...okay, what the heck is this? I expected the inside of a volcano! Some parts of the place are volcano-ish, I agree, but this place is a freaking prison!!

After Bloom busted the defensive barrier-entrance-thingy that blocked us from the depths of the Blastfield's volcano area, we kept on walking almost without getting interrupted. But the monster of the week that decided to appear in front of us wasn't a monster...strictly speaking. 

They were a demon-looking fellow dressed in a striped prisoner uniform and with chains on their limbs. And they attacked us while howling like a madman. The fright got me to whip out the Briar-whip and Evil Eyes before the others bombarded him with undead fishies, sword stabs, and fireballs.

Rest in peace, poor, crazy demon. Nobody wanted to dismantle this guy, so Bones got to add some more Necro Counters to his collection.

The strange thing is that the chains the guy was wearing were left behind. They're some sorta Key Item according to Aino, the member of our team with the highest-leveled [Identification] skill, but no further explanation was given. It's no cursed item through, so I got the "honor" of carrying them with us. Yay...

After that, we started to find more and more of these lunatic demons. There were some low-ranked vampire species mixed with them, and even some humans and other humanoid species! 

Just as we were asking ourselves what was going on with this place, we reached an open area. If I had to describe it, it's a huge, volcanic cave. There are even small rivers of lava running through the place.

But that's all the common points between what we expected and reality. Large walls and heavy chains are spread all across the cave. Solid doors with lock pads the size of my body and security camera-looking items on the walls makes me connect the dots with the current scenery and the mobs we fought before.

"It's an Alcatraz, volcano-version," - Garami

"Did we just break into prison?!" - Black Bone

Yup, we did. Bones must be a genius at voicing the situation.

"Are we allowed to be in this place?" - Palug

"What will I do if they try to arrest me for having criminal-good style!?" - Aino

Yeah, I doubt that's gonna happen. Frankly, stop saying stuff like that. Bloom, the "real" criminal in our group, is getting paler for each stupid comment from you.

"You five! What are you doing here?!" 

A person...(?) shouted to us. He's dressed more like a jailor, or at least a guard, than a prisoner, so I'm unsure if he's gonna attack us. 

What makes me hesitate is that he's a slime...ish humanoid. He's 100% lava. Lava that's shaped like a human and moves like one as well. His face consists of three holes, two for his eyes and one for his mouth...I think. How is he wearing that uniform without making it catch fire?

"Err...we are a group of Migrants wishing to explore these mountain caves. We got curious when we saw there were no quests related to it in the Union, so..." - Black Bone

Bones gave a reasonable excuse to the "magma jailor", who then started to look at us with a dubious face (I think. Difficult to read that poker face). 

"I don't remember what they call this place outside, but its real name is the Volcanic Hellfire Prison: Alkazrai-Dahaka. All kinds of scoundrels are sent here for their crimes. Too bad for them, we don't have cells for everyone, so most of them are kicked out to fend themselves against the vicious monsters living in the magma." - Magma jailor

"And the magma itself?" - Black Bone

"Bingo. Say, you didn't happen to stumble over them, did ya?" - Magma jailor

"It was self-defense!!" - Black Bone

Oh boy. Now I fear we're getting into trouble because of that bag of bones. I gave Palug a nudge to signal that I wanted him as Bones' backup. 

"Bones is correct. Those villains attacked us out of nowhere. Here, these are the chains they were wearing,"  said Palug as he pulled out the chains and shackles that had dropped from the potential criminals. 

"Yeah, these are ours. Thanks for getting rid of them. Those jaywalkers always find a way to break out." - Magma jailor

"Isn't that sort of bad for a prison?" asked Aino as she entered the conversation.

"Not really. Our real job is preventing a big something down below from escaping. Those guys are just thrown in here by the outsiders. They think just cause we're keeping one guy locked up, it's fine for them to throw every other lawbreaker in here as well!" - Magma jailor

...now I get it. This isn't a "prison", but a "prison cell". The only duty this guy has is regarding the "big something down below", not the other guys that we defeated.

"Say, if you guys are willing to help us cull down the escapees, I could ask the boss to hire you. That'd let you access some of the prison's facilities." - Magma jailor

Oho~? Tell me more~.

---

The next day:

"IT IS SO GOOD TO BE FREE!!" - Bloom

"Yeah, yeah." - Garami

After meeting the "boss" yesterday, a gigantic lava golem (maybe he acts as a boss through a different quest?), we were officially employed by the prison. We're now allowed to boss around the prisoners.

More correctly, we're given quests to keep the prison in one piece while hunting down the "escapees" or dangerous monsters that may threaten the facilities. They can be seen on the System Menu, on its special tab that was added after we were hired. Bones calls them the "prison quests".

And as an unexpected, but welcomed, bonus, the boss golem, when he noticed Bloom's status and after hearing her story, she gave her a pardon! Her [Criminal]-title has been lifted! Yahoo! But her [Slave] status has only been changed into becoming my servant. The difference is that she's my employee instead of my "possession".

Not that I mind. This way is much better. Also because I now know that I can hire more inhabitants if needed.

Though, Bloom has been working non-stop here in the prison to pay the boss golem back. We must clear enough prison quests for the lava golem before Bloom can regain her freedom. It's the same as paying a pardon for getting out of jail. So, even despite her cheerful comment just now, she's still busy sweeping the street.

