Joe’s stomach did a quick flip, and for a second, he thought he might hurl. TJ, on the other hand, was practically glowing, claiming the heat made him feel like he was back home. Brian, though, looked like he was about to pass out—poor guy even though he was human he just wasn’t built for the heat after spending so much time in the cool, damp caverns of the Ironside Mountain.

  “I’m all for warm welcomes, but this is a bit much.” Brian groaned, hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.

  Rose to the rescue—she sprayed them all with a refreshing mist from her staff.

  The sweat immediately evaporated from Joe’s skin, and even his hoodie and cargo pants felt less suffocating. He glanced down at his clothes, half-expecting them to turn to ash, but instead, they stayed comfortably cool.

  A notification popped up in his vison:

  [Cooling Mist has given your garments heat resistance for 24 hours.]

  “Feels like we just walked into an active volcano that’s about to spew its guts all over us,” TJ said, helping Brian back to his feet. “One of the many dangers I don’t miss from back home.”

  Joe caught TJ’s gaze and followed it toward the horizon. The ground was practically carpeted in thick ferns, reaching up to their knees and rustling in a way that made his skin crawl.

  “See that clearing over there, under those pine trees?” TJ pointed. “Let’s head there and drop a pin for our location. Not being able to see my feet is giving me the creeps.”

  Dawn grinned and stepped forward, activating her fire ability. Her hand glowed bright, and suddenly, she’d turned into a human flamethrower, blazing with flickering fire. The air shimmered with heat so intense it pricked Joe’s skin. He turned away, shielding his eyes. When he looked back, Dawn cursed under her breath—the ferns were completely untouched.

  “Makes sense. Everything’s probably heat-resistant here,” Joe said, already imagining what other tricks this floor had up its sleeve.

  Rose decided to give it a go with her water whip. She spun her staff, building momentum, and lashed out with a crackling, blue-tinted whip of water. It sliced through the air with a satisfying sizzle but barely made a dent in the stubborn foliage.

  “Okay, BK, let’s pretend I’ve been reincarnated as a farmer.” TJ took the lead, stepping forward with his machete. “It’s harvest time!” His blade flashed as it cut through the stalks, sending fern fronds flying. Joe ducked as a few stray pieces whizzed past his head.

  “I’ll lead the way,” TJ said, already hacking a path toward the clearing. He glanced over his shoulder at Brian. “Get your crossbow ready. Keep an eye on the skies—there’s no telling what else is out here.”

  Brian nodded, loading his crossbow with practiced ease. TJ had barely cleared a few more paces when an unholy shriek erupted from the ferns. Joe’s Quick Wit kicked in, and he snapped his head around, trying to pinpoint the source. About ten paces to the left, the ferns were violently shaking. Straining his ears, Joe also heard a low rumble shaking the ground beneath them. The sound was subtle but growing louder by the second.

  Whatever it was, it wasn’t happy.

  The ferns in front of them suddenly erupted in a frenzy of brown and gray fur, propelled by whipping tails, gnashing fangs, and beady red eyes.

  Joe barely had time to react as one of the critters—a freaking maniac mouse the size of a puppy—latched onto his shoulder. He grabbed it by the scruff and tossed it aside, batting away others before they could claw at his face.

  Maniac mice? Joe thought, shaking off the disbelief. Of course. We’re in a magical tower—anything’s possible, including swarms of murder mice.

  It took him a minute to realize the swarms were completely ignoring Dawn, who stood there like she was in a trance. Everyone else looked like they were doing some sort of breakdance, frantically trying to rid themselves of the furry menace swarming up their legs and arms.

  TJ, ever the tank, was barreling forward, hacking and flexing like he was in the middle of a workout, blood streaming from his neck where one last ankle biter was chowing down.

  Rose wasn’t messing around. With a flick of her staff, she blasted a powerful jet of water straight into the swarm of Cinder Mice, giving us all a much-needed breather. The torrent hit those furry little ankle-biters like a fire hose, sending them tumbling back in a spray of water and squeaks. But these critters weren’t the type to take a hint—they kept coming, more pissed off than ever.

  Seeing that her first shot only bought them a few seconds, Rose doubled down. She closed her eyes for a heartbeat, drawing on her mana until her staff lit up like a freaking blue supernova. Then, with all the grace of a warrior princess, she swung that staff in a wide arc. A massive wave, practically a mini-tsunami, surged forward and slammed into the mice with a satisfying crash.

