The moment our party appeared fifty feet above the dead center of the summit, I scanned the area beneath me and grit my rocky teeth. The hundred foot wide plateau of a summit was completely covered in [Winter Wolves] and [Yeti] amid dozens of large snow drifts, lying in wait. Directly beneath us was a black stone arch covered halfway up with snow, which I assumed was either the way to let in the boss for the floor, or our way up to the third floor, but there was no energy cracking within its snowy expanse.
If we had arrived at the plateau how the level obviously expected us to, only a few [Winter Wolves] would have been visible from the nearest edge to the floor start. Instead, I was able to make out thirty [Yeti] and at least sixty [Winter Wolves]. Surprisingly, even my [Essence Reading] mixed with [Mystic Eyes] couldn’t even spot a variant of the below monsters in the short time we hung in the air, let alone a boss.
[Yeti - Rank C Monster
Level: 42
Vulnerabilities: Fire
Immunities: Cold, Water]
[Yeti are large bipedal creatures covered in white fur who only live above the snowline of the tallest mountains in Genovia. Physically powerful, Yeti’s most dangerous form of attack is their vicious two foot long ice claws, which can freeze or decapitate just as easily. Despite their size, they are cowardly and will flee at the sight of fire unless their leader, a Yeti King, is present. They are known to raise Winter Wolves as hunting dogs.]
None are fleeing yet, but I’m not exactly visible right now. If they don’t run, I guess the floor boss is a [Yeti King]. Hopefully it’s not that tough… damnit, I just jinxed it. I need to get Arlian working on carving them up before they can get too out of control.
[Winter Wolves - Rank C Monster
Level: 42
Vulnerabilities: Thunder
Resistances: Fire
Immunities: Cold]
[Winter Wolves are large light grey to white wolves who live in the coldest regions of Genovia. Their ability to see and move through snow is nearly unparalleled, with even large amounts of settled snow not acting as even the slightest barrier to their vision. Beware their [Arctic Breath], a blast of cold energy that can freeze a person solid as easily as it can kill them with damage.]
Shit, they’re resistant to fire damage. That’s going to make this more difficult. I’ll have Volta and Voltaire focus on them.
With our flight Skills still locked, most people would’ve had no choice but to land on the massive snow pile, but we weren’t most people. With a gasp of effort, Jaegan fashioned a slide using [Wall of Force] and let most of our party down with him toward the lightest concentration of monsters.
I remained atop the slide, still shapeshifted into a [Magma Baron], as I debated the best course of action.
There are three ways I can do this, but I don’t know which will turn out best. I could just rain magma down on the pile of snow beneath me, but there’s a chance that just frees the boss before we can deal with the adds. I could do the same with the other snow piles, which doesn’t seem like a bad idea… Or, I could make myself a target by dropping small globules of magma on all the monsters at once and give my friends time to get ready. Despite my shapely magma body, I shivered. If I do that, Ylsa might actually try and kill me. She was pissed the last time I tried tanking, so yeah, not going to do that again. Snow piles it is.
Drawing in a huge breath, I felt as the magma within superheated the previously sub-zero air before I added bits of my magma body to the cavern forming the mixture inside me. Below, the monsters nearest my friends started to turn around to look at them and I knew I needed to level the playing field before they got surrounded with nowhere to go.
With a roar, I unleashed my pent up magma breath, pouring fire and earth energy into it from [Elemental Mastery] at the same time to create a cascade of magma as I slowly turned to try and melt as many of the snow embankments as I could. My first attempt was enough to clear the space between my friends and the creatures sneaking up on them in addition to another quarter of the battlefield. Before I could do it again, a four foot icy rock hurtled out of nowhere and slammed into my core.
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I screamed in pain as my [Elemental Form] ability faded from excess damage. I’d forgotten the biggest rule of any [Form] Spell. Humanoids don’t usually have vulnerabilities unless a Passive Skill gives one to them. Monsters do, even those we take the shape of with [Form] Spells. I hadn’t checked, but as I writhed in agony at the mere memory of the hit, I landed flat on my back and slid down the snow pile in the center of the plateau.
Note to self, [Magma Baron]’s really hate cold damage. Fuck, that hurt!
Rolling to my feet, I triggered [Haste] so I could get my bearings and it likely saved my life as I turned just fast enough to dodge a massive white clawed hand shooting out from the pile of snow I’d just slid down. Spinning down into a crouch, I pointed both hands at the offending claw.
“[Bunker Bolt]!”
