Whew! That's a hell of a weapon! It's just about the same quality as my Masamune. In fact, it's a bit better as the stats are higher. It can also be split into two single hand axes for dual wielding! I'm going to have to hang onto this one. Maybe this will come in handy.
The chest from the fallen boss contained a leather armor set similar in appearance to what the boss itself was wearing. I didn't bother to inspect it as I just wanted to move on. I stuffed the armor set into a bag and saw something yummy sitting in the chest. In the right-hand corner sat a plate with a wrapped pita sandwich. In fact, it was a Gyros! I LOVE these things. There used to be a Mediterranean place by my house on Earth that had the best Gyros. Just overflowing with lamb.
The magic circle appears to the next floor, but I close the chest and hop on top of it to sit and enjoy my Gyros. As expected, it was just as delicious as the ones I used to eat in my previous life. Perfect rotisserie lamb, piled high in a pita with fried potato, tomato, and yummy tzatziki sauce. Ohhh yeah!
When I finish eating, I crunch up the wrapper and paper plate and hop off the chest. I open the chest and toss in the trash. I then turn toward the magic circle and head toward the next floor. Bright magic overwhelms my vision as I step into the circle. Almost immediately I'm hit with an overwhelming blast of heat. When I open my eyes, I can see why.
Lesser Creshent Labyrinth 4th Floor
The landscape I'm transported to can only be described as Hell. Vast lakes of molten rock stretch off into the distance. From what few cliffs I can see there are falls of bright hot magma, splashing into the vast lava lakes. This appears to be a massive cavern, as though I have been transported into the inner layers of this planet.
The ceiling cannot be seen, but above me is just blackness. There is nothing being illuminated by the glowing hot liquid rock. In these massive lakes are large islands of rock. Some small, others the size of a soccer pitch. Jutting out from the magma lakes and occasionally on the rock islands, are large pointy stalagmite like rock formations.
"Fuck it's too hot!" I exclaim as buckets of sweat begin flowing out of every pore on my body.
I have to do something about this heat. It's just too much. It has to be several hundred free degrees in here, and the closer I get to the magma lake, the more intense the heat is. I can feel myself becoming exhausted just standing here in this scorching heat!
My first attempt at cooling myself off didn't work as I hoped. I first tried dousing myself with my water spell, but the water quickly turned to steam, which only seemed to make it hotter. The only thing colder that I have is my icicle spell. I haven't used that spell in what seems like a year now. I'm not even sure how to properly make use of this.
I decide to see if I can just apply it to my entire body. What's the worst that happens I freeze myself?! I'll thaw out quickly in this heat if that happens. I channel my mana to every surface of my body and cast my icicle spell. My armor suddenly glows, and a layer of frost appears on the armor. A fog of cool air begins immediately falling toward the rock floor as the frost sublimates from the heat.
Magic Acquired:
Water Magic: Frost Armor
"Oh nice!" I exclaim seeing the new skill appear.
I concentrate on keeping the spell active by keeping my mana flowing outward on every surface of my body. It doesn't seem like this is going to take a lot of mana to maintain, though I wish my casting stats were higher, just for peace of mind.
The effect literally feels similar to standing in the door of a walk-in freezer at the supermarket. The cooling effect isn't coming from the layer of frost, but rather the cold shroud of fog that's creating a sort of refrigerated barrier. This I can tolerate well! I start making my way toward the edge of the platform I teleported in on, getting ready to jump to the next rock island.
Suddenly a massive bulge appears in the magma lake, and a massive serpent-like creature erupts from the lava. This thing is huge, and glowing red hot like the magma itself. I inspect the beast.
[https://i.imgur.com/lEqUwyX.png]
I whistle appreciatively at the stats and skills of this beast. I figured that considering the environment, the skills of the monsters in this area would be fire based. It seems that's a correct assumption. I make note of its skills so that I may later add them to my repertoire.
Well, it's quite a few levels above me. I'm probably around level 130 or so so this thing is a good 40 levels above me. I may have to do some grinding in this place to catch up to the level gap. I did move through the third floor rather quickly. Seeing as how this thing is basically resistant to flame, I use the same rationale for my newly acquired Frost Armor, and cast my Icicle spell on my Masamune. I have yet to actually imbue this sword with an element, so it will be interesting to see what happens.
Magic Skill Acquired:
Water Magic: Glacial Blade
My Masamune seems to have the same frost coating that my armor has, with the same fog falling from it as the frost sublimates. It doesn't look like a glacial blade to me. Well, whatever, let's go for it!
I launch at the massive flaming serpent with all my strength, my goal is the new island behind it. I slash at the serpent's body directly below its head. A sudden burst of fog and ice shards erupt as my blade slices through the serpent's body. I land on the rock island behind the monster and turn to look at what happened.
