Chapter 65

  Each passing moment was pure agony for Nathan.

  Streams of lava scorched his cheeks, neck, chest, and thighs. The restrained Lava Drake grew frenzied, willing to expend its remaining energy just to burn the human holding it tight.

  Nathan felt himself going limp, the torment spreading until his body went numb. Though his Berserker state dulled his pain receptors, it didn't eliminate the sensation entirely. Once the damage crossed a certain threshold, he still had to endure.

  His facial bones were exposed as the Lava Drake thrashed, making crackling sounds as they resisted. He squeezed his eyes shut, fearing lava might seep into the corners. He held his breath as each inhale seared his lungs, burning through his internal organs. His teeth remained clenched, afraid to part his lips lest the drake's vicious lava find its way in.

  The Lava Drake bobbed its neck up and down, rubbing frantically against his grip. Though it could no longer spew lava, each exhaled breath doubled the air's temperature.

  And so they remained locked in combat - a three-meter-tall figure with melted skin and glowing red patches wrestling against a beast born of lava itself. One waited for their chance to strike, while the other desperately tried to escape its impending doom.

  The massive ice sword cleaved through the scorching air, creating a thunderous sound as it generated wisps of moonlit mist that wrapped around like white fabric. As it fell, it accelerated while simultaneously shrinking.

  By the time it neared the Lava Drake, the sword had diminished to roughly the thickness of the beast's neck. However, this remaining ice differed from what had eroded during its descent. It was whiter, lacking the usual blue tint, more solid, and most importantly - colder.

  A wave of cold air washed over Nathan, bringing blessed relief like when his mother would let him use the air conditioning on sweltering summer days in their cramped apartment. He dared to open his eyes, slowly tilting his head up to look. Though he could only see the sword's tip, its magnificence remained undimmed.

  The ice sword resisted the intense heat surrounding the Lava Drake. Flames from the beast's spiky flare state licked at the blade, yet it neither melted nor vaporized.

  The sword of ice plunged downward, aimed straight for the creature's head.

  The Lava Drake roared, refusing to give up. It knew that if it could just survive this attack, victory would be assured.

  The fire force and environment seemed to answer the monster's call. Waves of red-orange energy manifested in the air, pouring towards it. The horn on the Lava Drake's head blazed like a miniature sun. Its Magma Surge state gradually receded, feeding more fuel to its cranial region.

  Nathan felt the pressure ease as a result. However, he could do nothing more than use his full weight to pin the monster in place, preventing it from moving. His flesh and skin began recovering.

  The moment of impact unleashed chaos.

  The mixed shockwave from their collision sent ripples through the surroundings. Boulders launched skyward, defying gravity. The underground lava streams, touched by the conflicting energies of ice and fire, rapidly solidified into black stone. The very air seemed to shatter, creating a cascade of explosions that trailed steam, forming a thin layer of ethereal mist.

  The forces clashed in spectacular fashion. Above, white light blazed with deadly frost, its pure radiance cutting through the heated air. Below, crimson-orange light flared with destructive heat, the very essence of volcanic fury. The two powers met in a display that painted the cavern in contrasting hues of fire and ice.

  Nathan felt an immense pressure crushing down on his body. The ground beneath his feet didn't just crack - it shattered completely, his legs sinking deep below the surface. Each crack spread like lightning through the stone, creating a spider's web of destruction that spiraled outward from the point of impact.

  The Lava Drake experienced the same overwhelming force. Its four limbs, with their razor-sharp claws, didn't just dig into the terrain. They tore through it like paper, leaving deep gouges that instantly filled with the pulverized remains of the stone floor.

  The mixed energies from the clash transformed the battlefield. Where once there was solid ground, now there were craters. Where lava had flowed freely, now there were twisted columns of rapidly cooled stone. The very air became charged with residual energy, making it hard to breathe.

  Explosions trailing steam scattered outward, not in a simple burst but in waves, each one carrying both burning heat and biting cold. They formed a thin layer of mist that swirled with unnatural patterns, caught between the opposing forces that had created it.

  Nathan trembled as he looked up again, witnessing the deadlock between the sword and the monster's horn. They weren't simply touching - they were locked in a contest of pure power, throwing off sparks with each vibration that illuminated the chamber like miniature lightning strikes.

  His eyes drooped, his mood sinking as he observed the stalemate. He recognized that the sword's peak power came at the moment of initial impact. That split second when all its momentum and magical energy were perfectly aligned. The hoped-for outcome, the monster's head being severed clean through, its body collapsing lifelessly, hadn't materialized. That blazing horn still radiated intense heat, fiercely opposing the sword's coldness with equal determination.

