"What's the task?"
Cophey reached into her robes and produced a small crystal container filled with dark, oily liquid that pulsed rhythmically, almost like a living heart.
"Two weeks back, workers digging near Hancock broke into an undiscovered passage in the Ashford Mine. They ventured inside as expected to explore it but only a single man returned." She placed the vial carefully on the floor between them.
"He was completely out of his mind. Kept raving about the tunnels being overrun with horrible creatures, twisted abominations made of fire and rock, radiating some kind of sacred power."
Lucius's brow furrowed. "Sacred power? In an underground mine?"
"Leftover essence probably," Cophey said matter-of-factly.
"When the Sun god turned his back on this land during the great drought, his holy blessings didn't simply disappear. They festered within the area and divine energy that goes untended or unchecked doesn't just fade away, it transforms into something deeply, fundamentally unnatural. The things living in that mine are Corrupted Beasts, creatures that were born from the Sun God's discarded and abandoned power."
She nudged the vial in his direction. "Go in there and wipe them out. Bring me back evidence, this container is designed to draw in and store their essence. Accomplish that, and I'll hand over everything you've been searching for."
Lucius picked the vial up. It was shockingly cold against his palm, far colder than anything natural.
[Item Received: Essence Vial]
[Purpose: Collect corrupted divine energy]
[Capacity: 0/100%]
He turned and met her gaze. "Why come to me specifically? You could find trained fighters anywhere."
Cophey's smile stretched unusually wide. "Because trained fighters don't survive contact with divine corruption, it kills them. You, on the other hand…." Her eyes took a sharp, calculating gleam.
"....you take things in and I want to watch what happens when someone like you reaches into something this dangerous and pulls."
'So practically she wants to make sure of my abilities to clear out these corrupted demons. That means even she can't fight them…'
He got to his feet. "And if I say no?"
"Then your search for the Sun God ends here, and Heaven's Hunters track you down before you find another lead." She dismissed him with a casual wave.
"The decision belongs to you. But don't take long deliberating, those things are already creeping outward. Hancock won't stay safe for much longer."
'What's my business if it doesn't? She's right about one thing though. Having a hostile thought about a god or anything relating to heaven automatically makes you an enemy subject to destruction, depending on the level of power you have, they can send champions, plagues or the gods themselves to hunt you down and I don't have time for any of that.'
'Right now, she's my only gateway out of here as well as tracking the Sun god.'
Lucius tucked the vial away into his satchel. "Fine, I'll handle it. But when I walk back out of there, you give me everything, where he is, how he's protected, and what I can do to hurt him."
"You have my word." Cophey drew her hood back into place.
"The mine sits three miles to the east. I'd strongly suggest finding some way to protect yourself against extreme heat before you go in." She lingered for a moment then added.
"There's one more thing worth mentioning."
Lucius kept his expression neutral, waiting for her. "Say it."
Her voice fell to barely a whisper. "If you encounter a creature carrying a golden core inside it….don't engage it. Don't try to absorb it, don't even hesitate. Just turn around and walk away as fast as you can."
Lucius frowned, curious. "What's special about it?"
"Because that isn't a corrupted beast. That's an actual fragment, a genuine sliver of the Sun God's original consciousness, and it's still aware. It will consume you from the inside out, consuming everything."
Lucius stared at her, his expression still neutral. Then with a nod, he answered "Alright" and walked out.
***
A weathered wooden sign marked the entrance of a cave, reading: ASHFORD MINE - CONDEMNED.
Lucius stood at the opening and stared into the black beyond. The air around the entrance rippled and shimmered with heat despite the cool night surrounding him.
[Survival Instinct (Passive) - Triggered]
[Warning: Extreme heat source detected ahead. Environmental hazard present.]
He called up Streetwise as well.
[Streetwise (Passive) - Triggered]
[Environmental Analysis:]
• Threat Level: High
• Heat signature detected: 200+ meters deep
• Multiple hostile life forms detected (estimated 12-15)
• Structural instability: 40% (cave-in risk)
• Recommended approach: Stealth, avoid large groups
He cocked his crossbow, drew a deep, slow breath, and walked in.
The passage angled downward, bathed in a sickly orange radiance that throbbed with the same steady rhythm as the vial had. The stone walls were charred and blackened, cracked apart in places, partially dissolved by tremendous heat.
He moved with deliberate quietness, placing each step with care as he pushed forward inside the mine.
Ahead of him, he heard a deep, rumbling growl. Every muscle in Lucius's body immediately locked up. Something was moving just ahead of him but he couldn't quite make out what it was from the distance.
So he did what he believed would help.
[Appraisal activated!]
[Target: Corrupted Beast - Magma Hound]
[Level: 8]
[HP: 150/150]
[Threat Level: Medium]
[Abilities: Fire Breath, Molten Bite, Heat Aura]
[Weakness: Water-based attacks, cold environments]
[Note: Created from residual solar divinity. Highly aggressive.]
The thing resembled a wolf in shape only. Its body was constructed from broken stone with rivers of molten lava running through the cracks. Its eyes glowed a fierce orange, flames dripping steadily from its open jaws.
It hadn't picked up on him yet or his presence and that was his advantage.
Lucius steadied the crossbow, lined up the shot carefully on the creature's head, and released it.
Thwip.
The bolt found its mark and dissolved instantly against the burning surface of the hound.
'Shit, why did I think that would work?'
The hound's skull whipped toward him. It let out a thunderous roar, and a torrent of flame erupted from its throat.
"Shit!"
He threw himself sideways as a column of fire scorched the exact section of wall where he'd been standing a heartbeat before.
[HP: 100 → 92]
[Status Effect: Minor Burns]
The beast didn't wait for him to recover, it immediately launched itself at him.
Lucius dropped the crossbow and snatched up his throwing axe. The hound sailed through the air at him, its jaws stretched wide for a bite, more than a bite actually.
He stepped clear, swung hard, and drove the axe blade deep into the creature's neck.
The beast let out a sharp, pained yelp but remained very much alive. Lava spurted from the gash, sizzling and spitting where it hit the ground.
[Magma Hound HP: 150 → 110]
'That didn't even scratch it. Tch'
The hound spun on him with startling speed, raking its claws across his forearm.
[HP: 92 → 85]
'Absorb!'
He seized the creature's head in both hands and pushed his skill into it.
[Absorption skill activated!]
[Target: Corrupted Beast - Magma Hound]
[WARNING: Target contains corrupted divine energy. Absorption may cause damage.]
[Continue? Y/N]
'Yes!'
The familiar cold water rush flooded through his arms, except this time it burned alongside the cold. The hound's molten core pushed back hard, fighting his pull with everything it had.
Lucius set his jaw and bore down. "Come on…. Come on!"
[HP: 85 → 78 → 72]
The beast's resistance weakened degree by degree. Its inner glow began to dim. Cracks spread and multiplied across its stone exterior.
Then reaching its max, it came apart completely.
[Absorption complete!]
[HP recovered: 72 → 88]
[Corrupted Divine Energy absorbed: 8%]
[Essence Vial: 8/100%]
[New Passive Skill gained: Heat Resistance Lv1]
[Heat Resistance: Reduces fire/heat damage by 15%]
Lucius collapsed against the wall, breathing hard. His hands were blistered, his skin red as blood moved below the surface of his skin.
"One down," he muttered. "How many more to go?"
A chorus of growls echoed from deeper in the mine, sounding hungry and just as agile.
"...Of course."