“Hoohoo… It’s so hot.”

"Shia, you're only feeling hot because you're thinking about it. What's flowing before you is just ordinary water... Look, it's so cool, hehe."

"Ugh, Master! Yue is broken! Her eyes have become empty!"

Aside from the heat-resistant Tio, Hajime and the others were on the verge of collapsing. Although Hajime used the cooling artifact to create a cool breeze, it was... just a drop in the bucket. Sweat continued to pour down, and seeing Yue and Shia's hazy consciousness, Hajime wiped the sweat from his chin, thinking that he needed to rest for a while.

Hajime entered a large room and cast "Alchemy" on the wall farthest from the lava, creating a cave. He invited Yue and the others inside and then sealed the opening as tightly as possible to prevent the lava's heat from entering. He then used "Mineral Separation" and "Compression Alchemy" to coat the walls with a hard metal coating, ensuring safety from attacks by whale-shaped monsters and lava jets.

"Hoo... Yue, make some ice. Let's take a break. Otherwise, we'll make a fatal mistake sooner or later."

"Hmm...I understand."

Despite her confused look, Yue still cast her ice magic firmly, creating a huge block of ice in the center of the room. Thoughtful Tio used the ice block as the center, causing wind to blow radially. The cold air from the ice block, along with Tio's wind, instantly cooled the room.

"Huh~ It's so cool~ I'm alive again~"

“…Huh~”

Yue and Xia collapsed on the ground, squinting their eyes, their whole bodies limp, and the lazy Yue and Xia were born.

Hajime thought the two of them looked adorable, and at the same time, he took out towels from the "treasure box" and distributed them to everyone.

"Tsuki, Shia, it's okay if you want to relax, but at least wipe off the sweat. If your body gets too cold, your movements will become sluggish."

“…Hmm~”

"Understood~"

Yue and Shia spoke slowly, spreading out the towels. Tio spoke to Hajime beside them.

"Master seems quite capable."

"I don't have the luxury you do. I can't handle this heat either. I should have made more air-conditioning devices..."

"Hmm, even the master can't handle it... I guess this is the theme of this great maze."

It's not unbearable, but it still feels hot, Tio said as she wiped the sweat off her face. Hearing her words, Hajime couldn't help but feel puzzled.

"theme?"

"Yes, after hearing Master talk about the Great Labyrinth, I had an idea. The Great Labyrinth is a test to challenge God, right? ... Then, each labyrinth should have its own theme. For example, the [Great Labyrinth of Orcus] that Master mentioned is about gaining combat experience through various battles with numerous monsters; the [Great Labyrinth of Raison] is about honing your ability to respond to various attacks without resorting to powerful forces like magic; and the [Great Volcano of Grun] is probably about testing your ability to respond to surprise attacks in a situation where the heat interferes with concentration, right?"

"...I see. I'm going to conquer it anyway, so I haven't given it much thought... You're saying that the Trial itself is the Liberator's 'teaching', right?"

Hajime nodded in agreement with Tio's assessment. She was clearly a masochist, but she also had a knowledgeable and thoughtful side. If she showed that normally, she would be a fiery, sexy, and intelligent black-haired beauty... Hajime looked at her with a look of deep regret.

However, seeing the sweat dripping from Tio's neck and disappearing between her plump breasts, Hajime turned his head unconsciously, only to see Yue and Shia. Their clothes were also soaked with sweat, and their snow-white skin was faintly visible under the clothes that clung to their bodies. This time, Hajime's eyes were drawn to Yue.

Perhaps to wipe the sweat, the pure white shirt was opened wide, and the exposed skin was slightly flushed due to the heat; the skin that was shiny due to sweat was very gorgeous, and coupled with the fact that her breathing was faster than usual, Yue exuded a more sexy and attractive aura.

Hajime forgot to look away, his eyes fixed on Yue, but her gaze met his own as she inadvertently looked up. Seeing Yue's voluptuous appearance, he not only forgot his own situation but also became mesmerized... even a hint of lust welled up in him. He awkwardly tried to look away.

