Millennium Years Fire Fruit

Realizing the immense power of their adversary, Bezalel and Gaz accessed a hidden compartment within their armor, retrieving high-level magic crystals. They skillfully slotted them into slots on their weapons, activating the enchantments and enhancing their magical properties.

With a renewed sense of determination, Bezalel and Gaz launched a coordinated assault. Bezalel's enchanted battle axe bit into the salamander's blazing hide, causing it to recoil in agony. Gaz's hammer followed suit, delivering powerful strikes that sent shockwaves of energy rippling through the creature's reptilian body.

Suddenly, the salamander unleashed its most devastating technique—a swirling vortex of fire, threatening to consume everything in its path. Realizing the danger, Devin acted swiftly, summoning his absolute domain and employing the protective shield of the tree. The dwarves, surprised but filled with joy at the sight of the green domain and the shielding tree, knew they had made the right choice in following Devin.

Devin took charge of the situation, instructing the dwarves, "You two hold it down. I'll create branches to restrain it, and you both must unleash your most powerful attacks to weaken it enough for me to deliver the final blow." Though they were hesitant to kill such a formidable creature, they understood the necessity and the rewards that awaited them.

The enraged salamander swung its powerful tail at the domain, but Devin swiftly evaded the strike, using his cloak to become invisible. He circled around the salamander while the dwarves effectively boxed it in.

Bezalel and Gaz exchanged a knowing look—it was time for their final gambit. With unwavering resolve, Bezalel began rotating his axe in a swirling motion, creating a vortex of energy around it. Gaz brought his hands together, his aura shifting as a gigantic phantom palm materialized behind him. Both Devin and the salamander felt the massive aura emanating from Gaz's palm, and even the creature became cautious. As Bezalel's axe-infused vortex unleashed wind slashes that caused deep gashes in the salamander's body, it began to bleed.

Roaring in pain, the salamander found itself unable to evade as Devin created branches to tie it up. Gaz's palm attack came crashing down fiercely, further damaging the creature's body. Seizing the moment, Devin unleashed the devastating combination of his origin annihilation and sword of emptiness techniques, shattering through the salamander's defenses with three powerful sword strikes.

The salamander's writhes of agony came to a halt as the defeated creature took its last breath. Its screeching cries reverberated through the cavern, serving as a testament to the victorious trio's triumph.

The three comrades, now in a weakened state, particularly Gaz due to the draining effects of the palm strike, took a moment to recuperate. Devin quickly consumed an energy potion, replenishing his strength, and passed three more potions to the dwarves. Though these potions were of a lower level, he hoped that the increased quantity would compensate for their lower potency.

Devin approached the lifeless body of the salamander, using his storage ring to store the energy-infused corpse. A system message appeared before him, congratulating him on his achievement and listing his rewards: 5000 Exp, the skill "Wall of Fire," and a salamander armor design. Grinning at the mention of the design, Devin felt a surge of satisfaction. This newfound hunting ground held the potential to become a valuable resource for their domain, providing them with fire-related materials.

"Leader, come check this out," called out Bezalel, gesturing towards something in the distance. "There's a large high-grade fire quartzite mine over here. However, to reach the other side, we'll need something that can resist the magma's heat."

Curiosity piqued, Devin looked towards where Bezalel was pointing and was filled with excitement. They can't mine it now due to the barrier of the magma, so they made plans for the future. This place would be a good resource point.

Devin's intuition told him that the presence of the quartzite alone wouldn't be enough to aid the salamander in its evolution. He believed that there must be a hidden treasure somewhere in the vicinity.

"Let's continue searching the cave," suggested Devin, his voice filled with determination. "There may be other valuable items related to the fire quartzite. We'll take a long-term approach to this."

The two dwarves nodded in agreement, understanding that the mine would still be there when they returned. They were willing to explore further, knowing that there could be more to discover.

As Devin ventured along a path behind the wall of the cave, his gaze fell upon a remarkable sight. A towering tree was ablaze with fire, standing at a height of around four meters. Its leaves resembled crimson rubies, emitting an ethereal glow.

Within the heart of the magnificent tree, nestled among its fiery foliage, grew precious fruits. These fruits were a spectacle to behold, radiating an otherworldly charm. Their colors shifted seamlessly between fiery red and golden orange.

