Chapter 1161: Lava Lake
Chapter 1161: Lava Lake
"There are three tunnels."
Rhode extended his arm and pointed ahead.
"One is connected to this place, the other is linked to the north and we're unsure of where it leads to. The last one goes straight through... I sense a dense elemental aura around here. I don't think the lava is natural. According to BoBo, we're very close to the tower now. I suspect the lava came from the Fiery Plains of the Seven Fantasy Boundaries, but I'm not too sure about that. So... I have a suggestion. In order to avoid further problems, we need to have a comprehensive plan."
Rhode said, came to a pause, and looked at the group.
"We shall split into three groups. One group will stay here, the second will check out where the northern tunnel links to, and the third will continue to move ahead and see if that tunnel leads to the tower as expected. We will make our decision after gathering our findings..." Rhode suggested, turning to Canary and Mini Bubble Gum. "... Both of you stay here, just in case. Perhaps the enemies will show up to check on the situation. When that happens, we will be in trouble if they discover us. That is why you two need to delay them as long as possible. Don't attack if you can't defeat them; just decisively run and inform the rest to get ready for battle."
"I object!"
Suddenly, Mini Bubble Gum raised her hand and yelled. Fortunately for them, the concealment enchanted field stopped her loud voice from revealing their position.
Upon hearing her response, Rhode knitted his brows.
"Why?"
Mini Bubble Gum stood to her feet instantly. She put one hand on her hip, pointed the other at him, and spoke righteously.
"This grouping isn't reasonable, Leader. Big Sister and I didn't come all the way to this world to hold you back! Don't even think about throwing us to the back. We seek fair and equal treatment! We don't want to do nothing in the back. Touch your heart and think about it—all this while in the game, how many DKPs (Dragon Kill Points) have Big Sister and I earned by slacking off?!"
"This isn't a game, Bubble..."
"I know this isn't, but Big Sister and I aren't ordinary players either. Back then, we have our share of battles with Big Sister Erin. You didn't witness it, but Big Sister Erin definitely did. There are no issues with our skills! Right, Big Sister Erin?!"
"Yes..."
Facing Mini Bubble Gum's question, Erin pondered for a few moments before nodding in agreement.
"Indeed. In terms of battle, both of them have high-level skills and are even stronger than many formidable beings in the Country of Darkness."
"But both of your attitudes aren't right!"
Rhode shook his head and continued.
"This is reality, not a game. You may die if you fight using in-game battle styles."
"Big Sister and I aren't that stupid. Besides, this environment is really suitable for us! Leader, you are also aware that not even you can go up against Big Sister in terms of the fire element! Also, we have to eventually face reality one day, so you can't possibly protect us forever. If we don't familiarize ourselves with this world, we're going to be dead sooner or later."
"Ugh..."
After hearing her rebuttal, Rhode hesitated. If Gillian, the fire elemental lord, were here, he could have refuted. But now, he had to admit that Mini Bubble Gum was right. In this fire elemental world, not even Erin and Lydia could grasp the fire element better than Canary. Not only that, but Bubble No. 2 also aggravated the situation.
"That's right, Big Sister. Don't worry and just be brave. Anyway, it doesn't matter if you die, since Leader can resurrect you as his card spirit like us. When that happens, we can forever be togethe—... Ouch!"
"Don't listen to her nonsense."
Rhode swung his right hand at the head of Bubble No. 2. Then, he gazed at both of them expressionlessly.
"You must know that death doesn't feel good at all. Besides, I can't guarantee that I'll be able to rescue you two. It is like insurance. You may not be insured when you get into an accident and the insurance company may even shrink responsibility on their end. All of that is simply because you didn't read the terms and conditions before signing the agreement. The conditions to resurrection are extremely tough, and even I am able to guarantee a 100 percent success rate. Don't risk your lives over something so meaningless. Alright... let's get down to the real business—..."
"I just don't care. I suggest carrying out the plan in a fairer way! This isn't fair! I strongly object!"
If a delusional brat were capable of listening to others, the classic quote of 'I'm not in the wrong; the world is' wouldn't have existed.
"Okay then."
After some serious consideration, Rhode convinced himself that this situation wasn't as serious as he had thought. More importantly, Canary who stood by the side also didn't object, which proved that she agreed with Mini Bubble Gum's suggestion. Of course, frankly speaking, Mini Bubble Gum also wasn't wrong. However, Rhode didn't agree with her due to considerations of safety. No matter what, this wasn't an easy task and humans like them apparently weren't suitable for such adventures.