But just as Hajime was about to look away, Yue flashed a seductive smile, catching his gaze. Keeping her shirt open, she arched her back like a cat and slowly crept closer. Her eyes moistened, her cheeks flushed, and every time she moved, the swell of her breasts became faintly visible. Hajime's gaze was captivated, unable to turn away.

Yue crawled in front of Shi, looked up at Shi who was sitting cross-legged, and said in a sweet voice that sounded both coquettish and seductive:

“…Hajime, can you wipe my sweat off my face?”

Hajime unconsciously took the towel Yue offered him, his gaze fixed on Yue's eyes. "Oh no! I don't think I can defeat Yue in this state," he thought. He gave a wry smile and was about to gently reach for Yue's neck... but stopped short when Shia protested.

"You two! Take some time to consider the situation! We're on our way, and this is a huge maze! Seriously! You guys are crazy!"

"No, how should I put it? It can't be helped, right? Yue is too attractive. I can't ignore her."

“…Hajime staring at me is so cute.”

“Do you know what self-reflection means? And why isn’t Hajime-san looking at me? I’m wearing revealing clothes… Ugh, I’ll lose my confidence. Isn’t that what Tio-san thinks too?”

"Because they love each other, there's nothing we can do about it. I also hope that Master will not care about the occasion and abuse me as much as he wants... But Master, you did react to my breasts a little just now - I'll just satisfy you with that for now, hehe."

Tio's comments continued to be perverse, and it seemed that Hajime's earlier observation that the sweat on Tio's chest was sexy had been exposed. Shia, upon hearing this, angrily declared, "Hajime-san didn't even look at me!" Completely forgetting her previous advice about recognizing the situation, she began stripping in front of Hajime, even Tio joining in. Hajime, annoyed, fired rubber bullets to silence them.

Shia rolled on the ground in pain with her breasts exposed, while Tio had a disgusting smile on her face. Hajime wiped Yue's sweat off his face and breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that it was a good thing Kaori wasn't there.

[Guluen Volcano] has about fifty layers.

Hajime and the others were currently on the fiftieth floor. Why did they say "approximately"? Because their situation was somewhat unique, and they weren't sure what floor they were currently on.

Specifically, they were riding on a small boat that looked like it was made of copper-colored rock, drifting along the lava that was like a river in the air.

"I feel like Dr. Indiana on hard mode..."

Hajime muttered, thinking of the most famous and most action-oriented archaeologist on Earth.

As for why they were in this situation... it was simply Hajime's fault. The reason for this was that Hajime and his companions had been conquering the floor earlier while searching for the Stasis Stone. Although the lava continued to heat up, they had noticed that it sometimes flowed unnaturally.

Specifically, for example, although there is no obstacle such as rocks blocking the magma, its flow direction changes drastically; the flow rate slows down rapidly for no apparent reason; and the magma flowing in the air only drips in large quantities from one place.

Because these incidents mostly occurred on the other side of the lava, away from the path, or in areas that wouldn't hinder the strategy, Hajime hadn't paid much attention to them. However, by chance, that area happened to fall within the range of the "Mineral Detection" and discovered that the cause of the unnatural flow was the "Calm Stone." It seemed that the magic power residing in the lava itself was being suppressed by the "Calm Stone," hindering the flow of the lava.

Therefore, Hajime and his companions speculated that where the flow of magma was significantly hindered, there must be a large amount of "Zheng Yin Stone" hidden. Their search revealed numerous locations where this "Zheng Yin Stone" was indeed buried. Hajime and his companions monitored the movement of the magma and collected a considerable amount of "Zheng Yin Stone". To gather as much as possible for future use, they headed to a specific location.

The magma in the air circled around that place, and Hajime used alchemy to create a temporary staircase to approach. After performing "Mineral Exploration", he found a sufficient number of "Zheng Yin Stones" buried there.

Hajime immediately used the skill he had cultivated, 『Mineral Separation』, intending to extract only the Static Stone. However, perhaps due to the heat causing his concentration to decrease, and the constant need to retrieve the Static Stone, Hajime became careless and did not notice what was happening on the other side of the wall.

