Chapter 94

this is a fictional story by realTensai

The final gate to the boss level slowly creaked open and a wave of unbearable heat welcomed them. They exchanged glances, gulping, before fully entering. The gate behind them closed and there was no way back.

Similar to the first floor, they were standing on lava rocks that floated on a river of lava. They were even more unstable, but the reason for it was obvious. Alvis and Chao looked ahead, only to see a monstrous figure approaching them. Each of its steps shook the lava rocks into devastation, yet it also made Alvis and Chao tremble in primal fear.

“And I thought it couldn’t get worse…”

Now, in their view, was a humanoid being of molten rock and fire of at least 40 meters. Next to it were smaller versions of it, yet even those were three times as big as Alvis. However, what caught Alvis’ eyes was something different.

“The Ember Core.”

To complete this level, they had to retrieve it from the flame sentinel. One look at this monster was enough to see that it had stolen it and turned it into its heart.

I guess we have to defeat it then.

However, this was easier said than done, as the boss had already prepared its attack. They had fireballs the size of a small building in their hands, and one didn’t have to be a genius to know what they were about to do next.

“Dodge!”

Countless fireballs, each one even more powerful than the fire dragon’s blast, rained down on the two. They ran faster than they ever did, not even trying to combat all this fire with their own spells. Alvis’ evasion skill was in full effect as he weaved and dodged the lethal orbs of destruction. Chao, on the other hand, just didn’t stop running, each fireball barely missing him by a hair’s length.

Hold on a bit longer, this won’t go on forever.

Alvis, being an experienced gamer, knew about the cool-down phase and this was what he was waiting for. And then it stopped. It stopped with shooting fireballs but just to do something else. It raised its gigantic foot and stomped. A shiver ran down Alvis’ spine as he felt the mana density increasing beneath him.

“Jump away!”

The lava beneath him exploded in a pillar of flame, feasting on everything that was between it and the ceiling. Alvis’ instincts made him jump away in time, yet his eyes immediately shifted to Chao.

Did he make it?

As the pillars of flame vanished, Alvis saw his comrade.

He couldn’t dodge.

“Chao!!”

Alvis sprinted to his side, his heart racing more than ever since entering this dungeon. Guilt terrorized his brain and his breathing became stocking. With his sweaty hands, he reached for Chao. Only for him to momentarily lose his breath upon seeing his condition.

His skin had turned dark and just by touching it, layers crumbled. He had third-degree burns all over his body and he wasn’t even moving anymore. However, as Alvis touched his skin, he felt some earth crumbles, and his eyes widened.

He protected himself with earth layers!

Alvis immediately checked his breathing and confirmed that, albeit weakened, he still breathed. Chao’s heart still pulsated; he was still alive. He was in a critical condition, but a healer could get him in shape.

“You did great today, Chao. I will take care of the rest.”

Alvis picked up his body and jumped to the other side of the room. There he gently placed him in an earth bed he created out of the reach of the boss. The flame sentinel had ended his cool-down phase and was ready to terrorize them again, but Alvis met its gaze, his eyes filled with killing intent as he approached the boss.

“Even though you don’t feel pain, I will make you regret ever being created.”

Fireballs ignited like miniature suns in the boss’s palms, their light casting wild shadows across the volcanic cavern. Alvis didn’t flinch. With a wave of his hand, orbs of swirling water materialized, glowing faintly as they hovered around him like planets in orbit.

The Flame Sentinel let loose its barrage, and Alvis retaliated.

Boom!

The first fireball collided with his water orb, exploding in a burst of steam that filled the chamber. Alvis didn’t stop. He controlled each sphere like a conductor leading an orchestra, hurling them to intercept every incoming attack. Steam billowed out in clouds, obscuring the battlefield, but Alvis’ sharp eyes pierced through the haze.

“Is that all you’ve got?” he muttered, his voice steady.

It changed its approach, raising its foot to stomp again. However, Alvis created an earth spike right beneath its feet, impaling it and making it unable to stomp. Lava spilled from the wound, sizzling as it touched the rocks below, but the sentinel didn’t fall.

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It raised both arms.

The temperature spiked as flaming cracks split open across its entire body, forming glowing veins of molten fury. Alvis’ instincts screamed at him—it wasn’t finished.

“No…”

Flames erupted outward in a spiraling inferno. Molten chains of fire shot out from the sentinel’s core, slamming into the rocks and melting them on impact. The chains lashed out at Alvis, forcing him to jump back, barely dodging as the heat scorched the edges of his shirt.

“Waterfall!”

He summoned torrents of water, flooding the chamber and extinguishing the flames before they could spread further. But even as the water doused the fires, the sentinel’s core blazed brighter—it was drawing power from the very lava beneath their feet.

“No matter how much I extinguish you, you just keep burning…”

Alvis clenched his fists. His mana surged.

“Then I’ll stop you at the source.”

Liters of water surged upward, engulfing the sentinel in a swirling vortex. The molten titan thrashed, its molten body dimming as steam filled the air.

But then—a blinding light.

The sentinel’s core pulsed, exploding outward in one final desperate attempt to break free from the water prison.

Alvis threw up a wall of earth to shield himself, but the pressure sent him sliding backward, his arms shaking as the heat seared through his defenses.

His mana was dropping, yet he wouldn’t stop.

Alvis reformed the shattered water reformed and pulled every last drop he could summon, forcing them back into motion. The air trembled as Alvis raised both hands above his head, his voice echoing through the cavern.

