Black Hearted Mage

A small, dark red object emerged from the molten lava, which was so hot it seemed to melt everything. It was quite small, and it was difficult to spot without careful observation.

It looked around in the boiling magma, its head twisting constantly, as if it was eagerly searching for a target around it. Finally, when its eyes locked on Caesars, it immediately cried out excitedly and struggled to climb up the lava river that had begun to solidify.

The little creature ran extremely fast, but due to its excessive impatience, it accidentally fell down. Then, like a round ball, it rolled over and over on the inky black rock for six or seven times before it could barely stabilize itself.

Caesars stood aside, looking expectantly at the lava dog that was charging toward him. However, when he took in the creature, he couldn't help but feel a wave of disappointment. The lava dog was so tiny, not even as big as the boots he was wearing. No matter how he looked at it, it looked like a cute little puppy, completely lacking the aura of a fearsome, vicious dog.

Caesars reluctantly bent down, reached out, and gently grasped the dark red puppy. He then held it in his palm, examining it carefully. He noticed that the puppy's nose, unlike other dogs', didn't protrude outward, but rather bulged slightly. Its mouth was enormous, extending beyond its ears, and contained only four small, sharp-looking fangs. Its triangular ears, however, were incredibly small and delicate, as if they could be blown away at any moment. Furthermore, the lava dog's limbs were exceptionally strong and sturdy, giving it an air of strength. In stark contrast, its short, thick tail stood upright, like a solid stick.

"Oh, what a disappointment! The egg was so huge back then. Who would have thought that the lava dog that finally hatched would be so tiny!"

Caesars shook his head helplessly, a sigh escaping his lips. His slender fingers gently poked the tiny pup in his hands, handling it with the care of an inestimable treasure. The adorable creature, seemingly sensing his master's affection, joyfully extended its tiny, bright red tongue and licked Caesars' palm with fervor. It thoroughly savored the pleasure of this intimate contact, howling with excitement, its voice clear and melodious, like the sound of nature.

However, the next moment, Caesars placed the lava puppy on the ground beneath his feet. He had been worried that the lava puppy he brought with him would pose a threat to the little black snake, and after much hesitation, he had not brought the black snake out. Now, witnessing the scene with his own eyes, he realized that his concerns were completely unnecessary, nothing more than an unfounded false alarm.

Thinking of this, Caesars pulled out a faintly glowing communication stone from his bosom and decided to contact his friend Rodman, who was far away in the southern continent. After all, returning alone along the original route was not only long and arduous, but also lonely and boring, which was really unbearable.

Soon, the communication stone flickered, evidently receiving a response from Rodman. Through this miraculous magical artifact, Caesars learned that Rodman was currently on the other side of the lava river, diligently searching for various rare magical materials. Although Caesars could easily fly across the vast, turbulent lava river, even then, he still had a considerable distance to walk to the other side.

Kaisas tightly grasped the chubby, round lava puppy. The little fellow seemed unused to being held like this, twisting and turning, trying to break free. At this moment, the elemental wings behind Kaisas suddenly spread out, the black wings gleaming with magical light, with many strange magic patterns faintly visible on them.

Vast elemental energy surged violently within the pair of magical wings, like surging ocean waves, carrying boundless power and might. Driven by this powerful energy, Caesars slowly ascended into the air, soaring towards the sky.

However, the poor lava puppy was obviously very afraid of heights. When Caesars just took off and started flying, it closed its eyes in fear and let out a howling sound filled with fear and anxiety.

In this way, Caesars flew southwest for about six or seven minutes. During this time, he constantly consumed his magic power to maintain his altitude and speed. Gradually, he felt that about one-third of his magic power had been lost.

Finally, Caesars saw a hot volcanic ash ground below him. So he adjusted his posture, slowly lowered his altitude, and finally landed steadily on this hot land.

Located south of the Lava River, it is surrounded by active volcanoes, most of which are currently erupting, with plumes of smoke rising into the sky and hot lava flowing down the slopes. The scene is both spectacular and heart-pounding.

The ground was covered with thick volcanic ash, which was extremely soft and could easily sink in. In addition, the terrain was extremely complex, with deep gullies everywhere.

Even worse, the surface of the cooled volcanic rock is covered with irregular holes of various sizes and shapes. Some are only one or two meters across, while others are over ten meters wide. Often, there are cavities underneath, like a piece of porous cheese. If you accidentally step on an empty hole, you could easily fall into a deep cave.

The dark red puppy's hair is very short, so short that it is almost negligible. If you don't pay attention, you would think it is a hairless dog.

Caesars looked down at the fluffy, soft puppy in his hands, his eyes revealing a hint of helplessness and caution. He gently grasped the puppy, fearing to accidentally injure this fragile life, and then took cautious steps, slowly moving towards the west.

This area seemed strange and bizarre, its ground rugged and uneven, strewn with jagged rocks and scorching lava flows. Caesars had to be extremely cautious with every step he took, fearing danger. Fortunately, after a difficult trek of more than ten miles, the terrain ahead gradually flattened, allowing him to finally relax and quicken his pace.

At this moment, Caesars gently placed the young lava dog on the ground. Once free, the little creature began to run around like a wild horse. Seeing this, Caesars simply smiled, thinking that this was a good thing, much better than holding it in his hands and listening to its constant howling.

