After finishing their morning exercises, all members of the Occult Research Club disembarked from the boat and stepped onto the island.
Walking along the 1,500-meter-long ice path, they made their way inland.
"Hmm~ I can smell sulfur."
As they approached, the distinct scent of sulfur from volcanic activity hit them.
However, due to the time elapsed since the last eruption, the smell was actually quite faint.
Following the ice path, they officially set foot on the beach, and the island's interior came into view.
It was far quieter than expected—there wasn't even the sound of birds or insects.
"This island is really quiet."
Sakuya perked up her ears, but she could barely pick up any sounds.
"Ms. Aizawa, you don't need to strain yourself. This island really is silent."
Seeing her reaction, Ran explained,
"The sounds on this island are… unusual."
"It feels like there are bubbling noises coming from all around."
With her enhanced senses, Ran couldn't hear much else, but the strange, sticky bubbling sounds were incredibly distinct.
"Bubbling sounds… could it be hot springs?"
Sonoko was momentarily taken aback and tried to picture the scene Ran had described.
She herself couldn't hear the bubbling, but she had noticed something strange—after stepping onto the island, even the sound of waves had become faint.
"It's not coming from hot springs."
Ren shook his head slightly, his gaze fixed on the ground.
"This island sits on top of a large volcano. That kind of bubbling sound is actually pretty normal."
Everyone suddenly paused and looked down at the ground at the same time.
The deep trench surrounding the island flashed through their minds.
Now that they thought about it, the island really did resemble a volcano emerging from the sea.
"Shinomiya, you really have a knack for shopping. You bought a volcano when you bought an island."
Sonoko nudged Kaguya playfully, teasing her.
Kaguya glanced at Ren, who was standing in front of her, and hesitantly asked,
"Amamiya, will this volcano interfere with our training?"
"No."
Ren shook his head slightly.
He had already observed the volcano in detail. The island was indeed formed on top of it, but the volcanic pressure was minimal.
"Although this island is situated on a volcano, the pressure within the volcano itself is not very high. It's located within a tectonic plate zone, and at most, it experiences two minor eruptions per year."
"The eruptions are relatively small in scale. The magma release never extends beyond the island itself, it physically can't. That's its limit."
"For this volcano to erupt more violently, someone would have to inject explosive energy directly into the magma chamber."
"Otherwise, it won't pose any real threat."
This volcano was extremely stable.
The eruptions, occurring twice a year, were small-scale. Based on its current state, the next eruption was still months away.
Clearly, this training session wouldn't be affected.
"The reason this island is so quiet is because the local wildlife understands its dangers instinctively."
"Animals are often the first to react before a disaster."
"The insects on this island have already hidden deep underground, where it's safe. They won't re-emerge until the volcanic cycle is over."
"And because the insects disappeared, the birds left as well—they lost their primary food source."
"So, all that remains is the bubbling of magma beneath us."
The others nodded subconsciously.
"But normal human senses wouldn't be able to pick up the sound of magma bubbling beneath a volcano."
"Yeah, I can't hear it at all."
Ren pointed out matter-of-factly.
"Ran, your physical abilities and senses have almost reached their limits, haven't they?"
"Yes."
Ran nodded slightly, a troubled look appearing on her face.
"Sometimes I hear things too clearly, which makes daily life a little inconvenient."
"This is likely due to your lack of control over your own strength and focus."
"Right now, your body is radiating energy outward. While it's technically a form of physical enhancement, at this level, it's essentially a supernatural ability."
Physical strengthening naturally leads to heightened sensory perception. If one can't control it, it becomes more of a burden than a benefit.
But this time, things were different.
The River of Eternal Darkness, which Ren obtained from the incident on Tsukikage Island, could grant power along the Warrior Path.
This was the key to helping Ran gain full mastery over her abilities.
Amamiya Ren waved her over.
"The goal of this training is mainly for Shinomiya and Ran to master the upper limits of their power."
"Meanwhile, Sanzenin and Miss Maria need to learn how to control their elemental abilities."
"So, we'll split into two groups."
"Hayasaka, open the door and take Fujiwara and Shinomiya to the other world."
"Let Shinomiya vent inside your spatial realm and release as much of her cold energy as possible. We need to see if her Ice-Ice Fruit abilities put a strain on your dimensional space."
"As for the outside, Ran, Sanzenin, and Miss Maria will take charge here."
"Next, Ran."
Upon hearing her name, Ran stepped forward.
"This time, I have a way to help you control your strength."
"But it'll take time to test and I'll need to regulate how the power is given to you. Otherwise, it could cause unforeseen complications."
"Do you want to give it a try?"
Ran nodded without hesitation.
"Of course I do."
(To be continued.)
***
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