Chapter 432: Misha's Trial (Part 4)
"Huff, huff… that's it?"
"This is supposed to be the hardest trial?"
Mantou, riding on the back of his wyvern, rested his longsword on his shoulder, panting as he spoke.
If one ignored his charred body, which resembled a burnt meat patty, the pose was quite heroic.
"You're practically a burnt bun, and you're still showing off."
Singo, clinging to the cave wall on his wyvern, mercilessly teased.
"Scars are a man's badge of honor."
"But you're burnt."
"Fire marks the traces of battle."
"But you're burnt."
"Damn it…"
All around were scattered rocks and the remains of Steam Bats.
Thanks to the efforts of dozens of elite players, most of the monsters within the cave had been cleared.
Summer Night Autumn Rain sighed.
"Don't celebrate just yet. Even with our bribes to the Magic Department, we only got intel on the first stage—the [Path of Burning]."
"The rest of the trial is entirely decided by the 'Daughter of Dragonfire' Misha herself, and even they don't know the details."
"Hiss—"
Everyone gasped sharply.
The first stage alone had been this brutal, swarming them with waves of monsters and eliminating over 200 players.
How terrifying would the remaining stages be?
But now that they had made it this far…
They had no choice but to push forward.
The Mechanist Cult plowed ahead in their [Fire Protector] armor.
Mantou and Singo rode their wyverns, flanking Summer Night Autumn Rain and staying vigilant for monster attacks.
The Magic Coin players advanced with glowing magical shields surrounding their bodies, reinforced by various spells.
Following the winding "Path of Burning," the players navigated numerous traps and monsters before finally emerging at the volcano's summit.
Ahead of them was a boiling magma pool at the crater, and in the distance stood the ominous "Tower of Blighted Flame."
Mantou turned his head, grinning as he patted his wyvern's head.
"So, this is the final stage?"
"Doesn't seem like much—just a few hundred Steam Bats flying around and some rock monsters jumping out of the magma."
"Maybe a few explosions and bouncy fireballs. No big deal."
Despite his casual words, he was clearly gritting his teeth.
At this point, Mantou's entire body was pitch black, not a single patch of unscorched skin visible, making him look like he had undergone a drastic transformation.
"No."
Summer Night Autumn Rain's expression grew serious, her golden eyes reflecting the firelight.
Singo bluntly pointed out, "Burnt Bun, take a look behind you before you talk big."
Mantou turned around and looked up at the sky, murmuring under his breath.
"Oh, crap…"
Similar expressions of disbelief escaped the mouths of the professional players, some using more colorful variations of expletives.
The magma within the crater slowly swirled, the air distorted by the intense heat and filled with toxic volcanic gases.
Streams of fire danced on the surface of the magma, intertwining with dense white and black smoke, swirling together to form fiery tornadoes above the pool.
"Challengers…"
"I…"
"In the name of Lady Misha…"
With a gusting roar, flames and smoke coalesced into a humanoid form.
Standing nearly ten meters tall, the fiery figure towered over the magma pool, its molten eyes glaring down at the players.
Its head appeared to be made entirely of steam and fire, with a flickering tongue of flame darting in and out of its mouth.
The surrounding air warped and crackled, accompanied by bursts of popping sounds and the stinging smell of sulfur.
Finally, it let out a roaring bellow created from the crackling of flames.
"I AM… YOUR END!"
[Elder Fire Elemental]
Challenge Level: 13 (10,000 XP)
Mantou stared in shock, muttering, "This is what you call an advancement quest?"
"How is this fair?"
"If we could beat this thing, why would we even need to advance?"
"TRIAL!"
The Elder Fire Elemental unleashed a surge of smoke, its arms transforming into blazing whips that lashed out at the players.
"Snap!"
A paladin from [Royal Authority] raised his expensive shield, only for it to be scorched with a black crack. The player behind it was instantly cut in half, burning into two smoldering pieces.
"What the… instant kill?"
"This is a joke, right?"
"That was rare-quality green gear!"
The Elder Fire Elemental's flaming whip cracked through the air, emitting deafening pops as it charged with energy.
"TEST!"
"Snap! Snap! Snap!"
Another set of devastating lashes struck the [Fire Protector] armor.
The protective flame-resistant forcefield dimmed with each hit.
Finally, with a loud crash…
The fire shield shattered, and the flaming whip struck the already deformed metal plating.
Half the armor, along with its pilot, was sheared off.
In Erezaghe, the temperature of fire magic typically depended on the caster's level and the type of monster.
A low-level mage's fireball might only reach a few hundred degrees, while a high-level mage's flame storm could exceed a thousand degrees.
—And the Elder Fire Elemental's flaming whip clearly belonged to the latter category.
Under such level suppression, even their specially prepared "heat-resistant metals" were easily torn apart.
"Damn it! We can't hold on!"
"No!"
"Everyone! Prepare the final plan!"
The Mechanist Cult player in the main cockpit raised his arm and pressed the red button nearby.
"Boom!"
The Sorcerer player [Art Is Explosion], seated in the armor's core, was ejected along with a protective membrane.
The pilot pulled the lever all the way down and pressed another button marked with a warning symbol.
Several players raised their arms, their faces filled with fervor.
"Machine Spirit, protect us! Free us from this decaying prison of flesh!"
The boosters on the back of the [Fire Protector] flared to life, propelling the armor toward the Elder Fire Elemental.
"Beep, beep, beep."
The metal core within the armor flashed red.
"Snap!"
The Elder Fire Elemental glared and lashed out with its flaming whip again.
The armor, battered and broken, lost several more pilots, yet it continued its flight until it reached the burning behemoth.
"Sorry, Iron Frenzy. Activating backup power!"
"Beep, beep-beep."
The beeping grew faster.
"Boom!"
The Omega-powered armor exploded, scattering metal fragments, parts, and dismembered bodies.
Knowing the Elder Fire Elemental's resistance to fire, they had channeled all remaining energy into a spherical lightning attack.
"WEAK!"
"INSIGNIFICANT WORMS!"
The Elder Fire Elemental roared, its massive elemental body crackling with lightning and emitting sizzling sounds.