Chapter 128: Magma Warship

Only through tribulation can one achieve true growth!

At the edge of the Lava Sea, with its boundless and surging fire energy, Greem gained far more than just a gathering of fire-elemental power. His innate affinity for fire felt perfectly at home here, allowing him to perceive the constant progress of his "Fire-Bathed Body" at every moment. If not for the real-time data from the chip deep within his mind constantly updating the progress of his transformation, he likely would have abandoned this endeavor long ago, unable to endure the agony of being seared by the intense flames.

Ever since his progress stalled in the Crimson World of the Gloom-Hole, the transformation—stuck at 17%—had surged forward under the impact of this more violent fire energy. He found himself in a state of simultaneous pain and exhilaration.

18%...
19%...
20%...
...
...

The strengthening of his fire affinity also triggered the self-evolution of his physical body. Organs and tissues incompatible with fire were baked to charcoal and incinerated into ash by the surging energy, while new body parts, supported by that immense power, regenerated rapidly to replace the old ones.

Ordinarily, this process would have been chaotic and left to the body’s base instincts. But now, with the chip’s precise adjustments and his own mental control, Greem was able to transcend the intense physical pain, focusing his mind on balancing the rate of incoming fire energy with the regeneration speed of his flesh.

While dual evolution of mind and body is ideal, one must maintain a delicate balance. Without a formidable physique, an ordinary apprentice could never withstand such violent physical remodeling. Thus, after soaking in the Lava Sea for only two quarter-hours, with his progress having soared from 17% to 23%, Greem was forced to grit his teeth and retreat.

As he crawled onto the pile of jagged volcanic rocks along the shore, scalding semi-molten magma dripped from his body, hissing against the volcanic stone beneath him. Once the magma rolled away, it revealed a hideously mottled black and red frame. The black was the charred skin, which began to flake and drift away in the terrifying heat; the red was the newly regenerated flesh, exposed to the extreme high temperatures yet clearly possessing far greater fire resistance and adaptability than before.

His previous body, while part of him, had not been entirely compatible with fire energy. Only now, through the infusion and remodeling of this abundant power combined with his own potent regenerative abilities, had he forged a physique truly aligned with his talents.

However, such physical transformation could not be achieved in a single stroke. Greem’s constitution was still too weak; a transformation too fierce would easily lead to systemic collapse. Thus, he had stopped while the going was good. As soon as the chip detected that his body had reached its limit and issued a danger warning, he immediately halted the practice of the Fire-Bathed Body.

At this moment, his frame appeared slightly leaner than before, yet far more refined and resilient. Beneath the surface, however, his internal organs, bones, and tendons were riddled with cracks and hidden injuries. Before he could repair this internal damage, he had to temporarily cease such wild physical remodeling.

Stopping briefly on the shore to re-adjust to his body, Greem put on his clothes and, without looking back, plunged once more into the dense network of lava tunnels embedded in the cliff face.

Half an hour’s journey from the Lava Sea, Greem found a semi-enclosed lava-eroded cave. After a simple renovation, he turned it into his temporary camp. He would likely spend his days and nights here, waiting for his body to recover.

He released a Rock Python, using its thick, sturdy body to block the only entrance, ensuring he would not be ambushed while he slept. Since the python was made of stone, it only needed to coil up and suppress its consciousness fluctuations to perfectly mimic a rock wall.

In a hollow at the center of the cave, Greem took out a pile of fire-stones as fuel and began cooking a "magic-energy meal" himself. The flesh of the fire-elemental beast, though only simply roasted, was devoured hungrily by a famished Greem. It must be said that with the improvement of his physique and strength, he had begun to include the once-too-tough and astringent flesh of magical beasts in his diet. Although his jaws would ache for a long time after each meal, sensing the soothing energy slowly releasing within his body made the suffering feel worth it.

After finishing his meal and gulping down a full gallon of purified water, Greem lay down on his felt mat and fell into a deep sleep. This time, he did not meditate. His broken body could not handle any more strain; a pure, worry-free sleep was exactly what he needed most.

Little did he know, as he drifted into deep slumber, a development involving him was unfolding within the Lava Sea.

At some unknown hour, a bizarre warship drifted onto the Lava Sea. It was strange because it had been fashioned from a floating volcanic island. Its rough, rugged hull looked tattered and had no sails, yet shadowy, towering figures could be seen moving upon it.

