In the middle of the vast emptiness of land, hot gasses escape from the hole in the ground and through the mouth of the raging mountain as it roars like a wrathful God. The group adores the sight of an active volcano until the rotten egg smell ends all appreciation but is bearable as they get closer.
Lala enthusiastically runs with Weko following behind her around Jio after she sees a lava river, but Jio tells her that she doesn't need her body to adapt to lava. Jio eventually gives up and focuses on why they visit Mount Mayon.
Jio takes all Firestones from his storage ring and notices the fire magic from the lava slowly getting sucked by the Magicstones. Charging the Firestone at this rate will take the Level 5 Firestones to fully recharge in two days, and Jio doesn't plan on staying that long. He takes Jon out and starts to morph around his body to get close to the lava and into it like using a hot spring.
Lala slowly follows Jio as she walks toward the lava, but she notices that her body is not changing and feels a comfortable temperature in the air that is supposed to be burning hot.
"Geo! Do you think... Think my body can touch the lava?" Lala asks after the lava is a foot away from her.
"Don't be afraid. I think you can do it! Believe in yourself!" Jio replies, smiling, and continues, "You're the strongest Gecko in the world! If you believe me, that is."
"I know I'm awesome, but am not the stron...guest 'cause I'm a kid only. Lying to me won't work, Geo," Lala proudly let out.
"If you say so," Jio replies and continues, "Lala, why don't you think of a swimsuit or something."
Lala remembers that Jio gave her a piece of Jon, and she can control it with her thoughts. Her cute little dress starts to move and morph into a one-piece swimsuit, and she hops into the lava with Jio.
Jio was not surprised that Lala went into the scorching lava without protection, and nothing happened, but with Weko when he gathered Fire magic from the surrounding area and quickly transformed into something that lives in this terrain.
Jio knows that putting the Firestones into the lava would charge them faster but not fast enough.
*Maybe... I can...* Lost in his thought, Jio figures that Jon can be used practically.
He submerges his body and lets Jon, his armor, do all the job as it absorbs the energy and magic around him. Since it absorbs pure energy and magic instead of used or recycled magic, he can directly course everything to his Firestones without breaking.
Pure magic or energy is everywhere; the river, the sky, the mountains, and even the breathable air that all living organisms need to survive contains magic. Knowing the concept of magic or energy makes species with higher intelligence utilize it in many ways, like casting spells or enhancing their body. Few specific creatures use this energy in a different way which developed over many years, like a beast who can control light, produce fire, absorb magic or energy and release it for self-defense. Used magic becomes chaotic and uncontrollable, but with time, it will go back to normal like a storm forming, causing havoc, and in the end, back to nature and makes a beautiful day for a walk.
Deep in his thought and continue to experiment with Jon and decides to devour a few Firestone. After a few breaths, and since it won't mix with Jon, Jio manages to combine and compress them into one unknown level Firestone.
A Magicstone that can spawn calamity in Jio's palm.
"Didn't know about this trick," Jio smiles, proceeds toward the center, and continues absorbing all the lava's magic.
While Lala plays with Weko in the lava like a typical river, swimming, diving, and just having fun, she watches Jio and his armor morph like a tree growing roots or vines, absorbing the nutrients and feeding them to the Firestone.
The lava that radiates heat with a bright orange glow quickly cooks down as the color turns to bright red, then dark red to black, turning to solid obsidian. With the molten rock turning colors and changing states, Jio's Firestone illuminates like it's full of life, and the color varies from bright red to orange to yellow like a little Sun in Jio's palm.
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Jio wants to see what he created, but it's too bright that it's blinding like the Sun, and the heat it emits will burn anyone who tries to touch it.
"Gio! It's sooo bright! What are you holding?" Lala let out as she noticed the light coming from the Firestone.
Her eyes adjust to the light that her body is supposed to do.
*Must make something... Three rings? Three rings!* Jio though
Jio takes three Black Magic Stones out and uses Jon to forge them into rings that will make it hover and absorb the warmth and light from the Firestone, and the last ring's purpose is to put everything back, preventing it from draining when not in use.
"Hahahah, Geo is trap! Gio is traaap!" Lala mocks after Jio puts the Firestone away and sees Jio trap and dirty from the ashes around.
