"Don't you find it odd about the behavior of the volcano?" The Reaper responded to him with a question instead of directly explaining about the lava spirit.
"hmm?" Azzy didn't get what he is talking about. "What behavior?"
The Reaper then gave him a clue, "like erupting very frequently to make sure the lava lake never hardens up."
"So, are you telling me that this volcano was actually some platinum-grade beast in disguise?" Based on his clue and his earlier words about a lava spirit, Azzy tried to guess the answer.
But then, he shook his head, "no, it can't be. Even if its disguise is perfect, one can still able to sense its rank unless it completely suppressed its strength to zero.
Others may not able to find it out but during the earlier commotion, when I tried to sense the Volcanus king, I didn't find any other presence… Wait a second."
Something clicked in his mind, and he mumbled, "lava…"
Azzy looked at the lava lake and said, "Chronos… is it possible that the magma that was flowing beneath the volcano is the one that you are referring to? If the entire lava is a beast, since its core is located far away from the range, no one would be able to sense its presence."
"Exactly…" The Reaper confirmed his thoughts. He was satisfied with Azzy's thoughts.
If anyone hears Azzy's theory, they would think he was crazy. Azzy himself wouldn't believe if the same theory was told by someone but he knew that the Reaper can't lie.
So, when he thought deeply about his words, he found the answer.
"What you thought is right. However, there's a small correction. The core wasn't beneath the volcano but inside the beast."
"Eh?" Azzy was taken aback and looked at the beast that was staring at him in silence.
"This lava spirit is different from the ones you know. It is called a nature spirit.
All the spirits must go through the reincarnation point to acquire a materialistic body in their next life.
Before that, they will be judged by the Goddess of Judgment. Based on one's deeds, she will judge where the spirit will reincarnate in its next life.
Due to the fear, some of the spirits will try to escape the spirit world in whatever way they can, before the judgment has been passed on.
Celestial grade beasts are too powerful to be restricted by the laws of the spirit world or the material world.
So, they can just leave the spirit world and naturally choose a worthy host on their own just like Vajra.
Meanwhile, due to the lack of security provided by that Spirit King, from time to time, it is common that some of the lower grade spirits will also get successful in escaping.
However, the material world laws restrict them to possess a human body.
As a result, they will be returned to the Netherworld and get their punishment for trying to break the laws.
But if the escapee is a platinum-grade beast, they were able to resist it to some extent but will be trapped in the form of natural bodies such as a river, lava, mountains, lakes, ash, clouds, etc…
The reason you or anyone wasn't able to sense it, until now, is because this spirit tried to merge with the Volcanus king's spirit.
However, in the process, instead of getting merged, the Volcanus devoured its spirit due to the difference in their strength. This is the reason it was able to control a part of lava.
Although it is still incomplete, I can see that almost three-fourths have been consumed.
Once it consumes completely, the beast will be able to control the entire lava on the outside as well as the magma river that was flowing down beneath the volcano."
"The result would be disastrous…" Azzy mumbled in shock as he imagined the beast summoning the entire magma beneath the volcano and attack the humans. That kind of power is dangerous.
"That isn't the main issue here, Azrael." The Reaper once again interrupted his thoughts. "Merging the soul itself is a heavy crime according to the celestial laws. It is your duty to kill the beast and send those spirits to the spirit world, so that, they will face proper punishment."
"Huh!" Azzy was surprised upon hearing the Reaper's explanation. It isn't because of the new knowledge he received from him but rather on how he is more focused on punishing the criminal.
Azzy then remembered the incident where he took away Vajra's life too. He then realized the Reaper mentioned another odd thing. "Wait a second. Why it is my duty to free the spirit?" He asked.
The Reaper fell silent for a few seconds, cursing himself for his slip-up.
After quickly thinking of a reason, he then gave a lesson, "The more powerful one gets, the more responsible they will have to be, for the world they live in.
After all, you can't become powerful by yourself. You can't even grow by yourself.
The food you eat, the water you drink, the monsters you hunt, everything was nature's gift. After taking away resources from nature, if you won't return something, then, you are equal as a sinner."
"Got it" Azzy understood what the Reaper was trying to tell him but he felt something amiss with his wording, although he can't put his finger on it.
The Reaper then sighed in relief and then, suddenly, his eyes widened as if he was surprised because of something. "Just one small incident changed that much?" He mumbled to himself. Only he knew the meaning behind the sentence.
<strong>Redwing Hotel, Estrya City;</strong>
Sapphire returns to the city while riding on her griffin. Due to the restrictions placed by the authorities, she didn't fly within the city and ordered the Griffin run, on the way.
Reaching the hotel, she dismissed the beast and went to her room to rest until the boy activates the fixed teleportation card and teleport directly to the hotel lobby.
Just as she opened the door, the princess was stunned to find her sister is missing. "Iphi…"
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