Arifureta: From Whelp to Dragonlord (ON Hiatus)

Part 30: Trial by Fire

Guryuu-en Great Volcano probably has fifty floors.

Since it was the current floor Hajime's party was in. The "probably" part was because the floor's situation was a little special. Frankly, they didn't understand anything about the current floor.

But more accurately, Hajime's party was currently on board a brown-colored boulder, like a small boat, on the magma that was flowing like a big river, mid-air.

"It feels like Indiana-san in hard mode eh..." Hajime muttered while recalling the Earth's most famous and too-aggressive Archeologist.

"There was literally a reference to Indiana Jones back at the Raisen Great Dungeon."

"Where is your sense of adventure Sumeragi Keiji." Hajime stated.

"I left it in the place where hopes and dreams go to die, wanna go recover it with me it's called Hell."

"Geez what has got you so worked up."

"I'm fine with heat but since I've been inside an active volcano I'm sweating like Ninja right now and it's uncomfortable." 

"Here's a towel.."

"Thanks..."

Keiji wipes away his sweat but it wasn't enough so he off his coat and blazer, then loosened his tie before rolling up his sleeves. 

He catches Tio and Shia staring, "What see something you like."

Shia nodded frantically and Tio just shuddered from the intensity of his glare.

As for the reason why they were in this situation... truthfully, it was Hajime's mistake. Hajime's party had noticed the magma that continued to scorch them, was sometimes making unnatural movements while they were searching for the Serene stone right before they completed the floor.

More accurately, the flow of the magma greatly changed even though there was nothing obstructing it before, or the current suddenly slowed, or there was only a part of magma flowing in the air, and it overflowed, thus the magma dripped below.

However, those happened on the magma away from the passage, so they didn't worry about it because it would not disturb them from conquering the floor. However, Hajime by chance used "Mineral Enquiry" to the surrounding and found out that the cause of the magma's unnatural movement was "Serene Stone." It seemed the magic power inside the magma was calmed by "Serene Stone," similar to obstructing the magma flow.

Hajime's party then thought that the place where the magma's movement was strongly obstructed would have a large amount of "Serene Stone." Thus they searched for it and they indeed discovered a large amount of "Serene Stone" buried in that place. While noting the magma's movement, Hajime's party collected a considerable amount of "Serene Stone." Afterward, they came to a certain location while thinking there would be much stone in reserve.

It was a place enclosed by the magma flowing in mid-air like a huge wall. Hajime transmuted a stair to approach it and came to know that a large amount of "Serene Stone" was buried there when he used "Mineral Enquiry."

Immediately, Hajime used "Mineral Separation" to only collect "Serene Stone," but he was careless because he kept collecting "Serene Stone" due to lack of concentration from the heat. He didn't put much attention to the surrounding wall of magma.

Hajime noticed this mistake when he stored the "Serene stone" into "Treasure Box." It was because magma spouted with tremendous momentum from the wall the moment the effect of "Serene Stone" had disappeared.

Hajime immediately jumped back, but the magma was spouting with tremendous power just like water gushing out from the cracked and thus collapsed dam. The hole from where it spouted expanded and more rushed out.