As soon as Koh said the words, my Flame flared with recognition.

The core of my Twin Dao resonated with that he’d said, even though I’d only heard the word Fallen Star a couple of times before. They were the meteorites that the Cursed Star shot through the void of space to attack inhabited core and fringe worlds, like the planet El D’Shar, where I’d fought that Thrantor. And if that monster was any indication, then I could only imagine what an Awakened Heart of such a thing could mean.

“Can you explain what that is exactly?” I asked, eagerly.

Koh pointed up at the moon. “Millenia ago, our moon became a Bloodmoon and ushered in the birth of a Cursed Star. Our world was devastated. The Soul Emperor Yin Yee put an end to it all, destroying the Cursed Star before it fully formed and replacing it with the glowing orb of the gateway to the Celestial Realm. He restored this entire system, rebuilding the planets one by one and thus creating the Lower Courts of the inner core worlds. But when the star was destroyed, pieces spread throughout the planets and several of them impacted here on Ri Ben.”

I nodded, getting the picture now. And who would have thought that the core worlds were once the center of the battlefield when it came to the war against the Cursed Stars? And holy crap…the emperor destroyed an entire Cursed Star? It made me realize the power difference that existed between me and a Soul Emperor.

Could I truly grow so powerful as to challenge him one day?

If I wanted to ensure the freedom of the Earth, I might have to.

I pushed the thought out of my mind as Koh continued.

“Chief Muraboshi was the first to find such an artifact and used it to create his living forge, but other fragments still exist on this world, hidden deep below the surface. It is why it is still a cursed and barren land to this day and why the planet itself constantly breathes with fire.” Koh then gestured to the volcanoes in the distance. “It would be out there. Deep in the earth somewhere.”

“You mean inside a volcano?” Blue Rose said, incredulously.

Koh shrugged. “Probably.”

I’d been through a lot of shit before. Died. Cosmic Hell Worlds. Countless demons. Deep Dwellers. Could diving into an active volcano really be that bad?

I supposed there was only one way to find out.

“Alright,” I said. “You live up to your promise, and I’ll bring back your Awakened Fallen Star Core or whatever it is. Just point me to where I need to go.”

“I’d say look for the volcano with the largest crater,” he said. “That would be where the Fallen Star impacted.”

Blue Rose and Mal’Kira both looked at me questioningly.

“You sure about this?” Mal’Kira asked.

I shrugged. “I’ve faced tougher, I think.”

Koh laughed. “I like your spirit. Chief Muraboshi does not know I’m coming to you. He’d have my head if he did, but I truly think you are our best chance for saving Ri Ben.”

“Well, can you give us anything to help?” Mal’Kira asked. “We’ve been slumming it out here for the last three days with only rotten lizard meat to eat.”

“Ah, yes!” he said. “Let me see what I can do about provisioning you. Wait here.”

With that Koh turned about and disappeared into the fabric of reality again.

“Max, I don’t think I can survive a volcano,” Blue Rose blurted.

“You won’t have to,” I said. “I’m not expecting you two to come with me.”

“But we’re not letting him go alone, are we?” Mal’Kira said before turning to me. “I swore an oath to protect you. I won’t turn my back on that now.”

“Hey, I appreciate that. And there’s probably plenty you can do without helping me directly.” I thought for a moment. “Like set up a base camp somewhere. I don’t know how long it will take to find this thing, but I might be in need of some serious healing therapy when I’m done. I hear that lava is pretty damn hot.”

We all laughed, but inside I mentally prepared myself for what that actually meant.

Was my [Diamond Skin] technique going to be strong enough to protect me? Or was I going to have to survive this through [Death’s Door]? As both techniques took effect, I cycled my Frenzy, gaging my strength.

My density was the highest it had ever been and I had a full tank to boot.

If my inklings were correct and this Awakened Heart was some kind of Deep Dweller, then hopefully my Flame itself would produce any extra Frenzy I would need to get the job done. After a few more minutes of waiting, Master Koh finally reappeared.

He was carrying his massive crate again, but as he set it down, he pushed aside some weapons and withdrew a couple of sacks from the bottom.

“Sorry I took so long,” he said. “I did not want to raise too many suspicions, so I collected this over the last few days.”

“Days?” I said, my mind spinning. “It was like ten minutes for us. How slow does time move in there?”

“It varies,” he said. “Depending on need.” He then grinned. “How else do you think we can produce weapons that take decades to forge?”

My mind was blown a second time. “Decades?”

“Don’t get caught up in all that,” he said and thrusted the sacks towards me. “There is a weeks’ worth of provision in there, along with something that might come in handy for the heat.”

“Shit, you must have been reading my mind,” I said, looking in the sack. “What is it?”

