Behind him, countless small spiderlings rushed, spitting poison and skittering through the canyon, tearing through the dirt like a crimson wave of carapace and countless legs.
Corvin shivered at the sound of thousands of legs chasing him and kept running, his Sprint skill leveling up and giving him just enough of a boost to outrun the swarm.
The guards, however, had stopped chasing him and covered the entire area with thick crimson webs, turning the entrance to the Serpent King’s tomb into a deadly trap.
Corvin used Echolocation, trying to find a path, any path, to escape the horde. As he started gasping for breath, he activated Iron Lungs, filling his lungs with air and boosting his endurance for the time being.
I can’t keep this up. I need to find a way out. Then an idea hit him as he spotted a small opening in the canyon’s cliff.
Well, either I get overrun by spiders, or I break my own bones. I’ll choose the other option. He shivered at the thought of thousands of spiders covering him whole and dashed toward the canyon wall with the opening, turning to face the swarm.
“So long, bitches!” he screamed and cast Hydroburst toward the ground.
As the geyser exploded beneath his feet, he jumped on the blast and activated Iron Skin. His skin turned metallic as he was blasted straight into the sky, way above the canyon, just as the sun began to rise, coloring the region in hues of orange.
“Wow… so beautiful.” He stared for a moment as the geyser dissipated, and he began falling. “Aaaah!” he screamed and cast another Hydroburst behind him.
The geyser slammed into his back, high-pressure water crashing against his metallic skin and launching him like a cannonball toward the woods from which he came.
BOOM!
Corvin crashed into the trees, mowing down several.
Luckily, his Iron Skin held, but his insides weren’t so lucky.
[HP: 1874 / 4723]
He lay next to a broken tree trunk, his skin slowly fading back to pale white as he stared at the rising sun warming his tired body.
Well, this was an utter failure. It’s a legendary quest, of course, it’s supposed to be hard. And here I was, thinking that if I killed those weak spiders, I could finish the quest in a few hours.
He sighed and drank two potions, restoring himself to a manageable state as he took out his trusty spear, using it to barely stand.
“Time for a plan. Spiders are weak to fire. I’ve got three fire skills, of which only Blazing Fist does any real damage. I need something stronger… which means I need to go back there. Fuck, will I have enough time?” he cursed.
He was going to the only place he knew that could give him a good fire skill.
It definitely will. It must! he hoped as he returned to the python’s nest.
[Estimated time left: 92 Hours]
***
“Oho, you’re back already. How did it go?” Python asked, chuckling.
“As good as you’d guess. Why didn’t you tell me there was a crazy huge spider that breeds thousands of spiders per minute?” Corvin whined as he sat next to the coiled Nera.
“Hehe, well, where’s the fun in that?” Python laughed.
“Old people sure are bored,” Corvin muttered. “So… got any advice?” he asked pleadingly.
“Not really. You need to kill the Broodmother to stop the spiders, and then you need to find a way past the Basilisk’s spell,” Python explained.
“What is a Basilisk?” Corvin asked; he had never heard of such a being.
“Oh, Basilisk Cobra was the race of the Serpent King. He could turn things to stone with but a look. Though there are True Basilisks, which are way deadlier beings, luckily, they should be extinct by now,” Python explained.
“So, how do I pass the spell to reach the gates?” Corvin asked, stunned.
“You need to figure that out yourself. But I can give you a tip,” Python said mysteriously.
“Please do.” Corvin turned and bowed.
“No need to beg, I was going to,” Python smiled and continued. “Only the destined one can one day come and take away my legacy, the one carrying a piece of me,” Python said cryptically.
“That’s what he said before he died,” the Python added.
“Hmm… thank you. I’ll think about it,” Corvin said, lost in thought.
“I’ll need to leave for a while. I need to train and prepare myself. Nera, you stay here and grow stronger, prepare for our return to slaughter the orcs,” Corvin said, his eyes full of bloodlust.
Nera hissed and bumped him in the chest with her head.
He petted her and stretched. “I’ll take a short nap, then I'll go. You okay with that?”
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“Sure, sure. I also sleep during the day,” Python agreed as he slithered closer to the magma river and coiled into his sleeping position.
Nera, on the other hand, coiled next to Corvin, holding him firmly as if to keep him from disappearing again.
“I’m sorry about what happened back then. I just wanted to make sure you were safe. I know that was selfish, but I just can’t see someone I raised die before me. I am not my father,” Corvin said honestly as he hugged her.
She hissed as if trying to console him.
“Don’t worry, I’ll do whatever I can to get us through this. And I mean all of us. Even Kang, if he’s alive, I’ll drag him by his furry tail and bring him to safety. I just need more power. I’m still way too weak,” he sighed.
“You know, I once had two brothers, Urdu and Stix. Urdu always talked about big dreams and had hopes and aspirations. Stix, on the other hand, was more realistic, but he wanted to do everything he could to make Urdu’s dreams come true. And me? I only wanted to see them free, for the three of us to be happy for a change. But fate had different plans, as she always does, that whore.” His mind started filling with anger until Nera interrupted him by squeezing him a bit harder.
“Sorry, I lost myself. What I wanted to say is, I will always try to help the ones I care about. But if I can’t, I will burn this whole world down. I will make my enemies regret what they’ve done. That goes for that damn Orc, and everyone else in the outside world,” he growled and exhaled, trying to calm himself down. His motivation grew stronger with each thought of his old enemies.
“Let’s sleep, Nera. I don’t have much time,” he whispered, hugging her and closing his eyes.
The old Python listened and closed his eyes as well, something heavy on his mind.
***
Corvin jumped up from his sleep.
Oh shit, I overslept. He checked the timer for the quest and gasped.
[Estimated time left: 82 Hours]
“I slept that long?!” He shook his head and stood up.
