The words faded, leaving a sense of foreboding hanging in the air. Jack looked at Ly, eyebrows raised. “Care to expin?”. The Scraeling nodded thoughtfully as she stared at the pce where the words had vanished.

  “From what I know of dungeons, these kinds of hints are not uncommon. They probably hint at what the Dungeon yout is going to look like. Based on this, it seems evident that there are going to be 4 floors each with an elemental theme. Presumably, each floor will contain monsters of the appropriate type as well as their own Lord.”

  “And a Lord is what, exactly?”

  The question seemed to shake Ly out of her musings. She looked over at Jack with a faint smile. “Lord is the term used to describe a particurly powerful monster at the end of a Dungeon floor. Generally, they are harder to defeat than the monsters that come before them, but they offer correspondingly better rewards”.

  So, basically a Dungeon Boss then. Got it.

  Jack strode forward and threw open the doors, revealing the first of the four floors: the realm of fire. Heat immediately assaulted the party, causing them to wince and step back. The room beyond the doors was a vast cavern illuminated by rivers of molten va and lit by the eerie glow of the fiery ndscape. Stactites and stagmites, both composed of some molten rock, jutted from the ceiling and floor, making navigation treacherous.

  Jack led the way his spear out in front. He had considered using his new sword, but in the end decided to rely on a tried-and-true weapon for now rather than take a chance with the unfamiliar bde. Besides, from what he knew of swords they took a long time to properly master. A spear on the other hand was fairly straightforward. Stick the pointy end in whatever you want to kill. Simple and deadly effective. The 2 wolves fnked him with Cael and Ly bringing up the rear. The heat was intense, and every step felt like it could be their st. Sweat poured down their faces, and the air was thick with the acrid smell of sulfur.

  As they stepped cautiously into the chamber, Jack could feel the intense heat even through his armor. The air was thick with smoke and the smell of sulfur, making it hard to breathe. Small bursts of fme occasionally erupted from cracks in the ground, adding to the danger.

  Before they could take more than a few steps, the ground rumbled, and from the molten rivers, creatures began to emerge. They looked like small humanoids composed of fming rock. Their skin was a rough, cracked texture, the fissures glowing with the bright orange of molten va beneath and their eyes were hollow, burning pits of fire that radiated malevolence.

  Jack didn’t recognize the creatures but a quick Identify cleared that up.

  [Name: Cinder ImpletLevel: 10Health Pool: 145/145Mana Pool: 310/310Stamina: 190/190Skills: N/AAbilities: Cinderbolt]

  [Congratutions! Identify has gained a level]

  The Cinder Implets hissed and chattered, their voices a grating, echoing sound that bounced off the cavern walls, their eyes glowing with malevolent intent. They moved with a jittery, almost insect-like motion, their limbs crackling with each step as they emerged from the molten rivers. Jack raised his spear, ready for the impending fight.

  "Stay sharp, everyone," Jack called out. "These things look like trouble."

  The imps surged forward, attacking with relentless enthusiasm. The first Implet hurled a ball of fire straight at Jacks chest. He just managed to sidestep, the fiery projectile barely missing him and exploding against the cavern wall. Jack retaliated with a swift thrust of his spear, impaling the Imp through its rocky chest. The creature shrieked and crumbled into a pile of ash.

  Surprised, Jack checked his notifications.

  [You have dealt a Critical Hit to Cinder Implet, Damage x2]

  [You have dealt 84 Piercing damage to Cinder Implet]

  [You have dealt 90 Frost damage to Cinder Implet]

  [Congratutions! You have sin Cinder Implet]

  [500 Experience earned]

  How did I do so much Frost damage? Even with the Critical hit it shouldn’t be that much. A thought struck him and he quickly looked down and Identified his spear, the spear he had personally crafted.

  [Icy Spear

  Rarity: Uncommon

  Quality: Average

  Durability: 48/48

  Material: Ice-infused Tusk, Oak Wood

  Properties: Retains a natural icy enchantment

  Damage: 40-50 Piercing damage, 10-15 Frost damage

  Special Effect: 5% chance to apply Freezing status effect on successful hit, reducing target's movement speed by 30% for 5 seconds.

