The upper reaches of the Dunya mountain range rejected life; the biting cold and low air pressure had deterred many from venturing closer to its peak. Only a handful of creatures adapted to the environment survived, hidden deep within narrow crevices - crevices that had now served as the last refuge for the humans who had climbed far higher than they should have.
"This is... new." Alfred broke the silence, articulating what the entire team was thinking.
A large portion of the mountainous crag had been carved out, leaving a trail of fallen rocks that accumulated within the rocky crucible. The sharp spear that once pierced the heavens had been blunted.
"Lao-Shan Lung really did descend from the peak, and along the way, it changed the terrain." Alfina stepped forward and jumped down into the depression. "Still, this makes it easier for us to traverse deeper into the centre."
"That may be true, but the thin layer of ice is still a problem. One slip at the wrong angle and you'll be tumbling all the way down." Scarlet carefully made her way down. "Melting them with fire magic is rather useless as well."
"All of you are capable of using magic to propel yourself back." Aria used her wind magic to soften her landing.
"... I shall address the dragon in the room: there is a rather large tunnel that bores through the mountain face, and looking at the direction, it seems to lead further into the centre of the mountain range." Alfred was pointing at the suspiciously large entrance that he deduced was exposed due to Lao-Shan Lung's migration. "It may not be the exact route that the elder dragon took, but it seems to run parallel to it. After all, traversing the same path that Lao-Shan Lung took seems..."
"With such a colossal body, Lao-Shan Lung could simply step across those wide gaps. Well, we could overcome them with magic as well."
"Let's preserve our mana, Alfina. We don't know when monsters might appear, especially those posing an Elder Dragon-level threat..." Scarlet made her way towards the cave entrance and the rest followed suit.
The cavernous chamber held several small colonies of moss and algae. Despite the lack of sunlight and the cold temperature, life seemed to thrive on the limited nutrients extracted from the minerals.
"There is a small flow of warm air coming from the depth of this cave." Alfred touched the wall and found moisture condensing against the surface. "There is a source of energy coming from the other end of this cave. If Lao-Shan Lung had not collapsed a part of the chamber, this entire place would be a self-contained ecosystem, feeding off the thermal energy."
"It is still rather cold though. The frigid air seems to be blowing in whilst the warm air escapes."
"That is only natural, Scarlet. The cold air is entering from outside while the warm air is escaping through the upper sections of the cave."
"I know about the laws of thermodynamics written by Count Jacques, Al. I am actually dreading the thing that's generating this heat from the other side of the tunnel." Scarlet used her magic to light up the area. "I suspect that there is a volcano at the other end."
As Team One ventured deeper into the tunnel, the cold and warm air mixed and condensed the moisture in the air into icy mist. Various minerals glowed with pale hues, providing light to the travelers. Alfred, fascinated with the ores, mined and gathered some into his pouch while jotting down the characteristics of each.
The air was noticeably more humid, carrying a faint smell of vegetation as they neared the exit. Soon, the scenery opened up into a large rocky area dotted with small lakes; some of the water bodies were frozen and fish could be seen swimming beneath the ice. Plants took root within the rocky terrain, cracking and squeezing through the hard surface with ease.
"There's no volcano... So, what's the cause of that heat?"
"If I have to guess, it may be due to geothermal spring running beneath the tunnel, occasionally spurting out warm mist through small cracks along the tunnel. That is the occasional warm air that we felt throughout the journey." Aria looked around and spotted something that proved her theory. "That bubbly water puddle that appears to be steaming is the evidence of an underground hot spring."
"Huh, to think that there is so much water trapped within the Dunya mountain range - within the arid Kemet region." Alfina scooped up the clear water with her hand and drank it. "Drinkable. I can somehow understand why ancient people would call this place 'Paradise', the abundance of water must be quite a sight to behold for the locals."
"Hey! Shall we bathe ourselves in that hot spring!?" Cedo was excitedly pointing at the hot spring. "I've heard that in the north, people soak themselves in hot water to wash away their fatigue!"
"First of all, lower your voice. Secondly, that puddle is too small for dipping. Finally, that water is boiling hot, you are going to turn yourself into stew." Aria dug her pinky into her ear in irritation. "Our first priority is finding a good spot to set up camp and find any signs of anomalies."
