The Lava Drake lay in its cave beneath an endless flow of fire. This was the perfect environment for it to thrive. Rather than requiring food, it sustained itself by drinking the magma and lava spewing from the mountain to nurture its growth. As a Tier 3 monster, it needed to enhance the quality of its aspect—in this case, lava, a branch of fire. Whoever had placed it here clearly understood this, designing this space specifically for it.
The creature was intelligent enough to know that no meal comes without a price. If it survived, it would likely become a mount or companion for some high-level cultivator. This prospect wasn't particularly distasteful—such relationships were common even among monsters. Besides, if humans engaged in similar practices, there was no reason for it to overthink the matter.
The worst-case scenario would be death here, something that at least one member of the organizing committee seemed eager to prevent, given the treasure they'd left in its care. The item was a pure white teardrop that emanated a bone-chilling cold. Even the drake trembled when approaching it, its internal lava threatening to solidify into black stone under the opposing temperature.
Though seemingly counterintuitive, this was precisely what the Lava Drake needed. It had managed to create a crack in this strange water drop, using it to aid its cultivation. While ice and fire were naturally opposed, proper application could yield unexpected results.
The Lava Drake, having claimed this territory, had received hints and guidance, allowing it to discover ways to enhance its combat capabilities beyond its previous limits. It was confident its survival chances through these blood-soaked days far exceeded those of other monsters.
As it quietly absorbed the essence seeping from the floating teardrop in the mountain's heart, a thunderous earthquake-like sound jolted the Lava Drake from its peaceful state. It hissed, flames spreading around it as it angrily stomped toward the exit.
The artificial moonlight and night sky greeted it, along with a massive humanoid figure carrying a girl with detestable ice properties and a small cat on its shoulders. The Lava Drake recognized the girl and let out a warning roar. Beneath its throat, its skin heated up as lava charged for release.
Nathan involuntarily shuddered deep inside. He wasn't entirely confident about this course of action, but wanted to test his limits nonetheless. If they could defeat a Tier 3 monster, the points earned would guarantee him deeper access into the trials.
Evelyn instinctively jumped down, positioning herself behind Nathan while maintaining a safe distance. Though her mind brimmed with questions about his transformed state, she maintained her discretion and refrained from prying.
Following their discussion during the journey here, Argentius found a hiding spot. If things went south, it would revert to its original form and intervene when necessary. With its speed, it could surely evacuate the two humans without facing total destruction. Argentius understood it needed to keep Nathan alive to safely exit this monster-filled pocket dimension.
The Lava Drake, seeing no movement from its opponents, stretched its nearly six-meter-high head upward, mouth gaping wide. Lava, like a small fountain, shot toward its enemies, scattering droplets that rolled across the ground.
To test his hypothesis, Nathan chose not to dodge, instead planning to take the hit head-on.
Understanding that her companion wouldn't make completely reckless decisions, Evelyn glided away, seeking an advantageous position to attack.
The lava splashed against Nathan's raised arms shielding his head. The heat, as expected, burned through his stone armor. This armor layer, by his analysis, was tough enough to withstand moderate attacks. If it were of superior quality, Argentius wouldn't have been able to tear through it so easily. However, thanks to his Tier 2 Physical Cultivation training, both the hardness and recovery rate had improved significantly. Evidence of this showed in how new armor grew fast enough to defend against the Lava Drake's attacks.
Suppressing the pain reaching his core, Nathan smiled. This battle had suddenly become much more promising.
The Lava Drake tilted its lizard-like head, expressing clear disbelief. While its intelligence didn't match human levels, it could still process basic information. From its core, it could sense the human's cultivation level. Even those at higher tiers, even Tier 3, rarely managed to withstand direct confrontation so casually.
Roaring in anger, it advanced with its nearly twenty-five-meter-long body, intensifying the lava spewing from its throat.
This time, Nathan naturally wouldn't be foolish enough to face the attack directly. He leaped aside, evading the red-orange river of heat. As he approached, the monster redirected its attack. He moved in a zigzag pattern to close the distance.
When he got close enough, the monster whirled, swinging its spiked tail adorned with obsidian-like protrusions toward him.
Nathan showed no fear, spreading his arms to catch it. Though his wingspan couldn't fully encompass it, his strong fingers found purchase in the grooves of the tail. The spikes struck his chest but met resistance from his second heart of stone. It glowed red, amplifying his strength.
