They moved into Zone 3 together.
The volcanic region was hostile immediately. Heat pressed against Owen's skin despite his CE reinforcement. The air tasted like sulfur. Black rock crunched beneath his boots.
Lava rivers carved paths through the landscape. Glowing orange veins that pulsed like arteries. The temperature near them was lethal to most species.
Owen's CE dropped passively. 2 points per minute just to maintain body temperature regulation.
Gorvax seemed unaffected. His species adapted to extreme environments through five hundred years of cosmic travel.
"How far in did you go?" Owen asked.
"Center of the zone. Where the volcano is active." Gorvax pointed northwest. A massive mountain loomed in the distance, smoke billowing from its peak. "The predators there are Tier 5, five-stars minimum. Some push into Tier 4 territory."
"And the prisoners?"
