One after another, flame imprints appeared on his forehead, chest, and back—these were the marks bestowed by the Emberglow Dragon, symbols of a Flame Keeper's chosen one.
He, who was once perhaps just an unnamed soldier of Ital'ruk, a loyal warrior willing to sacrifice himself.
But now, he was a "supplicant" personally reforged by faith, the first generation of [Dragonkin] in the Divine Kingdom.
His soul and body no longer belonged to the mortal realm, but were highly bound to the Divine Kingdom Seraken.
Just then, a blazing ring of flame expanded from around him, engulfing all remaining ice crystals!
Darkness receded, and light flames ignited the entire void from bottom to top.
He slowly ascended from the boundless abyss of trial, returning to stand on the floating platform at the edge of the Divine Palace.
His eyes were no longer those of a troll, but a pair of dragon eyes burning with golden flames.
The source-less morning light above the sky subtly fluctuated, seemingly in response to this rebirth.
And that voice, once again, descended from the heavens:
"Very good. You are the first to pass the trial."
"From now on, you are no longer Toraka Frostridge…"
"But KaIgnas, meaning 'Chosen of Flame'."
That was the name He bestowed. It was proof of his emergence from the flames, his sublimation from a mortal.
KaIgnas, the first Dragonkin to reforge his faith and complete his sublimation in Obsidian's trial.
He was also the first true Undying Warrior of the Divine Kingdom Seraken.
Ignatius quietly knelt on one knee at the edge of the floating platform, awaiting the Emberglow Dragon's new command.
New power surged through his Dragonkin body, closely connected to Seraken's pulse.
His golden flame dragon eyes reflected the magnificent pillar of divine flame, within which only pure belonging and fervent loyalty burned.
"You are the first successful supplicant."
"Go. Familiarize yourself with your new life, and perceive Seraken's pulse."
"When you are ready, continue to serve."
The command was concise, allowing no doubt.
There was no explanation, no encouragement, only confirmation of the result and guidance for the next step.
KaIgnas felt an invisible, gentle yet irresistible force gently pushing him.
He understood, and without hesitation, turned, taking strong strides with his powerful, sharp dragon-clawed feet, and stepped onto the suspended stone steps.
Obsidian did not explain why he was the "thirteenth" yet the "first successful" supplicant.
Ignatius understood in his heart that those who failed the trial would only have their souls scattered.
Subsequently, he left the core area of the Divine Palace and walked towards the more expansive floating rock areas of the Divine Kingdom.
When the first Dragonkin's figure disappeared, the Divine Palace forecourt returned to absolute silence.
Deep within the pillar of divine flame, the rhythm of the eternally burning core light slowed down by a very subtle degree.
It was not dimming, but transitioning from a brilliant, law-abiding display to a more internalized, lazier state of burning.
"Hoo…"
A very low breath, almost imperceptible to any external entity, echoed deep within the core.
It was not fatigue, but more like the breath one exhales after finishing a formal ceremony and finally being able to relax on their own sofa.
Obsidian's vast will, at this moment, was more like a giant dragon leisurely coiled at the bottom of a warm lava lake, rather than a deity high on a throne.
His "gaze" swept across Seraken's void boundaries, the specks of light from souls drawn by the divinity, those frozen and disintegrated in the cold abyss, or those who turned to ash upon entering Seraken due to wavering will—
All these processes were clearly reflected in his consciousness—this was merely one of the many functions of divinity: drawing deceased believers, guiding their souls to His Divine Kingdom.
"Finally, I have a high-level worker…"
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