  They went flying, limbs flailing as they were swept up in the chaos. The roars turned into panicked yelps as the wave washed them away, leaving a soggy, splashing mess in its wake.

  TJ spun around with such speed, the mouse dangling from his ear by its teeth flew off and bounced off Dawn’s head. She caught it, and instead of squashing it, she gently placed it on the ground.

  “You’re supposed to toast that fucker, Dawn, not make friends with it!” TJ yelled, putting all his fury into hacking and slashing the path through the ferns, taking a few mice with him.

  The mice roared—an unsettling, tiny lion-like sound—that caught Joe off guard. He batted away another critter. “We could really use your help, Dawn! Please!”

  Joe’s voice snapped Dawn out of her trance. She blinked, her eyes focusing as if she were seeing the chaos around her for the first time. With a deep breath, she started chanting under her breath, the words flowing out like a prayer. “Nerus, hear my call.”

  As she spoke, Joe felt a shift in the air. It was subtle at first, like the calm before a storm, but then it spread, a wave of something almost tangible.

  Whatever skill she had activated, it was working. The area around them seemed to soften, the tension easing as the once-ferocious mice started to calm down, their attacks slowing.

  “Trying to take down those mice with a crossbow bolt was about as useful as trying to bail out a sinking ship with a teaspoon.” Brian shook his head. He stowed his crossbow and joined TJ in stomping down the stubborn ferns, helping to clear a path forward.

  Rose, ever alert with her staff glowing a soft blue, nodded. “All I did was buy us some time. Those little bastards are not only fast but apparently strong swimmers too.”

  An eerie stillness settled over the forest, only to be shattered by piercing cries from above. Bird calls—or maybe something worse, like monsters the size of pterodactyls made Joe shudder. He quickened his pace to catch up to TJ and Brian. Dawn jogged alongside him, her skin shimmering with a thin layer of steam, her flaming locks streaming behind her.

  “That was pretty awesome, what you did back there.” Joe winced as his boot crunched something unpleasant underfoot.

  “If you say so,” Dawn said with a shrug, still looking a little shaken. “Sorry I was late to the fight. I got some notifications from my god pal Neremus. Turns out all I had to do was invoke his name in a prayer to activate my Whisper of the Undergrowth skill.”

  By the time they reached the clearing in the shade of the Cinder Pines, TJ had stowed his machete and was looking at Dawn like he was seeing her for the first time. “What the hell was that? And also, it was fucking awesome! First time I’ve met a beast-tamer paladin.”

  Brian nodded, clearly impressed. “Back in my world, rangers and druids—especially elves—could do that. Some could command entire armies of beasts; they were practically revered.”

  “I know the type.” TJ grunted, his eyes widened with excitement. “Elves in my world were arrogant, cocky bastards. Everyone thought the sun shone out of their asses, but it was really the kobolds who kept everything in balance. Some lucky fire kobolds could shoot flames out of their mouths—and their asses.”

  This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “Neat! Who wouldn’t love to see that?” Rose beamed. “Not all elves are assholes, but some of them are definitely overrated. If there’s a contest, ass-flaming kobolds win hands down.”

  Joe chuckled, but his smile faded as he noticed movement through the ferns.

  Brian’s brows knitted in confusion as a stream of critters darted through the foliage and disappeared into a hollow at the base of the nearest pine tree.

  Joe stepped back, making sure they weren’t blocking the path. All eyes fell on Dawn.

  “I should explain,” Dawn said, a bit sheepish. “We entered the Little Fang Clan’s territory, and they’re at war with the Nine Claw Mouse Clan. Interesting fact I just learned: mice have different numbers of toes on their front and back feet.”

  “I just learned something too,” TJ said, turning his head sideways to show off long, trailing claw marks on his jaw. The wounds looked nasty, though not as nasty as his shredded ear. “Those fuckers have claws on those paws, and they’re as sharp as their teeth.”

  Brian handed TJ a healing potion, which he gratefully downed in one long gulp. The wounds sealed fast, and Brian smiled. “Can’t have those critters ruining your good looks.”

