Chapter 92: Negotiation

"Mortal, are you blackmailing me?"

Even though its form was now indistinguishable from the flames in the stove, the fire spirit element's aura was still not to be underestimated.

"I'm just negotiating terms with you."

Rayan spoke calmly, "Helping you is up to me, but saving Sola is up to you."

"But you said before that you would save Sola!" the fire spirit element said with obvious irritation in its tone.

"Saving her isn't just my responsibility. You're attached to her, you have a bigger responsibility than I do."

Rayan paused briefly, "I've already put in the effort I should, I've threatened the water spirit element, fought against the earth spirit element with all my might, and nearly died at the hands of the wind spirit element. I've done my duty. If you want my continued help, you'll have to give me something in return."

These straightforward words made the fire spirit element's oscillation frequency increase even more.

"No one dares make demands to the ancient elements!"

"I do."

Rayan said indifferently, "I'm not one of your followers."

He wanted to save Sola, but if he didn't blackmail the high and mighty fire spirit element now, once the fire spirit recovered, he'd have even less chance of gaining the fire spirit affinity.

"This is profiteering!" the fire spirit cursed angrily.

"Yes."

Rayan admitted frankly, "I have no relations with you, let alone with you, even if your elemental lord were standing here, I'd make the same conditions."

Of course, the elemental lord wouldn't appear here, but the harder Rayan spoke, the more panic the fire spirit element felt. Rayan didn't worship it, and it had no bargaining chips. To defeat the Dwarf Furnace Mountain's fire spirit, it had to bow to Rayan.

"You are the first mortal to dare make demands of the ancient elements."

The voice of the fire spirit element lowered, "—respectful, I can only offer you respectful."

"Perhaps you are also the first ancient element to bargain with a mortal?"

A victorious smile crossed Rayan's handsome face as he stood his ground, "I've said, I don't want friendly, not respectful, only revered."

"Your demands are too excessive."

The fire spirit element twisted its form, growling lowly, "Only those chosen as Achisola have the right to directly gain the revered reputation, not only are you not Achisola, you're not even a devout believer of the barbarian tribes!"

"But you need me."

Rayan pointed out sharply, "The faith of your barbarian tribes' people can't help you now, your Achisola is still sunk at the bottom of the lava river waiting for me to rescue."

The fire spirit element fell silent for a long moment, then weakly persisted, "Revered... no. If you want to negotiate terms, why don't we both step back a bit..."

"Be satisfied, I didn't even start with demanding a worshiped reputation."

Rayan sneered, "It seems you still don't understand your situation. At this time, you are the one who needs me, not the other way around, so the one who needs to show sincerity is you. If you don't agree, then I'll just walk away."

"No, Mortal!"

The fire spirit element suddenly became anxious, "I am sincere, it's just... such a thing is unprecedented, not to mention with my current power I'm not qualified to grant you a revered reputation, even if I defeat the Dwarf Furnace Mountain's fire spirit and my power is elevated to the level that can give you a revered reputation, I don't have the authority to do it, because revered reputation must be approved by more than ten fire spirits."

"Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures—these are your own words."

Rayan sneered, "What, when it comes to this mortal here, you suddenly become a well-behaved child who understands rules?"

The fire spirit element roared, but its tone quickly softened, "This really is unprecedented, you must allow me some time to consider..."

"There's not much time left."

Rayan urged, "If the four blessings disappear, I won't risk persuading those quirky elements again."

The fire spirit element let out a mournful cry, "To think I, a noble ancient element, the origin of creation, am today subject to an ordinary Mortal... Well! Since you dare to blackmail even the ancient elements, what ambition in this world could you not achieve? You are destined not to be an ordinary Mortal, then I will gather the fire spirits' faith, and lend you a helping hand—I agree! As long as you help me defeat the Dwarf Furnace Mountain's fire spirit, and agree to protect Sola, I will grant you the fire spirit's revered reputation!"

It added a condition, that was to protect Sola.

This was not a difficult task for Rayan, for as soon as the fire spirit's condition was restored, and it reattached itself to Sola's body, then Sola's own fighting capability would be sufficient to protect herself.

"I promise to protect Sola."

"Swear it on your life, crafty Mortal!" the fire spirit element clearly did not trust Rayan easily.

Rayan's brows furrowed slightly. He was not fond of swearing oaths because he took every promise he made seriously and would fulfill them responsibly, but since the fire spirit element had conceded, it would be somewhat unreasonable to continue being obstinate.

