The Systemic Lands

Chapter XLIX – Day 676 (2) – The Moltenlands

Chapter XLIX – Day 676 (2) – The Moltenlands

I didn’t pass out. I refused to and my body obeyed. I had survived the blast somehow and the trap the Homunculus had set for me. The Astrologer would pay the price, but I had to survive first. I had been hit while I had been leaping over the wall. I had been flying through the air for a while. My eyelids were seared shut.

I reached up with one shaky hand as the air rushed by me and forced my eye open. My heart almost stopped as I saw the inky blackness of the void beneath me. But then I saw a layer of mist ahead. I was incredibly high up in the air.

No monsters were coming at me like they did with airships. I was either too small or hadn’t triggered them. The mistlands had already zipped past below me. I had to be serval miles or kilometers up. I needed to get back to the ground.

I spread my arms, and legs, but my flight didn’t noticeably slow down and my trajectory only changed slightly. I was about to call on my skill Force Barrier, but I sensed danger. Something was wrong with my skills, or worse my energy.

My body was a mess, and my energy was even worse. Drawing on the reserves the Master Fleshcrafter had created was a mistake and foolish. My energy was in turmoil right now. I would be having words with him later.

What this meant was that I had no way to slow myself down. I began to pass over some level 2 zones. Then soon more level 3 zones. I took this time to focus on settling my energy. It was a slow process to bring it back under control. I needed to hurry before I flew off the edge of the world.

The light dimmed as I flew over the darklands. This was not good. I had been to level 5 zones, and they were not pleasant. I had even looked at level 6 zones, but they were hell itself. I was descending but still traveling rapidly through the air as I crossed into a level 6 zone.

I was still too high up and the sand did not impact me all the way up here. My core was restored, and I quickly began to regain control of the energy within my limbs and extremities. The oppressive heat hit me. No!

Frantically I worked, moving my energy back into the position it needed to be to represent me. I needed that to call on my skills. There was no other way to alter my movement midflight. I saw a mountain ahead of me. A level 7 zone and death. I knew I would not survive if I stepped into such a place. My energy flowed smoothly once more inside of me and I acted instantly.

Force Barrier x5. I smashed through all five of them, but I began to fall. I was slightly over the void. Force Barrier. I bounced off and began falling towards the moltenlands. I kept working furiously to correct my energy.

I quickly cloaked myself in energy to survive the burning heat and molten rocks exploding into the air. Force Barrier. I landed on it and didn’t break through thankfully. Specks of molten rock tried to land on me, and every breath was difficult. The very air was noxious.

The heat was unbearably oppressive. I felt like my insides wanted to burst apart from inside of my body and catch fire. Force Barrier. I had to remake it as the first one broke. I couldn’t keep this up.

Out of the molten rocks came a towering monster of flame. Its shape was impossible to make out. A level 6 monster. Level 5 monsters were quite large, and it appeared level 6 monsters might continue that trend.

That was one reason I did not like fighting them. This was more energy than physical. My body shook. I knew I needed to rest and recover. I did not hesitate. I turned and leapt behind me towards the void. The inky blankness below me. I could feel the thrum of energy coming up from it.

Force Barrier. I stopped at the side of the cliff. Even in a level 6 zone, the edge was hard desolate rock. Imbue Void. I struck. Imbue Void. I struck again. I carved a small hole. I was about to get inside and rest when the Flame Scorcher I had seen before looked over the edge of the Void Zone.

A wave of flames cut me off. I leapt up and away. Force Barrier. Dammit! I didn’t have the energy for this. “Fine! You want to fight! Then die!” I called out to gather my focus and leapt right at the monster.

Fire burned. But I was not going to die here to this trash! Dragons Talon! I struck out at the core of the monster that I had noticed with all my might. The flames were blown backwards, and my fist struck the core. My hand caught on fire, but that was nothing.

My left hand shot out and stuck the core and pushed me backwards. Force Barrier. I landed a distance from the monster as the core broke apart and it tied. I didn’t allow myself to relax. Time to get back to my hole and recover first.

Three more Flame Scorchers burst out of the molten rock. I saw more approaching in the distance. My breath was heavy. My energy was almost out. And my body was a mess. When I had been falling I had seen void cracks to my left and my right, so there would be no easy escape from here.

The level 5 zone was almost an entire zone away and retreating North to the level 7 zone was death. I could barely survive here. If I went to a place like that, I would be finished instantly, without time to think.

Even at my lowest, I had never found myself in a worse situation. I would have to fight no matter what and crush these monsters quickly, so I could heal and rest. I kicked off the force barrier, angling for the nearest Flame Scorcher.

Flames whirled around me, but I was Hei Long! My energy stood strong even as the monsters tried to burn my flesh from my body. My clothing was incinerated, the enchantments on it finally giving out.

It did not matter. One monster, two monsters, a hundred monsters. I would crush them all beneath my fist and teach them the power of Kung Fu. It would be engraved into their souls for all eternity if they even had souls.

I struck one core with the force of my impact and used a second strike to propel me to the next monster. Numbers did not mean a thing in the face of my strength. Two blows per monster. My energy shook as more continued to arrive and tried to burn me.

But I was quick and decisive, so they couldn’t bring all their power onto me. Large monsters struggled with close up fighting. Counting on people slugging it out with them at a distance in fear. There was no fear inside of me for them to take advantage of.

They then began to focus their flames, it massive flaming swords, but it was pointless. The larger the attack, the slower it moved. I struck down my fourth monster and moved onto my next. My breathing was focused and I had achieved equilibrium.

I was going to crush these monsters and easily escape this hell. The very energy in the air shook. I spared a glance and knew that escape would not be so easy anymore. The zone boss was approaching, and it was a level 7 monster.

“Burn!” The word echoed in my mind as I saw a tremendous energy build up occurring.

Force Barrier. I quickly maneuvered back over the edge of the zone to where I had set up my hiding place. A beam of yellow, white, and golden fire scorched the very air above me. The beam continued onwards into the inky blackness of the void. A large circular hole had been blasted through the rock at the edge of the zone.

If that had hit me, I would not have survived. I kicked off my barrier before it disappeared. The level 7 monster was gathering more energy again. “No escape.”

It could speak like the Avatar and I hardened my mind to block out its words. Listening to a monster’s madness or the Avatar’s ramblings was of no use. The only thing left to do was win. And I would win no matter what.