  TJ blinked, as if surprised and suspicious about whether Brian was messing with him or actually giving a compliment. He slowly nodded, then turned to Dawn. “Before the next thing notices us, or we end up in the middle of another mouse war, drop a pin on the map and tell us where we are—and where the big boss is squatting.”

  Joe scanned their surroundings, eyes on the stormy skies lit with lightning cracks while ash clouds gathered like dark specters atop the fiery volcanoes.

  When Dawn turned her attention back to the group, she wore a strained smile. “You want the good news or the… not-so-good news?”

  “Good news,” they replied in low, unified voices.

  “The good news is the alliance chat works,” she said, though her smile faded as she grabbed a fern stalk and drew a rough map in the dirt. “Over vast, vast distances. The not-so-good news is that we’re here.” She pointed to a spot by her feet, then took a step to her right and drew another dot. “And Ryan’s Blanche Brigade is over here, about two miles due south of us at the tar pits.”

  TJ looked grim. “At top speed in this terrain, that’s gonna take them a day, if not more, to reach us.”

  Joe scratched his jaw, tugging on his hoodie cord and resisting the urge to chew it. “Looks like we need a change of plan. Does your map tell where the Titan—or Titans—are on this floor, and if so, how far are we?”

  “Yes, I got a map skill level-up and can see more,” Dawn said, driving the stalk into the center of her makeshift map. “The Titans are here—it looks like a volcano, and an active one at that. We’re on one side of it, and they’re on the other side, but a good deal further away.”

  “Okay, so we rendezvous at the volcano—two birds with one stone,” Joe said, checking the alliance chat. He sent a message with the volcano coordinates Dawn had given him: Meet you there.

  Chances were, since they were closer, Joe and his team would make it there first. They could spend some time assessing the threat level while waiting for Ryan and his group. Who knows, they might even find a shortcut.

  A short message came back: Great plan. Our ranger Nick’s taming some raptors we can ride. See you there.

  Joe grinned, picturing Ryan and his dino cavalry. He had no idea what weapons the priest had, if any, but with a sorceress who was an ex-goddess and a ranger on his side not to mention Ryan who was a man who could bring out the best in everyone. Together they’d take the two Titans down.

  Dawn tempered his excitement. “We better move fast. Lucky wasn’t exaggerating when he said it’s like a gold rush. Adventure teams are getting more aggressive—there are several clusters much closer than we are, and they’re closing in fast.”

  Not wasting more time, they jogged in the direction of the volcano and continued using the alliance chat to share information on creatures encounters and loot.

  If Ryan hadn’t sent an urgent warning about lava mites, Joe might have lost Brian. They had a close one when the ground erupted, spurting lava that bubbled and popped, releasing flying mites the size of tarantulas. Flaming death skulls patterned on their backs, the mites flew at the biggest target—Brian. His mouth opened in shock, speechless, his ranged weapon was useless again.

  Rose leapt into the air, spinning her staff and unleashing a torrent that hit the flaming assault. The mites turned ashen and fell from the skies, cracking the dry, rocky ground where they landed with a thud.

  “Winning combination—cooling mist has leveled up.” Rose admired the new blue hue of her staff. “My regular attack would have done nothing, so together, Biting Chill mixed with the power of Water Whip cooled them so fast they turned to petrified stone.”

  “Clever—everyone knows stones can’t fly.” TJ smirked.

  After collecting the loot left behind—some cool-looking lava stones—they increased their pace, with Dawn checking her map to avoid other ascenders.

  “Curious,” Brian posed between breaths, “can your map detect hollows?”

  Dawn shook her head. “That would be nice and convenient, so we could avoid them like the plague they are.”

  They continued their grind as the smoky haze-covered sun moved across the sky. However time worked on floor two, Joe didn’t want to be fighting monsters come nightfall.

  Several notifications appeared of party factions attempting—and failing—to kill the Titans. It was a mixed blessing for Joe and his team. Stopping by a nearby grove of pine trees, he scouted for any dangerous creatures. Seeing no threats, they rested against some trees for a short break to drink and eat.

  TJ took out what looked like green soldiers, but on closer inspection, they were kobold warrior totems. He flung them out, and they formed a protective array. “These totems will prevent any monsters from crossing into the array. They’re charged by the mana in the environment, so they only cost me five MP to activate.”

