### Chapter: 432
A flame so huge it could devour the God of Fire.
To create this, Inferno decided to take Kraush along and set off.
“…Do I really need to follow you, Kraush?”
Maios, who had been dragged to the divine realm where Inferno resided, voiced his grievance.
“Ugh, after this, I still have to go find the high-tier gods. You’re the expert on that!”
So, was he seriously planning to fight high-tier gods?
Seeing Kraush casually say such unbelievable things made Maios let out a sigh.
“Well, it might not be entirely bad for you.”
Kraush turned back to Maios.
“The teachings from a high-tier god could be beneficial for you.”
“Ah.”
Maios’ eyes widened as he realized this late in the game. Just like Kraush had said, the teachings from a high-tier god were like a rain of blessings for mid-tier gods.
Having failed to think of this earlier, Maios now recognized how monumental the opportunity was.
“Now that you’ve figured it out, stop grumbling and follow me.”
Maios decided to zip it from that point on.
He had no intention of missing out on an unprecedented opportunity.
Kraush’s gaze shifted back to Inferno.
He was currently heading toward Inferno’s world, riding a meteor.
Riding a meteor? What even was that?
But true enough, he was actually soaring through space on a meteor, leaving him speechless.
What would everyone think if he came back saying he rode a meteor?
‘When I return, I’ll have a lot of stories to tell!’
As he thought of his wives, Kraush took in the scenery around him.
He was already starting to miss everyone.
Realizing once again just how fond he was of those kids.
[What a sad sight. ]
Crimson Garden, catching onto Kraush’s thoughts, snorted.
[They all want you to eat well.]
With that, Crimson Garden relayed news about his wives.
Kraush chuckled briefly.
At least with Crimson Garden around, he didn’t feel too lonely in this distant divine realm.
After a while, the meteor began its slow descent.
Soon, cutting through the clouds, Kraush’s eyes landed on a volcanic region.
Lava bubbled and noxious gases wafted about, revealing a hellscape that no human would dare to tread.
But Kraush had risen to a level where he was too high up to be affected by natural elements.
So he merely felt the temperature rise, with no real harm done.
The same went for Maios.
In front of Kraush, he behaved like a tail-wagging puppy.
He too was a mid-tier god.
If he made his appearance in the middle realm, he would be a monster capable of turning the world upside down.
It would be too ridiculous for such a being to be influenced by nature.
After some time, Inferno reached the peak of the volcano.
Kraush stood before Inferno, taking in the distinct smell that comes from a volcano.
[Thief’s child, you have solely relied on the Ignis I’ve bestowed upon you up to now.]
As stated, Kraush had been using the Ignis gifted by Inferno as his main power.
Every technique he had created was based on Ignis.
[From now on, don’t use Ignis.]
And just like that, his main power was sealed.
[You need to learn to ignite your flames by yourself, not depending on my bestowed power.]
“Is that even possible?”
[You’ve been igniting yourself up to now, so surely you’ll figure it out.]
That was overly trusting.
[This is why I brought you to the place where the power of fire is most concentrated.]
This land was called the Gold Sky World.
A place where everything burned all year round.
[You simply need to step inside.]
And so, Kraush was told to enter the hottest volcano even in the Gold Sky World.
Telling him not to use Ignis and to step inside basically meant ‘go die’!
Yet, he couldn’t just ask for help and then refuse the lesson.
Kraush leaned his head into the volcano.
Smoke billowed up, revealing the scene where lava was bubbling violently.
Okay, this really does mean die.
He could feel Inferno’s gaze on his back.
Kraush swallowed his sigh and ultimately hurled himself into the lava.
After a brief sensation of floating, his body splashed into the lava.
Normally, he would have melted away instantly.
But Kraush had been through an awful lot by now.
His divine aura enveloped him, warding off the lava.
However, since he wasn’t using Ignes, he felt distinctly uncomfortable.
The searing heat enveloped him, making beads of sweat form on his forehead.
Breathing was quite a struggle.
But Kraush endured while slowly reaching out to his star.
Inferno told him to become the flame itself.
This wasn’t just a metaphor; he was to literally become fire.
But humans can’t just turn into flames!
‘So, he doesn’t mean for me to do this as a human.’
In this divine realm, the common sense accepted in the middle realm didn’t apply.
Thus, Kraush needed to transform himself.
Not from a human’s perspective, but from a god’s perspective.
‘The realm the Swordmaster spoke about.’
Becoming a star as he had described.
This was like a living being crossing the line into being a demigod, then into a full god.
Those born as gods naturally handled their inherent stars with ease.
However, humans needed to create their stars and painfully learn how to wield them.
