Ashborn stood awkwardly on the outcropping, staring at the nearest attainable ledge jutting out of the rock face. Living in the pothole-filled slums of the Forsaken Lands, he wasn't alien to jumping far distances. But this was an extremely far distance.
Not only that, the thick smoke and ash rising from the lava had hardened the air, which would slow his velocity, and might cause him to miss his target and fall into the hot lake of death.
Naturally, with the Dragon's Soul inside of him, he should have increased attributes. But this was only the First Challenge which he was yet to complete.
Until then, he held no Dominion over his Beast, and without that dominion, there would be no increase to his attributes.
For the First Challenge, Ash had to make do with his [ Agility : 034 ] stat.
Time was running out. The lava was rising faster, and not only that, but the outcropping was melting. The pillar that held it high from the magma chamber was disintegrating, promising to take Ash with it if he remained there.
Ash glared at his target; the ledge seemed to shine brighter compared to the rest of the rock face, calling to him. Using the same method he used to activate his properties, he activated his lone Skill: [ Heavy Claw ].
Ten oversized, translucent claws burning with crimson flames sprouted directly from Ash's fingers. Through the glowing energy, Ash's human fingernails remained perfectly visible, sheathed inside the fiery digits.
He studied the burning constructs for a moment, but the cracking sound of his rock-island snapped him back into concentration. He bent his knees and took a deep breath. Then, mustering strength into his calves, he pushed his feet off the outcropping.
The rock sank into the lava right after, while Ash whistled through the smoke-choked air. The smoke pressed against his body like invisible water, dragging at his limbs and swallowing his speed.
Realizing he was going to fall short of his target, he abandoned his footing and lunged his arm forward, reaching for the ledge with his claws rather than trying to land on his legs.
Gravity snatched him downward just inches from the ledge, but with a desperate grunt, Ash slammed his right hand into the sheer stone.
His new red claws crunched into the black rock like chips, anchoring him. The momentum swung him forward and he crashed his face against the rock face.
"Argh!" he cried.
He swung backward before hanging in place. But the violent stop wrenched his shoulder socket, tearing another breathless gasp from his lungs.
"Ugghh!!"
His lower body swung hard against the wall, his bare feet dangling precariously over the rising lava below. Ash hung there for a while, panting through the sulfur, suspended above death by a single, glowing hand.
He was suddenly thankful that the Beast Trials replaced the clothing an aspirant wore before falling asleep. Most complained because they couldn't carry their expensive gear with them into the Trial World. Knowing the weight of his rags would have made his jump more difficult, Ash was glad.
He looked down at the boiling orange river. It had swallowed his earlier standing point and was rising at a rapid rate. More rocks fell, peeling off the rock face while the air became blacker.
Determined to take full advantage of the ledge, Ash swung his other hand over it, sinking both sets of claws into the rock. Then, he tried to pull himself up.
"Argggh!" The pain in his shoulder was unbearable, leaving him unable to pull his entire body weight. Ash looked down. The lava was getting higher, and soon this ledge would crumble.
He tried something else. Slowly, he raised one leg, then placed his foot on the rock face. Carefully, he pushed himself back a bit, turning his body into a pendulum. Ash swung back, and then forward.
Quickly, he used the momentum to carry both feet up the rock and wrap them tight around the small ledge. Groaning in half-victory, Ash let go with his right claw then hugged the ledge with the full arm. He did the same with his left.
Locked in an upside-down embrace with the ledge like a sloth, Ash methodically rolled over, pulling his body weight to the top of the ledge until he was finally in a sitting position.
Relief washed over him.
Ash rested his back on the rock face for a moment, taking sharp breaths of sulphur. He immediately started coughing, cursing in between as his lungs started to clog up with fumes.
Ash knew he couldn't go on like this, else he would die of asphyxiation even if he did manage to escape this volcano. So, he used the crimson claws to tear a piece of fabric from the end of his shirt, and he tied it around his nose.
Once that was finished, he gingerly rose to his feet, trying to balance himself on the ledge. He caught a quick glance of the rising lava, and felt the ledge start to crack.
It was time to move.
Ding!
[ Aspirant, 15 minutes left until Challenge end ]
With the context, Ash knew that meant he had only 15 minutes left to escape this volcano. He looked up, gazing at the tall, obscure mouth. It was a herculean climb. But Ash swore that he would make it.
