Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

As Rain navigated this new terrain, the overwhelming effects of the toxic air began to take a toll on his well-being. The noxious fumes permeated his senses, causing dizziness and a growing discomfort that threatened to impair his ability to proceed. Feeling dizzy, Rain swiftly took action to protect himself.

In a quick move, Rain formed a mask of ice around his face, creating a barrier between himself and the harmful fumes. Utilizing his mastery over ice magic, he crafted a makeshift mask that shielded his nose and mouth, enabling him to breathe in his own produced air.

By generating a pocket of clean, breathable air within the confines of the ice mask, Rain managed to alleviate the effects of the toxic atmosphere, preventing further disorientation and ensuring his ability to continue navigating the perilous environment of the dungeon's third section.

"... Terra didn't use this, which means… she got used to the atmosphere," Rain thought. "She became quite spirited."

Terra was a wilful woman, but even Rain had a hard time imagining the training that she endured to become such a hardass… the last one hundred years sure changed her.

In any case, Rain knew that there was nothing bad that couldn't be worse. So, he soon found ponds of lava that began to emerge and assume humanoid forms. The small ponds of lava scattered across the floor began to undergo a transformation. The bubbling lava within these ponds surged and churned, gradually morphing and coalescing into monsters—magma golems.

These formed creatures emerged from the molten depths, taking shape and solidifying into towering and powerful entities, their forms radiating an intense, fiery aura.

The magma golems, born from the liquefied lava, emanated a daunting presence, exuding an air of raw power and formidable strength. Their colossal, molten forms towered over the surroundings, their bodies pulsating with molten heat and an ominous glow. These creatures appeared significantly more powerful and imposing compared to the magical constructs summoned by combining the skills of two tribes.

Rain ignored the creature and just punched it with all his might… he had an easy time pushing the creature away and making it stumble on the ground. However, the monster didn't die.

"I figured as much," Rain thought. "How about this?"

Rain turned the giant ice arms into long ice Blades and then the beast tried to get up, Rain sliced it up into countless pieces. Some of the parts froze and while the others moved for a bit, they eventually stopped moving altogether.

The skill swordsmanship received 200 experience points.

The skill Arctic Field received 200 experience points.

"... I am starting to think that Terra has been here for a while, all for the sake of getting stronger," Rain thought. "The beast queen might want to get stronger too and they are trying to monopolize all the experience in the lower levels."

At first, Rain thought that it would be a good idea to grind there, but he didn't want to get stronger like that and he wasn't one hundred percent sure if it was the best option… all that he knew was that he wanted to get stronger alongside the others and certainly not in such a hellish place.

Just like on the previous floors, the spawning rate increased as Rain reached the others. They grew hotter too, but Rain could endure it as long as he didn't step on it. The real issue was not letting his Boots melt. Everything else was bearable.

As Rain ventured deeper into the next section of the dungeon, the environment underwent another drastic transformation, signaling an escalation in the nature of the terrain. The magma on the ground had become more prevalent, forming a seething and undulating molten surface that sprawled across the floor, emitting an intense heat that permeated the surroundings.

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The passageways within this section were notably larger, with wider corridors that stretched farther into the depths of the dungeon. The enlarged pathways created a sense of grandeur but also amplified the imposing and oppressive atmosphere within the structure.

The ambient air itself seemed to vibrate with heat, creating a palpable sensation that reverberated throughout the surroundings. The intense thermal energy pulsating through the corridors caused the very air to shimmer and quiver, distorting the visual perception in the searing heat.

Rain confirmed that things would get nastier there when he saw salamanders leaving the pits of lava around.

"I guess this dungeon can't have more than five sections… even if this spell is powerful and very useful, it should have a limit of how much it can grow," Rain thought.

The salamanders left the pits already using flamethrowers at Rain and they completely surrounded him with their flames. The flames were so powerful that in their center, Rain could see a blue glow in it…

"The environment is helping them more than a little bit," Rain thought.

In the end, Rain used Impulse backward and then moved around from one side of the wall to the other. He looked like a shadow… while he was moving without letting the heat affect him, he was touching the walls too much, so bis boots began to melt once more… before that could happen, Rain stepped in and when he got closer to the salamanders, he sliced their necks in a single motion.

The skill swordsmanship received 400 experience points.

The skill Arctic Field received 400 experience points.

…

Blood began to gush from the wounds of the beasts like a rain, but even the blood evaporated in a matter of seconds. It was already hot inside the bodies of the monsters, after all.

At that point in time, Rain realized that he wasn't going to miss anything by speeding ahead as fast as possible, so he decided to slice the necks of the salamanders as soon as they showed their heads even a bit… they didn't even have the chance to attack, but the ice blades began to melt again since he was getting too close to the lava.