‘ Salty ‘

That was the word that came to Max’s mind as he tasted the blood of the phoenix for the first time ever.

His decision to drink Phoenix blood was on a whim because he could not conjure any other moves, however, the effects it had on his body were something he had never anticipated.

The Nirvana Phoenix was a magical creature whose blood was one of the most critical components of several life-extending alchemical potions.

It was rumoured that the fresher the blood was the more potent its effects would be, however, nobody had ever thought that drinking it straight out of the phoenix’s body was even possible because of the protective flames on the phoenix’s body.

Max was most likely the first individual in the history of the universe who was uniquely equipped with both the fangs needed to suck blood and an unnatural fire resistance that prevented him from burning to a crisp in front of the phoenix.

The phoenix cried out loud as it felt dizzy from the rate at which Max was sucking on its blood.

It shouted a desperate screech to its brother to help him shake off the attacker somehow, but the other phoenix had no relevant ideas on what to do, it had never faced such a situation in its life and could not think of a way to get the attacker off its brothers neck without injuring his brother in the process.

Max clung onto Nirvana Phoenix’s neck as if his life depended on it, his fangs plunged deep into its flesh. As he continued to drink the magical blood like he was thirsty since decades, the hint of saltiness was quickly replaced by an indescribable sweetness. A unique flavoure that he had never tasted anything like before.

The phoenix’s flames roared around him, flaring to a next level of heat as an effect of some spell that it activated, trying to burn to the maximum in hopes of Max letting go of its neck because of the flames, but Max’s body was immune to the heat.

Max drank deeply, feeling the blood course through his veins and ignite a fire within him. He could feel his vitality stat improving rapidly, and his vision became clearer than ever before.

He was almost outside the planets atmosphere now, the pressure of the air changing around him causing his ears to pop, but Max did not let go, he could not pull away from the tingling sensation that was spreading throughout his body making him feel a euphoria that he had never sensed before.

As he continued to drain the phoenix, he felt a strange understanding about the nature of fire. It was as if the phoenix’s knowledge was being transferred to him through its blood.

It was a strange feeling, but he had never felt so alive, so powerful ever before in his life.

Max began feeling an inexplicable connection to the element of fire as he closed his eyes and tried to focus his mind to try and explore this newfound connection.

As he did so, he began to understand the nature of fire in a way he had never before comprehended. Fire was not just a tool for destruction; it was a force of transformation, of renewal, of purification. It could consume and destroy, but it could also create and give life.

Max could sense the energy of fire flowing within him because of the Agni-Astra, he could visualise how the mana within his body was heavily infused with the element of fire which was slowly coming to the surface of his skin and creating a layer of insulation from the fire of the phoenix, granting him the immunity he experienced against the power of the flame.

Max realised that he could actively harness this energy to augment his physical abilities.

He could use this energy to sharpen his reflexes and strengthen his muscles.

It was like he had suddenly unlocked the level 1 of [ Way Of Fire ] gaining newfound comprehension of sensing his surroundings through the medium of fire just like he could via wind.

He could sense the presence of heat, the subtle changes in temperature, and the movements of air currents with a level of precision that he had never before experienced. He knew that this new understanding would be a valuable tool in his future battles and adventures.

As he finished drinking the last of the Phoenix blood, Max felt a sense of gratitude towards the magical creature whose essence had unlocked this newfound power within him. He knew that he would never forget the lessons he had learned about the nature of fire, and he would always carry the Phoenix’s flame within him.

[ System Notification – You have killed a ‘ Tier 5 ‘ phoenix within a neutral zone.

You have gained +12,000,000 EXP!

You have absorbed the phoenix’s knowledge about the element of fire and have accommodated it’s undying essence.

The damage of all your fire based attacks has improved permanently ]

[ System Remark – Only an abomination like you which is not meant to exist can devour a divine beast like the Phoenix for all that it is worth ]

[ System Notification – You have levelled up!

Error- You have reached the maximum limit possible for your tier and cannot level up anymore before tiering up first ]

Finally, Max pulled back from the Nirvana Phoenix’s neck, his thirst quenched as the beast’s dead body slowly lost its lustre and its flames.

It’s phoenix brother in distress as it tried to grab Max by its talons and pull him apart from his brother’s corpse, but the sheer speed at which the corpse and Max were falling towards the surface made it extremely difficult to do so.

Max felt different, changed. His body having undergone a transformation, becoming more attuned to the element of fire.

He felt a connection to it that he had never felt before, and he knew that he was capable of wielding its power like never before.

Although he was falling towards the hellish planet like a comet, Max was not worried about his personal safety.

He was calm and knew that with his newfound knowledge he could insulate himself from the heat caused by re-entering the atmosphere and by compressing a ‘ Dragonsbreath ‘ and using it to cushion his landing, he could survive the pitfall enough to live and tell the tale.

He had gained a lot through this endeavour, more than he could have ever hoped for in his wildest dreams.