11 Wormsaurs killed!
+ 500x11 = 5500 EXP
Giant worm killed!
+ 5000 EXP
Congratulations! You've just leveled up! You have +3 Assignable Points!
The numbers glowed before Marshmallow as if to mock his epic win. Over 10,000 EXP bagged, yet he'd barely squeaked up one level. It was something unthinkable until now.
As the numbers faded, Marshmallow surveyed the charred battlefield beneath his boots. Moments ago, mighty hellish creatures had dominated the landscape, and now they were just smoky remnants before his unstoppable march.
"M-Marshmallow..." The Goat Horse's voice trembled, overwhelmed once again by the sheer vastness of his buddy’s power. "How... how the hell did you pull that off? This strength... it's beyond imagination!"
Without even a glance his way, Marshmallow smirked. "What are you on about?" His voice was low, almost bored as he gestured to the smoking rubble. "Just the fruits of some hardcore grinding. The heat and the baddies around here are barely a step up from the usual for me."
The Goat Horse's eyes widened, a deep respect seizing his frame. "Grinding...? Quit messing with me! You've hit godlike levels!"
What Marshmallow had just said made zero sense. What the hell was he talking about? Since when did a week's grind give him the power to even think about taking on gods?
That worm was worth 5000 XP, which meant it was five times tougher than a Grimgoat, and twice as tough as the Mechanical Cerberus, both enemies that had nearly sent Marshmallow to the other side. And now, he'd wiped it with a single light bullet. His power had truly become sky-challenging.
Finally, Marshmallow turned to his companion, a mocking smirk twisting his lips. He stepped forward, placing a hand on the Goat Horse's shoulder. "You know, sometimes it's better not to sweat the details..." His voice was a low growl of warning. "Let's focus on the mission. We've got a long way to go."
***
As they pressed on through the hellish landscape of Vesuvietna, the Goat Horse couldn’t help but notice a figure in the distance, wrapped in rags and hooded. The trembling form hinted at great distress.
"Hey..." the Goat Horse hesitated. "There’s someone over there."
Marshmallow slowed just a bit, approaching with an indifferent air. The Goat Horse stayed a few steps back, ready to jump in if needed, knowing his buddy could handle almost anything on his own.
"Hey you," Marshmallow’s voice was calm and steady. "This place is a freaking furnace. What are you doing out here all alone?"
The woman remained still, then her voice rose, a remote and melancholy echo vibrating with ancient sadness. "Traveler of the fire lands... my soul is trapped in this cursed place. I was searching for something, now out of my reach among the never-dying flames... I carry the burden of an ancient quest," she continued in a cryptic tone. "The Amulet of Flames, a talisman that once mastered this now rampant fire. It lies beyond the great obsidian gate, guarded by Balor the Immortal."
Marshmallow yawned loudly. "And if I fetch this trinket of yours, will your soul find peace?"
The woman nodded slowly under her hood. "Yes... and your path might be enlightened with hidden truths. But the road is paved with ashes and oblivion. Many have challenged those flames... none have returned..."
Marshmallow snorted, shrugging dismissively. "Like that's gonna be a problem for me. I’ll come back with your pendant, amulet, whatever. But I expect a reward."
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
The woman stood as still as a statue. "May the fervor of your will guide you... and the fire not devour your vital essence..."
The Goat Horse swallowed dryly, sensing trouble. "Buddy, don't underestimate those flames. Even for you, they could be deadly."
Marshmallow's eyes narrowed mockingly. "Oh? And what could possibly stop me in this world? Not even BloodLust scares me anymore."
With a defiant look, Marshmallow turned and strode toward the depths of Vesuvietna. The Goat Horse followed reluctantly, the cryptic words of the woman echoing in his ears like a grim omen.
But Marshmallow seemed utterly unfazed. He’d embraced a new challenge, another obstacle to overcome and crush with his relentless strength.
Then, the quest screen popped up:
Optional Quest: The Flame's Relic
Retrieve the Amulet of Flames, a powerful talisman lost in the Depths of Vesuvietna. Kills King Balor the Immortal and brings the heirloom back to the hooded woman.
