Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The Petrachelys slowed her descend as she approached the broken area close to the bottom of the rift while three droids broke off and started to carefully scan the area.
The cavern was the deepest part of the mantle and was very close to the molten planet’s core. The extremely high temperature there made it hellish. If that was a normal planet’s internals, such a high-temperature place would not appear in such a stable cavern; everything there would be consumed by lava and every cavern of faults would collapse upon itself. Yet, the First Born’s existence allowed such an improbable planetary structure to become a reality.
Around the planet’s core, there were many similar caverns, which the First Born had tunneled through and reinforced to accommodate its massive organs or use for other things. There many epic and awe-inspiring scenes within the cavern: above was a heated yet sturdy thousand-meter thick dome, and below was rolling lava as well as a few floating islands created from the First Born’s tentacles. Connecting these places was a massive tentacle and a deep quartz column. Due to the weak force of gravity, the lava surge against the tentacles and quartz column flowed down slowly as if in a slow-mo picture. It was breathtaking but lethal.
Beneath the lava was the molten core. The First Born would not usually soak directly in it. It would grow around the core and bury its brain deep into the caverns in the planet’s mantle. Hao Ren believed that behind these massive main nerves was such a cavern.
“Based on the status and location of the rift when we enter, this is probably the ‘deep structure’ that was exposed after the First Born expanded the crust. See those shattered remains of the tentacles, that’s the deepest part of it.” Hao Ren pointed towards the holographic projection, his head bent slightly towards Vivian as he said. “The description N-4 mentioned should be there. The very same thing that the human astrologers saw three thousand years ago.”
Vivian frowned as she looked at the cracked rocks and scattered crystals. “I never thought that it would have not fully healed even after so long, and in this sorry state too. I thought the high temperature would have simply melted everything.”
“Those black fragments are no longer rocks. They are a product mixed between the bits from the tentacles and rocks, and normal lava won’t even scratch it.” Hao Ren shook his head. “Only temperature close to the sun will be able to destroy these things.”
Lily blinked hard as she stared intently at the crystal fragments laying around. “Pretty stones! Eh, Mr. Landlord, Mr. Landlord! Think we can take a couple home later?”
Vivian glared at the werehusky. “Can’t you behave yourself in this serious moment?”
Hao Ren did not mind too much of what the werehusky had said and said while deep in thought. “If I’m not wrong, those crystals are probably the remains of that meteorite storm three thousand years ago that N-4 had mentioned. Nolan, get the droids to collect some samples and place them in the lab. Oh yeah, if confirmed that they are harmless, cut a small piece for Lily to play with.”
The werehusky broke into a big smile as she heard that and did not even catch Hao Ren’s ‘My pet dog got bored of her toys and I have to get her a new one’ sort of expression…
The droids collected the required samples and at the same time have managed to find a crack that linked deeper into the core.
A powerful energy signature was coming from that crack.
“The crack is too small, the ship won’t fit.” Hao Ren shook his head as he saw the droid’s report. “We are too close to the brain core and the nervous system is intricate here, having the droids to dig a hole is probably asking for trouble. We need to go on foot, who’s with me?”
“Me! Me!” Lily after Hao Ren had promised her a new toy (while not given to her yet) was in a state of euphoric loyal and she gotta ‘help’ whatever Hao Ren was up to. “I’m strong and good at digging holes, if we get stuck inside somehow I can get us out!”
“A sleigh-pulling dog like you want to go somewhere that’ll roast you alive?” Nangong Wuyue gave Lily a suspicious look. “I already feel like I’m evaporating just by looking.”
Lily wagged her tail in response. “No worries, we have the life hoops anyway. Once the shield is deployed it’s 26c everywhere!”
Vivian gave the happy-go-lucky husky a dismissive glare, she then nodded towards Hao Ren. “I’ll follow as well.”
“Me too,” Y’zaks said with a smile on his face, an expression of nostalgia was palpable. “This place reminds me of the hot spring back home… Ah, nostalgia.”
“…”
The Petrachelys descended slowly and landed on one of the flatter surfaces of the shattered rocks. Hao Ren and the three stepped out of the ship and into the hellish underworld.
