Isekai Nonbiri Sozai Saishu Seikatsu - Chapter 138

After defeating the Magma Golem and finishing their break, Neln and the others moved on to collect materials.

“Easy does it, okay? If we damage it even a little, it’s ruined.”

“We’ll be careful.”

“Don’t stress me out! Quit pressuring me!”

Alex tries to carve out the heart of the Magma Golem with his sword, while Gilles and Franryule watch anxiously.

If this gets damaged and becomes unusable, the task won’t be cleared.

They need to find and defeat another Magma Golem and obtain its materials.

Considering the battle earlier, they probably don’t want to deal with another troublesome Magma Golem.

“…If he fails, I will push Alex into the magma.”

“Neln looks serious, so be afraid!”

Despite being scared by their comrades’ pressure, Alex continues to wield his sword, and then…

“All right! Got the task materials!”

Alex raises the material he carved out with his sword.

【Fire Doll Heart – Normal】

The core located in the heart of the Magma Golem.

It’s shaped like a human heart and contains intense heat.

It can be processed into magical tools, items, or weapons. However, delicate handling of fire magic is required for processing.

It was surprising how it resembled a human heart, but upon appraisal, it was indeed a solid material from the Magma Golem.

It had a rough, reddish-purple appearance similar to a heart. It seemed that it was indeed the core of the Magma Golem.

“Can I touch it a bit!?”

Unfortunately, since I’ve never encountered a Magma Golem before, I haven’t been able to collect materials. Right now, the priority is the Volkanos’ eggs, but I still want to take a good look at and touch unknown materials.

“O-Okay. But it’s hot, so wear fire-resistant gloves, okay?”

“I’ve got them on!”

Immediately donning fire-resistant gloves, Alex handed it over with an air of slight retreat.

“Wow, so this is the material from the Magma Golem…!”

It was heavier and more substantial than I had expected. Moreover, its colors were more vibrant up close compared to seeing it from afar. The gradient changing from red to bluish-purple was both beautiful and eerie.

The fact that the material was labeled as “Heart of the Fire Golem” instead of simply “Core” seemed fitting for its appearance.

Even with fire-resistant gloves on, I could feel the heat seeping through.

It may not have an obviously hot appearance like a heated stone, but there’s a considerable amount of heat stored inside, just like a heart.

“…Is the heart of the Magma Golem really that rare?”

Neln tilts her head curiously as she gazes intently at the material.

“Rather than rare, I just like collecting materials I’ve never seen before. That’s why I became an adventurer, to gather lots of things like that.”

“Huh, Shuu-san, you’re kind of weird.”

It’s not surprising for Alex to say that.

Adventurers are like free-spirited jack-of-all-trades. The reasons people aspire to become adventurers are usually to aim for riches, seek freedom, or desire honor by defeating powerful monsters.

People like me, who love materials and strive to collect them, are a minority.

“But thanks to people like that, we’re able to conduct research at the academy. We mustn’t forget to show our respect.”

“That’s right!”

“I’m not that noble of a person. I just happen to enjoy collecting materials,”

Gilles and Franryule praise me with clear eyes, but I feel embarrassed because I’m not such an admirable person.

I just like gathering materials freely, after all.

For now, I return the materials from the Magma Golem.

Alex carefully takes it and stores it in a heat-resistant bottle.

“Now, I’d like to go collect Volkanos’ eggs next, but are you all feeling okay in terms of stamina and magical energy? If it’s too much, we can retreat back to Eld for now…”

After such intense battles, I’m worried about Franryule and the others’ physical condition. If it’s too much, it’s perfectly fine to temporarily retreat and come back tomorrow.

“We’ve rested, so there shouldn’t be any problem! I’ve also taken potions, so my magical energy will recover soon.”

“…It’s tough to be told to fight actively, but if that’s not the case, then I’m fine.”

“I’m good to go! Plus, I’m not injured at all.”

“I’m fine as I am.”

It seems that all four of them are fine in terms of stamina and magical energy.

Although there’s some fatigue, it doesn’t seem to be causing any problems.

“Understood. Let’s head to the Volkanos’ nest.”

“Yes!”

With all four of them nodding firmly, I start walking towards the top of the Volkanos’ nest.

From here on, it’s not a task but my personal request. I’m just asking them for assistance, so I need to work hard.

“Um, what should we do?”

As I lead the way, Franryule asks.

That’s right. I understand the plan, but they don’t. It’s one of the drawbacks of often working alone. I need to explain the plan clearly.

“I mainly need your help in stealing the eggs from the Volkanos’ nest. And when we carry the stolen items, I need you to help clear out any monsters that attack us.”

“Understood.”

“We’ll observe the nest before attempting to steal the eggs. First, let’s share the escape routes.”

I hand a map detailing the escape routes to Franryule, who nods in agreement.

The other three also peer at the map.

“…It’s a very detailed map.”

“There are several routes and branches, but we’ll decide based on the situation at that time. Basically, we’ll plan to escape using the routes marked in red.”

The investigation of the route for transporting the eggs has already been completed. Now, all that’s left is to proceed there with the help of the four of us.

“Just looking at it gives me a headache.”

“But with this, we should be able to proceed safely.”

“I don’t think the monster habitat areas have changed much since yesterday’s investigation, but it would be helpful if you could somehow grasp it.”

While certain habitat areas are predetermined, it’s not guaranteed that monsters will always be there. Even if you think they’re there, they might not be, or there might be monsters where they shouldn’t be. It’s just a reference.

“The problem is how far the Volkanos will chase us. That will affect our route selection and the level of danger.”

Honestly, no matter how much information we gather, this is unpredictable.

Will the Volkanos give up once we’ve escaped from the nest? But considering its vigilance and aggressiveness, it doesn’t seem like it would give up easily.

While we are considering the possibility of being pursued to some extent, ideally, we want to shake it off at the top.

“Ugh, I don’t even want to think about being chased by a B-ranked monster.”

“Considering its size, it seems unlikely it could enter the cave, but since it often burrows underground or dives into magma, there’s a possibility it might persistently chase us.”

As if imagining it coming into the cave, everyone falls silent for a moment.

“I-If that happens, let’s cooperate and find a side passage to slip into!”

“That’s right. Originally, I was planning to transport it alone, but if we all cooperate, we can manage somehow.”

I laugh, as if dispelling the anxious atmosphere.

It’s important to show composure in situations like this. If the oldest among us, me, shows anxiety, they’ll feel anxious too.

In reality, with four allies, there are fewer concerns, and depending on the situation, we might even be able to muscle through, so there’s no need to be pessimistic.

Although I was the only one supposed to carry the egg, in some cases, I could let someone else carry it while I act as a guard. It was much easier than the strategy I had initially considered.

“Uh, Shuu-san, over there is magma…”

“Oh, it’s okay.”

Seeing me walk towards the magma, Neln calls out, but there’s no problem.

I activate Blizzard and freeze the magma in front of me.

“T-The magma froze!?”

Nearby, Franryule and the others start to buzz with excitement.

The scorching air suddenly transforms into cold.

I make sure with my foot that the ice is solid enough not to break.

“Taking a detour will take time, so let’s go the shortest distance.”

Inside the cave, there is often a lot of magma, so we often have to take a roundabout route, but if we go in a straight line, the distance itself is short.

By freezing the magma like this and moving forward, we can surprisingly reach the top quite quickly.

“…Could it be that Shuu-san has been holding back for our sake all this time?”

“I thought I was going to have to help a lot, but I feel like it’s going to work out somehow.”

“…Really B-rank? It feels more like it’s higher than that…”