God, Help Us All [Monster Evolution/Progression/LitRPG]

The wyrm coiled its massive body, the heat around it intensifying once more. Arthur could feel the ground beneath him trembling as Volcranax gathered its power. The air shimmered, and the cavern walls began to glow, the heat reaching unbearable levels.

It's preparing something big, Arthur thought, his molten veins glowing brighter as he prepared to counter. His third eye pulsed, analyzing the energy surging through the wyrm's massive frame.

Volcranax's head reared back, its massive maw opening wide. Flames surged within, their intensity blinding as they coalesced into a sphere of white-hot energy. The very air seemed to ignite, crackling with the raw power of a miniature star.

Arthur didn't wait. He focused his destruction essence, channeling it into a concentrated beam within his maw. The energy screamed for release, and he let it out with a deafening roar. BZAAAP! The beam of pure destruction tore through the air, heading straight for Volcranax.

The two attacks collided mid-air. BOOOOM! The explosion was cataclysmic, the shockwave tearing through the cavern and sending chunks of rock flying. Lava surged from the ground, spilling into the chasms created by the blast.

Arthur growled, his claws digging into the ground as he pushed back against the force of the collision. His beam of destruction sliced through Volcranax's flames, cutting a path straight toward the wyrm's face.

The wyrm roared in pain as the beam struck its other eye, molten blood spilling from the wound. SHRIIIIEK! Its massive body thrashed, smashing into the cavern walls and sending debris raining down.

Two eyes down. Now, to go for the head.

+

Arthur stood amidst the molten wasteland, his three eyes locked onto the massive, wounded form of Volcranax. Steam hissed from the wyrm's cracked scales, molten blood pooling around its immense body. Both of its slitted eyes were destroyed, yet it wasn't writhing or lashing out like before. Instead, Volcranax lay unnervingly still, its head lowered, and its immense coils slackened.

"What's this now?" Arthur muttered, his voice rumbling like a distant thunderstorm. The tension in the air was suffocating. His tail lashed behind him, leaving deep gouges in the ground. He could feel the shift in Volcranax's energy—a steady cooling instead of the blazing inferno it had been moments ago.

Then Volcranax spoke, its voice slow and deliberate, each word vibrating through the cavern like an ancient hymn.

"... I don't remember the last time... someone forced me to this point."

Arthur narrowed his eyes. Is it admitting defeat? No, it doesn't feel like surrender...

Volcranax's massive form began to cool further, the glow of its molten scales fading to a dark, metallic sheen. The oppressive heat that had defined the entire battlefield lessened with alarming speed, replaced by an eerie calm. Arthur's third eye glowed faintly as he analyzed the changes.

Body temperature dropping rapidly... This thing is shutting down? Arthur frowned, his claws flexing as unease gnawed at him.

Then it hit him. No... It's transforming. Just like those games back on Earth.

He snarled. And what's the one rule about fighting bosses in their second phase? Don't let them transform!

Without hesitation, Arthur roared, summoning his destruction essence. A beam of pure annihilation formed above his head, crackling violently as it condensed into a razor-thin line of concentrated energy. He whipped it forward with a flick of his claw.

BOOOOM!

The beam streaked across the battlefield, tearing through the dense heat toward Volcranax's coiled form. But before it could strike, a deafening sound echoed through the cavern—a sharp, metallic CLANG like swords clashing. The beam ricocheted harmlessly off Volcranax's now-glossy surface, dispersing into the air.

Arthur's eyes widened. "What the—?"

He snarled again, this time summoning multiple beams of destruction, hurling them one after the other. Each attack was met with the same deflection. The sound of scraping metal filled the air as the beams skittered uselessly off Volcranax's cooling body.

The wyrm remained still, ignoring Arthur's assaults entirely.

Fine, let's see where this goes, Arthur thought bitterly, stepping back and folding his wings. His molten veins dimmed as he began gathering destruction essence from the environment, preparing himself for whatever came next. His third eye flared, watching as Volcranax's temperature continued to plummet.

Then, a sound broke the tense silence: THOOM.

Arthur froze. It wasn't just a noise—it was a heartbeat, deep and resonant, as though the earth itself had come alive. He growled low, his claws digging into the ground.

THOOM. Another beat followed, reverberating through the cavern.

