98: Chapter 98 Lava Lord? No, it's a giant hand warmer.

Lei Zhen's brain turned into a pot of mush.

No, not even mush; it was a blank slate that had just been formatted.

He watched helplessly as Gu Fan, who had just been lecturing the Lava Titan, shivered from the sudden drop in temperature.

Gu Fan pulled the small blanket on his body, wrapping it tighter.

That expression wasn't one of fear or wariness.

It was disdain.

It was purely the kind of disdain one feels when the air conditioning has just been adjusted, only for someone to kick the door open and flood the room with cold wind.

"I told you not to roar, but you didn't listen."

Gu Fan sniffled and looked at the still-shaking Lava Titan as if looking at an idiot.

His tone was filled with bitter resentment, exactly like an elder lecturing an ignorant Junior.

"Caught a draft in your throat, didn't you? Caught a cold? Look at you, you're covered in frost. Such a big guy, yet you don't know how to take care of yourself."

Lava Titan: "..."

It wanted to cry.

As a fire element lifeform that had lived in magma for thousands of years, today was the first time it learned what "cold" meant.

It wasn't a physical low temperature.

That chill seeped out from its Soul core, from the fundamental Laws of its existence.

The magma core within its body, the energy source that drove it to burn mountains and boil seas, was now like an engine stuffed under the Antarctic ice sheet.

It had completely stalled.

No, it was more terrifying than stalling.

It could "see" its originally reddish-purple energy core condensing into blue ice crystals from the inside out at a speed visible to the naked eye.

An extreme cold, one that didn't belong to this world, was devouring its life.

Fear.

A word that hadn't popped into its stone brain for thousands of years now flooded its entire consciousness like a level twelve tsunami.

It looked at Gu Fan; the fire in its eyes, which were like burning suns, had completely gone out.

Only endless terror and... pleading remained?

It didn't dare move, nor did it dare make another sound.

It was terrified that if it sneezed again, its brain would freeze into ice shards.

"Warning... Warning lifted..."

From an Elite Class member's helmet, the AI's voice even stuttered, "Super S-rank energy reaction... disappeared. Current area temperature... minus twenty-three degrees Celsius. Environment... stable."

Stable?

Stable my ass!

Lei Zhen wanted to curse.

You're telling me the environment is stable in a magma cavern?! It's fucking snowing!

Snowflakes drifted onto the scalding rock walls with a sizzle, only to be silenced as they were covered by even more snow!

"Class Monitor... are we... are we dreaming?" a female team member's voice trembled.

"I'd rather be dreaming," Lei Zhen muttered to himself.

In a dream, the worst that could happen would be getting slapped to death by this Titan, ending it all.

But now?

What were they seeing?

They saw a classmate in pajamas, with just a few words, lecture a Nascent Soul level boss into a frozen dog.

Even a dog wouldn't be this miserable.

What made Lei Zhen's mental state explode the most was Gu Fan's next move.

He had already lost interest in the boss and turned to look at Xiao Fan.

"Xiao Fan, is there still backup power? This blanket is a bit thin; how about turning on an electric heater?"

Xiao Fan nodded blankly and reached out to rummage through that treasure-chest-like refrigerator.

Thud—

A dull thud.

It was the Lava Titan.

This mountain-like giant knelt.

Its knees slammed heavily onto the frozen ground with a muffled sound, making the entire cavern shake three times.

Under the stunned gazes of the entire Elite Class, it used its frost-covered giant hands to reach into its chest with extreme difficulty and extreme devotion.

No, it was humility.

That was the location of its magma core.

As it moved, a burst of blue cold air emerged.

Everyone held their breath.

Was it going to self-destruct?!

No.

The Lava Titan carefully cupped something out from its chest.

A crystal the size of a fist.

It was crimson all over, with what looked like magma flowing inside, emitting pure fire element energy.

flame crystal core!

The ultimate treasure of the Molten Grotto! A divine object rumored to allow fire-type ability users to directly advance an entire Great Realm!

The final objective of their mission!

Trembling, the Titan raised the crystal core high with both hands toward Gu Fan.

In those dull eyes, the meaning couldn't be clearer:

"Big boss! I was wrong! Please stop lecturing me! Please take it! This thing is too hot to handle! I don't want it anymore! Take it away! Just as long as you don't make me cold anymore!"

A silent plea for mercy from the Soul.

Lei Zhen's throat felt as if it were blocked by cement; he couldn't say a single word.

He had thought of a hundred ways to get the crystal core.

Hard-fought battles, outsmarting, sacrifice, a pyrrhic victory...

The only thing he hadn't imagined was the boss crying and shouting, begging you to take the crystal core.

This scene was more painful than being slapped to death.

This was a negation of everything they stood for.

Effort, equipment, passion, resolve... all a massive joke.

Gu Fan looked at the crystal core and frowned.

"What is this thing? It's quite bright."

He didn't move.

He thought it was too cold and didn't want to leave his covers.

Seeing Gu Fan's lack of reaction, the Titan panicked even more.

Did he think the sincerity wasn't enough?!

Anxious, its massive body shifted forward, offering the crystal core further, while an unintelligible whimper came from its throat, as if urging him.

"Alright, alright, stop shaking. You're making me dizzy."

Gu Fan waved his hand impatiently.

He sat up from the cooling mat and, under the expectant gazes of everyone and the Titan, finally stepped out of that cold air circle.

He walked up to the flame crystal core floating in mid-air.

The hearts of everyone in the Elite Class leaped into their throats.

What would he do? Be ecstatic? Or cautiously investigate?

Gu Fan reached out and took the flame crystal core, which was enough to cause a bloodbath in the outside world, into his hand.

He tossed it back and forth between his hands, like someone who had just come inside from the winter cold holding a cup of hot milk tea.

"Hiss... it's actually quite warm."

A hint of satisfaction appeared on Gu Fan's face.

"The temperature is just right, not scalding. Natural and radiation-free."

Treating the crystal core as a hand warmer, he stuffed it into his pajama pocket.

His... his pocket...

Lei Zhen watched as the crystal core, which could buy an entire city, was casually stuffed by Gu Fan into the pocket of his spongebob pajamas.

The pocket sagged under its weight.

"Alright, I've taken the item."

Gu Fan patted his pocket and waved at the still-kneeling Lava Titan as if shooing away a fly.

"You can go now. Don't throw a party while I'm sleeping next time. Also, remember to wear more clothes so you don't catch a cold."

The Lava Titan felt as if it had received a great pardon.

It kowtowed heavily, with such force that it smashed a crater into the ground.

It scrambled up using both hands and feet, turned, and with an agility completely unbefitting its size, scrambled toward the fissure deep underground.

It felt that underground... should be a bit warmer.

In the cavern, only the dancing snowflakes, a group of petrified elites, and a comfortable Gu Fan with his "hand warmer" remained.

"Done. Let's wrap it up."

Gu FanI yawned.

"Xiao Hei, turn off the air conditioning; it's cool enough here now. Xiao Fan, get ready; it's time for us to leave."

The lightning in Lei Zhen's hand completely extinguished.

He looked at Gu Fan's pocket, bulging from the weight of the crystal core, and then at the "Vulcan Type III" armor on himself worth millions.

He suddenly felt...

That he was the one who looked like a clown.