Chapter 93
this is a fictional story by realTensai
“And what if we refute?”
“Then be ready to die,” William said, declaring his intentions.
So there is no other way, huh?
Alvis had said these words to see William’s reaction, but he couldn’t say he was surprised by his answer. He also didn’t plan on giving up this quest, so fighting was inevitable. Alvis just clicked his tongue.
How bothersome.
“We will fight,” Alvis whispered to Chao. “Just worry about your own survival and think about nothing else. If you think you will die, just call my name and I will save you.”
Chao’s eyes widened in horror, his sweat forming so fast that even this enormous heat couldn’t vaporize it fast enough. But even with his entire body trembling, he clenched his fists and nodded.
“O-Okay.”
Alvis tilted his head for a second, surprised by Chao’s reaction, but without commenting on it, he smiled.
“Foolish,” William said upon seeing Alvis and Chao still not withdrawing. And in the next second, he drew his bow, while two of the fourth years sprinted toward Alvis and the other one toward Chao.
The two who were coming for Alvis were wolf beast-men and with his skill, Assassin’s Eye activated, he saw that their estimated power levels were at around 1400. Alvis quickly glanced to the side and saw that the demon had a power level of around 1500. William had the highest at 2250, but it wasn’t his power level that made him dangerous.
Several energy arrows haunted Alvis, yet he avoided them by jumping from one lava rock to another. Yet, as if perfectly in sync, the two beast-men attacked him right there where he landed, sending fast but still powerful jabs right to his face.
Alvis sparked his mana and let it flow through every vein of his, strengthening his body to block both of their punches with his palm. He easily kept up with their speed and soon went for the counterattack. The heat around his palms increased as two fireballs morphed into existence, feasting on the fiery environment they were born. Within a second, he sent them flying, but the two of them immediately jumped away as if they had foreseen his attack. However, one look at their shocked faces was enough to see that this wasn’t true.
I guess their instincts as wolves saved them.
“I thought he was a human?” one of them said, his tail and fur standing up.
“That means he also has a blessing.” They both clicked their tongues, more annoyed than shocked.
However, Alvis wasn’t surprised by their reaction, and their explanation for his powers also made sense. After all, the one leading them was none other than a human with a blessing.
As both his enemies stepped back for a second, Alvis had enough time to spare a glance at Chao. Only a few seconds have passed, but he might already need his help. So he thought but Chao was still alive and avoided every attack. His opponent was more than two times stronger than him, yet he somehow held on to life.
He created earth walls in between him and his opponent and placed them strategically so that every time the demon destroyed the poorly built walls and wanted to advance, the sea of lava separated him from Chao. He also dodged William’s arrows by creating earth walls on the ground and moving them around, making him way more mobile.
Chao only used a basic earth spell that was meant for defense, yet with his brain he utilized it to the fullest, making him survive even against opponents way stronger than him.
If he had a deeper mana core, he would’ve been an excellent mage.
Alvis focused back on his opponents, not wanting to be caught off guard. Not that it really matters, though. He planned on defeating them quickly and then helping Chao, because even though he held on well, it didn’t mean he could keep up forever. Also, their priority was still the quest. Wasting time with them here only gave other students the chance to arrive at this quest, which would be disadvantageous for both parties.
Perhaps also realizing this, William’s smile slowly faded away.
“You’re tougher than expected,” he said, his voice losing the friendliness in it. “If you can’t even take care of underclassmen, how can I count on you? Unfortunately, you won’t cut it, and you know what that means.”
Suddenly, the other fourth graders stiffened up, their entire demeanor changing as fear consumed them.
So this is how it is.
Alvis had wondered how a demon and two beast-men subordinated themselves to a human, especially in a situation like this where the students were divided by race. Yet just by seeing their reaction, Alvis concluded that the fourth years had a whole different hierarchy in place that they had to adjust to if they wanted to survive. Race didn’t matter when confronted with unbelievable power.
William drew his bow again, and the others locked their eyes on Alvis and Chao, their killing intent even higher this time. However, Alvis only raised both his hands, also ready to end this.
I won’t go easy on them.
However, just before their last clash, the entrance to the facility, now a volcanic dungeon, opened and three new foes appeared.
“Seems like we aren’t the first ones.”
Once again, a familiar voice entered Alvis’ ears. His eyes landed on the three demons that had slept in the same classroom as him, Uro, Wenzel, and their leader, the one who had declared war on the humans and everyone else, Mika. All of them seemed rather unfazed by the heat, which made Alvis wonder about the climate on the Demon Continent.
