Chapter 55: The Volcano’s Secret

“What’s with this sudden fire…!”

“Ugh!”

“Teacher, this isn’t the time to complain about lack of sleep.”

“…How can you even understand her?”

The four of them had to abandon their shelter without proper rest. Although they were some distance from the fire, the wind was blowing eastward, increasing the risk of being engulfed by the flames.

“Ugh, this strange smell….”

After running for a while, Ruah suddenly frowned. An unfamiliar scent was carried by the wind.

It smelled like medicinal herbs, burning grass, and faintly of tobacco.

‘Huh?’

As she inhaled some of the smoke drifting along the ground, Ruah felt a strange sensation.

Despite running for a long time and being out of breath, she felt less tired.

Moreover, her mood was elevated, and her mind felt clearer.

This feeling was new.

“This smoke… It’s strange.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

As if on cue, Ruah, Emma, and Hwayeon stopped walking.

They didn’t want to move away. They wanted to stay and inhale more of the smoke.

The more they breathed it in, the better they felt, like they could accomplish anything.

‘This feels good.’ Ruah thought.

Happy memories flashed before her eyes like a vibrant montage. Days spent laughing and talking with Himari, Suah, and Juju…

Her heart swelled, and she felt an urge to run wild. She felt like she could shed her usual timidity.

She wanted to dance, sing, or if she had a weapon in her hand, swing it around recklessly—

“Cough!”

“……!”

A cough from behind snapped Ruah back to reality.

Juju had collapsed to the ground, clutching her chest.

“T-Teacher….”

“Juju…!”

Ruah’s mind cleared instantly. She rushed to Juju’s side, kneeling down to examine her. Hwayeon and Emma followed suit.

“What’s wrong? Were you attacked?!”

“N-No….”

Juju shook her head, her face contorted in pain. She seemed to be struggling to breathe.

“Allergic… reaction. I’m… allergic to… awakening substances….”

“……!”

Ruah, Hwayeon, and Emma exchanged glances.

Awakening substances.

That meant the smoke they had just inhaled was a type of stimulant. Since it wasn’t a refined drug, it was likely something akin to a narcotic.

“…L-Lift Juju. We have to get out of here!”

“Yes!”

“Ugh!”

Hwayeon and Emma lifted Juju’s weakened body, and the four of them started running again.

“Uphill! The smoke sinks, so we need higher ground!”

“Ugh!”

Ruah directed them from behind, and they began to ascend the slopes of the volcano at the center of the island.

There was no path, just a steep incline.

“Huff… Huff…”

“Haa… Haa…”

After running for an unknown amount of time, they reached a pond halfway up the mountain and stopped. The scent was no longer detectable. Although the fading effects of the stimulant made them feel more exhausted, it also meant the smoke hadn’t reached this altitude.

“Huff… Huff… Juju, are you okay?”

“M-Much… better.”

Juju’s breathing had stabilized somewhat, but her skin was now a problem.

It was flushed red due to the allergic reaction.

“I-I’m okay. It’ll… disappear… soon.”

Ruah calmly checked Juju’s condition.

“…This is no time to conserve resources.”

“Huh?”

“Instructor Shin Hwayeon, Emma, please give us a moment. I need to treat her.”

“Mmm…?”

“Hurry!”

At Ruah’s sharp command, the two of them excused themselves to explore the area around the pond. Left alone with Juju, who was sitting weakly against a rock, Ruah turned to her.

“Take it off.”

“E-Excuse me…?”

“Your skin is the problem. Fortunately, I can treat it with a skill.”

“B-But, teacher… you can only use your skill three times, right? We should save it…”

“This is exactly when we need to use it. Hurry up and take your clothes off.”

Juju’s face turned red—even redder than from the allergic reaction. Ruah, however, wriggled her bound arm, presenting her palm.

“Where is it the worst?”

“W-Well… my back… for now.”

“Okay.”

At Ruah’s urging, Juju finally removed her gauntlets and top, then lay down on her stomach on a rock by the pond so Ruah could reach her.

“Your undergarments too.”

“Mm…”

Blushing, Juju reached behind her and untied the straps of her undergarments. Juju’s bare back was now exposed before Ruah’s eyes.

“Here we go.”

Ruah sat beside her, carefully positioning her hand.

She placed her palm on Juju’s inflamed back and focused her mana.

“[Perfect Healing].”

—Whoosh!

Ruah’s mana, glowing green, flowed from her palm into Juju’s back. Starting from the point of contact, Juju’s skin began to regain its original tan color, the effect spreading outwards.

However, the [Perfect Healing] didn’t cover her entire body, stopping after encompassing her entire back.

