Chapter 219: Chapter 219

Chapter 182: Fire & Earth

The energy entered me and immediately started a reaction in my body as the Fire and Starlight went into overdrive and began burning with even more intense energy. The impact was immediate as the stone around me rapidly melted and the burst of energy pushed back against the next wave of Espr’s strikes.

Yep, that feels good.

I doubled down on my connection to my Domain by using the energy to light the fuse, which accelerated the flow. I needed to utilise every remote possibility of energy I could grab.

Espr clearly didn’t like my successful attempt at stealing something from it, as I could feel the counterattack begin. The energy within the walls roared as more structures emerged and stretched out like limbs to reach me. I didn’t rest on my minute victory and moved from my position further down towards the depths of the planet.

Even with this extra power, these rocks are still tough. Damn, Espr. You really didn’t want anything getting down here.

It was to be expected, as a Dungeon Planet.

I dodged more of Espr’s attempts, but for every three dodges, something damaged me. There was so much wearing me down, and I needed to break through the earth to reach Espr, but by doing so, I also just created more weapons for Espr.

I can’t handle more of these stones lodging themselves in my body. Each one Espr uses to try to tear me apart from the inside out.

It was funny; I finally reached a state where if my body were destroyed, I would be alright in a weird way, but this might be the only time that it wouldn’t be good because of the connection I had with Espr and my nature as a weaker Spiritual Being.

“Come on, Espr! Is this really the best you can do?!” I laughed again as I struggled against Espr's earth as my fire burned through everything it could.

The extra power was a great help in breaking through Espr’s earth. My main stabbed into the rock itself like needles and created a great disturbance within the energy, which weakened the stupidly tough stone. Though I had found myself in an interesting situation, as Espr had minimal methods to counter my assault, as they hadn’t prepared for a threat deep within its earth that could carve its own path this quickly.

(“ Why don’t you give up? ”)

Espr began to taunt me again. It seemed to be its favourite activity at the moment while it attacked me.

“I think you know the answer to that question. Why do you bother asking?” The cave in front of me opened into a tunnel, and I was welcomed by monsters made of dense stone.

Damn, they don’t look fun.

I could feel the mana within their body reinforcing their structures to the same level as the walls around me. My light covered the room as I looked to find any weak points within their structure.

Damn, has Espr gotten better at making rock beasts?

The ones earlier by far were weaker than the ones now in front of me. Not just because these ones had more mana within them and were made of stronger material.

They had a few points that I could refer to as weak spots, but they were in difficult to reach spots. The whole structure was impressive, which meant it was annoying for me to break. They hadn’t reached the level that it would be challenging to me, but it was at the level where I needed to use more energy, so it would be detrimental.

Sparks of fire flared in my annoyance as I did what I needed to and charged forward. The golems immediately tried to intercept my path; each had no concern for its safety and only existed to exhaust me. I dodged the first one, but they learned quickly and grouped up to prevent my passage. Able to stand on the walls and floors, they were movable armoured walls; they didn’t get pushed back simply due to my aura.

With a blaze of light and fire, weapon constructs appeared, and I shot an assault of attacks at the golem hoard while the walls continued to shoot at me. With a moment of clear space, I shot forward at sonic speeds past the large group of rock monsters, but there was still movement in the distance.

Espr's ever-changing voice shifted into a single constant tone.

(“ Why do you continue to hurt yourself? ”)

The voice that reflected back to me was my own.

Copying my own voice? Cruel in a way.

Before I replied, Espr continued.

(“ Do you wish to keep suffering? ”)

(“ Do you wish to keep losing? ”)

(“ Is that all you desire now? Everything else has been handled ”)

“Now you are just rambling.” I scoffed and smashed the rock beast in the ground, my heat fusing its damaged body with the ground, and I jumped away, continuing my charge before it reformed. “Do you have nothing better to say?”

The flow of energy is chaotic, but I can see the flow. But it’s going to take a large push to reach my destination.

With a core obtained, I felt more confident in reaching my true destination. Learning that my presence was actually helping in creating these openings in the rocks was surely a much-needed revelation, and with my energy increased, I could feel these tunnels pushed open larger. Even the little difference meant more time for me to react to changes on the walls.

(“ Am I really just rambling? ”)

(“ What do you even want to do in this universe? ”)

Spikes lunged out of the ground, and flames burst from my body, sending me out of the way of the jagged edges of stone.

“A good amount of stuff. There are always plenty of things. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, Espr. Your dungeon planet penpals know nothing about the life humans live, after all.”

(“ You aren’t even human, so do you really fall into that example anymore? ”)

“Right where it hurts, you wound me so.” I jokingly replied, and the material beast came charging at me from down the tunnels. I sent a wave of energy into the wall and broke down another path to travel instead of the one Espr had opened up.