A.N: I changed Volcranax’s gender from female to male.
The wind roared around me as I stood on the precipice of the Temple of Forgotten Flames. The last time I had been here, it was under vastly different circumstances. Back then, I was weaker, barely holding myself together after escaping the brink of death. Now, I had grown—stronger, larger, a being at the peak of the second stage of evolution. My molten veins pulsed with energy, and my obsidian hide reflected the crimson glow of the temple’s eternal flames.
Why here?
The [Map] function from my system had been guiding me relentlessly since I absorbed the cursed crown from the Lava Serpent. Its dark energies worked in conjunction with the crown’s eerie pull, leading me back to this desolate place. A place that felt like a cruel mockery of fire’s vitality—a tomb masquerading as a sanctuary.
As I approached the temple’s edge, I peered down into the abyssal gorge that yawned below. The air shifted the closer I got, the oppressive heat of the molten flames giving way to a chilling breeze that gnawed at my obsidian flesh. I narrowed my molten eyes, adjusting to the darkness that seemed to swallow the gorge whole.
This aura… it’s here.
Something waited for me. A presence as strong as my own, maybe stronger. The system confirmed it with a mechanical hum in my mind.
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Detected Entity: First Child of Volcranax
Classification: Titan Descendant – Ice Type
Power Level: Peak Second Stage
Warning: Highly dangerous. Proceed with caution.
+ + +
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"Proceed with caution," I murmured to myself, baring my jagged teeth in a grin. "If I was interested in caution, I wouldn’t be standing here."
Then, a voice echoed from the depths below, soft yet resonant, carrying a weight that stilled the air.
"Come."
The word wasn’t a command, nor a plea. It was an invitation. There was no hostility in it, yet it made the molten veins across my body flicker with unease.
I spread my wings wide, the dark obsidian streaked with fiery reds and molten oranges. With a powerful beat, I launched myself off the edge, descending into the chasm. The heat of the surface faded the further I went, replaced by an alien chill that seeped into my core. The glow of molten rock above dimmed as the cavern walls around me began to shimmer with icy blue light. Crystals jutted out like jagged teeth, refracting the light into a kaleidoscope of frozen hues.
It was as if I had stepped into a completely different world, one far removed from the infernal landscape of the island above.
The deeper I descended, the more the temperature dropped. My molten glow dimmed slightly, adapting to the cold that now permeated the air. It reminded me of the crystal cave where I had fought the Wendigos, but this was… different.
More ancient. More powerful.
The aura became oppressive, pressing down on me with a force that made my wings falter for a brief moment. My claws scraped against the icy walls as I steadied myself, refusing to let the presence intimidate me. If it wanted me to feel small, it would have to try harder.
The cavern opened into a massive chamber, its walls glistening with frost and ice. In the center, bound by fiery chains that glowed against the blue-tinted surroundings, was the largest creature I had seen since my arrival on this forsaken island.
The First Child of Volcranax.
It was a monstrous hybrid of dragon and centipede, its serpentine body covered in icy scales that shimmered with unnatural brilliance. Its draconic head bore a crown of jagged horns, and its many legs were tipped with claws sharp enough to carve through stone. The chains binding it crackled with fire, an unnatural heat that contrasted sharply with the frozen aura it exuded.
It turned its massive head toward me, its icy blue eyes meeting my molten gaze.
"So, the destroyer comes," it rumbled, its voice deep and calm. "I wondered how long it would take for you to find me."
I landed heavily, my claws cracking the ice beneath me. My wings folded against my back as I stood tall, facing the chained beast. "You know who I am?"
"Not by name," it said, its tone measured, almost disinterested. "But I have felt your presence. The destruction you leave in your wake. You defeated my siblings, did you not?"
I tilted my head, my molten eyes narrowing. "They were rabid. Mindless. They deserved their fates."
The First Child let out a low, rumbling laugh, the sound vibrating through the chamber. "Yes, they were… disappointments. Not fit to bear the name of Volcranax. But I am not like them."
I studied the creature, noting the intelligence in its gaze, the control in its movements despite its chains. It wasn’t thrashing or raging against its bonds like its kin might have. Instead, it seemed… resigned.
