Chapter 40: The Cerberus's Domain

  Heat distorted the air in waves as Lance entered the fire hounds' valley. Volcanic glass crunched beneath his feet, each step releasing trapped gases that carried the scent of brimstone and ancient flame. The very ground seemed alive, pulsing with geothermal power that had shaped this region for millennia.

  The fire hounds emerged from their dens - ten magnificent beasts with skeletal armor glowing like forge-hot metal. Their spiral-marked bones caught volcanic light, while muscles rippled beneath fur made of living flame. But instead of attacking, they paused, heads tilted in collective curiosity.

  The fire hounds' territory told a story of ancient adaptation. Their dens weren't simple caves, but intricate networks carved into volcanic glass, the entrances marked with those same spiral patterns that adorned their skeletal armor. Heat distorted the air around their domain, but Lance noticed how other volcanic creatures - lesser flame lizards and heat sprites - gave the area a wide berth.

  "Watch how they move," Fenris observed as the pack circled them. "Each step perfectly synchronized with their brothers. True pack mentality, unchanged by divine restriction."

  The shadow-infused salamander's conversation with the hounds continued, making reality shiver with each ancient word.

  "They speak of old memories," Fenris translated. "Of times when beasts chose their own forms of power, when evolution wasn't bound by rank." The shadow wolf's eyes showed growing interest. "They say our salamander friend's transformed state reminds them of that freedom."

  Lance's shadow-infused salamander moved forward, speaking in that ancient tongue that made reality shiver. The fire hounds' response caused Fenris's ears to prick forward with interest.

  "They recognize something in our friend's transformed power," the shadow wolf translated. "The salamander speaks of serving a true king, and they..." Fenris's ancient eyes showed surprise. "They remember what those words once meant."

  The pack parted, creating a path through their territory. Their skeletal armor pulsed with internal flame as Lance passed, offering what almost looked like a bow.

  "Remarkable," Lance's laugh carried that edge of deadly amusement. "How quickly ancient beings recognize what's rising."

  The lava river appeared suddenly - a massive flow of liquid fire that cut through the volcanic valley like a burning scar. Fifty meters of molten stone stretched before them, its surface constantly breaking and reforming as gases escaped in gouts of blue-tinged flame.

  "Now this," Lance mused, watching patterns form in the flowing magma, "is what I'd call a proper boundary marker." His maniacal grin widened as he studied the natural barrier that had stopped countless adventurers.

  The lava river's banks held testament to countless failed crossings. Half-melted weapons stuck from cooling magma like grave markers, while the remnants of attempted bridges - some bearing divine reinforcement runes - slowly sank into the liquid fire.

  "Look there," Lance pointed to a series of platforms that had once formed a path. "Divine magic trying to impose order on natural force." His maniacal grin widened as he watched the runes flicker and fail. "Even their strongest bindings can't fully contain raw power."

  Their shadow-infused salamander tested each potential crossing point, its transformed nature allowing it to sense currents in the lava flow that others would miss. Small creatures made of pure flame scattered at their approach, while heat shimers in the air formed patterns that almost looked like writing.

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  The heat here was beyond intense - even the air seemed to catch fire occasionally, creating dancing ribbons of spontaneous flame. Lance's elemental markings pulsed as they adapted to the extreme environment.

  "Shame about those B-rank salamanders back in the dungeon," he commented to Fenris as they sought a crossing point. "Their flame techniques would be useful here. But with the skill restriction keeping me at D-rank..." His laugh carried that edge of beautiful devastation. "At least poison control proved more versatile than expected."

  "For a D-rank skill," Fenris agreed, watching their shadow-infused salamander test the superheated air, "you've evolved it far beyond its intended limitations."

  "Another example of their system's weaknesses," Lance's grin promised extinction to those who would bind his power. "They focus so much on rank restrictions, they forget about potential."

  Finding a path across the lava river proved an exercise in careful observation. Obsidian platforms dotted the molten flow, their surfaces constantly being renewed by cooling magma. Lance's shadow-infused salamander moved ahead, testing each potential stepping stone.

  "Even here," Lance noted as they made their crossing, "you can see attempts at divine restriction." He pointed to faint runes carved into some of the obsidian platforms - old warnings and barriers, now half-melted and failing. "They tried to contain even this natural force."

