The Volcano

Alexander found himself in a rather peculiar situation. Clutching the strange, four-eyed little demon's soul, he couldn't help but marvel at its unexpected durability. The soul, which was supposed to be his first, hadn't vanished entirely even after he had used it in his revolver. It was like discovering an extra piece of candy in a Halloween bag!

"Who would've thought souls came with a surplus!" Alexander chuckled to himself, scratching his head in disbelief.

"I mean, I always knew equipment could have various attributes, but this is just soulfully surprising!"

As he sat there, tail still bothering him from the unaccustomed transformation, he couldn't help but ponder the differences between the various equipment qualities.

"I bet this is like the disparity between whiteboard and blue or purple equipment," he mused.

"Perhaps the higher-grade gear allows for better utilization of souls. Ah, if only I had known I could store them earlier, I wouldn't have tangled with that four-eyed little devil!"

As the Soul vanished, the nearby little demons grew restless, but they eventually scattered off to find other fights, leaving Alexander in peace. He finally relaxed, finding a spot to rest, but his tail caused a rather unexpected and painful surprise.

"Note to self: remove tail before sitting down," he chuckled sheepishly.

Examining the revolver he had drawn from his makeshift holster, Alexander couldn't help but groan at its appearance.

"Well, well, well... This revolver is just too bizarre!" he exclaimed with a face full of amusement. "

If I had to describe it in one word, it'd be 'fifty cents special effects'! Seriously, I've seen better-looking toys in a kid's toy store!"

The image he had conjured while painting the weapon had clearly gone awry. Uncolored, it looked like a cheap, white plastic gun with rough edges and burrs, almost like a crude mold fresh from the factory.

"It's like someone took my artistic vision and squished it like playdough," he lamented with a grin.

Alexander couldn't resist the comparison, "Honestly, this thing is less intimidating than the BB bullet gun I had as a kid! But I suppose it's not the looks that matter; it's the power within!"

The penny special effect gun could actually be fired, and its power was astonishingly strong. It seemed that by defining a simple attribute, Alexander unlocked the true potential of this private customized system.

Alexander couldn't help but feel a surge of joy. He had taken a step further and now became the creator of his own equipment. However, Alexander didn't rush to upgrade the revolver; instead, he summoned the system interface and began to paint again.

This time, he decided to draw a test tube. Carefully sketching a line in the middle to represent the liquid surface, Alexander selected a vibrant blue to fill the inside of the tube. Soon, a test tube filled with a soothing blue liquid took shape.

To clearly convey its purpose, Alexander defined it with text beside it: "Antidote!"

His first priority was to rid himself of the poisoning status. Wanting to conserve resources, Alexander didn't define the antidote to be too potent. He simply aimed to neutralize the impending disappearance of his soul.

Contemplating the potency of the poison from the four-eyed little devil, Alexander pondered, "Well, it shouldn't be too powerful, so a mild antidote should do the trick, right?"

Satisfied with his creation, Alexander was about to save and materialize it when an idea struck him. With mischievous delight, he changed the color of the liquid in the test tube to a rich black-brown hue.

And to add a touch of whimsy, he couldn't resist adding an extra attribute to the definition:

"[Cola flavor]!"

With a satisfied grin, Alexander saved the changes, and just as expected, the fading soul vanished completely. In its place, he held a small vial containing a dark brown potion infused with the delightful essence of cola.

After downing the tube of colflavored antidote, Alexander couldn't help but be at ease. It seemed to do the trick, even though the effect wasn't too powerful.

"Well, it's not like I was expecting a magic potion," Alexander chuckled, feeling relieved as the numbness slowly eased away.

Now, with only the wound left to deal with, Alexander hesitated to use hemostatic agents and bandages. The thought of wrapping himself up like a mummy was a bit distressing to his soul, so he decided to observe the nearby little demons instead. These critters were busy fighting and brawling amongst themselves, and Alexander was curious to see how they dealt with their injuries.

To his surprise, most of the wounded little demons licked their wounds to stop the bleeding.

"Wait, what? They're like beasts! I mean, I get it, but seriously?" Alexander couldn't help but shake his head in disbelief.

As he kept an eye on the little demons, he gripped his revolver tightly, knowing it was his lifeline in this chaotic environment. Thankfully, the sight of the firearm deterred the nearby demons from causing him any trouble as he quietly licked his own wound, trying to emulate their bizarre healing technique.

"Guess it's better than bleeding out," he muttered, wincing as he continued to tend to his arm. The pain was still present, but at least it was no longer a fountain of blood.