A two foot wide bolt of blinding white lightning flashed out from my extended hands, striking the snowbank with a thunderous roar. The icy surface shattered, sending shards of frozen water flying in all directions. The lightning penetrated the snow, burrowing deep into the icy depths and melting them all the way. It pierced the black stone archway, leaving a smoking, jagged scar. Finally, it struck the horned yeti, who let out a deafening bellow as the electric current coursed through its massive body. The yeti’s brilliant white fur stood on end, crackling with electricity, and its yellowed fangs glinted menacingly in the brief flash of light.
[Yeti King - Rank A Floor Boss
Level: 42
Vulnerabilities: Fire
Immunities: Cold, Water]
[Yeti Kings are enormous bipedal creatures covered in white fur whose kingdoms consist of the entire mountain they call home. Of unparalleled physical might, a Yeti King’s claws have been known to tear through Mithral like it was paper. Despite that, their most dangerous trait is the ability to boost the physicality of any Yeti within half a mile. All Yeti King hunters agree, the best way to kill a Yeti King is to hit it as hard as you can with fire or lightning, as fast as you can, and not leave anything to chance.]
Even as my haste increased vision read the notification that filled the corner of my vision, I continued my assault. “Eat this, bitch!” Cerulean and scarlet flames leapt from opposite palms toward the creature. The scarlet flames had an almost liquid-like quality, while the cerulean flames burned far hotter than your average flame. The pair of flames met in the air just before the boss, where they merged to become a deep amethyst purple color that slammed straight into the chest of the beast before I walked it up toward his head and shoulders.
Unlike normal flames, the amethyst flames kept burning even when the creature dove right into the remaining snow beside it. The purple flames continued to burn, giving me a straight shot at it, and I decided it was time for me to start putting my [Path of the Scholar] to good use.
With a glance around, I found my party fighting their way toward me, with Raiju leading the pack mid-bite into a [Winter Wolf] who had their mouth open toward me.
“[Eruption]!” I slammed my hands down onto the ground and poured ninety percent of my Mana into a single application of [Elemental Mastery]. While I didn’t technically have to yell out what I was doing, it did help me center myself, so I went with it. Before me, the rock began to boil in a straight line toward the [Yeti King], where it suddenly burst free in a ten foot geyser of lava that continued to pour high into the air with the huge creature born upon it.
With a grasping motion and a supreme effort of will, I grabbed hold of the molten rock and redirected it to fill the entirety of the plateau we stood upon except for a five foot circle around me and each of my allies. The sounds of screaming monsters filled the air and it was like music to my ears when the creatures started popping out of existence as lava poured down around them.
I did it Mom, I used combat magic. I finally did it. I hope you’re proud of who I’m becoming. Tears formed in my eyes as I looked up at the lava fountain I’d formed. Dominus, this is all because of you. Hopefully I’ll be half as useful to you as you’ve been to me so far.
The lava continued pouring out of the mountaintop far longer than I’d expected. I’d only planned on it going for around thirty to forty-five seconds or so and it’d been going on for three minutes when Arlain walked up behind me with his visor up and worry on his face. I nodded curtly as I continued my hold on the lava, preventing it from landing anywhere near my friends or myself.
“Boss, we have a problem.” He pointed his spear at the lava fountain and then all around the plateau. “This isn’t a mountain.”
“What…do you…oh…” I grunted with the effort of trying to stop the lava fountain, but despite [Elemental Mastery] and my significant Stats, it didn’t even slow down. Instead, it started pouring out even faster, as I’d needed to loosen my grip on the energy to change what I was doing with it.
“I think you’re the only thing stopping this volcano from going up all at once.” The [Obsidian Knight] practically shook with fear. “We need to go. Now. The portal’s active, but it needs the Party Leader to open.”
My gaze flicked over to the portal, where my entire party stood, minus Raiju and Arlian, who were with me. She bumped into the back of my legs, gently pushing me their way.
Jaegan flashed me a huge smile. “You did it! Now, get your ass over here so we don’t die in a fiery death despite your triumph over your childhood fears.”
The twenty foot walk from where I’d used [Eruption] to the portal just to the left of the lava plume was the most difficult I’d experienced to that point. Every step grew more difficult as the volcano beneath our feet began to shake and the lava pouring out from the hole I’d created in the hundred foot thick rock grew in intensity. Five feet from the portal, I lost control of the energy and nearly fell flat on my face, but Raiju and Arlian didn’t let me down. He slung me over her back and she bolted for the glowing purple portal, where she slid to a stop that slammed my hand against the purple barrier.
[Would you like to ascend to the third floor? Y/N]
After mentally smashing the “Yes” option, I fell through the portal and the world went black.