The Exalt Cultivation Fantasy

Act 1: Blue Ocean Pavilion - Chapter 277: The Death March

"We're screwed," Erik stated without hesitation, as if the future was set in stone.

"I agree this is reckless, but sometimes you must go for it." Orden swung his two hammers, meeting them in the center to meld into one. He juggled it around his wrist a few times to warm up. He had a wild smile that made him look terrifying with his wide and chiseled face. "More importantly, I want to prove that arrogant golem wrong."

"Get ready," Oscar had no time for such nonsense and got everyone alerted and ready to act. He had his hand on one of the levers by the door side; if he pulled it, the entire flood of parasitic vines would drown them out. However, he did not have a look of fear but rather irritation. "I vote to drop Gol-4 into the lava when we're done."

"That sounds like a good suggestion!" Orden's immense muscles began to tighten and expand, nearly tearing off the remainder of his clothing.

A loud sound of metal bashing came from Erik hitting his knuckles together. "Cast my vote for yes."

"Excuse me; I'm right here," Gol-4 said from behind Oscar's back, a rope tying him around so that he did not fall. "Though I suppose it's great everyone is thinking optimistically."

The truth was that Gol-4 had purposely incited them on purpose and edged them over to relieve the tension and to guide them to decide without wasting more time. He offered a plausible solution and then mocked their doubts to lean them toward making out for the district rather than the mines. Even as a construct, he felt a sense of danger from the mines.

"On the count of three," Oscar shouted. "One, two, and three."

Oscar pushed the lever, and the metal door sprang open. Immediately, the large hordes of the parasite vines fell in like a waterfall, but Oscar and the others had prepared for this initial wave.

Erik unleashed fearsome flames to coat his gauntlet animas and swirled them around as before to let out a large wave of fire. Beside him, Orden stomped his foot to create earthen spikes that erupted all over the area surrounding the mine shaft. The mix of rock and fire decimated a large mass of the parasitic vines.

After Orden retracted his earthen spikes, Oscar rushed out with the others. Their eyes collectively narrowed at the countless parasitic vines that skittered toward to fill in the gaps, moving toward them. There were so many that they covered all the buildings and objects; not a single semblance of a foundry could be seen.

"Godspeed to us all." Oscar stood at the front with his bulwark, riding atop his deer anima. Behind him sat Erik, who constantly spun his gauntlet animas around the group as a protective flame barrier. Lastly was Orden, who stood and had the tallest height to act as the lookout and controlled his Meld hammer around to supplement Erik's defense and brandished two stone fists as insurance.

They rode his deer anima, rushing through the city with Orden keeping up with his large strides. Oscar extended out his hands and formed ten regular silver stars with ordinary Reis empowering the speed and power. When they shot out ahead, they lessened some numbers to aid in their march forward.

"Such desecration of a wonderful place of the Divine Stone Clan. This place needs to be cleansed of the filth and returned to its former glory." Gol-4 watched the entire process while tied to Oscar's back.

"Is that the reason you wanted us to go for this?" Oscar knocked away some flaming parasite vines that got through the gaps in Orden's hammer, but one managed to latch onto his arm. The sharp feelers moved so fast that they turned into a blur as they tried to stab into his body. But instead of flesh tearing, the sound of metals clanging resounded as the feelers were deflected.

'Edureisclad'

That was twice now that this defensive technique had saved him from an unfortunate accident. Luckily both times were in places where his Adamasreis could exist, unlike the center of his chest. He popped the parasite vine with a vice grip while keeping his bulwark close to his chest.

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Both he and Orden ensured to protect Erik during the long march because his flames were the best deterrent against the vines. They journeyed across the district, turning many corners and rushing up long stairs, following Erik's memory of the place, which was surprisingly accurate.

Finally, they all felt a rise in the temperature, not from Erik's flames but from another source. They could not see through the flames, but they knew it was the central furnace. Erik had unleashed its heat to extend and wander outside, so this was their one chance.

