People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

Ernst didn't recognize the object, but those present were quite familiar with it.

After the churning clouds of natural disaster sweep across an area, a large number of such crystal clusters are left on that land. They have a very familiar name on this land - [Originium Mine].

Ore with many internal impurities is of inferior quality, while ore with fewer impurities is pure. Pure ore is mostly distributed in several veins that run through Terra. The Rembiton Mining Consortium is a "national (corporation)" established at the intersection of these veins. To compensate for the lack of Originium resources in their own country, the Ursus people often send Infected and ethnic minorities to sparsely populated areas that have experienced natural disasters to work as slaves in mining. These places are what we commonly call black market mines.

Terra is a "human-centered" society, and this is no joke. Theoretically, when Infected creatures or other organisms infected with Oripathy die, they also form Originium ore. However, this Originium ore contains too many impurities and is not stable enough. It is very easy for it to self-disintegrate in a short period of time, forming a large-scale Originium dust pollution zone. Therefore, very few people will directly obtain Originium by "mining Infected".

Instead of being greedy for a little bit of minerals, it would be simpler and more direct to use the infected as materials for spells from the start. That terrifying Witch King of Letania did this kind of thing quite often.

However, unlike ordinary infected individuals, the Originium Green Plant, after its short but remarkable life, transforms into a mass of Originium ore, but does not immediately disintegrate; instead, it exhibits astonishing stability.

This caused Seria, Muirsey, and Palvis, especially Levi, who was in charge of the experiment, to frown deeply.

These scientists seem to have figured something out.

But now is no longer the time to give them ample time to prove and study their conjectures.

The temperature inside the laboratory changes in sync with the greenery that transforms into Originium ore.

"Director Levy, the temperature has exceeded 40 degrees Celsius."

The executor who filled the gap in Horhaiya's position monitored the changes in the room and quickly reported back.

It wasn't just the temperature that rose, but also Ifrit's body inside the room.

The little girl, who had been injected with anesthesia, was now in a peaceful slumber, but her body was not.

On Ifrit's shoulder, the Originium fragment that had grown due to the Oripathy infection skipped the large-scale expansion stage and fast-forwarded directly to the final self-disintegration phase. At the same time, in front of Ifrit, an Originium fragment embedded within it slowly condensed and formed.

Yes, cohesion.

The scene looked somewhat surreal to the scientists, but apart from Ernst, few of them showed any surprise, as if it were all perfectly normal.

Ernst thought for a moment before nodding. "That's right. Originium Arts, a kind of magic disguised as magic, has emerged. Perhaps this is part of Terra science."

I was just being naive.

Instead of scattering throughout the room and creating dangerous Originium dust pollution, the disintegrating Originium fragments gathered like guided water droplets, gradually converging in front of Ifrit and onto the small primitive device beside her bed, forming a unique Originium fragment.

Unlike ordinary pure raw stones, this fragment emits a crimson light rather than a pale yellow light, as if a small piece of amber and agate has eternally preserved a burning flame within its body.

Parvis recognized the true form of the Originium fragment at a glance.

"Fragments of the Flame Demon!"

He lowered his voice, but could not hide the shock in his heart.

He had assumed that, at the end of the experiment, the Balrog's resurrection would involve extracting its consciousness from the fragments and injecting it into the Originium core of the mech. The original Balrog fragments would remain in Ifrit's body in a deactivated state, along with Oripathy, neither worsening nor being cured.

Because, as is common knowledge, Ore disease is currently incurable.

But now, it's clear that yet another piece of common sense has been shattered. The Originium on Ifrit's body has completely disappeared with the complete formation of the Balrog fragments, and while Palvis isn't entirely certain about her body, if he's not mistaken, there shouldn't be any trace of Oripathy infection left.

Curing Oripathy is... a bittersweet surprise.

Palvis thought to himself. He wasn't the kind of doctor who prioritized healing patients and saving lives. As a researcher with somewhat impure motives, he knew very well that the development of a cure for Oripathy, especially one from Rhine Lab, might not necessarily be a good thing.

Ernst also saw the potential of this technology, but he was not as optimistic as Parvis, who thought it would have a huge impact.

This "healing method" is extremely difficult to replicate. For one thing, the very act of injecting a piece of Originium into the body is beyond the reach of many capable of performing such treatment. Furthermore, even if they could accept it, it's not always possible to find an Originium fragment like the Balrog, which possesses an active consciousness.

If it is a "miracle" that is difficult to replicate, rather than a technological product that can be promoted to the public, then the value of this technology will undoubtedly be greatly reduced, and it will not have a significant impact.

The wealthy and powerful who can afford the cost of such a "miracle" are unlikely to contract Oripathy or even come into contact with exposed Originium. The general public, who cannot afford such a miracle, may not even know of the technology's existence, and therefore have no impact on it.

But no matter what changes this event may bring to the future of Rhine Lab, at least for now, the protagonist who has been ignored by everyone is the one who is pleased.