Nera was already practicing her fire resistance as Python guided her to slowly approach the burning river.
“Oh, you’re up, young one. We didn’t want to wake you since you were tired,” Python said like an old grandpa.
Corvin smiled and bowed. “Thank you, though I think I slept way too long. I’ll eat something fast and go. I need to get stronger,” he said as he took out a small, already-grilled skewer of meat.
“You got something for us as well?” Python whispered, his eyes wide.
Corvin sighed and bought two roasted pigs for 8,000 points.
“Here, you two. Eat up. I’m going.” He got up, still chewing his meat, and walked outside into the afternoon light.
***
Corvin moved fast through the woods, avoiding the orc’s area and some of their scouts. Then, as night descended, he reached the old bear’s cave.
He descended through the tunnel and stopped at the rubble that had closed the entrance into the massive chamber.
Corvin rolled up his sleeves and started moving the rocks aside.
It took him a few hours until finally a hole opened up, letting out warm air and bright red light.
“Phew. That was a lot of work.” He exhaled and took a sip of water he had purchased from the market.
With a mug in hand, he opened the quest window to confirm what he had to do.
*** Hidden Quest: On Track of Evolution ***
The user has discovered the secret method the beast used to evolve. Find a way to take away the crystal heart and defeat what may come after.
Reward: Will be calculated depending on completion.
Recommended Level: 200
High Fire Resistance Required
The ‘defeat what may come after’ part is worrisome. And those turtles are no walk in the park either. But this is the best chance I’ve got to grow stronger quickly.
He peeked into the chamber and stared greedily at the floating crystal heart.
I don’t doubt that such a precious item won’t give me something good. If the turtles attack again, I just need to run. That’s it!
He inhaled and hardened his nerves. It was time for all or nothing. He would either die or gain something incredible.
Corvin carefully snuck in. The chamber was still razed from his previous encounter with the turtles. One side of the wall had caved in from the infighting Corvin had caused. He smirked and approached the magma lake.
I can’t believe I can just stand here and not burn to a crisp. Max fire resistance sure is wonderful, makes you wonder how that even works. He shook his head and smiled. No use questioning how the system works. Anyway, let’s get this done.
He stepped back a bit, activated Sprint, and lunged across the burning lake, using Dash mid-air to propel himself to the small island next to the burning corpse of the Leviathan.
[Obsidian Cinderborn Leviathan Lv. 783] [HP: 1 / 615,089] [MP: 0 / 70,278]
Corvin stared at the corpse, closer than ever before. How is it still alive? Its heart is outside its body. Its mana is empty, and yet it’s not falling below 1 HP. What an ability! I guess the heart is keeping the body alive at all costs.
He then gazed at the crystal burning heart above the corpse and bowed respectfully.
“Mighty heart, your body has long been dead. How about I help you move on? I would greatly need your help, and I can offer you a new body that grows stronger constantly.” He spoke to the floating organ as if he were selling himself at an auction.
With no obvious response from the heart, Corvin focused his mind on his mana heart and mana lines, releasing the full might of the Fire God’s Vortex ability. His body began absorbing the burning red mana, which this time felt pleasant and nurturing.
He smiled at the soothing warmth. Feels like when Mother used to hold me and tell me stories about Grandpa. He sighed and focused.
Corvin grabbed at the small link between the body and the heart, trying to cut it off, but nothing happened. His hand just passed through it.
Seeing that he couldn’t sever the connection that way, he decided to try a riskier method. He jumped into the air, grabbed the crystal heart with both hands, and rolled onto the ground.
As soon as he touched the heart, he braced for pain, yet nothing came. He expected intense heat, yet the heart released only the most soothing, soft warmth imaginable.
It feels as if I’m holding the source of all life. How wonderful. He stared at the head-sized heart in his hands and smiled.
Suddenly, his own mana heart began sucking energy from the crystal, the Vortex skill activating on its own.
“Oh no. What’s going on?” he gasped as his whole body began drawing energy from the heart.
He panicked and tried to toss it away, but it was futile. The heart was stuck in his grasp, refusing to let go.
“Shit, shit! What is happening?” he whispered as the Leviathan’s corpse twitched and a surge of boiling vitality exploded from it, covering both itself and Corvin in an unbreakable barrier of heat and mana.
“Finally, someone has come to set me free. Finally, someone has come to serve me.”
Corvin’s body trembled, sweat pouring down his face as an unbearable mental force crashed into his mind like a tidal wave. His thoughts splintered under the pressure, then, suddenly, his vision went white.
When it cleared, he stood in a land of burning fire. Oceans of molten magma stretched endlessly, and above them floated a colossal leviathan, its reptilian body coiling through the inferno. Draconic eyes, glowing like molten gold, blinked slowly as they pierced into the depths of Corvin’s soul.
“Interesting… Something shields you from my gaze. What are you?” The voice thundered inside his mind, echoing like a thousand storms.
Corvin shivered, then laughed. A jagged, manic laugh that split the silence.
“Another one? Another bitch who wants me to serve them? What, does it say ‘slave’ on my forehead? You floating worm. What even are you?” His words dripped venom, his voice cracking with rage.
The Leviathan’s presence flared, shaking the fiery sea. “HAHAHA! Did you strike your head as a child? You dare speak to me this way? I am the Great King Erythron! Ruler of the Leviathans! I was here before the world shattered!”
Corvin sneered. “Erythron? Never heard of you. Now, why don’t you tell me what you’re doing in my head, and where the hell this is? Don’t think I’m afraid of some overgrown lizard.”
His voice hardened, every syllable a blade. Anyone who tried to chain him again was in for a rude awakening.
Never again. Corvin swore deep within.
Skills Leveled Up: Sprint Lv. 2 > Lv. 3
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