-20 -20 Even with Flamecrystal running, Aiden’s shield points kept bleeding out. That fire-covered, eel-looking monster was absolutely brutal. And the name fit. Lava Catfish. Level 100. Elite-tier. It wasn’t their first encounter. Merrick had handled the others like they were nothing. A violent tremor hit the ground. Then another came right after. Just as Merrick got ready to blast the Lava Catfish into ashes, more Level-100 Elite monsters burst out of the cracked lava field. Molten rock started bubbling wildly. The whole place shook like it was ready to fall apart. "What the hell is this?!" Merrick turned in all directions. Level 100 monsters were crawling out everywhere. At least a hundred of them had shown up at once.That many spawning together? Yeah, that was a full-blown monster riot. But what triggered it? A harsh, high-pitched screech tore through the air. The sound bounced off the ground and echoed far into the sky. Merrick jerked toward Aiden’s side. The answer was obvious now. The tracker in Aiden’s hand had gone nuts. The noise wouldn’t stop. And then it happened. A giant stone gate appeared out of nowhere. It hovered above the ground, radiating heavy pressure. Ancient energy swept through the air and slammed down hard. It nearly pushed Merrick to his knees. That was divine aura. After digging around for almost a whole day, they finally found the entrance to the Temple of Hephaestus. "Kid, that thing right ahead—"Merrick clenched his teeth to fight off the crushing pressure. He turned to warn Aiden. He froze solid. Aiden’s body was fading. His figure blurred, bit by bit, then turned fully transparent. And in one blink, he vanished. The gate disappeared just as fast. Like it had never existed at all. It happened so quickly Merrick didn’t even get a chance to react. He stared at the empty air where Aiden had stood. Then looked up at the sky in disbelief. He let out a slow, frustrated breath. If he had to guess, the kid had somehow gotten pulled straight into the Temple of Hephaestus. Half the job was done. But here was the real issue. He never made it in! Merrick wanted to scream into his hands. He came all this way. Risked everything. Just to see the d*mn temple and maybe score something rare.Now look. He didn’t die. But he didn’t get anything either. Once again, he ended up as the guy left behind. And the nightmare kept going. The gate might be gone. But the monsters? Still here. Every last one of them. A wave of savage howls tore through the air. The ground trembled. Lava shot up like a geyser. All the monsters turned toward him like they’d just received orders. Then they charged. No fear. No hesitation. Merrick stood there deadpan. Then he started chanting. Raw mana erupted around him. He didn’t want to fight. He just wanted to go home. Sleep for a week. Get over this soul-crushing mess. But they were already in his face. What else could he do? Fine. Time to kill them all. …While Merrick dragged his feet through a battlefield of monsters and misery— Aiden had already arrived somewhere far, far away. -350 -350 The heat here was even worse than outside. It felt like he’d stepped into a live oven. Way past deadly. His shield points kept dropping like crazy. If not for Opulence Aegis, he’d already be toast. "This damage is nuts." He glanced around. Straight ahead stood a giant lake glowing bright red. But it wasn’t filled with water. It was all molten lava. The light from it was blinding. It felt like a second sun had dropped onto the earth. That was where the damage was coming from. No wonder the dwarves said they couldn’t return to the Temple of Hephaestus. With this level of heat, even Flamecrystal users would get roasted alive. Aiden still hadn’t used the King Flamecrystal. The damage was rough, but Opulence Aegis kept things under control. Expensive, yeah, but manageable. Better to hold onto the big crystal for when things really went south. King Flamecrystal only lasted three hours anyway. He pulled his gaze from the lava and turned toward the massive building in the distance. That had to be the Temple of Hephaestus. "Old divine, huh…" He narrowed his eyes and started walking toward it. -350 -450 The damage kept climbing as he got closer. By the time he reached the path up to the temple, it was hitting 650 every second. He stopped for a moment, then triggered the King Flamecrystal.Instantly, the damage dropped to 50. He pressed forward. The closer he got, the creepier the place felt. Both sides of the path were lined with broken statues. Dried blood still clung to the stone. The stains looked old, but they hadn’t faded.