Chapter 604: Crimson Orb
A brilliant ray of crimson fire shot forth from Charles's fingertip in a split second, precisely targeting the weakened area. However, much to his disappointment, no significant changes occurred aside from a few fragments of iron shattering.
'This iron-like material seems different from the norm. It might be a meteorite containing some unique metal,' Charles pondered. Even a normal 'Rank-3' fire spell could reach temperatures of approximately 2000° Celsius, easily piercing through ordinary iron.
'Moreover, my current [Finger of Destruction] spell could reach around 6,000° Celsius. Even a Diamond would melt in seconds.'
To Charles's surprise, two additional weak points materialized within the shattered region.
"Genesis, can you identify the type of metal present here?" Charles inquired.
[It is known as 'Night Silver,' Host. It is considered one of the rare metals in the universe, similar to White Gold. Rumor has it that Night Silver can absorb chaotic energy and fire. Due to its unique properties, many members of lawful factions are willing to pay hefty sums, even tens of Emperor Silvers, for a ton of Night Silver. It is also used as a building material in various urban Space Hubs.] Genesis informed him.
'Even in the Space Hub, one ton costs only 10 Emperor Silver? In truth, that is quite expensive,' Charles muttered, recalling his conversation with Homunculus Vera regarding the cost of purchasing a house in the Halo Floating City Space Hub.
"But my concern lies in how to destroy this monstrous mountain. If it were a regular stone meteorite, it would have been shattered by now," Charles contemplated.
'I don't believe it is impossible to stop this meteorite. If I utilized all the stored fire elemental energy in my Inner World, compressing it into a concentrated fire essence, I might stand a chance to slow down its velocity. However, even that might not be sufficient to pulverize this meteorite,' Charles mused, delving into his knowledge and experience for a solution. Increasing the temperature of his fire spell could provide him with a more formidable arsenal against future challenges. Unfortunately, he didn't know how to achieve that in the current situation.
"Speaking of the earlier vision, why did I sense chaotic energy when those twenty-plus meteors descended from the sky? Night Silvers are capable of absorbing chaotic energy and fire, correct?" Charles redirected his gaze toward the meteorite.
No, he did more than that. His wisdom extended deep into the meteorite, exploring every nook and cranny. Soon, he discovered a small fist-sized reddish core hidden within the heart of the meteorite, deducing that the chaotic fire must be connected to it.
'Unfortunately, I cannot obtain it without destroying the entire meteorite into multiple pieces. Although I could shatter at least one-tenth of this meteorite by activating my 'Rebirth Domain' spell, the outcome would remain largely unchanged,' Charles lamented.
At that moment, Charles recalled something crucial and hastily reached for his space ring. Within seconds, he retrieved a crimson orb, cradling it in his palm.
'I discovered this small crimson orb when I returned to the Edhen World. Not only did it preserve my clone body, but it also retained a significant portion of my shattered consciousness. Upon investigation, I sensed a considerable amount of Rebirth Fire capable of manipulating the present time hidden within it. I am confident it can enhance my Rebirth Domain spell,' Charles thought. Although he intended to use this crimson orb after resolving all problems, he decided that further delay was unnecessary.
Firstly, he calculated the remaining time until the meteorite could reach Edhen World's surface.
'It is moving at 18 to 20 km/sec. This means it will take approximately 15 to 20 hours to reach Edhen World. I had anticipated the meteorite strike to occur today after the vision, but it appears it will transpire tomorrow. Nonetheless, this provides me with extra time,' Charles mumbled, allowing his consciousness to immerse itself within the crimson orb.
Within seconds, he found himself in a spacious room-like area brimming with tens of thousands of swirling essence streaks. Each streak pulsated with the power of Rebirth Fire.
Without wasting time, Charles directed the crimson orb into his Inner World, positioning it before his 'Rebirth' spell model. He then proceeded to extract a Flame Essence streak from the orb. Simultaneously, he extended his consciousness towards the Crimson Palace, instructing one of his other consciousnesses to take control of his physical body.
With his focus on the spell model, Charles dedicated himself to strengthening the 'Rebirth Domain' by comprehending the Rebirth Flame Essence streaks. Unlike his time in the Rebirth Star, his comprehension speed accelerated exponentially—rather, it increased by a factor of a hundred. It was not only due to his strengthened 'Divine' Rank Fire Affinity but also due to him constantly using the power of the Rebirth Fire to speed up the process. He assimilated the first Rebirth Flame streak in five seconds and promptly extracted the subsequent ones. Second, third, fourth... Charles remained suspended in the ethereal space, devoting hours to comprehending the new flame essence streaks.
Twelve hours had passed when Charles finally snapped out of his deep concentration. During this time, he had assimilated 8640 rebirth flame essence streaks and acquired over 8 Rebirth Fire Laws. Combined with the Fire Laws he had previously mastered, Charles now possessed expertise in 10 Rebirth Fire Laws.