  Once it survived this moment, it could absorb the volcano's power and return to strength. Though not at full capacity, it would still have more than enough force to kill both humans.

  Nathan knew his Berserker state was approaching its end. His regeneration no longer defied logic as before. Their side faced defeat.

  But the Lava Drake wasn't much better off. It had expended all its power maintaining this state. Weakness was inevitable.

  Roaring in pain, Nathan leaped up, ignoring his unhealed wounds. Half his face was nothing but metallic-looking bone. His exterior, his flesh and blood, resembled children's worst nightmares. A demon walking among mortals.

  Disregarding everything, paying no attention to the power radiating from the horn burning through his entire being, he wrapped his arms around the Lava Drake's upper neck.

  His forearms were nothing but bone. But that was enough.

  He embraced the neck, his legs kicking hard against the air. The reactive force from the kick helped him wrench the monster's neck to the side.

  With a sharp screech, the horn slipped away from the sword.

  The Lava Drake's eyes widened in terror. As Nathan had predicted, it lacked the strength to resist the massive force the human recklessly brought to bear.

  The Lava Drake's neck twisted to one side, perfectly positioned beneath the half-remaining ice sword.

  Thunk!

  The sword didn't stop, plunging straight into the ground, exploding into a cloud of frigid white powder.

  Nathan collapsed onto the white blanket-like ground. His body was chaos between hot and cold. He thought he might explode at any moment. A scorching breath passed over his forehead. He tilted his head to see the Lava Drake's head exhaling its final breath. Its pitch-black reptilian eyes still held shock and hatred. Perhaps because its severed neck was covered in brittle ice, the force it had despised from the depths of its soul.

  Only then did the Lava Drake's tall and long body topple to one side, scattering the snow created by the sword.

  Though his mind was exhausted, Nathan couldn't help but fear Evelyn's power. This ice must have come from the synthesis of superior foundations, technique, abundant and pure mana, as well as an outstanding mana aspect. He could only conclude that the girl possessed some kind of Constitution. Without any of these variables, they couldn't have achieved victory.

  Evelyn walked slowly toward Nathan, her already pale face now completely drained of life. In her hand, she clutched mana stones to replenish herself. Clearly she suffered from mana fatigue, when the body refuses to accept more mana after exchanging it too quickly and too much in a short time. This was a troublesome issue for low-level cultivators, only resolved at higher ranks.

  Nathan struggled to sit up, giving her a tired smile. His arms were still regenerating, looking somewhat horrific. The Berserker state lingered with its last remnants, as if determined to heal him completely before disappearing.

  Without a word, Evelyn also collapsed, letting out a soft laugh.

  They had done it, defeated a Tier 3 monster.

  Their armbands lit up, confirming both their hypotheses. Indeed, the reward would be ten thousand points. With both participating, each received half, five thousand points added to their totals.

  Nathan let the number 5763 on his arm fade away, feeling more confident.

  Argentius returned, offering to transform back to help both of them. It had wanted to transform several times while Nathan was fighting for his life. But it had followed orders to remain as a backup plan in case of emergency. Participating in defeating the Lava Drake might have left it in poor condition to escape if other contestants appeared.

  Nathan didn't object, he was truly too exhausted to move.

  A tiger form three meters tall appeared, breathing out streams of air in the bizarrely cold area surrounded by volcanoes. Argentius had secretly performed the reversal method, avoiding prying eyes.

  Nathan climbed onto its back, extending his hand to Evelyn.

  Gone was her initial hesitation, she immediately grasped the hand with its newly grown skin, soft to the touch, allowing herself to be pulled up. Though unspeaking, in her exhaustion she couldn't help but stroke Argentius's fur.

  Nathan showed understanding, he couldn't resist either.

  Argentius snorted in displeasure but didn't prevent them as it headed toward the Lava Drake's cave entrance.

  Like Evelyn, it used its spirit to sense a unique energy source inside.

  Leaving the icy area created by the sword, the heat crashed down on everyone again. Argentius manifested a wind barrier around them, blocking some of the outside temperature. Though still scorching, it wasn't as unbearable as before.

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  They were greeted by a dark tunnel, its surface covered in jagged rocks and barren. This area lacked the lava channels from outside. Evelyn pointed out that even the magma had solidified, becoming part of the geology.

