Vol. 5 Ch. 39

Leon led his team through the wide gorge, eventually reaching the volcanic heart of the Fire Valley.

Here, the nutrient pipes that originated from the embryo stretched toward a towering volcano in the distance.

Martin, noticing this, couldn’t help but remark,

"They’re drawing power directly from the volcano… I’ve never heard of anything like this before."

Leon furrowed his brows and explained,

"This isn’t an ordinary volcano. Remember what the records said? After the Flame Demon died, its body became the source of everything in the Fire Valley. The magma flowing inside these volcanoes carries the residual power of the Flame Demon."

Martin nodded in realization. "That makes sense."

Rebecca, meanwhile, finished assembling her hand cannon, shouldered it, and glanced at Leon.

"So, Captain, should we just blow up these pipes?"

"Let’s check them out first," Leon replied.

"Got it."

As the group advanced further, Rebecca suddenly heard a distinct crack beneath her feet. She looked down and moved her boot aside, revealing a large bone.

The battle-hardened gunner wasn’t easily rattled by such things. Instead, she bent down, picked up the bone, and inspected it with a playful smirk.

"Hey, Captain, do you think Ardy would like this?"

Leon, exasperated, shook his head.

"First, it’s clearly not from a herbivore. Second, don’t use it as a weapon. And third, stop picking up random bones—they’re filthy."

"Tch, I was just joking," Rebecca muttered, tossing the bone aside. She then clapped her hands clean and mockingly moved to wipe them on Martin’s shirt, only for him to sidestep her with practiced ease.

Their playful banter felt almost nostalgic, reminding Leon of their days battling together on Dragon Island.

But their moment of levity was interrupted by Maite, the team’s dangerous-species expert, who had picked up the discarded bone.

"Fascinating. I’ve studied dangerous species for years, but I’ve never seen a bone like this."

Leon raised an eyebrow. "Is it rare?"

Maite paused, examining the bone closely. "Hard to say. It might be from a creature altered by the same energy that affected the molten fire deer."

He weighed the bone in his hand and added,

"Captain, notice how light it is? The curvature is also different from typical land-based creatures. I’d wager this belonged to a flying dangerous species."

Leon nodded. "Impressive analysis."

While this wasn’t Leon’s area of expertise, he admired Maite’s attention to detail. However, this wasn’t the time for academic discussions. Maite wrapped the bone in cloth and stowed it in his bag, planning to study it later.

"Let’s keep moving," Leon said.

They hadn’t gone far when a thunderous crash echoed behind them.

Leon turned to see massive boulders tumbling down the gorge, blocking the path they had entered from.

The sheer size of the falling rocks left the team momentarily stunned.

"What the hell? Why are these rocks suddenly falling?" someone asked.

Leon raised a hand, signaling for Rebecca and Martin to be on guard. He then scanned the cliff above them with his keen vision.

Amid the dust and chaos, he spotted a figure standing atop the gorge. Though their features were obscured, Leon was certain it was a person.

Narrowing his eyes, he muttered, "Elizabeth."

Rebecca, noticing his focus, asked,

"Captain, did you see something?"

"Elizabeth’s making her move," Leon replied grimly. "But if she thinks some rocks can stop us, she’s mistaken. Martin, tell everyone to halt and prepare to retreat."

The question of what lay at the source of the nutrient pipes wasn’t worth risking the safety of the team. Leon prioritized their withdrawal.

The group quickly regrouped and headed back toward the blocked entrance, with Leon preparing a thunder spell to clear the path.

However, as they approached the boulder-filled exit, the ground beneath them began to tremble violently.

"What’s happening?!"

"Uh, earthquakes in a volcanic zone are bad news, right?"

"Thanks, Captain Obvious!"

Despite their banter, the members of Lionheart remained composed. They were seasoned warriors, unshaken by danger, especially with their captain present.

Leon steadied himself, focusing on the vibrations.

"It’s not an earthquake," he said. "Something is coming from underground."

"Rebecca, Martin, prepare for combat."

"Yes, Captain! But where’s the enemy—"

Before Rebecca could finish, streaks of white shot out from the ground, moving too fast for the eye to follow.

The Lionheart members quickly formed a defensive circle, charging their magic and readying their weapons.

Maite’s bag began to tremble violently. Realizing what was happening, he threw the bone he had collected earlier onto the ground.

As the bone hit the earth, it fused with the streaks of white light, rising into the air.

Moments later, the streaks stopped, revealing their true forms. Leon’s eyes widened as a cold dread washed over him.

"Captain… what

are

those things?"

Hovering above them were skeletal creatures shaped like birds. Their bodies were composed entirely of bleached bone, with no flesh or feathers to be seen. Despite their lack of wings or membranes, they floated effortlessly in the air.

"They’re flying without wings… this is creepy," Rebecca murmured.

Overcoming her initial shock, Rebecca aimed her hand cannon at one of the skeletal birds and fired, shattering it into pieces.

"Hah! See? Nothing but brittle bones!" she declared smugly.

But her confidence evaporated as the shattered fragments quickly reassembled, the bird returning to its original form in mere moments.

"What the—? How is that even possible?" Rebecca stammered.

The skeletal birds suddenly parted, creating an open path in their ranks.

A larger bird descended gracefully, its spine serving as a perch for a familiar figure.

"Long time no see, Leon Cosmod," the figure said.

Leon’s expression hardened.

"Elizabeth."