When the "Zen-Yin Stone" was stored in the "Treasure Vault" and lost its effect, Shi realized his mistake, but it was too late. Lava had already erupted violently from the wall without the Ze-Yin Stone.

Hajime hurriedly retreated, but the magma ejection was very powerful, like a cracked dam bursting, the hole expanded instantly, and the magma flowed out in one breath.

The magma flowed so quickly that they were instantly surrounded by it. While Yue was blocking the way with a barrier, Hajime used his forging technique to create a small boat, and everyone boarded it, saving themselves from the impact. The boat was immediately heated by the scorching lava, but Hajime used the Diamond skill, "Give Strengthen," to apply Diamond's effects to the boat, preventing any damage.

The four of them drifted with the lava, unknowingly sailing on the lava river in the air, following a path different from the stairs, flowing into the depths of the [Gulun Volcano]. Sometimes they would experience the feeling of a scorching water slide, and then they arrived at the current floor.

Incidentally, when the boat reached the lava channel in the sky, it nearly fell through the lava. Fortunately, Shia used the gravity magic "Give Effect" in time to reduce the boat's weight, allowing it to sail above the lava. "Give Effect" adjusts the weight of anything Shia touches to be equal to her own weight.

"Ah, Hajime-san, we're about to enter the tunnel again."

"In terms of altitude, we're pretty much at the foot of the mountain. Maybe something's going to happen?"

Hajime looked in the direction Shia had pointed. The lava river they were sailing on was indeed flowing toward a large hole in the wall. Since the lava itself illuminated the cave, he could see it was indeed flowing downwards. Furthermore, since entering the cave had always led to the next floor, this route was likely a shortcut compared to the normal descent down the stairs.

Hearing Tio's advice, Hajime and the others nodded in response and prepared to enter the cave. The lava path in the air, like a snake, wound its way down through the center of the vast cavern. After sailing for a while, the lava path steadily descended, but around a corner, it suddenly stopped. No, to be more precise, it was about to enter a steep, cascading descent.

“Here we go again… Hold on tight, don’t get thrown out!”

At Hajime's warning, Yue and the others nodded, each grabbing the edge of the boat or Hajime's waist. Just as the tense atmosphere, like gradually reaching the first high point of a roller coaster, finally began to fall.

All they could hear was the whistling of a strong wind, the lava transforming into a swift torrent. Using Shia's gravity magic and Tio's wind control, they steered the boat down the rapids. The lava seemed to have no viscosity, its speed increasing with every passing second.

He forged spikes into the soles of his shoes, securing his body and keeping a vigilant eye on his surroundings. He knew that at such moments...

"Tsk...it's here as expected."

Hajime smacked his lips as he pulled out his Donar and fired without hesitation. Three explosions were heard around him, and three flashes of light flew through the air, hitting the target exactly. The ones attacking Hajime and the others were bats with wings that could spray lava.

If they appeared alone, these lava bats wouldn't pose much of a threat, as they could only fly at high speeds and shoot fireballs mixed with lava. To Shi and the others, they were no different from small fry.

However, the trouble with lava bats is that they attack in groups. Like the "black hornets," seeing one means there are thirty, constantly flying out from the cracks in the rock wall.

Even though Shi had just killed three lava bats in an instant, as expected, the sound of flapping wings began to mix in with the strong wind blowing down the rapids.

“…Hajime, the left and the back are yours.”

"Okay, no problem, Shia, Tio, I'll leave the boat in your hands."

"yes!"

"Yes, I got it. Master, you can reward me by spanking me."

Ignoring Tio's perverted remarks, which she couldn't tell whether they were a joke or serious, Hajime and Yue stood back to back on the diagonal line of the boat, and immediately saw a large number of lava bats appear.

The bats had become a single entity, a vast multitude of lava bats, moving like a group of birds in perfect unison. Their flight and circling like waves gave them the appearance of a dragon. Their wings, coated in lava and blazing red, resembled a fiery dragon.

