As they continued moving forward, the environment became increasingly hostile, not because of monsters this time, but because of the sheer heat radiating from the volcano, which intensified with every step they took.
The air felt heavy. The ground was unstable. And lava could be seen flowing in the distance, slowly spreading across the area.
Interestingly, there were no monsters left around them.
It seemed that even the creatures of this realm avoided getting too close to the volcano itself, as the extreme conditions made it dangerous even for them.
And so eventually... They arrived.
"Here it is," Leon said with a faint grin as they stopped in front of the massive volcano.
At its base was a large cave-like entrance, dark and ominous, clearly leading deeper into the structure where the final boss awaited them.
This was it. The path to the [Volcano Crab King].
Without hesitation, the three of them stepped forward,
The environment became even more intense as they approached the entrance, with molten lava flowing through cracks in the ground.
Leon looked at the two girls beside him, a small grin forming on his face.
"Just a little more," he said, his voice calm but filled with anticipation, "letâs finish this."
"Yay~" Celeste replied with a tired but excited smile, "I seriously hate this realm."
"It wasnât that bad," Emilia shrugged lightly, though she smiled as well, "but yeah... letâs go."
As they advanced toward the entrance, the heat became unbearable, to the point where the very air seemed to burn their lungs with each breath.
And eventually, they were faced with a massive obstacle that made it clear why most players never even reached this part of the [Hellish Beach].
A river of magma stretched across their path, wide and violently flowing, bubbling and bursting with heat so intense that even standing near it felt dangerous.
For a brief moment, the three of them stopped. Then Leon stepped forward.
"Iâll be fine," he said calmly, glancing back at the two of them, "What about you?"
And without waiting for an answerâ
Fwoosh!
Leon stepped directly into the river of lava.
The moment his body made contact, the burning sensation hit him instantly, spreading across his skin like a wave of heat that tried to overwhelm his senses.
But despite that, he didnât stop moving forward, forcing his body to adapt as he pushed through it.
It hurt slightly, there was no denying that, but it wasnât enough to kill him.
That was entirely thanks to [Master of Elements], which granted him resistance comparable to an SS-Level fire affinity, allowing him to endure something that would instantly melt most players without even leaving behind a trace.
Emilia watched him for a second, then shrugged lightly, "I guess Iâll do the same."
And just like that, she stepped into the magma as well.
Unlike Leon, her reaction was even calmer, as if the lava didnât bother her nearly as much.
Her new S-Level sub-talent combined with her absurd [Constitution] multiplier made her body incredibly durable, to the point where even this kind of environment couldnât even damage her properly.
She didnât rush either, simply walking through the molten river with steady steps.
Meanwhile, Celeste stood there, staring at the two of them in disbelief.
"Huh..."
She watched as both Leon and Emilia casually moved through lava like it was just another inconvenience.
"I donât think I can do that..." she muttered, scratching her head.
It wasnât that she couldnât survive it for a short time, but the idea of willingly stepping into lava like that didnât sit well with her at all.
Still, that didnât mean she didnât have her own way of crossing. She exhaled slightly, then focused.
Phoenix Wings!
In an instant, blazing wings erupted from her back, spreading wide with a majestic presence that lit up the area around her.
With a few powerful flaps, Celeste took off, soaring above the river of magma with ease, completely avoiding the danger below.
Thump!
She landed smoothly on the other side, turning back just in time to see Leon and Emilia still making their way through.
"Oh."
After about a minute, Leon finally stepped out of the magma, his armor slightly scorched but still intact, followed shortly by Emilia.
"Iâm never doing this again," Leon said with a grim expression, clearly not enjoying the experience despite surviving it.
Thankfully, he had stored most of his equipment in his [Storage Space] beforehand, leaving only what was necessary, which prevented him from losing anything important.
Emilia, however...
"Wait, what?"
As she stepped out of the lava, the situation became very clear very quickly.
Almost all of her clothes had been completely burned away.
"Damn..." Leon muttered as he immediately turned around, making sure not to look.
Emilia froze for a split second before her face turned bright red, her mind finally catching up with what had just happened.
Without wasting any time, she hurriedly opened her [Storage Space], fumbling slightly as she searched for something to wear.
Thankfully, she found a replacement.
Fwoosh!
A [Moon Sect Devout Robe +5] appeared around her body, covering her instantly.
"Iâm done..." Emilia said after a moment, trying to calm herself down, though the redness on her face didnât fade completely.
Leon waited a few seconds before turning back, "Trying to swim through lava with a robe was..."
"...Stupid, I know," Emilia finished with a small sigh, though she couldnât help but let out a slight laugh afterward, "I really should have thought that through."
She had lost her previous robe, and the new one wasnât nearly as strong, but at least she wasnât standing there with nothing anymore.
"Weâll get you something better later," Leon said calmly, not making a big deal out of it as he turned his attention forward, "For now... letâs keep moving."
The two girls nodded, and together, the three of them stepped into the cave-like entrance of the massive volcano.
The moment they entered, the environment changed again.
They found themselves in a massive hall, the walls made of dark stone covered in glowing crimson cracks, with streams of lava dripping down from above.
The heat inside was even worse than outside, pressing against their bodies constantly, but none of them hesitated.
They walked forward. And at the end of the hallâ
Ding!
[You have entered the "Hellish Volcanoâs Heart"]