God Ash: Remnants of the fallen.

'All the elements will need to be collected individually. I can use the base rune of {Vampiric Star} to collect the fire elemental energy. I can also use the case rune od {Blood Regeneration} to collect the blood element. {Lightning Thief} can be used for the lightning element. However, I do not have any affinity with the earth element, so I'll have to improvise...'

Cain continued working for some time, taking a few breaks to rest his exhausted mind. He had to scratch a few ideas off, and completely rewrite a few magic circles.

'So frustrating...'

Eventually, he was able to produce something relatively decent.

'Will this work?'

Displayed in his subconscious was a very complex magic circle. This magic circle consisted of numerous different parts. However, its main part consisted of six different parts connected to the most integral part of the magic circle.

The six parts all played their roles in influencing each individual element that was present within the cave system. The magic circle of every spell and skill had a special part that allowed them to gather the elemental energies from the world. Cain used this for inference.

Since he couldn't control the earth element as his affinity with it was zero, he was forced to employ other means. While he could be considered a beginner in magic theory and applications of magic, he was very creative with the low-level runes he could transcribe and draw.

Some of them could even rival runes of higher tiers. What helped the process of him figuring out a way to call upon the earth element without having to interact with it was his ability to see mana flow patterns. Although he still couldn't see the mana flow patterns within the cave, he had seen mana flow patterns hundreds of times. With that, he could infer the best course of action to take.

After a long time, he was finally done...

Cain heaved a heavy sigh as he looked at the complex magic circle. Although it wasn't a high-tier spell, it was still very complicated.

Magic circles, runes, sigils, spells, and skills were divided into different tiers. Cain could only produce the most basic of each of them. As his Tier increased, he would be able to create skills and spells of higher tiers as his understanding of magic improved.

However, there was still a problem. The elemental energies could now be gathered, but that didn't mean the chaotic nature of the energy would automatically go away. If he were to activate the magic circle like that, it would mean that he was simply giving them the avenue to manifest physically. He didn't know what would happen after that.

'Whatever will happen can't be pretty...' He thought to himself with a frown. He looked over to the side and saw Evangeline looking at him in the darkness, her ruby eyes glowing as she glared at him hard.

He heaved another sigh as a thought entered his mind...

'I am entering uncharted territory here.'

Cain had never been educated in any field of magic officially. If he had, he would have known that what he was doing now was nothing short of miraculous. In fact, ninety-nine percent of all mages would probably be unable to achieve his feats, regardless of what tiers of magic they could execute.

It was truly beyond understanding. To put things into perspective, he was trying to wrestle command of the elements from a primordial devil with nothing but a few low-tier runes and magic circles brought together using inlay magic. Devils could control mana just as well as they could control devil essence.

This was something that would be laughed at and deemed impossible by official magic institutions around the universe.

And yet, here he was...

Although he was faced with a dilemma, he actually had a solution to his problem. However, he was unsure if he should pursue it or not.

If he succeeds, he will be doing something truly unimaginable. If he failed, he and Evangeline would die.

'Should I risk it?'

Cain was not a fan of putting the lives of others on the line for his own sake. It was something he detested greatly. Hence, he had to ensure that if he did go ahead and make the attempt, it had to be done successfully.

That was the reason for his destination...

Eventually, he heaved another sigh,

'System, can I get a spatial mana core?'

{Replying to host: Affirmative. A spatial mana core is currently available in the system store}.

Cain winced when he heard that. Although he didn't want to do it, he really needed the mana core. He also didn't know if it would be enough.

'Here goes nothing. I'll have it.'

Cain's face paled at the thought of the large amount of system points he had just splurged. Cursing under his breath, he retrieved the mana core that had been deposited in his inventory. He suddenly wondered where the system got the mana cores it produced. Was it a natural process, or was there an entity slaving behind the holographic screen to produce these mana shards and cores?

Could mana cores and shards even be artificially produced? He had no clue...

'Here goes nothing...'

The {Abhorrent Devil-Enchanted Gloves} were already on his hands, so he didn't need to put them on. Taking a deep breath to steady his shaky hands, he began drawing.

The lines were bold and not too thick or thin. He engraved many symbols, sigils, and runes, enclosing them and turning them into magic circles. Evangeline threw him a look of surprise but didn't say anything or interfere.

