Twenty minutes later.
Sweat dried, breath steady, Lin Fang pushed himself up again. His grip on the sword hilt tightened as they continued to journey. The next set of paths was filled with nothing but long battles against Stronger Skeleton soldiers, which were all around level 14-18, tiring him out again and again, forcing Lin Fang to keep taking breaks every half an hour.
And just like that, roughly two and a half hours passed in battles.
Their boots ground to a halt before an enormous obsidian gate at last. Even from outside, they could feel the heat that radiated through the cracks.
"This is it," Li Chengfeng muttered, pointing at the door. "The final chamber."
As Lin Fang nodded, panting heavily, both tired physically and mentally, Li Xue patted his shoulder with a cheerful smile. "Let's take a break." Lin Fang smiled back and nodded. Li Chengfeng didn't say anything either, agreeing to a longer rest.
Lin Fang collapsed right away and sat cross-legged. Li Chengfeng wordlessly tossed him a pouch heavy with crystals.
Over the next ten minutes, light surged into him again and again. By the time the pouch was empty, his reserve had swelled up quite a bit.
[Total Mana: 8,244 / 8,244]
Seeing it is empty and sensing hefty reserves inside Lin Fang's body, Li Chengfeng nodded in satisfaction. "It appeared that your reserves still haven't hit the limit," Chengfeng said before drawing a saber from his waist and placing it across Lin Fang's lap. "Take this. You will need this for the final battle."
Tossing away the rusty sword he had used for a while, Lin Fang blinked at the weapon, then instinctively activated his Inspect skill.
[Saber of Blazing Dawn]
Grade: Epic
Effect: +30% Physical Attack
Durability: 74/100
"Oh, Epic grade? That's the same grade the daggers the system was going to give me, if I ever defeated the Guardian."
Before Lin Fang came out of his stupor, Li Chengfeng added in a flat tone. "Don't get excited. I'll take it back once this is over."
Lin Fang nodded calmly, "I know." He continued to pant heavily, keeping his heart rate in check, although his gaze never left the giant obsidian door.
Thirty minutes later.
The gate rumbled open, and searing air washed over them like a wave. Inside, the chamber was a volcanic cavern. Pools of molten lava bubbled violently with platforms floating across the surface like stepping stones.
And hovering above the central pool was a majestic but terrifying figure, a winged horse but with a flaming mane. Its eyes burned red as it let out a shriek that shook the platforms beneath them.
Lin Fang froze, gripping the saber tightly as sweat trickled down his temple. "Level-39?" His thoughts went blank at the sheer sight of it.
Infernal Pegasus
Level: 39
Grade: Epic
Element: Fire
"Now what?" he whispered in a daze, turning stiffly toward the others. Li Xue's expression also changed. "This… is surprising…" The white furred cat in her arms meowed in response, as if agreeing with her thoughts.
Li Chengfeng clicked his tongue, shaking his head. "Well done so far, Lin Fang. Truly. But this…" His voice grew heavy with finality as he gazed at the monster ahead. "This is beyond your ability. I didn't anticipate the lava pool, and I certainly didn't expect the boss monster to be a half–Spirit King. Those mana crystals I fed you… Three hundred thousand credits wasted." He let out a sigh as if he regretted it before adding. "Anyway, hand the saber back. Xue'er, order Betty to finish the job."
Lin Fang froze with the saber trembling in his grip. He came this far, only to give up in the end?
But then he looked at the monster and then at the holographic screen with its details. Even if he had such a high-quality saber, he still would not be a match for it.
He couldn't help but sigh and raise his hand, deciding to hand over the saber back to its original owner, but just then…
*Ding! Emergency Quest Triggered!
A familiar chime rang in his head as a new window opened with details.
Objective: Defeat the Infernal Pegasus.
Reward: Infernal Pegasus Summon Token.
"Eh?" Lin Fang's eyes widened. His heart pounded as he tightened his grip on the saber instead. Glancing at the beast, then the quest and the saber, he turned to the middle-aged fellow and bowed. "Master Li… please let me be selfish again. Subdue it and let me have the kill. The spirit king's whisper demanding me to kill it."
Li Chengfeng studied him for a moment, then sighed. "Fine. Xue'er, back off."
Once they all stepped inside the place and the obsidian door closed with a loud thud on its own, the Infernal Pegasus neighed loudly with flames bursting from its body as it charged right away.
Li Chengfeng also reacted quickly, thrusting out both palms. His mana gushed out, forming into glowing ropes. They lashed out, binding the incoming beast mid-air before dragging it out of the lava pool.
*Neigh*
The Pegasus screamed and burned away the bindings, but Chengfeng re-wove them again and again, forcing it to remain exposed.
Taking the opportunity, Lin Fang rushed in, slashing with the saber. Sparks erupted with each cut. The Pegasus thrashed violently, snapping the ropes before trying to burn its attacker. Lin Fang had to move away in reflex while Li Chengfeng's energy threads bound it, holding it just long enough for Lin Fang to return and stab or slash it.
It was a rinse and repeat method, slow and frustrating, but Lin Fang put up with it. They continued this way to slowly injure the infernal pegasus, again… and again.
Minutes turned into half an hour. And Infernal Pegasus looked like it was on the brink of its death. Filled with cuts and heavy injuries, it couldn't even move.
"One more strike…" Lin Fang's breath came ragged as he leapt high and raised the saber above his head. "Die!"
The blade descended onto its head…
But before it landed, the Pegasus exploded in radiant light.
"Not good!" Chengfeng's eyes widened.
Gaah!
A shockwave hurled Lin Fang across the chamber, slamming him against the wall and bouncing back. "Lin Fang!" Chengfeng dashed forward, catching him before he hit the lava.
Meanwhile, a white cocoon made of condensed light enveloped the monster.
Lin Fang, whom Li Chengfeng saved, coughed out a mouthful of blood, feeling extreme pain in his abdomen as if his ribcage was fractured. "Lin Fang…" Li Xue hurried to his side in worry.
"Fu*k…" He continued to press on his abdomen and curse aloud, his face reddened in pain.
"You alright?" Li Xue grabbed him, her hands roamed over his upper body as she worriedly asked. "Where did it hurt? Can you move?"
Lin Fang nodded, wiping off the trail of blood from his mouth. He raised his head to look at the floating cocoon of energy.
"What about it? Any idea what's going on?" He asked.
Li Xue also stared at the energy cocoon and shook her head. She glanced at Li Chengfeng, "Uncle?" The latter immediately replied. "Evolution."
"Evolution?" Lin Fang and Li Xue exchanged glances.
And soon, the cocoon of energy unraveled, revealing the same Pegasus, but transformed. Its infernal flames had turned into shimmering blue fire.
Li Xue's face drained of color. She whispered, horrified: "It evolved into a true spirit King?"
Hellfire Pegasus
Grade: Legendary
Level: 42
Element: Fire (variant)
"Legendary?" Lin Fang's eyes widened, looking at its new details.
Meanwhile, the newly ascended Pegasus didn't even give time to think. As soon as it got out, it reared back and unleashed a torrent of azure hellfire, aimed straight at Lin Fang, the host that was carrying the evil spirit King.
At once, Lin Fang was frozen in fear, his heart rate spiked up.