The journey took a few more days. No one was sure how long it took, as their time perception was messed up inside that dimensional space. But finally, after enduring lots of fights against the beasts, they finally reached the volcano.
It was huge. Arthur and the others were at the base, and when looking up, one could not see the top of it. Now that they were closer, it was possible to see a tunnel that led towards the insides of the volcano.
“Something was built inside of it. Maybe the place where the mage trained? If that is the case, then there are lots of treasures there, certainly.” Arthur thought.
They did not venture into the volcano instantly, but rested near the base. It was not in eruption or anything like it, so it was safe, at least for the time being. Even if something like that happened, the tunnel was near, so all they had to do was run toward it.
Arthur was in constant watch of their surroundings, even while talking with Signy, who was trying her best to learn more about him.
She was trying to get him to become her teacher, or at least help her in her way of magic. Arthur was not willing to become someone else’s teacher again, but helping her was not a big deal.
He tried to answer some doubts she had, and even helped with the condensing of spiritual energy, consolidating her in the sixth circle.
Signy was someone that was becoming Arthur’s friend, and he hoped she was a good person indeed, and not someone only after benefits.
Arthur wondered how would she feel if she discovered he was not an old man, but a handsome youth. Would she act rude against him, or fall in love?
“Everyone ready?” Rolf said.
Everyone was a strong word, considering almost everyone had died, leaving only Arthur’s group and two of the Doom Order. The others all perished before reaching their destination.
“Let’s go.”
There were no more reasons to stay outside of the volcano. It was a dangerous place, but it was also the only way out of the dimensional realm, and presumably the place where all the treasures were.
Those who were there were afraid of death, but were also eager to get their hands on some treasures, and maybe reach the next level of their mage journey.
Arthur was no different, wanting to get that bloodline treasure, and increased his power even further. They all went inside with those greedy thoughts in mind.
It was a dark tunnel, and the cold inside the volcano was almost unbearable. Arthur was not someone with an icy resistance, but he was still better off than the rest because of his incredible physique, boosted by both of his bloodlines.
The mages from the Doom Order tried to cast some fire spells to dissipate the coldness. It helped, but only a little. The difference between the power of their fire spells to the coldness was too much.
Even Arthur, who had some fire skills from the dragon race, could not dissipate the cold.
“What is creating this? Even a dragon fire cannot melt it!”
The danger of that place increased, making Arthur increased his attention to avoid any missteps that could lead to his demise.
Everyone else felt the same way, slowly exploring the narrow tunnel into finally reaching a building. It was a double-door, and a wall made of cobblestone.
Arthur guessed it was the entrance to the place where the mage trained. So, the dangers were about to increase by a lot, as there was no way the mage would allow intruders to steal their treasures with ease.
The only hope they had was that the mage had long died, and the protective mechanisms turned old, therefore not working properly.
He went close to the wall, inspecting it, passing his hand through it to see if there was something different about it, but nothing happened.
They were happy that it did not trigger any traps.
“Arthur, be careful. Don’t touch things without thinking.” Rolf said.
Arthur ignored him. With his dragon senses, he scanned the wall before touching it, and was sure there was nothing strange about it. The only reason he touch it was to make sure.
He also had George watching everything, who gave insights about what was happening, increasing the knowledge Arthur had about the place.
“Usually mages create this type of fortress to meditate inside with no one disturbing them, and also to store treasures and do experiments. You better expect traps inside these places, and even if a long time had passed, some of these traps will still work.” George said.
“Sorry. Shall we enter?” Arthur said.
All of them prepared themselves before pushing the door, revealing what was on the other side of it. Just like Arthur guessed, it was a common room, all made with the same cobblestone from the wall before.
But different from the tunnel, these rooms were large and tall, pushing away the claustrophobic feeling.
Just by glancing at it, one could tell it was like a home, divided into specific rooms, such as the meditating room, the treasure room, laboratory, and so on.
“We should be careful now, as this place can still have traps.”
They all knew that, but what they did not know was that someone was watching them from a type of screen created by magic.
It was someone that looked like a corpse, with white hair, and barely any meat in its body.
That person wore a red long robe, and was laughing like a maniac while staring at the screen.
“Finally, some living humans are inside my realm, hehehe. Will this be enough for me to recover some of my strength and leave this place? How should I proceed with this?”
What that figure said was unknown to Arthur and the others, who were more concerned about the traps the place could have, and about the treasures they were about to get.