After transforming, it didn't take Isaac long to reach the cave's entrance. He paused there, studying the wreckage the Wyvern had left behind. It was kind of incredible how much destruction a single lava bullet had caused at the start of their fight.

We would have been dead if it hit us, he concluded, his gaze drifting over the scattered chunks of stone and shattered earth. They were lucky, very lucky.

All right, let's go.

With that thought in mind, Isaac shot into the cave. Darkness swallowed him, but his night vision quickly chased it away. A few seconds into his descent, the thin stream of lava from earlier appeared on his left, illuminating the tunnel with a soft glow.

That's my guide.

Just like the last time, he followed the lava deeper into the cave, ignoring all the other branching tunnels. Sure, it would have been nice to check them out, too, but he had promised his team to be careful. Looking for trouble just for the sake of it would be breaking it. What he was about to do was risky enough.

That said, as he descended deeper and deeper into the cave, not a single hostile sound reached his ears. Aside from the soft bubbling of lava at his side, there was no other noise accompanying him. He just hoped it was a sign that this place was empty and not some prelude to another fight for his life.

Don't jinx it. You should know better by now, he told himself as he slowed down his flight a bit. He should be getting close to the Wyvern's lair if his memory wasn't wrong.

Thankfully, it wasn't.

After taking a left on another crossroad, the tunnel began to open up, growing wider with each second. Before long, it turned into a massive chamber with more thin streams of lava crisscrossing the ground.

Isaac paused at the threshold, his enhanced eyesight searching for anything that might try to attack him. Not even the tiniest shadow cast by the lava's glow could hide from him.

Yet, he still came up empty. This place didn't even have any insects skittering along the walls.

Guess not even a spider wants to be close to the home of a Lava Wyvern. Fair enough…

Hell, even without the beast, the temperature here alone was quite deadly. Before, Isaac hadn't been sure if he could even sweat in his Legacy form, but the longer he stayed, the clearer the answer became. And the phantom sensation of his feathers melting didn't help at all.

Better be quick, he thought, speeding up.

He darted across the main chamber and shot into another tunnel on the far side. Compared to the others, this one was barely wide enough for the Wyvern itself. Why the sudden change? He had no idea, but the heat was only getting worse and worse the further he flew.

Flapping his wings in such a narrow corridor also wasn't too comfortable.

Isaac clicked his tongue and transformed back into his human form. He landed with an almost silent thud, Root of Blood already falling into his hand. As always, better to be safe than sorry.

Okay… where the hell are you leading me? he wondered, wiping sweat from his brow with his free hand. This place was worse than a sauna. Honestly, he was surprised he could even breathe properly down here. Just a bit more… hopefully.

Another sharp bend of the tunnel made it even thinner. He didn't have to duck his head yet, but if something attacked him now, he might have a problem. The Root was a little too long for such tight quarters.

I should turn back, Isaac told himself, even as his feet continued to march forward. Even if deep down he knew this might be a bad idea, he came too far to back down. Not even the suffocating heat could stop him now.

Without breaking stride, he ducked under a thick stalactite and rounded yet another corner. What he saw ahead almost made him stumble. He caught his footing and froze, Root of Blood raised instinctively.

What in the hell…

About a dozen feet ahead of him, the tunnel widened again, opening into another cavern chamber, though much smaller than the last one. It had all the characteristics of this entire cave—a couple of thin lava streams, jagged black stalactites and stalagmites, and of course, that oppressive, blistering heat.

Yet, among all that, one thing stood out.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

A circular pond, right in the middle of the chamber.

It wasn't that large—maybe big enough to drown a couple of grown horses. That said, its size wasn't the problem. No, what filled it was.

Instead of clear water or the ever-present lava, the pool churned with a thick, dark yellow liquid, like some unnatural mix of mud and tar. It bubbled on the surface, with flames licking at its edges.

And worst of all?

Even from such a distance, Isaac could feel the pond's overwhelming presence. It tried to drown him in its raw power, in its pure heat. Only the sudden activation of Symphony of Blood made it possible for him to stay almost unaffected.

Is this what he wanted me to find? he thought, taking a slow step toward the pond. Right away, its presence intensified, pushing against his shoulders with renewed effort.

Analyze.

[Dark Pit | Grade: E | Status: Active (Half-full)]

Isaac didn't even get a chance to acknowledge his skill's findings, as a moment later, another notification appeared before him.

