Chapter 276: The Immense Pain and The Reward At The End
Without warning, a section of the ground twenty meters ahead exploded violently. Columns of lava shot upward like geysers reaching dozens of meters high, the molten rock spraying in every direction.
"Move!" Caelus shouted.
They barely dodged to the side in time, the heat from the eruption washing over them even from a distance.
Another eruption occurred behind them seconds later without any warning pattern.
"It is random!" Sylvia yelled over the roaring lava.
"The volcano itself is trying to kill us," Caelus replied, his eyes scanning constantly for the next eruption.
The lava from the eruptions began moving unnaturally. Small Fire Spirits emerged from the molten rock, taking vaguely humanoid shapes made entirely of flames. They were not particularly strong compared to other monsters they had faced, but their presence added another layer of danger.
One Fire Spirit lunged at Caelus. He destroyed it with a single punch but immediately felt the burning sensation on his fist intensify dramatically.
"Do not let them touch you!" he warned Sylvia, shaking his hand. "Every hit makes the burning worse."
"Noted!" she replied, using blood constructs to eliminate several spirits from a distance.
They continued forward methodically, destroying Fire Spirits while avoiding eruptions and navigating the treacherous terrain. As they progressed, the temperature rose again noticeably with each hundred meters traveled.
"I cannot... breathe properly anymore," Sylvia gasped, her breathing becoming labored.
The air became increasingly difficult to breathe properly as they went deeper. Their clothes began burning at the edges despite being reinforced with Aura, and their skin reddened visibly from constant exposure to extreme heat.
"My legs... they’re cramping," Sylvia said, stumbling.
Caelus caught her arm.
"Mine too," he admitted, his own legs trembling. "Just focus on one step at a time."
Every muscle in their bodies screamed in protest.
Caelus began realizing something important about this trial as they pushed forward.
’This is not testing strength,’ he thought, his jaw clenched in determination. ’It is testing how badly you want to succeed.’
He turned to glance at Sylvia.
She was also on the side, trying her best.
This happened because they had underestimated this trial.
But if they just quit here, they would never be able to take on a challenge.
It was either reach the end, or they would be ejected out, never to enter again, and also waste most of their time.
Time moved fast, as mentioned by the system.
Not only would they lose, but they would also lose their valuable time when they could have just hunted monsters.
But they had come far. The pain was immense, but reaching the end was when the real rewards for all this would come.
"Do not stop, Sylvia. Let’s get to the end." A fire lit in Caelus.
Sylvia nodded her head. She was fine with that as well.
They continued forward with renewed determination.
Eventually, after what felt like hours of endless walking through hell, they reached the halfway checkpoint marked by ancient symbols glowing faintly in the rock.
A system notification appeared immediately.
[Halfway Point Reached.]
[Participation Reward unlocked.]
"We... we made it halfway," Sylvia said between gasps.
"Yeah," Caelus replied, but did not stop moving. "But we are not stopping here."
"We are finishing this," Caelus declared firmly.
The second half became significantly worse than anything they had experienced before.
Lava waves crashed over the path periodically, forcing them to time their movements carefully. Fire tornadoes formed without warning, spinning violently and blocking entire sections.
Exploding rocks launched fragments in every direction like shrapnel. Falling meteors struck the ground randomly, creating new craters and hazards. Constant eruptions made every step unpredictable and potentially fatal.
"Incoming left!" Sylvia warned.
Caelus dodged as a meteor crashed where he had been standing.
"Thanks!" he shouted back.
"Tornado forming ahead!" he warned her seconds later.
They changed direction immediately, their coordination keeping them alive through the chaos. The trial continuously tried forcing them backward through relentless environmental attacks. Every step became harder than the previous one as exhaustion accumulated beyond normal limits.
"My... my vision is blurring," Sylvia admitted, her steps becoming unsteady.
"Mine too," Caelus replied, blinking rapidly. "Just focus on my back, follow my steps exactly."
"Okay," she agreed weakly.
Caelus began relying purely on willpower to continue, his body moving on instinct alone as conscious thought became difficult. Sylvia followed behind him closely, trusting him completely to guide them forward.
They could finally see the Volcano Heart clearly ahead after what felt like an eternity. It pulsed like an enormous crimson crystal embedded in the volcanic rock, its light growing brighter as they approached closer, almost beckoning them forward.
"We are... almost there," Sylvia said hopefully.
However, the moment she spoke, the Volcanic Pressure suddenly doubled without any warning. The invisible weight crushing down on them became unbearable; even standing became nearly impossible under the crushing force.
"No... not now..." Caelus groaned.
His legs gave out. He fell onto one knee involuntarily, his muscles shaking uncontrollably from a strain beyond their limits. His vision blurred severely from exhaustion and heat, and his legs felt ready to collapse entirely beneath him.
Sylvia also fell beside him, struggling against the same oppressive force. She tried to stand, but her legs refused to obey, trembling violently from the pressure.
"Caelus..." she called out desperately.
"I know," he replied through clenched teeth. "Just... give me a second."
Neither could stand properly anymore. They looked at each other, both seeing the same determination reflected back despite their physical condition.
"Together?" Sylvia asked.
"Together," Caelus confirmed.
They both pushed themselves up simultaneously, using each other for support. One step forward, their legs nearly buckling immediately. Then another step, slower than before. Then another after that, each one requiring everything they had left.
"Just... a little... more..." Sylvia gasped.
"Almost... there..." Caelus replied, his hand extended forward.
The Volcano Heart was less than ten meters away now. They could feel its energy pulsing, calling to them.
Five meters... Three meters...
Just as Caelus reached out toward the Volcano Heart with his hand fully extended, the entire volcano trembled violently beneath them.
A deep voice echoed throughout the Secret Realm from an unknown source, ancient and powerful.
"At last..." the voice said slowly, filled with something that sounded like satisfaction.
"Someone worthy has arrived," it finished.
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[Ding! You have cleared the Volcano Trial]
[Calculating Rewards...]