"That place seems good." Alfred spotted a shallow depression against the rocky escarpment. "It is elevated and well covered with rocks and algae, perfect for a camp and will insulate us from the cold."
"Well-spotted, Al. Let's-!" Scarlet was about to take a step forward, but saw the faint vibration and heard a sharp hissing sound coming from the ground. In an instant, a sudden gust of scalding steam erupted from beneath where her foot was about to land. With quick reflexes, she pulled her leg back before it could be bathed in burning steam.
"""!"""
Team One immediately became wary of their surroundings. The underground hot water that had brought life to the frigid ecosystem had become a force that could reap it as well.
"Step on solid surfaces and avoid cracks. Otherwise, throw rocks to ensure it is safe before moving or use magic to leap over, although I do not recommend that..." Upon Aria's warning, everybody slowly made their way across the area.
At the halfway point, the group climbed onto a large stone slab that served as a solid platform with no visible crack. They all breathed a temporary sigh of relief before steeling themselves to resume moving towards their objective.
"This is nerve-wracking... Woah!" Scarlet was surprised when a flying creature swooped down at her. "What in the world!?"
"Cortos! There is a flock of them!" Aria readied her glaive and took to the air, slashing at the incoming wingdrake. "They are usually passive, but something is..."
"There is a bunch of quadrupedal creatures as well!" Alfina swung her Kut-Ku Pike at the lunging beast, searing it with her weapon's elemental property. "From their colour, they must be Wulg!"
"Great, another troublesome thing to be wary of!" Scarlet chanted her fire magic and took out the Wulgs that were bunching together to attack her. "Why are they so aggress-!"
A large figure darted out from the shadow, swiping and pinning down a Wulg with untamed ferocity. Unsatisfied, it leapt and bit a flying Cortos, dragging it down with its massive frame. The beast tore into the flesh of its victims, devouring them with savage hunger and crunching through their bones with its powerful jaws.
"... That, is the reason why..." Aria vaulted back onto the platform to avoid the gushing steam.
The large beast swallowed its last bite and turned towards the hunters. Its shaggy white and brown fur flowed with every move while its armoured limbs stomped the ground, trampling on the vegetation. With every breath, the chilly air rushed out from its mouth, freezing anything that came in contact with it.
The Fanged Beast stopped and stood on its hindlegs, reaching around eight metres in height. Its piercing yellow eyes stood in contrast to its bluish armoured face, staring at those who intruded into its territory.
After taking a deep breath, the monster roared, pumping blood into its head and limbs, turning the gentle blue of its armour into hellish red.
"Everyone, get ready! We will now hunt that Goss Harag, the Limb Reaper!"
Upon Aria's declaration, the four hunters scattered in order to surround the beast while Alfred stayed behind as support.
"Fire! Fill your furious soul into my voice! Sol Exardescere!" Scarlet initiated the attack with her magic, shooting out a burst of wild flame towards the Goss Harag.
The monster, upon seeing the oncoming flame, dodged with surprising mobility before slamming its forelimbs to the ground with incredible strength. The force tore into the rocky floor, travelling in a straight path towards Scarlet. She took to the air with her glaive, Flammenkaefer, narrowly avoiding the attack.
Goss Harag proceeded to spit its saliva onto both of its forelimbs, freezing almost instantly upon contact with the cold air. The moisture in the air condensed around its forelimbs, molding them according to its will; it formed two icy scythes, scraping them against the ground and leaving gashes on the solid rock.
"What in the Lord's name is that demon?" Alfina used her glaive and launched her kinsect towards the demonic beast, collecting extracts. "So much for this place being called 'Paradise'..."
Aria vaulted into the air, avoiding the ice shards that Goss Harag launched whilst sending out her kinsect to extract essences. "It is also called the Snow Oni Beast! Target its head to lower the potency of its breath attack! Break both of its forelimbs and it will have a hard time forming the ice blades!"
"Duly noted!" Cedo charged with his large halberd, swinging at the beast with incredible speed and power. "Your arm's mine!"
Goss Harag saw the incoming attack and met Cedo halfway by slashing with its ice blade. The heavy halberd cracked the ice and lodged itself deep into the frozen blade.
