Chapter 19

With the intensification of the brightness, Elizabeth saw before her eyes the flames destabilize, as if they were struggling with each other, creating constant fluctuations in their outer layer.

With the increase in brightness came the intense emission of heat, which in itself was able to easily melt the ice covering her body.

With the melting of the ice and the complete blocking of freezing caused by the atmosphere of the Frozen Peaks, Elizabeth attempted to rise.

"Argh! Damn it!"

The pain from the sequential blows of the monsters spread through her body at the slightest movement, as if her bones were being broken all at once.

For a few brief moments, suddenly, the flames stabilized, maintaining the intense heat emission that caused small burns on her skin.

Shortly after, they compressed suddenly. An act that lasted less than a second. And they expanded violently, creating a light and heat so strong that only they were capable of completely disintegrating the creatures closest to the center of the explosion area, which immediately generated the first messages in Elizabeth's system;

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

Pressure came, pinning every part of her body to the ground while the simple act of breathing became a brutal battle. As air entered through her nostrils and spread throughout her body, such intense heat consumed her that Elizabeth felt several times what it's like to be completely burned from the inside out.

In moments, the flames came, consuming her vision and everything around her. There were no screams or any other sound disturbance besides the chaos of the flames spreading fervently.

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

Elizabeth's level kept increasing repeatedly at an incredible speed. However, her mana, despite always being restored the instant her level increased, didn't even last the approximate time of a single second.

Elizabeth trembled with the quick and constant outflow of mana from her body. Her muscles weakened, her arm didn't move, her legs didn't even respond to any command, and her mind, at times, darkened for brief moments. For crucial and dangerous times, where only a slight mistake would cost her life.

"Is this the feeling of being completely manaless? So if I go a little further..."

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

Reflecting in her eyes, the flames shone as they quickly passed over her body. It was a frightening yet strangely beautiful sight.

The fire seemed to have a life of its own, swaying and moving in different ways before her gaze; it seemed that, finally, it was free from its prison to run through the world, consuming everything and everyone and making them belong to it, and only to it.

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

With the constant increase in her level, Elizabeth realized at some point that it had become easier to maintain the oval mana barrier above her body. A thick and resistant layer of pure energy. Something that consumed a colossal amount of mana.

Slowly, over time, her body began to regain its movements bit by bit. The fingers of her hands moved, and her legs had small spasms.

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

With each increased level, the recovery of movement in her limbs became faster and faster.

"Is this an effect of the mana increase itself, or is it thanks to the constant evolution of my resistance? Come to think of it, the pain is also decreasing and probably thanks to resistance."

Elizabeth didn't hear, thanks to the sound of the intense flames around her, and she didn't even feel it, due to her absolute focus on maintaining the mana barrier raised. But not only more resistant than before, as her level increased every moment, her bones began to reconstitute themselves and stick together, those that had been broken.

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

With the constant increase in her level, her movement returned almost completely. And, with some difficulty, supporting her trembling hands on the ground, Elizabeth began to try to rise.

Masterfully controlled by her mind, the mana barrier responded to every movement of her body, and observing that, Elizabeth wondered; "Is this ease of control and reduction in mana expenditure... is it happening due to the increase in mana or my own proficiency in controlling it?"

Elizabeth couldn't understand. She was no longer actively controlling the barrier around her. According to her movements, the barrier simply molded itself to her needs. It was being done completely unconsciously.

Before, creating a barrier like that would cost her, in a few brief moments, all her mana. However, now, for some reason, Elizabeth not only could control the mana barrier with extreme efficiency, but also seemed to be making her mana expenditure minimal, even though the barrier was constantly expanding and increasing its area of effect.

Her legs were shaky, always failing when she tried to stand. And, for the fourth time, when trying to get up, Elizabeth fell seated on the ground.

Again, supporting one hand on the ground while the other stayed on one of her knees, Elizabeth rose. A strange sensation of warmth and comfort filled her entire being.

"What is this? Internal flame...? No... the sensation is similar, but also different. Is this... mana?"

Using mana to strengthen her own body, this practice has a name in this world; aura. She had already tried to use this ability before, when Lancelot was still teaching her, however, despite all her efforts, she couldn't.

Raising her hands and trying to take back control over her own flames, Elizabeth began to slowly open that insatiable and uncontrollable fire. The flames fought tirelessly, valuing their freedom above all.

However, without leaving room for opposing opinions, Elizabeth asserted her decision and decreed the end. Tearing through the flames with hands enveloped by the mana barrier and separating them, causing them to open up like a huge circle of fire that consumed everything in its path.

As the flames opened up, all the creatures around that had been paralyzed after being exposed to her immense magical pressure were, immediately and inevitably, consumed whole. Generating, after twelve more consecutive notifications, the last notification in Elizabeth's system;

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

[Name: Elizabeth Berseba

Status

Level: 190

Mana: 940

Strength: 736

Endurance: 733

Agility: 740]

No matter where Elizabeth looked, she couldn't see snow or even an ice tree. All that remained around her was a gigantic hole caused by the explosion of her flames.

"This is... incredible. But the sensation is strange."

Without the need to think or even concentrate for the heat barrier to be formed around her body. When Elizabeth remembered that she would have to create it, it was already there, protecting her from the penetrating cold that seemed to have intensified even more.

"Not just unconsciously..."

Raising her hands, the flames extended, creating two small spheres that, as they dissipated into two reddish lines, slowly began to mingle in the air, forming a small spiral.

"Without the need for concentration, anything I want to do is created immediately, with minimal mana expenditure... What could be the cause? The situation with the flames trying to consume me...?"

Slowly, the lines merged into the shape of a small tail, moving on to create a quadrupedal body with long manes and ending in an elongated snout head.

"But the flames were mine. Putting oneself in a high-risk situation can also generate a 'great evolution'? What was the name she used? Lineage? Transcendence...? No..., I think it was something else..."

After a strong wind, which, even though she was coated with the heat barrier, made her body shiver, the flames in her hands went out.

Elizabeth looked to the side, the direction from which the wind had come, and she almost couldn't believe what her own eyes were showing her at that moment.

"Are you kidding me? Seriously? A snowstorm?!"

She thought about running. But it wasn't just from one side. No matter where she looked, the moonlight was completely blocked out and the dark blue in the sky was no longer present, at that moment, the sky was completely white.

"To think that the mountain itself would get so angry after some of its children were killed..."

As the white in the sky quickly gathered in one place, right above her head. Elizabeth knelt down and placed both hands on the ground.

"So I wasn't so wrong after all... There really was something behind all that intelligence, someone controlling them."

The flames rose around her, forming a small dome over her body. However, before it closed completely, Elizabeth spoke; "Well, honestly, I'm sorry for breaking your toys. But I don't intend to stop yet."

And, swirling like a huge vortex in the sky, the monumental amount of snow descended toward the small dome of flames with indescribable ferocity. Everything around was consumed. From that moment on, that had certainly become the coldest spot on the entire Frozen Peaks mountain.