Flames had shrouded Dilan’s right hand. The flames were light blue in color and extremely hot, yet, Dilan’s hand didn’t burn to a cinder.

On the contrary, his hand began to glow and it looked like he received a physical enhancement from the heat of the flames.

‘What the hell?’ Dilan could only think as he pulled his hand back. He stopped showing Ariel the peace sign and looked at his flat hand with squinted eyes.

“So you’ve chosen to help me out? Is that it?” Dilan asked into his palm while trying to will the blue flame that shrouded his hand to move. Unfortunately, the only response was severe pain in his head. Blood trickled down his nose and his sight blurted.

“Alright, calm down, little one…I won’t try to force you to do anything…just try to help me rather than kill me, okay?…”

Dilan was fine after a moment or two and the blue flames that shrouded his hand formed a small stick figure that bowed in his direction. It looked like the figure was greeting him and that it was hoping for great future teamwork.

“Yeah…let’s give our best, little flame…”

Dilan was eyed weirdly but he couldn’t pay much attention to them right now. His focus was on the blue flame and a one-sided discussion that started in his head.

‘If you want to help me, you will have to listen to me..you know? The moment you injure one of my people, or you cause some catastrophe I will seal you away inside the Divine Essence crystal!!

This is not funny, either let me control you, or listen to my thoughts, and my body’s reaction and act accordingly. You can read my will the moment I want to do something, I know that!’

While Dilan was trying to lecture the Flame of the Beginning, the blue blazing stickman was running circles in his hand. Dilan squashed his hand once he was done. He destroyed the stickman whose remnants flared in all directions only to gather once again.

The blue stickman appeared on his forearm, and he was holding a tiny blue sword now. He thrust the sword downward, intending to cut through Dilan’s wrist, just for nothing to happen.

The blade of the longsword dispersed the moment it came in contact with his skin.

“You can’t injure me…I see…” Dilan mumbled, still ignoring the gazes that lingered on him.

It was only after a few minutes and everyone witnessing how a bunch of blue stickmen formed out of blazing flames that emerged from below Dilan’s skin that someone couldn’t help back anymore.

“Eh…Dilan…?”

Marie stepped forward while pointing at the stickman that was fighting a fierce battle against one another all over Dilan’s body.

“What are you doing?”

Dilan looked at his sister with a distorted smile on his face.

“Well…I might have devoured the Sun…and my Divine Essence Crystal might have mutated, creating a small flame that devoured the sun’s flames and Sun Essence…and that flame might be a little bit playful, and arrogant because it doesn’t allow me to control it…”

His answer was hesitant because he didn’t intend to worry anyone but he figured that it would be weird to leave out the truth.

However, when Ariel Silvertale heard what he said, she shot forward. She appeared next to Marie, who didn’t even flinch at the appearance of the beautiful Archangel as both of them stared at him.

“Your Essence Crystal mutated? Show me!!” She demanded in a somewhat excited tone. Dilan frowned when he saw that side of Ariel’s behavior and he couldn’t help but take a second glance at the Princess of Haven.

Was she really the same Ariel Silvertale whom he met in real-life not too long ago? Dilan was certain that she was still the same but her attitude had changed quite a bit. Yet, looking at the other Angels and his friends and family, nobody seemed to take note of that change.

Was that change something that occurred during the last few weeks?

“Is it just me…or are you guys way too close? Did you become best friends while I was away?” Dilan asked, doubting that his guess was correct.

However, something was weird and he wanted to know what exactly that was.

“I build a small teleportation circle, a house, and a small arena on the flying island, with permission, of course. Since you took way longer than the period you mentioned, I chose to stay at the place you would visit first…and here you are!” Ariel Silvertale summarized quickly, not answering what he actually wanted to know as she changed the topic back to the most important point.

“Show me~…”

Dilan had to take a step back because he noticed that the Archangels were getting more nervous when Ariel Silvertale closed in to Dilan, and he couldn’t even say something against them…after all, Ariel’s face was not even 30 centimeters away from him.

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Ariel came even closer to Dilan after he backed off while murmuring under her breath. “Don’t step back, or I can’t see it properly…”

Her scent was all around Dialn and her head closed in further. The tip of their nearly touched, causing the present Ascenders to swallow at the straightforwardness of the Princess of Haven.

Dilan’s hand emerged next to Ariel Silvertale all of a sudden and a fiery red flame with golden vein-like strands merging within the fire emerged in his right hand. A more defined stickman figure was formed and it jumped to the ground.

Ariel’s head flicked to the stickman figure and her eyes began to glow. A golden hue formed around her eyes as a faint smile formed.

Meanwhile, Dilan exhaled deeply, just like most Ascenders in the room.

‘What is wrong with her?’