CHAPTER 67(Area Of Effect Problems)

Please read the author's notes. (Examples and explanation of moves and appearance+ Monster Sources)

Discord: https://discord.gg/K7f8qGpvuk

pat.treon:/Keanu_Eugene

CHAPTER START---

As Thalie sits against the wall of the tunnel to the 37th floor, the Trifecta has a small chat while she uses potions and bandages on herself.

"So, you seriously don't remember that... you know, reaching into a metal bull's skull and tearing its head in two..." Welf says, clearly in disbelief.

"Uh sorry I just saw it charging and everything went black, then I woke up staring at you two," Yang replies, rubbing the sides of his head, trying desperately to remember.

"Forget about him being weird for now, if we stop to question everything that doesn't make sense about him we'd never make progress, take stock, what do we have left after that..." Thalie orders while rising to her feet, still trying to ease the pressure on her left leg.

"I've got a shortsword and that's it, 3 healing potions left..." Welf quickly states.

"I'm on my last 3 daggers and my shortsword, 2 potions left, how about you miracle boy,"

"First, I don't like that nickname, and I've got 2 cases of potions left and the knife from a dungeon survival kit I bought, but it's mostly for firewood and stuff..." Yang says bluntly as his allies stare at him in a bit of shock.

"What EXACTLY do you mean by two cases?" Thalie speaks up.

"Uh, a dozen of each type remaining, I made sure to stock up before we got down here, sorry Sarran couldn't get more on short notice, Loki and Freya familia bought out a lot..." he explains, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head.

"So... you're strong, awesome magic, can fly, and you're rich, damn, some people get all the good stuff," Thalie pouts playfully.

"If I could afford all that I would, but this is good, I was really worried about potions, we can stock back up when we get to the safe zone, every familia expedition camp is required to have a certain amount, it kinda gatekeeps weaker and smaller familias from venturing too deep into the dungeon, since we're the only people who'll be leaving the safe zone from Hephaestus familia we should have more than a fair share of potions to work with, not to mention we can always have Hephaestus send more when supply runs come in," Welf explains.

"Are they really that expensive?" Yang asks, genuinely confused by this reaction.

"Uh, most adventurers have maybe 2 or 3 because they cost a bit and can break easily, I suppose yours can't break because of storage magic but yeah the price stops people from stocking up normally," Thalie jumps in to explain.

"I'd rather spend all my money and survive down here than save some and die because I don't have a potion, besides, that lightning dragon wyrmling I killed pretty much has me set, although the renovations to my spot in babel took a bit," he adds, his shoulder slumping as he recalls paying for the renovations.

"Yup, some people have all the luck, we should focus on getting to the safe zone, let's not run around the next two floors and just get to floor 39. I feel like shit after all those rocks and the... Gorgon?.... that's what you called it right..." Thalie asks.

"Yeah a Gorgon, alright I'll take point," Yang states while walking further into the tunnel.

---Dungeon Floor 37, The White Palace...

"Wow," Was all Yang could say, his eyes widening as the word sneaks out as barely a whisper.

"Yeah, reading about it is one thing but this... damn," Welf can't help but agree.

"Definitely agree with that," Thalie adds.

The White Palace, as the 37th floor is called, is where the dungeon becomes a completely separate world from the previous floors. Large enough for all of Orario to fit within, a massive circular labyrinth divided by 5 concentric circles.

With each circle being a massive wall containing a maze in the gap between each other. The walls of the maze and the large circles that divide the floor into rooms are dozens of meters wide, creating hallways around every corner even on the narrowest part of any wall.

All made of clean white stone, cold to the touch and tainted with the faint scent of iron, the only evidence thus far of all the bloodshed that has transpired on this floor.

With the Monster Rex Udaeus awaiting challengers in his Throne Room at the very center of the entire floor, the smallest circle of the labyrinth known as wall 1 by those who traverse this floor.

"The middle layer, The Warriors Room, that's where the Collesium is on this map, endlessly spawning monsters and replenishing them huh..." Yang says as they all look at the map he withdrew from his storage.

"Yeah, I figured you'd be all bout going there, this floor gets tougher the closer you get to the middle, you can think of the entire thing as a warriors challenge and Udeaus is the monster rex waiting for those who survive and make it to the middle. We need to get past him and get to the safe zone then you can come back and have all the fun you want," Thalie says with a small smile as she looks toward the path they need to follow.

"Yeah, let's go."

Five hours later, the Trifecta can be seen stepping over the fresh corpses of a hoard of Orcs as they proceed toward the middle layer of the floor.

"So what was up with the wheel thing you had on your back?" Thalie bluntly asks.

"Oh, if I calm my mind I can activate it, it basically supercharges whatever element I have it on, I've only had a few days so naturally fire is all it can properly do right now..."

"You said it locks you into that element right?" Thalie questions.

"Yeah."

"If we ever run into other teams, don't let them know that alright," She warns.

"Gotcha, I'll keep that on the down-low,"

"Wait, but didn't you activate that when you were all, murdery, during the Orcus challenge..." Welf adds in, keeping his voice down in the massive hallway.

"Did I?"

"Yeah, and the chaos mark too, all at once. Gotta say it was pretty awesome," Thalie finishes with a smile.

"Well, I'll have to figure out how they work before I can think about doing that again, I'd rather not blackout during fights if I have to use it after all," He says with a small smile.

"Yeah, the point of having you is a mage I don't have to babysit during a fight hehe," Thalie jokes.

"Uh, thanks?" yang asks, unsure if to take that as a compliment or not.