His feet sank into the ground as streams of lava crept closer. He had to act quickly. Mustering all his might, he hurled the monster to the side.
The Lava Drake's heavy frame crashed into a nearby rock formation, causing underground lava flows to spray upward. The monster flailed its four legs, struggling to regain its footing.
Evelyn, waiting for an opening from her position, launched her ice techniques. The various bolts and ice saws predictably deteriorated in the heat radiating from the monster. When they finally made contact, they had shrunk to mere splinters or shallow cuts. The damage to its scales was negligible.
Nathan wasn't discouraged by this. He believed in Evelyn's capabilities. In a way, she could be considered the Lava Drake's natural counter. She just needed time to probe its defenses and develop an effective strategy. His job now was to buy that time.
With a leap, he landed beside the monster. His arm drew back, muscles tensing, his fist creating small explosive sounds. Then, his attack generated a powerful sonic boom, the shockwave dispersing lava in all directions.
The Lava Drake, having just turned to take the hit with its shoulder, was once again knocked off balance. A numbing pain penetrated through its scales and fed back to its brain. It let out a roar, curving its head down to bite, its teeth glowing red-hot after being superheated.
Nathan grabbed the monster's fangs. His eyes blinked as he sensed danger.
Combining the effects of [Adrenaline Boost] after [Tingling Sense] activated, he launched an uppercut that perfectly connected with the monster's jaw, forcing its mouth shut.
The Lava Drake swallowed hard, its face contorting in discomfort. Nathan's kick sent it staggering backward. Red fluid—whether lava or blood was unclear—spewed from its mouth and nostrils.
Nathan shook his hands, trying to distribute the heat after the monster's teeth had burned through to his bones in mere seconds. He realized he couldn't maintain prolonged contact with the monster's attacks. His bones would likely hold out a while longer, but he feared they might snap completely. He still wasn't sure if limb regeneration was part of his Titan bloodline. Becoming disabled during The Shifting Trials would mean the end of all hope.
The Lava Drake charged forward in rage. As it ran, it continuously spewed lava in attack.
Nathan easily evaded. The monster's attack pattern wasn't particularly fast, leaving him ample time to react.
The Lava Drake reared up, slashing down with its front claws. Nathan backed away, avoiding injury. But immediately after, four claws shot from the monster's foot like projectiles. Three pierced Nathan's chest, while one missed through the gap under his arm.
The sheer force made him stagger backward. The claw aimed at his stone heart stopped mid-air, deflected by some kind of counter-force and falling to the ground. The other two claws penetrated his armor, embedding deep in his flesh. Blood trickled down his black stone armor in barely visible streams. His body automatically ejected the claws, then gradually sealed the open wounds.
He truly felt the pain from that attack, comparable to the final levels of the waterfall when his skin had been flayed and flesh torn.
So this is the power of a Tier 3 monster, he thought in awe.
The Lava Drake pressed its advantage, advancing with another claw swipe, its lost claws already regenerating. They seemed to be forged anew from within its body.
Having learned from the previous attack, Nathan jumped up, spinning mid-air to deliver a kick.
The monster's neck bent into an arc, looking ready to snap. Its claws hadn't launched before it let out a cry of pain.
Nathan unleashed a frenzied barrage of attacks on the monster, combining [Amplifying Strike] and [Flowing Strikes]. Each impact rang out with deafening force. The monster's skin mysteriously bled a fluid that looked like lava but didn't immediately cool, instead flowing into the ground. [Internal Trauma], enhanced by Nathan's increased strength, created instability in the monster's spirit, making it feel both fear and confusion.
The Lava Drake's feet slid across the ground, its face distorted, neck showing dents in its scales. As Nathan's fist approached again, it unexpectedly curved its lips into an almost human-like smile.
Triggered [Tingling Sense]. One credit given.
Triggered [Adrenaline Boost]. One credit given.
Despite sensing danger, the monster had chosen its timing so well that Nathan couldn't pull back his punch.
The black scales on its chest, where Nathan was aiming, suddenly liquefied. Nathan's fist plunged in as if striking water, splashing red-orange liquid upward. Most critically, his hand was stuck.
The Lava Drake let out a pained whimper, but its eyes remained sharp as it immediately solidified the liquefied point. The obsidian-like scales reformed, trapping Nathan firmly.