Weko joins Lala and Jio is not happy.
Lala starts to poke Jio's face and plays around the ashes like snow while Reko flies, dropping more ashes. Jio plays with the two, pretending he can't get out and all he can do is tolerate the harassment until a deafening and terrifying roar echoes in the mouth of the volcano.
Jio immediately stands up and grabs Lala and Reko, looking where the sound comes from and thinking of possible beasts they will encounter.
"Geooo! I want to check!" Lala let out, pointing at the mouth of the volcano as she tries to get off from Jio.
"That's the plan!" Jio replies as he smiles.
"Don't wowwy, Weko. I got you. I'm strong, you know," Lala reassures.
"Don't worry, Reko," Jio winks, reassuring Reko the second time.
Jio proudly stands up while Jo aggressively morphs into half-plated armor, which only protects his vital organs, and the remaining half turns into wings. Lala copies Jio as she follows his lead with Reko behind her.
It is a beautiful and mature woman with an hourglass body that greets the group while floating in the center with fire around her body. When she opened her eyes, she saw Jio staring at her and immediately towards him and used all her might in a single punch.
Even though Jio successfully avoids the woman's punch, he can feel the pressure and the burning sensation. Thanks to Jio's armor, he only receives a few 2nd-degree burns from the area that Jon didn't cover.
"Lady, I didn't do anything wrong! Why are you attacking me?" Jio tried to explain himself while giving Lala a signal not to engage.
"PERVERT!" The woman shouts and continues her assault.
Jio ascends after he senses magic starts to combust around the woman's chest to her fists and a fifteen meters long fire shooting towards Jio's direction.
She chases Jio as fire comes out of her mouth like a furious dragon hunting its prey.
"I'm traveling with my little sister! Who would take care of her if I die today?" Jio lets out and points at Lala.
Looking at Lala, Lala madly announces that she's not Jio's little sister but his future wife, which makes the inferno of a fairy angrier, thinking he hypnotized Lala or something to make her believe he's her fiancée. She also wonders why Jio brings a little girl to a dangerous place like this very volcano.
*She successfully absorbs a Fire Spirit! Got to be a Fire Spirit!* Jio deducts from the information he gathered and what's in front of him.
Jio descends to try to reason again and waits for the woman to return to her senses, knowing she casts a spell underneath him, and a five-meter roaring fire pillar rises and engulfs Jio whole.
She smiles and calms down until she hears Jio's voice behind fire pillars and knows he can take her down if he wants to, "I have clothes in my storage, and my eyes are close, and I didn't see anything earlier!"
"How..." She mumbles and watches Jio walks slowly out of the fire vortex unscathed.
"It's okay, here some clothes!" Jio takes the clothes out for her to wear.
After she accepts Jio's proposal to reason, she cautiously approaches the group since she doesn't know how strong Jio is and his intentions, "Sorry, I didn't mean to..."
"It's okay; nobody is badly hurt. Congratulation for absorbing Fire Spirit that resides here," Jio states and looks at the burns around his body and uses a healing potion to heal the injuries.
"How did you know?" She asks
"I just assumed after hearing the roar earlier and the information I gathered in the city. So how long did you take to absorb the Spirit?" Jio answers and asks.
"Too long to remember," She answers.
"Anyways, I'm Jio and that Lala and Reko," Jio lets out, introducing the group.
"I'm Sia from Fish Village; nice meeting you," Sia bows after introducing herself.
"Really!" Jio says in surprise and continues, "Sorry, we're actually planning to visit the place."
"Before everything else, what family are you from?" Sia asks, and Jio feels magic around her, moving and can be used in an instant.
"Jio De Spirit, why did you ask?" Jio lies, not knowing his name would bring him to this continent.
"Never heard such surname before. If you guys don't mind, I can lead the way," Sia offers.
"That would be nice! We don't know the way, and we don't know if we can trust the map I bought," Jio states.
Following Sia into the air en route to Fish Village, Sia tells the group that it will take them thirteen hours and hope they are ready to fly that long. When they are close enough to the village, they notice black smoke coming from the houses, and Sia's expression changes immediately. Jio can't help to worry since the village is the only connection he knows to find Maleficia.
to be continued,