THUD!
The third disaster pressed everyone down harder than the previous two combined.
“Due to the high concentration of mana vapor denser than mana storm, I can’t see ahead even with [Search Eye]. This is quite dangerous.”
“It’s agonizing that without Irene’s Domain Expansion, we’d suffer burns instantly. Ugh. At this rate, we can’t advance freely.”
“We can endure to some degree with our strength. It’s just that the consumption is immense, and that’s a burden.”
In an environment where visibility was severely restricted, they had no choice but to rely heavily on their instincts.
In this respect, Irene, Dorothy, and Rockbell were fortunate.
While Irene’s ice elemental power blocked the heat from the lava fields, Dorothy used her keen intuition to find a path.
The party was forged anew, growing stronger as they united.
SSSSSHHHH!
“Ah, the steam…!”
Suddenly, steam burst through the gap, threatening Irene’s domain as Rockbell’s sword, extending like a serpent, split the ground, deflecting the steam’s eruption back.
“I’ll need to change swords when we get out. Even with mana coating, the concentration of mana in the steam is no joke, so my sword’s taking damage.”
Thanks to their thorough division of labor, they aided each other’s survival.
If not for this team, they might not have even made it this far.
“Where has Jiang broken through to?”
“Who knows?”
Irene didn’t express any hopeful thoughts.
She had witnessed countless tragedies on the battlefield.
All she could do was hope they weren’t too late.
“Dorothy. Speed it up. The temperature’s rising, decreasing our time to maintain the domain.”
“If we push too hard, we might step onto the lava!”
“…Fine. Just keep doing as you are.”
What would it have been like if they had entered this place as second-years?
Stepping forward quietly.
The sound of lava flowing.
A steam-veiled view.
As the three of them took cautious steps in a dire environment, they imagined inwardly.
If they had just a bit more mana, would they have had more leeway?
If their elemental affinity or resistance were higher, they could endure in this extreme environment easily.
If only Oknodie were here, they might have soared right through.
With various training, Jiang would probably also have the confidence to step foot in such a place alone.
DISASSEMBLE.
Though the process of thoughts flowed differently, the feelings reached the same conclusion.
Surely, back when they enrolled, the differences hadn’t been so pronounced.
In fact, Oknodie had even seemed a bit weak compared to the rank of Top Student.
And now, she raced ahead with overwhelming superiority, while they struggled to follow.
Professors had expressed concern over Oknodie’s safety and requested a search, but honestly, who would go help whom?
If they had known how perilous it was, they wouldn’t have rushed in to begin with.
Though unspoken, everyone was now worried not about Oknodie, but about Jiang chasing after her.
YIKES!
“If we take too long, we might just see that happen.”
“I have to make a big move.”
“A big move?”
“I’ll instantaneously increase the extent of the domain. We can’t miss the sight of the steam dispersing, the path we must take.”
“!!”
“Can you memorize that, Dorothy?”
“I have to memorize it! A weakling that can’t seize the opportunity when it comes will struggle just to survive in the woods, let alone as a Forest Guardian!”
No matter how chaotic the terrain was, it would surely be easier to memorize than Professor Weird’s blackboard scribbles!
“Here we go.”
Irene unleashed the mana into the half-spheric barrier that surrounded everyone, striking forth like a sword with her mana in a semi-circular domain.
ICE WAVE!
A 2nd tier air spell, Shockwave. Changing its attribute to ice, setting the range to semi-circular, and forcibly pushing against the heavy layer of mana vapor.
The sensation conveyed a weight akin to heavy objects colliding, pulling mana forth.
HEAVE!
“It’s tough. Still… compared to the pressure from that giant monster, this is nothing.”
Having experienced it before, they could devise countermeasures in adversities.
As the exhaustion from having to endure returning the high-purity mana to the enemy was excessively brutal, they decided to use it against them.
Deceive a part of the mana.
“I am using my power to help you.”
STEAM EXPLOSION!
Mixing the steam-saturated air with the Ice Wave, they triggered the high-purity mana embedded in the steam to explode.
The energy, spreading faster than the explosion of vapor, cleared the area like pulling away clouds, extending visibility over 200 meters.
Within it stood a clear ‘Safe Zone.’
As long as they could avoid the labyrinth-like lava pits or flowing lava ground, a place to catch their breath would appear.
FINALLY!
In this urgent situation, the appearance of the safe zone felt more precious than an oasis in the desert.
Yet, before the safety zone, the steam that burst forth disappeared like a mirage.
But with hope shining in her eyes, Dorothy stepped forward, calculating the safe ground with absolute precision.
Not a single misstep or flaw.
ZAP!
Rockbell, deflecting volcanic rocks with his blade under the pressure, mirrored Dorothy’s view, reacting to all remembered hazards.
Finally standing before the Safe Zone, they pondered.
“Has Jiang passed through here?”
“I don’t know. There are no more traces to find.”
“Let’s catch our breath. Dorothy’s intuition desperately needs rest.”
“Well, let’s take a peek one more time then decide. The exit might be unexpectedly close.”
“Ugh. I hope so.”