  Description: This weapon is especially effective against foes weak to ice and can be thrown for ranged attacks.]

  Of course! His spear's icy enchantment was particurly effective against the fiery Implets. Their elemental weakness to water and ice made his attacks devastatingly powerful. Jack took a moment to check how his comrades were faring.

  The wolves were darting around the battlefield, their agility allowing them to avoid the Implets' fiery attacks while tearing into them with their teeth and cws. Cael used his agility to weave between the Imps, his daggers fshing as he struck at their weak points. Meanwhile, Ly had already left an Implet dead on the floor, its body covered in spiky thorns while two more were ensnared by coiling vines. The Imps, while numerous, were not particurly strong, but their fire attacks were relentless, and the heat was sapping the party's strength.

  Jack sent a mental message to Goldeyes, telling him to rey it to Monsoon. A moment ter, the Wavewolfs fangs glowed blue as he sank his jaws into a screaming Imp who quickly crumbled to ash. The sight brought a grin to Jacks face. Monsoons Frostbite Fangs Skill was perfect for this environment.

  With renewed determination, Jack pushed forward, spear in hand. The Implets, though numerous, fell swiftly to their combined efforts. The heat was oppressive, but the party pressed on, knowing they had to clear this floor to move forward.

  As they battled their way deeper into the fiery cavern, they encountered clusters of Cinder Implets guarding narrow pathways and ledges. The constant presence of molten va made navigation perilous, but they managed.

  Jack took the time to use his knife to extract the teeth and cws of those Implets that didn’t turn to ash when they died. These could make useful crafting ingredients ter on he thought as he stuffed them into his pouch. The exercise also netted him immediate benefits as he got several level ups to his Skinning skill.

  "Over here!" Ly pointed to a narrow passage that led to a rger chamber. "I sense something powerful ahead."

  The party followed her lead, their movements careful and deliberate. As they entered the chamber, the heat intensified even more. In the center of the room stood a massive creature, twice the size of any Imp they had encountered. Its body was a fusion of rock and fme, and its eyes burned with an intense, malevolent light.

  [Name: Elite Inferno Behemoth

  Level: 15

  Health Pool: 650/650

  Mana Pool: 460/460

  Stamina: 600/600

  Skills: ???

  Abilities: ???]

  Jack looked the creature over warily. The Elite Inferno Behemoth towered over them, its rocky form glowing with the heat of an internal furnace. Cracks along its surface emitted bursts of fme and molten va, giving the impression of a living volcano. Its skin was a blend of dark, charred rock and glowing embers, constantly shifting and flowing as if it were molten.

  The Behemoth's arms were massive, each ending in cws that dripped with molten va. Its legs, thick and sturdy, seemed to merge with the ground, giving it a terrifying stability. Spikes of molten rock jutted out from its shoulders and back, adding to its fearsome appearance. Its eyes were like twin suns, radiating a heat that could be felt even from a distance.

  Jack quickly shared the information he had gleaned from Identifying the monster. Cael looked at Ly nervously. “Is this the Lord?”

  The goblin sounded tense, his usual air of quiet confidence tempered by the oppressive heat and the intimidating sight of the Elite Inferno Behemoth.

  Ly shook her head “The Elites are random challenges that pop in Dungeons. They are not as strong as Lords, but they can still kill if you’re not careful.”

  As if to emphasize her point, the Behemoth clenched a single fming fist and a fiery portal opened up in front of the brute.

  What walked out of the portal couldn’t really be called a dog. It was more like a massive fming wolf that stood about six feet tall at the shoulder and over eight feet in length. Its skin was a deep, almost bck red, resembling cooled va with cracks of glowing molten heat visible underneath. Sparse, bristly fur covered its body, appearing more like embers than actual hair. Its muscur build exuded raw power and menace. The head was distinctly canine, with a long snout filled with razor-sharp teeth. Its eyes glowed with an intense, fiery orange light.

  [Name: Infernal Barghest

  Level: 14

  Health Pool: 600/600

  Mana Pool: 350/350

  Stamina: 530/530

  Skills: ???

  Abilities: ???]

  Jack had a bad feeling about this.