Warning! You're approaching an active Dark Pit. You do not possess the necessary tools or abilities to neutralize it. Proceed with caution. Note: As this is your first encounter with a Dark Pit, the Interface has prepared a short guide for you.

Guess it was only a matter of time. Good thing I came down here after all. Show me what you have for me, Interface.

Right away, the notification vanished, only to be replaced by another within a second. Once again, the guide didn't disappoint.

[Dark Pits - Less common anomalies typically formed by well-grown nests or established monster villages. More rarely, they can be found in the wilds. Dark Pits are concentrations of tightly bound Broken Strain energy, transformed into one-way portals. Through them, monsters may escape the confines of the Broken Realm. Each Pit, however, has a limited capacity, reflected by its rank—the lower it is, the fewer creatures it can transport. Additionally, stronger monsters consume more of a Pit's energy to travel. If left unchecked, a Dark Pit may eventually evolve into a Dimensional Tear.]

Isaac blinked, then blinked again. A weak chuckle escaped him.

A portal. Of course there's a portal, he thought. And it can develop into something worse. Starting to see a pattern here. Really makes you wonder what's next on the list.

He shook his head and dismissed the guide. While far from good news, at least now he understood what he was working with. The only thing that concerned him was that the Interface never mentioned what he had to do to get rid of those pits. Sure, it mentioned a "proper tool or ability," but what did that even mean?

A question for another day…

Still wary of the pit's growing presence, Isaac slowly made his way forward. While he pretty much got what he wanted, he might as well inspect this place in detail if he was already here.

And so, despite the growing heat scorching his skin, he went around the pit, hoping to find something else that might be important. And find it he did.

There, tucked behind a cluster of stalagmites, half-hidden in shadow, was an egg. A big one, too—easily the size of a melon. It had a rough, stone-like texture, colored in deep crimson and black. Isaac crouched before it and activated Analyze.

[Lava Wyvern's Egg | Grade: Superior] A simple egg of a Lava Wyvern that once could have given birth to a new monster. However, without a mother's care, a Host might find it useful in crafting or various dishes.

He clicked his tongue. No pet dragon then. Maybe another day. For now, he would have to settle for something a bit more… simple.

"Sorry, buddy," Isaac muttered, pushing the egg into his Storage Brand. He cast one last look at the Dark Pit, then turned and started back into the tunnel. With no other path to explore, it was high time for him to go. He definitely didn't want to be here when another monster decided to come through.

By some miracle, nothing ambushed him on the way out. He just sprinted to the Wyvern's old lair and, from there, used his Legacy form to quickly fly through the tunnels. Once outside, he didn't stop until he reached the rocky outcrop where his team was holed up. They spotted him right away.

"And so he returns. In one piece, no less," James announced dramatically. "What news do you bring us, oh fearless leader?"

Isaac rolled his eyes. "Nothing good, I fear, but first…" He smirked as the Wyvern's egg appeared in his hand. "Anybody want a dragon omelet?"

No matter what anybody told him in the future, the reactions he got at this moment were worth it.

A few hours after Isaac's return from the cave, they were back on the move, sprinting across the endless dunes. James and Elaine were far from recovered, but they had all agreed that staying close to the Dark Pit was a terrible idea. Besides, it wasn't like they couldn't run. Only fighting was a problem.

So once again, Isaac took point, acting as both an early warning system and a guide, steering them clear of anything too dangerous. Though, to be honest, with how powerful the beasts around them were growing, fighting them even after recovering might be out of the question. Already, almost all monsters—barring the suicidal exploding scarabs—showed up for him as moderate threats.

Not that long ago, they had to run away from a pack of Glassstalkers that burst out of the sand in their path. It had taken over half of his freshly recovered Viron reserves to stop them from chasing his team. The beasts must have judged them not worth the effort after he blew off a couple of their legs with a few mana and blood-powered Crimson Deaths.

There were a couple more close calls after that, but they escaped each one with nothing worse than a few scrapes and fresh bruises.

Otherwise, as long as they stayed clear of the lava rivers, their journey was… if not exactly peaceful, then at least manageable. Isaac even managed to practice the unassisted control of his Origin a few times. At this point, he could create small, sharp blades.

Now, if only they didn't fall apart when I try to throw 'em…

Isaac sighed, dismissing his blood constructs as he looked toward the horizon. With the sun already starting to vanish from view, they would have to stop for rest soon. He just had to find a somewhat safe spot for them to set up a camp.

Better start looking, then…

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.