3 hours later, they arrive in the throne room.

"Hmm, anyone else feels like there were fewer monsters in the two smaller rooms?" Welf asks, voicing his suspicions.

"Of course there weren't as many here, Freya familia members in the safe zone will come down here and clear the sections closer to the 38th-floor entrance in the throne room, they wouldn't venture out into the larger zones where monsters get weaker," Thalie quickly points out.

"Oh yeah, that makes sense, why bother hunting weaker prey right..." Yang mutters to himself.

"It looks like the monster rex isn't here, Ottar passed through here so that's expected." Thalie says, relief clear as day in her voice, "Let's get going, the next floor is through there," she says while pointing to a tunnel at the end of the boss room.

The team quickly makes their way into the exit, they are now only one floor away from the 39th floor safe zone.

"So, Ottar... how strong is he, does anyone know?" Yang asks as they walk through the large stone tunnel.

"Considering that he's literally called the KING, yes," Thalie says as they walk through the tunnel to the 38th floor.

"Always so helpful..." Yang mutters.

"What you gonna challenge him or something, because well... can you do that when we're not with you in the dungeon at least..." Welf asks, worry plastered across his face.

"No no, I spoke to him once, he protected me when I went mind down, the pain from that stupid invitation caused me to release all my magic in the dungeon..." Yang mutters as he begins to trail off.

"What was he like, I've actually never even met him, saw him once at Babel plaza when he was leaving the dungeon once, he's a big guy," Thalie asks with almost a childlike curiosity.

"He seemed pretty chill, all business though, doesn't really talk much, I was asking because I'm curious about something, guess I'll ask if we see him in the safe zone," he says with a shrug.

"You are wayyy too casual about this, dunno how I feel about the guy with the subtlety of a brick talking to one of the two strongest adventurers in the world, in the dungeon, while we're in here too," Welf adds, his eyes glaring harshly at Yang.

"Hey! I know when to play nice, especially when he can probably kill me with a look or something, besides we spoke before that's all," Yang says as they step into the cave system of the 38th floor.

"Yeah, we---"

"Shhh!" Thalie immediately silences Welf, "Movement ahead," her abrupt words immediately cause everyone to be on guard, Welf drawing a shortsword as she does the same as Yang raises his arms in a battle stance.

Stopping in their tracks, the dungeon walls around their little party begin to tremble, the pebbles on the ground jumping and shaking as the sound of footsteps trampling toward them.

"Huh, so those are a thing..." Yang mutters as the stampede of rhinos round the corner.

"That's like, a hundred at least... good thing they aren't fireproof, how're you feeling?" Thalie asks.

"Yeah, I got this, um, cover your ears..." He says while walking forward, blue flames covering his right arm and howling wind enveloping his left arm, "Haven't really let this move out in a wide space in a minute hahaha."

Raising both his hands in front of him with palms facing forward, the flames and wind immediately burst forth and meld together as waves of destruction wash over everything in this large room.

'Pressure Damage'

The loud howling wind and the ear-splitting piercing sound of flames crackling drown out everything in the battlefield, completely drowning the sound of the crying monsters as they're burnt alive.

After a few seconds of continuously pouring magic into this attack, Yang drops his arms as the wind and flames on him dissipate.

"Ok, that should do it," he says proudly, a smile on his face and arms folded across his chest as he looks at all the melted stone, from floor to ceiling the sturdy walls pour down as liquid rock.

After a few seconds of hearing no responds, Yang looks over his shoulder to see nobody behind him, with a quirked eyebrow he immediately sprints back the way they came only to find Welf and Thalie with wet cloths covering their mouths as they cough their lungs out.

"Uh, you guys ok?" he nervously asks.

"You...overdid... it..." Thalie struggles to speak between coughs.

Noticing what she meant, Yang withdrew his water skin from his inventory and handed it over to them.

After a minute of them trying to cool down, they both stood and gave him a harsh glare.

"You seriously need to get it through your head that everyone can't handle crap like that," Welf says.

"You almost burnt our lungs with how hot the air was, don't use stuff like that when we're right next to you," Thalie says as she hands over his now empty waterskin.

Taking a moment to refill it with his water magic, he places it into his inventory before turning back to them.

"Sorry sorry, I just kinda got it into my head that it'd be fine since the last people didn't really seem bothered by it..." He says, awkwardly scratching his cheek.

"What people?" Thalie asks with a furrowed brow.

"Loki familia main team, but I guess they just threw up a shield to block it huh..." He says as he raises a hand to his chin, clearly pondering the goliath fight.

*SMACK*

Thalie immediately whacks him on the back of the head.

"The strongest mage in the city used a spell to protect her team and you expect us to just stand next to you, how out of touch can you be..." She grumbles while walking toward the destroyed room.

"Yeah, I'm with her on this, we aren't comparable to those guys so keep that in mind man, rather not die to friendly fire," Welf says as he follows Thalie.

"I guess, I really haven't been putting much thought into that, I've been just assuming all adventurers are like me..." he mutters to himself while following his teammates.

---The City of Orario, Tower of Babel...

Dear H,

I've found a lead. It would seem that a new spearman has taken charge, the good seeds are all gone and the eagle shall be caged once more. I hope the eagle's wings are strong. Expect another letter in the weeks to come.

Best Wishes, C

Folding the letter and placing it into a secure draw in her desk, Hephaestus melts into her chair as she releases a deep sigh.

"Eagles aren't meant to be caged..." She mutters to herself while leaning back into her chair.

END CHAPTER---