As for the source of the roots, Leon still hadn't pinpointed it. The origin seemed to be quite a distance away, toward the very center of the floor.
But even without a clear location, Leon could already confirm one thing, the entity behind these roots was no ordinary creature. It was undoubtedly a terrifying, plant-type monster.
He had discovered that the ground beneath their feet was riddled with the same roots that had just launched an attack on them moments ago.
Though the roots had ceased their assault after a single wave, Leon wasn't fooled. There was no way those things had genuinely retreated. They were simply lying in wait, biding their time, lurking in silence for the perfect moment to strike again.
After hearing Leon's assessment, everyone present grew increasingly vigilant toward the ground. If they were cautious before, they were even more so now.
"Thanks!" Finn called back in response, his voice sharp and efficient.
He said nothing more, diving into the battlefield without another word. He didn't need to give commands. Everyone here was more than capable of handling what lay ahead. He just needed to do the same as everyone else—slay anything that came their way.
The others voiced their thanks as well, then pressed forward.
Forget the roots beneath their feet for now. They had to take care of the monsters standing in their way first.
The magical bombardment ahead was no less dangerous than a physical assault.
Leon, Riveria, and Lefiya advanced behind the vanguard. Riveria and Lefiya flanked Leon to the left and right.
A glowing cord of light extended from a magic tool wrapped around Lefiya's waist. Her hands gleamed with white light magic, swiftly countering enemy spells launched from the front.
Riveria, meanwhile, was deep in a parallel chant.
Those in the front lines, locked in fierce combat, kept an ear open to Riveria's spellcasting.
And the moment her incantation neared its conclusion, the frontliners instinctively dashed to the sides, making way.
"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!"
An apocalyptic frost surged from Riveria's position, sweeping through the battlefield like a storm of death. Within an instant, everything ahead was consumed in a world of ice and snow.
The multicolored magical bombardments from the enemy were swallowed without resistance by the overwhelming frost, vanishing into nothingness. It only took seconds for the entire danger zone ahead to be eradicated. Even the threat beneath the surface was wiped clean.
The sheer cold of Riveria's magic had frozen the ground itself. The once-lurking roots had no hope of breaking through the layer of magical ice.
Riveria's spell had paved a pristine, secure path for the expedition to proceed.
"Hahh... what terrifying magic."
"Riveria, your magical firepower has become even more terrifying since you reached Lv. 7." Alise approached from the left, gazing at the frozen field ahead with awe.
"Thank you for the compliment," Riveria replied with a calm smile.
"It really was a monster with four dragon heads…" Finn muttered as the rest of the group closed in from both sides. His eyes were fixed ahead.
More than 200 meters away, a dozen massive four-headed monsters stood frozen in place, transformed into ice sculptures. Their gaping mouths seemed to suggest they were about to unleash spells when they'd been frozen mid-action.
"Impressive work. Though, it's a shame we missed the chance to hone our skills." Gareth muttered in slight frustration.
"No." Finn shook his head firmly. "With the ground hiding lurking threats that could erupt at any moment, it's better not to take risks."
"Leon, please locate the origin of those roots. We'll eliminate the source first, then we can use the monsters here to train."
"Understood." Gareth answered plainly.
"I'm working on it, give me a moment." Leon smiled as he responded.
The 59th floor was immense, larger than all of Orario itself. It took time for Leon's light veins to fully spread out and map the terrain.
"Ugh, it's so cold!"
"Riveria, Wynn Fimbulvetr got way colder after you leveled up. I can't stand it." Tiona complained loudly.
"Same here!"
"Lefiya, get me a pair of shoes!"
On the frozen battlefield, Tione and Tiona both hopped in place atop the icy floor. As Amazonesses, they typically went barefoot, but the chill of Riveria's ice was too much even for them.
"I'm sorry." Riveria apologized with composed grace.
"Here you go, Tione, Tiona." Lefiya moved swiftly, pulling two pairs of shoes from the backpack slung over her back, larger than her entire frame.
The sisters accepted the shoes and slipped them on. Once their feet were snug and warm, both of them exhaled in relief, smiles blooming across their faces.
And right then, Leon narrowed his eyes.
"How is it?" Finn asked immediately, never taking his eyes off Leon. He had been closely watching for any reaction.
"More than ten kilometers ahead… there's a massive tree." Leon began. "All the roots come from it, it's spread its reach across the entire 59th floor."
"And based on what I sensed… its strength is about Lv. 7."
Leon's voice remained calm, but he was genuinely surprised. That thing had managed to fool his previous scans.
"Lv. 7?" Finn frowned deeply. "A monster of that level here?"
"I've never heard of a plant monster that could spread its roots across an entire floor. Is it another mutation?" Gareth's brow furrowed in concern.
"You could call it that." Riveria chimed in. "After all, when Zeus and Hera's familias explored this floor, it was entirely a frozen world."
"Well, who cares?" Alise chuckled. "We'll just crush it from ten directions."
"With our current strength, a level 7? It's nothing."
Hadn't they already beaten down Balor on the 49th floor?
Kaguya slapped Alise lightly on the head. "Finn and the others are worried about mutations. The scary part of mutations is the unknown. No one knows what strange changes they might bring."
"Hey! Don't smack my head!"
"Alise is right. Just push through!" Tiona agreed with Alise without hesitation.
"Yeah! Push through! Push through!" echoed Tione with a grin.
"Finn, what's your call?" Bete asked, hands in his pockets, voice cool and sharp. But he was looking directly at Finn.
Finn didn't answer right away. Instead, he turned to Leon. He could take charge of a battle, sure. But this wasn't just combat, it was a strategic decision. And when it came to that, Leon's input was indispensable.
"Leon, what do you think?"
Leon didn't hesitate. "Just do as you see fit,"
He said with a relaxed smile, "Take down the tree first. Once it's out of the way, we clean up the rest of the monsters on the 59th floor."
"Alright then, let's do it!"
Without wasting even a second, everyone sprang into action, racing along the route Leon had revealed. Their target: the very center of the 59th floor.
At the front of the formation, Riveria took the lead. Her ice magic blanketed the ground as they advanced, freezing it instantly and sealing off the threat of the lurking roots beneath their feet. The frozen terrain rendered the underground plant attacks utterly powerless.
As they moved forward, one thing became abundantly clear. Everyone was inwardly grateful that they had a mage like Riveria on their team, someone capable of neutralizing the terrain-based threats with overwhelming elemental magic. Because as they pressed deeper, the intensity of the battles skyrocketed.
Compared to the earlier skirmishes just after exiting the passage, the combat ahead had multiplied in difficulty. What was once an easy start now became five to six times more intense.
***
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