  Going deeper, light gradually appeared. A spacious chamber came into view, large enough for several Lava Drakes to move around inside. Though vast, without the Tier 3 monster occupying it, the space felt strangely silent. Stone pillars tilted at odd angles were distributed irregularly, supporting the towering cave ceiling. The cave mouth was a small hole, allowing moonlight to illuminate a high ledge - the throne of the precious item they sought.

  "Winter's Heart Drop," Evelyn breathed, her lifelessness replaced by rare excitement.

  Since the start of the event, this was the first time she showed her anticipation.

  Both approached the high stone ledge. The ice water drop was only as large as a finger joint, yet the cold it radiated was somehow more terrifying than the Lava Drake. When they were still over two meters away, Argentius stopped, not daring to advance. Its fur had nearly frozen solid, requiring mana to resist, while simultaneously protecting Nathan, who was gradually shrinking. The stone heart in his chest contracted, reduced to just a dot.

  "Argentius says we can't go further," Nathan said. "What do you think?"

  Evelyn jumped down from the tiger's back, slowly approaching the treasure. Even she didn't dare act rashly before the Winter's Heart Drop's power. The light flickering between blue and white illuminated her face, making her crystal-like eyes shine even more brilliantly in reflection.

  At one meter away, Evelyn analyzed the item thoughtfully.

  "You absolutely must not use spirit to probe behind me for the next minute," Nathan spoke up.

  Turning around, Evelyn looked at him in confusion.

  Nathan dramatically pointed at his body.

  He was naked.

  Choking slightly, Evelyn turned back around.

  Fortunately, when transformed in the full Berserker state, his stone form had covered everything without leaving any parts exposed. Otherwise, he didn't know what consequences might have occurred.

  Very quickly, he took out another red uniform to put on. After adjusting his clothes to be neat and tidy, he examined his body. Only after basic healing was complete did the Titan's Berserker State fully disappear. Thus, he concluded, the defensive mechanism his bloodline provided was quite wonderful and thorough.

  The current problem was exhaustion. He felt as if his life force had been completely drained, accompanied by feverish illness that made him want to lie down in one place, close his eyes, forget everything. Weariness crept into every nook and cranny of his muscles and blood vessels. Everything became sluggish with greatly reduced reactions.

  He leaned forward against Argentius's nape, watching Evelyn though he only wanted to lower his eyes and rest straight through.

  "This isn't good," Evelyn finally spoke, her voice worried. "The drop has cracked. It can't be stored to take away anymore."

  "Can't put it in a spatial ring?"

  "Not even specially made containers would work," Evelyn replied grimly. "So spatial rings are even more impossible. The space inside spatial rings could actually accelerate the item's collapse. Its power is flowing out uncontrolled, making storage containers useless, therefore spatial rings are useless too."

  "You need to absorb it right now?" Nathan asked.

  Evelyn calculated the time was sufficient, turned to look at Nathan, and nodded.

  He could see the hesitation in the girl's eyes so spoke first.

  "This is a rare opportunity, isn't it?"

  "That's right," Evelyn answered.

  "Then do it. Argentius and I will protect you."

  "But your condition..."

  "Rest a bit and I'll be fine," Nathan cut her off. "Nothing to worry about."

  "But then I'll owe you again."

  "That's even better," Nathan grinned. "That's exactly what I hope for. And speaking of which, I might need you to protect me soon. So do what needs to be done."

  Hearing this, Evelyn nodded decisively, not dwelling on the topic further. She hoped to absorb the Winter's Heart Drop, thereby unlocking more of her potential. That way, she could assist Nathan even more.

  Thoughts settled, to prevent the drop from dispersing further, she sat down, pointing forward to begin absorption. A mana connection strand was established between her and the Winter's Heart Drop.

  Nathan left Argentius to keep watch over everything. The Tier 2 monster could use spirit to see more than he could.

  The Lava Drake's corpse had cooled. What remained was a mess before Nathan's eyes. Using Magma Surge had brought irreversible consequences to the monster. Because it hadn't cooled properly, all its parts had become rigid and brittle. Just a bit of force would make them crumble to ash. The head seemed the only part not too damaged.

  The monster's dissolving, unfocused eyes stared blankly toward Nathan. In their soulless depths echoed the resonance of an aspiration to rise up, to break through, a desire to become a true dragon.

  After poking around without finding any good options, he stored the head in his spatial pouch, saving the horn for extraction another day. It would surely be a valuable material. Though withstanding high temperatures, it remained undamaged. He estimated its hardness could compare to some Tier 4 materials.