He immediately spoke earnestly, "I, Mortal Rayan, assistant of Ravenstorm Inn, lord of Shadowcrest Ridge, wanderer of the Auroria Continent, hereby swear on my life to protect Sola. If I break this oath, may a thousand fires burn me to ashes."

The fire spirit element emitted a sound of satisfied approval and without waiting for Rayan to ask, also solemnly swore, "I, the ancient elements fire spirit, guardian appointed to Sola by the Elemental Throne, hereby swear that as long as Rayan helps me defeat the Dwarf Furnace Mountain's fire spirit, I will grant him the fire spirit's revered reputation!"

After exchanging oaths, Rayan's stern expression finally softened a bit, and the fire spirit element's twisting form seemed less agitated as well.

"Rayan, fulfill your oath, jump into the lava river, use the summoning prayer told to you by the wind spirit element, and summon the Dwarf Furnace Mountain's fire spirit to defeat it!"

"Hold on!"

Rayan raised his hand, making a pause gesture.

"What now!?" the fire spirit element was losing patience.

"Let me take off my clothes first."

As Rayan removed his clothes, he replied, "The four elements only blessed me, not my clothes. I don't want to go back bare-assed."

The fire spirit element scoffed, "Ignorant and self-deceiving humans, if you are ashamed of your own bodies, even if you wear clothes, in the eyes of the gods, you are only more ignorant."

"Say what you will, I don't want to be seen as a ruffian."

Rayan removed the last piece of clothing, grabbed the Crow Sword, and shrugged helplessly, "After all, my reputation is bad enough as it is."

Having said that, he took a deep breath and leaped into the churning orange lava.

This was not his first time jumping into the lava river; last time to retrieve Morien's alchemy toolbox, he drank a Limited Invulnerability Elixir, and this time he was blessed by the four ancient elements, temporarily immune to all elemental damage.

After he jumped, the lava river splashed up high waves. Rayan felt no burning from the flames, as if he were in a warm stream.

The fire spirit element twisted and led the way into the bottom of the lava river. Rayan followed closely.

The lava river was not deep; Sola lay peacefully on a piece of obsidian at the bottom. Her tattered clothes had long been dissolved by the fire water, her golden-wheat skin bare.

At this moment, Rayan noticed Sola's nearly perfect body proportions. Although she wasn't as tall as Olivia, her legs could compare to Olivia's beautiful legs. Her breasts were just developing, and the hair at her groin was sparse, yet her exotic charm still made Rayan's heart race.

The fire spirit element dived next to Sola and said to Rayan, "Recite the summoning prayer for the fire spirit, prepare for battle."

Rayan steadied his mind disturbed by Sola's body and concentrated his Ninth Tier Battle Qi, and loudly recited, "RuiSiTuLuo!"

The temperature at the riverbed suddenly increased, followed by violent trembling of the lava river. The orange-red fire water gathered in front of Rayan from all directions, the tremendous vortex force made Rayan use all his strength to stand firm.

The weakened form of the fire spirit element almost couldn't maintain its elemental shape in the vortex's tear, hiding behind Rayan, relying on Rayan's Ninth Tier Battle Qi to barely keep its form.

"It's an intermediate element!"

Besides the thrilling emotion in its ancient tone, there was also an undeniable excitement. For once Rayan defeated the Dwarf Furnace Mountain's intermediate fire spirit element, it would gain the power of an intermediate elemental level.

Sola's body was also dragged by the strong vortex, fluttering in the fire water like a piece of paper. Rayan quickly grabbed her body, pulling her into his arms. Once Sola was safe, he realized his hand was on the bulge of her chest and quickly moved it away.

The vortex grew larger, and the lava eventually formed a fire spirit element much larger than the one behind Rayan. It was bright red, and the flames within it burned fiercely, showing no signs of instability. The oppressive force it brought was almost comparable to the intermediate wind spirit element, the only different feeling being that Rayan now had the blessings of the four ancient elements protecting his body, temporarily immune to its elemental suppression.

Although the Dwarf Furnace Mountain's fire spirit was of an intermediate elemental level, it had no advantage in front of Rayan, blessed by the four elements. No wonder Sola's fire spirit element was excited, as intermediate elemental forces were almost within easy reach.

"Mortal, how dare you disturb our peace?!" The Dwarf Furnace Mountain's fire spirit element let out a deep roar, the huge rumbling echoing throughout the cave of flames.

The old phrase again...

Rayan smiled faintly, "Although I'm sorry, I'm here to kill you."