Australian iron ore could contain over 60% iron—practically a lump of iron itself. Iron rust only contained 70% iron.
Did that kind of iron ore count as stone? Could Turn Stone to Mud be used on it?
Or, taking a step back, if Turn Stone to Mud did not work on metal, could it turn the stone impurities in the ore into mud, leaving the metal behind?
"Try casting Turn Stone to Mud again."
This time, Theus did not watch from afar. He and Ash approached a stone together.
The stone was likely basalt, densely covered in tiny holes, something extremely common near volcanoes.
Ash placed her hand on it. The solid rock seemed to melt, gradually turning into a viscous liquid that could flow. It had truly become "mud."
Theus poked at it with a wooden stick. Some of the mud came away on the stick, and it felt much like dough, offering considerable resistance.
Once Ash stopped casting, the "mud" gradually solidified back into stone after a while.
"So it didn't really turn into mud permanently."
"Yes. As long as I stop supplying magic power, it gradually turns back into stone."
"Turns back into stone?"
Theus smiled and handed the stick in his hand to Ash. "Look carefully."
Ash took the stick and closely examined the hardened stone on it, then looked at the original rock.
Her eyes slowly widened.
"The holes are gone?"
Basalt often had many holes, which meant it contained tiny bubbles or vesicles trapped during the solidification of lava. These vesicles could give basalt a porous appearance and affect its physical properties.
Yet the basalt that Ash had cast Turn Stone to Mud on and then allowed to solidify again had none of those holes.
Theus ran a hand over the stone's surface.
"Almost