Chapter 403 - Savi (Patreon)

The doors open and the heat that hits me is stronger than before. The hallway outside the room starts to have its walls heated up and a thin layer of its surface starts melting. Unlike the inside of the huge room, the outside seems to be made from a different material.

Detecting that the doors start closing I slip inside and look at the view in front of me.

It's a massive room. I don't even know if I can call it a room. Some time ago on Earth, I saw a documentary about Tokyo flood tunnels. Giant structures serving to redirect water there so it doesn't flood the surface. This place is similar, just even bigger and taller. Instead of water, there is a lava-like layer of molten metal. The place stretches over a huge distance with massive pillars supporting it.

A bit of detection is enough to confirm that all the heat absorbed from the outside and sent through the pyramid is absorbed by this pool of metal. Either by design, caused by the being swimming inside of it, or something entirely else that lies deeper.

I know that the being inside the pool has detected me already, yet it's not attacking for now. It seems to be wary of me. Well, more likely it's wary of the thermal orb I have with me.

I wonder, did it eat the body of the Champion? Is it something that came into existence because of the Mana Radiation from the dead body of the champion? Is it the Champion's skill that made it come to existence? It could be either of these things.

But now, standing here and through [Perception], I confirm that the body of the Champion is still there. Lying at the bottom of this pool of molten metal. The heart of that body continues to pull in the heat, using the pyramid to do so. It even beats with long pauses in between. These pauses are perfectly in sync with the heatwaves that are sent through the pyramid and with the appearances of Heatseekers.

I give the shy guy in the pool of molten metal an opportunity to attack but it doesn't come out. Annoyed, I create three tricolored orbs and shoot them in the direction where I think the being is. The molten metal explodes into the air and ripples are sent through the surface and the shockwave pushes me, almost making me fall even as I activate my defenses.

Even then there is no attack from the being.

Annoyed, I boost myself with kinetic energy into the air and then a few more times until I land on the ledge that is on what I think is the central pillar. That pillar is thicker than the other ones and much more densely inscribed. Up close I even notice that there is much less heat around it. Some molten metal seems to have solidified at its base.

I land on that solidified metal and tear out a few huge chunks I send through [Tether] to the anchor I left in the living quarters near the core. Being done, I boost myself up and land on the ridge in front of the doors on the pillar's side. They are extremely smooth, almost feeling like they are just painted on the pillar. My mana doesn't even seem to do anything and even my senses can't feel much.

While thinking, I throw another tricolored orb to where I think the being is. Then I take a bit of thermal energy from my orb and send it to the door. The lines light up and it looks like they are melting the surface and it spreads through the entirety of the door until they are melted away.

I enter inside and behind me the door starts reforming and only now do I see how thick the wall of metal is, at least as thick as I'm tall.

Infusing my mana arm with thermal energy, I tear off a chunk of the metal and also send it through the anchor. Then I do it a few more times until the hole closes. Only then I turn to the room I found myself in.

Of course, the room is nearly dark, lit only by a few lines that seem to be powered by a bit of thermal energy I used before to light up the place.

The control panels near me don't react to my mana and there doesn't seem to be any other door. It's just the circular room that copies the shape of the pillar it is in.

Knowing now what the problem is, I let thermal energy seep out of me and the panels and devices start to light up. Even the ceiling changes, the lights there looking like swirling lava.

I don't think the thermal energy powers it all, that would be weird. It's more akin to thermal energy unlocking it. That or maybe there is a way the room transforms it into mana and then uses that mana as fuel?

Anyway, is there anything I could sell?

I grab one of the chairs and try to send it through the anchor only to find myself unable to do so.

Cheeky place, there seems to be some shielding after it closed off. Hell, my thermal energy maybe reactivated the defenses. For some reason, I find it funny.

I release more of my thermal energy and more devices light up, some of them even projecting a map of the pyramid and some uninteresting letters and numbers.

So where do I find a last note saying something like: "If you read this I'm long since dead."?

It takes a few minutes but I find some switch and when I move it the walls of the room become transparent, allowing me to see the pillars and pool of molten metal outside.

More than that, it allows me to see the monster that coiled around the pillar and one of its huge eyes tries to stare inside.

[Volcanic Hydra - lvl ???]

My laser-like stream of thermal energy hits the now transparent wall and starts melting it, right in the place where the monster's eye is.