The area where I cut was frozen solid, with jagged shards of ice sticking out at all angles. The serpent turns to come after me and the frozen section suddenly cracks and it's head slides off. The whole beast falls forward, the body landing in the magma lake, but the head falls onto the island i'm standing on. The frozen part shatters on impact and magma-like blood gushed from the severed head. This "blood" doesn't head to my blade.
New Level Acquired!
New Level Acquired!
New Level Acquired!
New Level Acquired!
New Level Acquired!
New Level Acquired!
New Level Acquired!
New Level Acquired!
New Level Acquired!
New Level Acquired!
New Level Acquired!
New Level Acquired!
"I guess no food for you here, my friend." I say sympathetically to my chilled Masamune.
This may make this area more difficult as I'm not going to be able to utilize my weapon skills if I cannot charge the blade. My blade is fully charged after the carnage of the last boss fight, so I should probably hold onto the charge until I absolutely must use it.
The massive head absorbs into the rock and it's mana stone and a strange item appears. I stuff the glowing red mana stone into my bag, hoping it doesn't ignite the whole damn bag from the inside. Luckily that doesn't happen. I pick up the item that dropped and it appears to be a ring. It looks like it's made out of shiny black rock with tiny lava flows flowing all around it. It's actually pretty badass looking. I examine it and see it's a caster ring.
[https://i.imgur.com/jPB1Aff.png]
Wow, this is actually nice! Considering how lacking I am in my casting stats; this is a welcome addition. I place the ring on one of my fingers and I feel a surge of mana. Hopefully I can get some more caster type drops as that will help a lot. I'm too heavily spec'd for physical combat. Even on the second floor it became painfully evident that my casting stats were woefully lacking. My spells, particularly my healing was not able to keep up with the damage I took. I just barely was able to make do.
Of course, now that I have the healing spells of the last boss, I have access to Greater Heal, Healing Wind, and even a Resurrection spell, though I'm not sure how or when I will ever need that. It seems it has been 6-7 years too late for when that spell would have been useful to me.
Anyway, time to progress on. I start walking on this new rock island when numerous eruptions in the magma form all around the island. Round beetle like creatures land on the island with me. I wouldn't say they were beetles, more like those sand crabs you find at the beach when you dig in the sand. Only these are MUCH larger, each one literally about the size of a VW beetle. Why does shit have to be so big in here?!
There are about 40 of these things on the island with me. Luckily they aren't that tough and I cut them down by the dozens. It seems as I kill them more erupt from the magma lake. It doesn't matter as they are all cut down equally. Each defeated crab thing sees the same result as the massive serpent as they just bleed magma. There is still no blood to feed my blade.
As some point during the slaughter I glow bright white and my second tail makes its grand appearance, a surge of power rushing through me as all my stats are boosted by another 10%. I'm thankful at the arrival of my second tail as the boost makes maintaining this Frost Armor and Glacial Blade a bit easier.
After what seems like a hundred or so of these lava crab things, they finally stop coming out of the magma lake. I take the time to take a breather before I hop onto other islands I can see.
A few island hops and I come to another island about about 40 meters by 40 meters, and quite squared off. As soon as I step foot on the island, an eruption forms opposite of me and a creature jumps onto the platform. Standing about 3 meters tall, it's not terribly massive like most things I have been facing recently. It also doesn't look like anything I have faced recently.
This creature is humanoid, but it looks almost like a reptilian, but evil looking. How would I describe this thing?! It's arms and legs are lanky, but still muscular. Its rib cage is prominent, almost looking emaciated, but it still has prominent abdominal and chest muscles. It's face is elongated like a dragon, with two twisted black horns protruding from its head, and deathly sharp shines black teeth in its maw. It's skin, or scales maybe(?), as I'm not sure what it is, looks similar to the enemies I have faced down here already, brownish black with rivers of magma twisting around its body. In its hands, it sports two jet black obsidian looking swords. It's feet sport three claws that also look like shiny obsidian. They look long and dangerous. I have to inspect this thing as it looks quite dangerous.
[https://i.imgur.com/a0vZkgL.png]
A Daemon?! Wait, isn't it spelled Demon? The hell is a Daemon?! It has the same dash ability I have, so I suspect it's fast. No worries, as so am I. Magma blast and flame blade seems self explanatory, but Spacial Movement... what is that all about?! That's not like anything I have seen so far.
Well, my guest seems to be getting impatient, as he is clicking his claws on the rocks.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming!" I mutter.
I dash straight at my foe, and he responds in kind, his blades igniting on the way. Our blades clash and a shockwave propagates from the impact along with a massive burst of steam as hot blade meets ice shrouded blade. The whole platform we are on seemed to have bounced in the magma lake as the shockwave momentarily pushed it downward. My blade didn't make a dent in his black blades. That's impressive. I am guessing the level and quality of everything at this level has to be at least on par with my gear. It only makes sense that way. Otherwise, my blade would decimate anything of lesser quality.
Battle ON!