  Afterward, he found the monster's core, collected it and returned to the cave.

  Nothing remained of the mighty monster except a headless statue lying on the ground, waiting to be torn apart by other species.

  Evelyn was still trying to establish connection with the Winter's Heart Drop so Nathan sat down, entering cultivation state to digest the essence gained from the Lava Drake.

  Nearly an hour later, he finally finished absorption because his mind and body weren't suitable for cultivation. He managed to push his cultivation to Tier 2 Phase 7.9, but couldn't breakthrough despite having enough essence to reach Phase 8.0

  The full Berserker state was collecting its toll. Blood vessels ached manifold whenever essence moved. Muscles and cells refused to absorb. They all seemed to enter hibernation, less active than normal.

  His spirit bore the heaviest burden, each thought or calculation having to wade through a muddy swamp to surface. His breathing was labored. His eyes could barely open.

  But he couldn't sleep. Closing his eyes like this, he didn't know how long before he'd wake again. Last time fighting Argentius he'd lost consciousness for a whole day. Pushing himself to the brink at The Pressuring Fall and fighting the Lava Drake would only multiply that.

  Leaving again, he only returned at midnight with monster meat from hunting and gathered herbs. A distance from the cave, he started cooking. Though delicious, the food was difficult to swallow. Meat and soup felt like sandpaper in his throat.

  He looked at his updated points on his armband to distract himself while eating. With his current points, he had slipped into the top 100 contestants. The event had been going for three days now, so contestants' points were gradually improving, showing signs of a fixed pattern. The average points all contestants achieved hovered around 1000. Thus Nathan and Evelyn could be considered outliers in The Shifting Trials.

  Adrian still maintained his absolute position, with his points even surpassing thirteen thousand. Though second and third place weren't far from each other, they remained significantly behind at eight thousand points. Keira had somehow managed to stay in the top ten with over seven thousand five hundred points.

  The five thousand point level like Nathan's was quite common from ranks ten downward. He guessed challenges like the Herbalist trial he'd encountered earlier didn't necessarily require individual participation but could be completed in teams, explaining why points were divided rather than spiking up like Adrian's.

  Remembering this, he wasn't certain whether the young Herbalist who had entered the inner area had completed his challenge yet. After all, Zeryn was still stuck below a thousand points. These types of challenges seemed to demand enormous time investment. Yet Nathan couldn't believe his genius friend would perform so poorly. Before coming here, Zeryn had endured three months in the Verdant Spire Challenge, which surely wasn't inferior to the obstacles in The Shifting Trials - perhaps even surpassing them.

  Zahra and Xander's results were quite modest, maintaining ranks between 300 and 500.

  Most noteworthy was Lachlan. This bastard who wouldn't leave Nathan alone seemed to have stepped on thorns, his ranking still hovering around 700. Ruby Voss found herself in a similar predicament.

  It appeared the battle between the two factions had yielded poor results for both sides. Or perhaps Lachlan and Ruby were simply too lazy to seek challenges, waiting for the final days to steal points from other contestants.

  Scrolling to the bottom of the rankings, Nathan fell into contemplation. Though his memory hadn't been enhanced through Spirit Cultivation, he vaguely remembered some names. Currently, they remained at the bottom without any changes. He didn't believe everyone was stuck in some challenge like Zeryn. Therefore, they must have been eliminated.

  Moving forward, this list would surely grow longer. However, contestants had to analyze and conclude this themselves as the armbands didn't specify.

  After finishing his meal, Nathan returned to the cave. Argentius refused to go out to eat. It understood their current situation and wouldn't be needlessly greedy. Nathan smiled and shrugged, sitting down again, trying to focus so nutrients could spread throughout his body, accelerating recovery.

  Unlike his expectations, there was no effect.

  He didn't think this was a spiritual issue that a good sleep would solve. Thus, could the core problem be that he maintained clarity while in a frenzied state? Was this situation a double-edged sword?

  When he learned he would obtain [Mind of Tranquility], his goal was to maintain control of his actions while in Titan's Berserker State. Only then could skills like [Martial Art Mastery], [Amplifying Strike], or [Flowing Strikes] fully demonstrate their capabilities.

  But this action had broken some balance he didn't fully grasp. It could be an automatic mechanism the Titan bloodline implemented to protect him. Punches or kicks might automatically reduce in power when blood energy wasn't sufficient. But being mindless, he wouldn't notice.