The monster doesn't react in any way and my attack continues to melt the wall very slowly. It would take minutes for it to pierce through. Annoyed, I throw a tricolored orb against the uselessly thick wall and cancel my thermal attack.

As I watch the tricolored orb turn bright white, I come to think that it might not be such a great idea.

My eyes activate for a moment and I quickly move my mana, tearing the orb apart before it fully destabilizes. There is still a small shockwave, but most of the devices survive it just fine.

That also makes me realize that the monster can't see me; the room allows only one side view. Most likely even shielding what's happening inside.

Watching the hydra for a bit longer I become even more angered.

Cowardly little thing. Did it crawl from its pool only when I went inside? What is it? Is its subclass Patience? Should I go to sleep?

At that time, I decide to temporarily nickname the monster 'Savant,' lovingly shortening it to 'Savi.'

Savi has three heads, all of them exactly the same. They grow from a single lizard-like body but with long nimble-looking limbs and a similar tail. Savi's body is entirely covered in dark gray scales and his heads keep snapping and biting against the pillar.

After a while, Savi becomes uncomfortable; the pillar seems to be absorbing even his heat so he disappears back into the pool of molten metal.

Turning away and back to the devices, I examine what I can, but most of it is encrypted. The ones I can't gain access to, I try to pull mana stones from the surface but the moment I do so, the mana stone crumbles into tiny particles. Maybe a mechanism against spies or something?

In the middle of examining a file, Savi starts attacking. Waves of molten metal start hitting the pillar, hot enough to cause damage, and parts of the pillar start slowly melting.

I let it continue for a few minutes while learning more and more.

The Champion was truly the second strongest of this planet, right after Absolute Tassian. His name was Laten, bearer of Ignition Wavelength Eyes and skill called [Thermal Convergence]. Some of the records even theorize that if he was given a few hundred years he could become even stronger than Tassian, even with Tassian's head start.

All the notes I'm reading seem to be left by a bunch of people who helped to build the pyramid. People akin to mana scientists, some Champion candidates, and disciples as well. All these people worked with Laten, examined his body, trait, and skill to find the best way to use them.

They did it here, right over the biggest active volcano of this planet. A volcano they estimated could even throw out enough ash if it exploded to bring about an ice age. Yet, these beautiful maniacs used it to partially power the Veil. This ignition Station doing a huge chunk of the work even when compared to the other stations.

Of course, a lot of these people were from the Enchanter Guild, the people who entrapped the young divine beast. But damn, Laten is such a fascinating and dumb man. Why did he allow to have his skills and traits noted here? Not like I will complain though, it's fun reading.

Another attack shakes the pillar. With an annoyed sigh, I release a huge amount of thermal energy and this place takes it all and uses it to fix the outer surface that started getting damaged. The metal this pillar is made of melts under my thermal energy and restores itself to its perfect state.

Savi stops attacking, most likely shocked or scared. Maybe he wants to forfeit now, coward.

I turn back to the mana stone I was examining. A lot of information on it is censored. Some by Enchanter Guild and some even by the system, likely containing knowledge I shouldn’t have yet. Letting go of it I check the timer and decide it's enough. I need to deal with Savi before Lissliss comes so I open the door to break the shielding and send a few more things to the living quarters. A mana stone, a piece of device I tear off, and a chunk of a wall.

For some reason, a memory of watching shows on hoarders having their houses filled with trash flashes through my mind. Could never be me, the things I collect will surely find their use later.

Done with it, I exit the pillar, the heat hitting me right away. This time Savi waits for me outside, his three heads lowered and air reverberating under his hisses and a threatening amount of mana surrounds him.

Savi is scared of me. Of my thermal energy. Thermal energy so similar to Laten's even though much weaker when compared to the Champion.

He is scared because Savi is most likely what remains of the giant snake that attacked the pyramid. Something akin to intent.

A monster from the planet paired with this one that used to be just below Champion rank.

Savi failed, probably because the head of the Champion kept up the defenses and killed Savi when he attacked the pyramid.

The nearly dead powerful monster, its intent, its egg, piece of flesh, whatever it was found its way here, mutating and trying to regain its powers within the radiation of Laten's dead body and his still beating heart. The body and heart of the Champion too strong and hot for Savi to take over.

So close to it, yet unable to take over. All while feeding on the Heatseekers over hundreds of years and leveling up.

That's the theory I go with because of what I observed and what I found in the records.

