Chapter 153: Burns
The Masamun district was no stranger to hot days. After all, they were in the direct vicinity of an active volcano. The temperature in this district was a lot hotter than the places away from the mountain spewing lava from its crater.
The district was also populated with dwarven blacksmiths where temperatures could reach thousands of degrees Celcius. The heat sometimes leaked out into the streets and increased the overall temperature of the Masamune district.
However, this was no normal heatwave.
The cool blue skies turned bright orange, infecting everything under the sun. The clouds above instantly evaporated, dissipating into a mist.
The heat in the air distorted Atlan's vision so much that everything seemed blurry.
This was the first time that he was uncomfortable in his battle suit. It stuck to his skin with sweat.
Thankfully, he had his SSS class Physique that helped him weather the intense heat wave all around the Masamune district.
Even the dwarves who had an inherent resistance against heat couldn't help but scream as they felt their skin turn bright red. Their entire bodies swelled and created blisters even inside their clothes.
But even they could be considered lucky. The ordinary people caught in the heat wave instantly had their skin turn black from third-degree burns. They couldn't even feel the pain as their nerves immediately burned out.
The unsettling sounds of skin sizzling made Atlan's hair turn up.
This was the first time he'd seen such suffering.
The surviving dwarves immediately entered their homes to find refuge. But they didn't know that it was much hotter inside.
The heat wasn't caused by the sun. It didn't come from underground. It was from the very space itself. Wherever they were, as long as they were inside Masamune district, they would feel the temperatures inside a burning cauldron.
"Ahh! Ahhh!....help…"
One of the unfortunate souls caught in the heat wave crawled and reached for Atlan's feet.
The man's hair was melted into his very skull. His face was burned from any identifying feature, with only a charred and blackened skin that clung to his very skull.
In his very last moments, the man clung to Atlan's legs.
His face was full of suffering, but there was a tinge of hope in his eyes.
The guy couldn't even speak. He couldn't even think of anything, but his survival instinct as a long-time citizen of Genesis City was to seek the help of a Savior.
Atlan was one of those. He wore a Savior's battle suit. Only they could save them from disasters like this.
Unfortunately, his time soon ran out. There were no Angels to save him this time.
[You have reaped the death of a Sentient Creature: Human]
[Due to your Trait, your experience has multiplied by 10]
[You have gained 500 experience]
The man's head plopped on the ground, lifeless, but his grip remained stuck on Atlan's leg. Even as he moved it away, some of the guy's melted skin stuck onto his battle suit.
And this wasn't the only casualty. Atlan watched as the words passed by his eyes nonstop.
[You have reaped the death of a Sentient Creature: Human] x38
[Due to your Trait, your experience has multiplied by 10]
[You have gained 19,000 experience]
"What are you doing kid? We have to get out!"
One of the surviving dwarves shouted at Atlan. He held two of his family members in his arms as he dragged them away into a rickshaw carriage.
The dwarf unhooked the dead mount connected to the wooden rickshaw and pulled it using his strength. Even though his skin was red and filled with blisters, he mustered up all his strength to make sure that his family survived this disaster.
He looked at Atlan. "Hop in!"
Atlan saw the trembling hands of the dwarf and knew that he was on his last legs. With each push, his burned skin pulsed with more and more pain. He tried to ignore it, but Atlan knew that he wouldn't be able to add another burden to his carriage.
Despite being in such a dire situation, the dwarf still had the goodwill to help another person.
Suddenly, Atlan felt the air change. He felt pressure building up from the cobblestone building behind the dwarf's rickshaw carriage.
BOOM
A fiery explosion erupted from the building and consumed the blacksmith workshops around it. Molten metal and lava spewed out from chimneys and rained down on the streets, further increasing the ambient temperatures in the sir.
Smoke filled the entire area.
The dwarf thought that would be the end of his life, but he still felt his body move. Once the smoke cleared, he saw that he was in the back of the carriage with his two brothers safe and sound.
He looked forward and saw the youth carrying the rickshaw and pushing it forward.
"Hey kid! Are you alright?!"
Atlan looked back and gave him a thumbs up.
The dwarf couldn't believe that such a young human was still able to move in such temperatures. Even as an experienced dwarf who had his skin hardened from years in the workshop, he didn't think he could last long in this heat wave.
But the youth still looked pristine. His skin barely turned red.
Who is this guy?
Atlan instinctively knew that he had to get out. He had to leave Masamune district and search for refuge.
The entire street was filled with smoke and ash that obscured the cobblestone road, but Atlan relied on his memory to lead the way out of the district.
On the way, he used his Thermal Vision and searched for any survivors. He couldn't, in good conscience, ignore the moans and screams from the survivors suffering in the streets.
Even as the load got heavier, he picked any survivor and tossed them on the rickshaw. They screamed in pain as their burned skin crashed onto the carriage, but at least they were still alive.
BOOM!
As if the increasingly hot temperatures weren't enough, some of the buildings spontaneously erupted with no rhyme or reason.
Atlan had to avoid the direct explosion of the buildings and escape from the cobblestone and metal raining from above.
Each of the dwarfs could barely open their eyes from the third-degree burns all over their skin, but somehow, the youth was still able to push the rickshaw with no trouble whatsoever.
Thankfully, after pushing the carriage street after street, he finally saw a few soldiers in puffy heat-resistant white suits guiding burned victims out of the district.
He saw a clear distinction between one street from the next.
One burned hot and orange with humans crying and moaning from the heat, but the next street was a cool blue, with people walking safe and sound.