The volcanic mountains were once a powerful region in the past. A fire giant, the ruler of the area, lived here. This fire giant had reached the 4th Essence Core Realm! However, a former heir of the Medure family used this giant as a stepping stone. After that, no monsters above the 2nd Essence Core Realm remained, as magic cultivators frequently came to fight and take their cores. As a result, there are none of such monsters here now, which Minasa has confirmed.
The airboat ascended steadily, the heat radiating intensely around them. However, thanks to the airboat's cooling function, they felt only a mix of mild heat and cold, which made the journey more bearable.
As they rose more than 50 feet into the air, a sudden "graaa "sound echoed around them. Startled, they turned to their left and saw a massive orange crow staring at them. The creature was enormous, almost 8 feet tall, with a body entirely orange except for its eyes, which burned a fiery red. Atop its head was a small orange horn, giving it a menacing appearance as it fixed its gaze on them.
"Miss, is that an Infernal Raven?" Naviga asked, her voice steady despite the sudden tension. Minerva nodded, her eyes narrowing as she studied the approaching beast.
"Yes, Navi, it's an Infernal Raven. This one is at the peak of the 1st Essence Core realm. But look at that horn on its head—it's strange. They usually develop horns only after reaching the 2nd Essence Core realm. Either something unusual is happening, or it has stumbled upon some kind of opportunity." She paused, her grip tightening on the hilt of her weapon. "Navi, steady the boat. I'll handle this."
Naviga nodded, keeping her focus on maintaining the airboat's balance. "Understood, Miss. But be careful—this one is stronger than it looks."
Minerva take out her sword from space ring, Scorching Tyrant. The blade was a masterpiece, glowing red from hilt to tip, with golden lines etched along its edges, radiating a regal aura. The hilt bore the carving of a white snake in a fierce pose, devouring its own tail, its scales shimmering brilliantly, while its eyes gleamed with an authoritative red light.
The Infernal Raven, upon seeing the tiny "ants" preparing to face it, let out a thunderous screech, its instincts flaring with rage. Though it lacked true intelligence, its primal instincts were enough to fuel its fury. It flapped its massive orange wings, the motion creating gusts of scorching air that pushed and pulled in every direction.
With a ferocious graaa, the Raven dived towards the airboat, a trail of fiery vapor left in its wake. The heat from its body intensified as it closed in, its blazing red eyes locked onto Minerva, who stood ready with her sword, calm but resolute. The battle was about to begin.
The Infernal Raven descended rapidly,
its sharp orange claw aimed directly at
Minerva. She met the attack head-on,
raising Scorching Tyrant to block. The
clash of claw and sword sent a
deafening shockwave through the air,but the sheer force of the impact made
Minerva stagger backward, slamming into the airboat's wall. A sharp pain radiated through her back as the jarring
hit loosened her grip on the sword.The Raven wasted no time, attacking again while Minerva was still unsteady.Its second swipe struck her with full force, launching her off the airboat along with part of the wall. She
plummeted through the air, the sharp
edge of the claw leaving a deep gash on her chest. Her crimson satin dress was torn,revealing the injury as blood. seeped through the fabric.
On the airboat, the first attack had
already shaken Naviga's control. She struggled to stabilize the vessel, using more Universal Essence to steady its tilt as it swayed violently to the right.But the second attack, which tore Minerva from the boat,sent it into a dangerous spin. Naviga was thrown to one side, her body slamming against the interior, before the airboat crashed into the side of the black volcanic
mountain.
Minerva, meanwhile, hit the jagged
surface of the mountain hard, landing far below Naviga's position. Her body was wracked with pain, and her head swam as she tried to focus. Blood trickled from the gash on her chest, staining the volcanic soil beneath her.She felt bruised from head to toe, and to her dismay, her sword was missing.
The Infernal Raven screeched
triumphantly, circling above as if preparing to strike again. Both women were in dire straits, their injuries and separation making the fight even more perilous. Minerva clenched her fists,forcing herself to sit up despite the pain.
Then she quickly retrieved a high-quality healing potion from her space ring and drank it. Healing potions are categorized as either low or high quality, and she chose the high-quality one because it works faster. The scratches on her chest healed rapidly, the bleeding stopped, and her skin returned to its original state, as though the raven's claws had never touched her. Her fatigue dissipated, and her mind cleared.
