"You don't seem to have much faith in our strength, do you?"
Mohg couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as he looked at Eboral.
"I think you're just showing a lack of respect for how dangerous a Magma Wyrm really is," Eboral replied after a brief silence.
"Their blood is impure, so we dragons don't acknowledge them. They've lost their sanity, so the Ancient Dragons ignore them, and other races fear them. But that doesn't mean they are weak."
"So... you know a lot about them?" Mohg asked, his eyes glinting with curiosity.
"In a way," Eboral nodded. "I've never seen one in person, but some of the elders among the wyverns have. We also inherit fragments of memory through our bloodline, so there are records of them..."
"Then you should know their strength quite well. What level are we talking about?"
"It's... hard to say exactly. The strength of a Magma Wyrm depends on the strength of the person who transformed. But without a doubt, every Magma Wyrm is more powerful than a standard Hero-class individual. Regardless... I probably couldn't beat one on my own."
Eboral gave her answer after a moment's thought.
Mohg wasn't particularly surprised. Every Magma Wyrm, before their transformation, was a warrior capable of hunting dragons. Many had already reached the Hero-class through repeated Rituals of Dragon Communion before finally succumbing to the change. Some were even outliers.
For instance, Makar of the Golden Order had relentlessly pursued Dragon Communion for power. Having been a Hero-class warrior originally, his transformation into a Magma Wyrm made him powerful enough to rival top-tier Heroes or even the weaker demigods.
Mohg had realized by now that not all "demigod-level" entities possessed the overwhelming power shown by the likes of Radagon. Some members of the Golden Lineage possessed demigod blood without ever reaching the true power of a demigod. Others were indeed demigod-level—far surpassing ordinary Heroes—yet still a step below the true titans of the age. They occupied a middle ground, perhaps similar to Godefroy or Godrick in the future, or perhaps even stronger.
"Well... in that case..."
Eboral looked at Mohg with hopeful eyes, expecting him to reconsider.
"Then let's head down and finish the beast," Mohg declared. "A mere Magma Wyrm thinks it can stop me from mining Smithing Stones? It has earned its death!"
Eboral was stunned. She had said all that to make him realize the danger so they could—at the very least—call for reinforcements! She wasn't saying they shouldn't fight, but this wasn't right! Why was it still just the two of them?!
Before she could protest, Mohg grabbed her by the collar and leapt straight into the yawning abyss of the pit.
"Wait! WAIT—!!!"
BOOM!
Mohg landed firmly on the ground, still holding Eboral. His wings flared, kicking up a cloud of dust. The walls were lined with extinguished torches, and the ground bore the scorched, hardened tracks of cooled magma.
Among these tracks lay the remains of miners and soldiers who had been caught in the crossfire. The soldiers' bodies were charred husks, while the miners' remains still held some of their original shape and contour—likely because most miners possessed rock-like skin.
"Hey, hey... is it really okay for us to just drop down like this?" Eboral whispered, instinctively lowering her voice as she took in the grim scene.
Mohg spared her a glance. "Shouldn't you know more about them than me? Magma Wyrms are heavy sleepers. Once they fall into a slumber, they won't wake unless someone enters their immediate attack range."
"Then this place..."
"This clearly isn't within its sleeping range. The area is too small. Looking at the mining tracks, it's obvious they didn't know the Wyrm was here initially. They only realized it when they dug deeper and broke into its lair."
As he spoke, Mohg began walking deeper into the excavated tunnel. Some of the wooden supports had been incinerated by lava, causing partial collapses, but Mohg easily identified the source of the flow. That was undoubtedly where the Magma Wyrm resided.
"It's just ahead."
Mohg whispered as he shifted back into his true form. He took a deep breath, nodding as he caught the unmistakable, pungent scent of sulfur.
Eboral remained behind, looking fearful and hesitant. She clearly had no desire to interact with a monster grown from the twisted practice of Dragon Communion.
"Come on. Don't just stand there like an idiot."
Mohg called out, heading into a massive cavern. The tracks here were unmistakable: wide grooves where the Wyrm had crawled and heavy indentations from its thick, dragging tail. There were even footprints stamped into the partially solidified lava.
Judging by the size of the prints, Mohg estimated the creature's size. It was likely a full size larger than Eboral's true form.
A Magma Wyrm of this size had almost certainly been a Hero-class figure before its transformation. Its power would have only surged after becoming a Wyrm. As for which version was harder to deal with—the human or the beast—it was a toss-up. A Magma Wyrm gained a terrifying physique and dragon breath but lost its martial techniques, relying instead on instinct and the remnants of muscle memory.
As they ventured deeper, the temperature skyrocketed. Even Mohg began to feel the oppressive heat.
Soon, a glow appeared in their vision. They entered an immense cavern containing a small lake of molten lava. In the center of the lake lay a figure like a small mountain, its massive form rising and falling with slow, rhythmic breaths.
At a glance, one might mistake it for a wyvern sleeping in the magma, given its black wings and the thick black scales covering its body. But as the lava slid off its head, the broad, blunt skull and the indistinct features made its identity clear.
This was the product of a human becoming a dragon: a Magma Wyrm!
In that instant, the sleeping beast snapped its eyes open—slitted vertical pupils tinged with a sickly green. It had caught the scent of intruders!
"ROAR!!!"
A draconic roar erupted, sending a terrifying shockwave and a surge of lava toward Mohg and Eboral.
