Pretending to be a noob in a world scaled by power level

[132] The 10th floor

As we proceeded to the tenth floor, the intensity of the environment escalated. The ambience was palpably tense, the sweltering air tingling with anticipation. What was a roiling sea of magma on the ninth floor, the tenth floor was a combination of perilous pathways and hostile habitats.

The pathway, a narrow strip of rugged stone, traversed the length of the cavernous expanse. It started from our entrance point, snaking its way through an ocean of molten rock, and ended at a large, circular platform in the center. The path appeared to have been hewn from the bedrock itself, standing out against the undulating waves of the magma sea, looking strangely tranquil amid the seething chaos around it.

The circular platform in the center looked like an island in the midst of a fiery ocean. Its stone surface was curiously smooth, as if polished by eons of heat and pressure. The platform was enclosed by jagged rocks rising out of the molten sea like obsidian teeth, and beneath them, rivers of liquid fire flowed freely, illuminating the cavern with a hauntingly beautiful glow.

Above, stalactites hung like jagged chandeliers, dripping molten lava that sparked and splashed into the boiling sea below. Their fiery glow painted the entire floor in a dance of shadows and light, creating an eerie yet mesmerizing spectacle.

Despite the inhospitable environment, the path and the platform stood firm, defying the destructive force surrounding them. They served as a testament to the resilience and perseverance that adventurers like us needed to overcome the challenges of this deadly dungeon.

The gates on both ends came down.

Emerging from the bubbling magma sea, the salamander took form. Its gargantuan size easily dwarfed all of us, standing taller than any creature we had encountered so far. It was as if a portion of the magma sea had come alive and taken form, the molten lava giving shape to a beast of titanic proportions.

The magma salamander's body was coated in a hardened layer of volcanic rock, which crackled and glowed with intense heat. Deep, fiery crevices spread across its obsidian-black skin, revealing a seething inferno within. Its arms, each the size of a mature oak, ended in wickedly sharp claws that sparkled menacingly in the cavern's eerie light.

Its head was enormous, with eyes that glowed like hot coals, radiating an unyielding and fierce determination. The creature's maw was a wide, gaping hole filled with jagged, crystalline teeth, each gleaming with a fiery, incandescent glow. As it opened its mouth, a blast of heated air wafted over us, making us squint and step back.

From its spine ran a row of thick, fiery spikes that made it appear even more terrifying. Its tail, a monstrous whip of molten lava and rock, thrashed wildly, sending splatters of glowing magma flying in every direction.

The magma salamander was a living, breathing embodiment of the raw, uncontrolled energy of the earth's core. Its mere presence was enough to turn the temperature up several notches, threatening to burn everything in its path.

With a gulp, Kuroko unsheathed her daggers, their edges glinting dangerously in the fiery glow of the salamander. "Alright, this is definitely harder than I thought," she muttered, her voice wavering slightly. But she quickly put on a determined face and looked over at Aurelia and Sera.

"Let's take this beast down, shall we?" Aurelia said, her fiery eyes mirroring her determination. Her fists clenched, the dragon scales covering her arms shimmered under the intense heat.

Sera, on the other hand, looked calm and composed as she raised her staff. "No room for errors here," she said, her voice steady and firm. "Aurelia, you and Kuroko aim for its sides. I'll see if I can find a weak spot with my magic."

As the girls charged into battle, I turned to Lila, who was shivering slightly despite the sweltering heat. I placed my hand on her shoulder, giving her a reassuring squeeze. "Stay behind me, Lila," I told her, unsheathing my sword. "I won't let this monster lay a claw on you."

With the battle plan set, the girls sprang into action. The salamander roared, its voice echoing throughout the cavern, as it was about to meet its formidable opponents.

Q: Do you enjoy grinding in RPG?