Next, she pulled out a blue armor adorned with faintly glowing light runes. This was a micro-level weapon, powerful but energy-draining. Despite knowing it would consume a significant amount of her Universal Essence, she decided to use it. The armor was embedded with ice runes, giving her a cooling sensation that alleviated the oppressive heat.
With the armor activated, she summoned her sword once again. While the sword lacked a soul, it was bound to her through a rune etched on her hand. When she activated the rune, a corresponding rune on the sword responded, bringing it back to her side instantly. Fully equipped and refreshed, she stood ready to face the raven once more.
Naviga also took out a low-quality healing potion and drank it. While her injuries were not as severe as Minerva's, the scratches on her body were enough to warrant healing. The potion worked slowly, mending her wounds and gradually clearing her fatigue and mind. However, the oppressive heat from the mountain persisted, making her sweat heavily and feel uncomfortable.
She glanced over at Minerva to check on her. Seeing that Minerva was already prepared to fight the Infernal Raven again, Naviga stood up, steadied herself, and walked to where the damaged airboat had landed. She carefully reduced the airboat to its compact form and stored it in her space ring. Then, she turned her focus back to the battle, ready to support Minerva if needed.
The Infernal Raven, seeing Minerva ready for another fight despite its earlier attack, let out a sharp screech and dove down again, its orange claw glowing faintly as it prepared for another strike.
Minerva, determined to retaliate, infused her Scorching Tyrant blade with Universal Essence. The red blade shimmered brilliantly as she slashed forward, releasing a streak of white light. The light met the Raven's claw mid-air with a loud clang, the force of the clash reverberating through the air.
The strike managed to cut slightly into the Raven's tough orange claw, causing it to emit a furious cry of pain. Enraged by the injury, the Raven channeled its own Universal Essence into its claw, intensifying its glow, and charged again with even greater ferocity.
The Infernal Raven swooped down again, its powerful claw glowing with intense Universal Essence. The claw collided with Minerva's Scorching Tyrant, producing a deafening clash as sparks and energy surged from the impact. Minerva was forced back, her footing unsteady. Quickly recovering, she steadied herself and infused more Universal Essence into her sword, unleashing a slash aimed at the Raven's claw FIRE BREEZER ART:Blazing Sun Slash.
The slash met once again the claw mid-air, creating a wave of heated air that pushed outward on both sides. However, Minerva's attack wasn't strong enough to overpower the Raven's claw. The claw broke through her slash and struck her directly, hitting the ice armor she wore. The impact produced a screeching sound as the armor absorbed most of the blow, leaving three deep claw marks across its surface.
In response, Minerva activated the runes embedded in her armor. A wave of ice energy surged out, forcing the Raven to pull its claw back as frost began to spread. The retreating claw gave Minerva a moment of relief, but the force of the earlier attack sent her tumbling further down the mountain. She rolled uncontrollably over jagged rocks until she managed to grab onto a large stone, stopping her descent.
Using sheer willpower, Minerva pulled herself up, only to be hit by a sudden wave of heat. The Raven, enraged, opened its beak and unleashed a stream of fire. The flames engulfed her, scorching her dress and burning her exposed skin. Her right side, including her face, bore the brunt of the flames, leaving severe burns. Despite the agony, Minerva stood once more, activating her armor's protective runes. The faint glow of the runes emitted a cooling sensation, soothing some of the pain as she prepared to continue the fight.
She now found herself more than 20 feet below Naviga, with the Infernal Raven circling above, readying its next attack.
Naviga observed the relentless fight between Minerva and the Infernal Raven, her hands tightening on the hilt of her sword. She wanted to step in and help Minerva, but she knew Minerva was using this fight as a way to gain experience and grow stronger. Intervening might disrupt her growth. However, Naviga couldn't shake the feeling that danger might still be lurking around. She kept her focus on the surroundings, scanning for any signs of a second threat—especially the possibility of Phantom Cult members in hiding.
Despite her resolve to remain on guard, she couldn't ignore the power radiating from the Infernal Raven. Its claw strikes and fire attacks were formidable, even for someone as strong as Minerva. Naviga clenched her jaw, her sword glinting in her hand as she prepared herself.
If a hidden enemy were to reveal themselves, she would be ready to act. And if Minerva showed any signs of being overwhelmed, Naviga wouldn't hesitate to step in—even if it meant exposing herself to greater risk. The balance between trust in Minerva's ability and the threat of the unknown made Naviga's every move deliberate and sharp.
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