'What's truly astonishing is that I have only scratched the surface of the Rebirth Fire Laws hidden within this crimson orb,' Charles shook his head, concluding his comprehension process. Only then did he notice a significant change in a section of his Inner World. He observed that one of the seven lands, separated by rivers of lava, had expanded more than tenfold and looked more like a large continent.
Curious, Charles also probed his [Rebirth Domain] spell and discovered that the domain range had increased to a diameter of 1000 meters, and the power over 'Present Time' had also intensified.
'Time will now flow twenty-five times faster within this domain. Moreover, its duration has been extended to five minutes. Although the cooldown remains the same as before, I can accomplish much within these five minutes,' Charles thought. After that, he promptly regained control of his body from his other consciousness and stowed the 'Crimson Orb' safely within his space ring.
Observing his surroundings, Charles noticed that the meteorite had shifted closer to the Red Moon.
'I need to hurry,' he muttered. Conjuring multiple rays of fire spells, Charles directed them toward the weak points.
As anticipated, only two small head-sized Night Silvers shattered, while the remaining areas exhibited a mere crack.
'Now that I think about it, meteorites typically undergo ionization processes, right? When a meteorite enters the atmosphere, it experiences intense heat and pressure due to air compression. This will cause the outer layers of the meteorite to heat up and vaporize, creating a luminous trail of superheated air and ionized gas known as a meteor or shooting star. The high temperatures reached during atmospheric entry cause the atoms and molecules in the meteorite to lose or gain electrons, resulting in the ionization of the gas surrounding the meteorite,' Charles mused in thoughts.
Under normal circumstances, achieving an ionization process without oxygen molecules would be nearly impossible.
'However, this is not Earth. In space, I can summon fire from my Inner World, making it possible,' Charles realized, focusing his mind. He summoned his Rebirth Domain, materializing his vast 'Mind World'—an ethereal Fire Realm adorned with swirling flames of various hues.
Within this domain, he became invulnerable and even increased his spell power to unimaginable levels. Drawing upon this tremendous power, Charles extended his hand and channeled the essence of chaos fire, molding it into a concentrated beam of scorching heat.
With a swift motion, he directed the fiery rays toward the weakened area of the Night Silver meteorite. The intense flames collided with the metal's surface, instantly vaporizing the surrounding particles and illuminating the area with a dazzling light. The once lackluster gray surface of the meteorite now glowed brilliantly as the ionization process took effect.
As the meteorite interacted with the fiery energy, a transformation occurred. The atoms and molecules within the Night Silver began to lose and gain electrons, resulting in the ionization of the surrounding gas. The phenomenon created an electrically charged field enveloping the meteorite, crackling with vibrant energy.
Charles marveled at the spectacle before him. The meteorite, now cloaked in a pulsating aura of charged particles, seemed to pulsate with newfound energy. He understood that this ionization process weakened the Night Silver's structure, rendering it more susceptible to his destructive powers.
Seizing the opportunity, Charles unleashed a barrage of fire spells, targeting each weakened area. The flames' intense heat and chaotic energy influenced the metal's ionized state, gradually breaking it down. He maneuvered around the colossal meteorite, relentlessly casting his fire spells.
With each spell, cracks appeared across the meteorite's surface, unveiling its vulnerable interior.
Undeterred, Charles persisted, pouring all his concentration and power into dismantling the colossal mass before him. The relentless onslaught of flames continued, unyielding in its quest to reduce the meteorite to mere fragments. Gradually, the cracks expanded, spreading throughout the Night Silver Meteorite's structure like a fiery network of veins.
As the final spell collided with the weakened core, a resounding boom echoed through the vastness of space. The meteorite fractured into countless pieces, resembling a shattered constellation against the backdrop of stars.
However, Charles's elation was short-lived as he noticed over twenty large fragments, each resembling a towering building, continuing their trajectory towards Edhen World. Among them, he caught sight of a unique 'reddish core' attached to one of the larger fragments and hastened to pursue it.
Within seconds, he closed in on the large building-sized fragment and used his 'wisdom power' to gradually stop its momentum. Meanwhile, the other medium-sized meteorites had already sped past him, hurtling toward Edhen World. Charles disregarded them, focusing solely on the core meteorite, determined to obtain the fiercely burning reddish cluster of chaos fire concealed within a crystalline structure.
'It appears to be sealed within a Time Crystal!' he muttered inwardly, promptly storing it within his space ring.
"As for the shattered Night Silver fragments, I will return later to retrieve them," Charles said, focusing on the remaining medium-sized meteorites. He understood that the debris from the shattered meteorite could still pose a threat if left unchecked.
After several minutes of pursuit, Charles finally caught up with the remaining meteorites and systematically destroyed them one by one. He also sought to decelerate their velocity, allowing them to orbit harmlessly in space instead of drawing closer to Edhen World.
Satisfied with his efforts, he teleported multiple times and finally returned to Edhen World.
That day, the second impending disaster that loomed over the Sacred Empire vanished without a trace.
