Chapter 17: Firefly's Slumber
【Twin Serpent Ring of Flame: Gold-rank Transcendent Magic Item】
【Serpent's Gaze: Passive Skill. You gain thermal vision. You gain life energy vision. Your ability to track moving objects is greatly enhanced.
——Only the living are worthy of attention.】
【Bath in Fire: You are immune to all non-magical flames. Your resistance to magical flames is increased by +50%. Your resistance to holy flames is increased by +25%.
——Bathing in warm flames is something everyone desires.】
【Twin Serpent Guard: Once per day, summon two Silver High-rank Fire Elemental Giant Serpents.
——The only thing more terrifying than being stared at by one snake is being stared at by two snakes.】
【High Flame Barrier Charge: Three times per week, cast the Gold-rank spell High Flame Barrier with no delay.
——Flames of the Sun, protect my body.】
【——For the Fire Serpents, there is nothing more worthy of following than fire itself. This is a replica of an ancient holy relic, originating from the wind-swept dunes of the Shimmering Desert.】
Four magical effects, truly worthy of a Transcendent-level magic item!
"Hmm... This is indeed a good thing."
This was indeed a Transcendent item capable of changing the combat effectiveness of a Gold-rank fighter. Joshua picked up the ruby ring, placed it in his palm to examine it. A cluster of golden-red light flickered at the center of the twenty-four-faceted gemstone. He nodded in satisfaction: "Serpent's Gaze allows a mage's dynamic vision to keep up with a high-rank warrior's movements. Bath in Fire grants immunity to flame spells. Summoning Fire Elemental Giant Serpents and the Flame Barrier greatly increase survivability and combat power. Verdani really did pull out her best treasures; her sincerity is clear."
It would have been even better if the ring's design wasn't a women's style. He thought with some regret.
"...As long as you're satisfied."
Brandon, who had been about to explain the ring's effects, had just opened his mouth when he was cut off by the warrior's words and closed it again.
How did you know the ring's effects without appraising it?
He looked somewhat dejectedly at Joshua, who clearly knew no magic at all, sighed, and then said: "Actually, it's not just this. Dani prepared even more thanks, but Moldova is still being rebuilt; it'll probably take a month or two... Now I also need to return to the Imperial Capital as soon as possible, to send back the Abyssal Derivative you gave me, and also report on the matter of the Space-Time Gate."
Having said that, Brandon revealed a smile: "If you ever have a chance to come to the Imperial Capital, let me know in advance, Lord Count Radcliffe. The Kaos Family will always welcome your arrival."
"There will definitely be a chance."
Joshua thought of his family's shop in the Imperial Capital. The corner of his mouth curled into a cold smile: "I might even go there soon... But friend, are you sure you want to leave now? In this sorry state."
The blonde swordsman looked down at his own body. He was covered in bruises from the warrior's fist pressure, his chest was torn and ragged, and damaged muscles and capillaries were spraying blood, dyeing half his body red.
This was indeed not a state fit for travel.
"True enough. Then I'll go to your city to rest for a while."
Shrugging, Brandon smiled helplessly: "As long as you don't refuse."
"I'm just afraid you wouldn't want to."
Talking and laughing, the two walked back towards the small hill where Firefly had been earlier.
But this time, something was strange. The silver-haired girl did not come to greet her master. In the warrior's eyes, Firefly in the distance sat amidst the white snow, leaning against a gray-white rock, motionless.
"Firefly!"
Joshua called out loudly to the silver-haired girl sitting on the middle of the slope: "Time to go."
There was no response.
"What's wrong?"
Feeling puzzled, Joshua frowned and quickened his pace towards the hill.
Passing through the blizzard-swept ice field and climbing halfway up the hill, the warrior saw his Divine Mechanism's figure.
Firefly, clearly in an abnormal state, was now sitting on the ground, half-leaning against a gray rock. Her small face was flushed red, and even her neck and collarbone had a noticeable blush. The girl hugged her arms with both hands, seemingly shivering. Her firefly-green eyes flickered with a dazed light, as if her entire consciousness had left her body.
"Firefly? What's wrong with you?"
Joshua immediately ran to the girl's side. He supported Firefly's petite body and then felt an inexplicable high heat emanating from deep within her. This intense heat melted the surrounding snow, and the melted snow had already soaked the girl's clothes and skirt, revealing the shape of her slender waist and legs beneath.
Sensing the warrior's arrival, Firefly blinked her eyes slowly, her long eyelashes trembling slightly. Then, in a soft, gentle voice, she whispered: "Master... I feel a bit unwell..."
"Where does it hurt?"
Not knowing what was happening, Joshua's expression was extremely serious. He asked in the gentlest voice he could manage: "Your body is heating up..."
"No..."
The girl felt her core deep within her body vibrating rapidly, releasing wave after wave of powerful energy. She took a light breath and then said: "I don't know what happened, but suddenly a surge of power came from the contract with you... Ugh... My Divine Mechanism core is still running, and it's so fast..."
Firefly turned her head to look at Joshua. Her snow-white skin showed an unusual flush in the dim light of the overcast day. Her emerald-green eyes were misty with moisture, looking hazy: "Master, the energy being released is too much... I don't know where it's coming from, it's just too much... It feels terrible inside..."
"Don't worry, it's only temporary."
Utterly unable to find the right words, the warrior was truly not good at comforting people. His mind raced, a clear line of thought flashing through his brain, and he immediately guessed the reason for the Divine Mechanism girl's anomaly.
He had leveled up.
Indeed, nodding, Joshua frowned again. Because of the Divine Mechanism contract between him and Firefly, their power could be transmitted and amplified between each other. Divine Mechanization Lv2 had even strengthened this amplification ability considerably... Furthermore, the Divine Mechanism itself also had the ability to level up. As an alchemical weapon lifeform designed to combat Chaos creatures, they had the ability to increase their own power by killing Wild Gods and Chaos Monsters.
But Joshua's leveling was simply too fast. When he charged the beast tide and killed the Dragon-Hunting Spider, he instantly gained 10 levels. Then, killing the Black Dragon, hunting the Ice Fang Dragon, and defeating Brandon to advance to Gold High-rank was the final straw that broke Firefly's back.
Too much power flowed from him into the girl's body, overloading her.
"Dizzy... so hot..."
Firefly's voice grew weaker and weaker. Her speech now carried a floating, ethereal quality: "I feel like... I'm about to undergo some changes, Master... I'm a bit sleepy..."
Sighing, Joshua held his weapon in his arms. The girl's light body was still burning hot. He frowned and said: "It's okay. If you're sleepy, then sleep. I told you, if you're tired, you need to rest."
"Mm... thank you..."
Having received the warrior's permission, Firefly fell into a deep sleep with a faint smile on her face.
"Firefly?"
Joshua tried calling her a couple of times, but found that the girl was indeed in a deep slumber, unable to be woken by sound alone. Her little head nodded slightly, sleeping soundly and peacefully.
"..."
Taking a deep breath, Joshua frowned deeply. He looked at the girl's quiet sleeping face and the blush on her cheeks, feeling that all his good mood from before was gone.
(To be continued.)