Spark left the small rock platform. He was still protected by the cool Ice Coating.
The Blazing Lava was secured. The Glory Orb was hidden in his spatial belt. Business was concluded here. Time to get back to the campsite. Back to relative safety.
He navigated the treacherous volcanic slopes with practiced ease. His massive frame moved with surprising agility despite the challenging terrain.
The ice coating kept the searing heat at bay. The passage back to the temporary base should be uneventful. But not so...
He was halfway down the slope when the ground shifted. Not a tremor from the volcano. Deliberate movement.
Two large boulders began to rise. Abruptly. Right beside him. The were originally indistinguishable from the countless others littering the landscape. But now...
Jagged stone limbs were unfolded. Molten cracks were glowing like angry veins across their surfaces. Red light flared in voids that served as eyes.
They were Flamerock Golems. Powerful monsters. Disguised as common rock. Truly a perfect ambush tactics.
"Crap!" Spark swore. Already assessing the situation. Two Fortified Level. Third Tier Opponents. Rock elements. Which mean they were tough guys.
The golems charged. Their heavy steps were shaking the ground. Their surprisingly quick strides immediately closing the distance.
Spark didn't hesitate. He needed strength and resilience, fast.
His body surged and warped. Black fur erupted across his skin. His hair turned into thick mane. His muscles were swelling. Bones were shifting with violent cracks.
A muzzle elongated. Claws sprouted from fingers. And a tail lashed out behind him. It didn't stop there though. A pair of horns grew on his head. Thick and big scales appeared in some parts of his body. Replacing the fur.
In just a few moments, he was a massive, bipedal Draconic Werelion. Significantly larger. And much more powerful than his human form.
Simultaneously, he channeled his Soulcraft. A torrent of mana flowed from his core to the crest tattoo on his arm. Ice Coating. Re-activated.
Spark steadied his footing. He wasn't planning to rely on defense. But offense. His sharp claws pulsed with a chilling blue light. Coated in Ice energy.
This wasn't a shield. But an enchantment that would channel elemental ice energy through his physical strikes.
The first golem swung a rock-hard fist that would shatter bone. It was fast. Faster than he expected. The golem's fist connected with his chest with brutal force.
Raw impact hammered into him. Cracking ribs and stealing his breath. He roared. Pain was mixing with fury. He raked out with his ice-coated claws.
The frozen blades screeched against the golem's stone hide. A thin layer of ice formed on the surface where he struck. But it fractured and melted almost instantly under the golem's inherent heat.
The damage was superficial. Barely a scratch. Ice Coating wasn't cutting it against these Flamerock constructs.
The second golem attacked from his flank. Swinging its humongous arm. Spark twisted. Trying to evade. But the sheer speed and mass of the blow caught his side.
Another jarring impact. More cracked ribs. Agony was flaring through him. He stumbled back. Groaning in pain.
Need healing. Now. With a surge of will. He recalled the crest of his second fairy, Holy. And instant-casted Healing Light.
A soft, golden glow enveloped him. Soothing the worst of the pain. Knitting together damaged flesh. And slowing the internal bleeding. It wasn't a magic elixir that instantly return him to perfect stat. But it was enough to keep his body from collapsing.
These things were relentless. Hitting like siege engines. Their rocky bodies absorbed his ice-enhanced strikes with infuriating resilience. His Ice Coating could only cause minor chipping here and there.
Spark ducked under a sweeping arm. Close. The heat radiating from the golem's core was still scorching his fur.
He lunged. And clamped his jaws, still coated in shimmering ice, onto one golem's rocky leg. The were-lion icy teeth tried to bite into the molten rock. But the heat was too intense. Forcing him to let go with only a minor chip.
He needed a different approach. Ice wasn't working on these creatures of fire and earth. What beat fire and earth? Water.
Spark focused his mana into the crest tattoo of Holy, the Seven Element Fairy. He shifted the buff spell. Water Coating. Activated.
The cold, crystalline sheen on his claws and jaws faded. Replaced by a shimmering, cool, liquid energy. Now, his physical attacks would carry the force of rushing water.
He roared again. Testing the new element. He slashed out with claws sheathed in flowing, watery energy. Targeting the first golem's chest.
HISS!
