Frostfire Legacy

Aster's party spent the rest of the day—and well into the night—reviewing all the information they had gathered. With Via now part of their team, her firsthand knowledge and tips proved invaluable, helping them refine their plans with surprising speed and efficiency.

When they finally wrapped up, they shared a quick dinner together before calling it a night, their mental fatigue dragging them into a much-needed rest.

The next morning, July 1, 4033, at precisely 4:00 a.m., Aster was already up, preparing breakfast. As the smell of cooking filled the air, the girls began to emerge one after another, their sleepy faces brightening slightly at the sight of the food.

Since they didn't all wake up at the same time, they ate in turns, chatting lightly while the early morning quiet settled over them. Once breakfast was done, everyone dispersed to finalize their preparations, the air buzzing with quiet determination. After all, today was the day they would challenge the 101st floor—a floor unlike anything they'd faced before.

"Alright, that should do."

Aster packed their lunch and dinner inside his Spatial Ring, safely secured on the middle finger of his left hand. The 101st floor promised too many unknowns, so having meals prepared in advance was a small but important precaution. He couldn't risk relying on time or circumstances to cook on the spot.

By exactly 8:00 a.m., the group had finished all their preparations. Fully geared from head to toe, weapons sharpened, and supplies checked, they gathered in front of the portal leading to the next floor.

"Everyone ready?" Aster asked, giving them all a quick once-over. "Nobody forgot anything?"

"Me! Me!" Tina raised her hand with a cheeky grin. "Darling forgot to give me a good-luck kiss~!"

Aster shot her a flat look, letting out a sigh as he ignored her playful antics. "Anyone else?"

Seeing no other comments, and with Argus safely within Via's embrace, Aster nodded in approval.

"Alright. Then, let's head out!"

Taking the lead, he stepped into the portal that would take them to the 101st floor. The moment his foot crossed the edge of the portal, an intense twisting sensation hit him, the disorienting pull of teleportation far more jarring than anything he'd felt from the first 100 floors. Stay tuned with empiren/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The dizziness came quickly, leaving his stomach churning as the world around him spun.

"Ugh, I feel sick..." Cassy groaned as she staggered out on the other side.

The others weren't much better. Only Via seemed unaffected, casting them an amused glance as she hugged Argus closer to her chest. "You'll get used to it soon enough. Let's go~!"

*ARF!*

Argus barked enthusiastically, wagging his tail, clearly unbothered by the strange sensation that had left most of the group woozy.

Shaking off the lingering nausea, Aster straightened up and took his first look at the 101st floor. Even after reading the information and seeing the pictures, seeing it in person still left him awestruck.

"This is…"

It was a dungeon straight out of books: rugged, uneven cave walls, glowing molten magma flowing freely along either side of the narrow pathways, and a reddish hue that bathed the entire space in a sinister glow. The heat hit them like a physical force, stifling and oppressive, unlike anything they had experienced before. It was a stark departure from the open-field types of the earlier floors.

"It's suffocating in here..." Liz muttered as she flapped her wings in frustration. But no breeze came to relieve the heat—only worsening it.

"Darling..."

"Star..."

"Leader..."

Before Aster could even process the oppressive environment, Tina, Cassy, and Kali all moved closer, sticking to him like moths to a flame. As they clung to him, their expressions quickly shifted from discomfort to relief.

"... Ah."

Aster realized too late that his Frostfire Legacy was automatically adjusting the temperature around him to a comfortable level. While he had been oblivious to the heat, the others had clearly been suffering—and now, they weren't letting go.

With Cassy hugging him from the front, Kali latched onto his left arm, and Tina on his right, he found himself pinned in place, unable to take even a single step forward.

"… Crysta? Can you do something about this?" he asked, his voice strained as he called on one of the twin spirits of his Legacy.

Crysta materialized instantly, her icy aura drawing everyone's attention except for Cassy, who couldn't see her.

"Should I freeze the entire floor?❄" she asked, a hint of amusement in her cool, ethereal voice.

Aster paled at the suggestion, shaking his head in a panic. "No, just make it cool enough for everyone to function! No need for drastic measures."

"I was just joking, Master.❄" Crysta replied, her lips minutely curling up without breaking her stoic visage.

Aster let out a sigh of relief. "Your jokes are going to give me a heart attack someday," he muttered.

Satisfied with his reaction, Crysta raised her hand, and a thin, magical membrane of faint blue light formed over each party member like a second skin. The oppressive heat was instantly replaced by a cooling sensation, and the group collectively relaxed.

"Oh, this is convenient~!" Via exclaimed, marveling at the membrane. "With this, I won't have to run through this floor naked~!"

"… You what?" Kali asked, her brows furrowing in disbelief.

Via cleared her throat casually. "The first time I was here, I got too hot, so I removed my clothes and ran as fast as I could to the other end~!"

Kali pressed a hand to her temple, looking almost pained. "Weren't you embarrassed or worried someone might see you?"

"Embarrassed? Why should I be?"

At this point, the entire party collectively realized that Via's sense of shame was… questionable at best.

"Don't you dare strip in front of my Darling!" Tina hissed protectively, tightening her grip on Aster's arm.

"Well, uh…" Liz scratched her cheek awkwardly. "Even if you're a bit of a… free spirit, as long as it doesn't cause issues in battle, it's fine."

Via cleared her throat again, offering a sheepish smile. "You don't have to worry. If I get serious, nobody would even be able to see my shadow~!"

"… Right."

Aster recalled her moniker, Thunderbird, a nickname that didn't just refer to her element, lightning, but also her lightning-fast speed. Still, he frowned at her, his tone firm.

"Even if no one can see you, running naked in a dungeon is not a good idea. Don't do it again."

Via giggled but nodded in agreement. "Of course, of course~!"

Aster's focus shifted forward as they prepared to move. The path ahead was narrow and uneven, illuminated only by the glow of the magma, so they needed to pay extra attention to their steps. The oppressive atmosphere seemed to seep into their bones, and an ominous tension hung in the air.

"Stay alert," Aster warned, his voice low. "This floor's not going to be anything like the last hundred."

The group nodded in unison, weapons drawn, their previous humor replaced with steely determination. With the cooling membranes in place and their resolve stronger than ever, they pressed onward into the unknown.