Spark continued his journey to the top of the volcano. But it wasn't a smooth trip.
Higher up, he encountered the Blazing Bears. Near a steep scree slope. They were Tier-2 monsters. Enhanced creatures. Just like the wolves. But they were far more robust and territorial.
Two hulking forms. Mixtures of bone, flesh, solidified lava, and flame. Standing on their hind legs. Roaring challenges that shook the loose rocks around them.
Spark used the same approach. Partial were-lion transformation. Instant Water Coating. And then direct charge.
These were tougher opponents. Able to absorb more punishment. But slower and less agile than the wolves.
They swung massive, molten claws. And attempted to crush him in fiery embraces.
Spark met force with force. He parried their blows with his reinforced forearms. The Water Coating were sizzling and steaming on contact.
And then, he counter attacked. He delivered bone-shattering punches to their rocky hides. He focused on their joints. Their heads.
It wasn't an elegant fight. Not a fancy kung-fu moves in martial art movies. It was a more glorified street brawl. On a mountainside against living furnaces.
He ducked under a crushing blow. Spun. Jumped. And drove his Water-Coated fist deep into the side of one bear's head. The impact ripped through solidified rock and elemental energy. Sending the creature crashing down the slope.
The second bear was enraged. And charged. Spark met it head-on. He punched its swiping arms. And drove a stomping kick into its midsection.
As the bear staggered. He stepped forward. And hammered its chest repeatedly. Consecutively with his both his fists. Until its form cracked. And collapsed inward.
He stood over the defeated bears. Breathing heavily.
The smell of sulfur and extinguished flame were thick in the air. Another two threats neutralized. Climbing a volcano apparently equal to a standard monster hunting.
Spark regressed back to his human form. And continued moving forward. Upward. Climbing to the top. But just as he was about to reach it...
A Fiery Roc arrived unexpectedly. It didn't dwell on the slopes. But circled high above. A majestic, terrifying creature of fire and wind. A Tier-3. Fortified Fiery Roc.
It seemed to spot the disturbance Spark had caused by climbing the volcano. And descended like a scorching comet.
It was huge. With wingspan easily reaching fifteen meters across. Its feathers were glowing red and hot. Its cry was like the shriek of tearing metal.
Spark jump-rolled sideway to evade its charging claws. They struck the ground in great impact. Just where he previously were.
The Roc didn't stay grounded for long. It flapped its massive wings. And were airborn once more.
Spark looked wearily at the flaming bird. Melee wouldn't work well against a flying opponent this size. Not on this terrain. Were-lion transformation wasn't necessary.
He summoned his technomind gear space. And reached into its void. In an instant, his hand had taken out the familiar, solid ranged weapon. His... Power Rifle.
It was his first piece of technomind gear. Specifically designed for heavy explosive damage. And long ranged reach. Heavy and menacing.
This was a different kind of weapon than his fists. But it was just as blunt in its application. He aimed the rifle skyward. The scope easily caught the target.
The Roc plunged towards him, with talons extended.
Spark's seven-element fairy crest glowed as he instantly activated Water Coating. This time, directly onto the bullet chamber. And the projectile itself.
The magical energy infused the heavy slug. Turning it into a potent, high-speed missile... of concentrated water element.
The Roc opened its beak. Shrieking its enraged wrath. Spark squeezed the trigger.
The rifle emitted loud explosive roar. Despite being suppressed by the attached silencer. It impacted the air with a sharp, contained crack of released energy.
The Water-Coated bullet streaked upwards. A super fast, almost invisible blue streak against the smoky sky.
It struck the Fiery Roc in the head. The effect was devastating. The focused water element projectile had traveled at immense velocity.
It didn't just pierce the creature's skull. It caused a violent, localized elemental reaction. A steam-based explosion that destabilized the Roc's fiery form instantly.
A burst of superheated steam erupted outwards. And the massive bird faltered in mid-air. Its fiery head turning to ash. Its blazing flame turned into smoke.
Its remains plummeted from the sky. Crashing against the slopes far below with a sound like thunder. Leaving a smoking trail of dying embers.
Silence returned. Broken only by the wind. And the distant rumble of the volcano.
Spark lowered his Power Rifle. Dismissing it back into the void. A Tier-3 down. His diverse skill set proved to be consistently effective..
