CHAPTER 285: YOUR FIRE, MY FUEL

Zain’s body burned, his arm was red from the explosion, but his smile never faded.

He closed his eyes for a second.

Then he took a long, slow breath.

"[Heavenly Demon Breathing]."

The air around him began to shift.

All the heat, all the flames, and even the leftover ether from the enemy attacks started flowing toward him.

His body inhaled it all.

The ground trembled slightly. His veins lit up with red-black light.

He whispered the next part.

"[Heavenly Demon Ether]."

The energy turned into a dark aura around him.

It wrapped his limbs like armor, feeding his power.

Then his muscles flexed, and the burns vanished.

"[Heavenly Demon Body]," he said quietly.

In an instant, his body healed. His wounds closed.

His strength returned, even greater than before.

The Flame Spear cultist stepped back.

"That’s not possible. You were just—"

Zain looked up, eyes glowing.

"This time," he said, "I fight for real."

He dropped his swords.

He didn’t need them.

Zain dashed forward with sudden speed. His fist glowed with ether.

"[Heavenly Demon Fist]."

He slammed into the first guard’s chest.

A loud crack followed as the man flew back into the wall and dropped unconscious.

Zain grinned. His movements flowed smoothly and fast.

He punched the ground, flipping forward toward the second guard.

The cultist panicked and raised both hands.

"[Cinder Shield]!"

Ash hardened over his body.

Zain smirked and struck low, under the shield.

"[Heavenly Demon Fist]!"

The ash cracked. Then broke. Then the man was down too.

The Flame Spear cultist shouted, "Attack! Now! Mark him again!"

The third cultist roared.

"[Infernal Breath]!"

Fire shot from his mouth.

The fourth spun in.

"[Spiral Blaze Kick]!"

Zain stood firm.

The Solar Mark appeared on his hand again.

But he just smirked.

"This time," he said, "it doesn’t matter."

The fire reached him.

Zain disappeared into the flames.

Then his foot smashed into the third cultist’s face from the side.

"[Heavenly Demon Fist]!"

One punch followed another. The fire stopped.

The fourth cultist tried to escape.

Zain landed behind him.

He didn’t say a word.

"[Heavenly Demon Fist]."

One final strike.

The man dropped.

The Flame Spear cultist stared at the fallen guards, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"How... how can this be possible?" he muttered.

His hand snapped up.

"[Solar Mark]!"

The mark flared back onto Zain’s chest. It pulsed bright red.

Then it exploded.

The chamber shook from the blast.

Smoke covered the space where Zain had stood.

The Flame Spear cultist laughed loudly.

"That should’ve ended him."

But then... laughter came from the smoke.

Not his.

Zain’s voice.

"Haha... You really thought that was enough?"

The smoke cleared.

Zain stepped forward. His coat was burned. His body was bruised.

But he was still smiling.

And his wounds... they were closing.

The Flame Spear cultist froze.

"What the hell are you...?"

Zain cracked his neck and stared directly at him.

"You don’t need to know," he said.

He raised one hand, glowing with power.

"The only thing you should understand now is this..."

He pointed.

"You’re going to die today."

The Flame Spear cultist gritted his teeth.

"Don’t overestimate yourself!"

He lunged forward.

"[Searing Thrust]!"

His flame spear extended in a burst, fire trailing behind the sharp point as it aimed for Zain’s heart.

But Zain didn’t flinch.

He stepped left, just enough to avoid the center.

Then he twisted his body and countered.

His fist shot forward toward the cultist’s ribs.

The cultist reacted quickly.

"[Ignition Guard]!"

Flames burst around him in spinning rings.

The hit connected, but the fire lashed out in return.

Zain’s punch landed hard, sending the cultist stumbling back.

But Zain got damaged too.

The spinning fire singed his arm.

The Flame Spear cultist hissed in pain but stood back up.

He pointed again.

"More marks!"

Several glowing sigils appeared across Zain’s chest and arms.

The flames began to rise from Zain’s body.

The cultist laughed again.

"This is the end! You’re burning alive now!"

Zain didn’t look worried.

He just smiled.

"All of it," he said, "your fire, your marks... it’s all ether."

The cultist blinked. "What?"

Zain raised both hands and took a deep breath.

"[Heavenly Demon Breathing]."

The flames flickering on his skin began to twist and pull inward.

The Solar Marks cracked apart. The heat turned cold.

The marks and fire vanished like dust.

The Flame Spear cultist stepped back, shocked.

"No... that’s not possible..."

Zain lowered his stance, both fists glowing with black-red energy.

"You should’ve known," he said.

Then he charged.

One clean punch.

"[Heavenly Demon Fist]!"

Zain’s fist slammed into the cultist’s stomach.

The man flew back, crashing into the wall and slumping to the floor, coughing hard.

He wasn’t dead. But his body shook.

The Heavenly Demon Ether inside the punch kept spreading.

It ate at his energy, weakening him every second.

Zain didn’t look back.

He walked past the fallen man, heading deeper into the base.

"Time to meet the others," he said.

---

Deeper inside the main base of the Flame God Cult, the air was thick with heat and smoke.

At the center of a large chamber, a tall man in dark robes stood over a glowing table.

Strange symbols circled above the surface.

Tubes connected to large containers pulsed with thick red liquid.

The man didn’t blink.

He was the leader of the Flame God Cult.

His hands moved slowly as he typed commands and adjusted the chamber’s settings.

"Stability reached sixty percent," he muttered. "Still not enough..."

Behind him, footsteps approached.

An officer bowed quickly.

"Sir. We have a situation."

The leader didn’t turn.

"What kind?"

The officer stood straight.

"There’s an intruder in the base. He came through the teleport gate."

"He already defeated Reval’s entire team."

The leader finally stopped his hand and glanced back.

"Just one?"

"Yes, sir. But strong."

The leader turned fully now.

"Send more."

The officer blinked. "Sir?"

"I said send more," the leader repeated.

"I don’t care who he is. I’m at a critical stage. I will not be interrupted now."

The officer nodded quickly. "Understood."

The leader turned back to his work.

The liquids inside the tubes pulsed again.

"The new strain is almost ready," he whispered. "Nothing can delay this now."