Looking at how Savi now moves through the molten metal, collecting more and more heat I don't think he will tell me more. He seems to agree as he starts hurling rivers of flame from all 3 heads

I quickly create a shield and infuse it with golden thermal energy, the orange flames of the hydra weakly crashing against it. Savi hisses, just that single clash telling him enough.

Decisively one of the heads moves quickly and bites into the neck of another one. With one strong pull, that head tears the head off and together with the second one, they devour it.

I should probably use the opportunity to attack but at this point I'm too fascinated. So I watch as the two remaining heads fight against each other before one of them devours the other one.

Bones tear through the back of the monster and pierce through the air, forming a shape reminiscent of wings. The blood still drips from the white bones when mana flows through them.

Then the monster roars and ripples are sent through the pool of molten metal and inscriptions on the pillars light up.

My body is pushed against the pillar, my crown and thermal orb threaten to destabilize. Activating [Mana Domain], I take them both back under my control, the blueish light of it crashing against the dark orange color of the heat the volcanic hydra is radiating.

The pool of molten metal ripples and from it, a dozen attacks shoot at me, like spear-sized spikes the size of my body.

[Redistribution] activates, and I absorb all the heat. With visible speed, the attacks lose their power until a dozen metal spikes point at me, piercing the surface. A few stop just an arm's reach away.

These spikes made out of metal fall back into the pool where they melt again. I boost my body with kinetic energy and fly to the side, avoiding another wave of attacks, spikes of molten metal piercing through the surface of the huge pool.

They follow me as I fly around, some hitting the pillars I use to avoid them. The amount of heat they contain is impressive and even though my defenses I feel it scorching my skin.

Savi now looks dried up and much thinner, even ribs showing. Yet the bony wings are bigger than before. The thinner he is the quicker the attacks are and the more heat they carry.

From all sides and within a bigger and bigger area the pool of molten metal is taken under his control.

Sometimes I absorb the heat of entire wave-like attacks, which creates waves made out of metal, looking as if frozen in time.

The spikes sent at me continue to fly even as I absorb the heat, piercing into my shields or causing me some wounds.

Then there are Savi’s attacks; even though looking at his death bed, the hydra moves very nimbly, swimming through the lava and snapping at me.

I form an armor around my body, increasing it in size until we are similarly big. It's so much easier now, my mastery over kinetic energy is much better, allowing me to move the huge armor.

So we clash, my mana corroding and melting every time it touches the pool and Savi using this to his advantage. His attacks even changed now, taking into consideration that I can absorb the heat.

As the fight goes on he becomes stronger and stronger. At the same time, he comes closer to his death. His body is just skin and bones, the bone wings cracking and for the first time, he starts taking damage from the lava.

However, the Volcanic Hydra continues. I know I should save as much of my mana as I can to use against Lissandra but at this point, there is no such thought in my mind. I just fight, both sides trying to kill the other.

[Redistribution - lvl 49 > Redistribution - lvl 50]

And then when the time finally comes and Volcanic Hydra slows down, I redirect my attacks, barely avoiding its head. The monster is missing three of its legs, the tail is broken from one of my attacks, one of its eyes is destroyed and its bone wings are nearly gone.

Even then there is that determined gaze in its eyes as he stares at me in challenge while I float over him. The hydra doesn't try to escape and in the end we both know he gave it his all. A last hurrah of a monster stuck here for over a hundred years, unable to break through its limitations and regain its previous power.

“You gave it your all, didn't you?” I say, sure he can understand.

The Volcanic Hydra doesn't say anything but its eye seems to confirm the sentiment.

“I'm no Champion yet but I hope you did have fun fighting me for one last time.”

The monster's neck straightens up and its eye stares at me with expectation.

I let golden thermal energy flow through my mana arm and for the first time during our fight I use it to attack. The golden flames devour the monster and I let its bones sink back into lava without trying to take any of them.

[You have defeated Volcanic Hydra - lvl 329]

[Lvl 249 > Lvl 250]

Level 250 status reached. This marks a significant leap in human potential.

Your body will undergo a crucial upgrade, designed to enhance your cellular regeneration, bone density, and muscle efficiency.

This upgrade will enable your body and mind to endure the strain of higher leveled skills and support more powerful traits and passives.

Note: Following the upgrade, your body's requirements for air will diminish.

Well done!

***

Next Chapter