Avince and Erwin stood at the edge of the volcanic crater, the oppressive heat rolling over them like a living thing. The shimmering air and faint glow of molten rock gave the landscape an otherworldly feel.

"This dungeon isn't government-owned," Erwin explained, adjusting the straps of his gear with practiced ease. A slight smile played at the corners of his mouth. "I had to spend a fair amount of Alliance credits to secure access. It's worth it, though. You don't get dungeons like this in the public sector."

Avince frowned, his curiosity piqued. "What made you choose this specific one?"

Erwin gestured to the glowing cavern below, his movements deliberately casual. "Location, for one. This dungeon sits in the middle layer of an active volcano. It's considered middle-strength overall, but that's only because the deeper layers are untouchable. Even S-class teams don't venture to the core—it's suicide. As for this level..." He watched Avince from the corner of his eye, gauging his reaction.

His voice trailed off as they descended into the dungeon. The air grew heavier, thick with mana, and the faint hum of energy vibrated through Avince's chest. Molten streams of lava carved glowing paths through the dark stone, illuminating their way.

"This dungeon is home to living armors," Erwin continued, his tone almost playful. "Forged by the intense mana of the volcano. The soldiers you'll see first are mid-C rank. Tough enough to take down most unprepared teams. Then there are the elites—general-class armors at peak C. And the boss..." He gave a knowing smile. "A king among armors. High B rank, that’s what I’ll be taming. You'll see soon enough."

Avince held his amulet in hand as if seeking comfort at the pulses of mana it gave, swallowing hard. He wasn't entirely sure he was ready for this.

As they ventured deeper, the oppressive heat gave way to an eerie silence. The first sign of movement came from the shadows—a metallic scrape that sent a shiver down Avince's spine. Two figures emerged from the gloom, their glowing cores pulsing faintly within enchanted steel bodies. The living armors moved with an unnerving fluidity, their jagged swords wreathed in flames.

"Soldiers," Erwin said, his tone casual. "Mid-C rank."

He raised his hand, summoning his creature. A massive, translucent slime materialized beside him, its gelatinous body shimmering with a strange blue aura. Despite its unassuming form, the pressure it exuded was overwhelming.

"A slime?" Avince asked, disbelief coloring his voice.

Erwin chuckled. "Not just any slime. This is Smeech. Found him as the boss of a slime dungeon I cleared decades ago. He's grown stronger over the years, though he's reaching his limit at high B rank. Still, it's more than enough for these." Smeech gurgled enthusiastically at the praise, causing Erwin to smile. "Yes, yes, show them what you can do."

Smeech surged forward, making a low gurgling sound that somehow seemed eager. The slime engulfed one of the living armors in a wave of viscous liquid. The creature struggled, its core glowing brightly as it tried to resist, unleashing waves of fire that turned to steam against Smeech's body. But the slime's crushing pressure extinguished it in moments.

The second armor, however, bypassed Smeech entirely and charged at Avince. Its glowing core flickered with an almost malicious intent as it raised its flame-wreathed sword.

Avince barely had time to dodge the wide slash, the blade carving a molten scar into the ground where he'd stood. Waves of heat scorched the air around him. He countered with a blast of water magic, the spell hitting the core directly. But instead of staggering, the armor pressed forward, steam hissing from its joints as it converted the water to vapor.

"Damn it," Avince muttered, weaving to avoid another strike. He followed up with a gust of wind to throw the armor off balance, then attempted to crack the core with a sharp spike of earth magic. The attack landed, but the armor didn't falter. Instead, it channeled flames through its body, melting the earth spike before it could penetrate deeply.

Its sheer resilience was daunting. Avince poured more mana into his spells, layering attacks of water pulses and wind blasts to chip away at the core's defenses. Each strike drained his stamina, and sweat poured down his face, both from exertion and the dungeon's oppressive heat. The armor countered each water spell with intense heat, turning his attacks to steam before they could do significant damage.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the armor's core shattered, and its metallic body collapsed into a lifeless heap. Avince staggered back, panting.

"That was just one," he muttered, his arms trembling.

"Not bad," Erwin called, a faint smirk on his face. He walked over to the fallen armors, carefully collecting their cores and examining the metallic fragments. "These contain traces of adamantium," he explained, storing the pieces in a specialized container. "The volcano's heat and mana pressure create a unique forging environment. Makes these quite valuable." Smeech gurgled in agreement, which made Erwin chuckle. "Yes, yes, you did most of the work."