Nathan yanked his arm, the action pulling the monster toward him. But he couldn't break free. Seeing the monster's uncomfortable expression, he guessed it didn't want to maintain this state for long either.
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Then, the Lava Drake launched a devastating counter-attack. From the grooves across its body, it simultaneously shot lava like a porcupine's quills. And Nathan had to take the full brunt of these fire-forged spears.
For a moment, Nathan lost all rationality to the overwhelming pain. Every corner of his body became scorching hot. Holes appeared across his back, pouring out a strange mixture of blood and lava. He felt as though he'd swallowed a volcano that was now rampaging through his stomach.
At this crucial moment, Evelyn stepped in, her hand sweeping forward. Her technique appeared neither flashy nor easily discernible, but the air temperature suddenly plummeted. Her target was those lava spears.
When faced with rapid cooling, the lava streams solidified, becoming more brittle than ever.
The pain diminished accordingly, helping Nathan regain his senses. He flexed his body, breaking off the hardened spears.
Before the Lava Drake could respond, Nathan landed a series of close-range punches. In an instant, the monster had to endure forces from four different sources: two from One-inch punch, one from [Rebound], and one from [Counter Strike].
Under the layered forces, Nathan finally wrenched his hand free as the monster was sent flying. He had to drop to one knee to avoid being dragged along.
The monster's hot blood flowed over his hand. He felt some satisfaction at having wounded it.
The monster's agonized shriek pierced the night. It stood up, head lowered to examine its mangled, bloody shoulder. It had fought other monsters before, but had never suffered such an agonizing wound. It had made it this far precisely because of its superior combat abilities compared to its peers. Refusing to be looked down upon, it launched another attack.
As it charged, the Lava Drake took deep breaths. The naked eye could see red essence from the environment flowing into its nostrils, accelerating its wound recovery.
"We need to end this quickly," Evelyn said, her voice soft but clear to Nathan's enhanced senses. "This is its territory—the longer we fight, the more disadvantaged we become."
Nathan nodded in agreement. His long strides met the Lava Drake's challenge.
The two sides clashed again.
Evelyn supported Nathan whenever the monster spewed lava or covered itself with dangerous spikes. This intense cold-based skill was clearly straining her. Her face showed exhaustion, cold sweat running down—something Nathan had never seen from her before.
He accordingly increased his attack power. Currently at Tier 2 Phase 7.7 of Physical Cultivation, combined with full Berserker state, his destructive power could rival a Tier 3 Phase 5 or 6. Though he could now engage in close combat, he still couldn't rush the process. The Lava Drake's skin was just as defensive as his own. That presumably compensated for its limited attack skills. When the monster couldn't destroy immediately, it would play a battle of endurance.
Covered in scattered wounds, the Lava Drake remained undefeated. It alternated between snapping with its jaws, slashing with its claws, and swinging its tail at its enemy. Lava accompanied every attack. But it was clearly pressured, caught between the streams of ice energy and its opponent's inexplicable recovery rate.
Realizing it was at a disadvantage, the Lava Drake's eyes brightened. It released a heat wave that forced Nathan back.
It snorted once, raising the horn on its head high. It had never used this before, fearing damage to this vital part. Now, it couldn't hesitate any longer.
From across the battlefield, Nathan felt a turmoil in his body, as if his blood was being boiled. His skin tingled as if all moisture wanted to evaporate, despite his stone armor. His eyes burned from the changing air.
The Lava Drake roared, drawing surrounding lava toward its horn like a small storm.
Nathan charged forward in fear, each footstep deforming the ground beneath.
The monster had prepared for this, and now was the crucial moment—the human didn't have much time. By the time Nathan got close, it had already completed its transformation.
Magma Surge state unleashed, the Lava Drake's entire body transformed. Its scales melted like when fighting Nathan, giving way to a body embodying the most dangerous, hottest, and most terrifying red-orange liquid.
Nathan's swinging fist hadn't even made contact when the nearby heat turned his stone armor red-hot. Unlike natural stone, his armor layer instantly vanished when reaching its destruction point, only to be replaced by new armor.
When he finally struck the monster, it felt like punching water, creating splashes but doing minimal damage. Worse, his face and chest felt like they were facing an active volcano's mouth, the burning sensation intensifying sharply.
