The fourteenth floor of the Well of Eternal Imprisonment: the Lava Sea.
Purple Hammer steered his fire-resistant boat, navigating the swaying vessel across the molten expanse.
Along with the endless lava came a searing heat that felt as if it were nearly boiling the air itself.
Even with the Forbidden Fire Blessing and his nature as a fire-resistant purple-skinned blacksmith, Purple Hammer found the heat difficult to endure.
If not for the Seeker's Armor he wore, even he likely wouldn't have been able to sail through this sea of molten rock.
The Lava Sea contained only a handful of islands, and the only intelligent race living there was the lava skeletal shamans.
Purple Hammer had already handed over the book of bone to the lava skeletal shamans and obtained their assistance.
Following the guidance of the guardian Lady Feiwan and the lava skeletal shamans, Purple Hammer was now sailing across the sea, searching for a moving giant island.
“There are nine islands on the Lava Sea that are capable of movement.”
“The temples atop these islands enshrine Dragon-king Crown fragments, which can be used to summon wyverns.”
“The nine islands are constantly moving; they have no fixed positions.”
“It is said that nine giant tortoises support and move these nine islands.”
This was the guidance Purple Hammer had received from the lava skeletal shamans.
But the lava giant tortoises...
“How am I supposed to find them?”
Purple Hammer wasn't discouraged, but he was certainly troubled.
By the time the Well of Eternal Imprisonment reached the fourteenth floor, it had become incredibly vast.
Finding a moving giant tortoise island in such an immense sea of lava was a monumental task.
“Perhaps searching for it isn't the right way.”
“Instead, I should let the giant tortoise find me.”
Since the lava giant tortoises were always moving, blindly searching was less effective than staying in one place and waiting for an island to drift into his path.
“Hmph, that seems a bit too foolish.”
“The wisdom of the purple-skinned blacksmith race really can't come up with any better ideas.”
Purple Hammer sat on the fire-resistant boat and removed the helmet of his Seeker's Armor. He tapped on the helmet as he wracked his brain for a solution.
The crisp sound of metal clanking echoed across the Lava Sea.
By the time Purple Hammer snapped out of his thoughts, a massive silhouette was descending from the sky.
The figure landed on the molten surface of the lava lake, sending up massive splashes of fire.
Purple Hammer quickly stabilized his fire-resistant boat and looked toward the giant figure.
It was a massive wyvern.
It had beautiful, fiery red scales and a colossal body several times larger than any other wyvern.
Though they had 'dragon' in their name, wyverns had no actual relation to the legendary dragons of myth, so they typically lacked the majestic horns of true dragons.
However, this wyvern was different. Far more robust than its kin, it possessed a pair of terrifying bone horns.
These bone horns didn't simply sweep backward; they coiled around its head, far more twisted and menacing than the horns of a ram.
On the left and right, they seemed to form a majestic bone crown atop its head.
Purple Hammer immediately recognized what this creature was.
The leader of the wyverns living on the volcanic islands of the Lava Sea, the aerial overlord of the fourteenth floor.
The Wyvern King!
Ordinary wyverns possessed no intellect, but the Wyvern King was different—it was an intelligent monster.
Purple Hammer had already learned this information from the lava skeletal shamans.
The Wyvern King lowered its massive head, staring at Purple Hammer with orange-red pupils that looked like molten rock.
It spoke in human tongue.
“A purple-skinned blacksmith from the floors above, or perhaps below?”
“The sound of you tapping that metal is quite noisy.”
“What have you come to this Lava Sea for?”
Every time the Wyvern King spoke, it stirred up a searing wind across the Lava Sea.
Purple Hammer steadied his boat and looked at the Wyvern King.
He had originally planned to seek out the Wyvern King in the Lava Sea anyway, hoping for guidance.
However, the islands where the Wyvern King lived were shrouded in fierce fire storms.
A fire-resistant boat alone would never be enough to reach the volcanic islands of the Wyvern King's domain.
One would need a wyvern to fly through the encircling fire storms to reach them.
He hadn't expected that the sound of him tapping on metal would actually attract the Wyvern King to him.
As blacksmiths, those of the purple-skinned blacksmith race loved the sound of metal being struck.
Whether they were thinking, bored, or anxious, the sound of clanking metal helped calm their hearts.
“Lord Wyvern King, I am looking for the moving islands on this Lava Sea.”
Upon hearing Purple Hammer's words, the Wyvern King beat its massive wings.
Its dragon head moved even closer to Purple Hammer.
“The lava giant tortoises... It seems you are that blacksmith pursuing the Forbidden Fire, Purple Hammer.”
“You have pursued the Forbidden Fire all the way to this Lava Sea, and yet you still refuse to stop?”
The Wyvern King looked Purple Hammer up and down as if seeing something interesting.
“No wonder you carry the aura of those two respected masters. Since they are both willing to give you guidance...”
“I shall not obstruct your path, either.”
The Wyvern King's aura suddenly became much more amiable.
After all, the three guardians who served the supreme Master of the Well of Eternal Imprisonment were objects of reverence for all monsters.
“However, rules are rules. The Forbidden Fire only manifests in this world through chaos and combat.”
The Wyvern King's words made Purple Hammer, the seeker of the fire, instantly perk up.
“What does that mean? Is the Forbidden Fire really in this Lava Sea?”
“The entire Lava Stratum was created and melted by the residual Forbidden Fire.”
“It is very likely that the Forbidden Fire itself sleeps within this largest sea of lava.”
“But now is not the time. The temples carried on the backs of the lava giant tortoises will not open at this hour.”
The Wyvern King lowered its head until it was close to the fire-resistant boat.
“Hand me the helmet in your hands.”
Purple Hammer held the Seeker's Armor helmet in both hands and offered it to the Wyvern King.
The Wyvern King looked at the helmet and shook its head.
From the center of the bone crown formed by its horns, a single red scale fell off.
The red scale, still stained with crimson blood, adhered itself to the Seeker's Armor helmet.
In an instant, the point where the scale touched the helmet began to melt.
“This is...!”
Purple Hammer spoke in surprise.
He had forged the Seeker's Armor himself; the entire set was at the limit of what a magic item could be.
It was a top-tier piece of magic equipment with incredible fire resistance.
And yet, it was being melted by this tiny scale.
“This is the Wyvern King's dragon blood. It contains a significant portion of my flame mana, so it can naturally melt your armor.”
“With this scale embedded in your helmet, you now possess a portion of the Wyvern King's authority. You will be able to command a wyvern as your mount.”
“Remember to treat your wyvern companion well.”
The Wyvern King's voice sounded a bit weak. After finishing its words, it did not linger, spreading its wings and soaring back into the sky above the Lava Sea.
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