Author's Note: Unedited Chapter
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"Now, will you let me take what I came for, or do I have to keep proving my point?"
The creature hesitated, glancing at its fallen comrades before bowing its head. "The sacred ground belongs to the flames, but... we cannot stop you. Do what you must, outsider. But know that the flames will remember."
"That's more like it," Gustav's tone softened slightly. "I'll be out of your hair soon enough. Just stay out of my way."
With the creatures retreating, Gustav approached the coordinates provided by the system. The vestige was buried deep beneath the planet's molten surface, but this posed no challenge for him.
Gustav soon began to descend through the molten crust of the fiery planet. His hands emitted a faint milky-white glow as atomic disintegration allowed him to burrow effortlessly through layers of magma and solidified rock.
The heat around him was intense, but his body, infused with Outworldly power, treated it as nothing more than a mild inconvenience.
Rocks vaporized into glowing particles around him, creating a tunnel that collapsed mere seconds after he passed. The further he went, the more the pressure and heat increased, yet Gustav's expression remained calm.
His glowing eyes scanned for any anomalies.
"Sixty thousand feet beneath the surface, and the vestige is embedded within the core? Of course it is," he muttered to himself. "Why make it easy?"
After several minutes of descent, the pressure around him abruptly shifted. Gustav emerged into a vast, glowing chamber surrounded by pulsating magma streams. The chamber itself was spherical, with veins of molten rock coursing through the walls like fiery rivers, casting a hellish orange glow across the surroundings.
At the very center of the chamber was the planet's core, a massive orb of molten energy swirling and pulsating with fiery intensity. Embedded within the core was the vestige, radiating a faint, crystalline light that seemed out of place against the chaotic background of the planet's heart.
"There you are," Gustav voiced with a low tone.
He moved closer as the vibrations of the core intensified with every step. The heat here was unmatched, even by the standards of the molten surface. Each pulse of the core sent ripples of energy through the chamber, causing the walls to tremble slightly. Gustav could feel the raw, unbridled power emanating from the core, and yet, his focus remained entirely on the vestige.
As Gustav extended his hand toward the vestige, the system's voice echoed in his mind.
[ Warning: The vestige is fully integrated with the planet's core. Forceful retrieval will result in the destabilization and subsequent destruction of the planet. ]
'This upgrade really isn't so bad... it says things before I have to figure them out.'
Gustav pulled his hand back slightly while frowning. "Integrated with the core? Of course..."
He studied the vestige, watching as its crystalline structure pulsed in harmony with the core's energy. It was clear that the two were linked.
Their energies intertwined in such a way that separating them would be catastrophic.
"Great. Just great," Gustav muttered while pacing slightly. "So, if I take what's mine, this entire planet goes up in flames. Not ideal."
He glanced upward, thinking about the beings on the surface. While they had attacked him earlier, he understood their actions were driven by fear and territorial instincts.
"You're not making this easy," Gustav voiced with a strained but resolute tone. "But I'm not leaving without what's mine."
The system's voice chimed in. [ Process 50% complete. Core destabilization risk has increased to 20%. Maintain focus. ]
Gustav concentration remained unbroken as he continued to draw the vestige's energy. His body glowed brighter with each passing moment. The power of the vestige integrated with his own as the process neared completion.
Meanwhile, the fiery beings on the surface had sensed the growing instability of their planet. Driven by desperation and fear, they descended into the tunnels Gustav had created.
Their molten forms illuminated the dark passageways as they moved toward the core.
"The outsider must be stopped," one of them growled. "If he continues, the heart will shatter, and all will be lost."
When they reached the chamber, they froze at the sight before them. Gustav stood before the core, his body radiating an otherworldly light as tendrils of crystalline energy flowed into him. The core pulsed erratically, its fiery glow flickering as the vestige's energy was siphoned away.
"Leave now, outsider! You are dooming us all!" one of the beings roared.
Without turning, Gustav replied, "I'm saving you. But if you get in my way, that'll change real quick."
The beings hesitated. Their molten forms trembled as they weighed their options. The energy radiating from Gustav was unlike anything they had ever encountered, and they knew they stood no chance against him.
"Trust me," Gustav stated. "I don't want to destroy your planet. But this vestige belongs to me, and I'm taking it. So unless you want to make this worse, stay back. The moment the process is interrupted, you can miss your planet goodbye."
They all lingered backwards, not wanting to push it.
After three grueling days, the process was finally complete. The last of the vestige's energy separated from the core and flowed into Gustav.
The core stabilized as it's pulsations returned to their normal rhythm while Gustav stepped back.
[ Vestige absorbed. +1% of Outworldly power restored. Outworldly ability unlocked: Elemental Convergence. ]
Gustav exhaled deeply before smiling. "Another step closer," he said softly.
He turned to face the fiery beings, who were watching him in fear and awe. "See? Told you I wouldn't destroy your planet. You're welcome."
Without waiting for a response, Gustav ascended back toward the surface, leaving the beings to process what had just occurred.
The beings would later come to discover that they would have eventually met their Waterloo had Gustav not retrieved the vestige. The core would have overloaded with power in the future and their planet would have been destroyed.
...
As Gustav made his way back toward his spacecraft, the fiery creatures watched him from a distance.
Their molten eyes were filled with a mixture of fear and respect. The largest of them stepped forward as Gustav prepared to leave.
"Outsider, you have shown great strength and mercy. The flames will not forget you."