Chapter 146 In-Depth! Death God's Overlord Flower!
The stench of the corrosive liquid mingled with the sweet scent of the potion, lingering in the air for a long time.
The team stepped over the scorched earth left behind by the melting worm army and arrived at the entrance to the next level.
Bottles of restorative potions were poured down the throat, wounds healed in the dim light, and dried-up magic was replenished.
All eyes were fixed on the deep, dark staircase, burning with eager anticipation.
"Finally... the 59th floor."
Finn's sigh was soft, yet it ignited a flame in the hearts of the Loki Familia members.
This time was different; they were no longer as disheveled as they had been the previous two times.
They were not ambushed by the cannon dragon, but instead fell to the 58th floor and fled back to the ground in disarray.
They did not encounter any unknown monsters on the 51st floor, nor did they suffer heavy losses and were forced to turn back.
This time, they are at the height of their military power and full of fighting spirit!
They are determined to break all previous records and prove with their strength that they are truly the strongest in Orario!
A surge of excitement filled the crowd, but Arthur stood solemnly at the entrance, his left fist clenched unconsciously.
Finn noticed his unusual behavior and approached discreetly, lowering his voice.
"What's wrong? Is something amiss down there?"
Arthur nodded slightly, his voice deep and somber.
"It's screaming. The thing down there is gaping, waiting for us to jump in."
Finn raised a hand to his forehead and said with a wry smile, "Couldn't you have come up with a more auspicious way of saying it? But..."
He habitually licked his thumb, and an unprecedented stinging sensation instantly struck him.
"I don't think I can refute you either."
Arthur hesitated for a moment, temporarily suppressing his worries about the starlight mark, and looked through the darkness toward the end of the stairs.
"According to the information left by Zeus's Familia, starting from the 59th floor, the underground city environment will transform into a polar ice field with huge temperature differences."
Finn frowned: "But those worms and man-eating plants don't look like monsters that can roam freely in the freezing cold..."
Before the words were even finished, the two exchanged a glance, and a terrifying word simultaneously surfaced in their minds.
"Floor renovation?"
The new type of monster can not only strengthen itself by devouring magic stones, but its numbers have also become so large that they are enough to distort the ecological environment of the entire floor.
A fierce glint flashed in Arthur's eyes. He had already prepared for the worst and informed Finn in advance.
"Commander, if a certain type of monster appears below, I must handle it."
Just as Finn was about to ask further, the recovered team members got up and gathered around.
The two tacitly ended their conversation.
"The 59th floor is just around the corner. We must be prepared to fight the new species army to the death."
Finn turned to the group, his gaze sweeping over the supporters who were carrying spare weapons.
How much of the Demon Sword is left?
Chun placed the heavy backpack on the ground, unzipped it, revealing more than ten rough magic swords that gleamed with the luster of minerals.
"Fifteen." She took out the magic swords one by one. "Thanks to your supernova, the magic swords were basically worn out when I came down from the 52nd floor."
Finn frowned slightly: "Only fifteen... the situation is not optimistic."
"Don't think about it, Finn. Sometimes you just worry too much."
Arthur raised his hand and patted his shoulder, interrupting his thoughts.
"The Pioneer's intelligence failed, and the strange man's dying rant all pointed to the 59th floor as a trap."
He looked around at everyone, a long-lost look of interest appearing on his lips.
"I don't like battlefields where I know nothing, but isn't that what adventure is all about?"
Bert snorted coldly, grabbed two short magic swords first, and glanced at the crowd with disdain.
"We've already come this far, why are we still hesitating?"
"Either charge down and fight those monsters to the death, or roll back to the ground like a coward. The choice is yours!"
The werewolf's words were as brutal as ever, yet they instantly ignited everyone's fighting spirit and dispelled the last trace of hesitation.
Finn shook his head and chuckled, then picked up a long magic sword and slung it behind his back, his voice becoming resolute.
"Set off."
...
The 59th basement level.
The polar ice fields described in the records no longer have even a trace of cold air left.
