Chapter 79: The Molten Core (2)
The battlefield did not fracture all at once, but rather gave way in a slow and dreadful collapse, the ground groaning beneath their feet as if something deep below had finally decided to rise, forcing its way upward with an unstoppable pressure that none of them could resist.
RUMBLE! RUMBLE!
"Grul... Grul... Grul..." A low, guttural sound crawled out from beneath the earth, and the rocks nearest the Red Chains began to soften, their edges sagging and losing shape as if the land itself had grown weary of bearing the weight of war, the once solid terrain now shifting into something unstable and alive.
"What in the abyss is that..." one of the barbarians muttered, tightening his grip on his weapon as the ground beneath his feet trembled with a deep and simmering pulse that rose through his legs and settled heavily in his chest.
The Red Chains felt it travel upward through their bodies, a vibration that did not merely shake the flesh but disrupted the rhythm of their breathing, as though the battlefield itself had imposed a different cadence upon them, and even the veterans who had survived countless battles against beasts and men alike found themselves hesitating for a fraction of a moment as instinct warned them of imminent danger.
Then the ground split.
A violent surge of molten light erupted from the rupture, forcing several to shield their eyes as the brightness seared against their vision, and from the torn earth rose figures of magma and stone, their bodies half-formed and dripping with fire as though the dungeon itself had forced them into existence through sheer fury, their forms incomplete yet terrifyingly alive.
"Ambush! Ambush!" A Red Chain roared, swinging his blade instinctively at the nearest emerging figure, his body reacting before his mind could fully comprehend the situation.
The molten golem had only half of its body out when the sword struck its torso, the impact sending droplets of molten lava splashing outward, hissing as they struck the ground.
The strike connected, yet instead of cutting flesh, the weapon sank into burning stone, and the barbarian’s expression twisted as heat surged through the metal and into his hands, the temperature rising so quickly that his grip faltered and his muscles tightened against the pain.
"Lava?!" The barbarian was confused as the sword was still deep within the body, but he could not easily pull back the sword, his arms straining as if the blade had been locked in place by an unseen force.
It was as if something inside the creature was holding it there.
The golem moved without hesitation, its molten arm sweeping forward in a wide arc that struck the warrior across the torso and sent him crashing into the ground, his armor hissing violently as heat spread across its surface, smoke rising where the metal began to scorch.
"Ahhh! Ahhh!" The barbarian squirmed from the pain as others rushed to strike the Lava Golem, their movements urgent and filled with a mix of anger and fear as they attempted to overwhelm it before it could attack again.
More of them emerged as the cracks and holes appeared on all sides to the horror of all fighters, the ground no longer stable as it continuously ruptured, each opening birthing another molten figure.
"They’re coming from everywhere!" someone shouted.
"Back! Form up!" another yelled, trying to regain order as the battlefield rapidly descended into chaos.
RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE!
The Battle mages were the first to respond as they channeled ice or water attribute elements, their staffs glowing as they forced mana into controlled forms, pushing back against the overwhelming heat.
FWIP! FWIP!
Streams of mana shot forward, striking the molten constructs and causing parts of their bodies to harden briefly, steam erupting violently where the opposing elements clashed.
But an arrow struck at the shoulder of one, interrupting his casting, and another barely managed to block a second projectile as Thane and Esau stood over the large rock and sniped the Battle mages from above, their vantage point giving them a clear and uncontested view of the battlefield. All the previous mana that Thane wielded vanished.
He had become a mere boy standing atop the rock, and was not considered a threat by the beast below that ignored him and moved towards the Red Chains.
"There! On the rock!" a Red Chain shouted, pointing upward with fury in his voice.
"That bastard!" another growled.
Boldred’s eyes flicked upward for the briefest moment, locking onto Thane’s figure, and for that instant, the intensity of his gaze sharpened into something far colder.
"That brat..." he muttered under his breath, anger simmering beneath his control.
But no one could pay heed to this for long.
The battlefield erupted into chaos as multiple ruptures opened, each birthing another molten construct glowing with a violent intensity that pulsed in rhythm with the distant presence of the Lava Dungeon Core, the very air around them beginning to warp from the heat.
