The 30th Floor consisted of craggy, uneven rock—arduous terrain that made every step a struggle. To make matters worse, pools of lava bubbled up at irregular intervals, making the trek incredibly hazardous. The ambient temperature was significantly higher than on the other floors, likely due to the volcanic activity. While the heat wasn't quite unbearable, it sapped our strength with every passing minute. I knew that if we didn't hydrate constantly, we’d eventually collapse from dehydration.
We did have a small supply of Heat-Resistant Potions, but because this rescue mission had been so sudden, we didn't have enough for everyone to use them freely. Even taking the shortest route to the stairs, it was obvious we would run out halfway there. Consequently, we decided to push forward without using them for now.
I wished we could have used the Golem-style Airship. I had repaired the wooden framework that the giant bird had smashed, but I hadn't reinforced it yet; it was still in its original, fragile state. Even putting Rache-san aside, if someone as large as Masso-san climbed aboard, the gondola would have been packed tight like a tin of sardines. Furthermore, airborne monsters were common on this floor. If we were attacked mid-flight and plummeted into a lava pool, none of us would come out unscathed. For those reasons, we continued on foot, picking our way through the treacherous rocks.
As for the monsters, we were holding our own better than I had expected. We hadn't run into any A-Rank threats yet, which helped.
The enemies we encountered most frequently were Rockmadillos. They were troublesome opponents with hard, rock-like shells that attacked by breathing fire. Fortunately, they were quite susceptible to Shock Voice, which allowed Halfa to shine. My dehydration magic, Dehydrate, also proved incredibly effective. By closing the distance with Shadow Leap and casting Dehydrate from behind, we could take them down relatively easily. We were actually a great match for them.
The Devil Eagles were more of a nuisance. Their sudden raids from the sky were hard to detect and even harder to counter. They employed hit-and-run tactics, fleeing back into the clouds the moment they struck, making it difficult to land a solid hit. However, for some reason, they seemed to prioritize the tallest targets, meaning they almost exclusively went after Masso-san or Lowell. Since those two were more than capable of parrying the dives, it wasn't a major problem. In fact, once we established a strategy where Spira restrained them with vines during the moment they were staggered after a parry, they ceased to be a threat at all.
"Weren't you guys supposed to be C-Rank, nya~? You're total rank frauds, nya! If I’d known you could fight like this, I would have brought you along much sooner, nya!"
Rache-san watched us fight with a voice that sounded halfway between exasperated and impressed. I took it as a sign that she finally recognized we had the strength to survive on this floor.
"Rank is ultimately just a record of one's achievements as an adventurer," I explained. "It’s not quite the case in Aingurna, but among dungeon-specialized adventurers, it’s not rare to find people with high combat power and low ranks."
"That might be true, nya~... but I’m sure you weren't this strong when we explored together before, nya!"
The last time I’d worked with Rache-san was during the search for the Tenth Floor’s Teleportation Door. We certainly had become considerably stronger since then. Back then, I didn't have the Ring of Malice Conversion, and I hadn't started mass-producing Status Enhancement Potions yet. My research into Special Golems was also in its infancy.
"A respectable display, but they still lack muscle," Masso-san muttered ominously. "I really must train Lowell..."
I decided to pretend I hadn't heard that. Lowell seemed to have the same idea, as he stealthily increased the distance between himself and the muscle-head.
In this manner, we managed to proceed smoothly for a while without any major incidents. The footing was poor and the monsters were tough, so our progress was slow—especially with the frequent breaks for water—but after half a day, we reached the central area of the floor.
"...Nya?"
Rache-san, who was leading the way, suddenly came to a halt. I couldn't see her face from behind, but her triangular ears, which usually hung somewhat loosely, were now pinned straight up. She must have caught a sound.
"...What is it?" Masso-san asked.
"I thought I heard the sound of fighting, nya," Rache-san replied, her voice trailing off uncertainly. It seemed she had only caught a faint echo for a split second before it vanished. However—
"Nya!?"
『I heard it too! The sound of battle!』
The sound must have repeated. This time, Shiroru heard it as well. He let out a sharp bark toward a direction slightly to the right of our current path. None of the rest of us could hear a thing, but if Rache-san and Shiroru both insisted, there was no mistake.
"Is it the Great Busters?"
"I don't know, nya! But there shouldn't be any other adventurers on this floor right now, nya!"
Once you reached the 30th Floor, the pool of adventurers capable of surviving there narrowed significantly. In all of Aingurna, there were apparently only a handful of parties. With so few people, it seemed everyone in that rank bracket knew each other. Rache-san, who had been considering asking others for help with the search, had a firm grasp on everyone's current location.
"Let's go check it out," I suggested.
"Right, nya! But it sounds like a fierce fight. Tort, you and your group stay on your toes, nya. Though, based on how you've handled yourselves so far, I might not need to worry, nya."
Rache-san gave us a final warning. There was a chance we were about to finally encounter an A-Rank monster.
We braced ourselves and hurried toward the source of the noise.