I started to run, and every step felt easy, like I knew exactly where to step and how. It was rxing, and I was able to focus on Hero and what would be considered the bigger picture.


    <The other ones like me are on different worlds, in different ces; that part isn''t easy to exin and is unnecessary. We all have the same goal, we raise up heroes or viins; whichever is the prevailer, but I am sure you can assume that not all gods are like me.> ??


    Oh, you mean that the other ones aren''t as rude? Just kidding, I''m listening, and that makes sense; keep going; we are almost at Fireden.


    <Why do we do this? He told us that we needed toplete this task to move on, and He brought us here from thest worlds.>


    I slowed down as I got closer to the Fire Lake crater''s edge, but just how many times have you done this?


    <four lifetimes ago, one point two billion ascended humans will be energy-based beings and then be offered a choice by Him. Two hundred years in the earth''s future, this will happen, and the rest of humanity will be wiped from the earth, but it was inevitable. We set off a chain reaction that charged one two-hundredths of the world''s poption, and it turned the other hundred and ny-nine billion into dust. It was us or the, and we choose the.>


    Fine, if I could skip past the idea that humanity was going to be or is annihted, two hundred billion would make it impossible to sustain. Then what now? What are you doing with me?


    <Guiding ones like you to find the right bnce. Some are too righteous and end up dying from betrayal because they were too stiff. Some are just the right amount of both sides that we are building towards. All we know is that we have to cultivate a strong champion, but to what end, I am not sure. I have yet to find one that was worthy, and myst one could have destroyed his own world but was still rejected.>


    Does that mean that you are looking for someone to fight in an intergctic tournament? Like that show… Dragon, what''s it''s nuts? I can''t remember, but they had some big tournament; is it going to be something like that?


    <I don''t know, He hasn''t told us anything from the start, but he was here briefly when I arrived. The only thing that happened was that he smiled at me and then disappeared, but he had never appeared at the start of the other four worlds. What that means, I don''t know, but I think you might be different. If He is talking to you, then that is a good sign. Earn your Fire Force Pact; listen to Fireden; he is wise.>


    I could hear the Fire Elementaling and the heat rising. I hadn''t even realized, but the Hellcat had torched my shorts, and I was mostly naked already.


    I took my shorts off, tossed the rags to the side, and then sat down cross-legged as Fireden rose above the edge. He looked happy, but the fiery heating from him was being buffered by The two active Water totems, but it was putting a mental strain on my body.


    <Hold them, this will help you greatly in the future!>


    "So, have youe alone this time? Are you ready to hear my story?" Fireden asked me as he crossed his arms over the edge.


    Lava started to melt off him and move towards me, but it started to create a circle around me when it was about six feet away from me. The mental pressure started to get more intense; this was so much different from all the other training, and I had to focus on speaking.


    "Yeah, let me have it, Boss," I managed to get out, and Firedenughed at me.


    "Good, I will tell you about the Seven Primal Forces in this world. Each of them resides in Gardania, the mega continent; the rest of the world is made of smaller inds like this one. I was once part of Fire, but I was asked by Mex to apany him like the rest of us. He is a Shaman like you, but he has taken the Sages path and no longer uses totems. One day you will have that option, but I hope we can school you better than Mex if you n to take us all," Fireden exined.


    Theva had wholly surrounded me, and now there was a bit of steaming from my body. I was listening, but all I could do right now was nod at the appropriate times; my body was stressed beyondprehension, and I was worried I was going to puke from my nerves.


    "While holding those totems, I can extract the final bit of water in your body andplete the change. Your body will now feed on Energy, and you will be able to convert that into your system skills. You will also absorb elemental Magic if you control it, but it will regenerate you, but not boost your Shaman Skills," Fireden told me.


    I was starting to get shorter breaths, but I focused on them and got myself somewhat leveled out. The heat was constantly getting worse, though, making my stress levels rise to the point where I was starting to feel cold and mmy.


    "You are going to hit a point where you think that you are going to ckout, but you need to push through it. After that, I will tell you of the other three, but for now, you need to keep your head above water, or you will be consumed," Fireden exined to me, but I was already fighting it.


    I could feel a wave of intenseness start to roll through my body, and it was like all the blood was rushing to my head. I started to get dizzy, my head got light, and the heat closed around me.