Staring at the fallen remains of the Molten Goliath Jason called out.

  "Consume."

  Energy already harvested no items to be collected.

  Well, that's new.

  Devourer Evolution Initiated

  The blade stirs with newfound hunger. To evolve, it must be fed—the life force of the living fuels its growth. The more it consumes, the more it will become.

  Jason thought over the implications of the notification as he and Maggy neared the castle, the oppressive heat from the volcanic landscape seemed to intensify, the air thick with ash and the distant rumble of lava flows filling the heavy silence. The castle loomed ahead, a dark, hulking structure that stood defiant amidst the sea of molten rock. Its blackened stone walls glistened in the glow of the surrounding lava, casting eerie shadows that danced across the jagged landscape.

  Massive spires jutted into the sky, their tips glowing faintly with a deep crimson hue, as if the very heat of the earth had been absorbed into the stone. Rivers of lava flanked the path leading to the gates, molten streams bubbling and flowing like the lifeblood of the castle itself. The ground beneath their feet was uneven, cracked from years of volcanic activity, and it seemed as though the earth itself was alive, shifting beneath the intense heat.

  The gates of the castle loomed large ahead of them, wrought from dark iron and covered in scorch marks. The metal was twisted, as if it had been warped by intense heat over time, and intricate engravings lined its surface, symbols that pulsed faintly with an ominous red glow. Lava flowed down from the castle’s upper levels, forming molten waterfalls that cascaded over the gate’s edges, pooling into the fiery moat below.

  The air was thick with the scent of sulfur, and the ground trembled slightly with every step they took. From where they stood, they could feel the immense power radiating from within the castle, a heat so intense it felt almost alive. Despite the fortress’s apparent abandonment, a sense of danger clung to the air, as though the castle itself was waiting for their arrival.

  Jason stopped for a moment, wiping the sweat from his brow as he surveyed the structure. “This place looks like it’s been through hell…”

  Maggy nodded, her eyes fixed on the twisted gates.

  With the castle looming ahead and the path behind them disappearing into the volcanic expanse, Jason and Maggy took their final steps toward the massive gate.

  The massive gates groaned open with a challenging, ominous creak, revealing the figure that awaited them inside. Emerging from the fiery glow within the castle walls was a hulking giant, easily twice the height of any man, its body encased in armor crafted from molten rock. The blackened, jagged plates pulsed with the glow of magma coursing through the cracks between them, as if the armor itself was alive with volcanic fury.

  The giant carried a shield almost as large as the iron doors themselves, its surface glowing with molten veins. It was a slab of raw, molten rock that seemed impossibly heavy, yet the giant held it with ease, using it to block the way as if daring Jason and Maggy to step forward.

  But it wasn’t the shield that drew their gaze, it was the sword.

  The massive blade in the giant’s hand flowed with lava, as if the weapon had been forged in the heart of a volcano and never cooled. With each movement, molten liquid dripped from the sword, sizzling as it hit the ground. When the giant shifted, the lava on the blade sprayed outward in arcs of fiery liquid, scorching the blackened earth beneath its feet. The heat radiating from the weapon alone was intense enough to make Jason and Maggy step back instinctively.

  The giant’s molten eyes locked onto them, burning with a primal rage, as if it was born of the very lava that surrounded them. It let out a low, rumbling growl, the ground beneath them trembling in response. With each step it took, the earth cracked and hissed, small bursts of flame erupting from the ground where its feet landed.

  Jason gritted his teeth, as the giant moved closer, the heat of its presence already unbearable. “Well, that’s doesn't look very nice,” he muttered, eyeing the giant’s sword warily. “We might want to stay clear of that thing.”

  Maggy swallowed, her gaze fixed on the giant as it approached, its molten sword spraying lava with every movement. “Yeah… I don’t think we’ll survive a direct hit.”

  The giant raised its shield, its molten eyes blazing as it prepared to charge.

  Molten Titan Grade F

  A guardian born from the heart of a volcano. Its molten armor grants near-impenetrable defense, while its lava sword delivers devastating attacks. The shield it wields can absorb elemental magic, reflecting fire-based spells back at its opponent.

  Jason’s heart sank. “That things can reflect fire-based magic.”

  Maggy smirked. “So… don’t use fire.”