Even with the life hoop’s protective shields, he felt a wave of hot air greeting him in the face as soon as he got out of the ship. This was not real of course, but an automatic illusion stemming from the roiling lava around him. He could not help but try to wipe the non-existent sweat off his forehead. “Damn this place is hellish, why does the First Born love this sort of god-forsaken place?”
Lily pondered for a bit before going, “Laying at the core of the planet sleeping, waking up from time to time taking in a glug of lava, is probably the best thing ever for the First Born.”
Hao Ren shrugged dismissively as Y’zaks who was behind him did some warm-up movements followed by a deep breath, a twist of the waist and a loud ‘HAH!’ before he dispelled his transformation magic and a fiery explosion later, a five-meter-tall demon king walked out of the inferno.
He seemed to be in his element here, as he stood in a place where the temperature was around a couple of thousands of degrees without the need of the life hoop. He even went ahead to take a deep breath. “Haaaaaaaa—ptuiii… sure tastes like home….”
Hao Ren mumbled towards Vivian as he blocked the embers coming out of Y’zaks mouth. “Old Y’zaks seems to be rather in the mood.”
“Well, we cannot give him a 24-hour lava bath at our place anyway… If you were to rent a place without any hot water bath for four years, would you enjoy it?”
“…You’re making me feel somewhat guilty you know.”
Y’zaks did not seem to have heard what Vivian and Hao Ren was on about,and after a few deep breaths for the “taste of home” (in actuality molten rock steam), he scooped up a piece of molten rock and step forward as he chewed on it like a melon. “I can see the crack ahead, let’s check it out.”
The old demon’s way of life sure is something.
The crack in the fault was just about two hundred meters away from where they landed and there was an upwards inclining cliff wall. On it were many cracks and crystal fragments of many sizes, from some of the bigger cracks red light glow from it, and had clear access into the deepest recess.
For the hundred-odd-meter-long Petrachelys, even the biggest of the cracks would not fit it, but for Hao Ren and the rest—even if Y’zaks was standing at five meters tall, those cracks were wide enough for them to pass through comfortably.
Massive nerve lines snaked out from the cracks, some were soaking in lava, some extended far above and disappeared into the rock dome on top. Hao Ren chose the widest available passageway as he led his team around the nerve clusters carefully.
“This place has indeed been torn open before and the First Born resculpted the place with its strength.” Vivian pointed at the uneven structure above the passageway. “But it probably had already lost its ability to control its appendages and that’ why the cavity to store its brain core could not reseal and left such a tunnel.”
“Watch where you step. Some of the cracks are wide enough for you to slip through into the lava below.” Hao Ren reminded. “Lily! I’m talking about you! Stop knocking on the rocks! You can have them on the way back!”
Not long after, they came before a view that was even more vivid.
A crimson chasm appeared before Hao Ren.
The grotto was wide, but the shape was not uniform just like the nest of the First Borns on other planets. The center of the grotto was slightly concave and was filled with blood-like gooey substances. A large number of tentacles were snaking out from all directions as they converged upon an organ soaking within the liquid.
The massive organ lay dormant in the middle of the blood lake. Its surface was glowing slightly, and Hao Ren could tell just by looking, this organ, containing the brain core was gravely injured, and did not show any signs of recovery.
Its upper half was almost totally torn apart as a terrifying wound penetrated at least two-thirds of the entire organ, and in that torn wound, crimson lifeblood flowed almost lifelessly while another had already shriveled. The already blackened brain core was soaking in the lifeblood, close to losing its vitality, and the cause of all these damages was stabbed right beside the brain core, a long bluish-white crystal sliver.
A crystal that looked like the shattered ones on top of the rocks.
“So this was the culprit.” Hao Ren mumbled as he approached the blood lake carefully. Vivian immediately went ahead to warn him. “Be careful. That thing is not totally dead.”
“The nerve system is almost gone, it’ll probably only be able to nag at me if it manages to recover.” Hao Ren waved her off. “I feel that… this crystal is oddly familiar.”
Just as he finished, something appeared in his mind.
“It is just like the crystals I saw in the illusion!” Hao Ren yelped before turning towards Vivian. “The same crystals at the bottom of the sea in your Crimson Moon!”
