Chapter 96 - Inferno Grounds (1/2)
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
With his speed higher than before, Aurus was able to reach the Inferno Grounds within three hours, taking in the fact that the Greater Experience Haven was only 10 kilometers away from this place.
The first sensation Aurus felt from entering the Inferno Grounds was intense heat, which was definitely a given since from the name of the place alone, it would definitely have something to do with fire or magma or anything that radiated heat.
As he hovered towards the place where the boss of the Inferno Grounds was, he could not help but notice the lack of Inanimate beings within this area, especially wood-based Inanimates just like him. After thinking about it for a bit, he could not help but have the urge to slap his nonexistent face as he muttered, ”Fire counteracts wood, which means that the chances of a wood-based Inanimate adapting to this environment is extremely low. Thankfully, the Flux covering my body is protecting me right now.”
The reason why Aurus knew that the Flux protected his body was because, while traversing the Greater Experience Haven, an Inanimate that was weaker than him shot an attack towards him all of a sudden, with him only hearing the sound of metal bending as the attack collided with his body.
No notification appeared in front of his field of vision, which he finally deduced to the Flux passively protecting him. He also did a few more tests before fighting against the boss of the Greater Experience Haven, allowing him to learn the fact that he could adapt to any environment thanks to the sheer density of Wind element particles in his Flux.
Minutes pass by as he avoided any place within the Inferno Grounds that radiated an intense bout of heat that could suppress his Flux's protection, gradually making his way towards the south end of the Inferno Grounds, where the strongest Inanimate aura was radiated. Only the boss of the Inferno Grounds could radiate such a strong aura.
As he made his way closer to the boss of the Inferno Grounds, he stopped around a kilometer away from the boss, deciding to make some preparations beforehand.
”Summon Staff No. 1,” Aurus softly commanded.
Whoosh!
In an instant, Staff No. 1, the first ever Flux weapon he created, appeared in front of his field of vision. He then looked at it for a bit before muttering, ”Although you're the first weapon I've created and you have been with me for like…a day, I'm afraid I can't stick with you any further. I have to branch out and turn over a new leaf, you know? If I want to get stronger, I need to craft a new weapon. Don't worry, you will be rooted into my memory.” Even though it was true that Staff No. 1 lasted for a day, it was still the first weapon he crafted, which did hold a bit of sentimental value.
Sighing with slight melancholy, he then commanded, ”Dismantle Staff No. 1.”
Crack! Crack! Crack!
At the instant Aurus was finished with his command, a hairline crack appeared on the staff, which gradually expanded to cover the whole staff before breaking the staff into extremely miniscule fragments which could not be even detected by the naked eye.
He went silent for a bit before saying, ”[Better Flux Weapon Creation].”
Whoosh!
Not a moment later, a screen appeared in front of his field of vision, asking him the same questions as before, but with some things changed, like the special effects of choosing between a Physical or a Magical weapon being enhanced, and the amount of Flux he could allocate to creating a weapon, which has been increased to 6, double of what it was previously.
A few minutes later, a staff that looked slightly more extravagant than Staff No. 1 appeared in front of Aurus' field of vision, radiating an aura that resonated with his own, allowing him to feel the power within the weapon he created.
”Examine Weapon,” Aurus muttered.
Ding!
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Staff No. 2 (Magical)
Grade: Inanimate — Magic
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Attack + 180
Damage + 9%
Cast Time – 15%
SP Cost – 15%
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A staff created out of a highly ranked Flux from a Spiritas, if not for the fact that the Spiritas' crafting capabilities were inferior, this could perhaps become a weapon that could become a legacy for many generations of Inanimates to come. Nonetheless, thanks to the superior material used to create the weapon, it boasts a power unlike others, allowing the user to dish out high amounts of damage at a fast rate while using less SP.
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Satisfied with the properties of his new weapon, Aurus flew closer and closer to the boss of the Inferno Grounds, only leaving around a 100 meter gap between the two of them.
Whoosh!
”Hm?” In an instant, the boss of the Inferno Grounds could not help but feel an aura that seemed to suppress its own. It searched all throughout its surroundings, before looking upwards at a branch that hovered in midair.
”Hoh? A wood-based Inanimate like you actually has the guts to enter a place filled with Fire element particles.” The boss of the area could not help but cackle as its mouth stifly opened and closed as it spoke.
From Aurus' perspective, the boss of the Inferno Grounds looked like a rough carving of a dragon from stone. Nonetheless, the aura radiated by this rough stone dragon did not lose out to his in any way, prompting Aurus to identify the boss.
Ding!
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[Fuschar (Lord of the Inferno Grounds)]
Level: 32/40
Species: Boulder Dragonica Inferna
Existence Level: Inanimate (X)
[HP]: 23600/23600
[SP]: 4550/4550
Stats:
[Solidity]: 1436
[Vitality]: 1823
[Rage]: 1134