  Rolling his eyes with a smile forming at his lips. Jason summoned the Devourer. “Well, it looks like I get to start working on leveling you up. just leave my mind alone would ya.”

  The Molten Titan's molten veins pulsed brighter, as if responding to their presence. The air warped with the sheer heat rolling off its body, waves of suffocating pressure forcing Jason and Maggy to step back instinctively. Then, with a bone-rattling roar, it moved.

  It wasn’t slow. It exploded forward, molten footsteps sending fountains of lava surging from the ground. Jason barely had time to react before the colossal sword came crashing down, a pillar of molten fury.

  Jason reacted quickly, using Flash Step to dart out of range, the heat from the molten sword searing the hairs on his arm as he narrowly avoided the devastating blow. The Titan’s massive blade slammed into the ground, molten lava spraying in every direction. Maggy, quick on her feet, ducked behind a nearby boulder, using it for cover as the liquid fire splattered across the scorched earth.

  Jason, already moving, used another Flash Step to close the distance, aiming for a gap in the Titan’s molten armor. But before he could strike, a massive wall of rock and fire came crashing into him. The Titan had swung its massive shield with blinding speed, Jason twisted at the last second, but the shield still slammed into his ribs. A sickening crack. His body rag dolled across the battlefield, skidding through the volcanic ash.

  “Holy hell,” Jason muttered through gritted teeth, wiping blood from his mouth. “That thing is a monster. Even with me anticipating that it you still messed me up.”

  “Jason, are you okay?” Maggy called out, her voice tight with concern as she peeked out from behind her cover.

  Jason grinned through the pain, trying to shake off the daze. Dancing out of range of the Titan’s next attack, he gave Maggy a thumbs up, though he winced as he moved. “Still alive! But this thing’s not playing around. Make sure you stay out of its range.”

  The Molten Titan roared, its molten sword spraying more lava as it readied its next strike. Jason could feel the heat intensifying, his body aching from the impact.

  The Molten Titan charged at Jason again, its massive molten sword slashing through the air, striking the ground where Jason had stood just moments before. Jason blurred between the Titan’s attacks, his form flickering like a shadow against the fire-lit battlefield, barely leaving the Titan any time to adjust. Each step was faster, more fluid, and now, with his core pushing the mid 50's, the maneuver barely strained him at all. The ease with which he moved filled him with a sense of control. Even still the hulking Titan was learning adapting and predicting. The Titian roared in victory as it stomped with enough force that causing Jason to lose his footing not able to step down to activate flash step. Its colossal sword was descending faster than Jason could regain his footing.

  A sharp crack of energy surged through the air as another Spirit Bolt struck the Titan in the face, stunning it momentarily. Giving Jason enough time to reset and get out of the way. The Titians frustration grew, and it gave up on its relentless charge at Jason, the Titan’s molten eyes turned, locking onto Maggy. With a furious growl, it changed targets.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  “No!” Jason’s mind raced as the Titan charged at Maggy. Its massive shield crashing through the boulder Maggy was hiding behind. Jason watched in horror as Maggy flew through the air. The massive blade was tracking Maggy and as her body hit the ground the blade quickly followed. lava erupted from the strike leaving behind a smoldering crater.

  Time seemed to slow as Jason’s heart pounded in his chest.

  Thump, thump.

  His pulse echoed in his ears, drowning out everything but the sight of the Titan attacking someone he cared about. Rage surged through him, hot and primal, boiling up from the depths of his being.

  “How dare this thing attack her,” Jason thought, his vision narrowing, his body tensing with fury. “How dare it take her from me… How dare it.”

  as he yelled those words an inner voice spoke. Calm Jason don't let it control you.

  The world around him blurred as Jason focused on the Titan. His rage fueled him, sharpening his senses, turning his focus into a single, burning desire to destroy the creature.

  the same voice echoed to him "The bloodline is a source of power, be its master don't let it be yours."

  the words had a calming effect on his mind the power pulsed through him. the difference this time is Jason's mind was still his.

  With a crack, the earth beneath his feet shattered as Jason activated Flash Step once more. But this time, something was different. His bloodline made the movement more explosive, more powerful. The ground itself seemed to crumble in his wake, as though it couldn’t handle the force of his speed.

