"Phew~ I finally made it out safely."

Erica was very happy.

She knew that she would never be able to get rid of Gwen by normal means.

To avoid being caught, she deliberately started preparing teleportation magic well in advance.

Wait for the moment when Gwen hasn't recovered her senses, then launch the attack instantly!

Fortunately, Professor Victor taught her how to properly use teleportation magic when he first came to the academy.

Although she can't teleport tens of kilometers away like a third-tier mage, she can still manage a range of several kilometers.

"Gwen probably thinks I'll teleport to a very far place."

Instead of teleporting to the top of the mountain, Erica traversed several kilometers halfway up the mountain, essentially running to the other side.

The surrounding scenery remained somewhat desolate, unchanged.

Erica began to walk towards the top of the volcano, and the higher she went, the more she could feel the temperature rising around her.

She hadn't walked far when she began to feel unbearably hot.

The surrounding rocks were emitting moisture, which was due to the high temperature evaporating the moisture in the air.

Further up, you can even see all sorts of stone fragments that have cracked due to the high temperature.

Looking at the surrounding scenery, Erica felt a chill, but she still braved the heat and continued walking up the mountain.

At the same time, she didn't forget to add several heat-resistant statuses to her regimen.

She was a mage and knew that this phenomenon was caused by the abundance of fire element on the volcano.

"I knew it; this wasn't a simple volcanic eruption."

"How could a normal volcanic eruption possibly unleash so many magical elements?"

Erica confirmed her hypothesis: only by going up the mountain could she see more.

The father and his family only knew how to use magic to isolate everything, without ever thinking about solving the problem at its root.

"Stubborn old monks."

She muttered a couple of things, then thought of Victor, who was also a third-tier mage.

The youngest third-tier mage, and to this day no one has been able to surpass his record.

'The volcano's unusual activity... was it really caused by Victor?'

Crash—

As she was thinking, the sound of a stone being crushed came from behind her.

"What is that!?"

She whirled around and saw a red hedgehog emerge from the ground, its body wreathed in faint flames, charging straight toward Erica.

"Level 2 monster! Flame Hedgehog."

Erica casually conjured a magic circle and aimed it at the monster.

[Second-Tier Magic: Water Cannon]

With that, a huge water bullet spun continuously in Erica's hand and burst out instantly.

The fire hedgehog was knocked back dozens of meters and landed on its back.

The flames on his body completely evaporated, leaving him looking like charcoal.

It's obviously dead.

The strength of a level two monster is naturally inferior to that of an elite mage who has cultivated for many years.

It's understandable that it sold out in seconds.

"It's that simple."

Erica could hardly believe it; this was the first time she had ever defeated a monster in the wild.

Turns out I'm not so weak after all.

She was proud of her courage.

Mount Vesuvius is a relatively dangerous place.

Fire-type monsters can be categorized in a wider range.

The higher you go, the more monsters there will be.

Moreover, the strength of the monsters is directly proportional to their numbers.

At first she was able to handle it easily, but later she started to struggle.

The closer you get to the summit, the stronger the monster becomes.

Erica could manage to handle it, but something still felt off.

"I knew all these monsters back in the academy, so why is there such a huge difference between their strength and what was described in class?"

Another fire hedgehog sprang from the ground, and this time, Erica used several spells to completely defeat it.

Compared to the monsters before it, its claws became sharper, and the flames on its back burned even brighter.

Naturally, their aggression also increased.

"These monsters have been enhanced?"

The thought flashed through Erica's mind.

"The abundant fire element in the surroundings has made them even stronger."

The increased concentration of fire element is no accident.

She wanted to go a little further up the mountain because Erica felt that she would find the answer she was looking for at the top.

The terrifying temperature had begun to make Erica feel somewhat disoriented, and the increasingly powerful monsters made her hesitate to approach.

Even magic was gradually becoming unable to withstand the high temperature of the flames.

Erica stood there, deciding to rest for a while and think of a way to get to the top of the mountain.

Suddenly, she remembered the only magic potion left in her bag.

She looked at the magic potion, then looked up towards the mountaintop.

A flash of inspiration.

"I've got an idea!"

Meanwhile, on the other side of the mountain.

Gwen kept sprinting towards the top of the mountain, even though the surrounding temperature was so hot that she was sweating profusely.

The silver sword in her hand was as cold as ice, severing one demon after another that stood in her way.

"First it was Victor, and now it's the Duke's daughter."

"Why do you all like to create trouble for yourselves?"

Doesn't she want to go find Victor?

No, of course she wanted to; to be precise, she was almost going crazy thinking about it.

She wanted to find Victor and confront him to find out if he was the one who caused the volcanic activity.

If the other person says yes, then the next second, her fist will hit Victor in the face.

However, Gwen must obey orders; she must protect all the mages and the residents.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!