The lizard-like face of the monster revealed a wicked smile before it simply exhaled rather than spewing anything. As if it had used everything for this transformed state.
That simple action was enough to devastate Nathan. He found himself thrown backward, the armor on his chest continuously dissolving and regenerating, while some droplets of saliva penetrated through to his body, once again creating holes.
That recent attack sobered Nathan, as he noticed his rage and fury diminishing. He had maintained Titan's Berserker State for too long. Even his battle with Argentius, chasing from one corner of the forest to another, hadn't lasted this long. He should have rested after The Pressuring Fall. The main problem was that he didn't know how to deactivate it. So he could only try to make the best of this situation.
Steeling his spirit, Nathan pressed on. Maintaining distance would only make things more difficult.
The Lava Drake snorted dismissively, head held high in arrogant anticipation.
When within range, Nathan spread his arms wide and clapped, creating an ear-splitting thunderclap. The powerful shockwave pushed toward the monster, blowing back its dangerous lava layer. Its exterior now appeared to wear a broad orange skin, rippling under Nathan's impact. Its eyes revealed disbelief, mixed with shock when the human's fist connected with its mouth.
Nathan landed after his jump as the monster staggered to one side. He didn't pause, reaching up again. His hands tried to grasp the horn—the source of the Lava Drake's power—but when he got close, it burned beyond burning. His bones showed under the moonlight, his small finger bones forced to retreat.
He backed away, repeating his attack pattern. Though effective, each strike came with a trade-off. His punches carried power but were also being eroded, barely maintaining enough force.
Only when Evelyn provided support, her cold air making the lava layer around the monster flow slower and reducing its heat, could Nathan unleash dozens of consecutive punches at a single point on the monster's chest.
The Lava Drake collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily as its Magma Surge state gradually faded. It whimpered in pain. The chest wound had broken its ribs, causing endless agony.
Nathan rarely had to catch his breath. His recent actions were equivalent to delivering dozens of consecutive punches from a Tier 3 Phase 5 Physical Cultivator. Powerful and destructive. If not for the elemental clash between them, he believed the monster would already be dead. The lava membrane consumed his armor, while contact dispersed most of the physical force.
Without Evelyn's help, he couldn't have achieved this result.
To avoid prolonging the inevitable, Nathan moved forward to finish off the monster. A glance showed Evelyn was as exhausted as he was. After all, she was still Tier 2, and repeatedly using her core technique had placed immense pressure on both body and spirit.
But the night had stretched long, and inevitable nightmare had been set in motion before. Nathan just hadn't known it.
Though the Lava Drake could use superior fire power, its downside was overheating. It still had to protect its core and other body parts internally. Both Magma and Lava carried toxins from underground minerals. Using them too long without purification would disrupt balance. Losing balance made overheating harder to control. That was the Lava Drake's current state.
However, it had been placed here for a reason. The ice-cold water drop.
Now, it had established a connection with the water drop. Though tenuous, it was enough to draw some benefit.
A white particle flew out from the cave, immediately cooling surrounding lava into solid surfaces, while water vapor shimmered in the air.
For the first time, Evelyn called out in panic.
"Stop that particle!"
Nathan didn't waste a blink, changing direction toward the barely visible particle.
He was blocked by a lava stream spewing from the monster. Simultaneously, it retreated backward, its tail swinging toward its summoned item.
Too late, Nathan silently growled.
The Lava Drake absorbed the essence through one of its tail veins. The internal turmoil immediately found relief. Meanwhile, that single small particle was enough to return its still-hot horn to normal state.
It raised its head and howled in euphoria. Everything had happened in seconds, and the Lava Drake had returned to Magma Surge state.
It used its flame-filled eyes to mockingly challenge Nathan.
His Berserker state was visibly weakening. Currently, his damage output probably only matched Tier 3 Phase 3 or Phase 4 if he pushed himself to the limit.
Having come so far, he didn't want to give up now.
Argentius, get ready, he messaged his partner, preparing for the worst.
Instead of Nathan, the Lava Drake charged forward. Its four legs hammered deadly rhythms on the ground, scattering lava everywhere. Nathan took a deep breath, creating more explosive claps. [Rebound] right on his hands made the explosions stack on each other, increasing their power. Meanwhile, his hands screamed in pain, but that was merely a mosquito bite compared to the Lava Drake's attacks.
