[Sometimes you act like a spoilt child. I'm sure you are just eager to use your new talent.]

"Obviously. Not everyone can brag of having a Primordial talent, let alone three," Aaron bragged, his voice laced with unbridled pride.

White flames materialized in his hands, flickering softly at first. They danced across his palms like a gentle child playing innocently, radiating a deceptive warmth that could lull anyone into a false sense of security.

"Let's have a spin," Aaron smiled, his lips curling into a mischievous grin. He shifted his stance, adopting the poised posture of a baseball player ready to hurl the ball with all his might.

[Pitch!!!] The system yelled, its voice echoing with playful excitement, joining in on the chaotic fun.

With a fluid, effortless motion, Aaron threw the white flames toward the distant castle. A wide grin spread across his face, his eyes gleaming with anticipation as the fiery projectile arced through the air.

Boom!!!

The once-harmless white flames revealed their true nature upon impact with the castle walls. They erupted in a cataclysmic explosion, the shockwave rippling outward like a thunderclap from the heavens.

The flames devoured everything in their path with insatiable hunger. Stone crumbled, wood splintered, and screams pierced the air as the blaze spread relentlessly.

Many unfortunate souls within the blast's radius were consumed instantly. Their bodies vanished in a flash of white-hot agony, leaving only faint echoes of their final cries.

The more the white flames fed, the stronger they grew. Each devoured life fueled their expansion, creating an endless, vicious cycle of destruction that showed no signs of slowing.

---

"My lord!" A knight burst into the royal court, his armor dented and his face smeared with thick layers of ashen soot and choking dust. He gasped for breath, his chest heaving from the frantic run.

"What's going on?!" Desirus roared in anger, his voice booming like thunder. The distant cries of panic and the rumbling crashes of crumbling buildings filled him with a seething rage that twisted his features.

"We are under attack. The castle has been hit by enemy flames," the knight informed, his words tumbling out in a rush, knees buckling slightly from exhaustion.

"Then what are you waiting for?! Quench the flames, find whoever is responsible, and bring them to my feet!!" Desirus roared, slamming his fist on the arm of his throne, veins bulging in his neck.

"I'm afraid that's not possible, my lord. We all need to leave this castle while we have the chance," a man adorned in expensive, gleaming armor burst through the doors to the courtroom. His hurried steps echoed on the marble floor, his face etched with deep discomfort and urgency.

"General Maxwell. What nonsense are you saying? Are you asking me to abandon my castle?" Desirus asked, his voice dripping with annoyance and barely contained anger, his eyes narrowing into slits.

"I'm afraid so. And we must do so in haste. The flames can't be quenched no matter how hard we try. It's like an eternal burning flame, my lord. We must leave if we want to survive," General Maxwell pressed, closing the distance to stand a few feet away from Desirus. He offered a quick, respectful bow, his posture tense with the weight of the dire news.

Desirus clutched his hands tightly, knuckles turning white from the great anger surging through him. The revelation struck like a personal insult, a great humiliation to his unchallenged authority.

"I want the head of whoever is responsible on a stake," Desirus said with icy finality, rising from his ornate throne. He decided to heed his general's words, though it burned his pride.

"Fetch me my armor and weapon. And lead everyone of value from the castle as priority," Desirus commanded a few of his knights, his tone brooking no argument.

"The rest of you follow me. I need to see the bastard for myself," Desirus finished, his strides purposeful as he headed for the exit.

"What of the prisoners underground and the servants unaware of the situation? We will need more knights if we are to save all before the flames consume the entire castle," General Maxwell inquired, a concerned frown creasing his brow.

"They are of little concern to me. I need as many of my knights as possible to deal with the bastard that dares insult me in this fashion," Desirus replied coldly, not breaking his stride as he walked out of the hall. He left General Maxwell and the few knights behind in stunned silence.

General Maxwell stood still for some seconds, his mind racing. Uncertainty clouded his thoughts as he weighed the king's orders against his own sense of duty.

"Tsk. You all save as many as you can. Leave no one behind. I will go save the prisoners," General Maxwell made up his mind, his voice firm with resolve. He chose to defy the abandonment, prioritizing lives over blind loyalty.

The knights nodded their heads in acknowledgement, their faces set with determination. They sprang into action, moving swiftly in a desperate fight against time.

They searched every room not yet consumed by the flames. Frantic hands pulled trapped individuals from debris, guiding the weak and injured toward safety with urgent shouts and steady grips.

"My lady, we must move. The flames are consuming everything in its path," a knight arrived at the door of Qin Luo's chamber. His voice was laced with urgency, breath coming in short bursts.

With haste clouding his thoughts and judgment, he opened the door without permission after seconds of eerie silence from within.

The knight was caught by surprise and shock. The sight in front of him filled him with a chilling mix of surprise and dread, freezing him in place.

Surrounding Qin Luo mindlessly were abominations that were once proud knights.

Adorning the knight armors were jiangshis, once-human corpses now stiff and unnaturally pale. Their flesh was mottled with sickly shades of green and blue, eyes clouded over in a milky haze, lifeless and vacant. Mouths frozen in eternal silent screams revealed yellowed teeth. Their bodies were rigid and contorted into jerky, unnatural angles, joints locked as if in perpetual rigor. Fingers clawed outward like twisted branches, and the heavy armor hung loosely over emaciated, skeletal frames, clanking faintly with each shambling step. They cast grotesque, haunting silhouettes against the flickering torchlight.

The knight watched in horror as those living corpses shuffled down lifelessly through a hidden path, their movements mechanical and devoid of any spark of humanity.

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