As if on cue, three more living armors emerged from the shadows, their glowing cores casting an ominous light. Among them stood a larger figure—its armor gleaming with a golden hue, flames dancing along its surface.

"Elites," Erwin said, his tone serious. "The generals. That one's at peak C rank."

Smeech moved to intercept the elite, making a deep, resonant gurgle that Erwin seemed to understand. "Don't get cocky," he warned his slime. "These ones are different."

The general-class armor was faster and more powerful than its subordinates. It deflected Smeech's attacks with calculated precision, its molten sword leaving trails of heat in the air. Each swing created waves of fire that forced even the slime to dodge.

Meanwhile, the three soldier-class armors advanced on Avince. He gritted his teeth, preparing for the fight of his life.

The soldiers attacked in perfect coordination, their flame-wreathed swords creating a cage of fire around him. Avince's water magic turned to steam before it could reach their cores, and his wind spells only served to fan their flames higher. One soldier's blade caught his shoulder, searing through his protective gear.

Desperate, Avince focused his mana and channeled a surge of ice magic. The temperature around him dropped sharply, frost forming on the molten rocks. With a powerful swing of his hand, he unleashed a wave of ice that froze one of the soldiers in place. He followed up with a concentrated spike of ice, shattering its core.

Erwin's eyes widened slightly at the display, his expression shifting from casual observation to keen interest. "Your ice magic..." he murmured, but kept his thoughts to himself. Even Smeech paused momentarily in its battle, gurgling questioningly at Erwin, who shook his head slightly.

The remaining soldiers pressed their attack with renewed vigor, their molten cores flaring brighter as if sensing Avince’s growing exhaustion. He raised his hand to conjure another ice barrier, but the first soldier's blade struck before it fully formed. The impact shattered the half-formed wall into icy shards, forcing Avince to leap back as the molten edge of the blade sizzled through the air where he had stood moments before.

Another soldier advanced, its movements eerily mechanical yet relentless. Avince lashed out with a spike of earth magic, aiming for its legs. The jagged pillar erupted from the ground, striking the creature’s knee and staggering it briefly. But the second soldier closed the gap, its flaming sword cleaving at him as Avince used his magic to make a makeshift shield made of ice as he desperately parried as the shield shattered.

Sweat dripped into his eyes as he spun away from the next strike, narrowly avoiding the searing heat of molten metal. With a surge of focus, he summoned a torrent of water, aiming the high-pressure blast directly at the closest soldier’s core. The stream struck true, causing the molten glow in its chest to flicker. Avince pressed the attack, intensifying the flow, but the second soldier was already moving to intercept.

Its sword came down in a vicious arc, and Avince barely managed to redirect it with a blast of wind, the molten blade slicing a shallow gash into his sleeve. He stumbled back, gritting his teeth as the searing heat licked at his skin. The first soldier, though damaged, recovered quickly, its glowing core burning brighter as it rejoined the assault.

Avince clenched his fists, forcing his weary body to move. He darted between the two, weaving through their relentless strikes with bursts of wind-enhanced agility. One soldier swung low, and he jumped, vaulting over the blade and slamming a shard of ice into its chest. The core cracked but didn’t shatter. The second soldier took advantage of his airborne position, swinging its blade in a horizontal slash.

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Twisting mid-air, Avince conjured a shield of water around himself. The molten sword hissed as it struck the barrier, slowing down its momentum. Steam erupting in a violent burst that obscured the battlefield. Using the distraction, Avince landed behind the first soldier and thrust a concentrated spear of ice into its already-damaged core. The crack widened, and with a final burst, the core shattered.

The soldier’s armor collapsed into a pile of lifeless metal, but Avince had no time to celebrate. The remaining soldier charged through the dissipating steam, its blade raised high. Avince ducked low, sending a blast of wind at the creature’s legs. The gust knocked it off balance, and he followed up with a barrage of ice spikes, aiming for its joints.

One spike struck true, piercing through the gap in its knee joint and pinning the leg to the ground. The soldier struggled, its molten core glowing angrily as it tried to free itself. Seizing the moment, Avince summoned a great amount of mana and formed a massive shard of ice above the soldier. He brought it down with a crushing force, smashing through the creature’s core in a brilliant explosion of frost and molten light.