These were a group of tall stone-men, resembling stone golems, their bodies pieced together from high-density granite. Their thick, four-meter-tall frames bore many deep cracks, from which scorching lava-flows seeped, forming clusters of terrifying, distinctively colored flames upon their skin. The protective flames of the mature ones were golden, while those of the juveniles were a vibrant red.

They possessed humanoid limbs and torsos, along with uneven, pitted heads. However, their eyes, ears, mouths, and noses were not arranged with human regularity but appeared more like a messy clump of boulders. Their eyes were two deeply recessed holes within which the faint glow of magic crystals could be seen. Their noses and ears were simple, dark honeycomb-like structures, and their mouths were deep fissures spanning their faces, capable of swallowing a wild boar whole when opened wide.

The mysterious warship navigated flexibly through the viscous, molten magma, dodging larger floating islands. As for the smaller rocks, it simply smashed through them, leaving them to become debris floating on the sea. From time to time, the towering giants on board would lean over and plunge their fan-like hands into the terrifyingly hot magma to retrieve magic crystals or metal ores imbued with special elemental rhythms.

For these guardians patrolling the Lava Sea, not everything was worthy of their attention. They would hold each item up to their eyes for appraisal, tossing only the high-quality finds into the hold, where the bottom of the warship was already covered in a thick layer of spoils. As for the mediocre gems or ores, the giants tossed them back into the sea, allowing them to melt and become part of the vast, molten ocean once more.

The Lava Sea acted as a colossal furnace, settling all dross and waste to the bottom while buoying the most beautiful treasures to the surface, waiting for these "Children of the Fire Sea" to claim them.

As the lifelong inhabitants of this volcanic world, the Magma Giants were the natural rulers of this domain. They possessed not only formidable individual strength but also high intelligence and a relatively complex social structure.

On this lava warship were seven Magma Giants: two of wizard-level strength and five of apprentice-level. This was the standard configuration for a warship: two mature giants and five juveniles. Their lair lay upon a ring-shaped reef at the core of the Lava Sea. To prevent intrusions by human wizards, they organized several patrol teams to roam these molten waters day and night.

When the volcanoes were in their active phase, life was relatively calm. But once the volcanoes entered a dormant period and the lava levels receded, the many tunnels leading to their lair would be exposed. This was often the time when human wizards sent their minions deep into the volcanic world.

The many fire-creatures on the periphery were essentially cannon fodder, intentionally driven out by the Magma Giants to block the paths of advancing wizard apprentices. Yet, time and again, terrifying humans would break into their home, steal their hard-earned delicacies (the finest fire-diamonds), and slaughter their immature offspring.

Therefore, every dormant period was a time of high tension and increased vigilance for the Magma Giants.

This time, as the warship moved slowly along the edge of the Lava Sea, a tall giant standing at the bow, sniffing the air repeatedly, suddenly roared, "Stop the ship... stop the ship! I smell the scent of humans! Stop and investigate!"

With the efforts of the giants, the warship pulled up near a pile of rubble on the shore.

*Thump, thump, thump...*

Several heavy, towering figures leaped onto the bank, quickly searching for the scent of humans and other traces. Soon, the place where Greem had entered the lava and the spot where he had hidden his clothes were discovered.

"Arug, it seems another human has broken into our world! What should we do?" a juvenile Magma Giant asked in a muffled, rumbling voice.

One of the two adult giants rubbed his chin with his massive, fan-like hand, a look of contemplation on his face, before decisively stating, "Send someone to report to the Elder and have them dispatch reinforcements. We will leave three here and track down the human. Since he was able to pass through the blockade of fire-beasts in such a short time, he must be someone with a motive. We cannot allow him to wander our world!"

The other adult giant added, "Then let me take two of the little ones! It has been many years since human wizards invaded the Lava Sea; this is likely just a wizard apprentice. I can handle such a team!"

After the captain, Arug, agreed, the giant raised his flame-wreathed hand and shouted, "In the name of the Great Lord of Lava, my servants, arise!"

Following his roar, the nearby Lava Sea churned with heat, and twenty or thirty agile Lava Hounds emerged, gathering at his feet.

"Go, my servants, and find that wretched human for me!"

Hearing the command of the Children of the Fire Sea, the hounds let out sharp, piercing howls and rushed headlong into the intricate lava tunnels.

Unbeknownst to Greem, a massive hunt for his life had already begun.