Chapter 9: CH-9. What's with these guys!
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The pain only lasted for a moment before the dinosaur elder's expression calmed. The whole process took mere seconds.
From panic to surprise, to pain, and finally to numbness.
In just a few seconds, the dinosaur elder experienced a whirlwind of emotions that no one else could comprehend.
Looking at the short-haired figure who had turned into a fiery man in his hands, James was momentarily stunned.
He had forgotten his own status for a moment.
Feeling slightly careless, James was a bit annoyed with himself, even thinking that his carelessness might have caused the death of the flat-headed dinosaur man.
But in the next moment, he noticed that, although the little guy had transformed into a humanoid flame, he hadn't melted or died.
Instead, his eyes held the calmness of a sage—or was it numbness?
"This is interesting?" James wondered.
With wide eyes, he observed closely and found that the dinosaur man in his palm, engulfed in flames, was actually absorbing energy from the glowing patterns on his forelimbs.
The energy, like fine threads or wisps of green smoke, surrounded the dinosaur elder's body.
It was subtle, but it allowed James to establish a connection with this dinosaur elder.
Of course, this connection was only an energy link; there was nothing mystical about it.
---
After a long moment of observation, James felt a bit disappointed.
In theory, this world should be extraordinary.
Yet, James himself was unable to control flames at will; he couldn't sense any spiritual or mental power.
It was simply impossible to control fire threads with minute precision, making them an extension of himself.
Initially, James had hoped that this mysterious dinosaur elder might establish some kind of spiritual connection with him.
But it was all in vain.
"Novels are all lies." he mused.
However, despite this thought, James began to form ideas and directions for exploring his abilities in the future.
If this was truly an extraordinary world, why shouldn't he develop finer control?
Raw power was effective against enemies, but it had little use in day-to-day life.
And now, after discovering that he held sway over a primitive civilization, James wanted to make his life more interesting. Perhaps he could help these little guys evolve their civilization or engage in something entertaining—but his massive size was a barrier.
Due to his gigantic form, each small movement created chaos for the tiny creatures below.
Even without energy coursing through him, he was still an enormous beast; a single step could shake mountains and create tremors like small earthquakes.
This wasn't ideal.
It would be far more interesting if he could control fire in delicate ways, using it as an extension of himself to interact more closely with this intelligent civilization, wouldn't it?
Otherwise, he'd be forced to merely observe from a distance, unable to intervene too much.
Then again, perhaps it would be an enriching experience to witness the development of a civilization from a detached perspective.
Just like watching ants build tunnels in a jar as a child, there was a certain fascination in seeing other creatures' lives unfold.
When James was young, he'd often catch ants, place them in a glass jar filled with soil, and watch as they dug their intricate tunnels for hours without tiring of it.
Observing other beings' life processes was inherently interesting.
Yes, that could be enjoyable.
So, after observing the dinosaur elder in his palm for a while and finding no way to establish a direct line of communication, James let him go.
The moment he set the dinosaur elder down, the flames on the elder's body quickly dissipated.
The elder's numbness faded as he snapped back to his senses.
Trembling, he looked up at the immense figure of his "Father God" with a mixture of fear, awe, and reverence.
Only by coming into contact with Father God could one truly understand His immense power and limitless energy.
Recalling the experience, the elder likened Father God's energy and heat to the radiance of the sun itself.
Ah! This was indeed their Father God!
Like a blazing star in the sky!
Awestruck, the elder began to dance in front of James, exuding a palpable reverence.
In James's eyes, however, this spectacle looked more like a comical shamanic dance.
He ignored the bald elder's bizarre ritual and quietly observed, while inwardly exploring the immense energy circulating through his veins. Now, while the energy was still fresh, he was determined to study his state closely to understand his nature and better harness his powers in the future.
James said nothing, and the dinosaur elders were left bewildered.
They prayed and sought guidance, but Father God offered no response.
What did this silence mean?
What should the people of lava do next?
In the elders' minds, Father God was omnipotent and wise beyond measure—surely it wasn't possible that He didn't understand their language!
This thought didn't even cross their minds.
After a while, the elder stopped his dance, his exhaustion evident. Reflecting on Father God's silence and recent actions, he pondered their significance.
Why had Father God lifted him and then set him back down?
"Could it be that lifting me symbolized Father God's acknowledgment of me and our tribe?"
"But we, the people of lava, are already His people. Father God had granted us these strengthened forms as proof of His acceptance. Why lift us again in recognition?"
"No, there must be a deeper message in Father God's actions. What could it be?"
He mulled it over until, finally, clarity dawned on him.
With an excited expression, the elder respectfully retreated to address the tribe, who were waiting with expectant eyes.
"Father God has given new guidance!"
Holding his unknown black stone scepter high, he spoke in a steady, powerful voice.
The tribe's eyes brightened, eagerly awaiting his words.
"Father God lifted me to show us that we, the people of lava, should be fearless. Father God stands behind us. We should look to the wider lands; our previous attack on the poisonous fog aliens was righteous."
"But since those aliens are crafty, Father God lowered me as a reminder: We must remain humble, grounded, and careful as we plan our next assault."
"Therefore, under Father God's witness, we must strike the alien enemies with one final blow! We'll cleanse the past shame in blood and reclaim our glory as the people of Molten Flame!"
"All for the majesty and glory of Lava and Earth!"
The elder's speech was stirring—even he was moved by his own words!
Though some in the tribe still had doubts, the elder anticipated this.
"I know some of you worry whether we can defeat the poisonous fog aliens after such heavy losses."
"But the aliens know this too and won't expect us to wage war again."
"So, while they let their guard down, we'll take them by surprise!"
"And besides, haven't many of us been granted the power of fire by Father God?"
As he said this, the elder willed the energy within, summoning faint flames that flickered over his body as he raised his arms with conviction.
Seeing this display, all remaining doubts were swept away from the tribe.
Yes! With stronger bodies granted by Father God, why should they fear?
Their Father God had awakened and watched over them. Surely, He would not abandon them in the coming battle!
At that moment, the entire tribe erupted in thunderous roars.
"Kill the aliens in the poisonous fog!"
"For the Father!"
"Ohhhh!!!"
As their cheers reverberated, James snapped out of his reflections, puzzled once more.
What's with these guys? So many of their people had died, and they were this elated?
Was it because he'd scared off their enemies? Or maybe they felt honored because he'd lifted one of them?
Or perhaps, feeling emboldened by their new abilities, they were simply brimming with confidence?
Weekly Power Status
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