But now...
"What kind of fair method do you intend to use?"
"Easy."
Upon hearing Rhode's doubt, Mini Bubble Gum revealed a delightful smile and extended her arm to grab a handful of toothpicks.
"Draw lots!" she said in a confident tone.
As they were going to split into three groups, they eventually agreed to form two groups of three and one group of four. The two groups of three would investigate the other two tunnels, while the last group of four would bring up the rear to deal with highly-possible troubles. After all, since the enemies were able to drill through the tunnels, there were no reasons for them to not pass through here. As soon as the enemies found out the 'large group of people' left behind by Rhode, it would be no laughing matter. Therefore, the group of four was in charge of cleaning up and preventing the enemies from discovering them. Of course, even though the enemies might realize that something was amiss after some time, it was best for Rhode's group to drag it out as much as possible because this time, their mission was to investigate and not start a battle.
Of course, that would also be based on the situation.
But before that, it was time for the results of their lots...
"... Why do I feel like this is a conspiracy?"
Rhode gazed at Mini Bubble Gum and Canary who drew the same-colored toothpicks, before shifting his gaze to Marybelle, Erin, and Lydia. Then, he looked at the final group of Gracier and Madaras, who were led by Bubble No. 2 and Canary No. 2. This allocation was overly... Even Rhode was at a loss for words.
"Are you sure you didn't use some underhand method?"
Rhode gazed dubiously at everyone, attempting to read the faces of Lydia and Erin who put up gentle smiles. He was certain that if something were up, those two would be his prime suspects. Despite their gentle and quiet appearances, Rhode clearly knew what type of personalities they had! He had initially summoned Gracier and Madaras to take advantage of their expertise in concealment, where they could perfectly maximize their strength. But now...
Upon hearing Rhode's doubt, Mini Bubble Gum stood upright and said loudly.
"Give it up and concede defeat, Leader. This is the choice of the Steins;Gate and the will of the universe! The melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya!"
Facing Mini Bubble Gum's proud words, Rhode could only nod helplessly in response. What else could he say... since... since things had already turned out this way. Fortunately, both of them were with him. As a Spirit Swordsman, manpower was never an issue for him. If the situation got out of hand, he could still summon card spirits for reinforcements.
But come to think of it, what had it got to do with the melancholy of who-who?
The mission for Rhode, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum was to investigate the tunnel ahead. Even though Rhode was certain that this tunnel led to the tower, for safety's sake, he decided to still go ahead and check it out.
This didn't pose a challenge to Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and him at all. It was especially so having Canary with him. She was adept in the fire and wind elements. As one of the top players, she received 'Supreme Privileges' of these two elements and her skill level was almost the same as an elemental lord's.
Of course, it was an entirely different matter with her human constitution.
"They've made their way there."
As Marybelle had a contract with Rhode, they could communicate with each other spiritually without any concerns. Rhode wasn't worried about her group either. The combined strength of the three of them surpassed the entire Dragon Soul Continent, where not even a devil lord or Chaos beings could hurt them. That was why Rhode was assured to leave it to them as he began his own mission.
"We have to pass through three towers here. Be wary to avoid the searchlights and..."
Rhode glanced at the fully-armored soldiers. He instinctively felt like there was something strange about them as though they were the ones eroded in Marybelle's memories. However, the aura they exuded was weaker. But Rhode wasn't worried about that. Those things could contaminate others, so who knew if they would do it again?
"Alright, Leader, what should we do next?"
Before Rhode finished his sentence, Mini Bubble Gum interrupted. She rolled up her sleeves for battle and widened her eyes at the enemies ahead.
"Should we go 'Call-of-Duty' style or charge in and clean them up with our overwhelming power?"
"None of that. We're going to sneak in."
"Tsk..."
Upon hearing Rhode's answer, Mini Bubble Gum's enthusiasm languished by a whole lot.
"Where's the fun with sneaking in? With Big Sister around, I thought we could simply crush them..."
"Alright, let's begin."
Rhode disregarded Mini Bubble Gum's grumbles. As a commander, if he were to respond to every complaint of his men before raiding a dungeon, he would need two hours before they could fight the BOSS. That was why Rhode neglected her meaningless grumbles and got right down to business.