Having exerted considerable strength, Irene raised one hand, her face drenched in sweat like melting ice while chanting a spell.
Through the window of the habitat in the safe zone, Jiang leaned out with a nonchalant face offering advice.
“That spell, you probably shouldn’t use it anymore. The lava golems floating inside might be really angry and come charging.”
“Really? Thanks for the tip.”
Casually chatting, Irene was about to abandon her spell to seek other options when she realized who she just spoke to and spun around.
Jiang, having appeared out of nowhere, casually slammed the window shut.
“…Huh?”
Why is he here?
—
“I gave up. If I go any further, not only the lava golems but monsters lured by nature mana abound. Even if I brought Rosgini, I think I’d turn to ashes with those higher-level ones lurking.”
Jiang had long since given up breaking through the Mana Disaster.
“Were you worried about Oknodie, chasing after her before us?”
“Do you want to go in?”
At Jiang’s question pointing beyond the Safe Zone, everyone fell silent like they’d just swallowed honey.
“Stealth won’t work. The monsters’ levels are too high to overpower them. So I’m completely stuck. At least with my current strength, I can’t get through.”
If Oknodie had gone through all kinds of howls, the sound specialist might have squeaked by with some weird noises.
Imagining that hilarious scene made Jiang chuckle.
“Haah. What a letdown.”
“Right? We thought we were making our way to rescue Jiang, but now that we’re here, all the strength has drained away.”
“Maybe we should have hidden in a harder place instead?”
“Please bear with me. If Jiang sets out to hide, my ‘instinct’ wouldn’t catch him!”
Unlike the relaxed Irene and Dorothy, who took a deep breath, Rockbell, who usually remained quiet and followed closely behind Dorothy, finally spoke up.
“Do you think Oknodie has already broken through?”
“I didn’t see her.”
“Then she must have.”
After they achieved their goal of rescuing Jiang, feeling drained only intensified when realizing Oknodie had vanished somewhere far away.
The gap had been firmly established, denying even a glimpse of her silhouette.
“Should we return…? After a night, she might pop up looking for food like a stray cat.”
“The senior doesn’t agree with that view.”
“What senior?”
“The senior who permitted entry into the Safe Zone.”
—
[Green Zone]
[Condition to Join: Anyone can enter]
Compared to the safety zone of the previous area that exploited others with entry conditions like a weapon, and used the Heavenly Barrier safety zone to force cooperation, the lava zone’s safety zone was extremely generous.
Naturally, everyone thought it was Jiang’s kindness, shocked to discover a senior with such ethical conditions.
“Didn’t all students on leave lose their humanity and become akin to demonic clans?”
“I thought they would regard the lives of kin as trifles to earn points!”
“Honestly, it’s hard to believe that such a conscientious senior exists.”
In the second year, there were many notorious seniors like Contract Scammer Velocasio.
“Ha ha. That’s because if they don’t suck the lifeblood from each other, they can’t survive. Unlike me, a strong one doesn’t deliberately reject those strong enough to climb up.”
The senior emerging from within the safe zone appeared surprisingly frail looking.
“Is this really a senior…?”
“Wow. I feel like I could take this senior down with one punch.”
“Don’t say such rude things, Dorothy. Judging strength just by looks can land you in serious trouble, which we’ve learned well from the Monster Forest.”
Dorothy’s face paled at the thought of that carelessness.
The fact that their senior looked weak was rather suspicious.
They had made it this far by combining their strengths and wisdom.
Yet this senior was here alone at the heart of the lava zone’s safety area.
Seeing a child wandering in the Demon Realm with a cheerful face brought a doubt over Oknodie’s case.
“What are you doing here, senior?”
“Building affinity.”
“Excuse me?”
“There’s a ton of heat here, right? Such fire-affinity-friendly environments are rarely found except near volcanic regions where mage towers reside. So I’m sitting here boosting my fire affinity and resistance to the max.”
“How long have you been here?”
“Thirteen years this year?”
“……Whaaat? No way, that’s way too insane for a duration.”
Thirteen years stuck here, and he looked like a thirteen-year-old boy who could spark a nod of agreement!
“It’s usually the case with the student dormitory zone; one quirky person is hiding around. You better be careful.”
Irene and Dorothy exchanged glances.
It was proof both shared the same thought.
“Senior. Could you lend us a small favor for our juniors?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
“We have a classmate named Oknodie who passed through here, but we’ve failed to track her down despite our strength. We would appreciate your help in finding her.”
At Irene’s words, Jiang shook his head before the senior could respond.
“That’s impossible. I’d already asked that first.”
“Doesn’t that mean…?”
“I don’t care about that. It’s fine, really.”
“You don’t care?”
“A small request would require a small price.”
The senior from the dormitory zone raised one finger.
“Just give me one mana heart.”
“Excuse me?”
“That thing inside you. The mana organ created while practicing the Mana Flow Technique is called a mana heart.”
Jiang looked at them, bewildered, as if questioning whether they’d still seek assistance.
Irene and Dorothy instinctively felt their hairs stand up with fear.
This senior didn’t just set harmless conditions for entry.
He had left the door wide open, inviting prey into the safety zone.
