Chương 48: Statting Up for Burnout

Recap: You survived the Bone Weaver's explosion, leveled up to Level 4, and were healed by Kara. You voted to DISTRIBUTE STATS (DEFENSE/HP). Being a wooden box in a dungeon called "The Furnace" is like being a paper boat in a volcano. It's bad planning. It's poor design. It's exactly the kind of situation I specialized in surviving through sheer stubbornness. I focused on the stat menu hovering in my mind.

The Level 4 surge had already boosted my base capacity (HP/MP/SP), but I had two raw stat points floating around. Defense, I thought. If I can't stop the heat, I can at least stop the rocks. SYSTEM NOTIFICATION Stat Points Available: 2 Distribution: Defense +2 New Defense: 13 → 15 Current Stats: Strength: 7 Agility: 2 Intelligence: 12 Charisma: 6 Defense: 15 I felt the change immediately. My iron bands thickened slightly. The wood grain beneath them became denser, almost stone-like. I wasn't fireproof, but I was…

fire-resistant. Like treated lumber.

"Did it just… glow?" Renn asked. He was sharpening his arrows, watching me closely.

"Leveling up," Kara said. She was packing her reagents.

"It's consolidating its magic. Torin, check the key." Torin held the crystal skull key. It pulsed green.

"Door's unlocking. Heat signature is spiking. Floor 5 is active." Active, I thought. That means lava. And things that live in lava. We moved to the exit of the Boss Chamber. A massive door made of black iron stood before us. Torin inserted the skull. It ground open with a sound like a dying dragon. WHOOSH. Heat blasted us. Not dry heat. Wet, heavy, sulfurous heat. It smelled like burnt hair and copper.

"Mask up," Torin ordered. He pulled a scarf over his nose. Kara cast a minor air shield. Renn drank a potion. I had no lungs. I didn't need air. But I needed to not catch fire. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work. SYSTEM NOTIFICATION Zone Change: Floor 5 (The Furnace) Environment: Volcanic / Lava Flows Threat: Fire Damage (Continuous) Core Touched Effect: Neutral (Elemental Monsters Unaffected) Great. The undead respected my authority.

The fire monsters just wanted to toast me. We stepped onto a bridge. It was made of iron grating. Below, rivers of magma flowed. The heat was intense. My HP ticker didn't move yet, but my wood felt… dry. Brittle.

"Box," Kara said. She stopped halfway across the bridge.

"Hold still." She raised her staff. A blue aura washed over me. SYSTEM NOTIFICATION Buff Applied: Frost Ward (Minor) Effect: Fire Resistance +10% for 30 Minutes Cost: 5 MP (Kara) Oh, bless you, Kara, I thought. You're my favorite human.

"Thanks," Torin said.

"Now move. The heat… it's getting worse." He was right. The air shimmered. My tremorsense picked up vibrations on the bridge. Click. Click. Click. Chitin. Many legs.

"Contact!" Renn yelled. He pointed to the bridge supports. Fire Beetles. Level 4. Size of dinner plates. Carapaces glowing orange. They were climbing the iron grating. Toward us.

"There's too many!" Torin shouted. He swung his sword. He cleaved one. It exploded into embers. Embers, I thought. Hot embers. One landed on my lid. SYSTEM NOTIFICATION Damage Taken: 1 HP (Fire Tick) Resistance Applied: -10% (Frost Ward) Defense Applied: 0 (Elemental) Current HP: 14/21 It stung. Like a cigarette burn on a wooden table. If I got covered in them, I'd be charcoal.

"They're swarming!" Kara yelled. She blasted a group with ice magic. They hissed and died. But more were coming. From below. From the sides. I was the tank. I was the one with Defense 15. I was the one with the Frost Ward.

"Box!" Torin yelled.

"Front line! Block them!" Right, I thought. Because I have a shield. I have a lid. I slid to the front of the party. I opened my lid. Just a crack. Enough to show teeth. The beetles hesitated. Fire monsters weren't known for intelligence, but they knew danger. I had 16 SP. 3 MP. 14 HP. I could Slam. I could Bite. I could Taunt. If I Taunted, they'd all come for me. My Frost Ward would help, but I'd still burn. If I Slammed, I could knock them into the lava. If I Bit… well, eating fire beetles sounded painful.

The swarm surged. Hundreds of glowing orange carapaces. Current Stats (Level 4 - Ironband Mimic): HP: 14/21 (Fire Tick) Mana: 3/16 (Low) Stamina: 16/26 (Moderate) Inventory: 2 Pebbles, Metal Items (Fused). Mage Staff (Loot). Status: Frost Warded, Fire Beetles Swarming, Bridge Position. What do you do? A) SLAM THE BRIDGE (KNOCKBACK) Slam your body against the bridge grating. Shake the beetles off into the lava. Clear the path. (Cost: 5 SP. Gain: Crowd Control. Risk: Party might stumble.) B) TAUNT THE SWARM (AGGRO) Use Taunt to draw all beetles to you. Keep them off the party. Rely on Frost Ward + Defense. (Cost: 3 MP. Gain: Party Safety. Risk: High Fire Damage to You.) C) BITE THE LEADERS (DECAPITATE) Target the largest beetles. Eat them. Gain HP/XP. Break the swarm's morale. (Cost: 2 SP. Gain: HP Regen, XP. Risk: Close Contact Fire Damage.) D) RETREAT TO PARTY (CLUSTER) Slide back to Kara. Let her AoE magic handle them. Use your body to shield her from stragglers. (Cost: 1 SP. Gain: Safety in Numbers. Risk: Party Overwhelmed.) VOTING CLOSES IN 24 HOURS. Reply with A, B, C, or D. Most votes wins. [Author Note] Thanks for voting on Chapter 47! Option A (Stats) made you even tankier! Defense is now 15. You've entered Floor 5 (The Furnace) and received a Frost Ward from Kara!