Raumure was a defensive magic capable of enhancing END and AGI, and the strength of its enhancement effect was directly proportional to the caster's MAG.
In other words, the higher the MAG of the person using this magic, the more obvious and powerful the enhancement became.
Its effect on AGI was especially remarkable, far surpassing its enhancement of END.
Hence, when Riezel cast Raumure, everyone's AGI—including Bete's—increased by at least half a level, causing their speed to surge dramatically, allowing them to charge forward like a gust of wind and break through into the 52nd Floor.
It was only at this moment that Riveria's Veil Breath took effect on everyone, emitting a green glow that illuminated the surroundings.
Veil Breath was a purely defensive magic capable of resisting all enemy attacks.
At the moment the expedition party entered the Dragon's Vase, Finn naturally had no intention of holding back this magic, so he immediately instructed Riveria to expend a large amount of mind to cast it.
As a result, everyone became wrapped in a protective light as they sprinted through rocky passages that were not much different from those of the 51st Floor.
However, unlike the monster-infested 51st Floor, the 52nd Floor was eerily and unnaturally silent, with no monsters appearing at all, causing everyone's heartbeats to accelerate.
Especially for Tsubaki and the four supporters, who had little understanding of the Dragon's Vase, some felt a vague yet growing unease, while others turned pale and broke into a cold sweat.
"Run!"
Finn did not waste words and issued the command in a tense voice.
"Absolutely do not stop! Do not slow down! Stay close to the vanguard!"
"Bete! You lead the way! Follow the standard route!"
"We must reach the 58th Floor as fast as possible!"
Urged on by their captain, no one dared to slack off.
Everyone maintained their formation and sprinted at full speed—even the Level 4 supporters were already running with everything they had, sweating profusely.
It couldn't be helped.
If they did not do this, they could not keep up with the First Class Adventurers.
"Hm?"
As he ran calmly in the middle alongside Ais, Riezel heard something at a certain moment.
He heard that sound, a roar that seemed to rise from deep underground, as though it had come straight from hell—and that was...
"A dragon roar..."
Ais seemed to have heard it as well, quietly identifying the source of the roar.
It was the cry of the king of monsters known as dragons.
"It's coming!"
Before the sharp-sensed Bete could even warn the others, Riezel's voice reached everyone first.
In the next instant—
*BOOM!*
A world-shaking explosion resounded.
It was the sound of the ground being blasted apart.
A violent burst of flame surged up from beneath the earth like a volcanic eruption, first destroying the ground and then continuing upward, forming a red shockwave that lit the entire space with fire.
"Kya!"
Lefiya could not help letting out a scream—she was so startled that her pointed ears nearly flattened as she fell to the ground.
Bete and Anakitty, both beast-humans, had their faces twisted in pain as the deafening roar assaulted their sensitive hearing, causing sharp, stabbing pain in their eardrums.
"I-It's the snipe attack of a Valgang Dragon!"
Raul shouted hoarsely, looking as though he was about to cry.
"Run!"
"Run now!"
"Don't stop!"
Finn, Riveria, and Gareth shouted one after another, and everyone ignored the massive explosion behind them. Bathed in the crimson light that painted their bodies red, they ran as if their lives depended on it.
*BOOM!*
Soon, a second enormous explosion struck, like a massive landmine detonating in the place they had just passed.
A pillar of crimson fire shot straight up to the ceiling, making scarlet flames spread in all directions, and soon, the ground was gradually swallowed by a vast sea of fire.
Heat waves battered the adventurers as they sprinted at full speed, forcing the supporters to suppress the screams rising in their throats desperately.
In an instant, the passage trembled, the temperature climbed, and the powerful bombardment from the lower floors continuously struck the 52nd Floor. Explosions tore open hole after hole in the ground, causing the rock strata to collapse downward, while flames erupted everywhere.
Before long, the blasted earth glowed red like molten lava.
Clearly, this was...
"Dragon's Vase!"
Tsubaki, having no time to collect monster drop items, kept pace with the Loki Familia, running at full speed with a stiff expression.
Riezel, however, glanced back at the blasted ground and felt the impulse to jump in.
While the long-range snipe from the 58th Floor was terrifying, the fact that the Valgang Dragons' snipe attacks could reach all the way to the 52nd Floor also meant that the massive holes blasted through the ground connected straight to the 58th Floor, forming a clear and unobstructed path.
Therefore, if someone wanted to reach the 58th Floor as quickly as possible, jumping into one of those holes was the fastest method and the best shortcut.
Riezel had done exactly that before.
Every time he entered the Dragon's Vase from the 52nd to the 58th Floor, he would deliberately wait for a Valgang Dragon to blast open the ground, then jump in and descend directly to the 58th Floor.