The lava bats merged into one, approaching Shi and the others, then split into two groups along the way, attacking from the front and rear. Even if each individual was weak, their numbers were enough to form a giant creature, and they could probably win with their human wave tactics.

However, the large number of monsters that have become nutrients for the earth in [Ur Town] proves that the cheating group here is not an opponent that can be defeated simply by relying on numbers.

"Numbers must be balanced by numbers. Take my bullets!"

Hajime took out the electromagnetic acceleration machine gun "Majerai" from the "treasure box", put the gun on his waist, and pulled the trigger at the monster.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! The distinct sound of gunfire rang out, and the Storm of Killing Intent unleashed its terrifying power to its fullest. Each bullet pierced relentlessly into the distance, shattering the cave walls. Within the distance before impact, all the Lava Bats in the line of fire were powerless, mercilessly shattered by the bullets and plummeting to the ground.

Not only that, Hajime even unleashed his rocket launcher, the "Alcorn," and holding Majore in one hand while hoisting him onto his shoulder with the other, he mercilessly unleashed its brutal power. The rocket, trailing a trail of fire, flew towards the swarm of bats that had been forced together by Majore's barrage of fire, striking them squarely in the middle, erupting with a powerful explosion and impact.

The results speak for themselves: the lava bat colony was blasted to pieces, and the fragments of their bodies formed a brief shower.

The lava bats approaching from behind suffered the same fate.

"—"Rain Dragon"

Yue extended her right hand straight out. The moment she uttered these two words, a strong green wind gathered into a sphere. In the blink of an eye, it unfurled like feathers, transforming into a dragon. This wind dragon, woven from green winds, was called the "Mist Dragon." It glared at the lava bats, then opened its maw and pounced on its pitiful prey, intending to devour it completely.

The lava bats, besides firing flaming bombs, split into two groups again to evade the "Smoke Dragon," attempting to circumvent it. However, Yue's "dragons" were all complex magics combined with gravity magic, so the "Smoke Dragon" was certainly not simply a dragon woven from wind. While its exterior consisted of wind blades, its interior contained gravity, capable of pulling enemies towards it. Once this magic was activated, escape would be impossible.

Like the monsters that had been prey to the Thunder Dragon and the Azure Dragon in the past, the lava bats were powerless and were forcibly pulled towards the Storm Dragon, where they were chopped apart by the wind blades, their flesh and blood scattering. Furthermore, Yue didn't use the Thunder Dragon or the Azure Dragon because the lava bats seemed to be able to withstand high temperatures, and he judged that simply cutting off their wings would be enough.

Finally, the "Lanlong" exploded in the center of the bat group, and the hundreds of wind blades that made up its body spread out in all directions, completely annihilating the lava bats.

"Hmm~ Whenever I see it, Master and Yue's destructive power is terrifying."

"As expected of them both."

Tio and Shia steered the boat skillfully, navigating the rapids with a wry smile, praising them. Hajime shrugged and put Majore and Alcorn into the "treasure vault." Seeing Yue puffing out her chest triumphantly, Hajime patted her head and turned his gaze back to the front. Yue also smiled happily at Hajime's actions, and her eyes once again became alert to her surroundings.

Seeing them casually flirting whenever they got the chance, Shia let out a sigh of "I'm so lonely! Don't ignore me!", and Tio joined in the plea. Despite a slightly awkward expression, Hajime still gently stroked Shia's bunny ears and pinched Tio's cheek firmly.

Just this action alone made the two of them look extremely happy, so Hajime was helpless.

Under attack from the monsters, Hajime and the others seemed to be at ease as they descended along the magma stream in the sky. However, perhaps as if the heavens were warning them of their lack of flexibility, the magma that had been flowing downwards suddenly began to flow upwards.

After the boat rapidly climbed several dozen meters, a bright light appeared ahead, marking the cave's exit. The problem was that this time the lava flow truly stopped there.

"Hold on tight!"

