After spending the night in the wilderness, the trio awoke to find the gray sky unchanged. They couldn't tell whether morning had arrived, but they paid it little heed. Their goal was clear: to prepare for their ascent to the third floor.
Entrances to the third floor were scattered throughout the second floor, but each was guarded by massive armies of corrupted beasts. Thus, the trio decided to use this time to thoroughly explore the second floor, gather valuable resources and treasures, and eventually find a suitable entrance among the many to proceed.
Once prepared, the trio exchanged resolute glances and nodded in silent agreement. Orion summoned his shadow companions—Anarak, Severus, Legolas, Zak, and Grakus—organizing them into an efficient combat formation. At the same time, he summoned shadow wraiths but ordered them to hide in the surrounding shadows, ready to emerge at the opportune moment.
Orion then walked in a random direction, followed by Kai, Liana, and the shadow creatures. Before setting out, the trio had agreed to divide all treasures and resources equally among themselves, regardless of value or rarity. Of course, they could trade items if someone strongly desired a specific treasure.
And so, the trio embarked on their expedition, determined to explore every corner of the second floor and find an entrance to the third.
"By the way," Kai said with his usual grin as they walked, "why don't we share the powers of our Life Weapons?"
Liana glanced at him and sighed. "I acquired a crown called the "Runic Emperor". It enhances my ability to write and comprehend runes at a much faster rate. As for my art, I obtained something called Dismantle. It's not exactly an art—more like a rune I learned. It allows me to deconstruct other runes or mana-dependent constructs, such as most skills, barriers, and so on. Its strength increases with the rank of my core."
"Wow!" Kai exclaimed. "Impressive! Seems you hit the jackpot this time."
"Thanks. What about you?"
"Well, I got this chain called the "Endless Chain". It can morph into any weapon—swords, spears, daggers, you name it—or even non-weapon forms, as long as I can sustain the mana cost. But mana isn't an issue for me. As for 'arts,' they're not exactly arts. The chain can replicate abilities I've copied and stored in my arsenal. For example, I can shape a sword imbued with the properties of stellar, spatial, or gravitational powers. I don't expect to learn new arts in the future; instead, the chain's 'slots' will increase to hold more copied abilities. Oh, and I recently copied a random ability while wandering the city—Spear Mastery. So now I have four Flame-ranked cores."
"Cool, right?" Kai said, challenging Liana with a smirk.
She shook her head and sighed, unwilling to admit her flicker of envy.
"How about you, Mr. Quiet?" Kai asked, turning to Orion, who strode ahead calmly.
Orion kept his gaze forward as he replied, "I obtained gauntlets named "Whispers of the Ancient Shadow". They allow me to wield and manipulate shadow energy more efficiently. My first art involves channeling shadow energy into explosive waves that obliterate anything in their path."
"Heh. Never want to waste words," Kai muttered, though inwardly surprised. He hadn't known Orion possessed something called "shadow energy"—unheard of before. But since Orion was an aberration, Kai dismissed it; nothing around aberrations was ever normal.
After discussing their Life Weapons, the trio ventured deeper into the desolate second floor. The wilderness was no picturesque haven but a bleak, forsaken land dominated by gray hues, twisted trees, and jagged rocks.
They advanced cautiously, eyes alert. They knew dangers lurked everywhere, and corrupted beasts could strike at any moment. Their Life Weapons remained at the ready.
As they traveled, they discovered diverse locales: dense, shadowy forests where beasts ambushed from tangled undergrowth; rocky hills with treacherous slopes hiding caves of glowing minerals and strange thermal springs; and vast gray plains dotted with rare herbs and peculiar creatures.
Corrupted beasts attacked relentlessly—packs of wolf-like creatures, hulking giants, and swarms of winged horrors. The trio and their shadow allies fought tirelessly. Orion and Anarak led assaults, unleashing shadow waves and commanding wraiths. Kai's chain morphed seamlessly between weapons, while Liana's crown purified foes with bursts of radiant energy.
Zak bisected monsters with his axe; Grakus crushed skulls with his four fists. Legolas loosed precision shadow arrows, and Severus darted through enemies with lethal grace.
Amid battles, they gathered resources: glowing herbs, skill crystals (though none suited their abilities), gemstones, and metals for crafting. They stumbled upon caves adorned with ancient carvings and frozen lakes reflecting the grim sky, each discovery deepening their understanding of this strange world.
Days later, they reached a chilling sight: a dark valley teeming with thousands of corrupted beasts. At its end loomed a cavernous maw, as if a colossal monster awaited to devour all who approached.
Orion halted, his gaze steady. "It seems we've arrived," he said quietly, determination etched on his face.