The other side is not a lava lake and is dark. The ground underfoot is smooth and warm. I breathe a sigh of relief. It is dim and the diabolical trail is visible again. An infernal roar makes my ears shake.
“A cave.” Sylviette releases my hand and walks forward. “A long cave. Could these rumbles be your work?”
I nod and we set off.
The sounds are amplified by the acoustics of the cave and occasionally we come across hot fumes, a sign of the volcanic presence.
As we move forward, I continue to map the area and I wonder why no one has ever noticed these places. Sure, I'm beyond an abyss, but am I the first to overcome certain obstacles in the entire history of the universe?
Someone must have created them, or maybe not. It could be generations of the System, random, causal…
Sylviette continues to stay in front of me and walks without showing signs of tiredness. Now and then she risks tripping and her muscles suddenly give out, but she always recovers.
Using [Scan] I see her stats getting lower and lower, but nothing that she can't recover with her regenerative magic.
The tuff street turns into steps of obsidian that glitter in contrast to the slime.
Ci-cin.
A very loud roar passes through the air and forces me to bend over, holding my hands to my ears. When I get up I look at Sylviette, impassive as always.
“It comes from the top of the stairs.” She draws her blades and narrows her gaze.
BOOM!
Ci-Cin!
“AH!”
A second roar, more powerful than the previous one. An iridescent light is also seen shining a mile or two above the ground. It's difficult to be precise from down here.
“We have to move!”
“Yes!”
I grab Sylviette by the sleeve.
[Dungeon path]
We appear on a checkerboard terrace set in the rock. The boxes are charcoal-colored or crystals under which lava passes, illuminating the area with an orange luminescence.
In front of me a destroyed stone door and behind me some obsidian stairs. I keep my feet on the black squares and let one of my tails pass me the umbrella.
The trail continues beyond the door and the barks, heart-rending wails, hooves, and growls are close by. They come from the darkness beyond the door.
“Sylv, can you keep up with me?” I don't look at her, I already start moving my hands to cast spells.
“Don't worry and go.” She takes off running and passes me with her blades drawn.
[Necrohound]
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[Necromancy]
[Shadow wall]
I dive into the rock face beyond the destroyed door. I see the hounds rise from the coal dust and immediately set off in pursuit, melting into the floor, walls, and ceiling.
Mircalla emerges in turn.
She doesn't tell me anything. She just stares at me, raises her arm, and points to my partially submerged bundle.
I throw her the Atmosphere-eater and she catches it with both hands, bending over for a moment due to its weight. She holds it and then looks into the darkness. She disappears in a flash of light.
Well, now it's just my turn.
[Dungeon path]
♦
A cathedral inside a volcano. Here's where I am. Obsidian windows, colonnades, and naves of which I cannot see the ceiling, the lava rose window, and a small river of lava flowing in the central nave.
I slide like a shadow between the stone benches and the extinguished candelabra, relying on the lava light.
It is an immense structure and I am guided by my hounds, now not too far away. I hear bangs and roars and I know I'm not close to a collision.
The [Necrohounds] have no chance against the [Devil]'s [Evil shield], and Mircalla has no chance of winning. But like Ilnerio, it is right that she too has her chance at revenge.
I take a step on the stone step of an altar and a powerful sound permeates the area. After the first chords it changes direction, becoming velvetier.
I recognize it, in the orchestra hall, there is this instrument…
…an organ!
I can't finish thinking that I'm dodging the fur of a decapitated dragon's head. The lava light, the luminescence of the slime, Mircalla's lightning.
Here they are.
The Atmosphere-eater has the appearance of a monstrous octopus and grasps, bites, and tears parts of the [Devil]. It does the same and shreds of both fall into a sea of colored and steaming sewage.
Mircalla is already returning to dust but she holds her weapon firmly, no trace of the hounds.
I raise my arm.
[Blue…
[Shadow wall]!
A blast of fire forces me to dive into the floor. I feel my way around the darkness of the rock and re-emerge near an altar.
I have surpassed the [Devil]. The floor around it has melted and boils. The Atmosphere-eater reeks of burnt flesh and is charred in its monstrous form. The thousand limbs of the [Devil] trample it and break the sword before my eyes. Only an untouched handle remains.
No trace of Mircalla.
The being roars and several heads aim at me. They pour waterfalls of fire on me.
Thanks to [Shadow wall] I resurface on a column. The organ music continues and I don't understand whether it is the work of the [Devil] or not.
The thought certainly distracts me.
[Blue jet], [Blue jet], [Blue jet]
[Shadow wall]
I fire three shots and disappear. Under the rock, the noise of the explosions is attenuated and I re-emerge on an upper balcony.
I lean over to look. The [Devil] has lost some limbs but is regenerating quickly. It must possess [Cosmic regeneration] or a similar [skill].
It roars and destroys columns and benches and altars, making the balcony tremble. It shoots out flames and it's clear it doesn't know where I am. It's trying blindly, or it's faking it.
Meanwhile, I continue to walk along the balcony.
[Necrohound]
Four hounds immediately emerge and set out in search of the organ. I'm still thinking when there's a bang and the floor collapses under my feet!
[Dungeon path]
Ci-cin!
I am on the central altar from which the magma stream flows. Standing, I stare at the mass, the diabolical conglomerate.
The [Devil] roars but doesn't attack me.
“Take me to the core.”
“I cannot.”
“You can't defeat me.” Six large wings unfold from the body of the being which stands on its hind legs.
“No matter how big you look, the System is on my side.”
“The System is just a system. Now I will bury you.” The environment begins to fill with a rainbow light. It is a halo that starts from above the [Devil]'s head and vibrates with the change of chords on the organ.
The louder the music becomes, the bigger the halo gets.
I raise my arm.
I don't know what it wants to do, but it's stupid to let it do it.
[Blue jet]
[Blue jet]
The two blue discharges dissolve into an invisible barrier.
“WHAT…!?”
The music stops. The [Devil] beats the body to the ground.
A tremendous earthquake makes me lose my balance. The ground shatters and erupts, columns break, and glass smashes.
It all happens quickly. I see rocks falling.
[Shadow wall], [Dungeon path]!