Run—don't stop running.
Raul and Lefiya followed behind, adjusting their breathing. They couldn't afford to stop before reaching the 58th floor. If they did, the Valgang Dragons would bombard them with concentrated fire.
And a simple hit wasn't even the worst outcome.
If they were caught in an area-ignoring attack and fell through one of the craters into the 58th floor prematurely, they would face a barrage from every single Valgang Dragon.
Avoiding the dragons' focus fire was critical—but not falling into the craters they left behind was just as vital.
This meant any Adventurer approaching the 58th floor had to keep moving—running, dodging, non-stop.
The so-called "Dragon's Vase" was the dragons' territory.
Stepping into it marked you as an intruder, locking your location for every Valgang Dragon nearby. That was the brutal rule spanning the 51st to 58th floors.
For first-timers, it was nothing short of a nightmare.
While running, you had to take down any monster blocking your way—and still watch for the dragons' attacks.
One wrong step meant death.
This floor was closer to hell than any other.
"Tiona, change route!"
Amid the relentless pressure, Finn relied on his sharp crisis instincts to guide the team's path, again and again neutralizing the danger of the dragons' bombardments.
But the closer they got to the 58th floor, the more frequent the attacks became.
Finn had no choice but to stay sharp and push through.
"Lefiya! Get down!"
Trailing behind, Lefiya suddenly heard the warning. At the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of red light on the ground. Her instincts screamed, and she dove to the side, spinning and rolling mid-air.
Boom!
Flames erupted just inches from her.
Scattered sparks burned through her skirt and stockings, making it painfully clear what would've happened if her body had taken a direct hit.
But Lefiya was far stronger than before.
She got back on her feet instantly, catching up to the team without hesitation.
Her movements were fluid—almost like she'd been trained for this. It made heads turn.
In fact, Lefiya had undergone focused training, especially to sharpen her reflexes and rolling evasions.
She had faced a similar threat during the last "Monsterphilia." That experience taught her how deadly it could be if you failed to dodge at the critical moment.
Back then, she'd been saved—otherwise, she might've died in that "Monsterphilia."
After brushing with death, Lefiya had learned skills she'd never touched before—especially those related to escaping.
Even Raul was stunned. He never imagined Lefiya could move like that.
"Raul, don't space out!"
"Ah, right!"
The team pressed on.
On the 59th floor, Bell, who had been resting with his eyes closed, slowly opened them.
His gaze landed on the "Spirit Fetus" before him, though it was now completely different from before.
The outer membrane protecting the fetus had turned a deep crimson, and its once stable aura had become wildly unstable.
This was the result of the ritual—a compression of past, present, and future into a single moment.
Having condensed everything, the "Fetus" had finally reached Level 8 within the allotted time.
But that power came at a steep cost.
The "Spirit Fetus" could only maintain combat for thirty minutes.
Though that was the absolute limit of its compressed form, even surviving that half hour against it wouldn't be easy for the opposing side.
'Normally, if you can endure the fierce assault of a Level 8 Spirit for thirty minutes without losing, you'd probably qualify to advance your own rank as a "Vessel."'
'That's why a drawn-out battle would be extremely disadvantageous for Finn and his team.'
'If the fight drags on, no one in the expedition team will be able to hold out.'
'I hope Cassandra told them everything. If the Spirit gets the first strike, they won't stand a chance.'
Of course, Bell was intensely curious to see how the battle would unfold.
...
Meanwhile, the expedition team had already charged through to the 57th floor.
"Riveria, begin chanting."
"Lefiya, look for an opening to cast your spell."
"Tiona, Tione, Bete, Gareth—let's draw the Valgang Dragons' attention and give Riveria and Lefiya their chance."
"Everyone, prep your rune stones. We're clearing out all the Valgang Dragons on the 58th floor in one go."
On the way to the 58th floor, Finn had already laid out a plan.
The Valgang Dragons there boasted terrifying firepower. If they were given any breathing room, clearing them out would drain too much stamina and energy.
And if they entered the 59th floor already worn out, their entire strategy would collapse.
So, they had to sweep the 58th floor fast and efficiently—before their strength waned.
The fastest way to do that was with magic. That meant relying on Riveria and Lefiya.
The others would hold the line while Riveria and Lefiya unleashed large-scale magic to cleanse the 58th floor as quickly as possible.
Everyone understood Finn's plan, so without hesitation, they pulled rune stones from their spatial belts and activated them.
The surge in Status instantly doubled their movement speed.
As they ran, Riveria began her chant.
"Soon, the flames will be unleashed..."
"Bete!"
"I got it!"
The werewolf at the front whipped out another enchanted rune stone and activated it beneath his metal boots.
A blue gust of wind wrapped around his feet, boosting Bete's speed even further. With the wind's support, he broke past his normal limits.
With the self-enhancement already pushing him past his previous max, the elemental enchantment now multiplied his speed even more.
"Gareth."
"Yeah!"
The massive Gareth charged right behind Bete. His body was like a moving mountain, yet somehow he'd managed to push his speed up to mid-tier levels.
Looking closer, his boots were also wrapped in the same blue wind. It was this wind that reduced his weight and let him move faster than ever.