Rearing Demons
Chapter 137: Entering the Volcano

Chapter 137: Entering the Volcano

"Awake?"

Luna suddenly found herself lying in a vast expanse of glass. There was nothing around her but endless, reflective glass, just as it had been before the essences were introduced. Rubbing her eyes as if waking from a deep nap, she called out, "Elder?" Her voice was soft, laced with drowsiness, and her eyes—dulled by sleep—lacked their usual spark.

"So? Which essence were you able to connect to?" Elder Ci asked, watching as Luna slowly rose from the ground.

"Umm..." Luna hesitated, lost in thought for a moment before she lifted her hand. In an instant, a brilliant golden streak of light began to form atop her palm, an unexpected display that caught Elder Ci off guard.

"Starbrand Essence? And you’ve actually broken through to the fourth realm?" Elder Ci exclaimed, quickly placing her hand over Luna’s chest and closing her eyes in concentration. "Such a powerful crystal..." she whispered reverently.

Luna said nothing, her mind reeling as she tried to piece together what had just occurred. One moment she had been speaking with a beautiful man, and the next, she awoke with her powers enhanced—now able to wield essence with newfound finesse.

"This is great," Elder Ci continued, removing her hand and smiling broadly at Luna, excitement evident in her tone. "With this, you might even break through into the fifth realm within a few weeks!"

"What?!" Luna gasped, shocked. Breaking through to the fifth realm was no small feat, it was a monumental barrier for most cultivators, marking the dangerous and delicate stage of creating the Essence Heart.

"I don’t know how you did it or what you did, but the Starbrand Essence is already forming a heart in your Cyralim!" Elder Ci nodded approvingly, her smile warm. "Come, I shall guide you through this breakthrough. We have little time to waste." Without another word, she grasped Luna’s hand and, in a swirl of light, disappeared from the world.

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Yur and Karsi arrived at a cavernous opening far removed from the main gathering. "So, what is the plan?" Yur asked, his voice tinged with doubt. He didn’t fully understand the situation and depended on Karsi to provide the necessary information. Alone, he might have slowly pieced things together, but here he was, surrounded by beings whose strength far exceeded his own. Death lurked at every turn, and he needed someone to watch his back—at least on the surface.

"Simple. Enter the cave and find the Obelisk," Karsi replied with a confident smile as he pointed toward a nearby cavern. "You go over there and enter from that side. We each need to explore a different cave so that we can complete the search more swiftly."

Yur nodded and took flight toward the cave, which was barely a hundred meters away. Although apprehensive about potential attacks, he felt slightly more at ease away from Karsi. The man claimed to be on his side and even demonstrated it through his actions, yet something about him unsettled Yur.

He hovered at the cave’s entrance, waiting, observing. Why wasn’t anyone else entering? The cave exuded an eerie aura, a palpable sense of danger that made him wonder if he would survive its depths. However, the fact that several Rank Five True Seekers were boldly entering provided him with a measure of solace. Yur scanned the area, memorizing the positions and chosen entrances of his comrades.

"Yur, the second the volcano erupts, rush in and look for the Obelisk," came a reminder from afar; Karsi’s voice, clear and insistent.

"Got it," Yur murmured, steeling himself as he waited for any sign of volcanic activity. Then, with a low, ominous Krrrrrr the ground began to quiver. Soon, the area was filled with the sounds of quaking trees, sliding rocks, and shifting earth. Yur held his breath.

BOOOOOOM!

An explosion rocked the vicinity. Yet, Yur did not move immediately. He watched silently as his companions rushed into their chosen caves with a reckless excitement, Karsi included, who blasted into his cave without hesitation.

Once the area was nearly empty, Yur waited until he was sure everyone had ventured deep into their respective caverns before he darted off toward a different entrance—a cave that, by his own assessment, held an opportunity. His eyes fixated on one particular Rank Five True Seeker; someone he deemed weaker than the rest, someone he could overpower to steal their star and boost his strength even further.

Zul, keep an eye out for that Rank Five, and for anyone else, he commanded.

[Understood!]

With surveillance initiated by Zul, Yur swiftly reached the selected cave and slipped inside. His eyes shone with a murderous light; the prospect of absorbing another’s power was a temptation he could not resist.

Inside the dark cave, the sounds of clashing and ferocious combat greeted him. He quickly found a large rock and crouched behind it, peering out cautiously.

Through a narrow gap, he observed the Rank Five True Seeker locked in combat with bizarre beasts—creatures that, based on their power, appeared to be only Rank Four. Their strength was roughly comparable to Sularin’s, yet the peculiar detail was that these beasts were opposing the Rank Five True Seeker, a scenario that should be unlikely, as True Seekers normally command weaker beings effortlessly. Whatever forces were at work here had nullified that natural hierarchy.

"Let’s just wait and see," Yur thought grimly. He decided to lie low and allow the Rank Five to lead the fight.

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For hours, Yur tailed the struggling True Seeker. The fight raged on, and the man was soon riddled with injuries. Yet, he pressed on with remarkable tenacity. Oddly enough, he seemed able to devour the defeated beasts and heal, perhaps a trait linked to his star.

Though Yur harbored doubts, he couldn’t be sure. With every passing bout, the Rank Five grew visibly weaker until, at last, he paused to rest. Leaning against the cave wall, the man munched on some meat slowly, clearly taking a momentary respite.

Yur continued to watch, waiting for the seeker to enter meditation; a state he knew would likely come quickly. Sure enough, within minutes, the man closed his eyes and began to breathe deeply, his posture relaxing. Seizing the opportunity, Yur crept closer. A malicious smirk twisted his lips. With a swift wave of his hand, the Ashen Grasp coiled around the unsuspecting man.

"What the—" the man started to protest, but before any more words could escape, Yur plunged his hand deep into the man’s chest, directly into his heart.

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