Unlike the ice that shattered pointlessly, the Water Coating energy hit the molten rock with a violent reaction. Steam erupted. Obscuring his vision momentarily.
Beneath the steam, the stone fizzed and eroded. In the place where the water energy connected. The molten fissures visibly shrinking back.
It wasn't a clean cut. But it was damage. Real, visible damage.
The golems seemed angered by this new approach. They redoubled their attacks. Spark was forced onto the defensive. Dodging crushing blows. Enduring the impacts he couldn't avoid.
Each connected hit was a fresh wave of agony. And Healing Light pulsed frantically over his body. Patching him up as fast as it could.
He used his were-lion form's agility. Weaving between the slow and heavy swings. His focus was entirely on getting his Water Coating attacks in.
Claws ripping. Jaws snapping, kicks landing. Each strike shimmered with powerful water energy. One that bypassed the golem's physical durability.
He kicked out. His powerful leg, coated in water energy, connected with a golem's knee. The stone groaned. And this time, a spiderweb of cracks appeared where the water force concentrated.
Spark's frustration eased slightly. Replaced by grim determination.
He needed targeted, sustained damage. He lunged. Leaping onto the back of one golem. Ignoring the burning heat radiating from its stone hide.
His claws, channeling Water Coating, struck. The water energy was fighting the heat. And he didn't stop. He kept striking with savage force onto the golem's shoulder joint. Aiming for the vulnerable connection point.
CRUNCH!
Stone dissolved and fractured under the focused water assault. The golem bellowed. One arm detached. The joint crumbling to dust. The limb crashing to the ground.
He leaped off the damaged one, landing lightly, Water Coating still active on his limbs.
He faced the remaining fully-functional golem. Now he knew the tactic. He had to dodge the incoming physical blows. Or endure the pain. Rely on Healing Light when necessary. And finally strike back with focused Water Coating attacks. Aiming at joints and vulnerable parts.
It was a brutal, drawn-out fight. The golems were relentless. And Spark was pushed to his absolute limits. His muscles screamed. His vision occasionally blurred from pain and exhaustion. And the constant drain of casting Healing Light again and again was immense.
But with every water-charged blow, the golems showed fresh damage. One their rocky hides couldn't simply shrug off.
Finally, the golem's legs fractured. It was not easy though. It took what felt like an eternity of dodging, getting hit, healing, and striking with water-enhanced ferocity.
Under a focused barrage of Water Coating attacks and powerful kicks, it crumbled. Its molten core was flickering. And dying as the water energy quenched it.
The first golem, already disarmed, was simpler to finish. A series of devastating water-enhanced blows. They quickly turned the walking stone into steaming, crumbling rubble.
Spark remained in his were-lion form. Panting heavily. The Water Coating receded from his limbs. Healing Light pulsed steadily. Working overtime on the myriad bruises. Cracks. And internal damage.
He was battered, bruised, and utterly exhausted. But he was alive. The golems had been a serious sudden test. Proving that adaptability and ability to exploit elemental weaknesses were important keys to survival.
After a while, he shifted back to his human form. Still huge. Still powerfully built. But the thick fur and animalistic face were gone.
His injuries had almost completely recovered. But the blunt force trauma remained. A deep ache in his chest and ribs. He just needed proper rest to recover fully.
His pieces of clothing were completely ruined though. Full transformation to his werelion form always ruined them. Not to mention the attack of the golems.
Spark took out spare clothing out of his spatial belt. And redressed out in the open. Very quickly. He didn't want to be caught by monsters or other things naked in the wild. He was not that much of an exhibitionist.
Spark continued his descent towards the campsite. The rest of the journey was blessedly uneventful. No more disguised rocks. No more surprises. Just the stark, heat-hazed landscape. And finally, the distant, reassuring sight of his campsite.
As he approached, the faint shimmer of a powerful defensive array became visible. He passed through the invisible barrier. Recognized by the array.
He stepped into the luxurious, well-ordered campsite.
A large, reinforced tent stood at one side. Another, smaller one, was on the other side. Near the carriage and the four rhino-horses.
The ground inside the perimeter felt oddly cool and stable. A stark contrast to the unstable heat outside. Thanks to the array's environmental control functions.