Chapter 89 - The Inferno Lands
"Aghhh!" Brig roared, swinging his blade with a powerful arc that sliced through the Lava Shadow's torso. The creature's body split in half, but as expected, the molten flesh reattached itself almost instantly. Though his strike had landed, this was what Brig loathed most about these creatures—they could simply reassemble themselves unless they were fully destroyed. Fortunately, as their health diminished, their regeneration noticeably slowed.
As Brig completed his attack, three wind-element missiles, each about half a meter long, flew through the air and slammed into the Lava Shadow's body. Upon impact, the missiles expanded rapidly, exploding like compressed air, the sound echoing in a series of sharp pops.
The creature staggered but the attack did not stop there. Before it could react further, an electric sphere crashed right into the Lava Shadow. It was made from a combination of water and electricity. This was Haruto's newest attack—a skill he'd developed thanks to some guidance and fighting with the trio. The elemental combination sent crackling energy through the creature, causing it to momentarily freeze.
"Yes! I got a stun effect!" Haruto exclaimed. He was still adjusting to how different elements could trigger status effects, like burns or paralysis, depending on their purity. This was a discovery that had significantly improved his combat abilities since he discovered the usage. He actively tried to make every attack as pure as possible.
Solan, Cohn and Gale joined the fight after the first initial moments. Gale carefully chose a vantage point where she could observe the battlefield and act as the group's healer. Solan, meanwhile, darted forward with a burst of speed. In a blink, he was within striking distance of the Lava Shadow. Rather than attacking directly, he slid to a stop, shifting his body at an angle before making a subtle, calculated motion with his arm. His hand, like a clock's hour hand, moved in a fluid circle before tapping the creature's molten body.
BOOM!
A powerful burst of energy exploded from the point of impact, forming a wave of force that surged behind the Lava Shadow. A magic formation appeared around the creature, with a glowing symbol searing itself into its molten core. The beast shrieked in rage as Solan adjusted his footing, striking the symbol once more with his other hand, knocking off a significant portion of its health.
Cohn, mid-battle, noticed Solan's attack and smirked inwardly. He wasn't impressed. 'That's it? If this is all he's got, he's in for a world of hurt.' His confidence surged, and his attacks grew more vicious, unaware that Solan was merely toying with the creature, using it to test some experimental techniques.
Gale, observing Cohn's reaction, sighed inwardly. She could tell Solan wasn't showing his full strength, and she could only hope that he wasn't keeping his true strength hidden for the wrong reasons.
Suddenly, the Lava Shadow bubbled violently and began spewing molten lava in all directions. Haruto, Cohn, and Solan swiftly retreated, giving the creature a wide berth, but Brigs stood his ground. His shield absorbed the brunt of the attack. Thanks to his resilience and Gale's timely healing spells, Brigs hardly felt the burn.
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"Healing Essence!" Gale's voice rang out as her magic washed over Brig, immediately negating any damage he'd sustained. Despite Gale's lower ranking, she was quickly becoming one of their guild's top healers. What made her so formidable was that not only did she have large mana reserves, her observation of the battlefield and ability to time her heals was top notch. She ensured not a drop of mana was wasted.
The Lava Shadow, despite its regenerative abilities, was no match for the group's coordinated assault. With a final shriek, the molten creature collapsed into a pool of cooling lava, hardening into stone. Brig stepped forward and collected some of the solidified remains, stashing them in his inventory.
"Did you see that? I—" Cohn started to boast, but he quickly realized Solan wasn't paying attention to him. Instead, Solan was engrossed in conversation with Haruto.
"That was incredible!" Solan said excitedly. "I had no idea you could use multiple elements like that. Tell me about that sphere with the electricity..."
Haruto nodded, a bit sheepishly. "Yeah, I wasn't sure if it'd work. On the way here, we fought some rock monsters that were immune to my electricity, so Brigs suggested I try mixing water with it. That's when I discovered I could cause status effects."
Solan's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "That's brilliant! I've never been great at thinking on the fly. It's probably why I became a researcher instead of a fighter. I once tried to study a creature's nest, but the mother came back while I was hiding. I didn't know what to do, so I just... well, I got crapped on."
Haruto and Brig blinked in surprise, then burst out laughing. "Why would you share that story? That's so embarrassing!" Brigs doubled over with laughter. "Man, you're something else."
"All right, enough chit-chat. We should keep moving," Cohn interrupted, annoyed by how well Solan was blending into the group. "According to the map, it's only another thirty minutes to the destination—if we don't run into any more problems."
Brigs, regaining his composure, nodded. "Yeah, good point. We still need to reach the border and finish our analysis. Let's stay focused."
The group pressed on, and after another half-hour of travel through the treacherous terrain, they encountered more Lava Shadows, which they dispatched with increasing ease. The group's teamwork had grown impressively tight. The Lava Shadows had gone from formidable foes to mere nuisances. Brigs, ever the pragmatist, gathered materials from each fallen creature, explaining to Haruto that these rare components could fetch high prices from merchants. Haruto, realizing the opportunity, followed suit, stashing whatever he could in his own inventory.
What Brig was really after, though, was a fire core—a rare drop that, if found, could potentially grant the group the ability to challenge for higher guild ranks. But Lava Shadows were too weak to possess such a treasure. They would need to find an epic-level monster, which was unlikely on this leg of their journey.
Suddenly, a deafening roar echoed through the air.
"That... was no Lava Shadow," Solan said, his voice suddenly serious as he went on high alert.
The group crested a hill and looked out over the barren wasteland. In the distance stood a massive creature, towering at least 20 meters tall, with a length of 10 meters. Its back was lined with flames, and two enormous, spiraled horns protruded from its skull. It walked on two legs, with colossal wings folded tightly against its back, though it didn't seem capable of flight. The beast resembled a dragon, but something about it felt different—grounded, almost.
Even more concerning were the figures surrounding it. At least twenty individuals were engaged in battle with the creature, their movements frantic as they tried to bring it down. Brig's face grew grim as he observed the fight. Something was off.
Haruto noticed Brig's frown and asked, "What's wrong?"
"That's... troops from the Kingdom of Val," Brigs replied, his voice tinged with confusion. "But we're well within Demon Clan territory, nowhere near the border. And that... that's the Behemoth of Inferno. It's said to be the Demon King's personal pet. What in the world is going on here?"
The group stood frozen for a moment, watching the chaos unfold. Then, as if in response to Brig's revelation, the Behemoth unleashed a torrent of fire, forcing the beleaguered soldiers into a desperate retreat. The ground shook with each step the creature took, and the air grew thick with the scent of burning stone.
Solan narrowed his eyes as a glint of malice shot through them but quickly disappeared. "This is bad," Solan muttered, his earlier lightheartedness completely gone. "Very bad."
Brigs gripped his sword tightly, his eyes narrowing. "We need to figure out what's happening—and fast. But first, we need a plan."