Chapter 1178: Corrupted Volcano (Part 2)

The main problem that prevented their mission from even beginning had been solved. Now it was time to complete the task and become stronger.

Adam and Fromund had done this many times in solo, but now they had to work together. They were both looking forward to seeing what would come of it.

They knew what they were capable of, but it had been quite some time since their last battle. More importantly, back then, they were the K2-Phantom, but now they were on a completely different level.

Step. Step. Step.

Fromund moved forward, nodding occasionally but saying nothing.

“Hey, Arayna says we should look for… a hole? Something like a cave entrance, but not quite.”

So far, no monsters had attacked them, but sooner or later, it would definitely happen. For now, they weren’t doing anything or hunting for resources, so the monsters were ignoring them.

Adam turned to him.

“Where is it? It makes sense that to get to the Twilight Crystal, we need to go down, but where exactly?”

After a few seconds, Fromund nodded again.

“Near the volcano, look for some glowing pillars… I guess?”

They couldn’t get accurate information because, unlike the Corrosive Lakes, which were monitored by several satellites, the situation at the Corrupted Volcano was a little more complicated.

Due to the intense heat, constant evaporation, and soot filling the air, the sky was covered with various debris that didn’t greatly interfere with human vision but made satellites practically useless.

Sure, Arayna and Silvana had full access to Fromund and Adam’s NEPs, as did other people with high enough access, but that only meant they couldn’t see any more than their Phantoms.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

In the distance, heavy footsteps of great creatures could be heard, moving slowly but powerfully toward some destination.

Adam and Fromund glanced at each other as they quickly climbed to the top of the hill to see what was happening.

Several dozen obsidian golems. Their bodies, made of a durable material common to volcanic terrain, moved straight toward the bright core in the distance.

Each obsidian golem was the size of a house and could easily demolish a small building with a wave of its hand, but their physical strength was not their most notable feature.

Lines of dark magma flowed through the cracks between the sharp obsidian spikes, wandering freely across their bodies and moving toward the crystals in their chests, which flashed from time to time, resembling a heartbeat.

Adam narrowed his eyes, directing his gaze to the red core in the distance. Streams of flame swirled, carrying with them excess energy, and the core struggled to maintain its shape. A little more and the core would explode from the excess energy, and this valuable resource would be lost.

Well, the obsidian golems weren’t going to let that happen. They had been waiting for some time, and now they were all ready to take the energy from the core.

Each obsidian golem walked along the edge of the lava river, one of many that were heading straight for the core.

“I see. So it’s not just lava. Somehow, the volcano has enough energy to fill everything around it. Perhaps this is the result of the Twilight Crystals?” Adam pondered as he watched the events unfold.

They had no reason to attack the obsidian golems, as it would not help them achieve their goal.

As they waited, Adam glanced toward the volcano as memories filled his mind.

He remembered once going to a similar area—the Black Cinder Forest. There was a volcano there, too, but it wasn’t the center of the area, even though it was a pretty important place.

Just like now, he had a partner back then—Katrin, who had forced him to go to the Black Cinder Forest to find the Essence Scarlet Pyromancer. She wanted to kill this monster to change her Initial Gene.

“Hah, in the end, she got the gene of the Plague Reaper! I wonder what she’s doing now? The situation with the Crimson Monarch made her stronger, but it also dealt another blow to her ego. Well, I guess she’s still trying to become better than everyone else.”

Other fragments from a similar area became clear to Adam as if they had happened yesterday.

Lava, Katrin, allies, monster ants, and…

‘Prime Thunder Demon. Tsk, that bastard and his Essence version are like clones of each other. It’s a shame that it’s a monster for the K1-Phantoms. I’d like to know what the Black Threat Level variation of the Thunder Demon is capable of.’

Adam never forgot his important victories and the opponents he had defeated with the greatest difficulty when important turning points occurred in his journey as a Phantom.

But he couldn’t help feeling disappointed that the stronger he became, the weaker his past opponents seemed. No matter who it was, the Steel Knight, the Thunder Demon, the Crimson Monarch, or even Arnoth.

Then, Adam looked at Fromund.

‘Hah, but not you, right? If your opponent survives your battle, there’s a chance that after some time, they will become much stronger, just like you. But…’

Adam’s eyes darkened.

‘Fromund is a human, not a monster. Surely the great evolution cannot continue long enough for a Purple Threat Monster to reach the Black Threat Level? Phantoms are capable of it, so monsters must be too, right?’

He understood that in theory it worked that way, because everything evolved, both monsters and Phantoms. However, he had never seen monsters like the ones he had defeated before, unlike the Phantoms, whose strength grew steadily along with his.

Thump.

Fromund poked him in the shoulder.

“Hey, stop thinking. What are we going to do? I don’t know why they want the core, but when they absorb it, they’ll become much stronger. Maybe we should just destroy them right now? I can do it!”

It seemed like Adam had no reason to interfere, but something made him look away.

“Look!”

A multitude of shadows appeared from the top of the hill as dozens of beasts with mini volcanoes on their backs emerged.

Less than three seconds later, dozens of fiery projectiles sliced through the dark sky, gathering to rain down on the obsidian golems like a meteor shower.

Fromund smiled broadly as he watched the scene, while Adam’s eyes narrowed.

In the distance, he saw several shadows fly straight out of the ground, their small bodies compared to their wings heading straight for the battlefield like a swarm.