Chapter 226: Bursting Potential
Madan and Kouske refrained from jumping to conclusions and patiently searched the whole glacier cave from top to bottom, again and again.
They searched every inch of the cave without giving up. They even dug up the icy walls and the hard frozen ground to search for the flame.
However, even after spending such a long time inside the cave, they were unable to find the flame or even any clue about it.
Finally, Anya spoke up. "You guys continue searching. Let me have a chat with the village chief first. Maybe something changed?"
The other three also nodded in agreement. She left the cave to search for the small settlement. However, weirdly, she was once again lost.The initial posting of this chapter occurred via N0v3l.B11n.
No matter how much she combed the mountains, she was not able to find those small yurts, the old village chief, and the handful of people.
After a while, she did find some other small clues, sets of footprints here and there, leftover wood from most probably a cooking fire, and signs that some people had lived here recently but they were no longer there.
She sighed and went back to report this. The other three as well became alarmed after hearing this and searched the mountains again.
However, no matter how much time they spent, they simply could not find out any clues about the small village. It was as if everyone had disappeared.
A couple more hours passed and they could only reluctantly give up.
"Let's leave," Kouske muttered and the group left the freezing mountains.
Not long after, Madan slowly asked, "Do you think someone else got that flame fragment?"
"What? Impossible!" Barret gritted his teeth. They had worked so hard for it, even losing a few levels. How could someone else have obtained it?
"Ya. It's not possible." Anya added. "No one else could have handled those mobs. Very few players are at Level 30 right now."
"Hmmm. What you are saying makes sense." Madam nodded.
However, he was very paranoid by nature so he couldn't help but think about the only person who could have possibly taken the flame before them.
"Then what about the player who is at the top of the leaderboard right now?" Madam slowly asked.
"If it is him, then it possible for him to have cleared the cave before us and taken the flame fragment."
Hearing everyone suddenly fell silent. Though what Madan suggested sounded extremely impossible, they couldn't just rule it out.
But after a while, Kouske shook his head. "No, I don't think so. The chances of something like that happening are very low. Did you forget big brother suggested us this place?"
"There is no chance for a normal player to know about it. Also, that person Liam should be in the nether world at the moment."
"I saw him in the leaderboard." Kouske tried to reason. However, he himself did not sound convinced by his own words.
Almost immediately, her body started heating up and her fur color once again began changing, turning from into a shade of yellow and then yellow with a tinge of green.
"This girl's evolution is so colorful?" Liam carefully observed everything.
He saw that Luna was in a lot of pain so he rubbed her head gently.
The little fox wrapped her tail around his hand and had her eyes tightly closed as if she was trying really hard to bear everything even though it was painful.
Seeing this Seraphina lightly gasped in awe. "You have here an amazing pet, my Lord. Her intelligence level is off the charts."
"What do you mean?" Liam asked.
"This flame fragment is actually too much for her to handle at the moment. Using it right, we could actually call it a waste."
"Even I wouldn't have suggested it if not for the fact that we had a nine-colored divinity gemstone with us."
"So basically, the essence from the flame should be too much for her. She would only be able to absorb it partly and waste the rest."
"But your spirit beast is trying her best to take in everything."
"Oh?" Liam was surprised.
"Yes, my Lord. If it was any other beast, by now it would have released the essence that it could not handle. Aha ha ha... but your beast is really amazing."
"May I know from where Lord Duke managed to obtain such a powerful spirit beast?"
Liam, however, did not bother answering her and continued to gently rub the little fox's head, trying to comfort it as much as possible.
Seeing that she wasn't getting anything, Seraphina could only sulk in silence and she also carefully observed the fox.
A little later, her fur color once again started to change...
"Impossible!" Seraphina blurted out. "Lord Duke, your beast is evolving again. At this rate... her potential... there is a possibility for her to become an extremely terrifying existence!"
"Quick, let's give her the gemstone."
Liam nodded and took out the gemstone from the inventory. He gave it to Seraphina and she placed it near the fox.
Instantly, Luna's face softened and she looked a little relieved.
"The gemstone should give her a cooling nourishing feeling. So she should be able to ease up now." Seraphina explained.
Liam as well nodded. All of this was new to him so he carefully observed everything and tried to make sense of the details.
However, just as the loli finished talking, the little fox's face that had only just now relaxed, suddenly became tensed up again.
"What is happening now?" Liam became worried.