Riveria pulled Roy back to the team's center before the monsters emerged from the cave.
As a fragile mage, monsters getting close was dangerous.
"Roy, use your magic," Riveria said.
Roy's magic was too potent—its explosions especially.
If monsters appeared elsewhere, Riveria wouldn't have Roy cast, given his faster casting speed.
With him, monsters could be handled efficiently.
But the monsters were at the 51st-floor cave entrance.
Roy's wide-area Fusillade Fallarica could collapse the cave entirely.
The cave seemed large but was no match for Roy's magic.
It might even seal the passage.
When Finn's group returned to find the path gone, it'd be chaos.
"I'll take vanguard," Roy nodded.
The camp was near the cave.
With their current numbers, a monster charge could break their formation outright.
"Good," Riveria agreed.
She'd seen Roy's strength.
His frontline presence would ease pressure and buy her casting time.
"Harbinger of the end, the white snow!" Riveria began chanting, a golden magic circle glowing at her feet, lighting the dim space.
"Out!" someone shouted.
A massive monster appeared.
Green skin with vivid stripes screamed poison.
Hundreds of short legs lined its lower body; its upper body rose like a hill, flat organs extending sideward.
It resembled a virga.
Emerging, it scanned around, then, as if drawn, squirmed swiftly toward the Loki Familia.
More enhanced virgas poured from the cave, their numbers and density scalp-numbing.
"Enhanced types?" Riveria was surprised.
A frequent deep-floor visitor, she'd never seen such virga's.
Roy charged, his sword slicing a monster's waist, delivering a fatal blow.
It howled, blood spurting, its green skin swelling and exploding violently.
"Tempest!" Roy used it to block the splattering liquid.
Roy glanced at purple fluid on his blade—toxic monster blood.
The liquid hit the ground, sizzling.
"Everyone, fall back!" Roy shouted.
Some Level 4 vanguard adventurers engaged the monsters.
Those contacting the monsters were hit by corrosive spit, dissolving equipment and clothes, then burning skin.
"What's happening? Our gear…" an adventurer groaned, staring at his melting weapon.
In seconds, armor and weapons turned to dust.
"How do we fight?" a female adventurer froze.
The enhanced virga's corrosive spit melted high-tier equipments instantly.
Its blood was the same—venom coated its body.
Weapons were useless; bare-handed fighting risked worse injuries.
Roy's kill showed the monsters exploded on fatal hits, dousing adventurers in corrosive blood.
"What are these? Never seen them."
One or two, they could trade injuries and gear loss to win.
But the numbers were overwhelming, like caterpillars clogging a mulberry tree.
In under a minute, hundreds swarmed from the cave, covering ground and cliffs.
Without those past numbers, the camp descended into chaos.
"Riveria, magic ready?" Roy called loudly.
Riveria, still chanting didn't reply.
"Forget it," Roy shook his head.
"Harbinger of the end, the white snow. Blow with the wind before the twilight. Closing light, the freezing land. Blizzard, the three severe winters—my name is Alf! Wynn Fimbulvetr!" Roy chanted first.
A blizzard swept through, freezing hundreds of virga into ice, shattering them into dungeon ash.
Riveria had three spells, each with three stages of varying power and effects—nine spells total, earning her Nine Hell.
Roy used her Wynn Fimbulvetr, weaker with a smaller range.
Riveria, shocked but focused, completed her chant, releasing her magic.
Their combined spells gave the Loki Familia members breathing room to retreat.
Roy and Riveria cast more spells, wiping out the virgas.
"That magic just now?"
Riveria approached Roy after the battle, curious.
Read advance chapters at:
200 Stones = 1 chapter
400 Stones = 2 chapter