With careful steps, Devin approached the tree, completely unfazed by the heat it emitted. He activated his identification skill, eager to gain insight into the nature of this remarkable tree. To his surprise, the system message appeared.

"[Beyond player level, you need 100 Exp to identify]."

Since Devin began leveling up, the system had stopped charging him for identification. This indicated that the tree held immense value. Without hesitation, Devin made the decision to spend 100 Exp in order to identify the tree and uncover its true nature.

"Millennium Years Fire Fruit Tree: This tree is a rare treasure that only grows through the nurturing of a unique flame. When consumed, the fruit of this tree can help individuals develop a natural affinity for fire, granted they can withstand the intense heat. Additionally, the foliage of the tree holds value for fire-related elements."

Devin realized the immense value of this treasure, as it had the potential to create warriors with fire aptitude. It was something that many people would be willing to spend a significant amount of money on.

With only ten fruits on the tree, each fruit held the condensed essence of a thousand years of growth. This made them even more precious.

However, Devin knew that waiting for others to grow the fruits was not a feasible option, especially since the tree only thrived in locations with strange fires and magma.

Activating his domain for protection, Devin approached the tree, prepared for any potential danger. To his relief, there was none. He retrieved a jade box and carefully stored the ten fruits inside, ensuring their safekeeping.

Before Devin could react, the origin tree extended one of its branches, penetrating the core of the fire tree. It retrieved a red fiery stone that pulsated like a beating heart. Devin recognized it as the core of the fire tree.

"Buddy, as a tree, aren't you supposed to be caring and merciful to your fellow trees?" teased Devin, a playful smile on his face. He could sense the origin tree's disapproval at being compared to a lower-level tree.

Amused by the tree's annoyance, Devin laughed as the glow of the origin tree dimmed. He then approached the tree and made a request, "Buddy, is there any way you can help me uproot this tree? It would be a valuable resource for us."

The origin tree didn't disappoint. Devin wasn't sure what it did, but the tree easily uprooted itself. Devin carefully pocketed the tree, knowing that it held great potential. Now, the next step was to search for the strange fire in the surrounding area.

Devin summoned the two elders, urgently informing them about the presence of the strange fire and seeking their assistance. He knew that they couldn't simply assume there were no dangers associated with this fire.

The two dwarves were taken aback by the revelation of the strange fire's existence. They swiftly joined the search, eventually coming across a surging pool of magma, from where a bright, flickering light emanated. Walking along the path beside the magma, they couldn't contain their astonishment as they beheld a vibrant red flower floating amidst the molten lava. Small sparks transformed into fire dragons, swirling around the flower.

"Leader, you're fortunate," exclaimed Bezalel. "This is an extreme heat flower fire. While it may not be at the level of top-tier fire, it can still rank among the top 50 of strange fires."

Devin recognized the potential usefulness of this fire for Alex and his forging skills. However, he had an intuitive feeling that it would not be of use to him personally.

Suddenly, the magma began to churn, and numerous bubbles emerged. Ripples traversed in all directions, with the flower at the epicenter.

A peculiar roar echoed through the area as a fearsome creature emerged from the depths of the magma. It resembled a snake with fierce well developed horns on its head.

"Leader, this is a formidable opponent," Gaz stated, his brow furrowed. "It has undergone multiple evolutions and has become a fire flood dragon."

Devin's heart sank as he realized that this salamander was far beyond their capabilities. As he gazed upon the creature's imposing form, its tough, flint-like scales peeking through the molten surface, he couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. The salamander's head, adorned with blazing eyes and menacing fangs, exuded a wild and untamed energy. Its nostrils emitted a resounding hum of molten magma, instilling fear in the core of anyone who witnessed its terrifying presence.

The flood dragon lazily stared at the intruders, as if assessing their presence.

Devin made a quick decision. "Let's not disturb it for now. We are no match for it," he declared, his voice filled with caution.

Gaz nodded in agreement. "That's a wise decision," he affirmed. The three of them slowly backed away from the cave, knowing that they had just battled a powerful salamander and were not in their best condition. It would be best to retreat and return later. Besides, Devin understood that Alex would prefer to be the one to handle the fight for the fire.

The dwarves had already made significant progress in mining the cave. They should be able to finish extracting everything today. Tomorrow, they could return to the area, fully prepared to continue their exploration.