"Remember, don't be discovered by them and follow me. I suppose you've seen it for yourself. They use lots of things from Earth, but those things have obviously been modified. We may not be able to confirm that they have the same effects as they do on Earth. They may even be much stronger now, so we're better off staying away from them..." Rhode ordered and turned to Canary.
"You know what to do, right?"
"Of course, Rhode."
Upon hearing his words, Canary smiled and extended her arm. Shortly after, the flowing lava around them surged all of a sudden like an erupting fountain. The lava widened its mouth like a snake and swallowed the three of them before flowing back into the lava lake. When the guards ahead turned around, the trio was already gone.
"I absolutely hate traveling this way."
Gazing at the rolling lava through the transparent barrier, Mini Bubble Gum curled her lips. If it weren't for this strong barrier, perhaps the trio wouldn't be able to reach their destination in perfect condition. But Rhode also didn't take the risk in passing through the bridge made of black steel. It was apparent that Canary understood his style pretty well. Even though this was equivalent to cheating, this wasn't a game, after all. There weren't any rules that made it compulsory for players to face the mysterious guards and enemies, before gaining EXP and spoils of war to face the final BOSS. Of course, Mini Bubble Gum disliked such an approach.
But it was a pity that her objection was invalid.
With Canary's help, the trio advanced through the lava lake. Not only that, but with the help of Mini Bubble Gum's spiritual spell, they also didn't need to worry about suffocation. Even though the surrounding temperatures were high, they were still under Canary's precise control. It went without saying that the journey was smooth, without any disruptions. But all of a sudden, Canary came to a halt.
"What's wrong?"
Upon detecting her strange behavior, Rhode twitched his brows and asked. Canary puckered her brows in response and answered.
"I feel like right ahead, there is something below."
"Something?"
Rhode and Mini Bubble Gum were taken aback, while Canary nodded. She possessed 'Supreme Privileges' for the fire element. The lava was as though an extension of her body, which was why she was able to distinguish anything among the lava lake.
"I don't know what that is. I'm not sure if it is alive or dead, but it definitely isn't normal. I think it shouldn't be there at all."
"What should we do, Leader? Should we check it out?"
At that moment, Mini Bubble Gum's eyes brightened because discovering a hidden item in the concealed areas of a dungeon was usually a sign of a bumper harvest!
"..."
However, Rhode didn't respond immediately. On the contrary, he pondered for a while, before turning to Canary and asked.
"Will we startle it if we head there?"
"I don't know. All I can do is to try and not let it detect our presence. Frankly, I don't know if it is a creature or not. But it definitely doesn't belong here because I sense an ice-cold chilliness from it through the lava..." Canary couldn't help but bite her lip. Upon hearing her response, Rhode and Mini Bubble Gum exchanged looks with each other. It was apparent that something wasn't right. For one to be able to release chilly air in such a blazing environment, it must be bothersome to deal with.
"Let's ignore it for now."
In the end, Rhode didn't take up Mini Bubble Gum's suggestion. But this time, Mini Bubble Gum also didn't object, surprisingly.
"Canary, move away from it and try to stay near the surface of the lava lake. Bubble, release another concealment barrier. Remember, if we're ambushed, we will move ahead quickly and leave the lava lake to avoid any accidents. Understood?"
"Okay."
Canary and Mini Bubble Gum nodded in agreement. Shortly after, Canary controlled the protective barrier and shifted it near the surface as they continued to move with the gradual flow of the lava lake. On the other hand, Mini Bubble Gum held her hands together vigilantly. A rune appeared between her hands, emanating a faint, flickering spiritual radiance. At that moment, her expression changed slightly.
"I saw it."
Without Mini Bubble Gum's elaboration, Rhode and Canary also witnessed the mysterious presence. It was right below the trio: a pitch-black shadow. Unsure if it was due to the flowing lava or something else, the shadow seemed to be a live-form. The trio stared at the shadow as they advanced in the lava lake.
They weren't attacked even until they passed through the enormous shadowy area. Canary and Mini Bubble Gum couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief. However, Rhode continued to scan the place. He lifted his head and glanced along the edge.
"We're here."
Upon hearing his words, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum raised their heads and followed the direction of his gaze. Then, they widened their eyes in astonishment.