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Chapter: Fire? *shrug* Heat? HOT!

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I examined around to find nothing special. I stretched my hand forward as it vanished. "Ah! It's a mirage!" I exclaimed. "The exit must be hidden behind it," I deduced, moving forward as I felt fog around me.

"The mirage sure is not natural," I scoffed. "Natural one can't hide this much fog," I mocked, looking around as I continued forward. Then I discovered that this is not a fog because this is smoke from the fire burning in front.

"Oh! Come on, I thought this is an exit," I complained examining the area to find fire spewing out from all over the place with many rock structures, in the distance stood a huge pillar-like structure leading to the ceiling which I assumed was an exit.

"Now this is going to be easy," I beamed, then removed my clothes, storing them in the bag. The big travel bag has shrunken in size since it only has dials, some medical supplies, and food lasting two days.

I folded the bag furthermore and covered it with my fireproof mask and bandanna. The final product looks like a baby. "Well, it is baby's dress, to begin with," I grimaced, looking at the 'baby bag.' I carried it and moved forward into the fire.

I manipulated the fire to move away from me as I proceeded, even though I'm fireproof. This place contains many weirdly shaped rock formations; these structures emit fire from them. "Ah! The fire spews in 360 degrees," I commented, examining the rock structure from which it emitted the fire from all directions at random intervals.

I continued toward the pillar, easily taking this as an opportunity to train to control fire. Besides, this is also the first time I have been near so much fire, which feels like soaking in a hot spring.

"If I'm an ordinary person, I would have been stuck at the entrance," I boasted, protecting the bag.

"The others can also pass through here if... Gyaa! What the hell?" I yelped as a thin stream of fire shot directly in between my legs.

"Sorry, it is definitely impossible for others to cross. No one can come here... are you happy?" I shouted frantically thinking it is a divine punishment by this place for mocking it.

"I'm so grateful that I'm fireproof," I appreciated wiping my cold sweat while covering my little brother.

I neared the distant pillar easily, without any problem. Now I look carefully at the pillar it looks like a mountain or a volcano. "You gotta be kidding me," I moaned, looking at this volcano.

I can see red at the top of the pillar due to the heat. And to my surprise, the area around the pillar's foot was bare, with some holes in the ground.

"Is the flame thrower broken?" I muttered, scrutinizing the holes which are not shooting fire. I shrugged and proceeded when I felt a sudden movement of the wind—'I' got sensitive to the winds due to climbing the obstacle course, in which winds blow randomly. - so I rolled back in hurriedly *rumble* *whoosh* as a geyser shot from the hole in the ground.

"Holy shit," I cursed, backing away fast. "Pretty sure I'm not geyser-proof," I commented, looking at the pillar of steam.

"I will be roasted if I got caught in it," I mumbled. *growl~* my stomach groaned in hunger.

"Damn it, don't think anything related to food," I shook off my thought.

I got dressed and secured the bag in front. "I must cross this in style," I commented, cracking my neck. I ran forward, then spread my wings and flew forward. As the geysers gushed from time to time, I studied them.

I flew towards the nearby rumbling hole; I felt the wind change below, indicating the eruption of the geyser. *swish* I utilized that wind to fly higher, and when the geyser shot, *swoosh* the wind produced by it pushed me flying forward.

I spun left, avoiding another geyser, and then I weaved between the geysers effortlessly and used the wind produced by them to increase speed.

I saw that the geyser started to spew from all the holes I crossed, forming a wall; it is approaching fast to my position from behind. I suddenly noticed the pillar of the geyser appearing left and right in the front. At this rate, it will form a wall in front when they meet.

"It's such a cliché setting," I complained.

"At least try to function like it is natural," I sneered, taking a Jet Dial; I turned it on, pointing it back, increasing my speed. I quickly crossed when the final geyser burst out, forming, my goggles fogged due to the steam. After the steam cleared up, I found that I'm surrounded by a circular wall of geysers.

I looked down to see the holes below preparing to erupt and roast me. "Oh, shit!" I exclaimed, looking around for a way out. I activated Electro, increasing my reaction. To find a solution, I scanned the area, then I noticed one of the geysers was different from the other.

I found that particular geyser, is losing power; I guess it erupted earlier than the other geyser, so it is going o stop soon. But the geyser below me is about to erupt, so I guess I will have a five-second gap. I flew towards that geyser's top, and the pressure of that geyser stopped just as the geyser nearing eruption *rumble* *rumble*.

I hastily moved towards the direction of the stopped geyser with my body sparkling with electricity. Since I'm already high, near its top, I can see the water from it started to fall down. I flew through these small number of water drops quickly because *swoosh* *woosh* the geysers below started to erupt one after another.