Meanwhile, the beach turned into a brutal battleground, where the weaker demons were being taken out by their stronger opponents. It was a gruesome sight, but what shocked Alexander even more was how the victorious demons immediately consumed the souls of their fallen foes.

"Well, that's just greedy," he thought, realizing he had to be cautious around these soul-hungry creatures.

With his wound finally under control, Alexander decided to use his system interface to prepare for whatever was to come. Reloading his revolver with newly-drawn bullets, he infused a bit of the four-eyed demon's soul into his special effect pistol.

"Gotta make sure I'm ready for whatever's next," he said with determination.

But just as he finished reloading, the ground beneath him suddenly shook violently.

"Earthquake?!" Alexander exclaimed, trying to steady himself as the tremors rocked the area.

But the most surprising thing wasn't the earthquake itself; it was how all the little demons, mid-fight, suddenly stopped and ran in the same direction.

"Wait, what's going on?" Alexander questioned, bewildered by the synchronized panic among the demons.

He didn't waste time pondering it, though. Instinctively, he joined the stampede, running with the little demons as they fled together.

"I don't know what's happening, but if the demons are all making a run for it, I'm not sticking around to find out!" he exclaimed, his heart pounding as he kept pace with the bizarre army.

The beach stretched out before them, the scorching green smoke slowly dissipating, revealing an unexpected sight. Alexander's eyes widened with wonder and surprise.

The destination of the mischievous little demons turned out to be a black volcano, its summit adorned with billowing smoke. Alexander's eyes widened in consternation.

"Could it be that this volcano is about to erupt?" he pondered anxiously.

But then a puzzling question struck him: if the volcano was indeed on the verge of eruption, why were the little demons not scrambling to escape? Instead, they seemed determined to reach the volcano's core.

With furrowed brows, Alexander watched as the lead group of little demons charged up the volcano, fearlessly leaping over gullies formed by flowing magma and hurdling over peculiarly shaped black stones. Meanwhile, insect-like and bird-like demons with wings took flight, soaring directly to the summit and plunging towards the vent.

"Are they really going into the volcano?" Alexander's astonishment grew, yet he couldn't help but notice the trailing group of little demons approaching from behind.

Realizing he lacked the instinctual knowledge and inherited memories of a demon, he couldn't fathom what the others knew. If every single little demon was heading into the volcano, they must have a compelling reason. It seemed unlikely that all of them had found their own way. Hence, Alexander made up his mind to follow them up the mountain, running with all his might.

Alexander's altitude increased steadily as he ascended the volcano. Thankfully, the path was relatively straightforward, sparing him the worry of getting lost. Climbing with determination, he quickly arrived at the summit, where he beheld the inner depths of the volcano for the first time.

Smoke rose in swirling spirals from a nearly vertical chasm, while a vibrant crimson glow emanated from the volcano's base. The last eruption had left behind a thin layer of solidified rock, but now countless cracks webbed across its surface.

Through these crevices, brilliant fiery red hues penetrated, resembling a multitude of flaming red lightning bolts dancing at the volcano's core. It was a truly spectacular sight!

The spectacle was undeniably magnificent, yet it carried a terrible implication. Alexander realized that it wouldn't be long before the pressure overwhelmed the weakened rock layer, causing it to shatter under the boiling magma beneath.

Once the cracks ruptured completely, a volcanic eruption would ensue. Unless they found a way to escape soon, they would be engulfed in a deadly spray of molten lava, leaving them nowhere to escape the inferno.

Standing at the volcano's summit, Alexander turned around and discovered that the hatching grounds were situated on an island. As he gazed into the distance, blood-red waters stretched in every direction, extending from the earlier hatching site.

The volcanic eruption had engulfed a vast expanse, rendering the entire island within its fiery reach. Unless they headed out to sea, there was no escaping the impending eruption.

And that enigmatic blood-red sea? Who knew what perilous creatures lurked beneath its surface? Alexander couldn't help but ponder the dangers that might lie within those crimson depths. It was no wonder the little demons had sought refuge within the crater, just moments before the volcano erupted—there was simply nowhere else to go.

Observing the little demons starting their descent along the inner walls of the crater, Alexander emulated their technique, using his clawed limbs to cling onto the rocks as he made his way down.

With his left arm injured, he relied on his right arm and legs to maintain a cautious grip, ensuring each foothold was secure. He had witnessed numerous little demons slip and tumble on the precarious rock layer, and he was determined not to share their fate.