Chapter 277: Clearance Reward of the Volcano Trial, Using the Chaos Forge
The oppressive heat surrounding them disappeared without warning. The unbearable pressure lifted from their shoulders like someone had removed an invisible mountain.
Their exhausted bodies instantly became lighter. Breathing no longer felt like inhaling fire, and the pain faded completely.
The Volcano Heart emitted a brilliant crimson radiance that bathed the entire area in pulsing red light.
Consecutive system notifications began appearing before their eyes.
[Ding! You have cleared the Volcano Trial]
[Calculating Rewards...]
[Reward Calculation Complete.]
[You have received +15 Levels.]
Golden light erupted from both Caelus and Sylvia simultaneously, their bodies glowing with the radiance of rapid advancement.
[Level Up!]
[Level: 20 -> 21 (1,453/4,200)]
[Level Up!]
[Level: 21 -> 22 (1,453/4,400)]
[Level Up!]
[Level: 22 -> 23 (1,453/4,600)]
The notifications continued appearing one after another without stopping.
[Level Up!]
[Level: 23 -> 24 (1,453/4,800)]...
The Level Up messages kept on going.
[Level: 34 -> 35 (1,453/7,000)]
[Combat Score: 72.5 -> 117.5 (+3)]
The transformation struck Caelus like a tidal wave of pure power flooding every cell in his body. Power circulated through his lungs.
His muscles became tighter and more explosive, capable of generating force that would have seemed impossible minutes ago. His bones felt heavier yet lighter at the same time, as though they had been reforged from superior material.
His instincts became considerably stronger, his danger sense sharpening to razor precision. His body felt as though every single cell had advanced another stage of evolution.
Comparing how Level 20 Caelus felt versus his current state was like comparing a candle to a bonfire. The difference was massive beyond simple description.
This was the largest increase in strength he had experienced since entering the Origin Ascension Domain. Nothing else had come remotely close to this transformation; fifteen levels all at once changed everything fundamentally.
"..."
"This..."
"Feels incredible," Caelus said slowly.
Sylvia experienced similar changes beside him, her eyes glowing faintly as power coursed through her veins. Her Aura radiated outward before she reined it back under control. She smiled brightly despite her exhaustion.
"I feel stronger than ever," she said.
Another notification appeared immediately afterward.
[Special Reward Obtained.]
[Key of Volcano]
[Description: When the time is right, this key shall awaken. It shall guide its owner toward the First War that ignited the Boundless Expanse.]
Caelus quietly reread the description several times, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully as he processed the strange message.
"...Boundless Expanse?" he asked slowly.
He frowned deeply, confusion evident on his face.
"I have never heard of that before," he admitted.
He looked toward Sylvia questioningly.
"Any ideas?" he asked.
Sylvia gently shook her head, her expression equally puzzled.
"No," she replied honestly.
"It sounds ancient, much older than the Origin Ascension Domain," she added thoughtfully.
Caelus stored the key in his inventory without further comment, deciding to investigate later when they had more information.
"Looks like another mystery," he said with a slight smile.
Another notification appeared moments later, this one different from the previous rewards.
[Congratulations.]
[Volcano Trial Record Broken.]
[Previous Holder: Volcano King]
[New Holder: Caelus Kross & Sylvia Reign]
[Reward: Passive Income Increased.]
[+20,000 Origin Credits per day.]
The notification explained that this income stacked with their previously earned passive income from other secret realm records, meaning they now earned money every single day simply for maintaining Secret Realm records without lifting a finger.
Caelus grinned seeing the reward, satisfaction evident on his face.
"We are one step closer to becoming rich," he said happily.
Sylvia laughed hearing his comment, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
Caelus looked back toward the Volcano Heart, the pulsing crimson crystal still glowing brilliantly behind them. Only now did he realize how close they had actually come to complete failure.
Their HP had dropped dangerously low multiple times, and their exhaustion had reached limits they did not know existed. Their determination alone had carried them through the final stretch.
Everything flashed through his mind in rapid succession, every painful step replaying clearly.
"That was..."
"Absolutely worth it," he finished with conviction.
He did not regret saying that. Fifteen Levels was worth it, and it seemed like they had more on their plates with the Volcano Key.
The Secret Realm slowly dissolved around them as the trial officially ended. The volcanic landscape faded like mist in sunlight, and they returned to Volcano Land seconds later with the familiar heat washing over them again.