Hearing Hajime's command, Yue and the others clung to the boat again. The boat was thrown out of the cave at a tremendous speed as it plunged down the rapids.

A sudden feeling of floating washed over him, and while suspended in mid-air, Hajime quickly grasped his surroundings. The space they had entered was even more spacious than the final trial room of the [Rysen Great Labyrinth].

Unlike the rooms in the Great Labyrinth of Laysen, this area wasn't spherical, but rather preserved its natural, irregular shape. Therefore, it was impossible to accurately gauge its size, but it was at least three kilometers in diameter. The ground was almost completely submerged in lava, with rocks rising from it here and there, providing a few footholds.

The surrounding walls have both protruding parts and concave areas - there are still countless lava rivers crisscrossing in the air, and almost all of them flow into the lava sea below.

On the ground was a scorching sea surface and pillars of fire. If the cauldron of hell really existed, this would definitely be the scene. Shi and the others naturally had such thoughts.

However, the most eye-catching sight was the small island nestled in the center of the lava sea. The rocky island rose about ten meters above the surface. If only it were larger than the other rocks, it was covered in a dome of lava. At the center of the island, a spherical lava mass, resembling a miniature sun, was a strange sight enough to capture the attention of Hajime and the others.

“—‘Come on!’”

The boat capsized after rushing out of the cave. Tio flipped the boat back in the air, and everyone controlled their posture and got on the boat again; Yue used "Lai Xiang" to adjust the speed of falling.

The ship landed on the soft lava sea, and Hajime and the others were on full alert, facing a place with an atmosphere that was clearly different from before.

"...Is that the Liberator's secret residence?"

Yue asked, gazing at the central island with the lava dome.

"Given the depth of the floor, it should be right there, but then..."

"Logically, there should be a final guardian...right, Master?"

"We took a shortcut here. Is it possible that we've already passed the Guardian?"

Tio voiced Hajime's thoughts, her sharp gaze wary of the surroundings, not missing any unusual signs. It was hard to believe she was a masochist or a pervert. Shia, seeing Hajime and the others' serious expressions, even with her nerves tense, kept her gaze fixed in a certain direction, trying to offer an optimistic argument.

Hajime followed Shia's gaze and saw a large foothold and stairs—leading to the back of the wall; if he had taken the normal route, he would probably have come out from that staircase.

However, even if the lava river flowing through the air was a path impossible to traverse normally, it would be overly optimistic to think that the final trial of the Great Labyrinth could be traversed by taking a shortcut. Shia said, "It would be great if we could just get through directly~" but her sharp expression showed that she herself didn't believe such a thing would happen.

Then, the magma flowing in the air shot out lava bullets, proving that Hajime and the others were right to be on the alert.

"Well, leave it to me!"

After Tio said this, she cast a spell at the same time, and flames flew out from the magma sea, offsetting the lava blocks approaching from above.

However, the attack just now seemed to be just a signal to start the war. After the flames released by Tio and the lava were offset and scattered, the lava sea and the lava river above immediately shot out flames like machine guns.

"Pfft! Everyone, disperse!"

Hajime judged that if they continued like this, they would be trapped in their current location along with the boat, so he ordered everyone to abandon the boat and scatter to the nearby rocks. A huge number of flames instantly smashed the boat they had just been riding into pieces, sinking it into the sea of ​​magma.

They each landed on different rocks, facing the lava blocks that followed them. While the attacks themselves weren't particularly strenuous, the constant onslaught, with no clear end in sight, caused a fretful expression to cross the faces of Hajime and the others. This irritation was also due to the heat waves from the magma sea, which distorted the scenery.

In order to break the current situation, Hajime turned his gun to reload bullets for Donal & Hulak, and without looking back, he pointed Hulak's gun directly behind him and fired shotgun shells with the elbow of his prosthetic hand facing forward to hit the lava blocks; Hulak fired continuously towards the back, shooting down the lava blocks approaching Yue from behind.

Without words, Yue immediately understood Hajime's intention and took advantage of this moment to activate gravity magic.

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