  The silence didn’t mask their thankfulness for the breather after running at a fast pace for so long.

  Brian pulled out a blanket and laid it down like a picnic setup. It looked like a worn tartan, and the tiredness and aches from running seemed to leach from Joe’s bones the moment he sat down. It kind of reminded him of the lily pads they’d sat on in that log cabin temple for Dawn’s first meet-and-greet with her god.

  Brian explained it was a crafted item he chose during induction. “Can’t work if I’m too tired to think straight. It should help stave off mana drain. If you check your MP, it’ll slowly tick up the longer you sit.” The more of them that sat on the blanket, the longer it would take, but it wasn’t long before Joe was back to full MP, and TJ’s scars had healed to barely visible white lines.

  Joe looked around, wishing they could kick back, relax, and share stories like good friends should. But the sight of the volcano spurred them on. He stood and started packing up, watching TJ gather his totems when something caught Joe’s eye. He zoomed in with Quick Wit on a dark, moving object in the distance.

  A flash of lightning tore up the sky, lighting up the ground and revealing a hollow, shuffling from one leg to the other. Beyond the gray-looking dwarf was a group of orange and red zoners. One of them spotted the hollow and shrieked, drawing its attention. The hollow’s loping gait morphed into a murderous sprint as it launched itself at the group.

  Dawn touched Joe’s shoulder. “What do you see? The map shows a group of red and orange zoners sprawling.”

  “Hollows.” The word made them repulse and shiver as it escaped Joe’s mouth. More hollows joined the first, crawling out from the rocky terrain as if a hell mouth had opened and spewed them out. Touch of Madness icons appeared before Joe could say another word—the entire party had been wiped out in an instant. His heart raced as he scrambled to the alliance chat and sent an urgent message to Ryan: Beware hollows—active.

  He didn’t hear anything back for the longest time, and eventually all he received was an okay.

  They moved on, Joe sporadically using Quick Wit to avoid mana drain. Even with his extra capacity, he had to be cautious not to over-rely on any one skill.

  In All-Star sports matches, it’s the all-rounders who are unpredictable that win the game, Joe thought to himself. Same would be true with the magic All-Stars—that’s why he liked the rogue class. You might not be the strongest or the most powerful spellcaster, but with stealth and charisma, he considered himself a magic all-rounder.

  A strong breeze carried the scent of sulfur as the air thickened with the clouds of ash.

  “Smells like somebody cracked a rotten egg with their ass.” TJ inhaled a deep breath.

  Brian clamped a cloth over his nose. “Stop complaining.”

  “Not complaining, bro—smells like my grandma’s cooking. She made the best damn rotten egg omelets you’ve ever tasted.”

  TJ almost bumped into Joe, who had abruptly stopped. There was something in the air besides the foul ash that wasn’t quite right—it was like a beating heart. With a Quick Wit tilt of his ear, Joe listened. It was faint, but in the distance, like a sonic boom, it bristled the pine needles, shaking them from the nearby trees.

  Moments later, a notification appeared:

  [Merry Miners Brotherhood have failed to kill the titan.]

  Narrowing his eyes at the horizon, Joe started to put two and two together. He could almost make out the top of the volcano—it looked flat, like a crater.

  “What do you see?” TJ squinted in his direction.

  “Think I know why there are two Titans—they’re not twins.”

  Brian rubbed his goatee. “How do you know?”

  “From what I can see, there’s a huge pterodactyl-like bird sitting on a nest, and a smaller one circling the area.”

  Rose shook her head. “A monster mama is probably the most dangerous thing we’ll face. Anything protecting its brood would die to protect them and unleash hell on anyone trying to get near.”

  They stood in grim silence as the flying pterodactyl-like monster flapped its wings. That’s when Joe saw the rush of airwaves and heard the sonic boom ripple outward, rushing past the lone trees and vegetation. He shook his head. The sonic boom had to cover a radius of about five miles.

  “Running straight in there is going to get us killed,” Brian said, pointing to the bones of monsters scattered across the ground. Shimmering loot lay there unclaimed.

  “Let’s wait for Ryan and his team.” Joe’s heart raced as the titan rounded the peak of the volcano. “If we all get wiped out, we won’t get another shot before someone else kills the titan and unlocks the next floor.”