"! Oh, crap-!" Goss Harag swung its left arm, attempting to slice Cedo, but Scarlet came in and parried the attack with a rising slash.
"Hey! Don't just rush in like a fool!"
"My bad, Miss Scarlet!" Cedo used his leg to pry out his weapon and swung it at the monster's head. "I'll just go for the other parts!"
Despite being stunned by Scarlet's offset attack, Goss Harag leapt sideways, causing Cedo to miss his swing. At the same time, the beast unleashed a stream of its breath attack, showering Cedo with its chilly touch and imprisoning him within the icy block, restricting his movement.
Having incapacitated one of its attackers, Goss Harag turned its attention to the other three, shooting another stream of its ice breath that swept from left to right. The area touched by the cold breath froze instantly, leaving chunks of ice balls.
Aria and Scarlet vaulted back to get out of its attack range, but Alfina vaulted towards the monster, landing a downward thrust on its left forelimb, and cracking its ice blade. As the beast moved to gain distance, Alfina leapt forward, closing in and keeping the pressure with her fiery slashes.
Goss Harag lifted both of its arms and swiped forward towards Alfina, but it missed as she jumped back, flipping mid-air with her acrobatic skill. The monster was about to pounce on Alfina who had just landed, but unbeknownst to it, her kinsect had finished dispersing explosive powder during her escape; the explosion that followed startled the beast and shattered both of its ice blades.
"Sir Cedo!" Alfred immediately entered the arena when Cedo was stuck in the ice block. As the monster was distracted by the other three, Alfred closed in and poured a vial of cleanser around Cedo. The ice melted and cracked, allowing Cedo to free himself from the brittle ice.
"Thanks, you're the best!" Cedo rushed into the frontline just as Alfina had shattered the monster's ice blades.
"... What is in this cleanser?" Alfred was a little disturbed by how effective the cleanser was.
Aria and Scarlet immediately rushed in toward Goss Harag who had lost its weapons, joining Alfina who was weaving past the various claw swipes whilst dealing damage. Aria, being faster, got into the scuffle first as she worked together with Alfina to attack the monster; when one distracted the beast, the other attacked whenever an opening presented itself.
Scarlet came in from above, thrusting her glaive into the monster's face, causing it to drop to its knees and allowing Scarlet to mount the beast. She held on to a bunch of the thick fur and began stabbing the monster with her dagger.
"Continue riding that bear! I'll be crushing those limbs from down here!" Cedo started to wildly swing his halberd on the beast, hitting its right forelimb repeatedly with surprising precision.
Aria and Alfina continued to dance around the angry beast, acting as nuisance in order to disrupt the monster's attempt to throw Scarlet off its back.
Soon, Scarlet and Cedo each opened a wound on the Goss Harag: one on its back and the other on its right forelimb. The beast halted its rampage in order to catch its breath, giving Scarlet the opening to jab her glaive and drilling it into the wound.
As the damage registered through Goss Harag's thick fur and into its flesh, the monster wailed in pain and fell on its belly. The red hue colouring its face and limbs dissipated into its original blue.
Aria, Scarlet and Cedo continued the assault on the beast while Alfina vaulted back with her kinsect, infusing her mana into it.
"Fire! Bless my heart and grant me your eternal strength!" Alfina's kinsect shone in brilliant blue and flew in front of her, looping around in a circle as it left a trail of blue fire. She launched her fist through the circle, unleashing a torrent of blue fire that rushed towards Goss Harag. "Enfer Perpétuel!"
Aria and Scarlet backed away immediately, but Cedo was too slow to get clear. The crashing wave of scorching fire engulfed the area around the beast, and Cedo had unfortunately been caught in the edge of the attack, searing his back before Aria pulled him out of the flowing fire.
Alfina, noticing Cedo's failed attempt to escape her magic spell, tried to reduce her attack potency by stopping the outflow of her mana. However, the intensity did not waver and the flame continued on its rampage.
Seeing Cedo being injured, Alfred rushed in with a vial of potion already on his hand.
Goss Harag, being enveloped by the intense fire, wailed in desperation as its thick fur was scorched. Within that panic, the beast wildly swung its claws in an attempt to rid itself of the dancing fire, but as its desperation reached its peak, so did its power.