Koh reached in and pulled out something that looked like a simple leather apron. “We use these when we deal with the fires of the forge itself. They can withstand flames as hot as a sun. Or so we say anyway,”

“Thanks,” I said and wondered if I could even fit in the thing.

But I wasn’t going to complain.

“Good luck to you,” Koh said. “I’ll return to the village now. Inside the bag you will find a piece of lizard crystal. If you are successful, return to this spot and shatter it against the ground. It will let me know that you are here.”

“Thank you, Master Koh,” I said, with another bow. “I won’t let you down.”

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Koh merely smiled. “I hope Chief Muraboshi doesn’t let you down either. He’ll be furious even if you succeed, but I will till the soil well beforehand. Whatever happens I promise to do my best to honor your wishes.”

“Sounds like the [Odds are Against Me] no matter what,” I said with chagrin, but reveled in the slight boost of Frenzy that came from my Flame. I then looked to my two companions. “No matter, though. Let’s go find ourselves an Awakened Heart of a Fallen Star.”

* * *

We set off for the volcanoes in the distance and after an hour or so of flying with Mal’Kira on my back, we reached them. The earth transformed from dusty rock to hard brittle shale and as we flew up the side of a mountain to get a better view, the heat began to grow significantly. We donned the aprons Master Koh had given us and as I figured, I barely fit into the thing. Mal’Kira looked even worse, with the apron becoming an oversized bib on her.

When we reached the top, I got a good vantage of the mountain range from the summit. There were at least four or five active volcanoes in the general area, including a few dormant ones. The air wobbled with heat like an oven and the constant rumble and roar of the belching volcanoes forced us to shout as we spoke.

“Looks like that one,” Blue Rose said, pointing to a large depression in the distance.

It was at the center of three active volcanoes, that were each on the edge of what appeared to be an ancient crater. In the center was a ten-mile-wide lake of bubbling magma that glowed red hot even from this distance.

“Just like Master Koh said.” Mal-Kira nodded and then began off-loading the provisions. “This seems far enough away to set up a base. That’s not too far for you to fly right, Max?”

It was about three miles away. “Not too far.”

“I’ll keep watch for you at the edge of the crater,” Blue Rose said. “These aprons seem to hold back the heat, however they work.”

I wondered that myself for a moment. There were no obvious runes or inscriptions on them, but they had to be radiating Qi to have this kind of power.

“Okay, let’s go,” I said, but Mal’Kira caught me by the arm.

“Not so fast,” she said. “You haven’t eaten well in the last three days and you could use a proper rest before you head out. Sit down and I’ll cook us all something.”

I wanted nothing more than to see if I could survive the lava, but my stomach agreed with her.

“Okay,” I said. “Let’s eat first.”

Mal’Kira was pretty handy with the provisions and although it was just basic ingredients, she managed to make a pretty fine meal of noodles, rehydrated vegetables along with some kind of cured meat. When I’d had my fill, I took a nap, as instructed, and despite the heat, managed to drift off no problem.

When I awoke it was late afternoon and the celestial orb was low in the sky.

I felt better than ever and made final preparations while Mal’Kira set up camp for the night.

“Good luck, boss,” she said and gave me a thump on my chest. “Don’t come back deep fried.”

I chuckled. “I’ll try my best not to. Ready, Blue?”

She nodded and we were both off, sailing through the superheated air and to the edge of the massive pool of lava. As we touched down, I could already feel the heat coming through my boots. But that wasn’t the only thing I could feel.

Deep in my core I sensed the presence of Dark Frenzy and it wasn’t coming from the now dormant Bloodmoon this time. It was coming from the bubbling lake of fire before me. I prepped myself with [Diamond Skin] and applied a layer of [Steel Lightning] on top of that, before finally summoning my weapons, axe and glaive both.

Blue Rose suddenly burst out laughing and I stared back at her, perplexed.

“What?” I said.

“Nothing,” she said, still laughing. “I thought Mal’Kira was the chef, but you actually look more like one, with your weapons drawn and that apron on. Or a mad chef anyway, considering you’re pretty much naked underneath.”

She was right.

I looked like some deranged murderhobo-butcher.

“No time for fashion,” I said. “And besides, I’m about to do something crazy, so I might as well look the part.”

With that I stepped towards the bubbling magma, took a deep breath and plunged my arm straight in. I yelled out as my nervous system was electrified with white hot pain. I forced myself not to remove my arm though and pushed my mind through it. Lightning popped and crackled as the lava scorched my ablative technique, trying to get at my [Diamond Skin] beneath. It was like keeping my arm in boiling water and after a minute I pulled it out to inspect the damage. To my surprise, there was nothing wrong with my arm at all, although it felt like it was still covered in boiling oil.

“You okay?” Blue Rose asked, looking over my shoulder.

I released a sigh. “Well, I know I can survive. It’s just going to hurt like hell and then some.”

