Frostfire Legacy

Chapter 310 Dungeon's True Face (2)

The 101st to 110th floors were, in short—Hell. Those attempting to pass through faced not only the scorching heat, as if being cooked alive, but also the constant threat of monsters lurking in the shadows, crevices, or, worst of all, beneath the flowing magma.

Surprise attacks from unexpected directions ranked as the second biggest threat on these floors. However, the leading cause of death was the oppressive heat. It could cause heatstroke, dehydration, or, in the worst cases, hallucinations that led adventurers to their doom.

"They're coming again! Watch out at three and ten o'clock positions!"

Fortunately, neither of these dangers posed a problem for Aster's party.

The heat was neutralized by Crysta's abilities, keeping everyone cool and composed despite the infernal environment. As for the monsters planning surprise attacks, none could evade Cassy's sensitive ears.

"On it! Knight's Challenge!" Liz called out, stepping forward and raising her gold-rimmed heater shield.

She taunted the enemies at three o'clock, then quickly rushed to cover another direction, standing firm like a wall—effectively covering both directions at once! Since her taunt skill had a cooldown, she had to adapt on the spot.

*BLOP!*

At that moment, the magma behind her surged upward, bursting into a fiery spray. Taunted by her skill, the Fishman-like monsters emerged, their small, humanoid, red-scaled bodies and grotesque fish heads baring jagged teeth and disfigured eyes. They lunged toward her exposed back, claws poised to strike.

"Triple Stab!"

"Vertical Slash!"

But Kali and Aster intercepted the creatures as if predicting their movements. They swung their weapons with precision, aiming to end the monsters in one strike—or so they thought.

"Tsk! Tough bastards!"

Kali groaned as her dagger barely scratched the monster's thick scales, leaving three shallow cuts. Designed to protect them from the molten magma, their scales were naturally resistant to physical attacks.

*Arf~!*

The small puppy, who had been sitting beside Cassy the entire time, let out an eager bark. Since entering the 101st floor, Argus hadn't been allowed to fight. His overwhelming attack power made it impossible for him to hold back, and every one of his attacks was lethal to the monsters.

Now that the group had refined their teamwork, there was no need to keep him sidelined.

"Can this little guy really handle it?" Via asked doubtfully.

To her, Argus seemed like nothing more than an adorable puppy—not remotely threatening. But as the saying goes, appearances can be deceiving. As if to prove her wrong, Argus sniffed the air, his nose twitching, before barking sharply.

*GRRR!* *ARF!*

Argus's body began to glow with a golden hue. A moment later, a bolt of lightning crashed from the cavern ceiling, striking something submerged in the magma.

"...!"

Via was stunned—not just by the sheer power of the attack, but by the golden light now surrounding her. She realized she had leveled up, even though she hadn't landed the finishing blow to a monster!

"T-This is... What's going on?" she asked Aster, her voice laced with confusion.

Seeing her awe-struck expression, Aster chuckled. "Consider it one of our party's secrets. Argus can share the EXP he earns with everyone."

"EXP Share?!" Via exclaimed, scooping up the puppy in her arms. "If those nobles found out about this, they'd stop at nothing to get their hands on little Argy," she murmured.

"Nobles?" Aster tilted his head in confusion. Nobility had long since disappeared from the current society.

"Well, there you have it," Aster said, choosing to ignore her comment. "Let's move. We've got a long way to go!"

Unfortunately, the cramped space of the cavern meant they couldn't use the EM Van. Otherwise, they would have already reached the boss room by now.