Chapter 202. The Burning Wastes 4

Ariel's accidental initiation of the battle drew in more than two-thirds of the monsters in the Burning Wastes. The commotion among the fire bats on the volcano closest to their campsite, combined with the thunderous roar of her autocannons, attracted nearby monsters. Stray rounds also caught the attention of those around the other two volcanoes, leaving only the volcano furthest from camp undisturbed.

With the battle over, Ariel headed out to finish clearing the remaining monsters, relying on her speed and long-range firepower to eliminate them safely while completing her scouting of the room. Bastion resumed his geological survey, leaving Lilia and Seraphina to handle the cleanup. Lilia rebuilt the traps and added even more water pits after finding them to be the most effective defense against the horde, while Seraphina happily collected the loot and dumped everything into a public unsorted storage for the group to sort through later.

With that, they wrapped up their first day in the Burning Wastes and regrouped that evening with Elyra, who'd finished investigating the labyrinth. They gathered inside Ariel's mushroom house, the most luxurious of the bunch, where the interior had a cozy, enchanted woodland atmosphere. Soft grass carpet covered the floor, wooden cabinets, shelves, and stands furnished the livingroom, while clusters of glowing fungi spread across the ceiling bathed everything in a gentle, warm light. They sat around a wide tree stump that served as a table, their mushroom chairs featuring soft cushioning and flexible backrests that were as comfortable as recliners.

“These are very nice and comfortable,” Lilia commented as she leaned back, the softness nearly lulling her to sleep.

“Why did we never use these before?” Ariel asked.

“They come as part of the spore strain, so unless you want to grow a two-story house inside the carriage, I’d look somewhere else for a comfy chair,” Seraphina answered.

“How did your investigation go, Ely?” Bastion asked.

“Our room is part of the Rank 3 elemental series, meaning our neighbors are the other five basic element rooms. They all connect to a shared corridor leading back into the main labyrinth, which changes monthly, so we’ll likely remain neighbors for the foreseeable future. I checked the rooms and they appeared unoccupied, though they all shared the same dangerously hostile environments. I doubt we’ll have any neighbors during our stay,” Elyra reported as she finished serving tea and stood beside Bastion.

Not once in her lifetime had she indulged in casual comforts, aside from when Bastion was spoiling her, so everyone was already accustomed to her strict and disciplined demeanor.

“We’re allowed to go into the other rooms to hunt, right?” Lilia asked.

“Yup. As long as no one is actively telling us to leave, we can visit and farm the other rooms,” Ariel answered as the group’s resident expert adventurer.

“Speaking of which, how did the scouting go, Ariel?” Bastion asked.

“It was easy since there was more space to retreat,” Ariel replied. “The fire bats can be found hiding in high-elevation caves or near the mouths of the volcanoes. The fire salamanders stay in the lava, while the fire elementals drift through the air between the four volcanoes. The hellhounds have claimed the center of the room, and the cinder skeletons roam the outer areas. The magma beasts and inferno golems don’t seem to have any fixed spawn points. They just wander wherever they please.”

“So Lilia will take charge of hunting the fire elementals, while you handle the fire bats since you’re more accurate,” Bastion said. “After that, we’ll move toward the center of the four volcanoes and clear everything in our path. Once we’re there, we’ll draw in the fire elementals and fire bats first, then create a large enough disturbance to attract any remaining groups we missed. Since we’ll be at the center, a single Taunt from me should be enough.”

“Can we handle that?” Seraphina asked. “I don’t want to spend any more Rank 3 potions.”

“We should be able to,” Bastion replied. “Ariel managed to draw in two-thirds of the room’s monsters from a single disturbance, so their aggro range is quite large. We’ll do a test run next week and adjust the plan if necessary.”

“Anyway,” Ariel continued, “after I cleared the remaining mobs and collected their drops, I checked the other volcanoes, and they were filled with fire crystals. I don’t think you’ll have any trouble with propellant from now on. Actually, there’s probably more than we need, so Seraphina can make even more bombs.”

“That’s good,” Seraphina said. “Fire crystals were too common in the Phoenixhart Duchy, so it wasn’t until we left the Kingdom of Brilliance that I realized how scarce they were elsewhere. With this excess, I can start considering making Rank 3 bombs or even Rank 4 bombs, though those would require a stupidly large container to replicate the effect.”

