Ang and Quintina rode their Magic Brooms and stopped at the edge of the crater, their gazes piercing through the thick smoke as they watched the churning lava.
A deep rumble came from the crater. The lava boiled like a vast sea of blood, occasionally spitting out clumps of molten rock that scattered in every direction.
Heat filled the surroundings, and even the air seemed scorched.
Magic shields enveloped them, shielding them as much as possible from the volcano's extreme heat.
"There's quite a lot of obsidian here," Ang said quietly, pointing at the black-glinting stones not far from the edge of the lava.
"There really is," Quintina said as she looked at the obsidian, her brows slightly furrowed. "But it'll be much harder to mine this close to the crater."
Just as they were talking, a Fire Lizard suddenly burst out of the lava, its fiery red eyes fixed sharply on them.
It opened its mouth and spat out a huge fireball straight at them.
"Watch out!" Ang shouted. Almost instinctively, their Magic Brooms shot upward at high speed. Their figures nearly crossed in midair as they narrowly dodged the fireball.
But the Fire Lizard did not stop attacking. Ang watched its enormous head plunge back into the lava, vanishing from sight. Just as he breathed a slight sigh of relief, the lava began to churn violently again. One crimson lizard head after another emerged in rapid succession, surging forth like a tide and letting out deafening cries.
"Get higher!" Ang shouted, and the broom beneath him immediately rose. The two of them had to give it everything they had just to evade the rain of fireballs rushing toward them.
"Ang, appearing directly above the crater like this is far too dangerous!" Quintina's heart pounded as she patted her