Hundreds of players immediately looked toward them as they materialized near the ancient door. The atmosphere became instantly noisy with excited chatter and shouted questions. Everyone had already heard the news spreading through the player network.
News of the record breaking spread almost instantly through social media and livestreams. Players excitedly showed each other their phones while pointing toward Caelus and Sylvia. Some began livestreaming immediately to capture the moment for their followers.
Social media comments flooded in rapidly.
[BlazeHunter: Nah these two are actually speed running the game :Sob:]
[LavaMain: First they clap a Raid Boss, now they steal Volcano King’s record. Someone stop these people.]
[GuildRecruiter: Somebody PLEASE tell me what guild they’re in]
[VolcanoKingFan: Ain’t no way, the record stood for three years... They broke it?]
[DavidWilsonAlt: I still think they’re cheating]
[BlazeHunter: Bro made an alt just to hate :Sob:, we know its you David Wilson bro, you already embarrassed yourself enough in the domain.]
Players took countless pictures of Caelus and Sylvia from every possible angle. Cameras flashed repeatedly despite the bright volcanic environment. Some players even tried approaching for autographs before being pushed back by the crowd.
A global announcement suddenly echoed throughout the entire Origin Ascension Domain without warning.
[Origin Ascension Domain Closing.]
Caelus was not disappointed hearing the announcement; he had already achieved everything he wanted today.
"We have already gotten everything we came for," he said.
After reaching their new level and completing such an exhausting trial, continuing today was not necessary anyway. Rest and recovery would serve them better than pushing forward immediately.
As they returned back to Earth, Caelus suddenly remembered something important he had promised earlier. He turned toward Sylvia.
"Sylvia," he said. "I promised I would forge something for you."
Sylvia nodded; she did remember that.
"I will forge something right now," Caelus said with a smile.
Hearing this, Sylvia thought for a moment.
"However, hubby, there is no forge here," she pointed out.
Caelus smiled mysteriously with a confident look on his face.
"I do not need one," he replied simply.
He activated Chaos Forge immediately without further explanation, the secret skill responding instantly to his will.
Black Chaos flames erupted beneath Caelus without warning, the dark fire spreading outward in a perfect circle around his feet. Countless golden runes began rotating around him in complex geometric patterns that seemed to follow no mathematics.
Space itself folded inward visibly, reality bending as though something impossibly massive was forcing its way into existence. A gigantic black anvil slowly materialized from absolutely nothing.
The anvil looked ancient beyond measure, covered in runes that hurt to look at directly. The hammer formed next from condensed Chaos Axiom Energy.
The tool radiated power that made Sylvia instinctively step backward.
The forge felt alive in a way that defied normal understanding. An ancient consciousness seemed to pulse within the black flames; this was far beyond any ordinary profession skill that existed in the Origin Ascension Domain.
"This is a Chaos Forge." Caelus smiled and roughly explained to her its functioning.
After Sylvia understood that, he began hammering away.
Caelus began the forging process immediately. He selected the Grade 1 Ore from his inventory carefully.
These were the ores he got from Adrian by exchanging contribution points.
The ores went into the Chaos Forge one by one, black flames consuming them instantly before melting everything down into glowing liquid metal.
Soon, the first strike rang out like thunder, sparks exploding into the air as metal met anvil with tremendous force.
The moment the hammer made contact, a brilliant rainbow light suddenly flashed across the metal’s surface. The imperfect molten form instantly refined itself into something purer.
Caelus’s eyes narrowed seeing this phenomenon, recognition flickering across his face.
He continued striking with rhythm, each hammer blow sending more sparks flying upward.
After every few strikes, that same mysterious rainbow light would flash again, correcting imperfections automatically while maintaining the shape he intended.
Caelus lost himself completely in the rhythm of creation, his hammer rising and falling in perfect tempo. The formless molten metal began solidifying under his guidance. Rough edges smoothed out with each golden flash, curves forming with elegant precision. Minutes passed like seconds as he remained completely immersed.
Sylvia quietly watched without disturbing his concentration.
After countless strikes and dozens of golden refinements, the weapon finally took its complete form. One final hammer strike landed with resounding force. A massive golden light erupted across the entire weapon simultaneously.
The completed sword slowly rose into the air on its own, hovering between them as though presenting itself proudly. The blade was crimson-black with a silver edge and blood-red runes flowing along its length.
The Origin Ascension Domain immediately recognized the weapon’s quality and began assigning a True Name.
[Equipment Successfully Forged.]