But ironically, this fact was also a recognition of human potential.
In the end, gods were limited to the stars they were born with.
So most gods remain stuck handling just one star, unable to progress beyond low-tier godhood.
On the flip side, humans must create their stars to become gods.
That meant humans can indeed create their stars, which translates to having the potential to create countless stars.
To Kraush, Inferno resembled a galaxy.
Countless stars nested within Inferno, each shooting out a different brilliant light.
Maios not becoming a high-tier god stemmed from his inability to create multiple stars as Inferno can.
Low-tier gods handle a single star. A mid-tier god manages one giant star in multiple directions.
A high-tier god wields countless stars.
That was the absolute hierarchy dividing gods.
‘So what I need to do is…’
Create a new star.
One that can burn fiercely on its own, without relying on Ignis.
Kraush’s eyes opened wide.
A moment had arrived where he would take a step toward devouring the beings he previously could not face—high-tier gods.
—
There were countless stars in the sky.
Those bright shining stars outnumbered the humans living in the middle realm by far.
Perhaps the reason so many stars shone so brightly was to tell a far lesser number of dim humans:
You too can become a star.
And now, in the Gold Sky World of the divine realm,
A human encapsulated in lava sought to become a galaxy, transcending mere stars.
Kraush had once thought that a star was Charlotte.
A star so bright it devours the light of other stars.
But time passed, and now that he had become a star himself, Kraush realized:
A star could serve as a beacon or guide for someone else.
‘Perhaps I have longed to become a star for a very long time.’
When he had finally become a star and saved the world,
Kraush felt a mix of relief and regret.
Having poured out all his light, he could no longer shine.
But that wasn’t the actual case.
Having shone once before, Kraush now knew how to shine again.
Even if he fell from success, learning how to achieve it again was like trying again after a fall.
Kraush poured out his light once more, determined to become a star again.
He etched the teachings of the Swordmaster into his mind.
The way to create stars he had shared wasn’t enough;
Now he needed to make a star of his own, not one given by the Swordmaster.
The heat of the lava enveloped Kraush’s body.
Yet, unlike before, he began to feel warmth within.
Had his brain melted from all the heat?
No.
This was the place with the strongest power of fire in the divine realm.
Kraush had absorbed so many cosmic erosions by now.
His body recognized the fundamental method of absorbing power.
‘Black Hood.’
A skill he had used longer and more frequently than Ignis.
The Black Hood had transformed from a mere skill to something resembling Kraush’s inherent power.
The first star Kraush created.
This star became the origin of the Black Hood within Kraush.
The power of fire residing in the Gold Sky World.
To steal that power, Kraush’s star radiated brilliantly.
The heat enveloped his body.
This was a flame utterly different from the fires he crafted with Ignis.
After burning away everything about himself once,
He had lost all color, turning to ash-gray.
The ashes of someone completely burned.
Carrying such a flame, Kraush tussled with gods in the past.
But now, on that pile of ashes,
A vivid flame was blazing.
Not black flames, nor white flames, nor gray flames;
But the flames igniting from within Kraush himself.
A deep azure flame flared up brilliantly from every inch of Kraush’s body.
The power of fire from the Gold Sky World began to be drawn into Kraush’s flame.
Fire attracts fire.
As many were drawn to Kraush when they fought to protect the world together,
The very force of fire itself was now being lured toward him.
Burning from within.
Kraush felt he was finally beginning to understand what that truly meant.
He faced the Ignis bestowed upon him by Inferno.
For all the time they had spent together, Ignis had contributed so much to Kraush.
It was time to say farewell.
‘Thank you for your hard work.’
With a brief farewell, Kraush’s flames engulfed Ignis.
As the divine power melted and vanished into the void,
It was replaced by the flames of Kraush.
Deep within Kraush’s core,
A massive new star took its place.
The deep azure flame blazed fiercely, transforming into the brightest star of all.
Kraush exhaled a long breath.
He had finally made his second star.
Although it could not compare to the galaxies held by the high-tier gods,
Chasing after them by merely creating stars wasn’t going to cut it.
As time was not infinite like that of the gods,
Kraush indeed had a home to return to.
Thus, he had no intention of lingering long in the divine realm.
‘So,’
Kraush decided to change his direction.
If the high-tier gods formed galaxies with multiple stars,
‘Then I will swallow that galaxy with one single star.’
The newly forged star of Kraush opened its maw and swallowed the existing stars.
And soon, the size of the star grew large beyond measure.
Kraush’s eyes shone ominously.
A star powerful enough to swallow even galaxies.
That gigantic star began its secretive descent into the divine realm.
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