Chapter 102: Back to the Third Floor

Chapter 102: Chapter 102: Back to the Third Floor

The column of golden light dissolved, instantly replaced by the blistering glow of Floor 3: Volcanic Ash Fields & Lava Tubes. Choking clouds of black soot drifted across jagged obsidian crags, while glowing rivers of molten magma carved fiery veins through the dark earth. The ambient air vibrated with atmospheric heat waves capable of searing unprotected lungs in seconds.

Unlike their grueling initial venture into this burning landscape, however, Squad 07 didn’t hesitate for a single second. Every member of the team was clad in custom-fitted, full-body anti-heat gear. Integrated cooling runes etched along the suit linings hummed continuously, maintaining a comfortable internal temperature and shielding them from the intense thermal radiation.

"Form up!" Rowan called out through the suit’s comm system, his voice clear and steady.

The six-person team seamlessly locked into their updated tactical marching grid as they stepped onto the scorched basalt.

Barney and Caelen took the front, sweeping the ash-covered trail ahead. Barney held his reinforced vanguard shield ready to deflect sudden geysers or falling debris, while Caelen rested his heavy greatsword across his shoulder, his eyes scanning the bubbling lava pools on either side for aggressive fire-elemental beasts.

Positioned in the core of the team, Rowan and Seraphina managed the unit’s tactical direction and environmental tracking. Seraphina monitored her mapping slate, aligning their movement with their saved pathfinder data, while Rowan used his high intelligence and nature affinity to sense shifts in the subterranean mana currents. Even with his anti-heat suit donned, Rowan kept his iconic Enchanted Straw Hat securely fastened over his gear, its passive focus-stabilizing aura keeping his mind sharp.

Anchoring the rear, Mirei kept a vigilant watch over their retreat vector, her bow drawn slightly in preparation for long-range threats. Beside her, Princess Lyra moved with precise grace, her golden royal aura flaring softly to shield the group’s back from any flankers hiding in the thermal haze.

"We’re about eight hundred meters from the entrance of the primary lava tube complex," Seraphina announced, pointing toward a gaping cavern carved into a towering cliff of black glass ahead. "That was our last fully documented checkpoint."

Rowan looked toward the distant cavern entrance, feeling the dense, volcanic mana pulsing from the deep underground tunnels. "Good. Let’s reclaim our milestone and push deeper."

The heat shifted immediately as Squad 07 crossed the threshold from the Outer Ring’s Basalt Flats (~35°C) into the scorching expanse of The Middle Ring — The Ash Ridges & Lava Tunnels (~40°C). Even with their anti-heat gear humming to offset the ambient temperature, the air grew noticeably heavier, thick with swirling gray soot and the sharp tang of sulfur. Rivers of liquid flame carved jagged channels through the rising ash ridges, casting long, dancing shadows across the cavernous path.

"Get ready, guys," Rowan warned through the comms channel, his eyes scanning the pulsating red veins running beneath the volcanic crust. "Expect Magma Boring Worms to ambush us at any time."

The squad responded instantly. Up front, Barney dug his heels into the scorched earth, raising his heavy vanguard shield into a defensive stance, while Caelen shifted his weight, his heavy greatsword already humming with dense aura. At the core, Seraphina’s fingers danced over her mapping slate, scanning for localized seismic disruptions, while Rowan grounded his focus, using his Gardener of Eden connection to sense subterranean vibrations beneath their boots. In the rear, Mirei drew her bowstring back with practiced precision, her gaze sweeping the high ridges alongside Princess Lyra, whose radiant golden mana flared around her runic blade.

A split second later, the ground violently bucked.

The obsidian floor shattered beneath them as a wave of intense heat surged upward. Massive, armored heads plated in molten slag burst through the crust, revealing rows of spinning, razor-sharp mandibles dripping with glowing magma. Three giant Magma Boring Worms erupted into the air, screeching with deafening, metallic reverberations as they lunged toward the unit from multiple angles.

"Front left!" Barney roared, slamming his shield down to release a concussive shockwave that deflected the first worm’s descending maw.

Before the beast could recover, Caelen sprang forward, executing a flawless spinning cleave that shattered its molten outer shell. Behind them, Princess Lyra moved with breathtaking speed, stepping past Mirei to thrust her golden-wrapped blade clean through the throat of the second worm attempting to flank their rear.

Rowan tipped the brim of his Enchanted Straw Hat, his hand glowing with rich green vitality as root-like mana tendrils shot into the volcanic soil, anchoring the cracking terrain beneath their feet. "Don’t let them burrow back down!" he commanded, directing the unit’s offensive momentum as Squad 07 moved in perfect synchronization to lock down the subterranean beasts.

In under fifteen minutes of relentless, fluid combat, the fiery chaos in the main passage finally settled into a smoldering silence. The scorched floor of the ash ridge was littered with the cooling, shattered husks of the defeated beasts, their molten blood rapidly hardening into dark obsidian crusts as the thermal energy bled away.

Soft blue system interface pop-ups flickered across the squad members’ vision in rapid succession, tallying their rewards: [Magma Boring Worm Defeated — +150 EXP]. With dozens of the subterranean monstrosities cleared in such a short window, the experience yield provided a satisfying boost to their operational progress pools.

"Fifteen minutes flat," Caelen said with a proud grin, flicking a hardened drop of dark lava off the edge of his heavy greatsword before returning it to his back harness. "Not a single scratch on any of us, either." ℯℯ𝑙.

Princess Lyra sheathed her runic sword, her golden aura slowly ebbing back into her armor. She looked around at the slain creatures, a look of genuine admiration in her eyes. "Your squad’s reaction speed is incredible. You pinned their movement vectors before they could even complete their initial ambush strike."

"That’s just standard procedure under Rowan’s callouts," Barney replied with a quiet laugh, resting his vanguard shield against his leg while catching his breath inside his anti-heat suit.

Rowan stepped forward into the center of the battlefield, tipping the brim of his Enchanted Straw Hat back slightly. Crouching beside the largest worm carcass, he extended a hand. Guided by his Gardener of Eden traits, he extracted a handful of glowing, heat-dense Magma Cores along with rich, mineral-laden volcanic ash, stowing them away into his inventory.

"These cores will make exceptional thermal fertilizer for the fire-element crops," Rowan mused softly before standing back up and addressing the squad.

Seraphina tapped her mapping slate, updating their clearing coordinates. "The main passage is completely secured. Just ahead lies the junction leading directly into the deeper lava tube tunnels."

Rowan glanced at Princess Lyra, Mirei, Seraphina, Caelen, and Barney, his expression calm and resolute. "Good work, everyone. Keep your guards up—the temperatures are only going to rise as we enter the inner tubes."