Arthur's eyes darted across Volcranax's massive frame. He could see cracks forming along its metallic skin, faint but growing with every heartbeat. The wyrm's body temperature began to rise again—rapidly. What had been icy cold moments ago now burned brighter and brighter, already matching its previous immolating white-hot glow.

THOOM. THOOM.

Arthur flinched as the temperature climbed further. Even with his obsidian armor, the heat was becoming unbearable. Lava bubbled violently around him, and the once-solid ground began to melt into glowing pools.

He growled. This is bad. I won't survive if it keeps going like this.

The Codex pulsed within his mind, its alien energy coiling like a serpent. Arthur's thoughts raced as he recalled its rules: Knowledge, equivalent exchange, and a catalyst... That's my only way out of this.

Arthur roared in frustration, his molten claws slamming into the ground. His mind raced through possibilities. He couldn't create complete immunity to this heat—his knowledge wasn't enough. But maybe...

Not immunity. Resistance. Something temporary, just enough to withstand this.

The Codex's energy swirled, responding to his thoughts. The system chimed.

[Equivalent exchange required. Catalyst: Destruction Essence. Knowledge sufficient. Proceed?]

Arthur bared his jagged teeth. "Yes!"

His third eye flared as the Codex activated. The mountain of destruction essence he had gathered surged outward, forming a glowing orb above him. The orb pulsed violently, shifting and morphing as it took shape.

A black crystal formed, shimmering with an unnatural gleam. It pulsed once, then cracked, reshaping itself into something grotesque and organic. Bones formed first, twisting into a crude armor-like structure. Flesh wrapped around the bones, pulsating with energy, before a slick, black liquid coated it entirely.

The construct launched toward Arthur, engulfing him. He staggered as the foreign material melded with his body, digging into his obsidian skin like living roots. He roared in defiance as the armor solidified, its surface writhing like a living thing.

[Creation Complete: Anti-Heat Skin (One-Time Use; Duration: 24 Hours).]

Arthur felt a surge of power as the unbearable heat faded to something tolerable. His molten veins pulsed brighter, and the armor seemed to synchronize with him perfectly, amplifying his resilience.

Good.

Suddenly, a cracking sound echoed through the cavern, sharp and thunderous. Arthur's head snapped toward the wyrm as its cooling body fractured entirely. For a moment, silence reigned. Then, with a deafening BOOM, the entire metallic shell exploded outward.

Arthur raised his wings to shield himself, but even with his enhanced resistance, the wave of heat that followed was overwhelming. Hills of rock melted into rivers of lava, and the ground beneath him cracked and buckled.

Through the haze of molten air, a figure emerged.

Arthur's three eyes locked onto it, his molten pupils narrowing in disbelief. The creature was smaller—half the size of Volcranax's previous form, now equal in stature to Arthur. Its once-coiled body was replaced by a humanoid-draconic figure, standing upright. Jet-black fire rippled across its body, forming jagged wings that flared behind it. Its elongated limbs ended in sharp, clawed hands, and its tail swished menacingly behind it.

The creature's head tilted slightly, a cruel grin forming on its angular face. Its voice was no longer slow and deliberate, but sharp and venomous.

"This is the part where you beg for mercy."

Before Arthur could respond, the creature vanished.

THUD.

Arthur's world spun as an impossibly fast punch connected with his snout, sending him hurtling backward. He crashed into a distant hill, shattering it into rubble. Dust and molten rock rained down as Arthur shook his massive head, growling low.

He stared across the battlefield at the transformed Volcranax, who folded its arms casually. The black fire wings flared behind it, and its tail flicked lazily, as if mocking him.

Fuck.

+

Arthur barely had time to react before Volcranax's claw slammed into his side. The impact was like a mountain crashing down, sending him sprawling across the molten battlefield. His obsidian armor cracked under the sheer force, fragments flying into the air as his massive body skidded to a halt.

Arthur growled, pushing himself up with one claw. His third eye burned faintly, trying to keep track of the wyrm's movements. But Volcranax was already gone, vanishing in a blur of black flames. The oppressive heat pressed down on him from all sides, and the terrain around him was rapidly melting into a sea of magma.

Too fast, Arthur thought, his molten veins pulsing as he struggled to regain his footing. He could barely track Volcranax's movements, let alone mount an effective counterattack.