"What is this… disastrous structure?" Zhou Rui muttered, his eyes narrowing.
The party stood now just above the dungeon—staring directly at it. From this vantage point, they could see it clearly: the so-called "dungeon" wasn't some elaborate fortress or colossal ruin. It was a monolithic construct, formed entirely of stone-like magma, as if the mountain itself had bled molten rock and then frozen mid-scream.
Its base was supported by towering pillars of cooled magma, charcoal-black streaked with red-orange veins still faintly glowing beneath the surface. They were arranged in a strange architectural pattern—stacked vertically to hold up enormous horizontal slabs, creating a skeletal temple-like design. Each support was roughly the size of a three-story building, and wider than a row of four to five passenger cars laid side by side.
It gave off an ancient, ominous vibe, like it was not built—but summoned.
"Up close… this thing's massive," Friedrich said, furrowing his brow. "But even with this size, it still feels too small for something like a Magma Tyrant, don't you think?"
Yu Zhen, hands in his sleeves and eyes still closed, replied calmly,
"Yes… but don't worry. You'll understand why."
Julius stepped forward, a suspicious tone in his voice.
"You're hiding something from us, aren't you, Chief?"
"I am," Yu Zhen admitted without hesitation. "But it's not something I can explain in words. You'll see it for yourselves soon enough."
Even the floor beneath them was the same cooled magma—obsidian-dark and strangely porous underfoot, yet tough as iron. Occasional ripples of latent heat escaped from below, like breath from a slumbering beast.
Julius looked exhausted. His mana reserves were nearly halved after using flight magic. He turned to Anna.
"Ms. Anna, please restore my mana. I'm running low."
She looked at him gently, both of them gripping their staves in their right hands.
"Of course," she nodded. "Please sit down cross-legged on the ground."
Julius obeyed and settled himself onto the cold stone. Anna began to chant softly, her voice weaving through the air like a silver thread. A glowing silver magic circle appeared beneath Julius, expanding outward until it encompassed the entire section of stone he was sitting on.
As the spell took hold, Julius felt warmth rise in his limbs, his breath steadying, his fatigue fading.
"This is amazing," he whispered. "I feel fresh again."
"I'm glad it's working," Anna smiled. "Just stay seated like this for two more minutes and both your mana and stamina will be restored."
Julius gave her a thumbs up.
"Sure!"
Yu Zhen, his demeanor still serene, spoke again.
"While Mr. Airu's mana is being restored, we should finalize our strategy."
Friedrich folded his arms confidently.
"I don't think we need to. If we follow the formation I suggested earlier, we're guaranteed to win."
Anna chimed in,
"That may be true, but we still need a backup—Plan B."
Friedrich's expression twisted in annoyance.
"So what, you think my plan isn't perfect?"
Zhou Rui cut in calmly,
"Arguing won't help. And Anna's right. There's no harm in having a Plan B."
Before Friedrich could respond, Heinrich added,
"Let's just prepare one. Better to be safe."
Anna looked at Zhou Rui, her cheeks faintly red.
"Thank you, Mr. Zhou Rui."
Zhou Rui scratched the back of his head, smiling awkwardly.
"Haha, no worries."
Yu Zhen turned toward the group.
"Then what should Plan B be?"
Before anyone else could speak, Julius raised his hand.
"I have an idea."
Everyone looked toward him, and Yu Zhen asked,
"What kind of idea?"
Julius stood slowly.
"If Plan A fails… I want you all to leave me and Zhou Rui behind. Evacuate without us."
Anna gasped.
"That's absurd! That's literally suicide!"
Yu Zhen shook his head.
"We can't do that. I might not be able to fight, but Mr. Airu, you can't expect us to abandon our teammates."
Julius's voice darkened.
"That's assuming you consider us teammates… isn't that right, Friedrich?"
Friedrich hesitated—then faked ignorance.
"What are you talking about?"
Julius narrowed his eyes.
"Don't pretend. I've been sensing it for a while now… your murderous intent. Both yours and Heinrich's."
Friedrich clenched his jaw.
"What nonsense! That intent was for the Magma Tyrant—"
Anna stepped forward.
"Mr. Friedrich, is what Mr. Airu said… true?"
"Huh!?"
Yu Zhen added, his voice firm,
"Mr. Friedrich. I understand you're frustrated. Losing to Mr. Zhou Rui, then watching Mr. Airu take the lead… but that doesn't justify turning on your own. If you harm them, I will no longer consider you part of this team. And whatever happens to you afterward—it won't be my responsibility."
Heinrich exploded in anger.
"This is ridiculous! Why would we do that, huh!?"
But before anyone could say more, it returned—the pressure. The same crushing weight they'd felt atop the hill. Breathing became difficult. The air itself trembled.
Julius stood suddenly.
"I'm done. My mana is back."
He rolled his right arm in a circular motion, gripping his staff tightly while massaging his shoulder with his left hand.
Yu Zhen spoke gravely,
"I don't think we'll be able to move inside with this pressure still building…"
"We have no choice," Julius said. "We have to move forward."
Anna looked down, worried.
"But what are we going to do about this magma floor?"
Zhou Rui stepped up confidently.
"Leave it to me."
He extended his right hand, palm open. Light blue sparks shimmered around it—and in a flash, a beautiful ice-blue blade materialized from the air, glowing with crystalline energy.
"The Ice Blade."
It shimmered like a sculpture made of frozen light. Holding it with both hands, he raised it and slammed it downward into the magma-coated stone.
Instantly, a shockwave of frost exploded from the impact, spreading outward in a ring. The entire dungeon floor—stone, cracks, heat—froze solid in a heartbeat. Everything turned to ice, even deep into the dungeon's depth.
Yu Zhen looked genuinely impressed.
"That sword… it's incredible."
"Thanks," Zhou Rui replied, catching his breath. "But it takes a quarter of my mana, so I can't use it again easily."
Anna spoke softly,
"I could restore your mana—but doing so for others drains my own. And strangely, the spell doesn't work on me."
Julius blinked.
"Wait—then why did you restore my mana?"
"Because I'm the healer," she smiled. "And you have the offensive magic."
Yu Zhen clapped once, his hands quickly returning to his sleeves.
"Then let's move. We must defeat the Magma Tyrant now."
"Yeah," Julius said, tightening his grip on his staff.
Zhou Rui dismissed his Ice Blade, storing it back into his inventory.
Anna clutched her staff with trembling hands, then glanced around, confusion flickering in her eyes.
"Mr. Friedrich… and Mr. Heinrich… They're not here anymore."
Yu Zhen didn't miss a beat.
"Forget about them. Let's go."
With that single command, the four remaining members of the party descended into the frozen mouth of the dungeon, stepping over the icy floor where magma once pulsed—into the jaws of darkness… where the Magma Tyrant awaited.
The dungeon, once glowing with a faint infernal red, was now cast in shimmering blue. Steam hissed in the cracks, and the air trembled with volcanic tension—as if the earth itself resented the intrusion. Somewhere deep inside, something stirred.
And it was very, very awake.