The air in the volcanic interior was so scorching it felt ready to ignite. The stench of sulfur burned Kai's throat, making him cough repeatedly. Beneath his feet, the rocks had been baked red-hot by magma, hissing as he stepped on them. Waves of heat surged up through his boots, searing his skin. Gritting his teeth, Kai tightened his grip on the meteor-iron wrench. Inside the pocket watch, the two Starcore fragments pulsed faintly, their warmth resonating with the trembling positioning crystal at his neck, guiding him toward the strongest energy signature.
At the volcano's mid-slope, a narrow stone fissure twisted upward. Both sides of the rock walls were covered in charred scars, clearly the result of long-term exposure to magma. The moment Kai slipped into the fissure, a familiar cold laugh echoed down from above—arrogant and unmistakable.
" Kai Leonard, I knew you'd come."
Victor's voice reverberated through the fissure. "Throwing your life away for an elven woman—how laughably foolish."
Kai looked up. At the end of the fissure was a relatively open platform. At its center, Linor was bound to the rock wall by several cold-glinting metal chains. Her longsword lay at her feet, her silver-white hair disheveled and clinging to her cheeks. Blood seeped from wounds on her arms, already congealed into dark scabs in the intense heat. Opposite her, Victor stood atop a floating slab of rock, casually toying with a fiery red Starcore fragment. Its glow cast shifting shadows across his face.
"Victor, let her go!" Kai roared, pushing off the ground and charging toward the platform.
"Let her go?" Victor snorted. He casually tossed the crimson fragment into the air, spinning it between his fingers. "Sure. Trade me the two fragments you're carrying. I'm curious—when you watch her die right in front of you, will you regret the choice you made today?"
Kai's steps halted abruptly. He saw panic flash through Linor's eyes as she shook her head frantically, muffled sounds escaping her throat—a rag was stuffed in her mouth.
At that moment, a shadowy figure emerged from the platform's darkness. The shadow guard advanced step by step, his dagger glowing with a murky green sheen.
"Lord Victor, why waste words with him? Kill the elf, then take his fragments. Much simpler."
Victor waved a hand, amusement flickering in his eyes. "Don't rush. The show has only just begun. I want him to watch—watch as everything he cherishes is destroyed by my own hands."
The shadow guard sneered and said no more. The tip of his dagger pressed against Linor's throat. The icy touch made her shudder, yet she still glared defiantly at Victor, her eyes burning with unyielding resolve.
Kai felt as if an invisible hand were crushing his heart. Starcore energy churned violently inside him, screaming to be unleashed—to tear the two monsters before him apart. But he didn't dare move. One wrong motion, and the dagger would slice through Linor's throat without hesitation.
"Well?" Victor raised an eyebrow, his tone dripping with mockery. "Have you decided? The fragments… or the woman?"
Kai stared at Victor, then at Linor. His fingers whitened from clenched tension. He knew Victor was forcing a choice, trying to make him submit. But he couldn't. The fragments he carried were the hope of peace between two worlds. If he handed them over, Victor's scheme would succeed—and not only Linor, but both the Aurora and Eros Continents would fall into irreversible ruin.
Just as Kai was trapped in this impossible dilemma, the magma below the platform suddenly began to churn violently. A column of black smoke burst upward, accompanied by a thunderous explosion. Victor and the shadow guard both stiffened, turning toward the magma.
As the smoke slowly dispersed, a short, stocky figure emerged from behind the rocks near the lava. He held a massive smithing hammer in his hands. His clothes were scorched and tattered, his face smeared with soot.
It was Ironhammer—who was supposed to have remained behind on the polar icefields.
"You old bastard… you're still alive?" Victor's face darkened, disbelief thick in his voice. He had never imagined Ironhammer could escape the encirclement of his remaining forces, let alone追到 the volcanic interior.
Ironhammer grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellowed teeth, and hefted the hammer onto his shoulder.
"Victor, your grandpa's tough as nails! You're still too green to kill me!"
In truth, Ironhammer had never intended to stay behind and die on the icefields. He knew Kai well—no matter what he said, Kai would never leave in peace. After drawing Victor's remnants away, Ironhammer mounted the guardian dragon and traveled day and night toward the volcanic interior. The dragon, still wounded, couldn't endure the intense heat and waited outside the volcano, while Ironhammer infiltrated the depths alone.
"You think one more old fool changes anything?" the shadow guard sneered, contempt flashing in his eyes. "Today, all of you die here."
With that, he moved to strike first, his dagger shooting toward Linor's throat.
"Don't you dare!" Kai roared, abandoning all restraint as he charged the shadow guard with the meteor-iron wrench.
Ironhammer didn't hesitate either, swinging his massive hammer straight at Victor.
The tension on the platform snapped instantly. A new battle was about to erupt.
Linor watched Kai and Ironhammer rush forward, her eyes instantly reddening. She struggled desperately against the chains, but it was useless. All she could do was watch as Kai's wrench collided with the shadow guard's dagger, metal shrieking against metal; watch as Ironhammer's hammer slammed into Victor's energy shield, sparks flying in every direction.
Magma continued to churn. The volcano's roar shook the heavens.
This land of desperation was about to become the battlefield that would decide the fate of two worlds.