He proceeded to lay these magic circles on top of one another, linking them together. The complex magic circle began taking form. However, the process was excruciating. He had to pay attention to detail, making sure not to make even a single mistake.

He also had to watch the rate at which his mana flowed from within his body to the outside. Otherwise, he ran the risk of doing something wrong and having the violent energies ravage his body like piranhas.

As such, this went on for more than six hours...

Just as he was about to finish, he slowly inserted the spatial mana core at the center of the magic circle. This was the final part of the magic circle. Once it was completed, the various parts began to rotate like cogs and gears in a machine. It was a truly amazing sight to behold.

Cain barely got any time to appreciate his work when the entire mountain rumbled from the depths.

Cain and Evangeline exchanged wide-eyed glances...

Cain was able to notice the change immediately. The flow of energy was no longer chaotic. Instead, all the various streams of energy began to flow toward a single point. The spatial elemental mana core. The spatial elemental mana core had been unassuming at first. It didn't cause as much of a commotion as the mana core of the {Manticore of Sky Purgatory}.

Now, something peculiar was going on...

Cain swiftly tried activating his {Eye of Clairvoyance} skill. Much to his surprise and joy, he realized nothing happened to him as his left eye began emitting a pale, ghostly white light, numerous runes revolving and rotating in the depths of his corneas.

As soon as he activated the skill, he was greeted with a sight he could never forget.

Six violent streams of energy were pouring into the small mana core. They formed an enormous whirlpool above the cave, the large streams of energy were being sucked in from the whirlpool, almost as though the small gem was devouring the streams of energy.

'Damn...' Cain was too stunned to speak. He was also saturated with joy. His magic circle was working!

Crack!

Cain heard a faint sound. If the cave hadn't been so quiet, he would have never noticed it.

It was then he noticed something that shook him to his core. The mana core was covered in a web of cracks. And the cracks were becoming wider and wider with every passing second.

'It isn't going to hold...'

Cain was instantly struck with panic. If the mana core exploded, all the energy trapped within it would be released at once. The energy stored within it was enough to level the entire mountain.

It was a true crisis...

Cain steeled himself and placed his hands beside the gem. At the same time, he turned to Evangeline and yelled,

"Now! It isn't going to hold for long."

As soon as the words escaped his lips, Evangeline was covered in dense blood elemental energy.

Her body turned into a red blur as she dashed forward. As soon as her feet touched the surface of the blood lake, it split apart...

Peering down, Cain could see something truly blood-curdling. As one could imagine, the blood lake was far deeper than Cain had expected. At the center of the lake was a heart. The heart pulsed every once in a while, beating in tandem with the heart within the chest of the skeleton that was still seated on the throne of bones.

What made it so scary was the fact that the heart was not alone. Rather, there were other organs accompanying the heart. Cain could see three sets of what he could only describe as lungs. The more they pulsed, the more he noticed the wind elemental energy within the cave increase.

'Well, at least I now know where all that fresh air was coming from...'

Then, there was an entire network of veins and arteries, as well as a brain and an eyeball. Cain was shocked. He knew that the Primordial devil of Chaos was within the blood lake. Never would he have imagined that this would be the state it was in. A pile of organs...

Cain didn't want to look anymore. Mostly because he was forced to pay attention to other things. The cracks on the mana core he was saturated with his mana were expanding slower now, but they were still expanding.

Meanwhile, Evangeline had done the part thing and had completely given up on even going close to the heart on the lake bed. It was several buildings large, and there was no way it would fit inside her inventory, never mind carrying it.

Instead, she made a straight beeline for the throne located on the other shore of the bloody lake. Cain cheered for her in his heart as he forced even more mana out. However, the mana core was going to fall apart soon with the rate at which the cracks were spreading.

'What do I do now?' Cain thought to himself. He had exhausted all options, and now, he could only pray Evangeline would hurry up.

However, things were never meant to go right, as for some reason, the already heavy air within the cave suddenly became as dense as water. Cain felt an overbearing pressure suddenly press down on him, causing him to fall to his knees.

Evangeline was the same, as just before she could make it to the other sure, She suddenly collapsed face first to the ground.

There was no warning before it happened. Cain could see with his {Eye of Clairvoyance} that something was pulling control away from his magic circle. Cain's face paled,

'The Primordial devil of Chaos!'