Threat level: impossible*
Impossible? Let’s see if this challenge is really as impossible as they say.
***
Marshmallow and the Goat Horse proceeded cautiously through a labyrinth of twisting corridors, overcoming a series of puzzles and deadly traps that would have challenged anyone. Pools of boiling magma sputtered on the floors, ready to swallow the unwary. Sheets of heated metal suddenly detached from the walls, hurling a shower of fiery bullets.
On more than one occasion, they had to climb slippery rock walls, with the stifling heat seeming intent on crushing them to the ground. Yet, Marshmallow pressed on undeterred, his determination a flame burning fiercer than those unnatural fires.
Finally, after dodging a last trap of obsidian spikes that burst from the floor, they found themselves before a massive obsidian door, the entrance to King Balor the Immortal’s realm.
The door was topped with intricate reliefs depicting the horrid humanoid form of Balor. His body resembled a mass of solidified magma twisted into an expression of relentless fury. The curved fangs and claw-like talons promised a gruesome end to anyone daring to challenge him.
The Goat Horse neighed uneasily, his hooves scraping on the fiery rock floor. "M-Marshmallow... that’s King Balor, lord of the eternal flames. They say his rage is matched only by his thirst for destruction."
Marshmallow, however, appeared utterly unfazed. His eyes shone with fierce excitement as he stared at the reliefs, almost sensing Balor’s mighty aura through the stone.
"Perfect," he growled, a fierce grin creasing his lips. "Just the kind of challenge I was looking for."
Without another word, Marshmallow advanced towards the immense door, ready to face the ultimate test that awaited beyond that threshold. The Goat Horse followed reluctantly, already dreading the inevitable explosion of violence that awaited.
With a furious cry, Marshmallow threw all his strength into the Titan Hammer against the obsidian door, making it tremble on its hinges.
BUM! BUM! BUM!
With each hit, the door gave way a little more. The panels began to open with a deafening creak, revealing the interior of the palace bathed in the red glow of the eternal flames.
Until, with a final blow, the massive gate was knocked down. And there, amid that blazing furnace, stood the fearsome figure: King Balor the Immortal, Lord of the Eternal Flames.
A giant of titanic stature, Balor seemed forged directly from the primordial flames blazing all around. His mighty armor was made of shiny black dragon scales, reinforced with plates of glowing obsidian. Sparks flamed from his joints with every movement, as if his very body was a blazing brazier.
In his clawed hands, Balor wielded a huge curved sword, the blade twisted and serrated like the teeth of a ferocious beast. The weapon seemed drawn from the darkest of legends, forged in the deepest shadows' flames. The heat emanating from Balor’s body was suffocating, a roasting wave that seemed to melt the air itself. As he stood up, his mere movement made the ground tremble, shaken by the weight of this colossus of solid magma.
With a roar that could shake mountains, Balor turned towards Marshmallow, and his ember eyes burned with implacable fury. His voice boomed like the rumbling of an erupting volcano, guttural and ancient, woven with threats and taunts.
"Foolish mortal! You dare defile my realm with your miserable presence?" he thundered. "Here, in the heart of Vesuvietna, I am the sole ruler! Prepare to face the wrath of the eternal flames, worm!"
"So you're the big bad Balor?" Marshmallow's voice rang out high and clear in the fiery palace. "You're not so scary."
Balor roared at those blasphemous words, making the flames dance furiously around his body of solid magma. "Insignificant worm! You dare profane my realm with your arrogance?"
A low groan sounded next to Marshmallow as the Goat Horse realized his buddy's complete lack of respect. "M-Marshmallow... don't provoke him! His fury is legendary!"
But Marshmallow shrugged nonchalantly. "Feel this heat, buddy? It's just a summer breeze to me. Balor is just another broken toy in this hell."
A rumble like a volcano erupting sounded from Balor's jaws as he brandished the huge fiery sword. "You will pay for this insolence with your very soul!" And he charged.