Chapter 342: Firefly
However, the light radiating from Amphisbaena's two entirely different pairs of eyes was undeniably the vicious glare of a monster—a pure, unadulterated malice that had forsaken all reason, obeying only the primal instinct to destroy.
Its two heads twisted and writhed like completely separate entities. The head on the left housed a pair of cold, azure eyes, while the eyes of the right head burned a furious crimson.
As the dragon's roar—which had rivaled the thundering of the Great Fall—finally ceased, the echoes of its cry continued to reverberate throughout the Dungeon. The two-headed white dragon slowly swept its four mismatched eyes over the scene, glaring down at the foreign anomalies that dared to threaten its mother, the Dungeon.
And then, it was enraged.
ROOOOOOOOAAAAAAR!!!
Another deafening bellow shook the cavern, but this time, it was accompanied by a breath of pure annihilation.
The dragon head with the azure eyes snapped its massive jaws open, spewing forth a raging torrent of azure flame. The fire was beautiful—so beautiful it sent a piercing, bone-deep chill down the spine. It ignited the very atmosphere, tore through space, and blasted in a straight, unstoppable line right toward the group.
Wherever the flames passed, the surface of the waterfall basin didn't even have time to boil before it instantly evaporated, churning out massive clouds of scalding steam and carving a searing white corridor through the air.
Seeing the apocalyptic azure flood bearing down on them with unstoppable momentum, Jeanne took a heavy step forward, her armored boots slamming against the ground.
Thud! The muffled impact was almost entirely swallowed by the roar of the dragon's breath. Without a single second of hesitation, she planted her holy flag, adorned with the iris crest, firmly in front of the group.
"Lord, I offer this body as your sturdy shield!"
Golden magical light flared, brilliant as the morning sun. In the next instant, the destructive azure flood slammed head-on into the golden light of salvation. The golden barrier stood like an immovable mountain, flawlessly blocking the apocalyptic dragon's breath.
However, the scene outside Jeanne's shield was a literal hellscape.
The ground caught in the path of the dragon's breath had been forcefully gouged into a terrifying trench. The sheer temperature melted the solid rock, causing it to drip down like thick syrup. The crystal pillars bathed in the azure heat sizzled violently, melting and collapsing as if they were nothing more than lit candles.
This catastrophic devastation drained all color from the faces of Daphne and Cassandra, who were facing a two-headed dragon for the very first time. They had absolutely no doubt that without Jeanne's near-absolute defense, that single breath would have instantly vaporized a fully armed Lv.4 adventurer, leaving not even ashes behind.
It was vital to remember that this two-headed dragon's latent potential was evaluated as a Lv.5 by the Guild. But here, within its aquatic domain, its comprehensive combat strength could easily be classed as a Lv.6.
This was the Monster Rex of the 27th Floor.
The ambient temperature of the floor, originally chilled by the damp mist, spiked drastically until the heat was suffocating. The cool air was completely gone, leaving the group feeling as though they had been tossed into a massive iron cauldron, surrounded by scorching steam and heatwaves.
"The two-headed dragon's fire... it's burning on the surface of the water..." Daphne murmured, staring at the impossible sight in disbelief.
The azure flames weren't just ravaging the land; they were burning furiously across the vast expanse of the waterfall's basin. Whether it was the crystal-lined shores or the steaming surface of the lake itself, every path swept by the breath attack flickered with the profound, beautiful azure fire.
Even though they had obtained detailed intelligence from the Guild beforehand, seeing this contradictory and terrifying phenomenon with their own eyes still deeply shook them.
Amphisbaena's breath was unleashed by mixing highly flammable, specialized bodily fluids generated by its internal "dragon liver." This liquid, which had an incredibly low solubility in water, granted the flames a massive resistance to moisture, resulting in this paradoxical river of fire.
The beautiful, incendiary Azure Flame.
In stark contrast to its dreamlike appearance, this lethal breath would cling to its target like a festering curse, burning continuously until there was absolutely nothing left.
"Do not touch the flames! If even a spark gets on you, it will burn continuously on your body. Standard recovery magic won't be able to save you!"
Sparks of azure fire drifted through the air like the dandelion seeds of death. As the tactical commander for this subjugation, Robin immediately shouted a warning to her companions. Sweat had already soaked her silver-purple bangs—not out of fear, but due to the rapidly rising, furnace-like temperature of the floor.
Based on the experiences of previous expedition teams, defeating this two-headed dragon required at least one top-tier Lv.5 adventurer leading a vanguard of over twenty second-class adventurers just to have a slim chance of success. But right now, the Focalors Familia's lineup looked downright pitiful in comparison.
Their Captain, Aiden, was Lv.4. The Vice-Captain, Robin, was Lv.4. Meanwhile, Tifa, Hyacine, Jeanne, Daphne, and Cassandra had all only recently advanced to Lv.3.
Worse still, they even had a Lv.1 rookie who had just joined the Familia.
It was true; over the past month, Robin and the others had all successfully leveled up. But under normal circumstances, bringing this lineup to challenge Amphisbaena was tantamount to throwing eggs at a rock. They would be utterly massacred by the Floor Boss in a one-sided slaughter.
However, the Focalors Familia could never be judged by common sense. If Aiden wanted to, he could easily slay this two-headed dragon single-handedly. But right now, he preferred to use this as a trial for the entire Familia.
The two heads of the dragon roared once more. It scattered azure flames in all directions, setting the entire lake ablaze in an attempt to terraform the area into a battlefield where it held an absolute advantage.
Robin and the others scattered out of pure reflex, dodging the hellfire that ignited both water and crystal alike. The shoreline in the northeastern part of this massive cavern was quickly carved into fragmented pieces by several paths of fire. The floor's temperature continued to rise, and the azure sparks danced wildly, turning the area into a literal inferno.
"Let's begin. Commence subjugation!" Robin's voice was clear and resolute.
She raised her long staff high, and a complex, gorgeous silver magic circle snapped open beneath her feet.
"Listen to this stellar aria that weaves destiny!"
A melodious song drifted through the scorching air as Robin began her chant. As her magic took effect, Daphne, Tifa, and the others were suddenly wreathed in visible, galaxy-like stardust particles.
At the rear of the formation, Aiden's gaze fell upon a young girl. Since the battle began, she had kept her fists tightly clenched, her eyes locked dead onto the two-headed dragon.
"Firefly, are you going to be alright?"
She was a girl who looked entirely out of place on this cruel battlefield—beautiful, yet fragile.
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