“I have some understanding of human sorcerers, and I admire your principle of equivalent exchange,” said Old Treant Meg after Ivan had been silent for quite some time, unable to contain himself any longer and initiating the conversation.
“Do you mean you’re willing to pay a price?” Ivan asked, enlightened.
“Of course, I am,” Meg nodded vigorously, only to feel embarrassed afterwards, “It’s just that many of my possessions were destroyed when I forcefully passed through the magma, and now I’m afraid I don’t have anything satisfying to offer you.”
While saying this, it fumbled around its body and eventually took off the crown of flowers and grass from its head, which had been blackened by the smoke.
If nothing unexpected happened, this was the only thing it could offer.
“Would you like to hear a suggestion I have?” seeing that the Old Treant had a look of reluctance, Ivan spoke up.
“Human sorcerer, please speak,” Meg said, hastily retracting its hand.
“I’m headed to the underground world on important business. Given that this journey is likely to be fraught with danger, I might need a strong escort to protect me until I leave the underground world,” said Ivan.
“I—I—I am quite powerful unless facing flames and magma—don’t take my word for it, see for yourself.” Meg swayed slightly on the spot, as a stroke of emerald light emerged beneath it.
The light swiftly enveloped its whole body and even covered a considerable area around it.
Another Fake Lord!
“Would you be willing to become my escort until I leave the underground world?”
“I am more than willing.”
“Alright, then let’s sign a contract.”
Ivan drafted a contract right there and passed it to the Old Treant who signed it without a moment’s hesitation, as if afraid he might change his mind. Ivan confirmed its correctness, and felt speechless inside.
He had figured it out.
No matter how ancient the Old Treant seemed, having lived for countless years, at its core, it was a creature of honesty.
The Old Treant completely overlooked the fact that the contract did not specify a particular duration but was only agreed upon until the departure from the underground world. If Ivan decided never to leave, he had no idea how many years the Old Treant would end up serving as his escort.
“You may call me ‘Sorcerer Ivan’, and these are swamp ant and flame scorpion.”
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“I shall remember that, and when we reach the underground, I will do my utmost to ensure your safety, Sorcerer Ivan.”
“Get on board.”
Then, Ivan boarded the lava boat created by the flame scorpion first, followed swiftly by Meg and the swamp ant.
The boat’s portal quickly sealed shut, vanishing in the blink of an eye without leaving a single crevice.
“Sorcerer Ivan, shall we set off?”
“Let’s set off.”
“Right on, everyone hold tight, leave the rest to me, flame scorpion.”
As the sound of water hitting the boat echoed, the lava boat moved forward, sinking into the Molten River.
Like the ‘half-biological construct’, the lava boat and the Sun Gold boat shared the peculiary transparent interior, providing an experience quite similar.
At that moment, they seemed to be sitting within a mass of orange-red magma, with the outside scenery visibly clear, albeit within a limited range of view.
The magma both inside and outside the boat was within reach, yet they didn’t feel the intense burning heat.
“It’s wonderful, absolutely wonderful. This is the first time I’ve come into the magma so peacefully; this time, we will surely reach the underground world,” Meg couldn’t stop observing the surroundings, joy clearly written across its face.
“That’s to be expected, as Sorcerer Ivan has made thorough preparations, taking as long as half a year,” agreed swamp ant.
“Half a year?” Meg’s eyes opened wide as saucers, staring fixedly at Ivan’s silhouette.
“Almost there,” the swamp ant said, puzzled.
“I—I’ve prepared for hundreds of years,” Meg mumbled.
“Hundreds of years! What did you prepare?” The swamp ant’s eyes also widened in disbelief.
“I—ah! Nevermind,” Meg became somewhat dejected.
The swamp ant showed understanding. After all, a treant crossing magma was inherently disadvantaged, especially an old treant who didn’t seem all that sharp.
Meg appeared to be an optimist and soon perked up again, turning its attention to the surroundings.
It knew that the Dark River they had crossed was not difficult, and neither was sneaking through the current Molten River.
The real challenge lay ahead at the faults, scattered with magma of various depths and hues, and floating stones of solidified lava blocking the path— the main habitat of the lava creatures.
Once exposed, they would certainly be attacked by the lava creatures.
Then, the lava creatures would be relentless, one defeated only to be followed by two more, until agitating the furious Lava Lord. For hundreds of years, it had been defeated there, returning each time without success and in embarrassment.
“We must be careful here; there could be a Lava Lord.”
Before long, the lava boat reached the first fault, and Meg couldn’t help but remind everyone.
The so-called ‘fault’ was a place entirely devoid of mountain walls, with nothing in sight but a palette of vibrant and dangerous lavas—orange-red, crimson, blue, green, and more.
Ivan could clearly see that the various colors of the magma were due to the dissolved metals and other substances it contained.
In a different place, he would have certainly collected some.
The lava boat had traveled a great distance in stealth across the fault when suddenly the shadow of a creature loomed, causing a shiver in everyone on board, affecting even the Flame Scorpion itself.
“Sorcerer Ivan, what should I do?” The Flame Scorpion, inexperienced in many matters, understandably felt uncertain.
“What else can we do but continue as we are, and fight back as necessary? There’s no need to fear it,” Ivan said in a deep voice.
The lava boat, originating from the underground magma, blended seamlessly with the surrounding lava, emitting no unusual scent, and was therefore regarded by the lava creatures as one of their own.
The giant lava lizard glared at the Flame Scorpion, which stood its ground and returned the intimidation.
Sure enough, they passed by each other without incident.
Soon after, another lava creature was encountered, and again, the Flame Scorpion showed no signs of distress, passing calmly.
“Good! Very good, what a great Flame Scorpion.”
“Of course.”
The lava creatures were tolerant towards their own kind. With no small amount of luck, the Flame Scorpion safely navigated the faults, until it re-entered the deep passages. On the side of the mountain walls within the passageway, Ivan found Jenny’s markers, confirming they were on the right path.
In the second fault, the magma was predominantly gold.
The temperature of the magma had clearly increased, but the Flame Scorpion was still in its element.
However, the presence of the lava creatures in this fault felt even more menacing, making the Flame Scorpion’s journey a nervous one, yet it ended safely.
In the third fault, the magma was predominantly white.
If all went as expected, this would be the last fault and the place to be most cautious. Fortunately, as the lava boat continued to dive, it didn’t encounter many lava creatures.
“Stop!”
Just as they were about to cross the third fault, Ivan unexpectedly sensed one of Jenny’s markers in the magma, which was unusual and different from the prearranged plan.
Under his guidance, the Flame Scorpion navigated toward it, neither too fast nor too slow.
A floating stone of solidified lava appeared, and Ivan managed to extract a distinctive marker from within—inscribed with text.