Gravis saw an opportunity in those hunters. Strength-wise, they were obviously not his match. He could judge that just by how they felt to him and their cheap bows. Also, they were walking around in a team of four, which means that one of them can't take down a ferocious beast solo. Those hunters could solve a problem he currently had.
The hunters looked at him with shocked expressions. They looked at each other and then back to Gravis. They waited for him to continue talking, but he remained silent. After a while, Sarah stepped forward.
"Earth Spirit, we request your assistance." Sarah bowed slightly. "If you can help us, we will repay you with everything we have," she pleaded.
Gravis still looked at them with imposing eyes. Though, it felt weird to him, since he had to look up. "If you complete one request of mine, I shall grant you one wish," he declared.
Sarah looked worriedly at the others. "Earth Spirit, what request should we complete for you?" She asked worriedly.
"Somewhere in this land of ash, there lies a black saber. It is my spirit weapon, and someone stole it!" Gravis narrowed his eyes in fury. "They dared to steal my weapon, so I awakened the mountain of fire and buried them in flames! Find my saber and return it to me, and I shall grant your wish."
The jaws of the hunters dropped to the floor. This Earth Spirit was the reason for the sudden eruption of the volcano! If they said something wrong, they wouldn't know how they died! Sarah looked at the others, and they nodded grimly. This was dangerous, but also an opportunity.
"We can return you your weapon, but we can't guarantee it. People who dare to steal your spirit weapon must surely be strong!" She said in helplessness.
Gravis' expression turned to smugness. "You don't need to worry about the thieves. They have attracted the curse of my weapon and must surely have already been turned to ash!" His eyes narrowed again. "Be careful when you find my spirit weapon! It is cursed and will slowly sap all energy in the surroundings. If you return it quickly, there shouldn't be an issue, but you must make haste."
The hunters narrowed their eyes and nodded. "Alright, we will return your weapon!" Sarah declared.
Gravis would nod imposingly if he could. Sadly, the obsidian was in the way. Instead, he closed his eyes in an attempt to seem mysterious.
The hunters looked at him and left, searching for his saber.
When they vanished, Gravis smiled smugly. "As if I would waste days searching for my weapon," he mumbled to himself.
About half a day passed until the hunters returned. They arrived in front of him, and Sarah took the saber from one of the men. She approached the obsidian platform and lay the saber down.
She looked at Gravis in awe. "You were right. The spirit weapon was stuck in the ground, and only ash surrounded it. We couldn't find any sign of anyone. They probably met an unfortunate end. Also, I felt something being sucked into your weapon from the surroundings. We sincerely hope you will fulfill our wish."
'Oh? That woman can already feel energy? She is probably very talented!' He thought to himself.
When she laid the saber down, it sunk into the obsidian slowly until it was completely submerged. Earth and stone were also elements, but sucking something into the ground took considerable concentration. The saber moved slowly to his right hand under the obsidian. He gripped it tightly and felt some security.
Gravis looked at Sarah. "I am not like humans who lie and deceive. Speak! What is your wish?"
Sarah sighed in relief. "Bandits have taken hold of our village. They demand food, wine, money, and women regularly. If we don't do something soon, our village will be empty, and then we fear that our life will end." Sarah fell on one knee and pleaded. "Please save our village!" She begged.
'Bandits? They may have some people with tempered skin. Though, I am in the lower world, so they probably skipped tempering their organs and blood. I have also gotten stronger and more experienced. If the bandits were stronger, they wouldn't care about some village's resources. I can do that!' He thought to himself.
He internally sighed in relief but didn't show it. If they had requested something more challenging, he could only disappoint them. Luckily, for once, they demanded something manageable. "So, it shall be! You have returned my spirit weapon, so I will grant you your wish. Step back, for I will rise!" Gravis shouted.
The hunters quickly retreated to a ten-meter distance of the obsidian platform. Any movement of the Earth Spirit could cause their demise. The obsidian platform started quacking and cracking apart, and the surroundings of Gravis' head began to rise. A body-wide pillar rose until it was as high as an average human. Then, it broke apart, showing what was beneath it.
The hunters' eyes widened when they saw an imposing black armor surrounding Gravis' body. It was completely black like the obsidian and seemed to absorb light. It covered his whole body from neck to toe without any seams. It was almost like the armor formed around him naturally. In Gravis' right hand was his saber, while he carried an imposing helmet in the other.
This was the idea Gravis got a day before. He could move the lava around, so he tried to give himself an armor. He kept the lava pool and his armor separate so they wouldn't stick together when they hardened. It was a resounding success. It cost him a lot of time and concentration, but it was worth it.
Gravis put the helmet on his head and used a lot of concentration to make it fuse to his armor. He stood imposingly in front of the hunters. They couldn't see anything of his body except for his eyes, which seemed to emanate a cold killing-intent. All the hair on the hunters' body stood up in fear, but they remained rational. The Earth Spirit said it would help them with the bandit problem.
"Bring me to those bandits!" He demanded. His voice sounded muffled behind the helmet, and there was not much room for his mouth to move.
"They shall taste death!"
