Chapter 84
Chapter 84
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 84
Chapter Title: Caldean Super Volcano
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Once upon a time, the Caldean Mountains were known as the Caldean Volcano. Not just a single mountain, but an enormous super volcano where the entire range was one massive volcano.
It had slumbered as a dormant volcano for ages untold, but the volcano hadn't truly died. It simply hadn't yet reached the time to awaken. That day was supposed to arrive tens of thousands of years in the future.
Gurgle!
If not for the Undying Monstrosity that spotted the lava and happily burrowed into the mountain.
If not for this colossal beast, hundreds of meters long, ripping up the earth, absorbing geothermal heat, and splashing about in the magma, stimulating geological activity.
Kabu-boom!
As the Undying Monstrosity burrowed deep into the range in search of lava and geothermal heat, the energy of its collision with the surface converted into heat, tremors, and sound, radiating outward in all directions. This impact originated on the surface itself—not from deep underground like an earthquake's epicenter, but right on the ground.
Thus, the instant the monster slammed into the earth, the ground surged and flipped like waves, annihilating everything atop it. The mountain range's terrain convulsed, and the things within stirred, building pressure—but that was only the beginning.
A bird hundreds of meters in length was now seeking hotter depths, clawing through lava and sinking ever deeper. It began plunging into the profound heat, drawn by thermal energy.
As the monster swam gleefully through the magma, the deep subterranean magma began to roil and rise. While absorbing heat from the planet's core, some of the unabsorbed energy leaked out, stimulating nearby lava pools and setting them bubbling furiously.
A normal volcano would have erupted long ago from such pent-up force, which continued to condense and gather. But this was the Caldean Super Volcano, where the entire mountain range formed one volcano.
For now, the only signs were the earth quaking, aftershocks rippling through, and faint wisps of smoke rising—no more. Yet that alone threw the entire Citadel Republic into chaos.
The Citadel Republic was so small, more like a city-state than a nation, that the capital, Valles City, lay perilously close to the volcano. If anything went wrong, everything would end before anyone could flee.
Two earth magic experts, Thomas William and Andrew Gilbert, were urgently dispatched from the republic's capital, Valles City. Using ground-penetrating spells typically employed for ore prospecting, they detected a massive bird prowling deep underground and recoiled in horror.
“W-what in the world is this?”
“No idea. But it's definitely a monster. You think something like this hatches naturally? Even a stray dog would laugh. No doubt about it—this has to be Grimudo's doing!”
“I'm not so sure. For now, let's report exactly what we've found.”
It wasn't exactly honorable, but their superior, the republic's chancellor, Andolph MacLiren, hadn't exactly been on good terms with Grimudo, had he? So why would that bastard suddenly send his monster to destroy the Citadel Republic?
Andrew couldn't venture any wild guesses about it.
And truthfully, in a crisis this dire, such speculation hardly mattered.
As the two inscribed a magic circle on the ground, braced against the quakes, and peered into the depths, they realized the situation was far graver than it appeared. Earthquakes raged, lava flowed, and the range lay in ruins as if struck by a meteor—but this might not be the end. It could be merely the prelude.
“As long as that thing keeps rampaging down there, the crustal anomalies won't stop. We might have already missed our chance to avert total disaster.”
“If it keeps thrashing around inside...”
“Even sitting idle is dangerous. It's found a heat source deep in the earth and is sucking it dry. The problem is, it's not the only one absorbing that heat.”
A mage ought to be brimming with curiosity. Thomas William, a former republic official, was more knowledgeable about volcanoes than anyone in the Magic Tower. He grasped the peril better than Andrew, who had been dispatched from the Valles branch.
And why not? The world was vast, and experts abounded. Even for seemingly obscure topics, someone somewhere had dedicated their life to study.
Fortune smiled on the Citadel Republic: Thomas had long researched the Caldean dormant volcano as a personal hobby. No money in it, of course, but hobbies deserved respect. He'd even mastered earth magic purely for his pursuits.
To such a man, this volcano was nowhere near eruption. The fateful day shouldn't arrive until long after his death. Yet that monster had dragged destiny forward.
No one knew when the explosion would come, but terrifying power was layering beneath the surface. The Phoenix ceaselessly drew heat from the depths.
“The excess heat it can't consume is agitating surrounding lava, intensifying pressure throughout the range. When that pressure grows too great even for these massive mountains to contain... well, you know—boom! Everything collapses. The catastrophe this would unleash is utterly hopeless!”
Better if Emperor Harma El lost her mind and led the entire demon army to invade the Citadel Republic. A volcano in eruption heeds no pleas, negotiations, or surrenders. No one in history had witnessed a blast of this scale.
Grimudo might have, but they weren't Grimudo. The largest recorded eruption was the southern Lopunpo Volcano, which turned an entire island into a death zone, burying all life beneath ash.
Lopunpo was big, sure—but it was just a volcano. Not a super volcano like the Caldean range, where the whole chain was one. If this blew, the Citadel Republic would end that day, and the entire southwest continent would drown in ash, starved of sunlight.
“Fighting a volcano is absurd. Our only option is to run.”
“Let's book passage for our families right away. We have to flee as far as possible if we're to survive.”
“We and our families can escape, but what about everyone else?”
Andrew fell silent at Thomas's words.
They both already intuited the grim answer, unspoken though it was. Voicing it might turn prophecy into reality.
“All we can do is submit a full report to the republic's leadership. Let's write it word for word as you said. Whether they believe it or not, we'll gather our families and assets and leave today. That fulfills our duty.”
Of course, deserting in wartime meant at best a lifetime in the dungeons under torture. But was the Caldean Super Volcano the enemy?
Did humans have the right to call themselves foes before this behemoth? All they could do was tremble, pray it stayed calm, and bolt at the first sign of rage.
“We don't know when it'll blow. Tomorrow, maybe two days... if we're lucky, a week. Notifying the leadership buys that much time—at least a few days to prepare. Beyond that, it's beyond our power, Thomas. We have families.”
“Everyone has families. I'm not leaving.”
“Get a grip! Staying changes nothing!”
Andrew gripped his shoulder, shaking it. His eyes burned with desperation.
He could just abandon him if he insisted, but Andrew genuinely liked this Thomas fellow. They'd clicked instantly, like old friends.
“No, there is something. Something I can do. That's why I have to stay.”
“I know you're a brilliant scholar. But what can one man do in this crisis?”
“Volcanoes defy human power, but monsters... we can fight. Eliminate that beast, and the eruption won't happen right away.”
Andrew murmured blankly at Thomas's words.
“No way...”
“I'll propose to the leadership that we gather the republic's strongest and subjugate the monster. But no hero knows this volcano's terrain and paths better than I. I'll guide them straight to it.”
He clasped Andrew's hand on his shoulder tightly.
“Andrew, can I entrust my family to you?”
The man couldn't speak, but slowly nodded. Shame kept his gaze lowered. He lacked the courage to die alongside Thomas, reduced to silence.
“Do we really need to go that far?”
Only after a long pause did he manage those words. Thomas gave a weary smile.
“It's for my family's sake too. If the super volcano truly awakens... no matter where they flee, it might be futile. This eruption is like an unopened box. We can't even guess what's inside.”
“Then let's hurry. Subjugating it fast might avert the worst.”
The two nodded and raced toward Valles City.
The desperate struggle to avert catastrophe began.
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