  Jason appeared in front of the Molten Titan in an instant, his eyes blazing with unbridled fury. Without hesitation, he swung The Devourer, and the bone blade bit deep into the Titan’s molten armor, cracking the surface and sending molten rock spraying into the air. The Titan howled in rage, its molten eyes now fixed solely on Jason, consumed by fury at the damage inflicted on it.

  Jason grunted as the ethereal tears began to appear. I need to contain this, can’t afford to let my soul be torn apart.

  The Titan swung its massive sword, lava trailing from its blade in an arc, but Jason was faster. He vanished, he darted away just as the molten sword cleaved the ground where he had stood. Before the Titan could recover, Jason reappeared at its flank, The Devourer slashing through another gap in its armor. His speed was relentless, his form a blur as he flashed around the battlefield, each movement too fast for the Titan to track.

  Again and again, Jason drove The Devourer into the exposed joints of the Molten Titan. Each strike bit deeper, carving through the molten rock and breaking its defenses. A large chunk of its chest plate shattered and fell to the ground, exposing the glowing core beneath.

  I need to end this.

  Enraged, the Molten Titan roared, its massive form trembling with fury. It changed its strategy, swinging its molten sword in wide arcs. With every swing, the blade launched waves of lava, filling the battlefield with molten magma, threatening to trap Jason in a sea of burning rock. The heat intensified, and the ground beneath them cracked and hissed as the lava spread, turning the area into a molten deathtrap.

  Jason’s speed was too much. His eyes burned with determination, his body moving in a blur of motion. Just a little more. With a surge of power, he used Flash Step again, dodging the molten waves. The battlefield was a chaotic swirl of fire and heat, but Jason danced through it, keeping a step ahead.

  Jason felt his muscles scream as he pushed himself further, each Flash Step tearing at the edges of his endurance. The Titan was faltering, but it wasn’t done. Its molten core swelled, veins of lava glowing brighter as the air grew impossibly hot. The battlefield trembled beneath Jason’s feet.

  It’s about to explode.

  Jason barely had a second to react as the Titan dug its shield into the ground, cracking the battlefield apart. The heat spiked, a vortex of molten energy spiraling upward, threatening to swallow everything in its path.

  Now or never.

  With one final push, Jason blurred forward, appearing inside the Titan’s guard.

  The Devourer sank into its core—but something was wrong. The blade trembled violently in his grasp, the Titan’s boiling essence fighting back.

  Jason's vision blurred, as The Devourer drank deep—too deep. His body convulsed as raw, volcanic energy flooded into the blade then into him, threatening to burn him alive from the inside out.

  Too much—it's drinking too fast!

  A sharp pain split his skull, his body locking up. If he didn’t stop this, he wouldn’t walk away from this fight.

  His fingers tightened around the hilt, and with every last ounce of willpower, he ripped The Devourer free.

  Jason stood over the fallen Titan, The Devourer pulsed in Jason’s hands. The energy from the Titan surged through it—through him—burning, tearing, consuming.

  His vision darkened. The world blurred.

  More.

  The blade whispered, its hunger seeping into his bones.

  Jason gritted his teeth, veins bulging in his arms. Something deep inside him pushed against the Devourer.

  With a final, defiant growl, he ripped the blade free, staggering as the energy whiplashed through him. The Devourer pulsed in his grip, as if displeased. As if it hadn’t had its fill.

  The voice that had calmed him whispered. "Well done."

  Jason turned looking for the voice that had guided him. there was no one.

  His mind finally cleared.

  Maggy.

  His thoughts raced back to the moment the Titan had attacked her, the molten sword crashing down where she had landed. He hadn’t seen her since. His breath caught in his throat, and without a second thought, he broke into a run, sprinting toward the place he had last seen her.

  “Maggy!” Jason shouted, his voice hoarse, his eyes scanning the scorched battlefield for any sign of her.

  His heart pounded harder with every step. The area where the Titan had struck was a mess of charred earth and molten debris. Jason’s eyes darted frantically over the blackened ground, the heat still radiating from the stone. His worst fear gripped him as his gaze fell on something lying amidst the burnt remains.

  A cloak, charred, torn, and blackened.

  Jason’s breath hitched.

  His fingers brushed against the tattered remnants of Maggy’s cloak, the edges charred and crumbling in his grasp. His heart pounded in his ears, drowning out everything but the awful, suffocating silence that had settled over the battlefield.

