Earth's Greatest Magus

Chapter 3083: Earth Core Flame

Emery raised an eyebrow.

He had heard of such things before.

An Earth Core Flame was a special flame born from a spirit vein that had evolved through the concentrated natural energy of Mother Earth.

It was as potent but fundamentally different from the Primordial Flame once possessed by Ember Sage and now held by Morgana.

The Primordial Flame had its own consciousness, while an Earth Core Flame was nothing more than pure natural energy, condensed and refined over countless years beneath the earth.

There were hundreds of known Earth Core Flames scattered throughout the Magus Universe, each one a precious treasure owned by renowned clans or factions.

If successfully refined, an Earth Core Flame could provide an enormous and almost inexhaustible source of energy, powerful enough to serve as the primary energy source for a large city. For artifact craftsmen, however, its value was even greater. The flame could also be used as a core material for forging Tier 8 artifacts.

And this particular Earth Core Flame was the very reason the dwarves of Kharzun Hold had settled here in the first place.

”My ancestor managed to tame it five millennia ago,” Bragnir explained. ”Since then, it has served as the fuel for our forge.”

His expression became more serious as he looked toward the massive forge.

”But I warn you, it’s extremely volatile. The deeper you go, the more dangerous it becomes. I don’t wish to see you die down there.”

Soltz, however, responded with a casual smile, completely unfazed by the warning.

”Don’t worry. Just let him try.” He glanced at Emery before continuing. ”Just don’t go back on your word. If we actually succeed, we get to keep it.”

The dwarf lord gave him a skeptical smirk.

”Hah. If you could actually retrieve it, I wouldn’t just let you keep it.”

He turned toward the three dwarven masters standing nearby, and a proud grin spread across his face.

”We’ll turn it into an artifact for you.”

Soltz’s eyes immediately lit up.

”All right, it’s a deal!”

He grabbed Emery by the back and gave him an enthusiastic push toward the forge.

The moment the massive metal door ground open, a wave of intense heat rolled out to meet them.

Beyond it lay a circular chamber, vast enough to swallow a small building whole. The forge itself sat dormant, cold and silent, its ancient structure showing no sign of activity. Yet the heat radiating from the surrounding walls was powerful enough to sink into flesh and bone within seconds. Rich spiritual energy saturated the air, carrying a faint but constant pressure that seemed to press against the lungs before it even reached the skin.

Emery narrowed his eyes.

The source wasn’t the forge at all.

At the center of the chamber was a massive hole, its edges disappearing into the stone floor. It was so dark that the darkness itself seemed almost unnatural, swallowing any light that crossed its rim. No bottom could be seen from above.

Both stepped toward the edge and looked down.

Emery immediately spread his Divine Sense into the abyss.

It reached only a short distance before encountering resistance.

The darkness below wasn’t completely blocking his senses, but it felt as though the abyss itself was pushing back, refusing to allow him to see too deeply. Emery increased the strength of his Divine Sense, forcing it farther downward until faint traces of energy finally slipped through.

Roughly five hundred meters below them, Emery’s Divine Sense suddenly encountered a vast sea of lava. Molten rock churned violently in the depths, its surface glowing with an intense orange-red light that distorted everything around it.

The sheer heat made even his Divine Sense feel as though it were being scorched.

Emery narrowed his eyes and forced his senses deeper, pushing through the overwhelming waves of heat and energy. Layer by layer, his Divine Sense pierced through the blazing lava until, at last, he caught sight of something buried within it.

A crystal was suspended deep beneath the molten surface, completely surrounded by raging flames.

Earth Core Flame.

It was no larger than the palm of his hand, yet the energy radiating from it was astonishing.

Even from the surface, the pressure pouring out of the hole was powerful enough to make Emery’s body instinctively tense.

”How are we going to do this?” Emery asked.

Soltz glanced down into the abyss and answered casually.

”Simple. Jump, catch it, and come back up. I’ll help as much as I can.”

Emery turned to look at him.

For a moment, he wasn’t sure whether Soltz was joking.

The dwarf lord had already warned them that the Earth Core Flame was extremely volatile, and judging by the pressure coming from below, Emery had no doubt that the warning had been genuine.

Still, his curiosity outweighed his hesitation.

At worst, he could escape before things became truly dangerous. With his current understanding of space, retreating from the chamber should not be difficult.

Emery took a slow breath and looked down into the darkness once more.

”All right. Let’s go.”

Without giving himself another chance to reconsider, he stepped off the edge.

Soltz followed immediately.

The two figures dropped into the abyss together.

The moment they passed the rim, an immense force slammed into them from every direction.

The heat was already brutal, searing through their bodies and making the surrounding air shimmer, but it was the pressure that made the descent truly agonizing. With every meter they descended, the invisible force pressing down on them grew heavier, as though enormous boulders were being stacked onto their shoulders one after another.

Soltz reacted almost immediately, releasing the power of his Law of Earth. Golden-brown energy surged from his body and spread through the surrounding space. The earth energy seemed to connect with the mountain itself, allowing him to stabilize his descent rather than being forced back toward the surface.

Emery followed closely behind, his Law of Nature flowing through his body and reinforcing his already formidable physique. The surrounding energy responded to his comprehension, forming a subtle layer of protection around him that helped distribute the immense pressure across his entire body instead of allowing it to crush down on a single point.

The two descended together, their domains working in tandem as they resisted the overwhelming force of the abyss. Yet the deeper they went, the more violently the pressure increased. Heat flooded through Emery’s flesh until even his refined body began to ache, while the crushing force pressed against his bones with enough strength to make them creak.