The pulsing orb hung in the air like a suspended sun, casting a light so intense it should have blinded Kale instantly. Yet, as the skiff drifted closer to the centre of the gargantuan pit, the expected agony did not come.
Instead, a wave of profound greed washed over his mind, a heavy and intoxicating fog that smoothed over the edges of his logic.
He stared at the remnant core of the Flame Salamander, his pupils dilating as he felt a strange phenomenon. The sundering heat of the subterranean oven seemed to recede, replaced by a sensation of absolute purity.
This was not the chaotic, corrosive fire of the upper furnace; it was the essence of flame in its most distilled form, energy so refined it felt cool against his senses.
Beside him, Neo was vibrating with an unbridled hunger that threatened to snap the soul bond. All three of the hydra's heads were arched forward, their maws dripping with a mixture of emerald saliva and glowing mana.