As the second soldier’s armor crumbled to the ground, Avince collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath.

That's when the second general-class armor appeared. Erwin observed how his son would react, his earlier surprise now replaced with calculated observation. He quickly moved to collect the cores and fragments from the fallen soldiers, his container filling with the valuable materials before putting them in his storage ring.

The armor emerged from a pool of lava, its golden armor radiating an intense heat that made the air shimmer. Avince tried to stand, but his legs trembled with exhaustion. His mana reserves were nearly depleted.

The general attacked without hesitation, its sword trailing streams of liquid fire. Avince raised a barrier of ice, but it melted instantly. The armor's blade caught him in the side, sending him sprawling across the ground. Pain exploded through his body as he rolled to avoid a follow-up strike that left a crater in the stone floor.

The golden armor loomed over Avince, its core pulsing with deadly intent. He tried to summon more ice magic, but his mana flickered weakly. The general raised its sword for the final blow.

Only then did Smeech crash into the armor like a tidal wave, pushing it back with an angry gurgle. Erwin walked over unhurriedly, offering a hand to help Avince up.

"That's enough for now," Erwin said, his voice carrying no trace of concern. Instead, there was a hint of satisfaction in his expression. "You've shown me what I needed to see." Smeech made a concerned burbling sound, to which Erwin nodded. "He'll be fine, old friend. Just need some rest."

Avince wanted to protest, but the pain in his side and his depleted mana left no room for argument. He watched as Smeech engaged both generals, its massive form splitting to fight them simultaneously.

"You knew I couldn't handle that general-class armor yet." Avince said tirelessly as he looked at his burned cloak, thankful at the effectiveness of the equipment they bought.

Erwin's smile widened. "Of course. But there's a difference between me telling you your limits and you discovering them yourself. Sometimes the best lessons come from failure." He paused, watching Smeech methodically dismantle the generals. "Though I must admit, that ice magic of yours was... unexpected. It's what made me curious to see how you'd fare against a general."

After the battle, Erwin carefully collected the golden fragments from the defeated generals, examining them with particular interest. "The elite armors contain high concentrations of adamantium, second only to the boss." he explained, storing them separately. "Their cores are especially valuable too—the volcanic pressure makes them perfect for crafting high-grade equipment."

The molten heat of the volcanic dungeon pressed heavily against Avince as they ventured deeper into its twisting paths. Sweat drenched his brow, and his body felt leaden, but he pushed forward, determined to prove his worth. Erwin moved ahead with an air of calm confidence, his every step deliberate, while Smeech flowed alongside them, occasionally gurgling warnings about approaching dangers.

"Dad, I've been wondering—what makes Amyra's taming ability so special? You can tame any monster, right? So why is her power treated like it's... unique?"

Erwin paused, glancing over his shoulder with a chuckle. "That's an interesting question, son." He folded his arms, leaning slightly against a rock while Smeech burbled curiously. "Amyra can tame any monster with enough time and effort, just like me. The difference is that her ability makes it ridiculously easy for her to tame ice creatures."

Avince frowned, trying to process this. "What do you mean by 'ridiculously easy'?"

Erwin grinned. "Let me put it this way: remember that infant ice dragon your sister hatched last time? If I were to try taming that egg when I was that age, it would take months or even years of careful mana bonding just to prevent it from trying to kill me even if it had to die itself. But your sister? That little one imprinted on her the moment it hatched, following her around like a puppy." Smeech made what sounded suspiciously like a laughing gurgle.

Avince couldn't help but laugh at the image, though a pang of envy pricked his chest.

Erwin continued, his tone more serious. "That's not the only thing. We're not entirely sure yet, but your sister's tamed ice monsters seem to grow stronger faster than normal. Remember your sister's tamed ice wolf? It's already pushing into mid C-rank after just a year. That kind of growth isn't natural."

"So her ability doesn't just make taming easier—it boosts the monsters she tames?"

"Looks that way," Erwin said, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "It's a rare kind of synergy. Ice monsters resonate with her mana in a way that makes them more responsive, more loyal, and, frankly, more terrifying in combat."

Avince nodded, digesting the information. His sister's talent was undeniable, but he couldn't let himself be overshadowed. He clenched his fists, determination burning in his chest. The day's defeats had only strengthened his resolve to grow stronger.

