Chương 108: Chapter : 108

The Magma-Drake grew furiously angry. Since its fire breath didn't work, it decided to use its massive size. The monster raised a gigantic fist made of burning, molten lava and slammed it down toward Hestia, intending to crush her flat against the stone floor. Hestia calmly reached her hand up. She caught the giant lava fist with her bare palm. She didn't use super strength. She just let her Thermal Equilibrium magic flow from her hand directly into the monster's arm.

The moment she touched the molten rock, the extreme heat inside the monster was instantly neutralized. The glowing orange lava rapidly turned into a dull, cold, lifeless gray stone. The sudden, violent drop in temperature caused the rock to shrink and crack. With a loud, satisfying shatter, the Magma-Drake's entire arm broke into pieces and crumbled onto the floor. The monster screeched in agony, stumbling backward. It didn't understand what was happening to its body.

"You are a very noisy creature," Hestia said, her voice dripping with haughty annoyance. She slowly walked forward, closing the distance between them.

"And you are taking up entirely too much space in my hallway." The Drake tried to bite her, snapping its massive jaws forward. Hestia didn't even try to dodge. She just casually sidestepped, letting the monster's face come close to her. She reached out and placed her delicate hand flat against the center of the monster's chest, right over its burning, fiery heart.

"Room temperature," Hestia commanded softly. Her magic surged forward. She didn't just neutralize the surface this time; she pushed the Thermal Equilibrium deep into the monster's core. The colossal Magma-Drake completely froze. The burning light in its eyes instantly died out. The molten lava flowing through its veins turned into solid, cold stone in the blink of an eye. The monster was completely robbed of all its internal heat.

It let out a final, weak hiss of steam before its entire body turned a dull, lifeless gray. It was completely frozen solid, not by ice, but by the total, absolute removal of its heat. Hestia pulled her hand back and gave the frozen statue a very light, casual tap with her index finger. The entire Magma-Drake shattered like a cheap glass vase. Thousands of cold, gray rocks rained down onto the cavern floor, completely destroying the boss of the tunnel in less than a minute.

Hestia turned around and walked back to her team. She elegantly brushed a tiny, microscopic speck of gray dust off the sleeve of her white dress.

"Well, that was incredibly boring," Hestia sighed, looking at her spotless servants.

"Zaima, check the compass. We need to hurry. I refuse to spend another hour in this damp, depressing place. I want to find the Core of Luminus and get back to the city before my shoes get ruined." Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Zaima looked down at her magical compass. The needle was spinning rapidly, pointing deeper into the cave system.

"We are getting very close, Princess. The magical radiation is getting stronger. The Core should be just a few tunnels away."

"Excellent," Hestia smiled proudly.

"Let us go collect our prize. I am sure Iris and her little band of misfits are still struggling to fight a few basic bugs by now." The 16th Unit fell perfectly back into formation. They marched deeper into the darkness, looking like a highly dangerous, perfectly oiled machine that absolutely nothing in the world could stop. They were confident, powerful, and totally ready to crush anyone who got in their way.

Meanwhile, miles away in a completely different tunnel of the dungeon, the 13th Unit was not marching in perfect harmony. They were currently standing completely still in the middle of an empty, quiet cavern. There were no monsters around. There was no immediate danger. They were stopped for an entirely different reason.

"Guys, seriously, hold up! You have to stop walking!" Ken Eliot yelled loudly, hopping awkwardly on his left foot while holding his right shoe in the air. Naomi stopped walking and turned around. She looked like she was about to explode with frustration.

"Ken, what is it now?! We have stopped three times in the last ten minutes! What is your problem?!" Ken grabbed his shoe and started shaking it violently upside down.

"I have a tiny rock in my shoe! It is pressing right against my heel! Do you have any idea how annoying that is? It is a severe medical emergency! I cannot fight bad guys if my foot is slightly uncomfortable!" Laxmi leaned against the sleeping, snoring body of a giant armored bear they had defeated earlier. She crossed her arms and laughed.

"It's a cave, farm boy! There are rocks everywhere! Just ignore it and keep walking!"

"I cannot ignore it! It is ruining my entire day!" Ken whined, finally pulling a microscopic pebble out of his boot and holding it up to the torchlight like he had just pulled a bullet out of his leg.

"Look at the size of this thing! It is a boulder! My sock is probably ruined!" Sayma pushed her glasses up and let out a polite, very tired sigh.

"Just put your shoe back on, Ken. We are in a race. Every second counts."

"I am moving as fast as I can!" Ken complained, losing his balance and falling backward onto his bottom with a loud thud.

"Ow! Now my pants are dirty! This is a disaster! Princess Iris, tell them to stop rushing me!" Princess Iris just smiled softly, shaking her head. She looked at Ken sitting in the dirt, rubbing his tailbone and pouting like a child. It was a complete and total contrast. The 16th Unit was a terrifying, flawless, organized army. The 13th Unit was a messy, loud, chaotic family dragging a complaining slacker through the mud.

But as Ken slowly tied his shoelaces—making a massive, dramatic production out of it—he was completely and entirely unfazed by the situation. He didn't care about being perfect. He just cared about being comfortable.

"Okay, I am ready," Ken announced, finally standing up and slouching his shoulders.

"Lead the way, boss lady. But if I get another rock in my shoe, I am officially calling a taxi."

"I hate you," Naomi muttered, turning around and marching forward into the dark. The two rival units were getting closer and closer to the center of the dungeon. The flawless machine and the chaotic family were on a direct collision course, and the real race for the Core of Luminus was about to reach its explosive finish line.

Sayma was walking at the very front of the group, leading the way for Princess Iris. She had her small notebook in one hand and a magical compass in the other. The needle on the compass was spinning wildly, glowing with a bright, pale blue light.

"The magical radiation is extremely thick here," Sayma said, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

"The informant was right. The signature of the Core of Luminus is pulling us straight ahead. It should be just around this next corner."