“Mana, you are the essence of everything. Grant me insight into your vast power. Forming the nature with your will. Altering the course you took. Changing reality to how I want it. Cool down what is not cool. Stop what is still moving. Take away the power and bring it to zero. Freeze!”

The final word rang out like a command to the world itself. In an instant, the swirling water turned solid, imprisoning the beast in layers of glistening ice. The sentinel’s roar died in its throat, freezing mid-motion, its form now a towering statue of frost and shattered flame.

It couldn’t move. Its light extinguished. The battle was over.

Alvis exhaled, his breath forming clouds in the chilled air. His body trembled—not from fear, but from the sheer amount of mana he’d just unleashed. Yet his focus remained sharp. He created an earth pillar to ascend to the beast’s chest and then took out the ember core.

“This should end this quest.”

And just like he thought, his game system popped up.

Quest Completion: Ashen Spire Trials

Congratulations! You have successfully completed the Ashen Spire Trials and restored the sacred flame to the Spire.

Rewards:

* Ashen Cloak (Rare Item): Grants fire immunity and health regeneration.

* Regeneration Potions (x2): Restores health.

* Coins: +600

* Team Member Limit Increase: +3

Additional Notes:

Your valor and determination have reignited the hope of the Flame Order. The Ember Core’s light now burns brightly, and your legacy as a champion of the Ashen Spire lives on.

The fiery dungeon slowly faded away, the volcanic cage turning into a research lab. All the ice and lava vanished, and it looked like nothing had ever happened.

However, Alvis immediately sprinted to Chao, ignoring his exhaustion.

He lay on the earthen bed, his breathing getting weaker and weaker. Alvis opened up his inventory and took out the two regeneration potions he just got. Alvis’ hands trembled as he poured the potion into Chao’s mouth, his heart pounding louder than it ever did facing the boss.

What if it’s too late?

The thought gnawed at him, and for a split second, he saw Chao’s lifeless face instead of the one barely clinging to breath.

You trusted me... and I pushed you too far.

The words hung in his mind like a curse as he clenched his fists, forcing himself to watch—to hope.

Then, the faint glow of healing magic spread across Chao’s skin, and Alvis’ breath hitched. The weight crushing his chest lifted, but the guilt didn’t fade. His breathing steadied, and he opened his eyes again.

“Chao!!” Alvis shouted, embracing him. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t protect you. Because of me, you almost died.”

Chao stared at his own skin, his eyes blinking in awe and confusion. His clothes had turned into burned rags, but his body was still intact—although patches of scorched, discolored skin remained visible across his arms and legs, hints of the damage he had endured.

“The last thing I remember is how the flame pillar burned me alive,” he said, the horror still engraved in his eyes. He lifted his eyes from his body and stared at the surrounding. “So you cleared the quest…. Thank god.”

His game system also popped up, and he saw all the rewards he got.

“Did you use your regeneration potions to heal me? Wait, I will give them back.”

“No need. I still have one left.”

“But…”

Yet Alvis just shook his head, further denying Chao’s offer. Still, Chao opened his inventory and took something out. It was a crimson red cloak. He put it on and covered his body, its soft glow hinting at the healing properties imbued within.

“It also has healing effects, and I can feel it,” Chao said, clenching and opening his hands with a weak smile. However, as he took a few steps forward, he stumbled to the ground, the lingering effects of his wounds still slowing him down.

“Chao!” Alvis said, lending him a helping hand. “Are you alright?”

“He… I guess I’m just tired.”

His shoulders trembled, yet he still had a smile on his face. However, in the next second, he fell asleep.

“You did amazing today. You can rest now.”

Alvis picked him up and carried him on his back, careful not to press against the still-tender burn marks scattered across Chao’s body. He knew the cloak’s passive healing would help, but it wouldn’t be enough.

He still needs a proper healer.

As the two of them wanted to walk out of the room, the door slammed open, the sharp sound echoing through the chamber like a gunshot. Alvis spun around, his instincts flaring—only to freeze as a slow, mocking clap rang out from the entrance.

“Bravo.”

The voice was smooth, almost amused, but dripping with malice.

“Congratulations,” the figure at the door said, stepping into view with deliberate, measured strides.

William.

His pristine clothes, untouched by ash or battle, stood in stark contrast to the charred, bloodied state of his companions trailing behind him. Their ragged breathing and stumbling steps painted a picture of hard-fought survival, yet William’s smug grin made it clear—he hadn’t lifted a finger.

“You ran right into my trap.”

“What do you mean?” Alvis asked, his voice cold.

“Isn’t that obvious? I mean—why waste time fighting monsters when I can let you do all the hard work? I just needed someone foolish enough to clear the way for me. And here you are—beaten, drained, and exactly where I need you to be.”

His laugh resounded through the room, making Alvis sick to his stomach.

“And now I’ll take what’s rightfully mine.”

Hearing William’s plan made Alvis’ remaining mana run wild, as killing intent took over.

MP: 97/450

This should be enough to deal with him.

“So you really want to fight?” William asked, seeing the resolve in Alvis’ eyes. He raised his bow, his diabolic smile now fully reaching his eyes. “Fine with me!”

There is one rule that everyone has to abide by: no killing, no matter what.

Lia’s voice echoed in Alvis’ head, and he remembered the promise they made. However, Alvis just closed his eyes, his racing killing intent and boiling mana unable to be stopped. He activated his skill Mastermind as he had purposefully not done it before in case he still needed to fight.

“I’m sorry, Lia, but I’m not sure if I can keep this promise.”