“If it’s too much just get out.”

I nodded, even though I knew that wasn’t in the cards for me.

This was going to be a one-shot deal. I needed to find this thing and be done with it.

No way was I jumping in and out like it was a hot tub or something.

“Hold my beer,” I said, repeating something my Dad used to say whenever he was about to take on some monumental task. The English words were lost on Blue Rose though and I got a good laugh from the funny face she made.

I jumped into the lake of boiling magma feet first before she could say anything else and then resisted the urge to scream again as the scolding liquid sizzled against my [Steel Lightning] technique. My world became a furnace of heat, pain and fire. I couldn’t even see and kept my eyes shut as I ‘felt’ for the Dark Frenzy I had sensed earlier.

I used [Ride the Lightning] to plunge myself further into the fiery darkness, searching.

The agony of the heat, combined with the pressure the deeper I went, triggered my Flame to start producing Frenzy of its own. I cultivated it urgently as I sensed my Dantian draining by the second to stay alive amidst the insane conditions.

I used my mental focus to stay on track, ignoring the scalding hot pain with [Indifference] as I focused on tracing the Dark Frenzy. The lower I went the stronger it got, which wasn’t a surprise. I focused on which direction I needed to head after that, changing my bearings as I plunged deeper and deeper.

After what seemed like an eternity of agony, I crashed into something solid and had to fight my way through with my Axe and Glaive. In a sudden burst, I pushed through whatever it was and then found myself flying in free space again.

It was like walking into air conditioning on a scorching hot day, finally free of the lava, and as my eyes cleared, I realized I was in a large cavern of sorts. The walls were smooth like glass, like this was once a magma chamber that was now empty. I looked where I had come from and saw I had busted through the ceiling and a stream of molten fire was now spewing behind me, illuminating the place with its dull red glow.

I checked my skin next. I was still in one piece and amazingly so was the apron, but any shred of clothes I’d had on before that was now toast. I shook off any remnants of lava with a burst of [Steel Lightning] and honed my senses to seek out the source of the Dark Frenzy.

The massive cavern was at least a mile wide and it took me some time navigating through the stalactites and columns of crystalized rock before I sensed something truly strong. There below me, was a pool of molten rock and in the center was something that looked like solid crystal.

As I flew downward, the Dark Frenzy grew suddenly acute, and my Flame flared in response. Its aura changed and I realized it wasn’t Dark Frenzy that I was sensing at all, but Cursed.

It made sense.

It had come from a Cursed Star, after all.

The chunk of crystal that had to be the Heart looked about the size of a basketball and Cursed Frenzy was radiating from it like a broadcast tower.

I landed at the edge of the pool and as soon as my feet touched the ground the entire cavern began to shake. Deep rumbling came not only from the cave but from the crystal itself. Sharp screeches. Alien sounds that only my inner soul could comprehend.

I sprang backwards away from the edge of the pool as the molten lava began to overflow, summoning my [Spectral Form] at the same time. As the red-hued form of the Struggler encased my body, the horrid screeches took on new meaning within my mind.

A deep, gravelly voice, like that of a god shook the cavern.

“How be it that one such as thee exists? Curious.”

As the lava overflowing from the pool began to stream upwards, it slowly took on a new form. It rose to nearly a hundred feet tall and was humanoid in shape and about where its forehead would be, the crystal gleamed with new power.

Below it a set of twin eyes form, white hot against the deep red lava that flowed down its body like mud. The lava monster radiated with even more Cursed Frenzy. I channeled my [Sacred Soul Shield] technique to fight against it, but felt my Dantian begin to drain as a result. I didn’t know what this being was, but I knew it was both sentient and powerful.

A Deep Dweller of a different kind.

“My name is Max Chun,” I said, brandishing my weapons. “And I follow the Path of the [Frenzied Flame]. I’m oathbound to destroy your kind. And right now, I need the chunk of rock sticking out of your head.”

The lava god, I decided to call it, looked down at me, contemplatively.

“The great traitor’s strength courses within thee, but thou art but a mortal husk. Hath the eons permitted the pestilent waste of this domain to evolve where they still defy the Father so?”

“I don’t know if that was a rhetorical question, but yeah, pretty much. And you’re going to feel the [Torment of the Frenzied Flame] as a result, bitch!”

As I invoked the technique, the giant monster roared.

“Sacrilege! Insult!”

Rocks and stalactites began to fall from the ceiling as the cavern shook with its rage.

It’s twin sets of eyes focused on me and narrowed.

“Vile cursed spawn of the Treacherous Flame,” it said, and its molten skin began to shift from red hot to an even hotter blue. “Prepare thyself. Thou hast earned the wrath of the One True Flame and I, Zh’urong, shalt perform thy execution.”