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Chapter 132: Aiden's Premonition of Danger
Aiden's arm moved so fast it blurred, leaving only flashes of crimson-gold light in the gloom as it clashed with the zombie's purple steel. It painted a breathtaking picture of an absolute duel to the death.
Realizing its strikes were being stonewalled, the zombie abruptly changed tactics. It leaped high into the air, keeping its feet together, and brought them down toward Aiden's chest like a falling battleaxe. The sharp edges of its boots gleamed coldly, carrying enough terrifying force to shatter solid rock.
Instead of retreating, Aiden stepped into the attack. He kicked off the cavern wall to his left with his left foot, flipping his body in mid-air to narrowly dodge the axe-kick. Using the momentum of his spin, he drove his right foot brutally into the zombie's abdomen.
With a loud Bang!, the zombie let out a low, raspy hiss and was sent flying backward like a kite with a snapped string. It slammed violently into the rock wall, creating a massive crater as debris rained down.
Before the creature could get up, Aiden closed the distance instantly. He raised his flaming sword high above his head. The flames surged with unparalleled intensity, superheating the surrounding air until it felt like it was catching fire.
"Ride Upon This Wheel of Flame!"
He channeled his strength into his wrist and brought the sword down with apocalyptic momentum.
Screeeech—!
An ear-piercing sound of tearing metal rang out. The longsword the zombie had hastily raised to block was instantly melted through by the super-high temperatures of [Everlasting Flames]. Unhindered, the flaming sword cleaved straight through the monster's shoulder. The zombie let out one final shriek as its body began to dissolve within the roaring flames. It left behind only a faint wisp of black smoke, which was promptly incinerated by the fire surrounding Aiden.
The battle was over. A brief silence returned to the cavern, save for Aiden's heavy panting and the sizzling sound of flames licking the scorched stone.
"That was too close... If I hadn't melted its weapons, killing it wouldn't have been that easy." Aiden leaned heavily on his sword, his entire body screaming in protest. He had gone all out for this fight, dancing on the razor's edge the entire time. Given the zombie's attack power, a single mistake would have meant losing a limb—or his head. Luckily, his [Everlasting Flames] magic had a special anti-weapon property that allowed him to brute-force a weapon break. Otherwise, the fight would have dragged on.
"Strength, speed, endurance... Its potential stats must have been off the charts," Robin analyzed. "That was a monster with virtually no weaknesses aside from ranged attacks. Judging purely by combat performance, even a party of Level 3 adventurers probably wouldn't have stood a chance."
A full week had passed since the Denatus that finalized the format for the War Game. Over these seven days, the Focalors Familia quartet carried on as if the upcoming battle—one that would decide the life or death of their Familia—wasn't happening at all. They entered the Dungeon on time every single day. They had even managed to clear two Domain Instances during this time, reaping massive rewards.
The greatest prize was that Aiden had finally gathered a full 5-star Artifact set: [Crimson Witch of Flames]. The two-piece set effect directly boosted the power of his fire-attribute magic, but the four-piece effect was truly game-breaking. It instantly bumped his developmental ability, [Fire Flash], up a full rank, elevating it from Rank I to Rank H.
Now, standing in the 16th-floor cavern where they had just defeated the Elite Ninja Zombie, Aiden stared down the dark, yawning tunnel leading to the 17th floor. A severe sense of impending doom welled up from the bottom of his heart, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.
"What's wrong, Aiden?" Robin asked softly, noticing his unease.
"The 17th floor... there's major trouble waiting down there." His expression was grim.
He knew that the 17th floor was the domain of the Monster Rex—the Goliath—a Floor Boss officially rated with a potential equivalent to a Level 4 adventurer. But even against a Level 4 boss, Aiden was confident he could win. As long as Robin used [Vox Harmonique, Opus Cosmique] to temporarily rank him up, and he managed to chant his annihilation magic [Genos Angelus], the Goliath would undoubtedly be killed.
But right now, the overwhelming sense of crisis stabbing at his nerves was screaming at him: Do not go down there!
Even without the cheat-like intuition of Finn the Braver, it was blindingly obvious to Aiden that whatever was waiting for him on the 17th floor wasn't just a simple Goliath. Given his [Abyss Gazed Back] skill—which caused the Dungeon to specifically spawn monsters from his memories—he couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of "surprise" the Dungeon had cooked up for him.
"We're heading back." Aiden made a decisive call. "There's no need to force our way into the 17th floor right now. We aren't fully prepared yet."
"I agree," Robin nodded. "Our primary focus should be the upcoming War Game. We shouldn't create unnecessary complications." Tifa and Hyacine voiced no objections, trusting his judgment completely.
On their way back up, they casually wiped out a horde of Minotaurs that had the misfortune of blocking their path. The entire process was as smooth and effortless as a post-dinner stroll. With the War Game rapidly approaching, it was time to head back, update their Falna, and prepare for this highly anticipated Castle Siege in peak condition.
Upon returning to the surface, the group headed straight to the Guild Headquarters to exchange their drop items for Valis. The receptionist assigned to them was, as always, their personal advisor, Eina Tulle.
When Eina saw the four of them walk up, covered in dust and carrying the distinct, lingering scent of the Dungeon, the half-elf paused. Then, her pretty face flushed bright red—not from shyness, but from absolute fury.
"Are you all out of your minds?!" Eina's voice actually trembled. "News of the War Game has spread across all of Orario! Even the neighboring countries are watching! And what are you—the actual participants—doing? You still have the nerve to dive into the Dungeon?!"
She placed her hands on her hips, pacing around them while muttering furiously. "Everyone out there is saying you've given up and are just waiting to die! Others are saying you're desperately cramming at the last minute to boost your strength. How is that even possible?!"
Aiden watched the puffed-up Eina with a mix of amusement and genuine gratitude. He offered her a warm, soothing smile. "Don't worry, Eina. We know what we're doing. Besides, no matter the time or place, an adventurer shouldn't stop adventuring. That's what makes us adventurers, right?"
"Exactly, Miss Eina," Robin added with a gentle smile. "Maintaining a normal exploration routine is the best way to keep our combat senses sharp."
Hyacine took it a step further. Pulling a small, pink bottle of Healing Spray from her bag, she shoved it into Eina's hands. "Here you go, Eina-chan! You must have been working so hard lately—I can even see some dark circles under your eyes. A quick spray of this will do wonders for your skin!"
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