Within the fourteenth layer, the oppressive flames pressed down like a sovereign decree from the heavens. The chaotic flame laws here were refined to an astonishing degree, flowing in structured currents that sought to crush anything unworthy of their domain. Yet Max advanced at a steady, unwavering pace. His steps were neither hurried nor hesitant. They carried quiet confidence.
The two existing buds on the flame branch of the Chaos Tree pulsed rhythmically as they absorbed the surrounding energy. The refined flame laws of the fourteenth layer streamed inward continuously, devoured and compressed without resistance. With every step Max took, the pressure that should have mounted instead thinned slightly around him.
When he reached the halfway mark of the fourteenth layer, the fourth leaf could no longer endure the saturation of energy it had accumulated.
A deep pulse resonated within his inner world.
