“What are those?!” Noelle said a bit too loud while pointing at the candy vendors.

  “Noelle hush, you will make Io’s stealth uncertain. Your presence is already affecting her stealth negatively!” Giana said while hushing Noelle.

  “But look at those things, lil sis! They look so uncanny! Did lil’ bro screw up in making those humans?”

  “I don’t know! I think it’s intentional. He might have encountered these human imitations. Let’s hope we won’t find out what they are!”

  The party had successfully infiltrated a candy shop and took the stairs to a lower floor. The appearance of the candy shop owners was still on their mind. They also stared at the party, even though they were in stealth.

  Noelle thought they were busted, but Vinny pointed out that they were still in stealth, so it must have been something else.

  “I think we made it unnoticed.” Vinny wiped his forehead as they arrived on layer 8.

  “I need to deal with those anti-shadow magic guards. Wish me luck.” Io disappeared and some guards in the distance ‘disappeared’, one collapsed before disappearing, notifying the party that Io was a bit sloppy. Io returned. “Ugh, I should pay more attention when Kyle deals with these. The coast is clear. Let’s go.”

  “Wow she’s actually pretty good once she tries.” Giana praised.

  “Classic dragon behavior.” Noelle commented.

  Vinny tried to ignore Giana and Noelle’s comments, but he agreed. Dragons can become scarily competent once they try, but it seems to be extremely difficult to get a dragon to that point. One thing was certain now. Io is serious.

  Although sloppy, Io fulfilled her duties as a Toxic Donkey and the party arrived on the magma layer. Vinny and Yvonne had difficulties with the ambient temperature on the layer, and Noelle was a bit uncomfortable.

  “I’m burning up!” Vinny patted down his green hair which auto-ignited. Giana responded by handing out [Water Veils]. “Thanks.”

  “Did we die? Is this hell? Hey that island looks suspicious! It’s unstable.” Noelle ‘ran’ off and waded through the magma.

  “Wai… Right. I forgot that everyone here has loose screws. How are we supposed to follow here through the magma?” Vinny asled as he looked around. Yvonne had jumped up and landed on Noelle’s head and was hitching a ride. Io turned into her dragon form and flew over.

  A pair of glowing fox eyes appeared in front of him. “So, if everyone here has some screws loose, which of your screws are loose?”

  “Ahh Giana don’t do that! Those eyes are intimidating.” Vinny said as he got startled and backed off.

  “I can’t help it. Let’s follow them!” Giana said in a melodic tone as she walked over the magma as if it wasn’t there.

  Vinny stretched out his hand. “Wait! Help!”

  Giana came back, picked Vinny up with her tail and walked over to the island by keeping him high up in the air.

  “Higher! Higher!”

  “Are you sure you’re a legendary dragon?”

  “Yes! I’m just bad with heat and fire! You should know that!”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  Giana chuckled and continued carrying Vinny to the island.

  Io was the first to arrive. Giana and Vinny were second and third. Noelle was still wading through the magma but only her head was sticking out of the magma and Yvonne, who was standing on Noelle’s head, was freaking out.

  “Relax Yvonne, it won’t get deeper than thi…” Noelle sank more and Yvonne jumped at the island. Giana extended a tail and caught Yvonne.

  “It’s ok Yv, I got you.”

  Io pretended to scan the area, but it was clear she wasn’t skilled in this. “Noelle disappeared. Is she dead?”

  “Io! Of course not! She’s not dead! She isn’t right?” Vinny asked as she looked at the other two idols.

  “Hey you guys are loud; I can hear you even with a layer of magma covering me.” Noelle’s head appeared again as she slowly walked out of the magma pool. She wiped blobs of magma off herself as if she was dusting off herself. “Well, I was already hot, but I’m also literally hot now so you better not piss me off Vinny!”

  “I would never!”

  “Hahaha that was amazing! I should try that too! Oh, wait, let me get us back in stealth.” Io said as she checked if nobody spotted them.

  Noelle went to inspect the strange structure on the island while Io reapplied stealth. The island was circular and had some strange rings on the floor. It seemed artificial and made out of stone.

  “I can’t see what this is supposed to be. But don’t you think it’s strange? What happened to all the guards and people? There are none on this layer.” Giana remarked as she looked around. It wasn’t accurate that there was nobody on the layer, but Giana had only spotted 12 individuals on the layer, which was certainly strange.

  “Ooh I get it!” Noelle stomped, and the strange structure started to turn. “It’s a crank!”

  The island kept cranking and sinking.

  “It’s a magma swirl! Or is it a magma elevator?” Io was observing the spiraling wall of magma around them and gulping some ambient fire mana.

  “I dislike this place. Why is there magma everywhere? Giana what in Kaledon’s name are you doing?” Vinny commented on an odd sight; Giana was collecting magma and dropping it in her dimensional pocket.

  “Hmm? What do you mean?”

  “Don’t mind her, that woman collects anything that could be useful. I think it’s a racial trait.” Noelle said as she stomped again to make the elevator speed up.

  “W…what are you going to use magma for Giana?”

  “Hmm, well I don’t have any offensive power, but magma could do a lot of damage depending on the matchup.” Giana said as she gave Vinny a mischievous look.

  “Hey! Stop ganging up on me! I’m a well-behaved dragon!”

  “Oh Giana want to store my dragonfire?!” Io asked.

  “Sure!” Giana opened a dimensional pocket and Io unleashed some fire attacks into it.

  “Hey if you can just store attacks like that. Doesn’t that make your race unfairly overpowered?”

  Giana thought about Vinny’s question. “Hmm it does. But I don’t think that being overpowered has helped my race a lot.”

  “Uhh, you have a point there…” Vinny tried not to stare as Giana often opened her dimensional pocket in strange places.

  “Ugh! Who made this elevator? It has so many flaws! It’s unstable, slow and dangerous!” Noelle stomped again, but the speed of the elevator didn’t change. “Aagh! I’m surprised that team Hourai didn’t spend an eternity in this place. This elevator alone takes too long!”

  “C...calm down Noelle. We must be c…close to the destination.” Yvonne said, trying to calm Noelle down.

  The elevator shook as it stopped moments later. Noelle waited and tapped her foot. She waited and waited. The tapping sped up and ended up in a stomp.

  “Where is the exit!?” She kicked at the large cylinder on the side of the island, toppling it over and creating a tunnel through the magma wall. “What’s with this primitive exit!? I have so much to say! Come on, let’s go!” Noelle stomped off. The rest of the party decided to follow her quietly.