"Good," Chief Igris said with a firm nod, his deep voice rumbling like rolling stone. He cast a sharp glance at Max before turning and striding away, his heavy steps shaking the ground. "Now follow me."

Max fell in line behind him without hesitation, his curiosity piqued.

The two of them moved across the wasteland, the terrain gradually shifting as they neared a looming volcano in the distance. The violet ground gave way to hues of red and black, scorched earth carrying the scent of sulfur and ash.

Rivers of faint lava could be seen trickling down the volcano's slopes, their light reflecting off jagged stone like veins of molten fire. The air itself seemed to grow hotter with every step.

Finally, they reached a clearing where several giant dwarves were stationed, their massive figures looming like sentinels. Max's eyes, however, were immediately drawn to the strange objects scattered across the area.

Large black cubes stood planted in the ground, their obsidian surfaces absorbing the fiery glow of the volcano as if swallowing light itself. They resembled the battle cubes he had seen in his own world, but the size was vastly different. Each one matched the height and width of the giant dwarves themselves, and to Max that meant these blocks were massive, almost intimidating.

As they approached, Max could not help but wonder why Chief Igris had brought him to this place. The cubes radiated an oppressive stillness, as though they were waiting for something.

"Try moving one of these black cubes," Chief Igris said, his tone firm and instructive. His gaze never left Max as he gestured at the nearest block.

Max gave the giant dwarf a questioning look but did not argue. Stepping forward, he placed his hand against the cube's cold surface. The moment his fingers touched it, he felt its density. The material was solid beyond comprehension, as though it had been carved from the bones of the earth itself.

'It's tough for sure,' Max thought, pressing his palm more firmly against it.

Gathering some strength into his arm, he pushed lightly, expecting at least a small shift. To his surprise, the cube did not budge in the slightest. It stood rooted in place as if it were part of the ground itself.

Max drew back slightly, his brows furrowing. "What is this made of?" he asked, astonished. Even without activating his Draconic Essences, his physical strength was nothing ordinary. For an object to resist him so completely unsettled him.

The cube stood silently, absorbing his failed attempt as though mocking the effort.

"Should I try everything or just physical strength?" Max asked, turning toward Chief Igris, his expression composed but his eyes carrying the weight of curiosity.

Chief Igris gave a faint smile, the corners of his mouth twitching upward with the confidence of someone who already knew the answer. "You can do whatever you want," he said, his deep voice rumbling like a hammer striking stone.

Max nodded once and stepped forward again. This time, black flames erupted around his right fist, blazing fiercely as the air around him trembled under the pressure. These were no ordinary flames. They were the fire of his bloodline, the black flames of a true dragon, enhanced further only months ago when their quality had ascended to a higher level.

Drawing in his focus, he condensed every flicker of flame into his hand until it pulsed with destructive power. Then, with a sharp motion, he drove his fist into the black cube.

Bang!

The impact cracked the ground beneath his feet, the sound echoing loudly in the barren field. Yet when the dust settled, the cube stood untouched. It did not shake, it did not tilt, it did not show even the faintest mark. The flames that should have scorched the heavens themselves vanished instantly, sucked into the cube's surface as though they had never existed.

Max's eyes widened. "What? It swallowed my black flames!" His voice carried his disbelief.

Needing confirmation, he summoned the flames once more. A swirling inferno rose along his arm, but when he pressed his burning hand against the cube's surface, the fire was consumed in an instant, disappearing into its depths without leaving a trace. It was as if the cube devoured the essence of his flames, rendering them meaningless.

Max's heart raced as he stared at the obsidian block, his thoughts in turmoil. The black flames were the pride of his lineage, fire born of dragons, fire meant to dominate all others. Yet this lifeless cube had swallowed them as if they were a mere candle snuffed by the wind.

He refused to stop there. Gritting his teeth, he summoned his purple flames, letting them surge into his hand until they glowed with brilliance. These flames carried an entirely different nature, yet when his blazing palm touched the cube, the result was the same. The purple fire was drawn into the stone, consumed without resistance, leaving only cold silence where the flames had been.

Max's face froze in astonishment. "What the hell?" he muttered under his breath, shaken. He had expected resistance or suppression, but not this absolute devouring of his flames. To see both the black and purple flames—each cultivated and perfected—snuffed out so easily unsettled him deeply.

As his mind raced, Chief Igris's voice cut through the tension. "Only physical strength will work on these cubes," he said evenly, his tone leaving no room for doubt. His calmness contrasted with Max's surprise, as though this revelation was nothing new to him.

"Only physical strength?" Max repeated with a slight frown, his voice carrying a note of disbelief. To test it further, he allowed blue lightning to crackle across his hand, arcs of energy dancing wildly around his fingers. He pressed his palm firmly against the surface of the black cube. The lightning vanished in an instant, drawn into the cube's depths without a trace, just as the flames had been before.

Max's eyes narrowed. Without hesitation, he summoned another force. His hand shifted again, this time blazing with red lightning, the legacy of the Storm King's inheritance. Red lightning roared to life, its violent nature far more destructive than his blue lightning, capable of tearing apart fortresses and storming through battlefields.

Yet the moment his hand touched the cube, the red lightning too was devoured. The crackling brilliance was extinguished completely, leaving nothing but the cold surface of the black cube beneath his palm.

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