With a raging roar, Goss Harag pummeled the ground in every direction, cracking the rocky surface and sending shockwaves to the hunters. However, with the destruction of the rocky platform, the lid that had been suppressing the danger was gone. Several bursts of scalding water and steam erupted from beneath them, raining the arena with searing droplets.
"Guh!" Enduring the pain, Alfred covered his body with his coat while making his way towards Cedo and Aria who were also showered by the burning rain. Cedo, in particular, was gritting his teeth from having to endure Alfina's fire and the boiling water coming in contact with his burned skin.
As the pressure eased, so did the fountains of scalding water, but they had snuffed out the flame that Alfina had conjured and turned the battlefield into a misty mess.
Goss Harag walked out of the fog. Having reformed its icy blades, it moved slowly towards Cedo while dragging its weapon on the ground. Its menacing expression almost resembled a grin.
Aria drank a vial of potion from her pouch and darted forward to confront the beast, giving Alfred enough time to splash Cedo with recovery potion and drag him away.
"Sir Cedo! Here!" Alfred offered Cedo another vial of potion to be drunk. "Drinking this would be more effective!"
"Save it for others!" Cedo smiled and stood despite his throbbing wounds. His burned skin had mostly recovered, but it was far from being ideal. "I've a strong body! And I'll stand back up again and again! What doesn't kill me will make me stronger!"
"Stop! You need to drink this! This is not the time to be a hero!"
"Being a hero is every man's dream!" Cedo lifted his heavy halberd with a slightly trembling hand. "Worry not, for I'll take that beast down!"
As Cedo took a step forward, Alfred landed a hard punch to his face, causing him to fall to the ground.
"You fall with just a single blow from a normal human, so how are you going to take on the might of that demon?" Alfred's voice dropped a bar and turned cold. "Those three are doing their best while looking out for each other, working well together. But you, you are only thinking about yourself, trying to prove your worth for your own selfish reasons."
Kneeling down, Alfred met Cedo's eyes. "If you die, how do you think we are supposed to answer to the Viscount and your families? This time, Miss Aria managed to save you from your lack of awareness, but what if it was my girlfriend who had to save you and got hurt in the process...?"
Alfred grabbed Cedo by the collar and forced him to empty a vial of health potion. "Learn to think for others, not for yourself. Every successful hunt is achieved by working for each other!"
Cedo took the final gulp and felt his body recovering rapidly; his wounds closed and he no longer felt the stinging pain from the burn. Seeing the anger in Alfred's eyes, and touching his cheek where he was punched, Cedo let out a small chuckle and gripped on Alfred's shoulders.
Alfred was a little stunned, but also felt insulted that his reprimand was met with a toothy smile from Cedo. Alfred was about to berate him again until Cedo's unexpected follow up.
"You're a great man! Miss Scarlet is really lucky to have you!" Having recovered, Cedo took his halberd and faced the Goss Harag who was currently engaged in an intense tussle against three hunters. "You're always thinking about her and always put her before yourself! Keep protecting her, just as you've always done!"
Alfred stared at Cedo's back that was constantly carrying an emotional weight unknown to him.
Goss Harag threw several shards of ice towards the hunters. Aria, Alfina, and Scarlet avoided the attack, but Cedo parried the incoming projectiles. The beast jumped and slammed its bladed fists towards Cedo, who narrowly escaped the impact that sent debris flying. However, seeing the opening, Cedo cleaved into the beast's forelimbs, shattering the ice blades that had sustained repeated blows from the hunters.
"This is the chance to break its limbs!" At Cedo's declaration, the other three hunters lunged in and carved the Goss Harag's forelimbs with a flurry of Insect Glaive strikes while Cedo retreated to give space and regain his stamina.
"Fire! Fill the raging soul of my sun!" Scarlet twirled around mid-air, avoiding Goss Harag's icy breath by a hair while chanting her magic. She jabbed her glaive towards the beast's head, but Goss Harag caught it with its claws and tossed it aside. However, Scarlet released her grip and maintained her momentum that she used to latch herself onto the monster's head, digging her dagger into its cheek. "Novus Stella!"
