When Leon's mind resurfaced, he had become an egg.
He had been caught directly in Tala's spell. Lava engulfed him completely, burning away unknown amounts of his organic tissue and hardening around him, only for his body to regenerate it moments later.
It became a vicious cycle of burning and healing. Even so, each cycle grew faster as the Envy demon's weakening effect wore off.
He couldn't see, hear, breathe or even feel, but with his healing back at full strength, he started to swim out of the pool of lava.
This sucks!!! Hurt's like Hell too!!... Should probably be worse, but I guess I have my high Vitality to thank. Moments like these really do have me questioning how human I am at this point?
Leon didn't know how many more hits he could have taken from the demon of Envy and still survived the spell. The first blast had knocked him unconscious, and that alone meant there had been a real chance of dying.
The lava gradually grew cooler as he reached the top and hit a layer of stone.
Just great....
He began hitting his fists against the rock. Slowly chipped away at the hardened crust. His Strength was average, but with enough persistence, even stone eventually gave way.
Finally! Air!
As Leon popped his head out of the lava, he immediately began coughing. The air was toxic, filled with volcanic ash and evaporated stones.
I get this is a 7th level spell and all but it's actually ridiculously. Creating a mini volcano, that even if you survive the initial eruption, the environment gets warped into a toxic wasteland.
Leon climbed out of the pool of lava onto a piece of the floating crust he had broken through.
Ahead of him, he heard weak screams of pain and furious cursing.
There's no way...
Leon skipped across floating slabs of crust until he reached the rim of the miniature volcano. Looking down the slope, he finally saw the barely alive Imp.
His arms had been completely burnt off. The Imp's skin and wings charred and festered. He was coughing as he cursed, blood shooting out of his mouth as toxic fumes had filled his lungs.
"I don't even know your name. You don't even know mine. All this... because you saw me surrounded by women?"
"Don't you... DARE look down... AT ME!!"
Leon had made his way down the slope, slowly approaching the crumbling demon.
"Envious to your own end I guess..."
Leon looked around for something to end the demon. He was pretty sure it couldn't heal back from this, but still wanted to end the Imp's suffering, despite everything.
That was when he saw Rika. Clean air spinning around her to breathe in this toxic environment.
"You have some Chi skills that let you control wind? Is that how you were able to sneak into Tsukihi's White Lotus?"
Rika raised an eyebrow.
"So you did see me, how could you?... that's not important right now."
She looked at the Imp futilely trying to crawl away. Leon followed her gaze.
"I'll leave putting him down to you."
"Usually, you'd always kill a demon instantly, but this one is too strong to be a random local demon."
The shorter fishnet glove on her right arm shot off and rewove itself into a net that wrapped around the Imp.
"Wait, those are magic items!? I thought you just wore fishnet because they were hot!"
Rika cheeks instantly blushed, while her eyes shot daggers
"Why would I care about looking good for you, Farm boy! Of course they're magic!'
Oh another slip! I never said anything about it being for me.
"As I was saying! There's a good chance he's in Nykthos army. We should interrogate him and find out why he is so far away from the front."
"As if...I'd say anything... To pathetic humans.."
"Go pick him up Farm boy, we need to take him back to the others to be stabilized before he bites it."
Leon made his way towards the Imp, though as he did, the weather started to change.
Reinforcements?
A bolt of lightning shot down from the sky in-between Leon and the Imp. Where the bolt had landed, a new figure appeared that had left him speechless.
Rika immediately rushed to Leon's side, snapping him out of his shock.
A robot?
It was a shamble of wood and metal that stood on uneven legs. Wires and tubes hung loose. A pair of lenses stacked vertically for the left eye, and 3 smaller lenses in a triangle for the right.
Could such a thing exist in this world? Was it maybe just golem?
Leon remembered the oddly perfect geometrical shape of the 100 sided crystalline dice. They were pentagonal pyramids. Sides of triangles and diamonds that stood out to him in this magical world.
That odd feeling returned as he looked at the robot.
"We're taking that Imp with us. If you try to stop us, we'll kill you."
The robot looked at Rika.
"Hostile implications are misaligned. I am not in the state classified as life, therefore; killed, is non applicable."
"Don't worry, I'll make sure you die."
Leon stepped in front of Rika. Even if this robot looked like it was about to fall apart, something wasn't adding up.
"Hey, what are you..."
"That Imp tried to kill us, and we don't even know his name. We're not just going to let you take him without some answers."
"I don't... need you're... Help...Scrap Metal."
The robot looked back at the Imp, then to Leon.
"Inquiry acceptable. The tiny-horned demon is identifiable; Estakocra. New captain of the supreme army of God Nykthos. 47th individual to achieve this rank. 1st of the Imp race. Currently positioned under General Arthoritor, on a classified escort mission. Upon current state, mission status; failed. Is this sufficient?"
Is this an actual robot? How is it possible?
"And your name?"
"Inquiry unnecessary. I do not possess a name. Nor is my serialization relevant to your dispute."
Rika whispered to Leon.
"This thing isn't strong, we should just break it and collect the Imp"
"Observational analysis; correct. This unit possesses below necessary combat capabilities to succeed. However, dismantling would lead to military personnel being removed from frontlines and sent for retrieval. Such a mission would be costly for both parties."
The robot then looked back at Leon.
"Human anomaly possesses vitality above optical sensors. Issuing non-conformance report 00009. Data transfer request; Serialization will be provided for identification."
"Are you saying you'll give me your name for mine?"
"Correct."
I feel like that's a bad idea. Even so, this thing is already making a report of my existence.
"I'm Leon."
He felt Rika elbow him in the side.
"Acknowledged. Data transfer; 4th generation soulless construction, classification; Robot. Unit number 5,734,357. Serial; R4-V3/V."
Yeah that didn't help... Wait 'R4-V3/V'...
"Raven?"
The robot lenses refocused on Leon, trying to calculate.
"Correlation undefined. No surmountable relationship between Serialization and black-winged songbird."
Oh shit. That was probably just auto translation in my head again.
"Just ignore that."
"Data transfer; complete. Mission objective; failed. NCR has been issued. End of communication. Should a corrective action report be required, we will meet again."
Another bolt of lightning shot down. The Imp and the robot disappearing in a flash.
"Well I'm pretty sure you messed up big time, Farm boy."
"Yeah. I know."
Rika's eyes darted straight down before she turned away, her face turned bright red. She threw him a length of fabric.
"Huh?"
Leon looked down and finally noticed.
He was naked.
"Oi! Where did you just look?"
"Shut up, Farm boy!"
Rika began stomping off.