Ash didn't waste another second. He drove his right hand into the wall, his claws melting holes into the black rock. He pulled his body weight up, kicked his bare feet against the rock face, and drove his left hand higher.
Punch. Pull. Step.
He found a careful rhythm, carrying his slender body up the inner volcano length. It didn't take long for him to feel the physical cost.
Ash's low Strength meant every pull-up felt like he was dragging an anvil, but his Agility allowed him to shift his weight efficiently, keeping his center of gravity close to the wall.
Below him, the lava lake roared. The heat radiating upward became even more aggressive, heating up everything from the air to the rock face that burned against his chest.
At least, despite the high temperature, he didn't have to bother about slipping; his sweat evaporated the moment it touched his skin.
A geyser of lava spat from the rising lake, and a globule struck the back of his left calf.
"Agh—fuck!" Ash screamed through his makeshift mask, almost kicking himself off the wall because of the agonizing burn. He grit his teeth, forcing his leg to stay still even as his feet burnt.
Frantically, his eyes darted downward, noting how close the lava was. Ash returned his gaze upward and suddenly hastened his climb.
Punch. Pull. Step.
He forced his way, higher and higher, straining on his half-dislocated shoulders and small biceps.
He was a quarter of the way up when the red glow around his hands began to flicker. Ash frowned, his heart skipping a beat.
"No, no, no, not now—"
His Essence. He only had a miserable 7 points of it. It was only a matter of time until the Skill ran out of fuel.
The crimson flames sputtered, and [ Heavy Claw ] slowly dissolved into sparks.
"Fuck."
His bare fingers slammed against the rock, and Ash slipped, sliding down the rock face where the lava waited below. Unwilling to give up, Ash grabbed onto the first crevice he found, sticking his fingers into the hole.
The fingers jammed in between two rocks, holding the entire weight of his teenage body. Another painful cry escaped him.
He should have let go. The pain was too much. Any one would have let go at that moment. But Ash absorbed the pain, his eyes filled with agony as he stuck his second hand into the same hole.
He dangled on the rock face for a while, legs raised to avoid the searing heat of the lava, heavy breaths congesting in his mask, shoulders heaving.
He looked up at the mouth once again, staring at it like a savior and at the same time, a foe. As his eyes narrowed fiercely, the Forsaken boy began to climb again.
Pinch. Pull. Step.
Without the supernatural claws to create his own handholds, Ash had to rely entirely on the natural fissures of the volcano.
He flattened his body against the rock, his bleeding fingers desperately searching for cracks and jagged edges. The obsidian was razor-sharp. Every time he pulled himself up, the rock sliced into his calloused fingertips, leaving bloody smears on the black wall.
He reached for a narrow outcrop, wrapping his fingers around it and putting his weight on his right foot.
Suddenly, the stone beneath his foot gave way. Ash dropped again, his stomach leaping into his throat. His body was dragged through the sharp rock face, his skin tearing open as blood dripped down his stomach and arms.
Yet, Ash held on again. Yelling in pain, he jammed his left arm into a vertical fissure, wedging his elbow against the rock to act as a friction lock. It nearly popped his shoulder out of its socket completely, but his descent stopped.
He dangled there, bleeding, coughing, with the boiling sea of fire snapping at his heels.
Ding!
[ Aspirant, 5 minutes left until Challenge end ]
The mountain trembled violently and the lava rose higher, faster.
Ash took in a few deep breaths to recollect himself. He was only halfway up the mountain—Well, he was before he had fallen.
But the time for caution was gone. Ignoring the agonizing pain in his elbow, Ash scrambled upward like a rabid animal. He used his high Agility to leap from tiny foothold to tiny foothold, practically throwing himself up the rock face.
His lungs screamed for oxygen, pulling in nothing but hot sulfur. His vision blurred, the world narrowing down to the next rock, the next ledge, the next inch of survival.
Nothing else mattered.
[ Aspirant, 2 minutes left until Challenge end ]
Ash raised his head and peered through the thick, choking smoke. He could finally see the sky; it was red and haunted, but still better than this hellish cave.
Ash was only fifteen feet away from the lip of caldera, but he noticed, with wide, petrified eyes, that the wall here was perfectly smooth glass. There were no handholds.
A roar from below him stole his attention. Ash looked down and saw that the lava was surging upward, riding a massive pressure wave.
The eruption was starting.