Chapter 150: Run For Your Life! [ 2 ]

Creatures that had previously occupied the volcanic passages abandoned their territories immediately.

Lesser-Rank lizards scrambled into narrow cracks, while Greater-Rank beasts fled through tunnels without stopping to defend their hunting grounds.

Even the enormous armored bulls Jet had encountered earlier retreated deeper into their cavern, unwilling to attract the attention of the furious Lord-Rank predator.

Meanwhile, Jet was experiencing an entirely different kind of terror.

"Why the hell is that thing still following me?!"

Jet cursed, vaulting over a collapsed section of tunnel.

He had already covered an enormous distance, yet the guardian’s presence continued closing in behind him.

His enhanced hearing picked up the distant sounds of shattering stone, followed by another roar that made his scalp tingle.

Jet tightened his jaw and forced more Mana through his body.

He had no intention of fighting that monster.

A Lord-Rank Mana Beast possessed strength comparable to a 4-Star Awakener, and although Jet’s Divine Rune granted him extraordinary potential, potential meant nothing if he allowed himself to be crushed before realizing it.

He had obtained the treasure. Now he simply needed to survive long enough to enjoy it.

Several minutes later, Jet finally recognized a familiar intersection.

It was the same passage where he’d encountered the armored salamander during his exploration of the mountain.

The creature’s carcass was still lying beside the wall, although several smaller scavengers had already gathered around it.

The moment those creatures sensed the approaching pressure, they scattered in panic.

Jet didn’t spare them a glance.

He turned sharply into the passage leading toward the mountain’s outer slopes, his feet striking the ground so forcefully that cracks appeared beneath several of his steps.

The temperature remained almost unbearable, and his clothes were soaked with sweat.

Maintaining such extreme speed while continuously reinforcing his body consumed Mana at an alarming rate, but Jet refused to slow down.

Another tremor shook the passage. A large boulder broke loose directly ahead.

Jet reacted instantly, drawing the Vorpal Blade from behind his waist and releasing a powerful slash.

The weapon’s sharp edge split the falling rock, allowing him to pass between the two halves before they struck the ground.

He returned the sword to its sheath without slowing.

"Just a little farther," Jet muttered, recognizing the increasingly familiar formations around him.

He could already feel cooler air flowing through the passage.

The exit was close. Then another roar erupted behind him. This time, the sound was frighteningly near.

Jet’s expression twisted.

"Are you seriously still coming?!" Jet shouted, accelerating again.

He burst through the outer passage moments later, emerging onto the volcanic mountainside beneath the open sky.

But he didn’t stop. He raced down the mountain, abandoning the winding trails he’d followed during his ascent.

Instead, he leaped directly across rocky slopes, cleared enormous gaps between formations, and descended steep sections that would have been impossible for an ordinary human to navigate.

Behind him, the mountain continued trembling.

Several columns of smoke rose from cracks along its surface, while bursts of molten rock erupted from openings that hadn’t existed when he’d arrived.

The Volcanic Inferno Lion’s fury was affecting the entire region.

Jet could hear distant cries as Mana Beasts fled from their territories. Enormous lizards scrambled down the slopes, while several winged creatures took flight from the surrounding cliffs.

None attempted to attack him. Every creature seemed more concerned with escaping whatever was happening behind them.

Jet continued running, his body gradually beginning to protest against the enormous strain of maintaining such speed.

His Mana reserves were falling rapidly, and his muscles had started aching despite the reinforcement provided by the Asura Physique.

Nevertheless, he refused to stop.

The volcanic slopes eventually gave way to rocky foothills, followed by the sparse vegetation surrounding the mountain’s outer boundaries.

Jet recognized the region immediately.

He was almost out.

With one final burst of speed, he crossed the remaining distance and entered the forest beyond the volcanic territory.

Only then did he notice something strange.

The oppressive presence pursuing him had stopped advancing.

Jet continued running for several hundred meters before finally slowing down. He turned cautiously, breathing heavily as he examined the distant mountain.

There, standing upon a massive rocky formation near the boundary of the volcanic region, was the Volcanic Inferno Lion.

Its enormous body was surrounded by raging flames, and its golden eyes remained fixed upon Jet’s distant figure.

However, the creature made no attempt to pursue him farther.

Jet frowned.

"Wait... it can’t leave?" Jet murmured, watching the beast carefully.

He didn’t know whether the creature was restricted by its territory, unwilling to abandon the volcanic environment, or simply reluctant to venture beyond the region where its elemental abilities were strongest.

Whatever the reason, it had stopped.

The guardian raised its enormous head and released another furious roar.

At that exact moment, the volcano erupted.

BOOOM!

A colossal column of flames, smoke, and molten rock exploded from the mountain’s summit, rising high into the sky.

The surrounding ground trembled violently as streams of lava poured down the slopes, illuminating the volcanic region with an enormous reddish glow.

Jet stared at the spectacle, momentarily speechless.

The Volcanic Inferno Lion stood beneath the erupting mountain, its fiery mane blazing as it continued roaring toward the heavens.

Even from such a distance, Jet could sense the creature’s overwhelming anger.

He slowly shook his head.

"All that over one treasure?" Jet muttered, although he couldn’t prevent a relieved smile from appearing.

He had spent nearly an entire day exploring the mountain and searching for the Origin Treasure.

Yet after obtaining it, he’d escaped the entire volcanic region in less than half an hour.

Apparently, running for one’s life could accomplish some truly remarkable things.

Jet glanced once more toward the furious guardian before opening his inventory.

[Primordial Solar Ember — Grade 5 Origin Treasure]

The golden-red crystal rested safely inside his storage space.

Jet’s smile widened. Despite everything that had happened, he’d succeeded.

And now, he possessed the treasure necessary to awaken Ilios — The Undying Sun.