Chapter 198: The Night Before the Divine Descent

Chapter 198: The Night Before the Divine Descent

Veda was being loaded onto the medical transport when she grabbed David's sleeve. "Don't."

Her voice came out hoarse. "They're just trying to lure you there."

David tucked the thermal blanket around her. "I know."

Mia stood by the hatch, terminal in hand, eyes bloodshot. "You know and you're still going? The thermal readings from that volcanic island are off the charts. The entire mountain is full of energy circuits. He's turned it into a breeding ground for monsters!"

David released Veda's hand. "Take her out of here."

"David," Mia locked eyes with him, "I can go in with you."

"No."

"Don't use that cowboy-movie tone with me." Mia's jaw tightened. "I'm not some girl who just sits on the sidelines cheering."

David studied her for a few seconds, then wiped the mud from his face. "I need someone on the outside running things."

Mia's chest rose and fell. The global warrant on her terminal screen kept refreshing.

She knew he was right.

The Global Defense Council was still blockading Summit Enterprises Ltd—airports, banks, communication links all under pressure. Someone had to hold the line out here. Someone had to cut off all those dirty hands reaching in.

But she also knew, with perfect clarity, that where David was going was extremely dangerous.

Lon's call came through. The old man sat on the other end of the screen, pale. "Son, the Brown family has cleared three air corridors on the darknet. The weather satellites around the volcano will have a blind spot in twenty-seven minutes."

"That's enough." David said.

Lon was quiet for a moment. "The primary fragment of the Origin Meteorite is in his chest. That thing isn't ordinary energy. It will consume its user, and it amplifies the user's most insane desires."

David picked up the crimson blade and locked it into the sheath on his back. "Then I'll dig it out."

Mia pressed a black earring into his palm. "Ultra-short-range quantum beacon. Communications will cut out once you're inside. This is the only way I can monitor your vitals. Do not lose it."

David put in the earring. "Wait for me."

"As if." Mia's eyes were red, but her voice stayed hard. "If you die in there, I'm donating your entire estate to the animal welfare society."

David turned and boarded the small stealth craft.

As the hatch closed, Veda pushed herself upright, crying out: "David, you have to come back!"

David nodded.

The stealth plane shot into the night sky.

……

Near the equator, the weather was overcast, the sea vast and gray. The volcanic island stood alone in the center of the storm, dark red light bleeding through cracks in the mountain, the entire island vibrating at a low frequency.

The stealth craft didn't land. At about two kilometers above ground, David opened the hatch and jumped.

He used telekinesis to control his descent, avoiding two scanning beams before dropping onto the cliff face on the volcano's north side.

The rock beneath his feet was scorching hot. The air reeked of sulfur. He followed a fissure into the mountain's interior.

Ten minutes later, he saw an enormous lava lake, crimson heat rolling in waves.

Suspended above the lake was a black temple. Dozens of alloy bridges extended from the surrounding rock walls to the structure, beneath them the main pumps drawing lava—pipes thick enough for a train to pass through.

The temple's outer walls were carved with dark gold symbols, energy conduits running from the lava lake all the way up the surface.

They'd actually built a temple over molten lava.

David stepped onto the first alloy bridge. At the far end, twelve massive mechanical units activated simultaneously.

They stood over three meters tall, limbs encased in silver-black liquid metal armor, gun barrels extending from both sides of their arms, high-energy beams charging.

Mia's voice crackled through the earring. "David... twelve large reactors... be careful... liquid metal... disperses impact..."

The twelve sentries raised their weapons. High-energy beams crisscrossed toward him.

David dodged, the bridge behind him sliced open with white-hot cuts. He grabbed a severed beam with telekinesis and hurled it forward.

The beam slammed into the chest of the lead mechanical unit, the surface instantly denting.

The unit stepped back half a pace. The dent in its chest quickly smoothed out again.

The second volley of beams closed in.

David slid along the bridge deck into the sentry formation, bringing his blade down on the knee joint of the unit to his left. The edge cut through the outer liquid metal, but the break sealed instantly.

"Troublesome." David's voice was cold.

Twelve gun barrels locked down every possible escape route.

A rumble from below reached David's ears.

The main lava pump drew every nine seconds. When the valve closed, it produced a brief metallic stress sound. The sound came from the lower left, hidden behind the bridge support structure.

David turned and ran for the edge of the bridge.

Three mechanical units immediately gave chase, beams grazing his shoulder, burning through the outer layer of his tactical armor.

David vaulted the railing and dropped toward the pipeline platform below.

The lava lake churned beneath his feet.

The main pump's conduit lay before him. The load-bearing valve casing was thick, the symbols on its surface still drawing geothermal energy.

David raised his blade and brought it down.

Several strikes later, the valve's core shattered with a roar.

The pipeline shuddered. Pressure inside destabilized. Scalding lava erupted from the fracture, a crimson flood surging toward the bridge above.

As the sentries reached the platform edge, the liquid metal armor was hit by the thermal stream, surface flow accelerating, instability rippling across it.

David looked up at the ceiling. A dozen large canisters hung there—liquid nitrogen, used to cool the temple.

He raised his hand. Telekinesis cut through the heat, gripping the valve assembly at the base of a cooling tank.

The first tank ruptured. White mist cascaded down.

Then the second. The third. The fourth...

Superheated lava and liquid nitrogen collided on the bridge deck, temperature fluctuating violently. The liquid metal armor on all twelve sentries began to solidify, brittle fractures spreading across the fluid surface.

The mechanical systems immediately issued alerts and attempted to retreat.

David was already back on the bridge. "Now it's my turn."

He charged into the sentries, one strike cutting the lead unit into fragments.

The second raised its weapon. The barrel had barely turned when David's blade severed the shoulder bearing, then reversed to destroy the head sensor.

The third lunged from behind.

David didn't look back. Telekinesis drove armor fragments into its knee joint. It crashed down. David's blade pierced its neck.

The remaining nine opened fire simultaneously.

David moved through the crossfire, black scorch marks streaking his tactical suit. He never stopped moving, striking at weak points, cutting through joints.

Half a minute later, only one mechanical unit remained.

It tried to self-destruct. David raised his hand and physically tore the reactor from its chest, then hurled it into the lava lake.

Light exploded from below. The bridge shook violently. David walked across the field of debris toward the temple doors.

The obsidian doors rose dozens of meters high, carved with ancient patterns.

The doors suddenly opened. No guards rushed out. Only waves of energy surged forward.

Inside the temple was a great round chamber. Below, the lava lake boiled. Energy conduits extended from every direction toward the altar at the center.

The High Priest floated above the altar.

He had shed his robes. Dark red veins crawled across his body. The original fragment of the Origin Meteorite was embedded in his chest.

The meteorite seemed alive, pulsing, emitting waves of energy that warped the light around it.