“Mind if we take over this quest?” Uro said with a confident smirk on his face.
He swung his weapon around, which was a double-sided battle axe. Wenzel was armed with a sniper and Mika carried a black sword.
“More nuisances,” William said, barely audible. Then, after a second of thought, he sighed. “We shouldn’t waste our time with them. Let’s go.”
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The other fourth years rushed to his side, and they vanished up the stairs to ascend the summit.
“What? Are you running away?” Uro shouted, laughing.
“Chao, let us go too.”
He just nodded, immediately understanding their priorities.
“You run away too?”
“Uro, shut it. Our goal is to complete the quest,” Mika said, but these were the last words Alvis heard from him before he also made his way up.
“The first one to reach the top will win,” Alvis said, looking at the quest log once more.
Objectives:
1. Ascend the Ashen Spire
* Navigate through scorching winds and unstable lava rocks.
2. Challenge the Volcanic Guardians
* Defeat fiery beasts that protect the summit.
3. Reclaim the Ember Core
* Battle the Flame Sentinel to retrieve the stolen Ember Core.
The research facility had five floors, so the Ashen Spire probably had five levels, too. And they soon reached the first one. It was a fiery landscape similar to the one they were in before, the only difference being the enemies they now had to face.
“W-What are those creatures?”
“They look like fire critters.”
A swarm of small fire creatures turned towards Alvis and Chao and as soon as they saw them, a smile crept on their faces. And they started jumping towards them.
“Ahh~ Earth Wall!” Chao let out a high-pitched cry.
“Waterfall,” Alvis chanted, and tons of water manifested, sweeping those little creatures away. “Let’s hurry for the next floor, crybaby.”
Chao’s face turned red, but he didn’t even have the power for an argument, so he just stayed silent. Alvis chuckled, and they advanced.
They reached the next floor, which was way hotter than the ones before. It was a tighter space, a more enclosed one, with walls glowing red-hot, dripping molten slag. The air was heavier, and visibility was reduced due to dense, smoky fog.
“We should be more careful here,” Chao said.
They took a few steps forward but still couldn’t see any enemies. Yet this made them even more wary. With his heightened senses, Alvis focused on the environment, and then his eyes landed on the wall. He inspected it a bit closer as the cracks in it didn’t seem natural. Then they started glowing.
“Step back, Chao!”
A jet of flame shot out from the cracks in the walls, devouring everything in its path, the path Alvis and Chao had been on just a second ago.
“A-A-A...,” Chao couldn’t even form a coherent sentence and even Alvis’ heart sank straight into his pockets.
“Ha, that was close,” Alvis said, the you died animation already vivid in his mind.
They went on, but this time paid more attention to the walls. Every time they saw it glowing, they stepped back. By repeating this strenuous and nerve-wracking procedure, they managed to clear all the erupting vents and continued upwards.
The next level was a sprawling maze-like area with twisting paths of unstable lava rocks floating over a sea of molten lava. The rocks shifted periodically, some going up, some falling down, and some even crumbling.
“Do we really have to pass this?” Chao asked, his eyes on the sea of lava that would eat up their flesh in seconds.
One wrong step and they would be dead. They could probably make it if they analyzed the patterns long enough, but Alvis knew they didn’t have time for that. Their goal was to reach the top before the others could.
“We will jump.”
“Huh? What?”
Alvis stared at the other end of the floor, estimating the distance to be around 50 meters.
“Hold on to me.”
“Huh, wait. What do you mean by we will jump?”
With no time left to explain, Alvis just grabbed Chao and directed all his mana to his legs. He created some wind as a boost up and jumped.
“Ahhhhh!”
They floated over the lava sea and ended on the other side.
“Y-You.. you are insane.”
“I heard that a lot.”
Chao took a few seconds to catch his breath, and after that, they continued. They soon reached the penultimate floor. It was a narrow path leading, which had a big gate at the end, which could only be the entrance to the last floor.
However, guarding this entrance was a mana beast Alvis only knew from legends.
“It’s a fire dragon.”
The fire dragon lay dormant before the gate, which could only mean no one had reached the top yet. However, the pressure radiating from it even whilst sleeping was unmistakable. Even amidst this heat, a cold shudder ran down Alvis’ spine as he clenched both his fists, ready to fight.
