Sleep eventually overtook Aiden, exhausted yet filled with awe from Cain's stories.
The next morning, Cain led Aiden toward the Volcano of the Forbidden Pact. Along the way, the old master tested Aiden's endurance by forcing him into several consecutive battles against wild beasts and elemental creatures.
After observing him closely, Cain said with a faint nod,
"Your body is sturdy… barely. But for a nineteen-year-old, your resilience is remarkable."
He smiled, pride glimmering in his eyes, then added:
"Still, the path to true mastery is long — until your body becomes harder than stone, you're far from ready."
Hours passed as they walked, until at last the horizon was swallowed by the sight before them:
A monstrous volcano, so vast that it could be seen from thousands of kilometers away, rose from the earth like a living titan.
It wasn't carved from rock, but from pure rage itself.
Its peak pierced the black clouds, which circled endlessly above it — as if even the sky feared to come closer.
The mountain cracked open every few moments, vomiting rivers of molten fire that screamed like ancient souls in agony.
The very air burned before touching the skin.
The ground quivered, alive with heat, and each step ignited sparks beneath their feet.
Every breath scorched Aiden's lungs — it was as if he were breathing flames instead of air.
At the heart of the volcano pulsed a faint crimson glow, beating slowly like the heartbeat of a sleeping giant.
This was the Volcano of the Forbidden Pact — the place where, as legend says, the gods sealed an otherworldly power ages ago.
No one had ever crossed more than six kilometers toward its center. Cain himself held that record.
Cain turned to Aiden, his tone grave.
"The flower you seek — The Elemental Flame Blossom — grows about fifteen kilometers deep inside. I've seen it once before, but it wasn't fully matured. You'll start to feel the true heat of this place from thirty kilometers away."
He placed a hand on Aiden's shoulder.
"Good luck, boy… survive this, and the fire will become your ally."
Then Cain turned away, leaving Aiden alone to face the inferno.
The moment Aiden reached the 35-kilometer mark, he felt it — a wave of unbearable heat that seemed to melt his very bones.
He understood now why Cain had said his body was still weak — compared to this, he was nothing.
But Aiden didn't back down.
He pressed forward, step by step, each stride slower than the last, until he sat down cross-legged on the burning ground.
He closed his eyes and began to meditate, trying to synchronize his breathing with the rhythm of the volcano.
Hours passed.
When he finally opened his eyes, night had fallen — he hadn't even noticed the time.
The heat felt ever so slightly lighter on his skin.
But his stomach growled loudly, breaking the silence.
Aiden chuckled weakly — "Even the flames can't burn my hunger away."
Then, his body collapsed from exhaustion.
From the darkness, Cain appeared, his expression calm.
He lifted Aiden onto his back.
Half-conscious, Aiden murmured softly, "This warmth… it feels like Father Anthony again."
Minutes later, Aiden awoke to the smell of roasted meat filling the air.
He was back at Cain's cabin.
The moment he saw the steaming plates, his hunger returned in full force.
Cain laughed heartily.
"Eat, boy. You'll need that strength."
Aiden devoured nearly twenty giant pieces of meat until his stomach bulged.
Cain watched, amused. "Just like me, long ago…" he thought with a nostalgic smile.
That night, Aiden fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, he rose early and returned straight to the volcano.
Day after day, he pushed his limits — until after six relentless months, he had advanced to the 20-kilometer mark.
His body had changed — his muscles hardened, his frame taller, his aura sharper.
Yet progress had halted. For three long weeks, he could not move a single step further.
One evening, Aiden sat across from Cain at the wooden table inside the cabin.
Frustration burned in his eyes.
"I don't understand… I've trained endlessly, yet I'm stuck at twenty kilometers."
Cain observed him quietly, stroking his beard.
The young man before him was no longer the weak boy who arrived six months ago — his body radiated power, yet his spirit was clouded by worry.
Before Cain could respond, the scene shifted elsewhere—
A woman stood tall in a grand hall, elegant but cruel, watching as her guards whipped a prisoner until he collapsed, bloodied and silent.
She smirked coldly.
"Pathetic. Even his screams bore me."
Then the vision faded, returning us to Aiden — his gaze distant, unaware that fate was already weaving the next storm.