"Why are you chained?" I asked, stepping closer, my claws clicking against the frozen ground. "Your strength rivals my own. Why submit to this?"
The beast’s eyes darkened, a flicker of pain crossing its monstrous features. "Because I was born wrong."
I stilled, waiting for it to continue.
"My father, Volcranax, hated me the moment I came into this world. I was no fiery embodiment of his power, no raging inferno to carry on his will. I was this." It gestured to its frozen form, its chains rattling. "An aberration. An insult to his name."
Its voice grew quieter, a strange sorrow lacing its words. "He devoured my mother before my eyes, her screams still echoing in my mind. The humans who once worshipped her betrayed me, chaining me here to serve as their weapon, their guardian… and their prisoner."
For a moment, there was silence between us, the weight of its story settling in the frozen air.
"And now," it said, its gaze locking onto mine, "you have come to end what they started."
I didn’t deny it. "I need your core," I said plainly. "To evolve. To face Volcranax."
The First Child let out another rumbling laugh, though it lacked the bitterness of before. "Of course you do. And I will give it to you."
I blinked, my molten veins flickering in surprise. "You’re surrendering?"
"I have no desire to fight you, destroyer," it said, lowering its head slightly. "I am tired. Tired of this place. Tired of my existence. I only wish to rest. To see my mother again, wherever she may be."
It shifted slightly, the chains rattling as it exposed its chest, where its core pulsed faintly beneath its icy scales. "Take it. End this."
I hesitated for a moment, the weight of its words settling over me. Despite its monstrous form, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity. This creature wasn’t rabid or mindless like the others—it was rational, even noble in its own way.
I opened my jaws, charging a Destructo Beam, the energy gathering in a blinding glow. The First Child watched me calmly, its icy eyes unblinking.
"Before you strike," it said, its voice softer now, "a warning."
I paused, the energy crackling in my throat.
"To face Volcranax, you must first cleanse this island of its monsters. Only then will he reveal himself."
The glow in my jaws brightened as I prepared to release the beam.
"And one more thing," it said, its voice barely above a whisper. "Do not trust your system too much. It… lies."
My molten eyes widened, but before I could ask what it meant, the First Child closed its eyes.
"Do it."
With a deafening roar, I unleashed the beam, the sheer force of it shaking the chamber as it tore through the First Child’s chest. Its body convulsed once before going still, the chains around it shattering as it slumped to the ground.
The system’s voice chimed in my mind, cold and emotionless.
As I prepared to unleash the Destructo Beam, the First Child’s voice interrupted once more, halting me for a moment. Its icy eyes bore into mine, and its words carried a weight that seemed to transcend the confines of the chamber.
"I know what you are," it said softly. "You are not of this world. You are… other."
The energy humming in my jaws faltered for a brief second, confusion rippling through me. "What do you mean by that?" I growled, narrowing my molten eyes.
The First Child’s mouth curled into a faint, bitter smile. "You reek of it—the scent of Earth. A place I have not seen in… eons. I was like you, once. Long ago."
My claws dug into the icy ground as the words settled over me. It wasn’t just the revelation of its origin that struck me—it was the calm finality in its voice, the resignation that came with knowing it would never return. Before I could question further, it continued.
"This system that guides you… do not place your trust in it."
The chill in the chamber seemed to deepen, and for the first time, I felt a gnawing sense of unease that had nothing to do with the beast before me.
"Why?" I demanded, my voice a low rumble.
The First Child sighed, its massive form trembling slightly as if the weight of its own memories was too much to bear. "Because it is not your ally. It never was. It has its own goals, its own… intentions. You are but a tool to it, as I was once."
Before I could press for more answers, it lowered its head, exposing its chest once again. "That is all I can tell you. Whatever truths you seek, you must uncover yourself. Now, end this."
Its final words were spoken with a quiet dignity that silenced even the storm of questions in my mind. My claws flexed, and with a roar, I released the Destructo Beam. The searing energy pierced through its chest, shattering the icy chains and carving through its massive form.
The First Child shuddered once, its body convulsing as its life ebbed away. As it slumped to the frozen ground, its final words echoed faintly through the chamber.
"Kill them all. Only then will Volcranax face you. And… remember… the system…"
The light in its eyes dimmed and then faded entirely.