  The heat intensified as they reached the far bank, where a massive canyon opened before them. Twin rivers of magma flowed down its walls like burning tears, meeting in a pool of liquid fire at its base. The very air vibrated with accumulated power.

  The approach to Kytus's domain was marked by increasing signs of his power. Skeletal remains dotted the pathway, some bearing armor that spoke of confident challengers, others showing traces of divine energy that had proved useless against ancient flame.

  "The air changes," Fenris noted as they drew closer. "Normal flame spirits flee, while older powers stir." The shadow wolf's form seemed to grow more substantial in response to the ancient energy. "Few remember, but creatures like Kytus were never meant to be bound by divine law."

  Lance's elemental markings pulsed as they passed a particularly large collection of remains. "These challengers," his laugh carried that edge of deadly amusement, "all tried to impose their will. To dominate through divine authority or borrowed power."

  "A common mistake," Fenris agreed. "They never understand that ancient beings don't bow to forced dominion. They recognize..." He paused as the ground began to tremble. "They recognize those who carry echoes of true freedom."

  Lance had taken three steps into the canyon when everything began to shake. Rocks tumbled from the heights as a voice that seemed to be made of blue flame itself filled the space.

  "TURN BACK." The command carried weight that made reality tremble. "I DON'T TAKE GUESTS. ONLY FOOD."

  Lance's maniacal grin spread wider as he recognized Kytus's voice. "How fortunate then," his laugh echoed through the canyon, "that I'm neither guest nor food."

  The air itself caught fire as Kytus responded, blue flames dancing through the superheated atmosphere. "YOU DARE-"

  "DARE?" Lance's laugh carried that edge of deadly amusement. "Oh, I think you'll find I dare quite a lot." His elemental markings pulsed with growing power as blue flame continued to dance through the air.

  "MANY HAVE COME BEFORE," Kytus's voice made magma ripple in its channels. "WARRIORS. GODS. EVEN A FEW WHO THOUGHT THEMSELVES KINGS." The blue flames intensified. "THEY ALL BURNED THE SAME."

  As Kytus’s flames raged, Lance felt something stir within him—an almost primal thrill. This was what he had been searching for. Not just power, but proof. Proof that the so-called laws of this world, the restrictions imposed by gods and systems, were nothing but shackles waiting to be broken.

  [System Alert: Warning—Detected Entity: Kytus, Ancient Cerberus of the Scorched Depths.]

  [Analyzing Combat Probability…]

  A pause. Then, the message appeared in bold red text.

  [Survival Probability: 0%. Recommended Action: Immediate Retreat.]

  Lance’s grin widened at the words. Zero percent? How amusing. If the system could predict his death with absolute certainty, then wasn’t proving it wrong the ultimate challenge?

  He barely held back a laugh. Every so-called rule in this world is built on the assumption that things work as they should. That power has limits. That fate is absolute.

  He flexed his fingers, feeling his elemental markings respond to Kytus’s oppressive heat. The air shimmered, fire twisting unnaturally around him. But if I can defy even the system’s logic… then I become something they can’t predict.

  “Zero percent, huh?” His voice dripped with amusement. “Then I suppose I should start by making the impossible possible.”

  Kytus’s flames surged at the audacity in Lance’s tone. “YOUR FATE IS ALREADY DECIDED.”

  Lance chuckled, his mind already racing through possibilities. “Oh, ancient one,” he mused, eyes glowing with a mixture of defiance and exhilaration, “that’s what makes this fun.”

  Lance's shadow-infused salamander moved forward, speaking in that ancient tongue that made even Kytus's flames pause momentarily. Fenris's ears pricked forward at the exchange.

  "The salamander tells him of your power, master," Fenris translated. "Of how you transform rather than control. Of shadows that remember what came before divine law."

  "IMPOSSIBLE," but there was something new in Kytus's voice - a flicker of recognition perhaps. "THAT POWER WAS BOUND. SEALED BY SEVEN ABOVE AND SEVEN BELOW."

  Lance's grin promised beautiful devastation. "And yet here I stand, breaking their precious seals one by one." His elemental markings blazed brighter. "Would you like to see what happens when their bindings fail, ancient one?"