'In the end, it was a place where there was nothing to do except get heavy metal.

'That's true. My inventory was pretty full, though.

　After three hours of strolling around, leaving room for Tomatton's effects, we were escaping from the Scorching Grotto, slightly discouraged by the fact that we couldn't find a single piece of the boss even when we reached the deepest part.
　In addition to the heavy metal, there were also drops of light steel and a new ore called "Red Metal", as well as encounters with monsters such as "Dodrock", which looks like an evolved form of Dodrock, and "Drock", which is a pre-evolved monster.
　I think it was quite a fruitful exploration for only three hours.
　Still, it's human nature to want something to be found at the bottom.
　Feeling frustrated, we decided to explore the permanent scorched earth only while the effect of Tomatton lasted.

'However, there's nothing here.

　The perpetual scorched earth is a field of burnt and smoldering earth. The earth cracks and burns red, releasing heat, but basically there is just the black ground that has burned up, no trees, no living things.
　Among them, there is a flat field with ancient ruins of flame and a mountain field with scorching rock caves, and we are in the mountain field.
　There are not as many monsters as in the Pyroclastic Caves, so it feels like a simple hike up a mountain. It's a little too desolate for a picnic.

'We don't have much time, let's go back when we reach the nearest top.

'Yes, we should. We're already within sight of it.

　Although my inventory was well within capacity, there was no reason for me to stay long, since my inventory was already full.
　That's why I set a simple goal and climbed up to the top, where I found a spacious area with a view of the entire Pyroclastic Grotto.

'Is that the ancient ruins of the Flame ......?

'It's a big hole in the perpetual scorched earth, so it's ...... that, isn't it?'

　Just beyond our line of sight, there was a large hole that seemed to have been blasted through a flat field. You can see the smoldering earth overlapping like a mille-feuille, and that hole seems to be the place where the ancient ruins of the Flame are located.
　Unlike the World Tree Cave where you have to climb up the World Tree, the Ancient Ruins of the Flame is basically a place where you have to dive down, but looking at it like this, it seems that you have to go through the middle of the perpetual scorched earth.
　I guess that means we have to prepare enough tomatons for a long exploration.
　Everyone I know, including Lin and Ah, seems to be heading for Griffith through the World Tree Cave.
　Lin chose to go through the World Tree Cave because she couldn't use her magic freely in the narrow ruins, and Aa chose to go through the World Tree Cave because it was full of rock monsters and not suitable for swordsmen.
　But in reality, it may be that she just doesn't like dungeons that require heat resistance.
　Even though eating tomatons would alleviate some of the heat, it would still be hotter than walking in a normal place.
　Well, whatever the case may be, we'll have to wait until after the event to conquer that place.
　For now, let's just confirm it.

'Well, let's go home, ...... Toka-chan!

'Huh?　What?

　I suddenly felt a sense of dread, and quickly pulled Toka-chan into my arms.
　Before I could even think about what was going on, a thud!　Before you can even think about what's going on, a huge, burning rock comes crashing down on you.
　I look to the sky. However, there is no shadow of anything, and there is no sign of a huge rock falling in pursuit.
　You look around, but there is no shadow of anything like it. It does not seem to be flying from the side.


　I'll calm down and think about it. The first thing that is strange is that this huge rock is burning.
　The perpetual scorched earth is just a burnt land, not a volcano. As you can see from the scorched-earth cave, digging up this earth should not cause it to burst into flames.
　If that is the case, we should assume that it is an attack from some kind of monster. However, as far as I can see, there is no shadow that looks like it. .......

'No, is that ...... it?

　It was far out of sight, perhaps several kilometers away.
　There is a place where the earth is slightly rising and blowing smoke.
　Judging from its size, which is clearly visible even at a distance, it must be quite large when you get closer.
　I could see the light bursting in the distance. I saw it five times. It's probably the same thing as before, flying at us. Its target is us, of course.
　If we ran away, we probably wouldn't get hit, but I couldn't help but be curious about it.

'Sister, what is this ......'.

'Toka-chan, there are about five more of the same flying towards us. I'm just guessing, but I think they're targeting players who have reached the top of the mountain. I think you should just run away. ......'

　You'll be able to find a lot more than just a few of them.

'......I understand. I knew this was probably going to happen. You're always getting into trouble, aren't you? Here you go, sister.

　Toka-chan operated the menu card with a slightly resigned expression, and applied for the transfer of the item.

'This is .......'

'I bought one without telling my sister. There's no way that Tomatton is the only heat-resistant item.''

　I was so focused on the Tomatton that I overlooked it, but it seems that Toka-chan was able to cover my fault.
　She gave me the Heatproof Potion. The duration of the effect is 2 hours, the same as Tomatton's, but the heat-resistance effect is much higher than Tomatton's.
　Apparently, there are different levels of heat resistance, with Tomatton being able to mitigate environmental effects and weak heat attacks at Lv1, and the Heat Resistance Potion at Lv3.

'Hey, but you're only getting one, what about Toka-chan's?

'If it's true, I'd like to go with you, but ...... I'm sorry, I have plans after this. ......'

'I see. I'm sorry, thank you for going with me.'

'No way, sir. I'm just happy to be able to hang out with you. Well then, good luck, sister.'

'Yes, thank you. I'll be back to poke around as much as I can.



　Maybe it's because there are so many of them. Unlike before, I could hear the roar coming.
　Toka-chan ran down from the top of the mountain to avoid being crushed by the huge rocks, and I looked up at the sky to predict where I would not be hit and avoided it.

'Actually, it would have been reassuring if Toka-chan had been there...'

'What?
'Why can't you hit me?
'Why didn't you hit me?' 'That's what the masters do in the comics.
"Did you leave, Tooka?
"It's no wonder she's a student.

'It's best to keep everything real. Now, I'm going to go see the source of this rock flying at me.

　As I was alone, I could afford to look at the comments, and I started to walk down the mountain slowly, dodging the additional huge rocks that were flying at me.
　I'm sure he's smart enough to know that I'm going to be moving in the right direction, but if it's just a rock falling from above, he can avoid it if he sees the trajectory.
　But if it's just a rock falling from above, you can avoid it by looking at the trajectory. Considering the time it takes to get back, we can't afford to take our time.

'I'm going for a run.

"Where are you?
"What do you see ......?
"Did you use binoculars or something?
"Is that smoke?

　Maybe most of the listeners can't see that unfamiliar object yet.
　I run through the perpetual scorched earth, laughing at the comments that seem to indicate that they don't understand what I'm saying.
　I crush the occasional monster by guiding it to the spot where the huge rocks fall, and dodge the rain of falling rocks while trying not to stop.
　After a few minutes, our destination came into clear view.
　As we approached it, recovering our SP, we were overwhelmed by its size.
　A viscous substance several tens of meters in diameter.
　A slime, to put it simply.
　I don't know what kind of principle it uses, but it has a strange shape, as if flames were trapped inside the translucent viscous material, and it seemed to have been hollowed out of the ground to make a cannonball.
　Perhaps because they were close enough, the rocks had already stopped shooting.
　Instead, six crystals that looked like eyes or cores were looking down at me as if they were assessing me.

《Meneas Lv89, the Flame Immortal》

　The name on the screen was that of a named boss monster.
　The giant slime named Menaeus stood leisurely, making a bouncing sound.