He continued his ascent. The summit was drawing closer. The air became stiflingly hot. Thick with the smell of molten rock. The ground underfoot radiated intense heat. Even through his sturdy boots. He was approaching the source.
Finally, he reached the Volcano Crevice. It wasn't a classic cone-shaped crater. But a deep, jagged fissure in the mountain's upper slopes. Glowing with an orange-red intensity.
At the bottom of the crevice was Blazing Lava. Visible through shimmering heat haze. It was not just any lava. But a particularly pure, magically potent type. One sought after by high-level alchemists and rune crafters. It was powerful. Unstable. And incredibly hot.
The heat here was unbearable. Capable of blistering flesh in seconds. But Spark had prepared. Honey's magic crest responded to his will. Instantly casting Ice Coating all over his body.
A layer of chilling, highly resistant ice element energy enclosed him. Creating a barrier against the searing heat. The Ice Coating immediately began to steam and crackle under the thermal assault.
But it held. A fragile shell of cool air in the heart of fire.
He stood at the edge of the crevice. Looking down at the glowing, flowing mass. This was what he came for. An essential materials for modifying Princess Kissara. Within his Slave Grimoire.
Holding the Ice Coating steady, Spark jumped down to an unburned rock below. On the crevice. Closer to the lava.
He then reached into his void space and withdrew the Slave Grimoire. The book pulsed with dark power. He opened it to Princess Kissara's page. The surface seemed shimmering with receptive magic.
He extended the book over the crevice. Directing its magical absorption downwards. The air around it distorted. With a low, hungry hum, the Slave Grimoire began to absorb the Blazing Lava.
The glowing liquid seemed to flow upwards. Drawn by an invisible force. A thick, viscous stream entering the pages of the book.
The Ice Coating strained. Protesting against the assault of the external heat. But Spark maintained it with sheer will and mana.
He stood there. Absorbing the powerful, dangerous substance into his Grimoire. The heat pressing in. But the Ice Coating holding firm.
After absorbing enough, Spark closed the grimoire. He was not about to modify Princess Kissara here. He would prefer to do it in safer place. A place that held better privacy.
Besides... he thought he saw something in the lava. Something good.
He tucked the Slave Grimoire back into the Spatial Belt. The lava pulsed below. He was sure he'd seen a distinct shimmer. Something other than the molten rock itself.
A prospect worth investigating.
He reached back into his belt. His fingers closed around another item. Not a weapon this time. A tool. He pulled it out.
It was the Celestial Treasure Radar. The one he stole from the Royal Treasury Chamber during the chaos in the palace.
It looked like a compass. Made of polished brass and common glass. But with spinning rings. And a central crystal that glowed with faint blue light.
And the golden needle arrow didn't point north. Spark knew it was sensitive to concentrations of arcane energy and rare artifacts. With just simple injection of energy, it would point at the closest, most precious object within the range.
Spark injected some soulcraft energy in. The central crystal of the device pulsed with a steady, strong light. The spinning rings moved rapidly. Letting out humming sound. The needle also spun wildly for a moment. Then settled... somehow.
It kept pointing to two directions. His Spatial Belt. And the Blazing Lava pool below him.
It was a confirmation. There was something down there. Something significant. He didn't see it wrong. His gut had been right.
But how to get it?
Spark stared down at the lethal, glowing liquid. Even the Ice Coating wouldn't last more than a few seconds fully submerged in that. His skin and flesh would melt. His blood would vaporize.
Direct retrieval was impossible. He was huge and strong. But not immune to fundamental physics. Even when amplified by magic.
He put the radar back. The problem required a different approach. He needed a means to interact with the lava. Without getting himself incinerated.
He needed a proxy. Something controllable. Or expendable. And capable of withstanding this environment. At least temporarily.
His thoughts went to another item in his spatial storage. An item he rarely, if ever, used. An item born of crazy inspiration. And a willingness to dabble in powers most people would cautiously avoid.
He reached in his Spatial Bag again. His hand closed around another grimoire. One of the seven grimoires he had created.
This one felt different from the Slave Grimoire. Colder. More angular. Bound in what felt like gnarly leather.
He pulled it out. The horned skull symbol etched into its cover seemed to writhe with contained energy. It was the... Demon Contract Grimoire.