"How much longer?" Oscar asked Erik, who guided them.

"From the ground below us, I can tell we're ten seconds away," Erik said, but his eyes widened at the purple blotches wriggling around in the large cracks of the ground. These purple blotches shot up and whipped their feelers toward Erik; these parasite vines had avoided being badly burnt by Erik's flames by burrowing into the cracks. As the feelers came close, Erik punched them away with fast jabs from his gauntlet armaments, covered in flames. "Don't underestimate me."

"Nice one, shorty!" Orden laughed in approval of Erik's approval.

"Now!" Oscar shouted. He focused the power of Adamasreis and shot out ten mini-shattering stars around him. Erik extended the flames as much as he could while Orden did the same.

Then the flames suddenly died out to reveal the two halves of the gate Erik opened when he was alone. Oscar and Orden hurried over while Erik's flames burned even stronger to stop any of the parasitic vines. With immense physical strength, the two brawns closed the gate shut to prevent the vast majority of the parasitic vines from coming inside.

Turning around, Oscar saw a sizeable mass of parasitic vines and a strange mound that worried him. Flipping Gol-4 around to his chest to look forward, Oscar asked the crazed golem, "We followed your crazy plan and ended up here; now, what is the mechanism?"

"Hmm." Gol-4's blue eyes darted around and honed in on the mound in the center. "That large mound seems to be blocking the opening to the magma rivers. Get rid of that first, and we can figure out the rest."

"Sounds simple enough." Orden strutted forward with his hammer as many vines came close. He swung with the twenty-multiplied strikes with massive force and seismic echoes that tore through them.

"You alright, Erik?" Oscar turned to see Erik had leaned back on the gate, and smoke hissed as a large heat wave emanated from its metal surface. Erik was conducting all the heat of his flames into the gate.

"I'm alright. I can't help out here, but I can at least heat the gate to make it more unbearable for the ones outside. That way, there's no off-chance they could ram it open." Erik looked exhausted but continued to burn his Ein away to protect this spot. He nodded to Oscar with a smile. "Just end this sad place."

Oscar nodded and turned back toward the front with a loud step, and his hands clenched. His demeanor resembled a wild beast, an apex predator staring with an intense presence that overwhelmed the mindless vines for a moment.

Orden stared at Oscar and smiled. 'I knew it. That guy fights quite cleanly and with precise moments like a master while thinking deeply about his next steps, but you can't tell me that he's refined when he has that savage look on his face. Yes, your wild side is far more interesting to see.'

"Hahahaha!" The large Orden charged ahead and made short work of the vines in front of him. 'Was it seeing your friend doing his best and how much he had already done? Are you the sentimental type, Oscar?'

Oscar stormed ahead, swinging his bulwark with far more power than before, destroying everything. He wore a smile much like the one he had when he punched Maia Claude in the face, one filled with the desire to tear the other person apart. The smile of savagery and killing intent.

His deer anima seemed to have also lost its control and bulldozed its way through the large chamber, swinging its large metal antler around and tossing the parasitic vines into the air as they rained down with purple blood. Although representative of a docile creature, the deer anima looked like a dreadful beast.

The two fought their way through, destroying all of the remaining parasitic vines. The whole place became covered in a purple mist from all the blood that started to boil, and the corpses started to wither and become as small as almonds. Finally, Oscar stepped toward the large mound.

"How quickly you change back," Orden said.

"What?" Oscar asked, his eyes shining with clarity and reason, unlike before.

"Nevermind."

Oscar didn't know what Orden was talking about and stared at the large mound that acted as a blockade, a seal that prevented the central furnace from opening up. It was a strange mound that beat like a heart, thumping up and down with its grotesque mixture of wood and what appeared to be amber, sap, or some strange substance.

"This is one of the hearts of the encroachment. I can't believe it's been here the whole time." Gol-4 said. "If we destroy this, the environment will slowly change and maybe return to how it was. Please do it."

Oscar and Orden went up to the large beating mound and formed their spells. It was time to free the Foundry.