Chapter 220 A Black Sun
"This should be enough."
Max smirked, his gaze shifting to the massive sphere of black flames hovering above him.
It loomed like a dark sun, its swirling fire exuding an oppressive heat. The sphere's radius was twice his size, making it appear truly colossal.
Tendrils of black fire twisted and coiled around its surface, flickering with an eerie glow.
Around the villa, the gathered guests stared in stunned silence. Few had ever witnessed such an overwhelming display of flames—let alone someone controlling them with such ease.
The sheer magnitude of power radiating from Max made even the seasoned warriors tense, their instincts screaming at them to step back.
A wicked grin tugged at Max's lips.
"Now, all that's left… is to shape it."
The sphere trembled, its swirling mass of fire beginning to shift.
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Slowly, deliberately, it started to bloom, each movement deliberate, as if sculpted by an invisible force.
Max's grin widened.
If anything could obliterate the lightning bolt brewing in the clouds above, it was this—the World Destruction Flaming Lotus, forged from a sphere of fire so vast it threatened to consume everything in its path.
Norton Blade's eyes widened as he took an involuntary step back, his breath hitching. His voice came out strained, barely above a whisper.
"This amount of black flames… How is he controlling such sheer power? It should be impossible for someone at his rank!"
The sheer density and scale of the flames above Max sent a chill down his spine. No one at the Apprentice Rank should be capable of commanding such raw, destructive energy.
Beside him, Envoy Lucas observed the sphere of black fire with a composed yet intrigued expression, his chin slightly raised as he analyzed the phenomenon.
"Indeed," he mused, his tone laced with curiosity. "Control of this level is unheard of. Even for those at the Adept Rank, manipulating such a vast body of flames with this much precision is nearly impossible."
His gaze lingered on Max, narrowing slightly.
"Only someone who has comprehended the Level 1 Concept of Flames could wield fire in this way—refining it, shaping it, bending it to their will with such finesse."
The statement hung in the air, unsettling many of the onlookers.
Kate also frowned.
"But that doesn't make sense!" she said, shaking her head. "If he was using a Concept to control these flames, his body should be exuding traces of it. But there's nothing—no fluctuations, no resonance, nothing at all!"
Her eyes flickered with disbelief as she turned back to the fiery lotus forming above Max.
"There must be something else at play. Something we don't understand."
Aurelia's sharp gaze lingered on the floating sphere of black flames, her brows furrowing in deep contemplation. Something about it felt… wrong.
"You're all mistaken," she said, her voice calm but firm. "He is controlling those flames, yes. But the real question isn't his control—it's the flames themselves."
Kate's frown deepened, confusion flickering in her eyes.
"What do you mean?" she asked, her tone edged with skepticism. "Are you saying… those flames don't belong to him?"
Aurelia met her gaze and shrugged lightly. "I'm not sure."
That was a lie. She knew exactly what was happening.
Unlike the others, she could feel the truth. Her Concept of Flames allowed her to perceive the very essence of fire itself, and what she sensed from Max's sphere of black flames defied all logic.
There were traces—faint but undeniable—of more than a hundred different sources within that fire.
'How is this possible?' she thought, her heart pounding. 'How can he be borrowing flames from the members of the Black Lotus Guild?'
Controlling another person's flames was impossible, no matter how skilled one was.
Fire wasn't just an element—it was an extension of its wielder, tied to their energy, their essence.
No one, not even a master of fire, could bend another's flames as if they were their own.
Yet Max was doing exactly that.
How?
Aurelia's thoughts swirled with unanswered questions, but before she could speak again, something happened that sent a fresh wave of shock through her—and the rest of the gathered spectators.
The edges of the massive black sphere of flames began to shift.
The smooth, ominous sphere above Max started to bloom.
Petals of pure black fire unfurled in perfect symmetry, layering upon each other with terrifying beauty. The flames curled and twisted, growing, reshaping themselves into something even greater.
The size of the lotus expanded, its presence growing heavier, more suffocating.
The air crackled as the infernal energy surged, and for the first time, even those who had remained silent felt an instinctive sense of dread.
"Don't tell me he's actually thinking of transforming that into a World Destruction Flaming Lotus?" Kheonne's eyes widened in disbelief as the massive black flames began shifting, petals slowly forming around its edges. His voice trembled slightly as he exclaimed,
Kate's frown deepened, her mind racing. The sheer density of energy within that sphere of flames was already dangerously unstable. If it truly transformed into a World Destruction Flaming Lotus…
Her expression darkened.
"The amount of energy in that sphere is already beyond control. If he goes through with this…" She turned sharply toward Envoy Lucas. "We have to evacuate. Now."
But instead of alarm, Envoy Lucas simply smiled, a knowing glint in his eyes.
"You're concerned," he said casually, "that a technique of the Phoenix Order Guild—a World Destruction Flaming Lotus—will be unleashed here. And if I'm not mistaken, you're wondering whether the clash between that lotus and the lightning bolt above will cause damage to my villa… and to my guests."
Kate frowned.
"And?!" she asked.
Aurelia, unable to hold back any longer, stepped forward sharply.
"Then why are you just standing there?!" she shouted, her voice laced with urgency. "Tell everyone to evacuate!"
Her gaze flickered toward the swirling mass of black fire, which continued to morph, its petals stretching and solidifying into something far more dangerous.
With a solemn expression, she added, "We don't even know if the residue from those black flames will have any lingering effects. If it touches us—if it spreads—we could be dealing with something far worse than just collateral damage."
She turned back to Lucas, her tone firm.
"We should take caution while we still can. We don't know if the black flames possess anything unnatural. We should be fine but not the ones in the Adept Rank and below."
The air grew heavier as the massive black lotus continued its terrifying transformation, the oppressive energy pressing down on everyone present.
Envoy Lucas's calm smile never wavered as he glanced between Max and the ominous red lightning bolt crackling in the sky. His gaze lingered for a moment before he spoke.
"Alright."
Then, in a commanding voice, he shouted—
"Everyone! Stand behind me."
There was no hesitation.
The guests, the guild leaders, and the four great families immediately followed his command, stepping back until they stood behind him.
Even those who usually carried themselves with arrogance obeyed without question.
Then, without a single gesture, a transparent dome materialized, expanding outward like an invisible veil. It covered the entire villa, stretching high into the sky until its edges disappeared into the air.
The moment the barrier took form, the atmosphere shifted. The oppressive energy from both the black flames and the lightning bolt seemed to halt at its edge, unable to seep through.
Lucas let out a breath, his voice calm yet absolute.
"Done."
He turned to face them, hands behind his back.
"With this barrier in place, no attack from anyone in the Valora Continent should be able to break through."
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