The battle concluded far quicker and with much more breathing room than their previous encounter. That night, the party set up camp beneath the shadow of a massive rock formation. The campfire burned brightly, crackling and popping into the night.
Tifa pulled pre-marinated cuts of meat from her pack, skewered them onto thick branches, and set them carefully over the fire to roast. The spices she had brought released a mouth-watering aroma as they hit the heat, making the entire party—exhausted from a long day of high-intensity combat—drool with anticipation.
Firefly sat obediently next to Tifa. Her unique, gradient-colored eyes were glued to the meat as it sizzled over the flames, slowly turning a perfect golden brown. Her small nose twitched softly, clearly entirely captivated by the scent.
Noticing her acting like a hungry little kitten, Tifa couldn't help but smile warmly. She handed Firefly a freshly cooked skewer and picked up a raw one, asking gently, "You look really interested. Do you want to try cooking one yourself?"
"Mhm, I want to try!" Firefly took the cooked meat, nodding happily, and eagerly accepted the raw skewer.
However, what happened next left Tifa absolutely speechless.
Firefly carefully held the meat over the roasting rack, stood up, and summoned her emerald transformation device. "Transform!" she called out crisply.
Crimson flames roared to life, and the silver-white SAM armor appeared right next to the campfire. Before Tifa could even react, the thrusters on SAM's chest flared brightly, blasting out a jet of ultra-high-temperature propulsion flames—designed for high-speed mecha flight—aimed directly at the poor skewer of meat.
FWOOSH—!!! In a fraction of a second, the tender cut of meat skipped every single intermediate step of cooking, instantly carbonizing into a pitch-black, smoking lump of charcoal.
Firefly held up the completely fossilized mystery object and tilted her head, seemingly confused as to why her result looked so fundamentally different from Tifa's.
Tifa facepalmed, letting out a helpless, exasperated sigh. Between tears and laughter, she walked over and gently patted SAM's heavy armor. "Firefly, that is not how you roast meat. Come on, change back. Let me teach you."
On the other side of the camp, Hyacine was carefully applying her custom-made Healing Spray to a minor scrape on Alise's arm.
"Darling Alise, you really push yourself too hard in every fight. Even with the barrier protecting you, you should be a little more careful, you know?"
"Hehe, a little scratch like this is nothing!" Alise laughed carelessly, grabbing a chunk of freshly roasted meat and chewing aggressively. "Combat is just way more satisfying! It's way more fun than dealing with those petty thugs up on the surface," she mumbled with a full mouth.
At the outermost edge of the campfire's glow, Ryuu and Jeanne were standing the first watch. Ryuu quietly polished her weapons, her movements meticulous and steady, as if performing a sacred ritual. Her gaze remained sharp, constantly scanning the encroaching darkness. Jeanne sat peacefully, hugging her battle flag close to her chest. She watched the fire, the dancing flames reflecting in her clear blue eyes.
----
On the 35th Floor, they encountered the Ruin Drakes once more. This time, there were two of them.
"Robin!" Aiden called out the moment he spotted the mechanical behemoths.
"Understood." Robin nodded gracefully. Without chanting a single word, the mental network of [Heavenly Ring of Harmony] silently rippled outward.
One of the Ruin Drakes, right in the middle of charging up an energy sphere, suddenly froze. Its orange core flickered erratically before it violently swiveled its cannon, blasting its own partner at point-blank range.
Seizing the chaos of the mechanical infighting, the strike team—Aiden, Tifa, Alise, Ryuu, and SAM—rushed in. A torrential storm of attacks rained down upon the ambushed Drake. With the experience from their first encounter, their teamwork was absolutely flawless.
Aiden led the main assault, specifically targeting the fragile energy conduits and joints. Tifa and Alise pinned the beast down from the flanks—one shattering its balance with pinpoint kicks, the other melting its armor with raging fire. Ryuu roamed the perimeter, waiting for the perfect opening to deliver a lethal blow. Meanwhile, Firefly relied on her incredibly durable armor to tank the drake's physical charges head-on, creating the vital breathing room her teammates needed to deal damage.
In the end, at the cost of a few high-tier potions, they successfully dismantled two Level 5 ancient weapons into scattered spare parts.
After days of relentless, high-intensity combat, everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief when they finally reached the 36th Floor. The environment here was a stark contrast to the previous levels. The ceiling was no longer a scorching red crystal but an abyss of deep, tranquil darkness dotted with countless soft, glowing crystals, resembling a breathtaking starry night.
The suffocating heat was gone, replaced by a refreshing, cool breeze. Not far ahead, a serene oasis formed by underground springs sat quietly. Bioluminescent flora grew along the water's edge, casting a dreamlike, ethereal glow over the entire area.
"Let's stop here," Aiden announced, looking at the rare haven of peace. "We'll rest up and head back to the surface. Our haul from this expedition is more than enough. Pushing any further right now is taking an unnecessary risk."
Further down lay the true Deep Floors, no longer just the Lower Levels. While he, Alise, and Ryuu could likely handle it, Robin and the others were still slightly under-leveled—especially Firefly, who was currently only Level 2.
No one voiced any objections. Even Aiden felt the mental fatigue of facing completely anomalous, overpowered enemies for days on end. They set up camp by the oasis. Tifa and Hyacine cheered, running off to prepare a massive feast, while Alise dragged Firefly—who had deactivated her armor—to play by the water. Robin pulled out her harp, plucking a soothing, gentle melody.
Aiden stood at the edge of the camp. His gaze drifted past the peaceful oasis, staring into the far deeper, more ominous tunnel leading to the 37th Floor. He knew that down there, the Floor Boss Udaeus was waiting, alongside even more terrifying, unknown horrors.
But he felt no fear.
The journey back was far easier. Without the looming pressure of exploring the unknown, everyone's footsteps felt much lighter.
As they reached the massive passageway connecting the 27th and 28th Floors, Aiden had originally considered taking a detour to see if they could hunt the local Floor Boss—the two-headed dragon, Amphisbaena.
However, before they even got close to the massive underground lake, the explosive sounds of a fierce battle echoed in the distance, followed by the furious, thunderous roar of a dragon and deafening shockwaves.
"Looks like someone beat us to it," Aiden said, halting his steps and gesturing for the party to conceal themselves.
They quietly scaled a towering rock ledge, observing the battlefield from a high vantage point. In the center of the lake, a massive two-headed dragon was wreaking absolute havoc. A large group of adventurers had surrounded it, violently forcing the beast into a corner.
───
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