Sometimes he would even use magic to blow open the ground himself and jump down—efficiency was his only concern.
But that was because he possessed defensive magic to protect himself, especially a magic called 'Energy Immunity - Fire.' Once used, it rendered damage from fire-attribute attacks completely ineffective, exactly as its name implied.
It was by relying on this magic that he dared to jump into the hole.
If it were anyone else, they would certainly be burned to ashes by the second snipe of the Valgang Dragons before they could reach the 58th Floor after jumping in, with no way to avoid it.
For this reason, almost no one considered jumping into the hole to reach the 58th Floor, since no one wanted to become a living target.
Moreover, if people could jump through the holes to reach the lower floors, then monsters from those lower floors could also fly up through the same holes.
*ROOOAAARRR—!!!*
*ROOOAAARRR—!!!*
Before long, accompanied by dragon roars, one dark shadow after another flew up from the red-hot holes in the floor.
"Watch out!"
"They're here!"
Riveria and Gareth, positioned at the rear, issued warnings one after the other, allowing everyone to see the true forms of those shadows.
They were wyverns, their bodies plus tails reaching three meters in length—Ill Wyverns.
It went without saying that the reason the seven floors from the 52nd to the 58th were collectively called the Dragon's Vase was precisely because of these Ill Wyverns and Valgang Dragons, which continuously unleashed ultra-long-range attacks.
While the Valgang Dragons could sense the presence of adventurers across an extreme distance and use their laser-like fire breath to break through multiple floors, the Ill Wyverns could fly through the breached floors and attack adventurers.
Imagine if an adventurer's strength were only enough to handle the monsters of the 52nd Floor, but not the monsters of the lower floors.
When those lower-floor monsters could come up to their floor on their own and even launch ultra-long-range snipe attacks, how hopeless would that situation be?
One of the Dungeon's basic rules was that the deeper the floor, the stronger the monsters.
Because of this, the Guild established recommended levels for conquering each floor, telling adventurers which floors suited their strength.
But when powerful monsters from lower floors crossed the boundaries and attacked weaker adventurers, if that was not a nightmare, then what was?
Needless to say, this was the primary reason why the floors below the 52nd Floor were regarded as hell.
Watching the Ill Wyverns continuously pour out of the glowing holes, Finn made a swift judgment.
'Tch, there are too many. If we engage them, we'll be slowed down.'
'And once we slow down, the Valgang Dragons' fire breath will definitely land with precision and blow everyone away.'
'We must avoid battle.'
With this conclusion, Finn immediately issued orders.
"Maintain this formation and keep moving! Gareth will block the wyverns! Ais, go support him!"
"Bete, Tiona, Tione, don't stop! Keep advancing! If you encounter monsters, don't bother to defeat them—just knock them away!"
"Riezel, Riveria, you two, begin chanting magic!"
Upon hearing Finn's commands, Riveria began chanting without any hesitation.
Riezel, hearing Riveria's chant, immediately understood which magic she intended to use and cooperated with her by unfolding a magic circle beneath his feet.
""The flame will soon be released.""
""Creeping war, unavoidable destruction.""
""The horn of battle sounds aloud, the cruelty of conflict will envelop all.""
""Come, crimson flames, the ruthless inferno.""
""You are the avatar of hellfire. Sweep completely, bring a close to the great war.""
""Burn them through, Sword of Surtr - my name is Alf.""
As they chanted their magic, their voices overlapped as they recited solemn, sacred incantations. Magical energy surged like the crimson hellfire raging behind them, erupting upward toward the ceiling.
*ROOOAAARRR—!!!*
*ROOOAAARRR—!!!*
Seeming to sense the danger, the Ill Wyverns charged forward with furious roars.
"Hmph, too naive!"
Gareth, responsible for guarding the rear, immediately swung his great axe with tremendous force—the blow shattered the ground, sending dust and debris flying and obscuring the Ill Wyverns' vision.
"HAHH!"
Ais also turned back and struck, piercing an Ill Wyvern's head with a single thrust, driving through its magic stone and killing it instantly.
Both the dwarf warrior and human swordswoman held the line together, blocking the enemy's advance and protecting Riezel and Riveria as they chanted.
"..."
Suddenly, Riezel's chanting voice stopped.
"Riezel?"
Finn, noticing it at once, turned around and frowned at Riezel.
However, Riezel did not look at Finn but first glanced at Ais, then fixed his gaze straight ahead.
"Looks like I've gotta stay here, same as the original plan, Captain."
Riezel's calm words left everyone stunned, and Finn immediately understood—his eyes sharpened as he stared straight ahead.
Over there, a figure slowly emerged from the shadows.
===
[A bonus chapter for every 500 Power Stones.]
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