Looking over the portals, Jason sighed. "Cold sucks. Lava sucks too, but at least we can move away from the heat. Plus, the Essence of the Dread Lord gave you a power up, what if Pyraxis gives something similar? could I get a similar boost?”

  Maggy smirked, arms crossed. “Well, it’s clear you’ve thought this through. And honestly, unless we’re skiing, I’m going to pass on the cold.”

  Jason chuckled. “When we get out of this, I’m taking you on a ski trip. Just so you know.”

  Maggy’s smile softened. “I’d like that.”

  And with that, they stepped through the fiery portal. As their feet touched the rocky, charred ground, an intense wave of heat washed over them, making the air feel thick and heavy. The dryness hit instantly, leaving their throats parched, beads of sweat already forming on their brows. The smell of sulfur lingered in the air, mingling with the scent of scorched earth.

  Once they were fully through, the portal winked out behind them, sealing them in this molten realm. Jason glanced over his shoulder at the now-empty space.

  “Hopefully, you didn’t have any second thoughts,” he said with a grin, wiping the sweat from his brow.

  Maggy shot him a look, half-amused, half-exasperated. “Not yet, but ask me again in five minutes.”

  Jason laughed as they pressed forward, the ground beneath them radiating heat. The distant castle loomed ahead, nestled between rivers of molten lava.

  “let's head towards the castle, it has to be somewhat livable” Maggy said.

  The heat was relentless as Jason and Maggy trudged across the volcanic landscape. The ground beneath them radiated intense warmth, each step feeling as though they were walking on smoldering coals. Rivers of lava flowed in the distance, casting an orange-red glow that reflected off the jagged, black rock around them. Sweat poured down their faces, their breathing heavy as the air itself seemed to weigh on them.

  “Still think this is a better vacation spot than the icy mountain?” Maggy asked, her voice strained.

  Jason smirked, though his exhaustion was evident. “At least here we are not freezing our asses off.”

  "True, but it might be preferable soon. we need to get out of this heat."

  The castle loomed ahead, dark and foreboding, nestled between two massive rivers of molten lava. As they approached, the ground beneath them rumbled, causing both of them to freeze in place.

  “Did you feel that?” Jason asked, summoning Undying Flame to his hand.

  Maggy nodded, her eyes scanning the area. “Yeah… that wasn’t just the lava moving.”

  Without warning, the ground in front of them cracked open, and a burst of molten lava shot into the air. Molten arms wreathed in fire slammed onto the earth, dragging a massive form from the magma.

  Jason’s heart raced as he instinctively reached for his blade. Jason identified

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  A notification flashed in his vision:

  Molten Goliath grade F

  An ancient creature born from the heart of a volcano. Its outer shell is made of molten rock, protecting the fiery core within. Strong, slow, and relentless, it uses the intense heat of its body to scorch everything in its path.

  Magma dripped from its molten frame, pooling into bubbling craters where it landed. Its eyes—two blazing orbs of pure, searing heat—locked onto them like prey.

  Jason barely had time to react before it let out a guttural, earth-rumbling roar. A massive arm, the size of a tree trunk, swung down in a molten arc.

  "Move!" Jason shouted, grabbing Maggy by the arm and yanking her sideways. "Same plan as always ill distract it while you blast it."

  The ground shattered where they had stood a second ago, molten debris flaring in every direction.

  "Jason wait..." That is all she had time for before he took off head long as always. she watched as he summoned Undying flame blade igniting as he slashed a blazing crescent of fire across the Goliath’s armored chest. The flames did nothing as she predicted. And per usual, Jason barely had time to curse before a massive fist caught him square in the chest, sending him soaring across the battlefield.

  CRACK.

  Jason slammed into a jagged boulder, the impact driving the air from his lungs. Dazed, he barely registered Maggy’s voice.

  "Fire’s useless!" she called, eyes scanning the monster’s shifting, molten armor. "Jason, listen to me! I think I found something, for this next part you'll need to switch weapons."

  Still catching his breath, Jason forced himself up, rolling his shoulders. "Yeah… yeah, okay."

  He dropped Undying Flame, letting it vanish back into the fiery void. With a flick of his wrist, the Devourer replaced it—a weapon as terrifying as the hunger it carried.

  Jason blurred forward, activating Flash Step repeatedly. He weaved through the Goliath’s swiping fists, staying just out of reach. But the beast was fast—unnaturally so for its size.

  It was tracking him.

  "Jason aim for the core, I'll expose it!"

  Jason showed his trust in Maggy squaring up against the Goliath its massive fist already descending. I really hope her hunch is right or this is really going to hurt. The Goliaths fist was closing in fast mere feet away when ethereal energy struck—slamming into a tiny fissure in its molten armor.

  The Goliath lurched, its entire left side locking up in a seizure of rippling magma.

  Jason didn’t hesitate. He surged forward, flipping the Devourer in his grip, and drove it straight into the beast’s chest. The bone blade sank deep, piercing into its molten core.

  For a moment, nothing happened.

  Then, a crack echoed through the battlefield.

  Maggy struck again. Another Spirit Bolt, precise and unrelenting, slammed into the core—forcing the wound wider. The pulsing heart of magma inside the Goliath flickered—weakening.

  And then, the hunger came.

  The Devourer awoke.

  Jason gasped as an unstoppable force surged through him, the blade drinking in the Goliath’s essence. At first, it was slow—controlled. But then, the floodgates shattered open.

  It wasn’t enough.

  The hunger burned. Devour more. More.

  Jason’s vision blurred, instincts twisting under the overwhelming urge to consume. His pulse quickened—his body trembled. He could feel the power of the Goliath dissolving into him, but it wasn’t enough. The blade needed more, he was a dying man in a desert and only had a trickle of water. The hunger coiled around him, whispering. A single step. Just one step closer, and he could drink deeper. Power surged at his fingertips, sweet and intoxicating. His pulse thundered. One step. Just one. A whisper slithered through his mind—more. Jason staggered, his grip tightening around the hilt. Then—he saw her. Maggy. Watching him, waiting, smiling. The hunger wavered. He gritted his teeth and ripped his hand away, throwing the Devourer aside as though it had seared his flesh.

  "What's wrong?"

  The battlefield was still. Smoke curled from the corpse of the Goliath, its molten core flickering like dying embers. Jason flexed his fingers, staring at where the Devourer lay. He could still feel it—the pull. The whisper. He exhaled slowly. Maggy stepped up beside him, her eyes studying his expression.

  "Have I ever told you the warning that came with that blade?"