  Conversely, thanks to [Mind of Tranquility], he always attacked at full force, leaving no room for retreat. And because body feedback had decreased, he became even less aware of how much he was straining everything.

  Though just speculation, he was quite confident in his reasoning. Great power demanded equivalent sacrifice. He had possessed strength to fight one-on-one with a Tier 3 monster, one stronger than its peers at that. This was even more remarkable considering he'd only truly begun cultivating four months ago. Anyone hearing about this progress would boggle at his dizzyingly rapid development.

  Both confident yet somewhat afraid, he shook his head to stop overthinking. If possible, he needed to practice more with Titan's Berserker State to find problems and solutions. However, he doubted the feasibility of this approach. After today, it would be very difficult to enter the full Berserker state naturally.

  Argentius noticed his poor condition and came closer, releasing a mana membrane to block the cold air. It also benefited from his [Cold Resistance Aura]. Just earlier all three had suffered under lava's heat, yet now within an extinct volcano, they huddled against the cold.

  "Thanks, buddy," Nathan said.

  Argentius responded with a twitch of its whiskers.

  Both looked toward the blue-haired girl concentrating nearby, unsure when she would finish.

  Just then, Argentius suddenly stood up, sending a warning signal.

  "Not good! We must cut Evelyn's connection with that water drop."

  Though not understanding why, Nathan wearily stood up, his face becoming serious. He advanced without hesitation, Argentius moving parallel beside him. The monster released its mana aspect to resist the waves of cold emanating from the Winter's Heart Drop.

  Evelyn was no longer sitting still but shaking uncontrollably.

  "What's happening?" Nathan asked worriedly.

  "I don't know. The water drop suddenly reacted violently. Perhaps right after the connection was established."

  Nathan could see tiny dots, visible only with focused observation, escaping from a small crack in the Winter's Heart Drop's surface. They flowed rapidly toward Evelyn. Her body curled up, unable to withstand that force. Though there was resonance in mana aspect, too much, too large made smooth acceptance very difficult.

  Argentius and Nathan were forced back when they got close to Evelyn. Both were covered in a thin layer of frost. Fortunately Argentius had prepared the protective membrane, or they would have suffered the full bone-piercing cold.

  Nathan's exhausted state made his vision blur when hit by the cold. He staggered, leaning against Argentius to keep his balance.

  Ahead, Evelyn gradually lost control of her body. She went limp, slowly floating up from the ground, responding to the Winter's Heart Drop's call.

  Only when they were level did Evelyn stop. Her slender figure floated in mid-air, arm still extended forward.

  The white water drop began spinning frantically.

  Nathan sensed trouble and wanted to rush forward recklessly but was stopped by Argentius.

  "Too late," it shook its massive furry head. "We can't interfere with a heaven and earth treasure's process now."

  "Then what will happen to Evelyn?" Nathan frowned.

  "This could be her grave, or a tremendous opportunity if she survives."

  Nathan concentrated for a second, then took out a small knife from his spatial pouch. It had the ability to use mana so was covered in a blue edge. He threw it toward Evelyn.

  The edge gradually dissipated, losing stability, but remained sufficient for the knife to strike Evelyn's armband.

  He wanted to force Evelyn outside, letting the elders protect her from danger. The warning about death wasn't a joke.

  With a clang, the knife bounced back straight at Nathan. He dodged aside. Looking again, he saw a layer of ice had covered the armband, completely protecting it from any further attacks.

  "It wants her and warns us not to intervene," Argentius said.

  Hearing this, Nathan nodded helplessly. Madness existed not only in humans, but in all things.

  At this moment, the Winter's Heart Drop dissolved, tiny white particles barely visible forming a stream, flowing straight into Evelyn's chest.

  She cried out in pain, fainted, and fell.

  Nathan rushed forward when he saw the cold air around had decreased in intensity, catching her waist just in time. He gently lowered her, laying her on the stone ledge where the Winter's Heart Drop had resided.

  An L-shaped metal piece lay in a corner. He picked it up, remembering the similar shape of what the stranger at The Pressuring Fall had given him.

  But now wasn't the time to consider its function. He had to keep watch over Evelyn.

  She had her eyes tightly shut, face wrinkled in agony, body occasionally convulsing.

  Nathan looked toward Argentius to see if it had any insights, but only received a most unwelcome answer.

  "We have long days ahead."

  Very Rare Skills: [Titan's Descendant] (Not Upgradable)