There are no icebergs here, no crystal rivers; instead—
It is a disgusting, grotesque jungle made of flesh and vegetation!
The walls, the floor, the ceiling—everything was enveloped in thick, green fleshy walls, like the organs of a monster.
Thick vines clung to and wriggled on the fleshy walls, with strange flower buds of varying sizes hanging from them, as if they were gestating some indescribable horror.
As soon as they stepped inside, the team members were speechless with shock at the sight before them.
Arthur and Finn exchanged glances, their gazes simultaneously drifting into the depths of the jungle.
A trail, eroded by a viscous corrosive liquid, stretched straight towards the end of the forest path, emanating a pungent stench.
Arthur raised his hand and waved it in front of his nose, his eyes cold.
"It's obvious that the original monsters on the 59th floor have been completely wiped out, and this is the nest of a new species."
Finn gazed at the obstructed jungle; though there was no wind around, the vibrant colors rippled slightly as if they were alive.
"Maintain formation and advance cautiously."
Upon receiving the order, the team instantly assumed combat stance.
Arthur and Bert took the lead, using their sharp blades to cut through the branches and leaves in their way, and slowly advanced on the sticky "ground".
Not far along, a strange sound came from the depths of the woods.
It sounded like chewing, or the crunching of bones being crushed, interspersed with intermittent, satisfied low noises.
The monster had not yet appeared, but the oppressive feeling of stepping into the abyss made everyone hold their breath and their nerves tense to the extreme.
Arthur, who was walking at the front , had extremely sharp senses. His eyes narrowed and he suddenly raised his hand.
"Everyone, be quiet."
Everyone felt a chill and moved even more lightly.
They followed Arthur silently through the last layer of jungle.
The scene before them made everyone feel as if they had fallen into an ice cave.
It was a vast open space, where endless worms and man-eating plants crawled on the ground, kneeling in worship in the center.
They are surrounding a female monster with the lower half of a giant plant, the Death Queen Flower!
This giant plant monster, which should have been the overlord of the deep, has now become the core of some kind of ritual.
It greedily extended countless slender tentacles, precisely piercing the mouthparts of worms and man-eating flowers, forcibly extracting the colorful magic stones from their bodies, and devouring them frantically!
The new monster, drained of its magic stones, couldn't even utter a mournful cry before its body rapidly withered, disintegrated, and turned to ashes.
Only then did everyone realize with horror—
This open space is not some gray-brown earth; it is clearly the ashes piled up after the deaths of countless monsters!
Enhanced species!
A mutated floor master is devouring magic stones at an unbelievable speed to strengthen itself!
Thinking of this, a chill ran from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, and even the usually calm Finn's face turned so gloomy it could drip water.
Thump! Thump!
The space inexplicably trembled twice, as if a heartbeat was occurring.
The Death Flower, which was feeding, paused. It slowly raised its graceful upper body, and its pupil-less eyes pierced through the crowd, fixing their gaze firmly on Ais!
"Aaaaaah—!"
The hideous female monster issued a sharp command, and the new army of creatures stirred like a tidal wave!
The adventurers immediately raised their weapons, their faces filled with a determination to fight to the death!
Arthur's gaze turned cold, but his eyes passed over the ecstatic Death Queen Flower and fell on the even deeper, darker tunnel behind it.
He can't perceive it, but he can feel it!
That nauseating sense of horror, that unforgettable evil, is rapidly approaching!
"Child of the Stars!!!"
A terrifying shriek, powerful enough to shatter eardrums, echoed throughout the entire floor!
A graceful female figure burst forth from behind the Death Queen Flower, soaring straight into the sky!
Her gaze wasn't on anyone else, but fixed solely on Arthur !
What burned in those eyes was an irreconcilable resentment and hatred!
Upon seeing this, Arthur's lips curled into a warm, gentle smile.
An invisible current solidified beneath his feet, lifting him slowly into the air, leaving behind only a casual remark that echoed in everyone's ears.
"So, everyone, let's begin our adventure."