A violent burst of brilliant flame expanded in an instant. With Scarlet as its epicentre, the fiery spell expanded in every direction, engulfing everything within its radius and incinerating it in an explosive flash of energy. The searing air vigorously rippled across the battlefield, chasing away the fog, and served as a display on the might of Scarlet's most powerful magic.
The intense heat ripped apart Goss Harag's armour and buckled its knees from the sheer damage it had taken.
Scarlet hopped down and retrieved her glaive before joining in Aria, Alfina, and Cedo to continue their assault.
The beast tried to get its bearings, but the repeated blows to its forelimbs, which it had used to defend itself, had shattered them, sending waves of pain through its body. Yet, it desperately swiped around in an attempt to earn some space between itself and the hunters. The saliva it spat was unable to freeze immediately due to the lingering heat of Scarlet's fire magic.
Cedo pummeled the monster's face with his sturdy halberd, hacking repeatedly with the axe end before hammering it with the blunt end.
Left with no choice, the beast curled itself, shielding its softer underbelly against the rocky surface. Despite its injured forelimbs, Goss Harag repeatedly pounded the ground, sending cracks racing across the rocky surface and shockwaves throughout the arena.
"Everyone, get away!" Aria, the first to notice the widening of the cracks, darted backwards.
As soon as Aria retreated, the floor gave way, creating an expanding hole as debris fell into the vortex.
Aria and Alfina narrowly avoided the fall, but Cedo, being the closest, slipped and slid into the hole after Goss Harag. Scarlet instinctively grabbed Cedo's hand in an effort to pull him, but the platform rapidly weakened as she too was sucked into the abyss below.
"Scarlet!" Alfred bolted, trying to jump in, but was stopped by Aria who held him in place. "Let go!"
"Calm down! Scarlet is strong! Falling into that hole is not enough to put her down!"
"But, but what if there is something worse down there!?"
"All the more we need to maintain our cool, so that we can enact a rescue plan for both of them!"
"Kuh..." Alfred bit his lip in frustration.
***
"... Guh!" Cedo jolted awake, pain searing throughout his body. He forced himself to his feet, trying to get his bearings. "This..."
The intense heat lingering in the air felt almost suffocating as Cedo looked around and saw flowing lava pooling throughout the area.
"You're finally awake, huh." Scarlet tossed a vial of health potion to Cedo and urged him to take it. "You can choose to remain here, resting your battered body, or you can come with me to finish the job."
"Job...? Ah! The monster! Where?!"
"Drink it first, you numb head!" Scarlet lightly knocked Cedo's head with her glaive. "The beast's that way. It ran up that slope after the fall... Which is understandable, since this place is really hot."
"Then, let's chase it and take it down!" Cedo emptied the health potion and lifted his halberd. He took a few steps forward, but his leg gave way, sending him crashing to his knees. "Guh! No worries, I just tripped!"
"Over nothing..." Scarlet walked towards Cedo and sat beside him. "You may have a strong body, but you are unlike me and the others, blessed with the Mark of Angelos. You are drained."
"Ahaha, maybe I am... But don't worry! I'll be up and about in another minute!" Cedo sat down as well, allowing himself the rest he needed.
"... I may not be the best person to talk to, but I'm willing to listen to your story."
"Huh." Upon Scarlet's statement, Cedo was a little surprised and smiled as usual. "Hahaha! My story is currently being written by yours truly! The story of me becoming a hero! A hero strong enough to protect everyone!"
Scarlet remained quiet despite Cedo's attempt to lighten up the mood. As her silence dragged on, Cedo's energy slowly faded with time and he too, fell into an awkward stillness.
Cedo maintained his smile while Scarlet continued staring at him, refusing to let him hide behind it.
After a minute of awkward silence, Cedo sprang up to his feet, but Scarlet remained seated.
"I'm fully charged! Let's go!"
"..."
"Umm... Let's continue whacking that beast to oblivion!"
"..."
"... Lady Scarlet, there's no need to worry! For I'm strong!"
"..."
"... I'm strong!"
"..."
"... I'm... strong..."
"..."
"... I'm... actually weak..." A drop of tear flowed down Cedo's cheek.