The monster delightedly pressed forward without stopping, swinging its neck to make the lava ripple like a mane around it. It advanced relentlessly, only occasionally faltering under the impact of nearby claps. An upward kick awaited it. It didn't care about being launched into the air, because simultaneously, a rain of lava had been released.
Hissing sounds erupted continuously on Nathan's skin. He gritted his teeth and endured, crouching down before jumping up to deliver continuous punches to the monster's neck and mouth.
The Lava Drake tried to embrace him mid-air, hoping to lock him in place and burn him to death slowly. It couldn't succeed against his masterful body control.
The two sides separated once again on the ground, facing each other. One side clearly showed exhaustion, while the other brimmed with vitality.
Nathan's stone heart's red flashes were growing weaker. He clearly understood he was reaching his limit, growing more worried about how long he'd be incapacitated once he deactivated the Berserker state.
As long as the Lava Drake had essence from the water drop, it could fight all day. Realizing this made it even more fearless. The ice girl seemed to have no strength left to fight. Victory was right before its eyes. The humans would surely retreat in fear. Better yet, it could kill both here to prevent information about its hideout from spreading.
While unsure what to do next, he heard Evelyn call out.
"Hold it still for me!"
He suddenly remembered the Forest Hydra battle, with a similar situation. Evelyn's silence must have been preparation for some major technique.
He stood straight, cracking his neck with loud pops everyone could hear. He roared to gather courage. Then, leaving the ground scattered with dust, he charged forward.
The Lava Drake snorted once, engaging in direct combat.
The two collided, trading blow for blow. Each time Nathan landed a punch or kick, lava clung to his body, corroding his stone armor. Blood sprayed from both sides, though the Lava Drake's was hard to distinguish.
Nathan grew increasingly weaker with his diminishing strength.
Just as he considered retreating to recover, Evelyn shouted.
"Now!"
Without time to think about her plan, Nathan gritted his teeth. He lunged forward, both arms tightly gripping the monster's lower neck, dropping to his knees to pin it in place. Lava from its coating burned him madly. His second heart flickered like an emergency beacon. From over one hundred and fifty beats per minute, to two hundred, then over two hundred and fifty. His internal heart couldn't help but accelerate in sync.
His recovery speed and physical strength reached their maximum, compensating for the depletion since the beginning. The Titan bloodline forced him to press on without surrender.
The Lava Drake, sensing danger, struggled more violently. It tucked its head down to bite Nathan's shoulders and neck repeatedly. Spitting out stone fragments, it bit again. But its teeth couldn't penetrate deeply. It tried to twist its body but failed clumsily. Its tail whipped up and down but couldn't reach its enemy.
The monster fell into panic, not knowing what to do.
Nathan, with his cheeks pressed against the melting-wax-like monster, looked upward. Despite being in excruciating pain, he couldn't suppress his terror.
A massive, rough ice sword had formed floating in the air, far from the area of heat influence. It was even longer than the Lava Drake.
The gleaming sword in the night plunged downward. Along its path, it encountered the volcanic area's heat and began to peel away, shatter, creating sparkles like a sky full of stars.
It kept eroding, kept eroding. But never slowed.
It tore through the night, aimed straight for the Lava Drake.
The battle's final moment approached.
A long distance from Maelivar, in his cultivation chamber, Darkan's eyes snapped open.
His lips muttered, eyebrows tightly furrowed.
As a precaution, he had secretly embedded a signal mechanism in Nathan's body. This would have been difficult to do covertly. But Nathan had accepted his skill orb, allowing him to intervene and plant it in a corner of his body.
This signal would only activate when Nathan entered full Berserker state.
Despite their brief acquaintance, Darkan knew his only disciple wouldn't act against warnings. He had repeated them many times, not just once, so there was no way the boy would willfully go too far.
Someone had interfered with the process. Nathan wasn't foolish enough to disobey his master's orders just for an event.
Most importantly, he shouldn't let people see his transformed appearance. Especially not when just days ago, Darkan had received Nathan's blood test results.
Without hesitation, in an instant, Darkan appeared outside, hovering in the air.
He turned and flew toward Maelivar.
His hand struck backward, creating shockwaves in the air, making trees hundreds of meters below sway under the residual force. His speed increased dramatically as he moved at maximum velocity, sparing no effort.
Very Rare Skills: [Titan's Descendant] (Not Upgradable)
