Frost Magic Water.
As the name suggests, this magic spring water possessed a freezing effect.
“It’s because of this magic water that you didn’t burn to death and lived until now.”
Brock finally understood how he had survived.
The purple-skinned blacksmith before him had actually used such a precious material to save his life.
“With this bottle of Frost Magic Water, it will be more than enough for you to approach the Nail of Sealing and thrust it back into the Forbidden Fire Pedestal.”
The purple-skinned blacksmith placed the Frost Magic Water back where it had been.
“Once the seal is complete, I will give you another bottle of magic spring water. With it, you can leave the lava mining tunnel and reach the twelfth floor.”
“Furthermore, you likely specialize in water-attribute magic. The mana within your body has a very dense water attribute.”
“It’s thanks to that water-attribute mana that you were able to hold on until I arrived.”
One could indeed discern a mage's specialty by the attribute of the mana within their body.
Since Brock frequently used and specialized in water magic, he had unconsciously absorbed more water-attribute mana during his refinement process.
It wasn't difficult for the purple-skinned blacksmith to notice this after saving him.
“Moreover, your level has reached the peak of a first-rank mage. This Frost Magic Water should help you break through and become a second-rank mage.”
Having constantly consumed mana and relied on the healing abilities of the wood armor monster, Brock was now able to move slightly.
He struggled to stand and looked at the purple-skinned blacksmith.
“Since you saved me, I will help you complete the seal.”
“I don’t need the Frost Magic Water as a reward. Consider this repayment for saving my life.”
Brock actually refused the reward.
This caught the purple-skinned blacksmith by surprise. He had never expected an adventurer who entered the dungeon in pursuit of treasure and power to turn down a reward.
“Sealing the Forbidden Fire is very dangerous, even if you have the Forbidden Fire Blessing and the Frost Magic Water.”
“Do you really not want the Frost Magic Water as payment?”
Brock shook his head.
“I believe my life is more precious than a bottle of magic water.”
“This is to repay the debt of you saving me.”
The purple-skinned blacksmith gave Brock a long, deep look.
“Human adventurers aren't all greedy after all.”
With the help of low-grade alchemical potions and the recovery from the wood armor monster, it didn't take long for Brock to restore his condition.
Once his consumed mana was also replenished, Brock re-equipped his tattered fireproof suit.
Only then did he realize that the damaged suit had been fully repaired.
The answer to who had fixed it was obvious.
For a purple-skinned blacksmith skilled in forging all kinds of equipment, repairing a fireproof suit that barely qualified as a magic item was a simple task.
“Take me to the sealing site.”
The purple-skinned blacksmith nodded, gathered his things from the ground, and led Brock deeper into the lava mining tunnel.
The blacksmith didn't have a map of the tunnel, but his familiarity with the paths was extremely refined.
After several twists and turns, they finally arrived at a section of the tunnel submerged in lava.
On either side of the flooded path were narrow footholds. A single slip would likely result in falling into the lava, with zero chance of survival.
The purple-skinned blacksmith stopped before the flooded tunnel.
“The pedestal is inside. Further in, the Forbidden Fire is burning. I cannot enter, so the rest is up to you.”
As he spoke, the purple-skinned blacksmith took out a full bottle of Frost Magic Water.
“The higher the temperature, the faster the magic spring water will be consumed.”
“However, if you encounter danger, do not be stingy with it. One bottle is more than enough for a round trip.”
Brock took the glass bottle from the blacksmith and carefully stowed it away.
Then, under the blacksmith's watchful gaze, he moved along the narrow paths, hugging the rock wall as he went deeper into the tunnel, right next to the flowing magma.
The scorching magma flowed beside him, occasionally erupting and splashing droplets that sizzled against his fireproof suit.
The heat was almost unbearable.
Brock had to slightly open the mouth of the Frost Magic Water bottle, using the freezing mist from its evaporation to resist the intense temperature.
As he went deeper, Brock saw clumps of Forbidden Fire burning on the rock walls.
Those flames seemed to possess a life of their own, clinging to the walls, the lava, or the path itself.
They writhed and burned.
Having the Forbidden Fire Blessing, Brock was naturally able to withstand the fire's light.
Anyone without the blessing would likely have succumbed to madness under the fire's radiance, eventually losing their sanity entirely.
Much less venture deeper while surrounded by these burning flames.
Brock pressed against the rock wall, moving with difficulty.
He stared at the flowing lava before him.
One wrong step, and...
Boom!
A sudden disturbance came from the lava. A lava frog leapt out, its long tongue lashing out to wrap around Brock's leg.
Oh no!
Brock couldn't react in time. He was yanked off his feet by the lava frog and fell from the foothold.
Seeing that he was about to plunge into the lava, Brock desperately reached out and grabbed the rock wall. He hung there, with the scalding lava right beneath him.
Meanwhile, the lava frog was still pulling, trying to drag him into the river of fire.
There are actually monsters in here!
Brock swung his staff, smashing it toward the lava frog beneath him.
“Freeze!”
With the help of the Frost Magic Water at his waist, Brock actually managed to cast an ice-attribute spell directly in this lava-filled environment!
Frost instantly froze the lava frog's tongue.
As a creature that lived in such an environment, the lava frog's ice resistance was practically non-existent.
After all, what kind of frost damage could one possibly encounter in a place like this?
Under the sudden ice magic, its extended tongue and half of its head were instantly turned into a block of ice. With a strike from Brock's staff, it shattered into pieces, deader than dead.
As for the materials dropped by the lava frog...
Naturally, they fell into the lava.
Brock let out a long sigh of relief and climbed back onto the path along the wall.
This path was far too close to the lava; the sneak attacks from monsters beneath the surface were impossible to predict.
Brock had no choice but to consume mana to give himself an extra layer of insurance.
He pulled out a monster card—the wood armor monster.
“Wood armor monster, summon!”
The Summoning Blessing Mark activated, and the wood armor monster was summoned once more, covering Brock's body beneath his fireproof suit.
Feeling the strength of the wood armor monster, Brock finally felt a bit of security as he continued his journey inward.
He encountered a few more sneak attacks from monsters hidden in the lava, but he managed to fend them all off by the skin of his teeth.
However, the burns from the Forbidden Fire were unavoidable. Even with the Forbidden Fire Blessing, Brock was still scorched several times by residual flames.
Fortunately, he finally reached the end.
Looking ahead, Brock could finally see the Forbidden Fire Pedestal, which was constantly spewing residual flames and lava.
And there stood a two-headed heavy armor heroic gargoyle, its body wreathed in Forbidden Fire, gripping the greatsword that was the Nail of Sealing.
Rate on N.U.
