"A Human? Here?"
A deep, intriguing voice came from inside the dark crevice.
"Step inside, human! I have everything you're looking for."
Only a fool would believe such a blatant lie. And Aegis was no fool.
"Who are you? Come outside so we can talk!"
Aegis thought the other party would hesitate, but no. He was completely wrong.
A figure wrapped entirely in flames stepped outside. It was shaped like a massive Wolf. On its back, the Fire Slime jumped around joyfully, spitting out tiny flares of fire that could scare any ordinary human into fleeing.
"A Fire Wolf and a Slime together? Wait a minute, you can understand human language?"
"No, we can't," the Wolf replied nonchalantly, its voice rumbling like hot ash. "It's only you who can understand us, human. That's why I got curious to meet you."
"Pu pu putui..." The Fire Slime mockingly stuck out its tongue, which was a tiny spurt of reddish flame.
"I'm a Skylord, and I came here to recruit some people to work for me. Are you two willing?" Aegis said to the duo, looking expectant.
"A Skylord? Tsk..."
The Wolf replied with pride, "Human, a proud Infernal Wolf such as myself would never bow to a human. But there's a thing that might interest you. Do you want to know it?"
Aegis furrowed his brows, cautious.
"And what might that be?" he asked, while internally heightening his guard.
The Wolf smiled, its molten face glowing with embers.
"You don't know what kind of fortune you have stumbled into, boy. This Island you see once belonged to the Ancient Fire Phoenixes. They were creatures of unmatched firepower and flying capabilities. There was a time when they ruled this Continent.
And I happen to know where its eggs can be found."
Still, Aegis's face remained blank.
"Then why haven't you retrieved them yet?" he countered, suspicion clear in his tone.
The Infernal Wolf shook its head as if mocking Aegis's stupidity.
"Human Boy, not everyone can get close to those ancient offsprings. Only the chosen ones can obtain one of them. And unfortunately, I am not one of those chosen ones.
But if you promise me to share one with me, I can show you the place."
Aegis quickly considered the offer. Two days was too short a time to recruit and train ordinary humans to face airborne predators.
However, a single Ancient Fire Phoenix, a creature of "unmatched firepower and flying capabilities," was exponentially more valuable than dozens of standard recruits.
The risk was worth the reward, especially since he held a secret weapon.
He kept his expression neutral, but his internal resolve was firm: if they dared to betray him, they didn't know their worst counter [Water Manipulation Ultimate] was waiting for them.
"Alright... " he sated, "I agree with the offfer. Show me the path. If your claim holds true and I retrieve the eggs, you will have one. But you must swear by the laws of the Eternal Sky Realm not to betray me until the eggs are safely secured."
The Infernal Wolf let out a short, triumphant howl, flames licking higher around its body.
"I swear it! An Infernal Wolf's promise is hotter than golden water!"
The trio immediately headed toward one of the bigger dormant volcanoes looming in the distance. The journey across the scorched landscape was silent, save for the rhythmic plop of the Fire Slime.
Aegis enjoyed the beautiful scenery on the way. It was a world truly worth fighting for.
The Wolf named Baewolf led them to the base of the mountain and stopped at a point where the black, jagged rock looked deceptively solid.
With a burst of controlled fire, the Wolf melted and cracked a section of the rock, revealing a small, hidden passageway.
The trio entered the narrow, dark tunnel. It twisted and ascended sharply, the air growing stifling and thicker with sulfer. The heat became intense, forcing Aegis to cool his body using water manipulation.
"Are you okay? The Nest is near the top, where the heat is purest," Baewolf rumbled, leading the way.
"I'm fine.." Aegis said, wiping the cool water away, letting them think that they were his Sweat.
Baewolf raised an eye of suspicion but didn't notice his ability manifest water from thin air yet. Which made Aegis relieved.
The journey continued.
After a tough climb through the tight confines of the volcano's interior, the passageway finally opened into a massive cavernous chamber directly beneath the volcano's peak.
The air here was dry and scorching, and faint plumes of superheated steam vented from cracks in the molten floor.
In the center of the chamber, on a bed of brilliantly glowing solidified magma the Slumbering Nest was situated.
It was a vast collection of crystallized ash and volcanic glass, and within it rested three enormous crmison coloured eggs.
The eggs didn't look like eggs. They looked like perfectly polished spheres of cooled lava, radiating a faint palpable heat that made Aegis's skin prickle.
"There they are, Aegis. The offsprings of the Ancient Fire Phoenix," Baewolf said, pointing toward the colossal, obsidian-black eggs resting on the magma bed.
Aegis nodded. He was just about to climb the slick, heated rock face toward the Nest when he heard rough noises from the passage below. And this time, it was distinctly human voices.
"You have to believe me, Boss. There are some powerful eggs on the top. I saw them with my own eyes!"
"Hmph! If you're lying again, you know what will happen to you, right?"
"Gulp. I wouldn't dare."
"Uh, Boss Derrick, there are already some people up there," a different voice hissed nervously.
The 'Boss' looked up, following his underling's direction, and saw Aegis's somewhat chubby figure illuminated by the faint heat glow of the chamber.
"Huh! Who is this fatso that dared to lay a hand on my treasures? Go. Get him!" Boss Derrick roared.
Aegis immediately tightened his grip around the crude Iron sword.
The Infernal Wolf and the Fire Slime also moved.
"You should carry on, Aegis. We two can hold them off!" the wolf said confidently.
"Hands off the eggs, fatso! They belong to the Volcanic Raiders!" Derrick yelled, charging forward.
Aegis acquiesced. He knew they weren't necessarily protecting him, their focus was solely on getting the Phoenix eggs.
Without delay, he headed on the top.
"Bastards! That fatso is moving up. Stop him!"
"But Boss, we have another problem! Let's kill his pets first. Then we can take everything back from him." One of the underlings cackled.
"Good idea," another underling said, spinning his hammer high.