"You missed a spot." - Garami

"Oops! ...and Master! Can't you give me a hand?" - Bloom

"First time I've heard a servant asking their master for a hand." - Garami

But I still summoned Nala to give Bloom eight extra hands to help her. Not long after that, the corridor was swept clean, and the quest log updated itself, saying the prison quest was cleared. We even got some Sols for the trouble.

"Maybe aiming for the high-difficulty quests that award AP..." - Garami

"Master, I will DIE." - Bloom

"Can't you become immortal?" - Garami

"Master, that is IMPOSSIBLE." - Bloom

"You're just filled with negativity." - Garami

"Master, I am in JAIL." - Bloom

"...fair enough." - Garami

Though, I've never seen a jail like this place, even if I've only watched them on a screen. The Alkazrai-Dahaka prison looks like a prison, but it is designed to be similar to a city, or, that is the feeling I get from it. Or maybe a gigantic fortress inside the volcano? 

In any case, the place is so big that the jailors can keep shops open inside it, so there is no difference between here and the frontier city at the edge of the Blastfields. When I asked one of those magma jailors about why they were keeping these places open, they said it was to bait some of the more idiotic escapees. Well, we did beat some just earlier, so the bait is working, at the very least.

And as one could expect from shops inside a prison, which is inside a volcano, the selection of items one can buy is outright strange. Broken chains, punishment whips, lava rocks, portable heating devices, sulfur bombs, and even stuff like super-spicy spices. They got all sorts of bizarre articles here.

The heating devices seem handy, not to mention cheap, so I bought some. They could be useful if we ever need to travel to colder countries. Besides, winter is just a few months away. I bet they're gonna have a Christmas event, extra cold damage included, knowing my luck and my weakness to extreme temperatures. Which reminds me, I need some anti-heat accessories sooner than later...

Other than our window-shopping, there were no more quests for us to clear in this part of the prison, so we went on a walk. That's when we overheard a loud cheer coming from one of the larger buildings. What is this place...

"AND contestant Black Bones has defeated the Terrible Triplings in a no-damage, perfect win! That's got to be three times the pain!" - Commentator

IT'S A COLOSSEUM. More specifically, the "Crime Colosseum". It was written on the entrance sign that I overlooked before entering. Whoops. And Bones is breaking some bones down there!

Many jailors and prisoners are respectively cheering/booing on Bones, each group separated into proper seats or bared cages. Bloom and I found some free seats where there weren't so many jailors around (and therefore not so hot and sweaty) and watched as Bones crushed the next challengers.

A pair of gigantic beasts, named the "Bastard Hounds of Baskeblast" by the announcer, charged at Bones, but a swarm of skeleton fishies rushed at them. The hounds seem to be the slow and powerful type of monsters, so the undead fishies boosted by Bones' Lich-related abilities could easily dodge them.

And while the dogs were busy chasing fish bones, Bones...that was confusing... The Lesser Lich blasted the dogs with a HUGE water ball. The doggos fell out of the arena and down the moat. First, we could hear a splash, then loud crunching sounds could be heard from below the stage, along with the sound of bubbling...something.

"What's downstairs?" - Garami

"Boiling tar." - Magma jailor A

Okay, that's too much! Make it lava instead. That way, the pain is instant!

Bones bowed to the audience before he started to do some weird movements with his hands. He must be controlling a menu of some sort. Then, a loud gong was heard, and the words "Trial Quest" appeared in glowing letters in the middle of the fighting stage. Along with a countdown. A break time, from the looks of it.

"As expected of someone with a 20-streaks victory." - Magma jailor A

"Hey, bone-head! You better not lose now! I've bet my whole pay on you!" - Magma jailor B

"Excuse me, do you know what is happening now?" - Bloom

"More importantly, what is this about bets?" - Garami

A small explanation later, and Bones is now officially having the fate of my 1.000 Sol in his bony hands. 

"Now, what is this trial-thingy all about?" - Garami

"Err, the thingy you need to use an Extra Medal for?" - Magma jailor A

"...details." - Garami

"Sure. The Crime Colosseum's one of the many places jailors can work out. But with tougher criminals getting sent here all the time, some people petitioned to the boss about upgrading these gym replacements." - Magma jailor A

"The result was the Trial Grounds that allows one to take challenges in the hope of getting Extra Skills, or similarly strong skills or items." - Magma jailor B

"But the boss is such a Scrooge! He fixed it so that we can only challenge the Trials if we ace each facility!" - Magma jailor A

"Then again, Trial Grounds are supposed to be like that...or so the rumors go." - Magma jailor B

"Interesting..." - Garami

We arrived at this volcano in the hope of gathering items for the Fort, but some personal upgrades couldn't hurt either. 

*Ding!*

It seems that the break time is over. Bones entered the stage again, once more getting cheered by the jailors while the trapped prisoners booed him. Can't we throw those guys into the tar?

From the other gate, the opponent...did not appear? Why?

Then we heard a sloppy sound from the pit below the stage. It's like the sound of something huge and mucky climbing up...EWW!! What's that smell!? Bones, what did you summon!?

The culprit to the nasty sounds and the EVEN MORE NASTY SMELL was...a giant tar monster!? One that has the rotten bodies of various monsters attached to it? And it's as big as the frog that melted my weapons before. 

In response to the new challenger, the reigning champion Bones...is just standing there with his mouth open. Careful, or else you'll lose your jaw, Boney. 

"I'm gonna miss those Sols." - Garami

"Me too." - Magma jailer B

"G-good luck, Bones!" - Bloom

He'll need it...