“What about the loot?” Bastion asked.

“It’s enough to serve as supplementary materials for high Rank 2 propellants. Actually, I can even make Rank 3 versions. Unlike potions, I don’t need much mana to mix them together and compress them into tiny pellets.”

“So if I can make Rank 3 guns and bullets from Sunforged Gold, can you mass-produce propellants for them?”

“Easily.”

“Can you make Rank 3 guns, though?” Lilia asked skeptically, turning her gaze toward Bastion. “You’re already struggling to make Rank 2 equipment since you’re avoiding the use of special fires. I mean... it took you years to make that hunk of junk, and it just got torn apart in less than a minute.”

Bastion smiled wryly at the jab. The mech suit had been impressive in theory but disappointing in practice. He’d spent years working on it with the Rank 2 Blood Iron he collected from the cavern, yet shaping the material remained painfully slow. Now he was somehow planning to make Rank 3 equipment?

“It’ll take a long time and plenty of practice,” Bastion said, “but I can probably work something out within a century. I don’t plan to make Rank 3 autocannon bullets, though, since that’d be pointless. At most, I’ll focus on Ariel’s hand cannons and my own cannon.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Seraphina said, while Lilia simply shrugged.

Unlike Bastion’s complicated relationship with his summon, Lilia was practically a genius at enchanting thanks to Mana Weave. She was confident enough to work with unrefined Rank 3 materials and apply powerful enchantments to them. However, if she had to be honest, the materials Pebbles produced were the absolute peak for her craft, offering a level of quality that made them the perfect canvas for her enchantments. She understood why Bastion was willing to put in the extra effort.

“Master, a pair of guards is heading this way,” Elyra suddenly said.

“I guess they haven't made today's inspection yet,” Seraphina said.

“Or they were just informed someone claimed the Burning Wastes,” Ariel added. “This could be their first visit.”

“Either way, let's go greet them,” Bastion said. “It's best to know the people we'll be dealing with from now on.”

The group got up and headed to the dungeon entrance. A few minutes later, two guards arrived, both Rank 2 and clad in standard-issue full plate armor with matching swords.

“Are you the party registered for the Burning Wastes?” the friendly looking guard asked. “Bastion Diamondhart and his harem party?”

His partner clicked his tongue in obvious disdain.

“That would be us,” Bastion replied, ignoring the slight.

“I'll need to see your guild cards.”

Bastion and the girls handed them over. The guard checked each one, comparing the names and portraits before nodding in satisfaction.

“Everything checks out. We just need to inspect the room, then we'll be on our way.”

“Of course.”

Bastion stepped aside, and the girls followed suit.

As the pair entered, the second guard openly ogled the girls while the first focused on inspecting the room.

“Wow, you've settled in quickly,” the first guard said. “Even your defenses are impressive.”

“Thank you.”

The second guard's attention shifted from the girls to the defensive perimeter. His eyes lingered on the golems and the firearms positioned behind the barrier. A flicker of greed crossed his face at the sight of weapons that were prohibitively expensive throughout most Rank 3 kingdoms.

“Well, everything looks to be in order,” the first guard said. “I should mention something, though. We're a bit short-staffed, and rooms like this one aren't exactly popular. Since you already have solid defenses, our captain would likely recommend reducing inspections from daily to once every few months during your stay. I apologize for the inconvenience.”

“That won't be a problem,” Bastion replied. “We're confident in our ability to defend ourselves. You can let your captain know we're only renting the room to establish our legal claim.”

“I understand. I'll pass that along. Have a good day.”

“You too.”

They shook hands before the two guards headed back toward the labyrinth, the second guard casting one last lingering glance at Seraphina's cleavage before leaving.

As soon as they were gone, Elyra stepped beside Bastion. Pitch black mana overflowed from her eyes, spreading across her face in vein-like patterns.

“I sensed hostile intent. Shall I investigate, Master?”

“Just mark him and listen in,” Bastion said. “Don't expose yourself. There could be a perceptive Rank 3 who’ll catch you. If your mark gets removed, that'll tell us everything we need to know.”

“Understood, Master,” Elyra replied before melting into the shadows.

“It seems our stay here is going to be a little more interesting,” Bastion said with a smile.

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