The transition from the serene, glowing waters of the Luminous Depths to the blistering heat of the Infernal Forge felt like stepping into the very heart of a volcano. Gone was the calm, luminous beauty; in its place, they found an inferno, a landscape born from fire itself. The air shimmered with intense heat, and the distant roar of volcanic eruptions echoed across the blackened horizon.
The ground beneath their feet was jagged and cracked, each step feeling precarious. Every tremor sent ripples through the uneven terrain, threatening to open fissures beneath them. Rivers of molten lava snaked through the landscape like fiery veins, their glow casting long shadows across the barren rocks. Overhead, the sky was an angry, swirling mass of deep reds and oranges, as if the heavens themselves were ablaze.
The heat pressed down on them from every direction, suffocating in its intensity. Though the group had donned heat-resistant suits, the oppressive temperature made each breath feel like inhaling fire.
"Hell on Earth wouldn't even come close to this," Asher muttered, wiping at the sweat that continuously poured from his brow, though the effort seemed futile.
"We're not on vacation," Fenrir replied in his usual, deadpan tone. His eyes, however, betrayed his wariness. He scanned the landscape, muscles tense beneath his suit. "This place is alive with danger. Keep your focus."
Evelyn adjusted the Shadow Frequency device strapped to his arm, feeling the subtle vibrations it emitted. "The energy here… it's unlike anything we've encountered before. We'll need to be extra cautious."
As they advanced, the heat became almost unbearable, and the constant rumbling of the ground beneath them made each step feel uncertain. The trio could barely see more than a few hundred meters ahead, as the thick ash that filled the air obscured their view. It was as if the entire layer was meant to disorient and exhaust any who entered it.
The Infernal Forge wasn't just dangerous because of the heat—it felt as if the land itself was hostile. Each crack in the earth seemed to pulse with malevolent energy, and the heat waves distorted the landscape, creating mirages that flickered in and out of view.
Suddenly, a low, earth-shaking growl reverberated through the air, causing the trio to halt. Emerging from a massive fissure in the distance was the first of the **Magma Behemoths**. It lumbered forward, its massive, molten body towering over the trio, eyes glowing like embers in a dying fire. As it moved, lava dripped from its form, hissing as it hit the rocks.
"Get ready," Fenrir growled, pulling out his twin blades, their edges glowing faintly with the protective runes inscribed on them.
The Behemoth advanced with deliberate slowness, each step causing the ground beneath it to tremble. With a roar, it swung one of its massive arms, sending a wave of molten lava crashing toward them.
"Scatter!" Asher yelled as they dove out of the way, the ground where they had just stood now a pool of bubbling lava.
The battle was grueling. Unlike the swift, vicious creatures they had faced in earlier layers, the Magma Behemoths were slow, almost sluggish in their movements. But what they lacked in speed, they more than made up for in raw power and resilience. Their molten bodies seemed impervious to most attacks, and each swing of their massive limbs sent waves of lava cascading across the battlefield.
Asher and Fenrir darted around the Behemoth, trying to find weak points in its defense. Despite their agility, the heat was taking its toll. The sweat poured from their bodies, and every movement felt slower, more labored.
"This isn't working," Asher gasped, narrowly avoiding another attack. "We can't keep dodging forever."
Evelyn, meanwhile, was hanging back, studying the Behemoth's movements. His mind raced as he tried to devise a strategy. Then, he noticed something peculiar: the Behemoth was sluggish when it moved away from the rivers of lava but seemed to regain its vigor whenever it passed near one.
"They're feeding off the lava flows," Evelyn realized. "That's their source of energy."
"What?" Asher called back, barely hearing him over the roar of the molten river behind them.
"They're weaker when they move away from the lava," Evelyn shouted, louder this time. "Draw them away from the heat!"
Understanding dawned in Fenrir's eyes, and without hesitation, he moved in front of the Behemoth, taunting it, drawing its attention. With a loud roar, the creature lumbered after him, its molten body leaving a trail of fire in its wake. As it moved further from the lava, Evelyn could see the faint flicker in the Behemoth's form, its movements growing more erratic, less fluid.
Asher followed Fenrir's lead, darting in and out, slashing at the Behemoth's legs and arms, drawing its attention but staying just out of its reach. The strategy was working—slowly, the Behemoth was weakening.
"Now!" Evelyn yelled. He activated the Shadow Frequency device, sending a powerful pulse of energy through the ground. The wave of energy disrupted the Behemoth's connection to the lava flows, and with a final, coordinated strike from Fenrir and Asher, the creature let out one last, deafening roar before collapsing into a pool of molten ash.
Panting, the trio regrouped, sweat and soot covering their faces. The battle had left them drained, but there was no time to rest.
"We can't stay here long," Fenrir said, his voice hoarse from the heat. "This place will kill us if we do."
Evelyn nodded, wiping the ash from his visor. "The Forge Core must be close. That's what's regulating the heat and the volcanic activity in this layer."
As they pressed on, the landscape grew even more treacherous. Fissures opened up without warning, and geysers of molten rock erupted in unpredictable intervals. The trio moved cautiously, every step deliberate, knowing that one misstep could lead to disaster.
Finally, after what felt like hours of navigating the fiery wasteland, they reached the center of the Forge. There, nestled in a massive crater, was the **Forge Core**. It was a towering, ancient machine, its mechanisms glowing with the same fiery light that filled the layer. It emitted a steady, pulsating heat, the air around it shimmering with energy.
"This is it," Evelyn said, stepping forward. "This is what's been powering the Forge."
He studied the machinery, his fingers tracing the ancient symbols etched into its surface. The Core was unlike anything he had ever seen before—both mechanical and organic, as if it was a living thing. The energy it emitted was palpable, and it seemed to pulse in time with the rhythm of the layer itself.
"There's more here," Evelyn muttered, more to himself than to the others. "Something deeper. Something…alive."
Fenrir stood beside him, his gaze fixed on the Core. "We're getting closer to the heart of the Non-Space. Whatever controls this place… it's waiting for us."
Asher, still catching his breath, glanced warily at the Core. "I don't like this. Something feels off."
Evelyn nodded. He could feel it too—a subtle, creeping unease that seemed to emanate from the Core. But there was no turning back now. They had to deactivate the Core and move on.
With a few precise adjustments, Evelyn disabled the Core, its pulsating energy slowly fading. As the volcanic activity began to subside, the oppressive heat lessened, and the ground beneath them grew more stable.
But even as they prepared to leave, Evelyn couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched—that something, or someone, was observing them from the shadows of the Non-Space.