Erwin watched his son's reaction with quiet approval. Everything was proceeding exactly as he'd planned—testing Avince's limits. The volcanic dungeon had served its purpose perfectly.

"More company," Erwin muttered, his eyes narrowing. Smeech gurgled in anticipation, its form rippling with eagerness.

From the shadows emerged a squad of living armors—this time six soldiers and two elite general-class armors. Their glowing cores pulsed with a menacing energy, and their molten swords gleamed ominously in the dungeon's light.

"You're not fit to fight anymore," Erwin said to Avince, his tone steady but firm. Without waiting for a response, he raised his hand, and Smeech rippled forward. This time, the slime's form shimmered with a dangerous, predatory energy that made the air around it feel charged with tension.

Avince, clutching his side, watched in growing apprehension. Smeech felt strong before, but now, it moved with terrifying intent. Suddenly, the creature quivered and split itself into two smaller yet equally formidable entities—one surging toward the two elite living armors, the other gliding toward the five soldiers.

The battle began with an explosion of fire.

One of the elite living armors raised its massive sword, its blade igniting in flames that roared to life. With a deafening crack, it brought the flaming sword down in a devastating arc toward the approaching slime. But Smeech dodged with incredible speed, splitting into smaller fragments to evade the strike. The ground beneath the sword scorched instantly, the heat radiating outward, but the slime reformed seamlessly and counterattacked with a tendril that struck the living armor's leg. The creature staggered but recovered, its joints glowing with molten heat as it retaliated with another flaming swing.

The second elite living armor joined the fray, launching a barrage of fireballs from its gauntlets. The fireballs exploded as they hit Smeech's form, sending waves of heat and smoke into the air. For a moment, it seemed like the slime might falter—but then it surged forward, unharmed, its fluid body absorbing the energy of the flames. It lashed out with multiple tendrils, wrapping around the first elite's flaming sword arm. The armor struggled, its body glowing brighter as it tried to release a blast of heat, but Smeech responded by hardening around the joints, effectively locking them in place. With a sickening crunch, it shattered the arm entirely, leaving the elite defenseless. The slime moved quickly, engulfing its core and dissolving it in seconds.

The second elite, seeing its ally fall, unleashed a stream of fire from its chest, the flames roaring like a furnace. Smeech split again to dodge the inferno, reforming behind the armor in a blur of motion. Before the living armor could react, the slime surged upward, wrapping itself around the creature's torso. The armor glowed red-hot as it tried to burn the slime off, but Smeech countered by cooling its surface, forcing the heat to dissipate. Moments later, it crushed the armor's core, leaving nothing but charred fragments behind.

Meanwhile, the other half of Smeech had reached the five standard soldiers. These armors wielded flaming spears, thrusting them in coordinated strikes. The spears burned bright, leaving scorched lines in the ground as the soldiers tried to corral the slime. But Smeech was relentless, making aggressive gurgling sounds as it dodged and weaved through their formation, its fluid body unaffected by the flames. One soldier managed to stab its spear into the slime's mass, but instead of harming it, the spear dissolved in a hiss of steam, the molten fragments falling to the ground.

Smeech retaliated with brutal efficiency. Tendrils lashed out, striking at the soldiers' legs and shields. One soldier tried to release a fiery explosion from his core, but the slime absorbed the blast, its surface rippling as it surged forward. Within moments, the soldiers were overwhelmed. The slime wrapped around their bodies, extinguishing their flames and crushing their cores with terrifying precision.

The battlefield grew quiet. The two elites lay in shattered pieces, their flames extinguished, while the soldiers were reduced to piles of molten armor fragments. The slime reformed into a single entity, looming for a moment before slithering back to Erwin’s side. Its predatory shimmer faded as it obediently awaited further commands.

Avince, still catching his breath, stared at the scene in awe and unease. The destructive efficiency of his father’s summoned creature left no doubt—this was the power of a seasoned tamer.

As they continued deeper into the dungeon, the oppressive heat grew almost unbearable. The walls seemed to pulse with an eerie red light, and the air was thick with the smell of sulfur.

Finally, they arrived at a massive set of doors, intricately carved with depictions of molten lava and armored figures. The sheer size and detail of the doors were awe-inspiring, but the ominous energy emanating from beyond them made Avince’s stomach churn.

“The boss chamber,” Erwin said, his tone serious.