Chapter 507: Ruinflame Crown

Julius watched as a vortex of brilliant crimson flames appeared right in front of him. The flames spiraled upwards, and he felt the harsh heat sting his cheeks. But that didn’t stop him from smiling as he awaited his item.

Something suddenly appeared within the center of these flames, and before it could drop to the ground, he snatched it out of the air. The moment he touched the crown with his fingers, he noticed how cold the metal felt.

It was a little surprising considering the name and all. He took a closer examination of the crown and ran his fingers over the dark gray metal it was made of. The metal was still cold to the touch and quite heavy.

From first appearances, it looked like a simple band of iron. It barely looked like a crown. A circlet was probably a more apt description. Not to mention, it wasn’t very pretty.

The crown was pretty beat up; the gray metal had obvious signs of damage and wear. Whatever decorations might have been on it appeared to have been snapped off or chipped. He could see hints of where some small pointed edges might have been.

It also looked like it had been left in a dirty chimney for the past 10 years, covered in soot. Soot that wouldn’t come off, by the way.

No matter how hard he scrubbed it with his hands or aura, the soot remained there like a stubborn stain on a white shirt.

However, he didn’t write off the item quite yet. He knew better than to rely on appearances when evaluating an item. Look at his lunch box; it looked like it had gone through three world wars, and yet it was still amazing, regardless of aesthetics.

What really mattered was if the item worked well.

So instead of judging his brand-new item on its ugly face, he decided to take a look at the description he was offered.

Congratulations, you have received the Ruinflame Crown (Growth Type). This item is also Soul Bound. This means no matter where you are or how far away, this item will always find its way back to you. It is connected to you on an intrinsic level and, as such, has the potential to grow alongside you.

—

Soul Bound Item: Ruinflame Crown (Growth Type)

Description:
Shattered during the destruction of a blighted world and reforged from the molten remains of a fallen sun fragment, the Ruinflame Crown is but a cursed shadow of its former glory.

Its jagged band of blackened metal burns endlessly with scorching embers that never fade, and it is always hungry to burn more. When worn, the flames seep into the flesh, threading pain and power together until the wearer can no longer tell them apart.

The crown feeds on destruction and ruin. Its fire lashes at weakness, becoming impossible to control when doubt, fear, or hesitation takes root in the mind. Only those who meet its agony with unwavering will can keep its flames in check.

For those of weak mind and spirit, this item will be more akin to a curse rather than a blessing, but for those who wish to test themselves, it is a unique opportunity.

Over time, this struggle for dominance tempers the wearer’s spirit like steel in a forge—honing their willpower to unbreakable levels, and deepening their understanding as well as their control over fire-based mana and related abilities.

Those who endure the Ruinflame Crown’s test and control it will experience growth, and their flames will burn with a ruinous luster capable of reducing both matter and spirit to ash…

Those who don’t… death will be a merciful end.

Very few will survive the ordeal with their sanity intact. The crown does not serve its bearer—it tests and pushes them to their limit.

Good luck…

This item had been bound to Julius Von Hyperius’s soul.

He looked at the notification, then back at the crown in his hands, his mouth slightly agape.

“You really are more than meets the eye,” he said to his item with a glowing smile, ignoring the ominous good luck at the end of the message.

From the sounds of it, this was precisely what he wanted. He had been trying to figure out a way to improve his fire abilities, but hadn’t found too much success. Even with Cassandra’s advice, there was only so much he could do.

However, this crown seemed to present the perfect opportunity for him. The fact that it helped hone his willpower was just a bonus and made him feel better about ignoring the other two options that would have helped his willpower and willpower-related abilities.

Did he care that the item was literally described as cursed?

Nope.

If anything, he thought it gave it a little character. Plus, it would keep him on his toes from the sound of it.

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He fiddled with the cold crown in his hands and frowned when he realized that it was still cold. He reread the notification once more.

Its jagged band of blackened metal burns endlessly with scorching embers—

Yeah, he had read that correctly the first time around. He glanced back down at the crown and wondered where these endless scorching embers were. From what he could tell, this thing was cold as ice.

He sent some of his senses to the item and didn’t get a response, even when he added his mana to it. Only when he infused his aura did he get a reaction.

It was like his aura was the signal for the item to wake up. The moment his aura touched the gray metal, it was dragged deeper, and there was nothing that he could do to stop this. A connection formed between him and the crown.

What was even more shocking was when he felt his mind go black as a sense of vertigo washed over him. He suddenly found himself floating on a strange battlefield with half-melted weapons littering the ground.