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*****
Because Heimdall had only glanced at him briefly, Fenye didn't really sense the intrusion. However, even if he had, he wouldn't have cared all that much. It wasn't as if he were doing anything scandalous.
Deducing from his past two experiences, while the system's experience points would be heavily penalized after defeating one thousand enemies, the restriction was not permanent.
Thus, after resting for roughly six hours, Fenye prepared to head out and run a few tests on the local fire demons. However, the moment he stepped out of his cave, he discovered a vast multitude of fire demons swarming across the wasteland outside, seemingly searching for something.
"Could they be looking for me?"
Fenye wondered for a moment before the realization finally struck him. Finding a cluster of fire demons, he materialized directly in front of them and asked, "What are you all looking for?"
"It's him!"
"Roar!"
Though the fire demons didn't give a verbal response, Fenye would have to be blind not to understand what their reaction implied. They were absolutely hunting him.
Seeing this, Fenye let out a helpless sigh. Not being one to pick and choose, he opted to counterattack. After sweeping through nearly a hundred fire demons, he checked his experience bar, only to find that the gains were still in a penalized state.
"I guess six hours isn't long enough..." Fenye thought to himself.
During his previous two testing phases, he had usually allowed a full day to pass before engaging in a second battle. According to his estimates, the reset time shouldn't exceed twenty-four hours at the absolute latest.
To ensure he maximized his experience gains, Fenye refrained from further combat and retreated to his cave to continue his rest.
Another six hours slipped by. When Fenye went out to test the waters with another batch of fire demons, he found that his experience gains had finally returned to their normal, standard levels.
"So it's more than six hours, but less than twelve!"
Fenye logged this crucial window into his memory and officially left the cave.
Having rested for so long, his body had completely recovered. Now that his experience gains were back to normal, it was high time he bore witness to the true strength of a weakened Surtur.
With a swift twist of his wrist, Fenye opened a Sling Ring portal and stepped back into the subterranean palace.
The dense swarm of fire demons that had previously lined the walls like wallpaper was now practically gone, as the vast majority were still up on the surface frantically scouring the wasteland for his coordinates.
"I did not expect you to actually dare return!"
Surtur was genuinely astonished to see the boy step out of the spark-showering portal. He had assumed Fenye had fled straight back to Asgard, never imagining the intruder would have the nerve to stroll back into his domain.
"Like I said, I think my strength is decent enough. Besides, in your current state, you're hardly intimidating enough to make me turn tail and run."
Fenye stood his ground, looking up at the colossal form of Surtur as the giant rose from his throne.
"Ignorant insect!"
Surtur's temper flared instantly at Fenye's remarks. Dragging his massive greatsword along the stone floor, he advanced toward Fenye, his voice booming like thunder: "My era is rapidly approaching!"
"Once my crown and the Eternal Flame are reunited, my power shall be fully restored! I shall tower higher than the mountains themselves, and I will plunge my blade deep into the heart of Asgard!"
"Right, but that era hasn't actually arrived yet, has it?" Fenye retorted, shrugging his shoulders.
If this were Surtur at full power, Fenye would be running as far and as fast as humanly possible. An entity with the destructive capability to pierce and shatter Asgard with a single strike possessed a level of attack power that Fenye couldn't withstand, even if he had two lifetimes to try.
This remark clearly struck a nerve. Surtur gripped his massive greatsword with both hands, putting a visible amount of exertion into the motion, and launched into a full sprint, executing a massive downward cleave directly toward Fenye.
Since he had dispatched all of his underlings to the surface, he had no choice but to take the field himself. Furthermore, having witnessed Fenye's teleportation abilities earlier, he knew that his lackeys wouldn't be able to stop the boy from leaving anyway.
Fenye had been on high alert ever since Surtur stood up. Facing the incoming assault, he calmly and unhurriedly executed a rapid backstep, easily dodging the devastating swing.
The heavily weakened Surtur didn't push his pursuit. Instead, he raised the Twilight Sword high above his head with both hands, channeling his cosmic energy to unleash a fierce, roaring pillar of fire straight at Fenye.
