Asta's Adventure

When Asta landed, he was engulfed by unbearable heat, as if he had been thrown directly into a furnace. The scorching air burned his skin, made breathing difficult, and turned every movement into a challenge. Yet, despite it all, he mustered all his willpower and pressed forward. His goal was the finish line – the hot springs at the summit of the volcano.

However, after just a hundred meters, Asta felt his lungs burning from the lack of oxygen, and sweat poured down his body, soaking his clothes. He gasped for air, the oppressive heat sapping his strength faster than he could adapt. Even so, his body slowly began to adjust to the extreme conditions.

The closer he got to his destination, the more the heat seemed to scorch him. His muscles felt like they were made of lead, and his breathing became sharp and shallow. Time stretched endlessly as the sky turned twilight hues, and the volcano seemed to quiet, cooling under the veil of night.

Instead of continuing onward, Asta suddenly turned back.

— I want to complete this trial honestly, without taking any shortcuts, — he decided firmly. He knew that only by doing so could he truly grow stronger.

When he emerged from the crater, he was gasping for breath as if he had run a marathon. His muscles ached, his face was drenched in sweat, but inside, he felt a strange sense of satisfaction. This day had tested his endurance.

At that moment, David, who had been watching Asta from afar, approached him.

— Well, did you make it to the hot springs? — he asked with a grin, scrutinizing the exhausted young man.

Asta, covered in sweat and barely able to catch his breath, didn't even need to answer – his condition said it all.

— Guess not, — David chuckled. — No worries, you've got plenty of time. By the way, how far did you get?

Handing him a water flask, David watched as Asta gulped it down in one go, leaving not a drop.

— About halfway... I think, — Asta croaked, quenching his thirst. — Tomorrow, I'll conquer that volcano for sure!

David smirked and handed him another flask, which Asta also emptied before satisfying his hunger. Secre, who had been observing him with interest, decided to help: she flapped her wings, creating a cool breeze around his face.

— Ahhhh~ Thanks, Secre. That's... so good, — Asta murmured, gently stroking the bird's head.

After dinner, Asta immediately collapsed into sleep, taking Secre along with him. His rest was deep, like that of someone who had endured a trial by fire.

The next morning, before anyone else had awakened, Asta leapt back into the volcano. This time, he was ready. At the start of his journey, the heat barely fazed him, thanks to his body having acclimated. Along the way, he encountered a few mana beasts he had seen the day before, but now he was armed with a sword embedded with a ruby.

Effortlessly dispatching the local creatures, he quickly reached the spot where he had stopped yesterday and pressed onward. But the heat once again surged, as if offended by his progress. The lack of oxygen made itself known, and his body began to rebel.

Clenching his teeth, Asta advanced step by step. After five grueling hours, he finally saw the place where David had said the hot springs were located. However, the path to them was anything but easy: he had to fight off mana beasts, scale steep inclines, and endure the relentless assault of the searing air.

At last, after a few more hours, he reached the summit. Raising his hand in victory, Asta took a deep breath, struggling to steady himself. It was then he noticed the hot springs had already come alive: steam billowed from the crater, filling the air with humidity.

But as he approached the springs, he sensed something unusual. From within the thick steam, two glowing eyes stared back at him. A flicker of alarm lit up inside him, and Asta instinctively assumed a combat stance, gripping his sword tightly.

— A monster! — he shouted, readying himself for the fight.