A Pyromaniac's Ascent

Without further wait, he began examining the blessings one by one.

[Stone God's Blessing #425]: Allows communication with uncorrupted Stone Elementals when partied with a Stone Specialist.

So Terron really wasn't upset. He's probably the kind and forgiving type. Or maybe he just understood where I was coming from.

The blessing seemed useful, but not immediately relevant since Yukha was a Water Specialist. Would communicating with Stone Elementals be a boon or a danger? Finn decided to save that thought for later and moved on.

[Wind God's Curse #2]: Makes one disliked by uncorrupted Wind Elementals.

What does disliked mean? Will they ignore me or try to kill me on sight? But this pretty much confirms that Lirael was also offended.

Finn sighed but reminded himself it was better than being outright smote.

Next, he turned his attention to the one he'd been most eager to check: the Fire God's Blessing.

[Fire God's Blessing #1] – Gain +1 Fire Affinity with every level up.

Finally, something that was immediately useful.

The blessing was perfect. Not a cursed blessing or some convoluted condition to activate it. It aligned exactly with his goal—strengthening his connection to fire, the element he felt most attuned to.

A smile spread across Finn's face. As expected of the Fire God. She really understands me.

He tilted his head back, gazing up at the bright sky. The clouds drifted lazily, unbothered by his thoughts. Even so, he clapped his hands together, whispering a soft, "Thank you."

The faint clinking of armor and rustling grass caught his attention. Turning, he saw Yukha stretching, his massive orc frame looming over the field, its shadow stretching far across the ground.

"Hey, Yukha," Finn called out. "Do you think I'll ever get to see the faces of the Gods?"

Yukha raised an eyebrow. "You just saw their images earlier and even heard one of their voices. Isn't that enough for you?"

"I mean really see them—face to face," Finn clarified. "Besides, one of their faces was hidden behind a veil. I couldn't make her out at all."

"You mean the Fire God?" Yukha asked.

Finn nodded.

"Interesting," Yukha mused, stroking his chin. "Now that you mention it, I've never seen her face either. It's always covered with a veil in her images. She's a bit of a mystery—probably the one we know the least about."

"Really?" Finn's curiosity grew.

Yukha smirked. "Why? Is she the one you'd want to see?"

"Yes," Finn answered without hesitation. "I'd like to thank her in person."

A smirk played on Yukha's lips. "That spark in your eyes... That's not just gratitude, is it?" He chuckled. "Finn, you'd better aim for someone more attainable. An elf, a beastkin... maybe even an orc. But a God? Come on."

"I'm serious, I really just want to thank her. Stop laughing," Finn mumbled, his face flushing.

"My apologies," Yukha said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "But really, why her?"

"She's given me a lot," Finn admitted. "She saved my life before I got here, granted me a blessing, and might've even convinced the Water God to spare me earlier."

Yukha crossed his arms, his expression turning thoughtful. "Huh. Maybe you do have a chance," he said, half-joking.

"Careful," Finn warned. "She might hear you, and then we'd both be in trouble again."

Changing the subject, he asked, "So are we heading to the tower now?"

"That depends," Yukha said. "Are you ready?"

"I think so," Finn replied. "This greenery is starting to get on my nerves. It's too... static."

Yukha laughed. "Not going to test your upgraded fire first?"

"I'll save it for the tower. No point in wasting any more energy and mana here," Finn replied.

"Fair enough. Just don't do anything reckless without checking with me first."

"I won't," Finn assured him.

"Here, take these." Yukha handed over a few health and mana potions, which Finn gratefully accepted as a system prompt appeared.

It hadn't even been a full day, and Yukha had already done so much for him—saving his life, guiding him, and now preparing him for the journey ahead. Finn couldn't help but chuckle, recalling their rocky first meeting when he'd tried to run away in fear.

"What's funny?" Yukha asked.

"Just remembering something," Finn replied, shaking his head.

Repaying Yukha for all he'd done seemed like a distant dream. For now, Finn just hoped he wouldn't slow him down in the tower.

If I die, I'll make sure I don't take him down with me.

But then another thought crossed his mind: What if we actually make it to the top together? The idea was both exhilarating and daunting. He sighed, trying to temper his hope.

"Thanks for everything, Yukha," Finn said, extending his hand. "Here's to working together—or, more accurately, to you babysitting me."

Yukha clasped Finn's hand firmly, a wide grin on his face. "I'm looking forward to it, Finn. And to seeing how strong you'll become."

"That makes two of us," Finn replied.

Opening his status screen, he retrieved the red teleportation stone from his inventory. It materialized in his hand, glowing faintly. But before he could crush it, a new system prompt appeared:

ACCEPT PARTY INVITATION FROM YUKHA?

Finn accepted, and a party panel popped up, displaying both their names, along with their health and mana bars. Yukha's name was bolded, marking him as the leader.

