"Why is there so much lava here?" Haruto muttered, taking in the intimidating landscape around them.
Haruto, Brig, Gale, and Cohn had finally arrived at one of the junctures leading into the edge of the Inferno Lands. As Brig predicted, the journey had been arduous, taking longer than expected. Along the way, they encountered wild monsters, but thanks to their collective teamwork, they dispatched them efficiently.
"Let's go," Brig commanded, taking the lead. The path ahead was a crumbling rock pathway spanning a river of lava, stretching several hundred meters. The moment Brig stepped onto the path, he felt his mana and health plummet by almost half. "What the fuck!" He instantly retreated, arms outstretched to prevent anyone from following.
The rest of the group immediately went on high alert, thinking they were under attack. Gale ran up. "What happened?"
"Quick, cast a heal on me!" Brig demanded, chugging a mana potion to recover his lost energy. "The moment I set foot on that pathway, it was like I was inflicted with a burn or curse."
Gale frowned, deep in thought. "How are we gonna cross? I'm a healer; with my speed, there's no way I'd make it."
"So it happened to you guys as well?" A voice called out from nearby.
Turning to see who spoke, they saw a man approaching. He was formidable in appearance, with short cropped purple hair and iridescent eyes that resembled a feline's. Brig knew the man would have been extremely popular in his school.
"My apologies. Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Solan, and it seems we both have a mutual problem with this bridge."
Haruto examined Solan. From his initial impression, Solan didn't seem to have any bad intentions. Ever since his reincarnation, Haruto had developed a sixth sense about people. And right now, that sense wasn't warning him.
"You're Warlords, aren't you?" Solan asked, noticing their insignias. Brig nodded.
"Really? Whoa, actual Warlords!" Solan exclaimed, surprising Haruto with his ignorance.
"You were saying something about our mutual problem?" Brig reminded Solan, trying to steer the conversation back on track.
"Ah, right. It's just my first time seeing actual Warlords. In my country, we don't really have anything akin to you." Solan explained. "So, let me guess. You stepped on the path and immediately took damage?"
Brig nodded. "Yeah, that stupid path is now my mortal enemy to the end of time." Haruto stared blankly, wondering how one could be mortal enemies with a bridge.
Solan laughed nervously at Brig's strange remark. "Well, I found during my research that you need a certain number of people to cross without taking damage. It seems to be a Demon Clan security measure. Unfortunately, we tried with three, and my two-party members died before even reaching a quarter of the way. You were lucky. You took a single step. The further you go, the more it affects you. Whatever it is, weapons and magic don't work against it. It's a terrifying magic formation."
'That must be it. The number on the map,' Haruto thought. Everything seemed to add up. Brig likely survived because of his magic resistance, but not everyone was that fortunate. "So we need five people to cross. That's why the map had that number five on it."
It struck the group instantly. The cartographer must have been warning that if they wanted to enter, they needed five members.
"That's the same conclusion I came to. It's hard to find people willing to risk their lives. Someone with extreme durability might make the trip, but it's a dangerous gamble. Do you see why we have a mutual problem?" Solan stated.
"He's right. We need five to cross. Even if we went separately, I don't have the mana to heal that many times," Gale said firmly.
Brig nodded. "Then it's decided. We'll cross together and then go our separate ways. We still have a mission to complete."
"Oh? Don't be in such a hurry to get rid of me." Solan pouted playfully. "I don't have any friends, and no one wants to venture here due to the conflict. I promise I am capable."
Haruto was put off. "Why are you wiggling like a woman? Stop that!"
Solan chuckled. "Fine, fine." Moments later, Solan had joined Brig's group. As they suspected, with five members, no one took any damage.
"I wonder if these formations are all around the Inferno Lands or just near the border," Solan mused.
"If that's the case, one would be a fool to explore alone. It's such a dangerous task," Haruto stated.
Haruto sat in thought. How could something so crucial as needing five members be left off the mission tasking? It seemed like a major oversight by the guild. However, if the guild sent more than five players, it's unlikely they even knew about the defense mechanism.
It didn't take long for them to cross to the other side of the pathway. As they stepped off, a light enveloped them. "What the hell is going on now?" Brig exclaimed, scared of another trap. Haruto received a message through his divine band.
[You have received a magical buff from the Demon Clan. This buff will remain active until departing from the Inferno Lands. For security reasons, should a member depart from the group, the bounded flame will activate, destroying the member.]
Haruto noticed the rest of the group seemed oblivious to the message. 'Is it a feature of the band?'
"It appears this light is some type of magical buff. We may have to stay together for it to remain active," Haruto said, trying to sound casual.
Solan narrowed his eyes at the seemingly well-timed guess. "That seems the most logical answer."
"Solan is right. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that this formation is here for a reason. I've heard stories of Val attack teams moving in groups of two or three. If they're contesting the border, it makes sense this formation would be here."
"This is a rather unexpected turn of events. What do you all intend to do?" Solan asked nervously. He had waited days for someone to come by so he could explore the Inferno Lands. If they dismissed him, he'd be back to square one.
"Since we still share a common goal, we should locate the Inferno Ridge," Brig stated. Their group was in a precarious position. If someone died or ventured off, it was over for them.
"I agree. This place is becoming more troublesome than I imagined," Solan stated.
'In many ways,' Brig thought. He didn't like surprises on missions. Despite his medium ranking, Brig's leadership could rival those within the top 20 of the guild.
Haruto set his gaze on the towering volcano in the distance. It was a single volcano, yet its size was massive, making the mountains back home look insignificant. Even from this distance, Haruto felt as if a pair of eyes were watching them. Especially him. That sixth sense was going off, making the hairs on his neck stand on end, as if they were being observed by a vicious monster looking at prey.
As they began to make their way deeper into the Inferno Lands, they were completely unaware of the true dangers that lay ahead.