I reached the other side, falling to the ground, deactivating the Electro. "Ha..hu..hu...That's *gasp* crazy," I panted, lying on the ground. "Due to excess use of electro, my whole body feels like it is burning," I complained about the sore muscles in my back and burning sensation from most parts of the body.

I jumped quickly. "Aaah! I am REALLY burning," I screamed in pain to find some hot water drops on me. I quickly wiped them off, but some areas in my hands, legs, and especially my wings, got burned.

I applied medicine to the burned place, somewhat easing the pain. I scanned around to find that I'm at the foot of the hill, safe from danger, so I rested for a while and cushioned my stomach with some food.

I looked up at the pillar before moving onwards to climb it. I can feel heat waves when I am near it. "What the hell! Is this filled with magma?" I complained while climbing the tower slowly. As I climb the tower, its wall temperature increased. I'm fireproof, not heatproof, so I will get burns from it.

I climbed, gritting in pain as the heat started to become unbearable. "It's getting annoying," I grumbled, then used my bandana & mask to cover my arms. I looked up to find that the tower was connected to the ceiling.

"Damn it! I thought there was an opening at the top." I realized the situation.

"How do I reach the top?" I looked at the tip of the pillar glowing hot-red like lava; I searched around the area to find anything useful.

The only thing I can find on the pillar is the holes dotted on its surface, releasing steam at certain intervals. "It looks like a vent; Do I need to go through that?" I paled, looking at how hot the air is released from it.

I slowly moved towards the vent while calculating the interval at which it released the steam. "Shit! There is only a minute gap between each release" I cursed at the short time.

I took Eisen Dial to protect me when necessary. "I don't know how the cloud will be affected in this heat," I frowned worriedly as I neared the vent. The vent is the size of a tunnel a car can go through it, I chose this vent to be a safe size from the other vents on the tower.

I waited for the steam to arrive to survey the vents inside. *Swoosh* the steam released after some seconds. "GAA! It's very hot," I cried, shielding myself with the Eisen cloud. After it released the steam, I peeked inside the vent. I saw smoke lingering along its cylindrical surface.

Deep inside, the vent is bright, so I guess the exit must be a short distance. I searched for anything useful to cross through it. "There is something on its curved wall." I narrowed my eyes to watch properly.

"A Hole? I think there is a hole in the wall." I identified the variation.

My eyes brightened. "I can use these holes to hide from the steams," I decided. "Others can't do it, but I have this," I confidently raised the Eisen Dial.

"Begin after the next steam arrives," I waited.

The steam arrived soon as I got ready to run inside the vent. I waited for the steam to fully subside, then I quickly ran into the vent. "HOT! Hot! Hot! Hot!," shouting in pain from my feet.

I reached the hole in the right of the wall, which seems to be another tunnel. I entered it and used Eisen Dial to create a bunker to cover the entrance. On the safe side, I also covered my back.

I glanced at the timer set on my watch, waiting for the steam to arrive, *whoosh* and it arrived on time. My heart drummed heavily against my chest as seconds went by, thinking whether the Eisen Cloud could hold the steam. "I will be roasted if it can't hold," I gulped *rattle* *rattle* looking at the cloud covering the entrance shaking due to steam reassuring it.

After the steam stopped, I removed the cloud and wasted no time running toward the next hole. I discovered the next hole is in the ceiling. I hastily climbed into it using the Eisen cloud and bunkered in it. "Hiss! My body must be full of burnt marks," I gritted in pain as my shoulder touched the hot wall.

I jumped down as soon as the steam passed by. I continued along the way by hiding in the hole along the wall. There was even one at the bottom. I almost fell all the way down again when jumped into it.

"I'm getting near the exit," I confirmed as I felt a heatwave from the front.

As I ran, I suddenly feel the approach of steam. "It is not even a minute, why it is approaching now?" I panicked, searching for a hole to hide.

"Damn it! The time gets reduced as I near the exit," I realized my stupid mistake. I ran desperately searching for the hole and found one which can barely fit me.

I used my big wings to cover my body to avoid it getting stuck outside the hole before squeezing into it. "Huuu! The wings are going to be beaten up again," I groaned, feeling my wings getting burned. I covered the entrance with Eisen cloud just before the steam arrived.

The steam further increased the heat of the surrounding walls, so my wings got fully affected by it, as I was safe inside the wing, protected from heat. After the steam stopped, I began counting the time instead of rashly running out. I counted until the steam arrived at 40 seconds.

"Only 40 seconds, I nearly got roasted now," I furrowed worriedly.

I ran out as soon as the steam stopped, and the feathers on my wings got burnt in the heat. "I can't use my wings for now," I hissed in pain from it.

I used Electro as I felt the increase in my cell's metabolism and stimulate the nerves so my speed boosted. I reached the next hole hiding in it. After the steam went away, I ran towards the bright exit and arrived at the end of the vent.

"What the Hell is this?" I yelled at the scene inside the pillar.

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