he reached the far end of the cave and carefully buried the crystal in the dry sand, its surface gleaming faintly in the dim light.

Settling into a cross-legged position, Charles channeled his wisdom power directly into the core of the crystal.

A moment later, he vanished, leaving behind a stiller darkness. Time warped around him as he sped across the vast space in his elemental form. Like a flame demon, he reappeared before the immense, fiery sphere.

Deep within the strange dimension, Charles immersed himself in the chaotic fire, tirelessly studying its rules. Understanding flowed through him like molten lava—scorching, erratic, and unstoppable.

...

Time in this peculiar realm stretched unnaturally, each moment dragging on as if resisting forward motion. While only ten days passed in the outside world, Charles spent four years within. Every moment was consumed by relentless study, his focus sharpened to the edge of obsession.

In those four years, he had comprehended 650 Chaos Fire Essences—enough to construct another Legendary Spell Model inside his Inner World. Though the progress was slower than with Lawful or Rebirth Fire, the crystal dimension made it achievable.

With a thought, he shifted to his Inner World and appeared before the Chaos Fire Spell Model. He raised a hand, conjuring glowing streaks of chaotic essence from the air itself, then guided them carefully into the model.

One by one, he merged them. Slowly, they took shape—twisting, coiling—until a vast, hexagonal model pulsed before him, alive with volatile energy.

He opened his eyes. A strange, crimson eye pattern flickered to life on his forehead, glowing faintly.

’What should I call this spell?’ he murmured. "Chaos Eye?"

He soared upwards, piercing through the dimension’s edge in a flash of elemental energy and reappearing at the far end of the cavern. Carefully, he unearthed the crystal and placed it back in his space ring. Its power pressed against his skin like a tangible weight.

Returning to his human form, Charles strode toward the cave’s entrance, each step measured and purposeful. At the waterfall, he let the cool droplets wash away the dust and grime. Cleansed, he changed into fresh black garments that melted into the surrounding shadows.

Without pause, he stepped into the forest, following the path toward the domain of the Nightmare Guardian.

He moved swiftly beneath the cloudless sky, his gaze fixed ahead. Soon, ruined buildings came into view. As he reached the site of their previous encounter, he paused, scanning the area with sharp eyes.

Simultaneously, his focus shifted to his left eye. Twenty visions unfolded before him.

"Not a single sign of an anomaly," he muttered, his voice calm but alert.

Then, with his fifth step, the visions abruptly changed. Each displayed a different glimpse of the future. His brow furrowed.

Immediately, Charles activated [Accelerated Thoughts]. Time seemed to slow. Leaves hung suspended mid-air, drifting gently.

At the eleventh second, an invisible force sliced toward his neck.

Charles reacted instantly, shifting into his elemental form. A shallow wound appeared, but healed in moments.

Then, it emerged.

A humanoid figure cloaked in a blackish aura materialized before him, wielding a long, ancient sword poised to strike.

Before the blade could fall, Charles cast [Burning Thoughts]. The creature’s intent wavered, its will momentarily erased. He tried to follow up with [Knowledge Seeker], [Fire Seed], and [Purple Consciousness]—but they vanished into nothing, as if swallowed by the void.

Unfazed, Charles focused on the figure’s head and unleashed [Chaos Eye].

The crimson eye flared to life on his forehead. A dense, chaotic ray burst forth, surging toward the Nightmare Guardian.

Before it could recover, the ray struck its forehead—and detonated.

A blast of chaotic flame erupted outward, engulfing everything: the Guardian, Charles, the crumbling ruins, the vines, the ancient trees.

When the inferno cleared, only Charles remained standing amidst the scorched ruins.

"It died just like that?" he muttered.

A notification blinked before his eyes.

[Target Eliminated! 5 Wisdom Points obtained!]

’Only five points? That must’ve been a clone.’ He frowned. The weapon had vanished as well—no trace left behind.

’I need to be more careful.’

Resolving to proceed with caution, Charles continued his path, weaving through a labyrinth of broken buildings. That’s when he realized—he stood in the ruins of an ancient city.

"After the fall of the Dream God..." he mused aloud. "Most likely, this is its Divine Domain... pulled into the dungeon and fused."

As he ventured deeper, he passed shattered roads, crumbling towers, even collapsed watchtowers—silent remnants of a city frozen in time.

His steps slowed as he spotted a majestic palace in the distance—untouched, regal, a relic that defied the decay surrounding it.

He moved toward it, curiosity rising.

Then—he stopped.

An instinct screamed at him. One more step, and an unseen force would sever his head.

Though the Nightmare Guardian remained hidden, Charles used [Faceless Eye] to track its presence through his visions.

He cast [Burning Thoughts], anticipating a swift victory.

But nothing happened.

The spell failed.

Before he could blink, a seven-foot-tall humanoid shot forward, closing the distance in half a second. Even with [Accelerated Thoughts], he could barely keep up.

It leapt skyward, sword in both hands. A sinister green aura rippled from the blade, warping the air.

Charles didn’t hesitate.

He raised a hand and invoked [Ignis Sanctuary].

A protective dome of fire burst to life around him, spanning five meters, flickering with ordered flame.

A second later, the ancient sword slammed into the barrier.

An explosion thundered through the ruins, shockwaves shaking the ground.

As he steadied himself, a second Nightmare Guardian emerged from a nearby ruin, blade drawn.

It flew toward him, descending with another powerful slash, its weapon coated in the same eerie green aura.

The force of the blow rocked the [Ignis Sanctuary], shockwaves rolling outward.

They didn’t stop.

Both Guardians attacked with terrifying synchronicity. Their sword skills weren’t just powerful—they were precise, calculated, aimed at the barrier’s weakest points.

The shield cracked.

Charles’s eyes narrowed.

Fragments of golden fire burst from the broken dome, spiraling outward in dazzling arcs.

The Guardians weren’t ordinary magical beasts. They fought with strategy. With intelligence.

With purpose.

And now, two legendary-ranked foes were hurtling toward him—unstoppable and fast.

Charles had no time to breathe.

Rather than panicking, a mischievous smile tugged at Charles’s lips, revealing his unwavering resolve in the face of danger.

As the two Legendary Beings relentlessly assaulted the supposedly unbreakable barrier of the Ignis Sanctuary, Charles remained composed, his gaze analyzing them with razor-sharp focus. After a moment, he narrowed his eyes.

"Soulless? No... there’s a shard," he muttered. "Each of them has a sliver of soul."

As the enemies surged closer, Charles raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

A violent surge of soul fire erupted from deep within him, rippling outward in a devastating shockwave that zeroed in on the hidden soul shards lodged within the Nightmare Guardians.

Without warning, both Guardians exploded, their forms unraveling into clouds of shadowy dream energy that quickly dispersed into the air.

A cold glint flickered in Charles’s eyes as he observed the aftermath. He had confirmed it—their weakness lay in those soul shards. Still, disappointment crept in when he glanced at the glowing notification floating before him.

[7 Wisdom Points Obtained.]

Only seven? he mused, already turning toward his next objective. How many more will come next?

He resumed his advance toward the palace nestled among towering trees and ringed by fortified walls.

As he drew near, he was momentarily stunned. This was no ordinary palace. It was a magnificent fusion of regal splendor and military might—a fortress and palace melded into one majestic structure.