The Balrog Safar finally revealed his true form.

The moment the fragments reappeared, he couldn't wait to unleash his power, raising the temperature in the room to over forty degrees Celsius in a short time!

Hmm, it doesn't seem too high?

But this must be because I don't have a physical body yet!

Safar consoled himself, while eagerly anticipating the horrified expressions on the faces of the Colombian researchers.

But upon looking at it, he felt his temperature rise even higher.

He noticed that few researchers were paying attention to him; everyone was tacitly staring at a flower in the room. They watched as the flower transformed into an Originium Flower, then into Originium ore, and finally into a dark, lumpy mass.

Few people cared about his situation as a Balrog.

This was a great insult to Safar, the Balrog.

When I was inside that little girl's body, you looked down on me. Now that I'm out, you still look down on me. So, wasn't my coming out for nothing?!

Having no intention of showing any mercy, the Balrog Safar let out a silent, cold laugh and crawled into the robot that had been prepared for him.

The name "robot" didn't sound very appealing, so he renamed the metal behemoth. From this day forward, this robot would serve as his "armor," accompanying him as he conquered the entire land, starting from this city, until he burned the First Men, the Gods, and all the traitors to ashes!

Flame Demon Armor, combine!

"Bam—!"

A bright, dazzling flame suddenly erupted from the head of Dulin 259, accompanied by a fiery explosion. The mech slowly raised its arm, admiring its new body.

Hmm, not bad. The Colombians aren't entirely without merit. They actually managed to create a suit of armor that's impervious to my flames!

But don't think that this will make me go easy on you!

The Balrog wanted to grin, but the armor didn't have an expression function, so he could only let out a few exaggerated laughs:

"Hahaha, how long has it been? I've been waiting for this day for so long!"

"Come on, let's start from this laboratory and take revenge on this land!"

He turned his head sharply, flames emanating from his armor and spreading outwards, like a cloak of flames.

This is the armor of the Fire Demon King. Now, as the only Fire Demon, he naturally changed into the attire of the King of the Royal Court that he once longed for.

This is not just for aesthetics, but also to demonstrate an attitude!

Because right now, in front of him, in this building, are many, many people he needs to take revenge on.

Film, with its short silver hair and long, fluffy golden hair, is a descendant of the ancestors!

A dragon species with two horns on its head and a tail behind it, but it did not feel the disgusting impure "fire (temperature)" of the Drak, it should be Vairvan, a descendant of the First Men.

This petite woman isn't afraid of me at all, and she even dares to walk towards me? This unpleasant curiosity is definitely Dulin's!

There's also Parvis from Caprini, and Levi, the experiment director whose race is unknown. These two are old acquaintances of the Balrog. Although it's a bit strange that their races are unknown, it doesn't stop the Balrog from including them in his list of targets for revenge.

As for the few executors, these unfamiliar faces didn't even catch the Balrog's eye. He turned his gaze directly to Muelseth.

"Elves!"

Descendants of the gods, don't think you can fool the eyes of the Balrog with your clumsy disguise! You and that clever feathered serpent who tried to stop my resurrection, wash your necks clean and wait obediently. I will recreate that ancient war with you!

So, where should we begin?

He had only just been resurrected and was not yet familiar with his body, so his strength was greatly reduced. Although it was said that the people of the gods had greatly reduced their strength, everyone's strength had decreased, so it was practically the same as everyone else's. It would be unwise to rashly start a war with the people of the gods.

Parvis and Levi, after all, had contributed to his resurrection, so Safar wanted to keep them until the end, to let them witness the power of the great beings they had resurrected, and then let them die contentedly.

Safar was somewhat wary of that Vayvan. Although she wasn't a Drak who could manipulate concepts like "fire (temperature)," her physical strength was terrifyingly powerful. Under a "sneak attack," she was able to recreate Horhyah, a citizen of the gods. She was not to be underestimated, and it was best to hold her back for now.

As for the Dulin tribe, although they lack ability, their bizarre inventions and creations can easily trigger inexplicable chain reactions. Even the Flame Demon King dared not underestimate the inescapable trap laid by the Dulin commander back then. Moreover, it seems that this body of his was created by her, so both morally and logically, he should let her go for the time being.

Therefore, Safar finally turned his attention to Ernst and Vina.

It's not that he's a coward; this is his first battle after his resurrection, and he must fight with style, momentum, and dominance to demonstrate his domineering power as the Flame Demon!

As the saying goes, you should pick the softest persimmon to squeeze. Ernst and Vina, the two Philin, are undoubtedly the two most inconspicuous among this group of experts who are showing off their skills!

Then it's you guys!

Flames erupted from the Balrog's hands, forging two flaming longswords, which he raised, pointing at Ernst and Vina.

Even through the wall, Ernst and Vina could feel the Balrog's aura instantly locking onto them, and the next second, the rising temperature and the Balrog's declaration confirmed their suspicions:

“Foolish Colombians, I will teach you what fear is!”

"Filin! You two can start!"