At the epicenter of the pulsing energy, the ground erupted as an explosive spell shot and tore through the earth.
BOOM!
A large blob of lava emerged with its center shining brightly with a red light that pulsed like a beating heart, radiating a pressure that pressed against the senses of everyone present.
"The Core...? It went up?" Thane glanced at it.
Boldred’s gaze hardened as he took in the situation, his instincts immediately connecting the shift in mana with the earlier disappearance of the Dungeon Core.
"It really is... a Dungeon Core! That brat! He trapped us here and made the Dungeon Core chase after us!" The Battle Mage Commander cursed as he wielded his staff, spells of ice forming rapidly as he unleashed them across the battlefield.
"They’re targeting us!" another warrior shouted, his voice edged with disbelief as another molten figure turned toward their formation.
"Of course they are!" Boldred snapped.
RUMBLE! RUMBLE!
The place began to quake as more bursts cracked through the ground.
"We’re the only fools standing here! And that brat’s dungeon core disappeared at my feet!"
FWIP!
"And he’s still interfering!" another added as an arrow struck near their feet, forcing them to shift.
The Battle Mage Commander glanced upward again, his eyes narrowing as he caught sight of Thane.
"Tsk... That quake made me lose my aim!" Thane complained.
Seeing Thane’s lax appearance only made the Battle Commander more enraged. But his magic was needed for the emerging beasts!
"...If I get my hands on him!" he muttered, his grip tightening on his staff before he forced his attention back to the battlefield.
"We deal with this first!" he barked.
A molten golem lunged forward at Boldred, its massive arm raised high.
"Boss!" The Battle Commander called out, but another lava golem was already moving at him from the side.
"Focus on the ones attacking you!" Boldred barked and charged forward, meeting the molten beast head-on and smashing it with his fist alone.
BANG!
It was like a cannon blasting through the molten beast, its head obliterated as lava splattered everywhere, the magic sustaining it collapsing instantly as it turned into a lifeless molten heap.
"Use Power! Everyone, this is just a hunt! Organize and form ranks! Disable their movements, and disperse them with a Power attack!" Boldred commanded, his voice steady and forceful.
"But this is just like the Queen Spider hunt we did! Unless we kill the queen, it will constantly send more to us!"
With the commands of their leader, the group began to reorganize itself, discipline slowly overriding the chaos that had overtaken them moments before.
DING! DING!
The barbarians became a shield to the Battle Mages, stepping forward to block incoming attacks and intercept the sniping efforts of Thane, their bodies forming a defensive wall.
"Shields up! Watch the rock!"
"Don’t let him hit the mages!"
"Get up! Don’t freeze now!" a veteran barked, hauling a younger fighter to his feet and pushing him back into position.
Barbarians charged forward, their weapons crashing against the molten bodies of the constructs, yet the results were far from what they expected, as despite harnessing Power, each strike either bounced off hardened sections or sank uselessly into liquid heat that reformed moments later.
"This isn’t working!" one of them growled, wrenching his weapon free as it began to glow red from the heat.
"Move!" another shouted back, stepping in and smashing his massive poleaxe at the torso of the beast.
BANG!
Power erupted out, and the lava beast crumbled, its form destabilizing before collapsing entirely.
An archer loosed an arrow, the projectile streaking through the heated air before striking a golem’s torso, only to melt upon impact.
"Damn it! They’re too hot!" he cursed, already drawing another arrow.
"Use more Power!" another archer answered, adjusting his stance.
FWIP!
BANG!
"What?!" The archer cursed as a hole appeared on the Lava beast, but it did not disperse, its form continuing forward as if unaffected.
The lava beast moved forward and was about to kill the barbarian before him.
"Ahhh!" The barbarian in front panicked, his stance breaking as he lashed out in desperation, his blade cutting through the front side of the lava beast.
It dispersed.
"Huh?! That barely didn’t have Power in it!" The barbarian shouted, stunned.
"Mana disturbance!" The Battle Mage saw it and realized what could disperse the beast.