Strange trees could be seen. These were different from the ones found in the forest and swamp. Rishi's eyes fell on this strange place as he passed through the forest area. He could see steam appearing from the ground. He was approaching this place when hot air greeted him. It was at the temperature where; if it was a little hotter, it could start burning the body of an average human.
He looked at these strange trees from a closer distance and saw brownish-red branches filled with strange red-colored leaves burning continuously. He was surveying the area when he felt a little hot. At first, it didn't bother him much, but soon he felt like he was walking on burning coals.
He created a giant sword again, hovering a little above the ground. It was much better here, but he was still sweating buckets. He channeled his Ice Energy to keep himself cool and finally sighed. What a strange place this was, where walking normally was a struggle.
At first, he thought, Who would want to live in this kind of Hellish place? But soon, he found that it had many strange creatures that had adapted to live in these conditions. "How can I forget that even Hell is filled with creatures? It shouldn't be a surprise."
There were strange, small ball-shaped creatures that were moving around. They looked like fireballs with cute faces. This area was filled with fire. The strange trees around him had big brown fruits. They contained a high amount of fire energy; they were not suitable for normal creatures to consume until they had given up on life.
Rishi had just approached the tree to pluck some when his eyes fell on a strange creature. It was a one-foot-tall creature with a long, bushy tail. It had big, scarlet eyes and a small mouth. This creature looked like an ordinary squirrel beast in a different color. Its bushy tail lit up like a bright torch after a few seconds, and as he scanned the area, he found there were many of them.
What a contrast between the place and its beasts! It had a hellish environment, but the creatures here were very cute and peaceful. He had to be careful of these beasts; he could feel that their little bodies hid terrifying strength. They constantly patrolled the tree they lived in; he saw many burrows on the tree where they lived."
It took him some time to steal some fruits below their noses, but he had become an expert at it after some days, so he somehow managed. He heard the constant squeaks just as he moved a little forward. He was again surprised; these creatures quickly found out that some fruits were different from others.
They constantly searched to find the thief, but Rishi had already escaped. As he went a little ahead, he found himself above a lake made up of molten lava. It was so hot that he had to use Ice Enhancement to be comfortable. He saw a strange flower resembling a bigger water lily covered in a green fire.
This was something that could be used as a suitable evolutionary resource. Instead of directly approaching the flower, he surveyed the area around it before using 'Shadow Sense' to see below the surface of the lava. He sensed that it had many strange plants and creatures living inside.
He soon saw something that widened his eyes. It was a giant, five-meter creature sleeping while rolling like a Ball. It had a body full of black-colored scales, and lava could be seen flowing through its gaps. It had similar characteristics to a lizard, but its head resembled a dragon's.
It had red-colored spikes that extended from its elongated neck until half of its back. Its tail was large and muscular and crystallized at the end. Its claws looked as if they were made of rubies. It looked strong and Beautiful. Rishi guessed it might be an Elite Stage Beast from its presence.
The sweat on his body increased as he saw it. He didn't want to battle such a strong beast in an environment that suited them. Salamanders were a famous species of magical beast. It was one of the best epic-grade fire-element Contract beasts.
Known for its strong body and powerful Magic Attack, Rishi sighed after a moment and started thinking about what to do. After thinking for a while, he found that he had no other choice but to confront the situation, so he started moving slowly toward the flower.
Using his concealment to the fullest, he created a copy and plucked the flower before replacing it. He stored it and was about to leave when ripples appeared on the Lava lake. Salamander leaped out, releasing a frightening Roar. His nostrils released smoke as he turned his eyes around in anger.
The moment its eyes fell on its treasure, It stomped on the lake's surface where it was standing. A fountain of lava appeared, and Rishi needed to be careful to dodge it. As he was constantly releasing chill energy foreign to this place, Salamander was able to locate him.
Its bright red-colored reptilian eyes moved toward Rishi. The moment it Roared at him, Rishi felt like a storm had hit him. An invisible pressure fell on him that suppressed him. Rihsi released his will and resisted it. His stealth broke, and he appeared in front of the creature.
When Salamander saw him, he opened his mouth. The next moment, the air around his mouth turned hot as a red-colored light shone inside it. A large, one-meter-long orb of fire appeared and shot at Rishi. He was just about to dodge when the Salamander's eyes shone red.
The V-shaped area around him got covered in strange fire. The border lit up, forming walls of fire. The Orb of fire that he had barely dodged started following him. Rishi threw a chakram at it and created a barrier around him to defend himself. 'Boom, the Orb exploded. Rishi had underestimated its strength; his barrier broke apart, and he needed to use his 'frost Armor' to defend himself. He was able to stop it, but it pushed him towards the Salamander, Who appeared near him and slashed him with its claws.
Rishi created an icy shield and defended again. The impact broke apart his defensive spell, and even small cracks appeared on his frost armor, which recovered instantly. "As expected, this Apex predator lives up to its reputation," he praised as he looked at his state.
Some minor wounds have appeared on his body, and he got the burn effect, which decreased his 0.5% HP every two seconds. He used Ice Energy and recovered from it soon. His body shone a light green, and he started recovering. He streched his hands and said, "I will need to get serious now."
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