“Haaa…”

Juju sighed involuntarily, relaxing.

“Where is it the second worst?”

“I’m fine now. Really….”

Ruah shook her head.

They had a long way to go, and she wanted to find out why these unexpected events were happening, but Juju’s condition needed to be prioritized.

“I’m acting in the best interest of our team’s victory.”

“…….”

“Let’s say I save the skill. If your condition worsens and you lose a fight later, there’s no point in saving it, is there?”

“I… understand.”

Juju seemed to have accepted her reasoning.

“So, where is the second worst area?”

“Th-That… would be… my chest…”

“…….”

Juju sat up, her bare upper body exposed, her arms crossed over her chest.

Even if it was for medical treatment, Ruah couldn’t help but blush.

“W-We bathed together, so it’s not like it’s anything new…”

“Th-That’s right. Ha, hahaha.”

They exchanged awkward laughs as Ruah moved closer to Juju.

“…….”

“…….”

Their eyes met as their faces drew close. They both looked away, speechless.

“I-I’m going to touch you now.”

“Understood…”

Juju closed her eyes tightly and removed her hands from her chest.

Ruah placed her trembling hand on Juju’s skin.

It wasn’t her first time seeing it, but it was her first time directly touching a woman’s bare chest.

“…Mm.”

Juju’s body twitched slightly as Ruah’s hand made contact.

Ruah pressed lightly, ensuring her entire palm was touching Juju’s skin.

She had expected it to be firm, like the rest of Juju’s muscular body, but it was surprisingly soft.

“Hoo, haa.” Ruah unconsciously let out.

“T-Teacher.”

“…Yes?”

“Please don’t… massage them…”

Juju’s voice was almost a plea, her usual boisterous tone completely gone. Ruah snapped out of her daze and activated her skill.

“Per, [Perfect Healing].”

—Whoosh!

A green light emanated from Juju’s chest, spreading across the front of her upper body.

After confirming the light had stopped spreading, Ruah removed her hand, which had lingered for longer than necessary.

Juju blushed and quickly put her clothes back on.

It felt like a long time, but the entire process, including treating her back and chest, had taken less than three minutes.

However, she still had one use of her skill remaining.

“So, then, my lower body…”

“…….”

The word “lower body” sparked the same thought in both their minds.

“I-I can’t touch you there, can I?”

“R-Right.”

They shared another awkward laugh.

Ruah used her last [Perfect Healing] on Juju’s thighs.

As a result, Juju’s allergic reaction was completely healed. Some areas were still slightly red where the skill hadn’t reached, but they would fade with time.

“Thank you, teacher.”

“Glad you’re all better. Now let’s go find the others.”

Dressed, Juju and Ruah ascended further up the mountain where they had left Hwayeon and Emma.

“There they are.”

They were easy to spot. They were standing upright on an exposed rock, with no cover, looking down towards the base of the mountain.

“What are you doing? What if someone sees you? You should hide!”

Ruah voiced a reasonable criticism, but they only glanced at her once, remaining motionless. Instead, they pointed downhill and said a single word.

“Mmm.”

“?”

“Look down there.”

At Emma’s words, Ruah moved to their side, puzzled.

The rock was like a natural observation deck, offering an unobstructed view of everything happening below.

The western forest, reduced to ashes, the smoke still rising,

and a massive battle involving the participants.

“?!”

Ruah’s eyes widened.

—Clang! Clang!

—Zap!

“Aagh!”

Below, near where Juju had collapsed, most of the participants were engaged in a chaotic free-for-all. Dealers, tanks, mages – all firing skills at each other without any discernible strategy or alliances.

The air around them was thick with the stimulating smoke.

“It’s because of that smoke.”

Having experienced the mood-altering effects herself, Ruah understood.

The stimulant-laced smoke had fueled the participants’ combat instincts as they fled the fire.

If Juju hadn’t collapsed, Ruah and her group would likely have been down there as well.

—Thump-thump-thump….

Several guild helicopters hovered near the battling participants.

Guild members observed the fight, loading unconscious or injured students and instructors whose bracelets had been taken onto the helicopters.

“…It looks like it’s coming this way.”

A full helicopter left the battle scene. It approached the mountainside where Ruah and the others were, then ascended, flying towards the summit.

“It’s… not going back to headquarters?”

All four of them watched as the guild helicopter continued its ascent.

The helicopter reached the volcano’s summit and then—flew straight into the crater.

The volcano on Inyong Island was dormant, so entering it wasn’t inherently dangerous, but the question lingered.

Why were they taking the eliminated participants into the volcano?

Why did the fire break out, and what exactly was that smoke?

Ultimately, all questions converged into one—

—what was really happening on this island?