Before they could react, the Magma Wyrm—which had been mostly submerged—lurched upward. A massive curved sword, previously hidden beneath the lava, revealed itself. Drenched in glowing magma, the blade swung toward them with crushing force.
"ROAR!!"
Facing the attack, Eboral—who had been trembling with hesitation just moments ago—suddenly became fierce and focused. With a roar of her own that refused to be outdone, she beat her wings and revealed her true form within the vast space.
Her once white scales had turned a dark, bruised red-black. The horns atop her head had transformed into something resembling red crystal.
Mohg was surprised; her dragon form hadn't shown these traits before.
As the scalesword whistled toward him, Mohg spun. A massive golden tail materialized, deflecting the heavy blade with a resonant CLANG.
He slammed his foot down. As the ground shattered, he used the momentum to vault away from the encroaching lava, charging straight at the Magma Wyrm. In mid-air, he reached out and summoned the Mohgwyn Sacred Spear.
The Magma Wyrm didn't recognize the weapon, but it felt the ominous, bloody aura radiating from it. It reared up its upper body and unhinged its massive jaws, which glowed with intense heat.
A spark ignited deep in its throat.
In the next second, a torrent of molten lead-like magma erupted from its maw, accompanied by searing flames, surging toward Mohg.
Eboral, circling in the air, didn't stay idle. She beat her wings and dove, aiming her talons at the Magma Wyrm's head—slamming her weight down.
BOOM!
In an instant, the Magma Wyrm's head was driven deep into the lava by Eboral's stomp. The magma it had been about to vent was choked back into its throat, leaking out only through the gaps in its teeth.
Mohg didn't waste the opportunity. He landed on the Wyrm's back and swung his spear with a violent flourish.
Bloodflame Slash!
A crimson arc flashed through the air. Searing dragon blood sprayed out as the Wyrm's two black, tattered wings were severed and fell into the lava.
"ROAR!!!"
The agonizing pain drove the Magma Wyrm into a frenzy. The torment pushed its ferocity to the brink, stripping away what little reason it had left.
The Wyrm's powerful hind legs pushed off, and using its arm-like forelimbs for leverage, it lunged with Eboral still on its back, slamming itself toward the cavern wall.
Eboral anticipated the move. She swung a wing shrouded in blood-red energy, striking the Wyrm in its side.
BANG!
The impact knocked the Magma Wyrm off-course. Instead of a direct collision, it merely scraped against the wall, carrying Eboral with it. The violent movement, however, threw both Eboral and Mohg out of the lava lake and onto solid ground.
Mohg landed and spun his spear to build momentum. The weapon ignited with bloodflame as he hurled it toward the beast's eye.
Splat!
"AWOOOOOO!!!"
Having lost an eye, the Magma Wyrm let out a scream far more piercing than before. It slammed its Scalesword into the ground, sending sprays of burning, chaotic magma everywhere.
The magma hissed as it hit Eboral's scales, sending up plumes of white smoke.
In her pain, Eboral instinctively flinched, giving the Wyrm an opening. It swung its sword, slapping Eboral with the flat of the blade. The terrifying heat instantly turned her black scales glowing red.
"ROAR! You filthy half-breed!!"
In a mixture of shock and fury, Eboral let out an enraged roar and bit down hard on the Magma Wyrm's shoulder.
"ROAR!!!"
The Magma Wyrm used its free hand to seize her, pressing its searing Scalesword against her body to burn her.
But in its mindless agony, the Wyrm had forgotten the other intruder.
Mohg had already circled behind it. He slammed his feet into the stone.
Aspect of the Crucible: Tail! Aspect of the Crucible: Horns!
CRASH!
Golden energy manifested as massive claws that gripped the Wyrm's thick tail. Mohg gave a guttural shout, his feet sinking into the ground as he heaved. The Magma Wyrm's colossal frame was suddenly yanked backward and slammed into the opposite wall.
BOOM!
As a cloud of dust billowed up, Mohg extended his arm, flinging a handful of blood into the debris.
"ROAR!!!"
The moment the bloodflame entered the dust cloud, the Wyrm screamed in renewed fury. A powerful roar acted as a shockwave, clearing the dust and revealing the Wyrm's condition.
The bloodflame Mohg had thrown had landed directly on the open wounds on the Wyrm's back. Normally, its thick scales and high fire resistance would have shrugged off such an attack, but with its flesh exposed, the bloodflame ate into its body.
The Magma Wyrm's luck was truly abysmal.
Mohg showed no mercy. With a flick of his wrist, the dragon blood splattered on the ground coalesced into his palm. The Mohgwyn Dynasty crest flashed briefly.
Blood Slice!
The dragon blood condensed into razor-sharp filaments that whipped toward the Wyrm's torso.
"ROAR!!!"
With its belly slashed open, the Magma Wyrm charged like a heavy tank. Mohg clicked his tongue at the beast's durability. His bloodblade had sliced through the cavern walls like paper, yet it only left a shallow gash on the Wyrm's hide.
But it was enough.
Mohg's gaze sharpened. He clenched his fist, and the blood flowing from the Wyrm's wounds flew toward him. It condensed into a spear of blood—blood tainted with the power of Cursed Blood. He couldn't control all of it, but this small portion was enough.
"Eboral!"
"ROAR!"
Eboral responded instantly, unleashing a breath of crimson bloodflame. Simultaneously, Mohg hurled the blood spear with all his might.
"ROOOOOOAR!!!!"
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