  No... no, this isn’t happening.

  His chest tightened, his breath coming in shallow gasps. He scanned the battlefield again, refusing to believe what his eyes were telling him. The heat from the molten battlefield still rose in shimmering waves, distorting his vision. Maybe she’s just beyond the crater. Maybe she’s already up ahead.

  But no matter how much he tried to rationalize it, no matter how many desperate excuses his mind scrambled to conjure, the truth sat heavy in his gut, cold and unrelenting. He saw the blade hit her.

  His knees hit the ground before he realized he had collapsed, his hand clutching the fabric like it was the last thing anchoring him to reality.

  "Maggy..."

  His voice was barely a whisper, cracking under the weight of the realization pressing down on him. His fingers curled tighter around the cloak, his entire body trembling. The world blurred as hot tears welled up, spilling down his face, but he didn’t care. The battlefield, the fight, the castle—all of it meant nothing in this moment.

  She was gone.

  A choking sob forced its way up his throat. His chest heaved, a raw, broken noise escaping his lips. The memory of her smile, her laughter, the way she always had his back—all of it slammed into him like a tidal wave, threatening to drown him in grief and regret.

  "I should have—" His voice cracked.

  He clenched his teeth, guilt festering like an open wound. He should have been faster. Should have protected her better. Should have—

  A slow, rhythmic tapping echoed through the smoldering ruins. Like a child idly drumming their fingers against a table.

  Tap. Tap. Tap.

  Jason turned sharply, his heart still hammering in his chest.

  She was sitting there. Perched atop the Titan’s molten remains, her legs swinging idly. Her horns glowed faintly in the dying firelight, her eyes gleaming with the soft, flickering embers of something far too amused.

  “You really are dramatic, aren’t you?”

  Jason whirled. A small figure sat atop the remains of the Titan’s molten core, her legs swinging lazily. Her horns caught the dim glow of the lava, her eyes gleaming like embers. She trailed a single finger through the dust, humming softly, as if she had been there all along. The hope that had surged so violently in his chest crumbled the moment his eyes landed on her.

  "You know… I really liked that one. You could’ve at least let it last a little longer," the girl mused, kicking at the smoldering remains of the Molten Titan.

  Jason’s grip tightened around the cloak, his mind reeling from the sudden shift in reality. Jason muttered a response. “It... it was the gatekeeper to the castle. We... we had to defeat it to gain access.”

  The girl tilted her head to the side, an expression of innocent confusion crossing her face. “What do you mean, ‘we’? It’s just you. She went out just like that." snapping her fingers. "One moment here… then gone. Kinda poetic, don’t you think?”

  Those words struck Jason like a hammer, threatening to shatter him all over again. His hands tightened around the cloak as the pain began to swell once more. But in that moment, a soft light pulsed within him, Blessing of the Forgiven, its warmth washing over him.

  “She’s not gone... She can’t be...” Jason murmured, his voice steadier than before, though the pain still lingered in every word.

  The girl’s expression didn’t change. She blinked at him, almost curious. “There are no other living creatures here, other than you and me. I would sense them if there were.” Her gaze drifted back to the fallen Titan, her tone casual, almost playful. “And that thing? It wasn’t the gatekeeper. It was just a toy I made.”

  Jason’s mind reeled. “A toy...?”

  The girl nodded, as if explaining something obvious. “I am the one who protects the walls of the castle,” she said, a small smile playing on her lips. “The Titan was just something to pass the time.”

  Jason stared at her, trying to process everything. His heart was still heavy with the thought of Maggy, but now, confusion and a rising sense of unease mixed with his grief. This girl, this strange child, was the true gatekeeper?

  “What... what are you?” Jason asked, his voice low, his grip tightening on the cloak.

  The girl giggled softly, her horns glinting in the fiery light. “Oh, I’m many things,” she replied cryptically, her smile widening. “But for now, I’m the one you have to face if you want to get past these walls.”

  Jason Identified her.

  Isabella, Commander of the Hordes of Pyraxis, Grade E.

  His breath stilled. Grade E? His exhausted body tensed instinctively, every muscle screaming that this girl—this seemingly harmless child—was more dangerous than anything he had faced so far.

  Isabella smirked.