Ernst, Vina: "...?"

Chapter 196 Congratulations to Jesston on achieving second place! (4700)

The Flame Demon lay there peacefully.

When their names were called, Ernst and Vina were both a little stunned. Vina, seemingly unable to believe it, even turned around to see if there were any other filming crew members behind her. After everyone else had made way, Vina pointed to herself with an incredulous expression and asked:

"us?"

She really wanted to ask the Flame Demon: "Brother, are you blind?"

Where did you get the idea that Ernst and I are "stupid Colombians"? Let alone that I'm a Sheragian now, even disregarding Sherag, I'd be a Victorian. Calling me Colombian is like saying the father is like the son.

Even if we assume you're older, and Victoria didn't exist back then, I should still be a Sargon.

Aslan came from Sargon's side, so Vina has that much historical knowledge.

That's not all. Vina doesn't consider herself an ordinary filmmaker. Although she has always pretended to be an ordinary filmmaker, she is actually an Aslan.

Whether there's a specific difference between Aslan and ordinary Felin, Vina didn't actually know, nor did she have any concrete feeling about it. But since their ancestors had spent thousands of years separating Aslan from Felin and making it a racial name, she would naturally stick to using it.

In other words, Vina found at least three grammatical errors in the Flame Demon's short two sentences, which contained less than 40 words!

She strongly suspected that the Balrog was illiterate... well, perhaps that's not quite accurate, she seriously suspected that the Balrog was a primitive man!

Vina turned her head and glanced at Ernst's reaction.

Ernst didn't think as much as Vina. Although he also wanted to complain about why the Balrog changed his nationality so readily, he kept quiet, considering that not everyone who lives long can evolve into Kal'tsit, and most people will only suffer from Alzheimer's.

Moreover, Ernst had no idea where the Flame Demon got its confidence from.

What, do I look weak? You're asking me to challenge you right off the bat?

Putting everything else aside, Ernst is quite confident in his combat abilities. Although he has neither Originium Arts nor close-combat skills, and can't beat SilverAsh or Encia, he has at least never been pinned to the ground by her mace. Even the Sarkaz royal court's banshees have to bow their heads respectfully and greet him with "Greetings, Prime Minister Ernst."

Moreover, Ernst has a huge advantage that most Sarkaz do not have!

He touched the warm, glowing divine stone on his chest.

Yes, although his mother has passed away in an accident, he still has the mother of the whole Sherag.

Meanwhile, in the room separated by a wall, Ernst and Vina remained standing still, each with their own unique expression. The Flame Demon thought to himself, "This is exactly what I expected."

He chuckled softly, his tone full of mockery and arrogance:

"What, are you scared?"

"Cowardice is useless, you foolish Colombians, you can't escape."

“I’m not Colombian.” “Neither am I,” Vina and Ernst said in turn.

Safar the Firelord paused for a moment, but then immediately continued:

"It doesn't matter. So what if you're not Colombian? You are all descendants of our ancestors, enemies who invaded the Sarkaz. Prepare to die!"

After saying that, the twin swords in his hands trembled slightly, and a blazing pillar of fire shot out, crashing into the isolation glass in front of Ernst.

The scorching flames instantly spread across the entire glass panel. In just a moment of obstruction, the reinforced glass in front of him was melted, creating a huge hole. The flames continued relentlessly, tearing straight towards Ernst's location.

Ernst really wanted to clarify whether the Sheragans had participated in the invasion of Sarkaz. But the Balrog opposite him was truly volatile and attacked without hesitation. He could only quickly grasp the Divine Stone, preparing to retrieve Yeragand's Gift to block the attack.

But even faster than his movements was a resolute figure.

With a single hand, Saria raised the heavy riot shield and appeared before Ernst with a speed beyond Ernst's imagination, almost as if she had teleported, firmly blocking the Flame Demon's flames. The heavy riot shield was covered with a layer of Saria's calcification, so much so that the Flame Demon's flames, capable of melting reinforced glass, gained no advantage against the shield. Not only did they not injure Ernst and Vina behind Saria, but even the strands of Saria's hair that fluttered in the shockwave while she held up the shield showed no signs of scorching.

Ernst was almost stunned by this scene.

Holy crap, Columbia Superman!

Is it really possible for someone to be fast enough to instantly pass through a crowd, pick up a riot shield, pass through the crowd again, stand in front of Ernst, raise the shield, adjust their posture, and unbreakably block the fire demon's flames?

Or... Saria, you still have the Qiao family bloodline, huh? That speed just now, did you use the Qiao family's once-in-a-lifetime Flash?

Although he had been shocked more than once, Ernst still couldn't help but gasp when he saw Saria's ridiculously reliable back.

No wonder, no wonder even the Flame Demon, who had already gone out of control in the original timeline, could be suppressed by Saria single-handedly. With such exaggerated combat power, Ernst even felt that if Saria were to fight against Jian, a woman he considered to have reached the pinnacle of conventional combat strength, he really couldn't say who would win.