“I think as soon as we step on the stairs, it will wake up. We will have to slay it as quickly as possible and enter the last floor before the others come.”
“So we are really doing it?” Chao asked, though this question was more for him to finalize his resolve. He didn’t complain and just nodded.
The both of them took their first step on the stairs and as soon as they did, the dragon’s eyes snapped open, blazing like molten suns. It stared into their souls, radiating an aura of overwhelming dominance, as if asking what fools dared to enter its domain. Its scales shimmered in the infernal light, cracks of fiery energy pulsing across its body like living magma. With a powerful beat of its massive wings, it ascended into the air, sending waves of scorching wind crashing down the narrow stairway.
“ROOOOOAAAAR!!!”
The deafening roar reverberated through the volcanic chamber, shaking the fragile stairs beneath Alvis and Chao’s feet. The mana density around the dragon’s mouth skyrocketed, a blinding glow building in its jaws.
Oh, shit.
A torrent of fire burst rained down the stairs, the beam so bright it was blinding. Alvis didn’t hesitate. He conjured a towering water pillar to intercept it, the summoned water hissing and evaporating on contact, creating a dense cloud of steam. Yet the fire beam didn’t stop.
“Earth Wall!” Chao shouted as an earthen wall manifested before the two of them.
It was his best effort to stop the raging flame, yet it melted down in a second. However, this gave the idea of how to stop the dragon's attack. Clapping his hands together, Alvis conjured an earth wall, continuously pouring his mana into it as the relentless flames melted layer after layer. New walls sprang up instantly, each lasting mere seconds before succumbing to the inferno. The clash of elements roared around them like a storm until, finally, the fire ceased.
Alvis breathed heavily, his eyes darting to his mana bar.
MP: 270/450.
He still had over halfway left, and considering everything they overcame today, it was a fair amount. Yet just defending this attack already consumed a lot of mana, and they still had the boss to defeat on the last level.
I have to deal with it quickly.
“How about we bring you to the ground first?” Alvis said, his voice steady despite the sweat dripping down his face.
The dragon roared in defiance, its wings sending gusts of heated air through the chamber. It hovered menacingly above them, flames licking its maw as it prepared for another attack.
Alvis twisted his wrist, gathering earth particles in his palm. Concentrating hard, he imagined the shape and structure, channeling his mana into creating an enormous earth spike as tall as a man. With a swift gesture, he lifted the spike using wind magic and hurled it at the dragon. The projectile, sharpened and reinforced by the winds, sliced through the air like a missile.
It hit its target: the dragon’s wing.
“ROOOOOAAAARRR!”
The dragon screeched in agony as the spike tore through the delicate membrane of its left wing. Purple blood oozed from the wound, its toxic glow reflecting off the molten lava below. The once-mighty air creature faltered, spiraling downward. With an earth-shaking crash, it landed on the stairs, causing cracks to spread like spiderwebs through the fragile structure. Chao stumbled, barely catching himself as the heat intensified.
Now grounded, the dragon looked even more terrifying. Its enormous frame loomed over them, its blazing eyes wanting to set its prey on fire. The beast opened its jaws, the glow of fire building once more.
Not this time.
Alvis acted without hesitation. He gathered mana again, forming another earth spike. This one was thicker, sharper, and reinforced with even more power. The dragon’s fiery breath began to form, the intense heat already reaching Alvis and Chao. Alvis’ vision blurred from the heat, but he steadied his aim, focusing all his will into the attack.
“Take this!” Alvis shouted, launching the spike with all his strength.
The dragon’s fire blast erupted just as the spike reached it. Alvis’ attack pierced through the beam, scattering embers in every direction, and struck the dragon’s neck with a thunderous impact. The force of the blow sent shockwaves through the cavern. The spike exploded on impact, severing the dragon’s head in one clean strike.
“ROOOOOAA—” The roar cut off abruptly as the dragon’s massive body collapsed. Purple blood gushed from its neck, spraying across the battlefield in glittering arcs. Its lifeless body tumbled, crashing into the sea of lava below, where it was consumed by the molten abyss.
The cavern fell eerily silent, save for the hissing of lava.
“Let’s go,” Alvis said, wiping the dragon's blood from his clothes.
Chao, who was still frozen in place, his eyes and mouth wide in shock, couldn’t say a word. However, after a few seconds, he snapped, and they continued their advance and now stood before the final gate. They both took a deep breath in and out before opening it.
“It’s time to end this.”