It must be said that this abyssal beast's young was truly astonishingly strong. Though barely out of its shell, it was already able to run and leap with ease, its speed rivaling even that of Kaysus. Whenever it felt hungry, it would scurry to the nearby lava river, plunge headfirst into the scalding, boiling magma, and gulp down its contents. It gulped down its contents relentlessly until its belly was so full it practically reached the ground. Only then would it contentedly run back to Kaysus, its tail wagging.

For hours, man and dog walked. Caesars gradually began to tire, so he found a large volcanic rock and sat down to rest. The energetic pup, however, showed no sign of fatigue, continuing to run and play freely in the surrounding volcanic ash. This fire-type monster cub seemed to possess boundless energy. Even after traveling dozens of miles, it remained as energetic and vibrant as when it first set out.

Caesars took out some water and some cheese; he needed to replenish his energy. A puppy, running in the distance, suddenly stopped, catching a whiff of something special in the air. Following the scent, it found the puff pastry in Caesars's hand.

The puppy yelped and rushed back, even faster this time, leaving a trail of dust in its wake. It didn't try to snatch the puff pastry from Caesars's hand, but simply sniffed at it. Then it sat on the ground, its mouth wide open and drool dripping.

When Caesars saw the cute puppy in front of him, it was looking at him eagerly, smacking its lips constantly, and looked like it was drooling. Seeing the puppy's greedy look, Caesars couldn't help but laugh out loud, and then casually threw a soufflé on the ground.

The lava puppy instantly came to life, leaping forward like an arrow from a bow. It opened its tiny mouth and took a stab at the fragrant puff. However, its swift movement caused it to swallow the puff along with the volcanic ash. However, this didn't dampen its enjoyment of the meal. It chewed with relish, a few crumbs occasionally spilling from the corners of its mouth. Its once stubby tail now stood erect, waving from side to side like a cheerful flag, as if to show off its delicious treat.

And so, man and dog continued their journey. They marched on, unknowingly having walked for over ten days. Throughout this time, the Lava puppy remained vibrantly energetic and curious, peering around and then bounding ahead to explore the path. But yesterday, the little creature finally succumbed to fatigue and fell asleep for the first time. Caesars shook his head helplessly and placed the sleeping puppy into his new backpack.

At this point, Caesars had arrived at the area Rodman had mentioned, a twin-peaked volcano. Caesars paused and once again retrieved the magic communication stone from his bosom. Concentrating, he whispered into the stone, "Rodman, I've arrived at the designated location. Where are you now?"

A moment later, Rodman's familiar voice came from the other end of the communication stone: "Kaesus, I'm in the south. Keep going south, and you'll see me in about twenty miles. There are fire lizards hiding in the lava ditches along the way. These guys are not easy to deal with. They often attack suddenly, so you must be extra careful!"

After hearing Rodman's reminder, Caesars nodded, took a deep breath, put on his backpack again, and took firm steps towards the south.

Twin Peaks is a massive volcano, the largest on the southern continent. Two massive volcanoes nestle tightly together, separated only by the uppermost crater. Currently, it is dormant, without gushing hot lava.

Caesars walked quickly southward along the volcano. Because there was no lava flowing nearby, the surrounding temperature was not very high. South of the volcano lay a volcanic ash plain covered with gullies. At first glance, the ground was a gray-black color, with occasional specks of red.

Kaisas walked south along the ravine, which looked more like a canyon than a ravine. After a few miles, the ravine gradually narrowed. He could see some smaller salamanders lying at the bottom.

These smaller fire lizards are all eliminated from the lava river and were driven out by the larger fire lizards.

Just as Caesars was walking carelessly, a roar suddenly erupted from the ravine nearby. In the blink of an eye, a fire lizard covered in red scales rushed out like a flash of crimson lightning!

Faced with this sudden change, Caesars didn't hesitate at all and quickly performed an exquisite flash technique! His figure disappeared from the spot like a ghost, and the next moment he appeared thirty meters away from his original position.

However, something he didn't expect happened - the lava puppy that had been quietly staying in the backpack behind him suddenly howled and jumped out impatiently, running towards the fire lizard!

At this moment, the two magical beasts faced each other, creating a stunning spectacle. On one side was the massive fire lizard, its body nearly three meters long, not counting its tail. Its flames danced endlessly, as if consuming everything around it. On the other, a lava pup, barely the size of a boot. Despite its tiny size, the pup showed no sign of weakness, baring its four incredibly sharp fangs as it glared fiercely at the fire lizard.

Before Caesars could even offer a helping hand, an incredible scene unfolded before his eyes. The tiny, dark red lava puppy's adorable eyes suddenly turned blood-red, as if stained with blood! Immediately, it let out a howling cry and, with lightning speed, launched a fierce attack on the fire lizard!

The smaller salamander, stunned by the dauntless challenge of such a tiny opponent, opened its fang-filled maw, ready to devour the unprepossessing "food" in one gulp. The shoe-sized lava puppy darted straight towards its mouth, like a delicious meal being offered to it.

However, what happened next was completely beyond Caesar's expectations. Although the salamander used all its strength to slam its razor-sharp fangs shut, trying to bite the ignorant lava puppy, it was surprised to find that it couldn't touch it at all! In its moment of surprise, the "delicious meal" had already nimbly slid deep into its throat!