Chapter 141: Lava Canyon! The First High-Purity Fire Core! [2]

"A crack in the rocks..." Victor approached to investigate, his steps soft.

The fissure was located where two rock walls intersected. The surrounding stones were noticeably darker than those elsewhere, and several patches of crimson liquid that had yet to solidify remained on the ground.

Crouching down, Victor gently pushed aside a piece of gravel with the tip of his sword.

Almost immediately, fire-element mana far more concentrated than the surrounding energy rose from beneath it.

He froze.

This sensation...

It was distinctly different from the ordinary fire ores he had encountered earlier.

While the fire-attribute mana inside ordinary ores was merely stored in scattered quantities, the energy he sensed now appeared to be drawn by some invisible force, continuously gathering toward a single location.

"Could it be..."

Victor stood and examined the fissure the scorpion had entered.

Several similar dark red patterns extended above the opening, continuing farther inward along the rock wall.

These patterns were not randomly distributed. They all pointed toward the same location.

A ley line node hidden deep within the rock.

"Looks like that scorpion really is guarding something interesting."

Victor’s interest was piqued, but he did not rush inside.

The fact that the Molten-Armored Rock Scorpion had managed to hold its own against three professionals within the canyon demonstrated how advantageous the terrain was for it.

If he recklessly entered the narrow fissure, even his Combat Intuition might not be enough to let him fight at his usual level. Moreover, other dangers could be lurking deeper within the ley line.

Rather than entering the scorpion’s familiar territory, it would be better to understand the surrounding environment first.

Victor moved along the rock wall, searching for another route that would allow him to approach the ley line node.

...

A short while later.

Deep within the canyon.

After carefully examining the surrounding terrain, Victor finally discovered a relatively concealed rocky platform.

It was not far from the previous fissure, but the ground beneath his feet consisted of a black rock formation protruding outward from the cliff. Near the platform’s edge, a narrow opening less than half a meter wide continuously released streams of hot air.

Crouching down, Victor used the fiery glow of his sword to peer inside.

To his surprise, a small natural cavern was hidden beneath the opening.

At its center, a thin stream of lava flowed along the rock wall. Beside it stood dozens of crimson crystal pillars.

The pillars varied in length, and most were no thicker than a finger. One, however, was noticeably larger than the others, with an exceptionally concentrated mass of fire-element mana slowly rotating within it.

Victor’s attention settled on that particular pillar.

Rather than descending immediately, he examined its surroundings and soon discovered something even more astonishing.

Embedded at the base of the thickest crystal pillar was a fist-sized crimson crystal!

The mana fluctuations within it were exceptionally stable, no longer showing any noticeable changes in response to the surrounding lava flow.

Compared to the ordinary fire crystals he had obtained earlier, it was on an entirely different level.

"That’s it..."

Excitement stirred in Victor’s heart.

Although he had yet to examine it personally, judging by the purity of its mana, this crystal was very likely the high-purity fire core he had been searching for!

But before he could act, he noticed a dark figure on the other side of the cavern.

The Level 30 Molten-Armored Rock Scorpion was crouched near the crystal pillars, its enormous pincers buried among the loose stones as it apparently absorbed energy from the ley line to replenish the mana it had consumed during its earlier battle.

No wonder those three professionals had been unable to lure it very far away.

This place was clearly the lair it had occupied for a long time.

Victor surveyed the cavern.

The space was not particularly large. Apart from the lava stream, several thick stone pillars supported the ceiling.

"I’ll need a different approach."

He studied the rock surrounding the opening, which formed the cavern’s ceiling.

Several black rocks were stacked together in an extremely unstable arrangement, their surfaces covered in cracks formed by prolonged exposure to intense heat.

Victor gently tapped one of them with the tip of his sword.

Crack.

Fine fragments slid down through the gaps.

As he examined the structure, an idea gradually formed in his mind.

...

Inside the cavern.

The Molten-Armored Rock Scorpion remained crouched beside the crystal pillars.

It had recently fought three professionals, and several shallow marks were still visible across its thick carapace. Although it had suffered no serious injuries, the battle had clearly consumed a considerable amount of its stamina.

Just as it prepared to resume absorbing the surrounding fire elements, a faint sound came from overhead.

Crack!

A fist-sized rock fell from above, landing on the ground nearby.

The Molten-Armored Rock Scorpion abruptly raised its head.

The next instant...

Boom!

More rocks came crashing down from the cavern ceiling!

The enormous scorpion released a piercing screech, swinging its massive pincers upward in an attempt to block the falling stones.

At that very moment, a figure leaped into the cavern from the rocky platform at the side.

It was Victor!

Rather than charging directly toward the scorpion, he used the chaos created by the falling rocks to approach the crimson crystal pillar at the center of the cavern.

"Right here!"

The Crimson Flame Fang swept forward in Victor’s hand!

Heaven Burning Sword Art!

Flame Line!

Crimson fire elements compressed along the blade, and a concentrated sword strike followed, accurately striking the point where the crystal pillar connected to the rock beneath it.

Clang!

A sharp metallic sound rang out.

Unexpectedly, the crystal pillar was far harder than ordinary stone.

Even the Crimson Flame Fang had failed to sever it in a single strike!

"Pretty sturdy." Victor remained calm.

Quickly adjusting the angle of his blade, he delivered another strike along the gap between the crystal pillar and the rock wall.

Crack!

This time, a visible fracture appeared at the connection.

His actions, however, had completely alerted the Molten-Armored Rock Scorpion nearby.

Hiss!

An enraged screech echoed throughout the cavern.

Realizing that someone had invaded its lair, the scorpion abandoned its efforts to block the falling rocks. Its enormous body twisted toward Victor as both massive pincers came crashing down, accompanied by scorching currents of air!