Currently clad in the standard form of Incursio, Fenye willed a shift in his consciousness, instantly swapping over to his Water Mode.
Yet, even with the elemental attribute advantage, Fenye didn't dare take the massive torrent of flames head-on. Utilizing his Sky Dance technique, he soared into the air, dancing through the cavern with the nimble grace of a butterfly.
At that moment, the Twilight Sword acted precisely like a massive flamethrower. Surtur kept his gaze locked onto Fenye, tracking his movements as the ferocious pillar of fire wantonly incinerated and melted everything in its path.
Fenye darted left and flashed right, evading the onslaught while actively searching for an opening to strike back.
"My name is Fenye Halsey,"
"A mere human who commands the ultimate magic,"
"O Fire Giant trapped in perpetual frailty,"
"Witness the true, absolute power of fire,"
"Explosion!"
A crimson magic circle flashed brilliantly within the dim, oppressive underground palace. Even though fire demons and fire giants possessed near-impenetrable resistance to heat, Fenye still chose to put his absolute faith in Explosion Magic.
With the added amplification of his chant, the destructive power of this particular Explosion was staggering.
BOOM!
Following the deafening roar of the blast, the very foundations of the cavern began to violently tremor. Several massive stone pillars supporting the chamber snapped instantly, sending a torrential rain of boulders crashing down from the ceiling. Molten magma began to seep out from unknown fractures in the floor, and the entire surrounding area looked as though it were on the verge of total collapse.
"Damned insect! You actually dare use fire against me?!" Surtur roared, his voice laced with unbridled fury.
The Explosion Magic had not let Fenye down. Even though Surtur possessed an exceptionally high resistance to fire, the raw, compressed kinetic and thermal force of the spell had still managed to inflict genuine damage upon him.
While the wounds weren't severe, he was injured nonetheless. More importantly, being harmed by a fire-based attack was nothing short of an absolute insult to Surtur.
Watching Surtur break out into literal flames from pure rage, Fenye found himself far more concerned with whether the entire structural integrity of the cavern was about to give way.
"I will cremate you in the deepest, most agonizing fires for a million years!"
Hearing Surtur's grand declaration, Fenye decided it would be best to beat him first and worry about the logistics later. Even if the cave actually collapsed, the falling rubble wouldn't be enough to crush him to death.
"A million years? It's up in the air if you can even survive the next ten!" Fenye fired back.
Watching the giant charge forward with his broadsword raised, Fenye rapidly cycled through various methods to bring him down.
Even though Surtur was currently in a severely weakened and incomplete state, his physical proportions remained colossal. If Fenye were to jump, his maximum height would barely reach the giant's kneecaps.
What was he supposed to do, whack him in the shins with his staff?
Fenye looked up at the rampaging Surtur, who was bulldozing his way forward with his greatsword drawn.
After a brief moment of hesitation, Fenye ultimately decided against an attack style that felt so beneath his dignity. Instead, he resolved to utilize his Golden Derivative Magic to settle the score.
"Rise!"
Fenye attempted to manifest a massive stone slab directly along Surtur's charging path, hoping to trip the giant up.
However, against Surtur's immense, brute strength, the stone block shattered into fine powder upon impact. Surtur didn't lose a fraction of his momentum as he continued to barrel forward.
"Swimming Pool!"
Fenye's expression remained entirely unfazed. He instantaneously shifted his strategy, vividly visualizing a broad, deep swimming pool in his mind.
Under the absolute reality-warping mechanics of Golden Derivative Magic, the solid rock beneath their feet reshaped itself in the blink of an eye, transforming into a massive swimming pool filled to the brim with crystal-clear water.
Splash!
Surtur, caught entirely in the momentum of his heavy charge, could never have anticipated that the solid ground would suddenly give way to water. His leading foot stepped into complete empty space, causing his massive frame to lose its balance and plunge headfirst into the swimming pool with a tremendous splash.
(End of Chapter)