Yukha already held his own red stone, its glow reflecting in his eyes. "On the count of three," he said.

Finn nodded, gripping his stone tightly.

"Three."

"Two."

"One."

They crushed their stones simultaneously, red dust swirling in the air as their bodies began to fade.

Finn closed his eyes, bracing himself. Even after his fourth teleportation, the sensation still disoriented him. He'd discovered that closing his eyes made the process slightly more bearable.

As the strange pulling sensation subsided, Finn's mind raced with possibilities. What will the first realm be like? A desert? A forest? A city?

But when he finally opened his eyes, he realized he had been completely wrong.

The first thing Finn noticed was the darkness. Not a complete, suffocating blackness, but a dim, veiled twilight. It was like standing in an endless field under a night sky, where light barely reached past a short distance.

He tilted his head upward to search for the source of illumination, and what he saw stole his breath away.

Above him, a celestial expanse stretched endlessly. Galaxies, stars, and planets gleamed in hues he'd never seen before—brilliant, multicolored lights painted across the void. The vibrant tapestry seemed alive, as though it were in constant motion, expanding and shifting with each passing second. Or was it an illusion? He couldn't tell. The dizzying array of colors made it difficult to trust his senses.

Finn had always admired images of space, though he'd never been to a planetarium. There was a peace in those distant vistas he'd seen online, but this… this was different. Instead of calm, he felt overwhelmed, as if standing before something far too grand for mortal comprehension.

If he could see his face, Finn was certain he'd look utterly foolish—mouth agape, eyes wide, like a child marveling at the world for the first time.

The sky wasn't the only thing alive. Below him, the radiant starlight reflected on a glasslike surface that rippled with every step he took. Yet, the ground was soft, almost fluid, like walking on water. Each step disrupted the perfect mirror for a moment before it stilled again.

For a brief moment, he forgot his purpose. This ethereal beauty captivated him entirely.

Then, in the distance, he spotted a figure.

"Yukha," he murmured, relief washing over him. He began walking toward the figure, his eyes still drawn to the mesmerizing surroundings.

But something felt off.

As he drew closer, Finn's pace slowed. The figure was sitting calmly, legs crossed in meditation, its back turned. Yet something about it wasn't right.

Finn glanced at the figure's hair. It was short and brushed just past the ears—a stark contrast to Yukha's long ponytail. Worse still, it shimmered a bright blond, completely unlike Yukha's dark strands.

Finn's chest tightened. His heart pounded.

That's not Yukha.

He stopped in his tracks, his eyes narrowing as he took in more details. The figure was humanoid, but its presence felt… unnatural.

Is this what a corrupted elemental looks like?

It didn't seem hostile—yet. Finn's first instinct was to summon his fire and prepare for battle. But he hesitated. He had no idea what this being was capable of, and provoking it without cause could be a fatal mistake.

Instead, he took a cautious step back, then another. Summoning his system, he intended to message Yukha and warn him.

Nothing happened.

He tried again, mentally focusing on the familiar interface. Still, nothing appeared.

"What the hell is going on?" he whispered, his voice barely audible.

The moment the words left his lips, the figure stirred.

It started to rise from its seated position, its movements eerily graceful.

Panic surged through Finn. His instincts screamed at him to retreat, and he obeyed, stepping back even faster, his breath quickening.

Finn didn't turn to run. Instead, he continued walking backward, his eyes never leaving the figure in front of him. Instinct told him that turning his back would be a terrible mistake.

He braced himself, expecting the figure to whirl around and attack. But it didn't.

It stood slowly, almost leisurely, as if savoring the moment.

When it finally rose to its full height, it didn't turn to face him. Instead, it stretched—arms reaching high, legs shifting, even its hips swinging side to side like someone waking from a long nap.

The hell?

The unexpected, almost humanlike motion froze Finn in place. His legs stopped moving, betraying his resolve. Realizing his mistake, he forced himself to resume backing away, but before he could take another step, the figure vanished in a blur.

"Hi, Finn. I've been waiting for you," a voice whispered, almost directly into his ear.

Every hair on Finn's body stood on end.

He spun around, heart pounding, scanning the area behind him. Nothing. No one was there.

"Sit down for now, Finn," the voice came again, but this time from the front.

His head snapped forward, and finally, he saw him.

The figure was no longer a faceless presence. A man sat cross-legged on the reflective surface, his blond hair neatly cropped and gleaming under the starlight. His piercing blue eyes held an unsettling calm, and a soft smile curled his lips, as if greeting an old friend.

Finn hesitated. The man exuded a casual confidence, but there was something beneath it—a sense of authority and power he couldn't quite place. Unsure of what to do, he mirrored the gesture, sitting cross-legged across from him.

***************

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