Return to Jorgaldur Volume IV: Reunion

Lava Boss (II)

Most of the serpents were around 25% health when one of them passed over the Frozen Walls again. The damage it took was enough to trigger the next phase.

All the serpents and larvae turned into red rays of mana that converged in the lava lake. It trembled briefly, before a force surged from below and pushed the lava out.

The place where they were facing the floor boss was a small valley, surrounded by a powerful barrier. It was possible to get out, but not get back in while the combat was in progress.

It was much more difficult to overcome that barrier than it was to defeat the huge serpent. Those who were inside could flee outside, but not go back inside until the boss had been defeated. If it wasn't, they would have to wait until it fully recovered.

Right now, the lava lake was overflowing, threatening to flood the valley. The lava had become the floor boss.

Goldmi stopped firing, and started creating Light Abysses. In its liquid form, the floor boss didn't have the protection of its skin, so it was vulnerable to light magic. The traps were the most effective way to manage it. It didn't even matter where she put them, as the lava would get to them.

Eldi raised some Frozen Walls again, though he saved mana for what was to come. Gjaki, for her part, set some Tentacles as she backed away. It wasn't the most effective, but it added some damage.

The three and the lynx met on a small hill. The goshawk, for her part, flew over the area, and was casting Wind Blades on the lava, although without lowering her mana pool too much. If the situation required it, she could Grow, so they could ride her, though not for long.

Soon, the lava began to surround them. Gjaki hit it with the whip, and Eldi with the hammer. It seemed ridiculous, but they were really inflicting damage. However, they couldn't stop it from getting closer.

The traps were being activated, and engulfed by the lava as soon as their power ran out. However, they had fulfilled their function, thus reducing the vitality of their enemy.

Three mana circles appeared when the lava got close enough, surrounding them. They were a Darkness Ring, a Frozen Ring, and a Light Ring. It seemed impossible that they could hold back the lava, and it would have been if it were real.

There, it was different. The red liquid was the body of the final boss in the form of lava, but it was still made of mana. it couldn't get past those rings unless they were destroyed.

Lava continuously collided with them, one after another. When it overcame the third, it found three more, slightly smaller.

They couldn't place them on the lava or on the existing ones, so they were forced to reduce the size.

Since the mana consumption was split between the three of them, they recovered it faster than what was spent in the rings. Therefore, Goldmi was shooting Light Arrows, Eldi attacked with Frozen Spears and the hammer, while Gjaki used the whip and threw hounds against the lava. It was somewhat tragic to see them melt together, but they weren't real beings, just mana constructs with a little blood.

When in the morning the groups of adventurers went together to move to the next floor, they only had to attack. As there were dozens of them, the lava didn't have time to spread before being annihilated.

Of course, beings that swam in lava didn't even have that problem. That phase was a free ride for them.

The rest had to find methods to block the lava while killing it, unless they could fly without much mana expenditure. Some species were capable of it.

They used the same strategy from the game, which they called Overlapping Rings. In fact, they had used it in other situations, such as against a horde of small terrestrial insects. Although back then, the Frozen and Light Rings had been replaced by Fire and Wind ones.

The size of the rings was reduced until it began to be dangerous. When the last ring fell, the lava didn't find the next one, only free ground to continue advancing.

At that moment, they used the mana they had reserved to create Light, Frozen and Darkness Blasts, which pushed the lava back while damaging it. After the last Frozen Blast, they took advantage of the moment in which the lava had stopped to summon more rings again. The radius wasn't as big as the first time, but it was enough.

They smiled at each other. The same tactic was still working as in the game. Now, they just had to regulate the mana consumption, add rings, and create blasts when the lava got too close.

Only the lynx was bored. There was little she could do in that situation, which frustrated her. As if that weren't enough, her winged sister put salt on the wound.

"Do something! Don't tell me you're afraid of some lava!" the goshawk provoked her.

The feline could only growl. The time would come when she could get her revenge.

Once verified that the method was valid, it was only a matter of time to eliminate it completely. Little by little, the amount of lava decreased, until it was no longer enough to surround them. They kept attacking it, driving it back, until they reached the lava lake.

They attacked it without hurry. Although they shouldn't run into dangers after the boss, it was always better to be cautious and recover mana.

When the lava disappeared a while later, they discovered the tunnel that communicated with the third floor. They walked through it until coming to a large area where there were many tents, although not as many as on the previous floor.

The environment on the third floor wasn't so hostile, and there were places where the adventurers could rest, as long as they had the proper means. For that reason, many adventurers just scattered over the dungeon floor, thus wasting no time coming and going.

They planned to do the same, but it was late. Therefore, first they would rest there, and the next day they would go to the third floor.

Of course, there was no day and night in the dungeon, but they did have clocks to measure time.