When I finally heard the footsteps of Armond and Solana Feldrast disappear at the end of the hallway, I squeezed myself out from under the large dresser.

The hallway was a large structure made of stone, and long ornate rugs adorned its center. I crawled onto one of these rugs and sat there with my arms crossed, deep in thought. That was the first time in my new life that I had ever been allowed such freedom, and I knew that I had to make use of this opportunity.

Burning brass braziers were built into the wall at five-meter increments. The flames that burned at the center of these braziers had not lessened at all since the moment I had arrived in Ferrum six months ago, so I had a guess as to how the braziers worked.

With my mind’s eye, I reached out to grab the flame burning at the center of that brazier. The flame promptly became several times brighter as the spark of Hellfire within reacted to my Talent.

[Hellfire] allows the user to summon forth an ever-burning flame. At a range of up to 3 meters, the user can create a small mote of permanent flame that cannot be easily extinguished. At a range of up to 30 meters, the user can move the fire, alter its size, or erase it entirely. Any alteration of the portal other than translocation will require the user to expend mana. [Hellfire] grants the user significant fire resistance.

[Hellfire] was an incredibly powerful Talent that could only be used by a select few noble families in the Northern Realms. In [Ferrum Online], most NPCs with [Hellfire] relied entirely on their Talent, much to their detriment. The original Thale Feldrast had become exceptionally dangerous because he had expanded his magical capabilities beyond the mere usage of his Talent.

Focusing on the flame that burned in the center of the brass brazier, I attempted to move it. For the first two attempts, the flame would not move. On the third attempt, I stuck my tongue out the side of my mouth in concentration and strongly visualized the flame moving upward. The Hellfire spark heeded my command on the third attempt, and an unnatural orb of roiling fire raised up above the brazier as if it was supported by an invisible string. I moved the Hellfire spark toward myself until it floated less than a meter away from my outstretched hand. I could feel a pleasant heat radiating off it.

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As expected, I had minimal issue utilizing my [Hellfire] Talent. Any person with the intelligence of an average adult could utilize their Talent without difficulty, and [Hellfire] was no exception.

After a moment's consideration, I thought of [Hellfire]’s secondary ability: fire resistance. In the game, the nobles of the Northern Realms who attacked with Hellfire would never hurt themselves with their own flame.

With a small, clumsy hand, I pulled my cuff back to my elbow. It was hard with my significantly lowered agility, but I was able to pull it back after a few seconds of fumbling. Though I had gained some level of mobility, I was still an infant. The cuff receded back, revealing the vulnerable pale arm underneath.

I crawled forward and carefully stuck my hand into the flame. Even as my fingertips were engulfed in the flames, I barely felt any discomfort. My entire hand had disappeared into the avaricious flames before the feeling had gone from soothing to mildly uncomfortable. I quickly retracted my hand from the fire. My hand was slightly discolored as if I had dunked it in a tub of hot water, and there was no sign of damage.

The fire that emanated off a Hellfire spark was just normal fire. It was the core of the Hellfire spark that was dangerous to me. It was only the very core of the flame that posed a danger to my fire-resistant body. I mentally reached out and imagined the flame becoming smaller, and the flame followed my command.

I willed the flame to become smaller to the point where it would disappear completely, yet the flame remained. It was only with a concerted exertion of will that I was able to snuff the flame out completely. Once the Hellfire spark was gone, a piercing headache filled my brain.

Next, I had intended to create a Hellfire spark of my own, but I thought that another mental hit like the one I had just taken could knock me out completely. Instead of continuing my experimentation with [Hellfire], I decided to start exploring the Feldrast family house.