The number of caterpillar monsters was, to put it simply, overwhelming.
Even after Alice's magic had cleared out a huge swath of them, a massive number of the caterpillars continued crawling up from the lower floors.
However, as the caterpillar monsters moved through the passageway and into the 50th floor, what lay before them was a veritable sea of magma.
Alice's magic had reshaped the very terrain in that instant. If these caterpillars wanted to advance, they'd have to march straight into the molten rock and be utterly consumed by its flames.
This was the first time since entering the Dungeon that Alice had used magic of this caliber.
The reason was simple: Alice alone couldn't possibly unleash such a volume of spells in one go, even if her magical reserves were more than sufficient.
But now, after creating a squad of magic puppets, with all twelve puppets casting simultaneously, it was like having six Alices working in concert. Forget the raw power for a moment—the sheer number of spells being cast was multiplied sixfold.
The area they could cover was six times greater, too.
The ring of magma that Alice's magic could create, when cast through the puppets, now covered six times the area.
And as long as Alice maintained her mana supply, the rate at which this magma zone expanded was more than six times faster than if she were casting alone.
For now, until the Dungeon's self-repair mechanism kicked in, any monsters from the 51st floor trying to reach the 50th would have to cross this burning wasteland.
Unless the creatures coming up from below could fly, Alice's magma would absolutely reduce them to ash.
After all, this wasn't just ordinary lava; it was magma forged from the magic of the Seven Luminaries.
Monsters are ferocious, but they aren't stupid.
The caterpillar monsters now huddled at the passageway entrance, packed together body to body, a squirming, densely packed mass.
To Alice, the sight was deeply unsettling.
Still, they were safe for the moment.
When Alice flew back to the camp, everyone looked at her with blazing admiration.
Tione, who'd always been on good terms with Alice and had been regularly commissioning Finn puppets from her, was the first to approach, exclaiming in amazement,
"Alice, that was incredible! That kind of magic… even a Level 5 wouldn't last against it, right? That scale is on par with Riveria's magic!"
It wasn't just Tione; everyone else was equally stunned.
They'd seen Alice's offensive magic along the way, but it had always seemed within normal bounds. The spell she'd just used, however, was clearly in a league of its own.
Riveria was widely considered Orario's most powerful mage.
And judging by that recent display, Alice's magic didn't seem far behind at all.
"Looks like Orario's about to get another legendary sorceress, and one who isn't even part of a Familia at that," said Gareth, the kind-hearted dwarf of the Loki Familia, stroking his great beard with a chuckle.
"Miss Alice, thank you for the healing," Raul came over as well, offering his sincere gratitude.
After several days together, the other members of the Loki Familia had already built a solid rapport with Alice.
Now, the whole bunch crowded around, showering her with praise.
Their words were so effusive that Alice could feel her cheeks growing warm.
Though, come to think of it, when she'd been healing everyone earlier, they hadn't laid on the flattery quite this thick. But now...
It seemed that compared to a humble healer, an artillery-style mage commanded a bit more awe.
"The area around the passage leading down has been turned into a magma zone. Based on the Dungeon's self-repair rate, it should hold for about an hour. So, what should we do during that time?"
Alice looked to Finn as she asked.
Hearing her question, the others also turned their attention to him.
Abnormal events in the Dungeon were nothing new to this seasoned group, but today's circumstances were particularly strange.
Finn raised a hand, biting his thumb thoughtfully, his brow furrowed.
"Finn, are we pushing forward?" Tiona pouted. "My Urga got melted! If we're going down, I want lots of ore to forge an Urga II when we get back. That thing cost over a hundred million valis..."
Just thinking about it made Tiona miserable, on the verge of tears.
"You idiot, Tiona! Who charges in with their prized weapon when the situation is still unclear? You brought that on yourself," Tione crossed her arms and shot a disdainful look at her sister.
"Ah! You're the idiot, Tione! I just stuck my weapon into one of them! You shoved your whole arm inside one of those things! Weren't you afraid your arm would melt off?!" Tiona immediately fired back, incensed at being called an idiot.
"Hah? Raul didn't get melted, so why would I? You really are a fool." Tione clicked her tongue, her words sounding analytical.
But Tione knew herself—back then, she'd been blind with rage and had jammed her hand into the monster without a second thought.
Despite her tough physique, the corrosive fluid had been potent.
Even she had to admit the wound stung fiercely afterwards, and Alice hadn't been there at the time.
It was Lefiya who'd doused her with a Luna Aldis, healing the injury.
"Enough, both of you," Riveria cut in, her gaze shifting to Finn. "The magma barrier Alice created won't hold those monsters back for long. Finn, what are your thoughts? Do we proceed, or turn back?"
After a moment of serious contemplation, Finn lowered his hand.
"We'll all head back. Let's consider this expedition concluded here."
"Eh?? We're going back already?" Tiona's face fell into an even deeper pout.
If anyone was reluctant to return, Tiona was at the top of the list. Her weapon was destroyed, and she desperately needed the funds to reforge it.
From the 51st floor onward, the materials dropped by monsters were exceptionally rare. A single dragon scale could be worth several million valis.
"Don't be selfish," Tione said, this time without her usual sarcasm, speaking to her sister in a calm, reasoning tone. "The Dungeon has changed. Those caterpillar monsters weren't on the previously known monster list the captain mentioned. We need to play it safe now."
"Fine... I get it," Tiona mumbled, her lips still pursed in a pout.
Tione had laid out the reason for retreat clearly enough.
Furthermore, beyond this point, only Finn and the other core executives could realistically progress; the rest of the crew wouldn't be able to handle the lower floors.
So, if all the key members agreed, the decision to return was settled.
And the core members all took their cues from Finn.
"Alright everyone," he announced, "we're heading home."
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